First impressions
So far, Greece has been like a magical bottomless cup of gelato — pleasant, sweet, delicious, fattening and fascinating. I learn, eat, smell, feel, find, see, and hear new things everyday! My guards are slowly coming down as I repeatedly meet the most amiable locals and other tourists.
Frankly, I find it ironic. This country is both ancient and modern, orient and western, rich and poor, light and dark. There are constant reminders of the binary comparison here, and perhaps it is our current location (Glyfada is a wealthy city that attracts many tourists all year around), but it is still shocking to see that we have not witnessed much of the middle class, only princes and students.
One of the things that I find odd is that everyone seems to just sit out by the beach without any plans. Back at home, even now, I live off my Google calendar constantly checking 5 steps ahead of me. It makes me a bit uncomfortable that it is a social norm for most people to just go with the flow with the most basic set of agenda, but I can understand and sometimes secretly envy the easy living by the gorgeous sea in the middle of the Earth. Although, the current economic crisis is hardly an easy thing to cope, and easy is an underestimate.
During my stay here, I want to be free of the negative connotations of being a tourist and transform into a knowledgeable and appreciative traveler. γειά σου!
