Some Greek Perspective

Hello again! Catching up here… So I recently returned from two weeks in Greece, and I think it’s an understatement to say I learned a lot.

I learned some things one would expect: The language and roots of English words (The Greek word for Thank You is the root of the word Eucharist – ponder that, Catholic friends); Greek mythology and archaeology (ask me about the truth behind the myth of the Minotaur), the historical roots of democracy, notably enshrined at the Acropolis in Athens; current political and economic concerns; and, excitingly, how Greek food is made, from farm to plate.

Ancient theater outside the Acropolis

I also learned a lot from working with my students. On the one hand, managing teenagers in a foreign country, collaborating with their teachers, and being the logistics point person AND activity facilitator, day in and day out, presented a whole host of challenges and learning moments that I won’t bore you with. But on an academic level, we got to do some really neat stuff [*pushes glasses up nose*]. My group was there to study sustainability issues, particularly how societies historically adapted to sustainability challenges, and how culture influences sustainable (or unsustainable) behaviors. We learned about food production (honey, filo dough, olive oil – including tastings!). We visited a bio-energy manufacturer that traced its origins back to Greece’s post-World War II days when people were building barbecue pits out of “repurposed” bombshells. And we had students speak with a local NGO that works to reduce food waste and combat food insecurity.

Crete's olive covered hills

Food was a big theme throughout the trip. Greek food is delicious and we ate tons of it: tzatziki, Greek salad, dolmas, dakos, yemista, souvlaki (I broke my vegetarianism a couple times to try), gyros, and my favorite, filo-wrapped cheese pies with honey and sesame. It was all so delicious! Most meals were served mezze style, and we ate our weight in tasty dishes, but even after stuffing ourselves, we often had more than we needed. After a few days the students picked up on this and confronted us about it, asking if we could donate the leftover food instead of throwing it away. So we did. Their consistent notice of food waste sunk in so much that I even watched this “Wasted!” documentary on the plane on the way home. I recommend it! But I digress. The students, though, came away from their experience with some thoughtful reflections on their consumption habits and ideas about creative ways to be less wasteful. So that was a nice lesson learned.

Dakos and Tzatziki

Loukoumades

Greece was overall a really cool, easy place to travel (as an American) – inexpensive, walkable, with friendly people who mostly speak English. I got to have some of my own fun there in the days before the students arrived. Mostly, I walked around taking photos of street art, drinking coffee, and eating sweets (loukamades, bougatsa, and others – did I mention the food was good?). One particular night stood out though. We stopped to confirm reservations at one of the mezze restaurants, and the owners, Yianni and Maria, offered us tastings of some typical house liquors. One, homemade for the Christmas season, was flavored with pomegranate, and the other with a special, kind of herby plant resin called mastiha that is only found on the Greek island of Chios. Both flavors were lovely.

Street art in the colorful Plaka neighborhood

As we sat down with Maria and Yianni, they shared their thoughts on the recent controversy over the naming of the country of Macedonia (aka Skopje or FYROM or the Republic of North Macedonia), which borders Greece to the north. They were not happy about the Greek government’s decision to compromise on the name and were planning to participate in a big protest near the Athens central square the following morning. Their perspective reflected a nationalist sentiment that we are not unfamiliar with in our own country – they felt encroached upon and threatened by other nationalities “taking” something that “belongs” to Greece. But the unique context of their much longer and more complex history, and the fact that the conflict was less about physical territory than it was about identity and public memory, made the conversation all the more fascinating. And while I might disagree with them, as did many other Greeks we spoke with, I was taken with the full scene: a classic mom-and-pop taverna, traditional spirits, and passionate discussion. In that moment I felt so transported into their world.

The "Macedonia is Greece" protest the next day (I went to check it out)

Between that night at the restaurant and my evolving new job, Greece was a reminder for me to never assume I know the full story of something I’m not totally engrossed in. I can only keep trying to learn.