Greece
My superficial understanding of Greek culture before I left the United States was based around toga parties and the letters Sigma and Nu. Now that I have been in Greece for 24 hours my superficial impressions are much more complete:
For Men: Grease your hair, ride insanely fast on something with two wheels, a leather jacket is preferable, wear large sunglasses and smoke. As you age you can grease your hair less, but smoke more.
For Women: Dye your hair streaks of blond, tuck your pants into tall leather boots, wear large sunglasses and smoke.
I don't smoke, because I find it gross and potentially deadly, but I have thought about carrying cigarettes with me so that as an ice breaker I can say, "hey, would you like to smoke?" This might have more success than the other lines I have tried so far, "Do you wear those sunglasses because your moped has no windshield?" and "Is that leather hard to maintain in this climate?"
Greece is a little bit of a shock after Ethiopia, and to ease my transition I decided last night to make it an early night with a meal that would remind me of home. So, I went to Subway and had a meatball sandwich and cookie.
Walking home my mouth started to itch, then the back of my throat, and then my whole esophagus. I could feel it tighten and I was quickly concerned that I might lose my ability to breathe. So, I induced vomiting, drank a ton of water, and figuring that it was an allergy to something I ate, I took two Benadryl. My systemic allergic reaction continued and I broke out in hives. Concerned, I called the US Embassy to get the name of an English speaking doctor. They told me to ask hotel reception...right...
I did, and then talked with someone at the pharmacy and we decided the solution was to take more Benadryl. I reviewed my WFR manual, agreed, took a few more, and slept for twelve hours.
All in all, a little frightening, but I pulled through. I guess after 3+ months away my body is now allergic to American Food (like Bryce is allergic to Canada).
For Men: Grease your hair, ride insanely fast on something with two wheels, a leather jacket is preferable, wear large sunglasses and smoke. As you age you can grease your hair less, but smoke more.
For Women: Dye your hair streaks of blond, tuck your pants into tall leather boots, wear large sunglasses and smoke.
I don't smoke, because I find it gross and potentially deadly, but I have thought about carrying cigarettes with me so that as an ice breaker I can say, "hey, would you like to smoke?" This might have more success than the other lines I have tried so far, "Do you wear those sunglasses because your moped has no windshield?" and "Is that leather hard to maintain in this climate?"
Greece is a little bit of a shock after Ethiopia, and to ease my transition I decided last night to make it an early night with a meal that would remind me of home. So, I went to Subway and had a meatball sandwich and cookie.
Walking home my mouth started to itch, then the back of my throat, and then my whole esophagus. I could feel it tighten and I was quickly concerned that I might lose my ability to breathe. So, I induced vomiting, drank a ton of water, and figuring that it was an allergy to something I ate, I took two Benadryl. My systemic allergic reaction continued and I broke out in hives. Concerned, I called the US Embassy to get the name of an English speaking doctor. They told me to ask hotel reception...right...
I did, and then talked with someone at the pharmacy and we decided the solution was to take more Benadryl. I reviewed my WFR manual, agreed, took a few more, and slept for twelve hours.
All in all, a little frightening, but I pulled through. I guess after 3+ months away my body is now allergic to American Food (like Bryce is allergic to Canada).
posted by Scott Warren at 5:59 AM
6 Comments:
Canadian passing through; allergic to Canada, huh? Think about the 24 hour first impression of different parts of the U.S. for a minute:)
I'll take greasy hair and smoke any day over some of the crap in American cities. Apologies; don't mean to be rude...I am after all, just passing through, and Canadian.
Hey Scott--Good to hear things are going well. I love following your trek. Anyway, my roommate from Semester At Sea is "high society" in Athens, if you make over there email me and I will give you her information. jessicaagreenberg@gmail.com
Dear Scott,
I would appreciate it if you would try to have fewer potentially life-threatening experiences. The Watson Fellowship is supposed to be an adventure, but it is OK to have boringly normal days every do often, too. My head itches when I read your blog -- it is my hair (what's left of it) trying to decide whether to get even grayer or to fall out altogether.
:-)
Mike Veseth
A few points:
1)It was never my intention to offend the Greek (or the Canadian for that matter). Styled hair, leather, and sunglasses were just surprising as you see so little of them in Ethiopia.
2) According to the Lonely Planet Greece has the most smokers in the EU.
3) According to the Lonely Planet Greece also has the highest motor vehicle accident rate in the EU.
Scott,
Oh, great. Well please don't smoke when you drive -- that would be tempting fate in Greece.
Mike
Scott, To play the devil's advocate, I say you adopt smoking and reckless driving into your big fat greek adventure. That way you can give us a more authentic Grecian perspective on their canyons. Your tales have too much of an "overeducated-under-experienced-American-ideologue" feel. Ya hear?
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