Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Home again, home again, jiggidy jig. I feel as if I just woke up from the best dream I've ever had, like one of the extremely vivid ones you remember years and years later. I can't even put how amazing this experience was into words, there's absolutely no way to recreate the magical time we had in Athens, Greece. How could I describe how much fun it was talking about life with Mano, or how beautiful the ancient cities and temples and monuments were, or how ridiculously hysterical our group was? It's downright impossible, even though this blog made a valiant effort.

304's wall of happiness. :D

It seems like just yesterday we were all getting to the airport in Jacksonville, putting names to faces for the first time. It's like if you took a group photo of us at the beginning of the trip, it'd be the equivalent of an awkward family photo, while if you took one now, we'd all be doing something ridiculous like dog-piling each other. I honestly couldn't have picked a better group to experience Greece with, a group that was only made complete with awesome professors. Thanks to the Kaplans, we were able to take advantage of everything Greece had to offer, while at the same time growing culturally from each experience. I wouldn't change anything about this trip, every adventure added something new and exciting to our lives. Seriously, even the bad parts weren't that bad! Once we got the hang of living like the locals, dealing with little daily frustrations seemed so trivial compared to all our endeavors.

To be perfectly honest, I felt more culture shock coming back to the U.S. than I did that first week in Greece. The main thing that threw me off over seas was the language barrier and the foreign neighborhood, but even then it wasn't too bad. If I'm being perfectly honest, though, that first tour of our local neighborhood was terrifying. We'd just gotten off a ten hour flight, the street signs and billboards were mostly in Greek, and we had no idea how to navigate the Plataea whatsoever. That culture shock only lasted the first day, though, since we immediately left for Rhodes. After a week of smooth transition, we were able to make our way through the neighborhood without a problem.

Like I said before, though, getting back to the States was surprisingly crazy. We were all so attached to the safety net of language, saying whatever we very well pleased an knowing that no one would understand. After walking off the plane, we were bombarded with fluent English and signs that didn't have strange letters. Interestingly enough, I found myself getting annoyed over-hearing English conversations. I was so used to hearing Greek everywhere that it kind of became the norm. My irritation with the English thing could have also been because I could actually understand what they were saying. No, scratch that, "complaining" would be a better term. At least we were blissfully ignorant of what the Greeks were saying.

It's also going to take some time to get used to the fact that America isn't a cash society. I'd gotten so used to using euros for everything from dinner to souvenirs, only taking my debit card out for the ATM. At times the euro system was actually easier than debit cards, but every now and then I missed the convenience of just sliding your card and entering the pin number. I think I'll definitely be less dependent on my debit card over here, though. It's always a good idea to keep some cash on hand.

That was actually the extent of my culture shock coming back into the States. I may have exaggerated a little earlier...anywho, now that I'm all unpacked and re-adjusted, my first priority is to sleep for a good twenty-four hours. Good thing we're going to the beach in a few days, relaxing just isn't the same without the white sand and rushing water. #firstworldprobz

And so the story ends. It's been real, and I wouldn't change anything for the world, but it's nice to be back home. Now, for the very last time, this is Maddie, signing off!!! <3

The Show Must Go On

Friday July 13, 2012 cont...

How many chances do you get to see an ancient Greek play performed in an ancient Greek theatre on the outskirts of an ancient Greek city? The typical answer would probably be none, so you can imagine my excitement when Mr. Dr. Kaplan led an adventurous expedition to watch Aristophanes' The Clouds in the Theatre of Epidaurus.

Shout out to all my homies from Drama I: you remember
filling out these diagrams?

Been there, done that.

Talk about blast from the past, I felt so smart when Mr. Dr. gave a mini-spiel on the layout of traditional Greek theatre. Thanks, Susan!

The experience itself was unbelievable. It seems so strange to me that they've adapted this historical monument to act as a modern day theatre rather than preserving it's antiquity. Think about it: the people of Epidaurus drive up to this fourth century BC theatre just for funsies, so what was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for me is nothing but a regular practice for them. I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that these people pretty much have a time machine in their backyards while the most historical Gainesville gets is the Marjorie Kinnan Rowlings State Park. 

