Very quickly as I am vacationing in Greece still I present to you a slice of Greek life:
While riding the Metro, a very-American girl with her Greek boyfriend stand holding on to the pole that protects them from flying across the length of the train. The two look ruffled from a day at the beach. Sand and wind have forced the girl's hair into a ball of blonde-Brillo pad. After two weeks of riding the Metro, and understanding the psyche of the Greek woman, the very sun-strained American girl looks around at she, who will be known as, Greek Starer.
American Girl: Another one is staring.
Boyfriend: Just stare back
American Girl: I've tried that...they just keep scowling. Its not a quick American "we'll make fun of you later once you don't know it" stare. These women stare into my soul as if ready to break it.
American Girl stares back. Greek Starer holds her gaze, scowling and looking her up and down. American Girl exchanges a forced scowl and stares her opposition up and down. Greek Starer puts her eyes where they belong and looks out the window.
American Girl: Victory....
Boyfriend: She's staring again.
The two laugh, glance at the woman and continue to make fun of the tactless wonder sitting two feet away from them. At their stop American Girl, ballsy and brazen as ever wearing a perfect smile, waves to the Greek Starer whose eyes widen in fear. She looks away very quickly as if I, pardon me, American Girl had just threatened to take out her whole family ala "The Godfather."
Boyfriend(laughing heartily): I think she just shit herself. Victory.
Adding a bit of my country to their ancient one,
The Lady
1 comment:
When I went to Greece in college, our class assignment was to speak with the locals and record their behavior. I can totally sympathize with your experience with the starer. The Greeks, as we quickly discovered, have completely different personal boundaries - or none at all. Total strangers would touch me while talking. They'd stand really close. They wouldn't let me leave a conversation, despite all my blatant nonverbal attempts to do so (including walking away).
The paper I wrote when we got back was about how the Greeks made me uncomfortable. Interestingly, the paper Ali wrote when we got back was ALSO about how the Greeks made Jess uncomfortable. She got a great grade and I got told I was being ethnocentric ;-)
Post a Comment