This is Sparta!

Athens, Second Impressions: Liz H

When I first came to Athens, I immediately saw it as just another big city. Being from a smaller town, I initially experienced a little culture shock. Then I tried to put Athens in terms of American cities I have visited, like New York and Chicago. At first, the hustle and bustle made me quite nervous and edgy, but after a few days of walking around I started to get my bearings. I became more comfortable with my surroundings and realized some differences in Greek stereotypes. Yes, Greeks are aggressive drivers, but they are also very welcoming. When I got comfortable enough, I began trying to incorporate some Greek into my interactions with local Athenians. At the outdoor movie theater, I managed to order in Greek, until the server responded in Greek. Her response went completely over my head and we inevitably switched to English. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the laugh and my decent attempt at using Greek. She of course was friendly and appreciative, in contrast to the cranky bus driver from the airport.

In a historical viewpoint, I could not get over the proximity of the ancient and modern worlds. The Arch of Hadrian literally sits feet from the road. When we were walking through the streets, we came across some columns with ionic capitals in the midst of the bustling modern world. Not to mention the ruins they found in digging the subway. To be honest, it still amazes me that ancient monuments and city traffic co-exist. But now, instead of shock I am just jealous. I do not think I could ever get used to living with such rich history.

My stay at the Amazon Hotel also changed in comfort within the first few days. The light system of slipping the card key in to turn the lights on took forever to figure out. After a few days, it just became automatic and natural to open the door and put the key into the light, almost like a convenient key holder. Furthermore, there is no peephole or lock on the bathroom. The shower arrangement and size is also completely different. I guess I have gotten more used to the differences with a little time, and even though I am still aware of them it does not throw me off anymore.

I can tell I am beginning to culturally adjust because I am getting used to their life style. I thought the climate would be unmanageable, but I actually love being outside as much as they are. Wisconsin rarely has perfect weather like Greece in the evenings. In fact, it's often more comfortable to be outside than inside. I am also adapting to their eating hours too. My dad loves to eat dinner ridiculously early, so I thought such late dinners would be somewhat of a problem, but it's actually in perfect sync with my stomach.

I truly enjoy watching my initial reactions change. I can see deeper, more real parts of Greek culture than the surface level stereotypes. Athens is exciting, the history constant, the people friendly, the weather agreeable, and the food delicious.