One thing I noticed while we were waiting for the play to start was that the Greeks have a very different attitude towards seating arrangements than we do. From what I've seen in America, people generally only sit next to strangers when there's no other option. Wherever there's a giant assembly, be it at a movie theatre or in church pews, we tend to stick to our own group as much as possible. Rather than opting for the "cooties" approach, however, it would seem that the Greeks are less concerned with squeezing in right next to one another. 

Granted, most of the time these people were trying to get better seats by pushing their way through. At the same time, though, I feel like if you stole the theatre with the shrink ray from Despicable Me and transported it to the U.S., people would have still gone for the more private seats far away from everyone else. The fact that the exact opposite happened just reiterates the conclusions we've been drawing all semester. From what we've seen, the Greek people value closeness and friendship more than personal interests. They seemed more concerned with scooching in and making room on the outside for newcomers than with maintaining a personal bubble. To be honest, I was a little uncomfortable when a family decided to sit down right next to me, but it's one of those cultural tidbits that you just have to get used to. It actually creates a greater sense of community in the long run, even when you can't understand a word on stage.

Oh, and about that, if you ever do get the chance to see an ancient Greek play performed in an ancient Greek theatre on the outskirts of an ancient Greek city, I highly suggest you bring an English translation...and a flashlight. I borrowed Allison's copy of the play for a little while, but the ever-approaching sunset introduced an unfortunate dilemma. We couldn't understand a word they were saying. Despite our lack of Greek, the very intriguing visuals plus the entertaining audience provided a truly one-of-a-kind experience. I still don't know how there can be so much estrogen congregated in one place without a single woman on stage, and I was a drama kid for four years.

Every time I think I know everything about the Greek culture, it goes and surprises me again. It's so sad that we're leaving this wonderful place in four days when we've experienced so much. After a memorable evening surrounded by good entertainment and great friends, this is Maddie signing off!

Still Famous

Friday July 13, 2012

A week from yesterday, I became famous. No seriously, I kid you not.

Story Time: So, about a week ago (well...I guess it would be two weeks ago, now...I'm a little behind...) Mrs. Dr. announced that Athens TV expressed interest in the daily/weekly/whenever you feel like it travel blogs. We were instructed to send in the OK for Dr. Kaplan to release our blogs to the news company, and said newsies would choose the VIP's to be interviewed on national television. Thus, last Friday morning Corey, Brianna, Rebecca, Chase, Jimmy, and I arose bright and early to make our TV debut.

After being briefed by Lady Kaplan, we set off for Starbucks to offer our observations concerning the Greek economic crisis. We were interviewed in pairs, so while Rebecca and Chase were taking their turn the PR of ACG sat down and talked with us for a bit. His story was actually pretty inspiring, starting out as a physics major and making his way to public relations merely by networking and knowing the right people. I also found it extremely courteous of him to print out our individual blogs and bring them to the interview. He actually picked out his favorites and showed them to us, which was very kind.

Each interview was conducted in a different setting, and the reporter was all about making it look as natural and corny as possible. They set the scene for each of us, asking us about the little things we've noticed about the Greek attitude toward their current situation. For instance, more often than not restaurants offer some sort of free desert after a delicious meal, and our friend Stratos has given us a complementary little trinket every time we've visited his parents' shop. It's interesting because rather than focusing on saving money, people seem to be placing hospitality in a higher regard. The tavernas and coffee shops are all full at night as well, so obviously the financial issue isn't as important as maintaining a certain lifestyle.

What struck me the most was that a national news company saw fit to interview ignorant American students about something that's plagued Greece for decades. We know next to nothing about this situation, and to be perfectly honest, a lot of the conclusions that we've made could very well be disproved in other parts of Athens. I have a strong hunch, though, that it was more about projecting the safety of the city rather than listening to our opinion on the economic crisis. Still, I have no problem admitting that the euro vs. drachma battle has not affected our trip in the slightest. There've been no strikes or demonstrations, and the only power outage we experienced was planned by the power company.

