The plane rides went well, although the jet lag didn’t wear off for awhile. For those first time flyers out there: you have nothing to fear. Yes the plane rocks because of turbulence, yes sometimes your ears can’t pop because of air pressure, but in the grand scheme of things these are only little nuisances.

 Getting off the plane and stepping onto foreign ground is a unique experience, one that each person should encounter at least once in their lifetime. My dad always says you can’t appreciate your own culture until you experience another’s. While I’ve only been here for a little over a week, I hope to share the insights I have gained here in Greece.

 One of the first things I noticed was these beaded string things that men whip around their hands. Upon further investigation I found out that these are called “kompoloi.” Kiosks that deck the streets every 50 feet sell kompoloi, and men everywhere can be seen waiting and throwing the beads around their hands. It doesn’t really have a meaning, because it’s not quite a game but it’s also not just decoration. One shop owner told me that it is a tool to pass the time, and also a conversation starter (which could lead to coffee, which the Greeks are fond of).

The culture has a slower pace of life; not everything has to start on time. The soccer games have gotten switched around and started later, but the Greeks just go with the flow. The one thing that is not slow is the traffic. Pedestrians are almost like cars in the fact that they are the ones who must dodge traffic and avoid getting hit. Traveling from Delphi to Kalamata there were cars that crossed the center line and passed on hills. While there are traffic lights and cross walks our tour guide says they are for decoration only. One must have quick reflexes and a knowledge of where they are going in order to avoid an accident.

Today (Friday January 25) we visited a Greek orthodox church and monastery. Christianity is highly prevalent in Greece, as over 90% of its population is Christian (the majority being Greek orthodox). The churches are magnificently decorated with icons. Statues are not used in the orthodox church because it would remind the Greeks of their ancient religious beliefs of Paganism (worship of the gods, e.g. Zeus).

These have been a few cultural insights, and I hope you have enjoyed a little peak into the window of the Mediterranean. Feel free to ask me any word and I will show you the Greek root…

Yassou!

After an adventurous and exhausting 10 hour flight we finally made it to Athens. Unlike all of the Greeks who were anxiously awaiting a cigarette, I was thankful to get off of the plane to be able to walk around and stretch out my legs. Immediately after our landing we grabbed our baggage and hopped on a bus to our first destination-Titania hotel. Once we became familiar with our rooms and completed a nice 2 hour nap, the group met in the dining room of the hotel for a delicious buffet dinner. From the famous Greek salad all the way to unique cheese pie, eating was a bit overwhelming with the variety of choices, but of course we all tried a sample of everything. Once finished with our meal we hit the town to wonder the streets before heading to bed.

A 7:30 am wake up call was not exactly the way we wished to start our next day in Athens, but we had a lot to do and see. Still exhausted from the flight and experiencing a bit of jet lag, we ate a gourmet breakfast before meeting our tour guide, Marisa. Our first stop Marisa took us too was the 2004 Olympic Games Complex. Holding 71,000 spectators, a field made of natural grass, and taking only 10 minutes to evacuate, the stadium gives you goose bumps the minute you walk through its doors. To this day, Greece is the smallest country to host the Olympic Games. After the taking hundreds of pictures in the soccer complex we continued our day through the viewing of the basketball, tennis, and swimming complexes. Getting the opportunity to visit such an awesome place makes me want to be able to be a spectator at the games some day. Later in the night we went to a play 39 Steps. To our surprise, the entire performance was in Greek. Despite not being able to understand a single word of Greek, the actors and actresses were funny and entertaining.

Since our arrival in Athens we have visited the Olympic Complex, watched the changing of the guards, saw 39 Steps, walked through 2 National Archaeological Museums, toured the Acropolis and Parthenon, eaten an abundance of Gyros, watched a Greek Mens soccer match, and attempted to shop through the chaotic streets.

Today we departed from Athens and traveled through the city of Thebes to arrive in Delphi. Both the Men and Women’s soccer teams have our first matches tomorrow, send us some luck! I wish I could share more about our experience and the opportunities we’ve been having, but unfortunately my time at the internet cafe is up. I don’t know when I will be able to update you next but I will try and keep you posted and inform you more about my thoughts and first impressions on the Greek culture.