Kalimera, Kalispera, Kalinixta!

Where on earth do I begin? It's been just over a week that I've landed in a very different culture with no real understanding of the lingo. In one week I've had the pleasure of eating freshly barbecued souzlaki, heavenly baklava, octopus, fried zucchini, more feta than I ever imagined, and a daily salad containing primarily tomatoes.

I've learned some interesting cultural differences such as:

-They sell and cook whole fish which is a traditional Greek dish.

-Judging from the aisle devoted to it in every supermarket I've gone into, olive oil is a national treasure.

-Coffee breaks are a daily necessity. The coffee here is nothing like in the States. Traditional Turkish (or Greek) coffee comes in a small espresso cup and is seems as though it is six times stronger than cafe con leche (Cuban coffee). Frappe is the local iced coffee drink and is really strong but amazing!

-Greeks know how to party like none other. Last night the secondary school (American Farm School) had a party for all their students. I am still trying to comprehend everything that happened last night because from an American perspective it seemed as complete chaos. In this large theater room was a stage and in the back was a sound booth. As Greek students danced on stage and posed to Lady Gaga music the student DJ in the back controlled all music. Imagine Greek high school students everywhere. Because this function was school sponsored the faculty had organized games for students to participate in. These games were more wild than any American high school game I could even imagine. By the end of the night I was between two Greek students circling the room in a conga line to Kesha and other American pop music yelling to other students "I love Greece!" As the last song came on students circled up to hold hands and dance to a traditional Greek song. I can't even imagine what the night would have turned into if ouzo, ratsina, or raki were involved.

-As far as I have noticed Greeks do not stress or worry about anything. In contrast to the busy American mindset everything feels so relaxed and casual. Maybe this is because I haven't begun working with my students yet but the mode out of which most people function is far more calm than I ever imagined.

College students arrive September 25th and classes begin that next week. They are from all over the Balkan region. Perrotis college has students from Greece, Fyrom, Bulgaria, Albania, Africa, Moldova, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. I'm so excited to learn some of their native languages!