Back home, we get a very biased version of what's going on over here. Syntagma, the square that houses the Parliament building, is believed to be full of riots and protestors; however, we've yet to see a demonstration take place, even after the elections. I think the news group took such interest in our cause because they wanted a good story that would reveal the truth about what's going on over here, or at least put Athens in a better light.

That doesn't take away from the experience, though, by any means. It was still really freaking awesome that they managed to get something intelligent-sounding out of my word vomit. Also, Hannah told us that a woman in the Plaka recognized our study abroad group from the news when she [the woman] asked her [Hannah] where she was from. (Stupid pronouns...) This'll definitely be a story for the books, the day we got to discuss politics on national television in Greece. And they lived happily ever after, The End. This is Maddie, signing off!

Killing Two Birds With One Stone

Sooooooo.....before you send a mob in my direction, let me just say that it has been a crazy few weeks over here. As you can probably guess, it's difficult to sit down and make time to blog when Athens is at your fingertips. Not to mention the fact that we're all absolutely, completely exhausted from all of our adventuring endeavors. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change anything about this trip for the world, but it's hard to squeeze in daily posts when you're about ready to fall asleep standing up when the day is done.

My carefully formulated resolution to this conundrum is to kill like, fifty birds with one stone. Let's get ready to rumble!

Sunday July 8, 2012


On the lovely day of Sunday, July 8th, we ventured to the beautiful island of Hydra for a little beach fun time and a lot of shopping. I know I say this after coming back from every site, but Hydra was one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen. Seriously, I could retire there and die a happy woman. The waters were crystal clear and the town was absolutely adorable. Hydra is a smaller island, so even though some sections were clearly affected by commercialism, we were still able to get the feel of real Greece while we visited.

The ferry-plane that took us to Hydra. These are literally lifted
up on stilts once a certain speed is reached, and we're sent
flying across the water. It might not have been as roomy
as the Rhodes ferry, but it was still a really cool
experience.

Unfortunately, I made a tremendous boo-boo and forgot to bring beach flip flops along with my sneakers. Since walking in shorts, a bathing suit top, and tennis shoes would have looked incredibly ridiculous, I opted for the barefoot option. Bad idea, very bad idea. There are little to no cars in Hydra, so the streets are made with a sort of stone mixed together with mortar. Apparently these cobble-stones get hot in the blazing sun, so after what felt like a good fifteen minute trek to the beach, my feet were forming heat blisters. Chase forced me to wear his flip-flops for the rest of the way, which I'm eternally grateful for, despite the fact that by the time we reached the water I couldn't get up from the chair. It was like getting a hot rocks massage on my feet, only the after effects were less than pleasant.

We could see the fish swimming through the algae-covered logs,
that's how pretty this water was.

One of the things I just can't get over is the fact that the water is absolutely, crystal clear. You can clearly see the rocky sea floor even when you're neck deep. Sometimes, even little sea urchins would climb out and chill on the rocks. A couple of us grabbed some goggles and explored the big blue, which gave me the urge to get a scuba diving license sometime in the near future. The ocean's just really, really cool.

After beach time, we all gathered for another lunch that just so happened to be included in the excursion. Ellie and I shared a delicious bowl of some spaghetti-like dish and we played the game "Ellie Wins," which is generally the way things work for five-year-olds.

Lunch was followed by a stroll through the tiny little town, complete with the necessary trip to an ice cream shop. We all managed to find a few souvenirs, and I finally got a touristy-yet-classy evil eye bracelet. In a way, I honestly feel like the tourist merchandise sort of makes the trip. Yeah, it's a bit cheesy considering that almost every street we've walked down sells exactly the same stuff, but the evil eye is such an integral part of Greek culture that it wouldn't be right leaving here without some sort of charm.

