Large And Small.

Sometimes it is admittedly better to be amongst other people from your culture when you go abroad. When you are delighted by something you see, other people are there to be delighted along with you. Or at the very least you can direct all of your side conversations toward the fact that things are different here.

In Nafplio yesterday, we were treated to a colossal meal by our study abroad coordinators. I can only think of two Greek food items at the top of my head that were not on that table. It was unbelievable. All of us in the program have tasted Greek food in the States, of course, but yesterday we found out what the States has really been depriving us. (As a side note, I found out why feta cheese sucks outside Greece: because it's been declared officially "Greek" and so no one is allowed to reproduce it) During the entire meal, we laughed and tried to play telephone around the table with Greek sentences, and ate so much food, I don't know how we stood up afterwards. Someone at home once mentioned that they were fascinated by the way people celebrate events with food, and now that I think about it, I am, too. Every party/get-together or what have you, there is always food. What is so special about this sense that surpasses the other four senses at a celebration? The Greeks know why, and hey, I am not complaining!

But then again, there are sometimes not so good things about being amongst people of your culture when you're abroad. Our coordinators had had three parts planned for our Nafplio excursion: a tour of an ancient castle, the four-course meal and walk around town, and a visit to the main Greek winery and wine-tasting. Don't get me wrong, I had fun yesterday and came back feeling spent...but I wouldn't have planned out the excursion that way. It was in no way an exercise of Greek time to shove all those activities into six or seven hours. We all entered the castle and then after only an hour they gathered us back to go out. We hadn't even seen the whole thing! I believe in the when-in-Rome state of mind that I had when school first started, and although I realize that doing all those things in one day required us to move fast, I feel like that wasn't very Greek at all. I can think of lots of places that I've been where I just rushed to get through it all, and now every time I catch myself doing it here, I start feeling self-conscious: I don't see anyone else walking as fast as me.

Slow down, everyone. If you're inside a castle, don't just think about lunch the whole time. Or wine.

Anyway. While I'm enjoying the Greek immersion, I still have thoughts about my own American culture. Unlike last summer in Spain, where I was tripped up the entire time to be so far away, I feel a little calmer, perhaps because it's my second time now in Europe. I'm not uncomfortable with Skyping or checking email, like I first started out, thinking "Why would I want to break myself out of immersion?" And I still like to keep a few American habits (like letting people walk by you on the sidewalk!). I'm just starting to see a better picture here, about traveling. The phrase "it's a small world," man, I absolutely hate that phrase. IT'S NOT TRUE! Try comparing two completely different cultures and saying that, I mean, how can a small world be host to so many cultures? The world is huge. It's just that everything is related when it comes to the world as a whole. When we first looked at Flagstaff, my dad and I started calling the main street Contra Costa Blvd, because it had the same layout as the main drag back in Pleasant Hill. Today in Athens I discovered Golden Gate Park. Athens calls it the National Garden, but I've got my own ideas :). And even though it's different, obviously, it was nice to compare. And really nice not to feel bad about it. I'm glad that cultures can intermix like that. While the world can be huge, the small comparisons or coincidences are what really brings everyone together.

You guys want a break from my philosophizing? I had a funny moment today in the National Garden. There's some kind of excuse for a zoo inside (all they have are the ducks that used to be allowed to freely roam, before H1N1; some stray cats; roosters and other birds; and a couple of random rams). Looking at the bird cage, I spotted, not with difficulty at all, peacocks. As I watched one walk around its cage I thought about what a weird creature a peacock is. I mean:

  That's like the equivalent of a person with a carpet attached to his neck. Why would God create that?

I must have gotten there right on time, because the peacock started shaking a little bit, and then ka-POOF! its feathers were out. I don't know if any of you have seen this, but it's quite a spectacle. My picture doesn't do it justice. If you were to take it back to my kitchen here and set it face-down, it would cover the entire floor. And when another bird, walked up to it, the entire thing vibrated and rippled. Again, I don't understand the existence of such a creature, because now it could barely walk, and if it was doing it for protection, it wasn't scaring anyone off.

Like I said, the picture is really not so good. I wish I could really show you how big it was. Despite my sardonic opinion, I had to admit: even though this was not a particularly Greek event to witness, it was pretty amazing. And then afterwards I saw a duck sticking its own wings out as if trying to show off, and that was probably the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

Keep dreaming, buddy.

So yeah, that was my weekend :). I know I've been neglecting posts more and more often, but I only want to report interesting occurrences, not the monotony of my school life. So that's why.