Greek Time

Let me tell you about the last three days.

This post is going to be long.

Tuesday. Due to weather, I could not go for the run I wanted to go for outside, so I took care of a few things by email and then braved the elements and headed to the political science class that continually broadens my knowledge of Middle Eastern affairs. Then I headed to the gym. I can tell you that when I first went into the campus gym, on Friday, I felt, for the first time since I got here, at home. So today on Tuesday I went eagerly back...and due to the weather once again, I did something I have previously avoided doing like the plague: ran on the treadmill. And it was horribly boring, and I was dizzy as a drunk when I got off it, but...I really really really really really really really needed to go running after an admittedly upsetting weekend (with the exception of Sunday). And I also just felt the desire to be in the gym itself, where I felt at home; I can finally do something in Greece without being self-conscious, because I'm good at it and unashamed of my skills. It also helps tremendously that the Olympic team in 2004 was hosted here, which means that Sergei Bubka handled the same weights I handled, and we have only top-quality equipment.

Anyway! I went to class and found out that we didn't have class. Reminder: "Greek time" means that all Greeks are late for everything. If you were like me during senior year of high school, then school in Greece is your dream. Everyone is always late! And if the teacher has a meeting, they say to wait for him in class for a few minutes, but after that, to hell with it. When I got back here I cracked down on "The Iliad," partly because it was assigned, but also because all Greek people know "The Iliad," and then made the Greek version of pasta. Pasta, plus lots of tomato, cucumber, feta, and olive oil. (Word to the wise: feta in America SUCKS after you eat it in Greece).

Wednesday. There's a pastry shop down the street that I tried for the first time yesterday. After speaking a few words in Greek, I walked a little ways into a small park area, THOROUGHLY enjoyed my pastry, and watched some high school kids messing around. I thought more about Greek time. Obviously these kids should have been in school. But while they messed around in their teenage world, and I stood there eating, I couldn't help but understand with more clarity that Greek time is something...almost sacred.

That said, all of my classes on Wednesday were cancelled. Because of that I got to go to a cardio hip-hop class in the gym. And that was a workout! I was expecting to dance, but that's not exactly what happened. At least I can say that the Greek time is accounted for by taking full advantage of the fact that the Greeks invented athletics. After that I ate and went into the library for a little computer time, arranging some Spain stuff. I booked my flight last week, by the way, and that was stressful. Since then, I decided: only do one Spain-planning thing per day. I'm in Greece, and I can't waste my Greece experience by only thinking about Spain. Anyhow, then I actually finished my reading for "The Iliad," the endless war epic, and went back to the gym, getting another chance to speak a little more Greek.

Thursday, today. I had decided a few days ago that I wanted to see something outside Athens this weekend, and I settled on Corinth for a day trip. Today I asked a friend in my political science class who is Greek and German if she would like to accompany me. Success! So while my plan had originally been to go to Corinth alone, I may be going with someone that's not one of the study abroad students. Anyhow, after class I met some more Greek students. We had all signed up for a program that pairs Greek and American students up as part of a way to get us to meet people. I actually found out that I have two partners, and I clicked with them right away! We've already planned to meet next weekend for a visit to some ancient sites around Athens. After this, I went back to the library to read for my philosophy class, and I liked the book so much that I checked it out (and should be reading it right now instead of writing this).

I had said previously that I hadn't pinpointed what brings on my enjoyment of Athenian ruins. Now I think I know, after doing this reading. The reading was Sextus Empiricus, an ancient sceptic. The first thing I noticed from his writing was that some of the things he was confused about have since been scientifically proven. That's what I always liked about the ancients: they worked with what they had. Hence, I really pinpointed why I like that: IT'S SO SIMPLE. There isn't anything overly scientific or derived from the work of someone else...nothing to get in the way of the main idea. Don't get me wrong, I like the contemporary philosophers I've been exposed to, but I just really love the simplicity that the ancients can explain.

After this, I went to class, which was moved to a different classroom that we wound up sharing with students from Ohio here for a week-long trip. I'm in that class with another study abroad student who lives in my building, and we were both invited to eat pastries with them and talk to them about Greece so far. I realize that I've already done plenty of stuff here: I've spoken the language a little, I've eaten almost all the options on Taverna's menu in Flagstaff, I've been to the main areas in downtown Athens. Before I'd been freaking out that I hadn't done enough within three or four weeks, but...jeez, I've only been living here, I haven't been treasure-hunting, trying to knock touristy things off my list. Not at all.

And that leads me to the reason why I bothered writing all this: I wanted to be immersed in Greek culture, right? And I have been. By way of running on Greek time. Without even realizing it, I've been put under the spell of the Greek habits by trying to copy them, and I've been sitting and talking to people, eating a LOT of pastries, and shamelessly being late to class...just like the Greeks. Let me share with you a quote from Deborah Cunningham, who was here last semester and kept a blog of her own: "In Greece, there are 36 hours in a day. This is a secret that Americans have been trying to master for quite some time, but somehow the more activity they cram into their day, the shorter it gets. Perhaps this Hellenic mystery has been passed down for centuries; perhaps it is a more recent development. Regardless of the origin, it remains an undeniable reality. The key? Breathe. Look around. Enjoy your meal. Say hello to friends. Live life at your own pace. Live Greek." So yeah, I'm not running around Greece trying to rush myself into seeing all the sites, so that I can "say I did." I can do that in Spain all I like, but I'm very slowly planning it, so as not to interrupt Greek time. And now that I understand Greek time, as Deborah did, I no longer feel bad about it...I feel like this is the natural thing to do.

The moral of the story is that I think I'm turning Greek.

Kalispera, feelah-mou!