I also feel a little bit obligated to give in to some sort of aspect of tourism. While living in Athens for such a long period of time has helped us all become accustomed to the local Greek culture, let's be real here. Our initial transition into Greek life was pretty much the definition of 'vacation' with that week in Rhodes. We were able to learn the little things we needed to know to survive, (i.e. please, thank you, excuse me, what are you saying to me, where's the water closet, etc.) while at the same time enjoying the island as tourists. I think we all should just embrace that fact and give in to some of the tacky traditions that we've been badmouthing the past few weeks. Once upon a time, we were newbies, too. Actually, it seems like just yesterday that we were stepping off the ferry onto Rhodes, unaware of the incredible experience ahead.

Week Of: Monday July 9, 2012

Honestly, this entire week has become a giant blur. Sometimes after going, going, going for so long, the days start to blur together. I'm really and truly having a hard time putting all of our adventures into some sort of chronological order...seriously, I spent about twenty minutes trying to figure out if we went to the Acropolis Museum on Wednesday or Thursday.

I'm pretty sure we enjoyed a lovely morning sleeping in on Monday...last I remember, our class was re-scheduled for Monday night after the pot luck because the Art History class had a midterm...anywho, Monday night was also the beginning of our site presentations, so I was able to get mine over and done with. (Totally aced it, by the way!)

Tuesdays are pretty much the best days of the week. You know how the weekends are the typical days of winding down? Well, the phrase 'doing nothing and relaxing' isn't really in our vocabulary, so we very rarely get down time to sleep in and de-stress. Luckily, since we don't generally plan excursions for Tuesday mornings, we get a bit of a breather. While it's always fun to go down to the Plaka and shop before class, sometimes we need a day to sleep in until 11:30. Once you put the storm shutters down and turn on the air-conditioner, our room becomes like a cave, so Bri and I slept in like bosses. (For real, I woke up and the room was pitch black, it's so trippy!)

We sat through another full day of classes on Wednesday, and on Thursday we ventured into Syntagma with Sir Kaplan to see the Theatre of Dionysus and the Acropolis Museum.

This was another situation in which coffee makers would have been a great asset to the dorm. We were able to walk through the stadium where theatre was born, the birth place of my entire high school career, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Now, don't get me wrong, I had a bit of a moment standing in the raised seats of the audience, but it was difficult to generate the excitement I found in the ruins of Delphi or the ancient city of Corinth. Thinking about it, that seems like a long time ago, but I distinctly remember getting frappes before partaking in all of the big excursions.

Troupe 3614, representing all around the world!

I love that we're experiencing so much here, but it's hard to keep on truckin' when you're so freaking tired all the time. There's really not much we can do about it besides complain like children (actually, I'm Ellie's been the most well-behaved out of all of us) but the effects of sleep depravation do reveal themselves after a while. We've kind of been telling ourselves that we can sleep at home, though. These last couple weeks have been our way of squeezing everything possible into our trip, because something as normal as sleep shouldn't put a damper on our adventure-fun-time.

The Acropolis Museum was actually very cool to visit. It's easily the most high-tech place we've been to here, almost like a completely different world. Since Greece is notorious for a high percentage of smog and air pollution, some pieces of the Parthenon were getting damaged. The Greece government saw fit to create a museum to preserve one of the most important pieces of Greek history. In fact, we saw the technique used to clean the actual Caryatid statues, and it involves a single laser pointer painstakingly covering every inch of stone...you've got to have some serious dedication and/or brain damage to voluntarily take that job.

Part of the reason that they take such intense care of the Caryatids is that one of the original six statues is currently being held hostage by the British. It's almost as if the entire museum is an effort to prove that the Greek people are capable of handling priceless artifacts. For instance, you're not even allowed to take pictures on the first two floors, and they usually get all huffy if you pose. The thing is, though, none of the other museums are given the same kind of attention. I mean, yeah, you'll probably get tazed if you take a stone from the archaeological sites, but you don't have to walk through security to get into any of the other museums. It would be totally awesome for the Greeks to get the Caryatid back, though, they really do take care of these statues centimeter by centimeter.

