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A holiday state of mind

By on June 2, 2010 in Columns, Culture Shock, East Coast, Opinion

Once June starts approaching, and that may be as early as March or even February (Ο Φλεβάρης κι αν φλεβίσει, καλοκαίρι θα μυρίσει.), Greeks start their little seaside drive-by’s. These are preliminary appetizing mood-lifting expeditions that may or may not lead to sunbathing, swimming and water sport or other beach activities. Given that beach visits [...]

Deadly strikes

By on May 5, 2010 in Columns, Culture Shock, East Coast, New York, Opinion, Washington

I was reading the CNN article on the deadly Greek strikes when I came across the following comment by another reader: “Maybe the Greek protesters don’t want to bail out their own “Wall Street” the way the Middle Class was forced into doing in the US. If that’s the case, then GOOD FOR THEM!” Even [...]

Family time

By on April 11, 2010 in Columns, Culture Shock, East Coast, Opinion

Easter, Christmas, weddings, anniversaries, baptisms, all fall into the category of “family time”. Family time involves organizing & emotionally preparing oneself(if wise), packing, traveling, sharing (with all positive or not quite so, connotations) and definitely losing one’s own routine. Both Greek & American cultures formally idealize “family time”. It’s all family values, sharing beautiful candlelit [...]

Bad Economy

By on March 17, 2010 in Culture Shock

The economy in Greece is bad just the way it was in the US a few months back and a fuss needed to be made about it. Yet, when the big crisis hits, people handle it differently. Greek people don’t swarm into malls the way Americans did, to save the economy. Well, you may say, [...]

It’s the happiest season of all

By on December 3, 2009 in Columns, Culture Shock, Opinion

I love Christmas time! It’s glimmering and shimmering and sparkly and lovey-dovey and cute. It’s lush and it’s fun. Also, scary. Cause it’s all right to carry on regardless when it’s not Christmas. Think about it! Easter is all about suffering. Leading a miserable life doesn’t get threatened by Easter. Yes, summer is supposed to [...]

Retail subculture

By on November 27, 2009 in Culture Shock

Greek or American fashionistas share equal amounts of obsessive compulsive behavior when it comes to clothes. Fashion and its ability/promise to glamorize our simple existence is at its best this time of the year (see pre-Christmas & meta-Thanksgiving). Some things though, differ. A lot. And it’s not just marketing and prices and trends and shop-window [...]

Culture Shock: Where is a person’s home?

By on September 17, 2009 in Culture Shock

Home is a key word in the whole “culture shock” pavillion. Where is a person’s home? What defines it? Level of comfort? Professional/financial opportunities? Quality of life? Living amongst the people who mean the most to us? Considering the phrase “Home is where you are understood” helps us both close in on and complicate the [...]

Culture Shock regardless

By on July 4, 2009 in Culture Shock

There must be a certain amount of time that dooms you. A certain amount of time that once you go over it, that’s that, you’re done, you’re toast, you are never to feel 100% comfortable in any country ever again. So how many years of living in a country -that you originally consider “abroad”- does [...]

Summer

By on June 2, 2009 in Culture Shock

Summer in Greek means a whole lot more than it does in English. Naturally, everybody has the ability to take time off and enjoy one’s vacations, however, it’s hard for me to think of another group of any sort that maintains such a strong conviction about going on holiday or has such great expectations about [...]

Easter depression

By on April 10, 2009 in Culture Shock

I always got unrepairably depressed at Easter. And the thing about Greek Easter is that it lasts forever. Greek Easter is not just a day and it is not nearly the fun egg hunting activity that cumulates Easter here in the U.S. The greater Easter period starts on Kathari Deftera (Ash Monday). The day on which the [...]

Politically Correct Dating

By on March 17, 2009 in Culture Shock

Singles of any cultural background face the challenges of trying to date in the era of “political correctness”. Don’t get me wrong, us Greeks are the first in line in desperate need of reinstating a background of respect in the way we deal with people. BUT, the state of fear that is linked to political [...]

Grandparents in action

By on March 9, 2009 in Culture Shock

It seems to me, Anglo-Saxons have a great deal less trouble when it comes to the generation gap issue. I cannot picture my grandmother marrying an 80-year-old gentleman she met online five years after my grandfather passed away. (Hell, she can not see herself going online to begin with). I cannot picture her going to a Pilates [...]