Centaur fighting a Lapith...Lapith fighting a Centaur...
Centaur overcoming a Lapith...Centaur capturing a
Lapith woman...Lapith getting beaten by a Centaur...
I'm pretty sure there were 92 of these at one point. The
Centaurs and the Lapiths just don't like each other.

And there you have it. I'm not quite caught up yet, but that's the general gist of last week. Thursday night ended with a trip to see Spiderman in the outdoor theatre, which was totally awesome. The only thing that whole ordeal better was a good dose of Sour Patch Kids, but what're ya gonna do. This is Maddie, signing off!

No, Really, I'm Just Browsing

Saturday July 7, 2012

In our corner of Athens, a little neighborhood called the Plaka is our go-to place for any souvenir shopping/fun seeking/acropolis touring endeavors. It's a large square chop-full of vendors selling everything from mass-produced tourist magnets to hand made rugs. While learning how to use the Metro is an adventure in and of itself, walking through the Plaka introduces a completely different style of shopping.

Lookin' too fly on the Metro. 

An unusual photo op. Usually we're too packed in like sardines to take pics.

Taking that into account, Saturday created a perfect opportunity to explore the Plaka on our own, as it was our first free day in like, EVER. So, rather than working on our eight page history paper due this Monday, we decided it'd be more practical to go and spend lots of money on new stuff. Duh.

As I said before, though, the Plaka is an experience unlike any other. I don't know how many of you are "in the know" regarding this particular aspect of Greek culture, but their shop-keeping methods are decidedly different from those in the States. In the U.S., we vigorously cling to anonymity when out and about, preferring to be left to our own devices. Sure, managers and employees typically wander around asking people if they need assistance, but once you say "no thank you" they respectfully back away. The absolute opposite happens here.

It's virtually impossible to walk down the streets of the Plaka without being bombarded with sales people. Usually, it involves middle-aged men shoving menus in your face or yelling about some sort of cheap jewelry for the pretty girls. Thanks to these bo-zos, we've masterfully developed a system of looking straight ahead and bulldozing our way through, making as little eye-contact as possible. Even then, though, the salesmen literally chases after you, asking about where you're from and if you'd like to sit and enjoy a nice frappe at his lovely cafe. I swear, one of these days someone's going to get punched in the face. No, really. It's quickly approaching the point of no return.

How is it that no one has pictures of the Plaka?
This was really the only one I could find.
Thanks, Jimmy!

If simply walking down the street isn't difficult enough, God-forbid you actually go into one of the stores. Every time we look even remotely interested in an item, the store clerk immediately starts with the "this, only three Euros" or the "I make you a better price, eight Euro for two". Really, kind sir, I was just looking. It's not like it was written in the stars that I should buy this bust of Achilles. Just passing the time, honest.

Despite the ridiculously obnoxious vendors, though, walking around the Plaka is always a great experience. The merchandise is so varied that you can find everything you're looking for in that one little strip. Going to the Plaka more frequently has also helped me come to an understanding regarding the more pushy details of Greek culture. Yes, tourists and locals alike weave through each and every shop, but it's also very common to see groups of pick-pocketers ready and raring to start problems. As a store owner, you have to keep a close eye on whomever enters your premises, because you never know when someone is out to do you harm. Though we nearly always look like innocent, idiot Americans wherever we go, they have no way of knowing if we're vagabond purse snatchers or in league with the Albanian gypsies.

For instance, Bri, Corey, and Becca led us to a hole-in-the-wall icon store in which Allison, Lauren, and I were introduced to our new friend Stratos. As any good Greek should, we focused on the relationship style of shopping rather than the fast-paced American way. We had a grand old time chatting with Stratos about good places to go to the beach near Athens and nice restaurants to look for while on Hydra. At one point in our conversation, though, Stratos glanced over to these two gentlemen hovering by the entrance. Other than their cocky aura, most of us girls didn't notice anything strange about them, but Stratos looked a little cautious. It was when they started pestering Stratos's parents that he sent them out of the shop and far, far away. 

Afterwards, when we questioned Stratos about what just happened, he simply said "You know, I just don't like looking at some people's faces. You can just tell when they're about to cause trouble." Sure enough, Allison had been keeping an eye on the strangers as well, and she informed us that they were eyeing our bags the entire time they were in the shop.

I suppose in order to be successful in the Plaka, you have to be wary of wrong-doers of all appearances and ages. That would at least explain the hovering shop-owners, for they all have to protect their keep. (The awful restaurant spokesmen, on the other hand...that's another story.) In fact, this family's little store was robbed just a couple weeks ago, so clearly burglary is a prominent issue in the Plaka area of Athens. At first I was really impressed by his ability to discern the men's purpose with a single glance, but it's probably a skill that all the shop-owners in the Plaka have developed. It's there sixth sense, and without it their stores wouldn't do half as well. (Don't get me wrong, it's still an impressive feat, but it's not something that I associate with Stratos himself anymore.)

Complementary souvenir, generously given to us by Stratos.
Apparently, it's a good luck charm that the Israelites would
make by mixing wax from the tomb of Jesus with various herbs
and spices.

I'm pretty sure the Plaka is one of my favorite places to go in Athens, besides the gelateria, of course. It's just so exciting and full of energy, every day of the week. If only we didn't have class or homework, we could be down in the Plaka exploring to our hearts content all the time. Too bad we're technically here to learn, or something lame like that. Like, whatever. Anywho, this is Maddie, signing off!

Iron Chef: Kaplan Edition

Friday July 6, 2012

Friday morning dawned as usual in room 304. All five of us skipped down to the dorm lobby for class at 9:00am, bright eyed and ready for the day...or not. I'm pretty sure we make it a regular practice to trudge down four flights of stairs like zombies, 'cause for some un-Godly reason ACG doesn't seem to feel it necessary to equip the dorms with coffee makers. Yeah, I don't really get it either.

So down to class we went, expecting another day of discussing "Dinner with Persephone" and connecting each chapter to our own experiences. Turns out Mrs. Dr. had a completely different agenda for Friday; fortunately, it was enough to get us up and going, despite our lack of caffeinated beverages.

Mrs. Dr. surprised us by sacrificing her apartment for a cooking workshop. There were four stations, each containing the ingredients for a delicious Greek dish. The teams rotated stations after completion, so we all got to experiment with the staple ingredients of Greek food. Throughout this entire ordeal, it was interesting to see all of the dishes that could be made with olive oil, feta cheese, Greek yogurt, olives, garlic, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, salt and pepper, dill, oregano, and lemon juice.

These are the ingredients that Greek families always have on hand in the kitchen, for with them you can make virtually any Greek delicacy. It's so amazing, though, because even though most of the recipes involve the same ingredients, everything tasted so different! For instance, the first station we went to required the ingredients for a Greek salad, while the next resulted in Tzatziki, followed by some sort of red pepper dip and yummy cheese pies. Everything put its own unique twist on simple ingredients, and we reaped the rewards at the end. 

Tzatziki

Greek Salad

Red Pepper Dip

Cheese Pies

With regards to this cooking session, we've been discussing little cultural differences we've noticed during our every day routine in class, and one of them is the decidedly small fridge. Now, I'm not talking a dorm fridge, but let's just say Kenmore appliances takes the cake. With such a small refrigerator, it's difficult to store all of the food you need for the next week or two. So far we've explained this with the fact that Greeks tend to go to the store more frequently during the week. Grocery shopping is more about the relationships with local butchers or bakers or super market owners rather than the anonymity Publix excels in. The Greek people go shopping primarily to visit with friends and family. Also, most people walk to the nearest stores, so carrying back a ton of grocery bags would be excruciatingly difficult. 

After this workshop, though, I've come to another conclusion regarding the itty-bitty fridge situation. True, die-hard Greeks really and truly just don't need it. As long as their pantry is stocked with these key ingredients, families have the means to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day e'ry day. As Americans, we're accustomed to going power shopping, getting everything we need for the rest of the week. Here, people are more content buying certain ingredients to fiddle with during the week rather than coming up with something new every night. Many thanks, Lady Kaplan, now I'll be able to make more than microwaved vegetables and George Foreman grilled cheeses next semester!

Family Night. *Insert Mrs. Puff voice* "Extra Credit!"

The spoils of war, made with our blood, sweat, and tears.
And love. Lots of love.

A Case of Missing Identity

Thursday July 5, 2012

"I lost something once. I lost something I couldn't live without-my identity"
~Spongebob Squarepants

I get where he's coming from, I really do. It all started Thursday morning...

I somehow managed to misplace my student ID sometime between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. Fortunately, I was able to get into all our sites with the help of Dr. Kaplan's extra ID, but getting back to school introduced a new dilemma. You see, the American College of Greece is insanely strict about security, so whenever you go to class you have to show your ID at the main entrance. There must've been something in the water, because Corey left her ID back at the dorms as well, so we were both pretty much screwed.

Nevertheless, we still needed to get to class, so we tried reasoning with the campus guard...easier said than done. We sneakily attempted the ninja approach, walking past stealthily, but our valiant efforts failed. He called out to us, so we had no choice but to tell our tragic tale. As he was grilling us about how "you need your ID every day" and "this is the last time I'll let it slide", at least three groups of Greek kids walked by without even so much as reaching into their bags. Keep in mind, this guy has seen us wave our ID's to him at the exact same time every day for the past two weeks. He knows our faces, he knows that we have the right to be on campus, yet the minute we make a boo-boo all hell breaks loose. So off to class we went, angry and frustrated and everything in between.

The only other place I could possibly imagine leaving my ID was the library, so I tested this theory after class. One of the librarians shot that idea down real quick, but she told me to check the Student Success Center; apparently, that's where lost ID's are found. Little did I know that the nice librarian would be the only one actually willing to help my predicament.

When I made it to Student Success, the receptionist was speaking to this man in Greek, chatty as can be. She seemed all to happy to help him, even though his issue involved the hassle of several trips to the back room. Finally, this guy's situation was all sorted out, so I walked up to the counter. The woman's demeanor switched like a light. She immediately went from being friendly and outgoing to cold and uninterested. I stood there for a minute while she fiddled around on her computer, but eventually she gave me a half-hearted indication to speak. I simply asked her if any ID's turned up over the last few days, and she retorted with an annoyed "no". Well, I've seen people get slighted before simply for being foreign, so I asked a second time, but she made this irritated face and shook her head. Throughout this entire interaction, the woman didn't look at me once.

We've been discussing the issues with the Greek bureaucratic system in Dr. Kaplan's class, but I'd never actually had the unfortunate pleasure of witnessing it up close. The types of Greek people we generally come into contact with revolve around businesses. Shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and tourist trappers are usually looking for good money, no matter what nationality you identify with. In retrospect, however, such outward behavior is very abnormal for the Greek culture. "Dinner with Persephone" and "Cultural Dimensions" have stressed that the typical Greek family focuses mainly on the in-group, viewing outsiders with extreme distrust. So you see, it's not all sunshine and daisies over here.

The lines between cultures are drawn very clearly, suggesting an explanation for the receptionist's behavior. She was understandably more comfortable talking to her Greek brethren rather than a strange American student. I may not like it, but this cultural tidbit has been practiced for centuries. Had I reacted by getting smart with her, she would only see it as an excuse to deny me quality aid in the future.

In these culture clash situations, I've noticed it's better to keep calm and move on. Freaking out and getting angry will do absolutely nothing, so sometimes we've got to swallow our American pride and go with the flow. Now without further ado, this is Maddie signing off!

P.S. Found my ID...it was in my computer case. I'd done out-foxed myself....