Athens, Greece 2009

This is Spartaaaa!

2009-08-19T04:30:00.006+03:00

Statue of Leonidas.

Ancient Sparta

Me walking around and looking at the remains.

Ruins at Sparta

My sister.

Do not follow her lead!

"This is Spartaaaaaa!"

Ancient Theatre

More ruins.

The road that led us to the ancient site.

Now that I have been back in Canada for a little over a week, I can return to blogging and reflect on some of the places and things that I have seen in Greece. One of the sites my sis and I visited was Sparta, 2.5 hrs bus ride from Athens.

Sparta - History

Located in the mountainous region of Lakonia in the Peloponnese, Sparta was a great city state, equal only to Athens. They were a warrior state for Spartan boys had rigorous military training from when they were young. Shortly after birth, the mother of the child bathed it in wine to see whether the child was strong. If the child survived it was brought before the Gerousia by the child's father. The Gerousia then decided whether it was to be reared or not. If they considered it "puny and deformed", the baby was thrown into a chasm on Mt. Taygetos.

The Spartans rivalled Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars (war between the Greek city-states), but more importantly they were known for their courage during the Greco-Persian Wars. This was a series of wars between the Greeks and the invading Persians. During the Battle of Thermopylae they were led by King Leonidas, who held strong against the millions of Persian soldiers sent by Xerxes I. Leonidas had only his personal bodyguards (300 in number) and 7000 allied forces from other Greek city states. They held the pass of Thermopylae where they fought to the death. This enabled the other Greek city-states to gather their army for an eventual victory over the Persians.

(You can watch the Hollywood adaptation, the movie 300, which is pretty entertaining.)

Our Trip

My sister and I were quite excited to visit Sparta. When we were dropped off to the site of ancient Sparta, we saw the statue of Leonidas standing quietly in the middle of an empty small paved area. It was at the edge of town and there was no big "woo-ha" leading up the statue. To the unknowing passerby, it could have just been a statue of any person on the lonely stretch of the old town. It was not by any means glorious or guarded; the giant locusts hopped around the statue and the hot sun beat down on its cracked surface.

We walked down the street and saw the signs for the ancient site. We walked up a marbled (or cobbled?) street which led to what looked like a dry field, abandoned and sparse. There were olive trees around and dry bush everywhere. Beneath the tall grass and dry shrubs, we saw peaks of what was left of Sparta's greatness. Stone walls. We walked a little bit further and saw the remains of the theatre. The site was almost completely empty. I felt a sense of sadness as I realized the once great Spartans would soon be forgotten if this site continued to be left unkept. It appears as though there is hardly any restoration or preservation work being done routinely on the site, as the government chooses to focus on the Athenian ruins instead. Here, there were no strict guards following you around, making sure you didn't touch the ancient stones. You were left free to roam and think quietly. I was quite sad to come here and see this. I really felt for the Spartans and I think they deserve more. I hope that things will change and the government will start focusing on other sites to maintain.

As I walked back towards the exit, I saw a fellow Spartan citizen walking her dog through the ruins. I imagine they do this daily walk as part of their routine. I thought to myself, how Leonidas would never in a million years thought his kingdom would become a place where only a dogowner and her dog would be their devoted visitors.

Here, are a few pics...my sister insisted we re-enact a scene in the movie 300 where Leonidas kicks the Persian messenger into a well and screams "This is Spartaaaa!!!!" She also jumped into the site of the ancient theatre (much to my disapproval).

Final Assignment-Take Away

2009-08-19T01:32:00.009+03:00

This final blog assignment is a deep one! The question is what can I take away from my experience in Greece? Some smart person once said that "We collect bits and bites along our life journey that make us the fascinating people that we are. Those bits could be lessons, examples, illuminations to reality, realizations of self, wider horizons, fresh directions, or deeper understanding."

And so, with this in mind, I think back to the two things that I did that made me feel really good inside....Forget the things I did for me - the great shopping, the site seeing, and even my MRP research - what made me think of was "Christina" and that "Kyriou" (Mr. in Greek) that sat everyday on the pavement at the top of my street.

On one of the last nights my sister was in Athens (and the last week for myself as well), my sister and I went to Monastiraki to do some late night shopping. Once the shops started to close down around 10pm, Sarah and I made our way back through the marbled streets and to the Metro station. As we scurried along, I saw a little girl on the pavement playing her accordion. She was really tiny with a head full of curls. I told my sis we should stop and give her money. I have encountered a lot of street kids and homeless people - many sang for change (just as those kids in the Slumdog Millionaire movie) and others played an accordion. But something about this little girl made me stop. I went up to her and asked. "Poso Lene?" (What is your name?) and she responded in the smallest and cutest voice, "Chris-ti-na." My sister asked her how old she was and she put down her accordion to hold up six tiny fingers. Immediately, I felt tears come to my eyes as I thought of my 5 yr old goddaughter back home, who was probably at that moment playing happily amongst friends in the comfort of her daycare centre. I thought to myself, Christina will never know what it is to feel that. We gave her change and my sister asked to take her picture. She smiled happily and my sister told her she was beautiful. It was so sad to leave her on the streets like that. I am sure her mother watched from nearby. That night I just felt sombre on the way home, thinking about what would eventually become of Christina. Will she grow up to become something or will she always beg on the streets of Athens? Her tiny voice and the way she said her name, "Chris-teen-a" still resonates in my ears.

The second event happened on the last night I was in Athens. By then, my family had left already and the CIG office/apartment was quiet without the usual chatter and laughter of my family. I finished up some work and cleaned out my kitchen. I had a lot of food left and I hate to waste. I thought of that man who sat in his raggedy clothes, barefoot and dirty, with his hand out asking for change. I passed him almost every day, as he stood post on that corner of my street. I packed him some torta (a filipino meat dish), rice, cucumbers, yogurt, chocolate, and a litre of orange Fanta. I walked up to him and said, "Kyriou, thelo?" then mimicked eating. I will never forget his big smiling face and his big blue eyes, as he saw me hand him the makeshift lunchbag I had prepared for him. As I walked down the street I turned back and saw him smile and give me a big wave. And even further down the street, I looked back and saw him holding that yogurt in his hands and chugging it hungrily. It felt so good to help him, I wished I had given him my whole fridge.

These two things made me feel so good inside. I wish I could help others more like this. It just gives you this feeling inside that makes you smile. I always remember this particular story when I turn my head away from beggars on the street. The story is as follows:

There was once a couple so poor that they had hardly anything to feed their kids. One day, they had saved up just enough to buy a loaf of bread. After a long trek to the market, they returned home with their single loaf of bread. On their way home, they came across an old beggar who sat on the road. He looked dirty, blind, and wore scraggly pieces of clothing. The old couple looked down and away from him, and kept walking. But after passing him, the couple looked at each other and thought that they can always save money again to buy another loaf, but this invalid beggar couldn't. They turned back around and put the loaf of bread in his hands. They returned home with a heavy foot, but a burden had been lifted off their hearts. They were glad to help another, but they were sad to disappoint their hungry kids who were awaiting them. They went home and went to bed. An hour later, there was a knock on their door and when they opened it, the beggar stood at their door. And he spoke to them, "You did not turn your back on me, and so I will not turn my back on you." From that day on, the couple and their family were blessed with good fortunes and blessings and were never poor or hungry again.

So whenever I begin to turn away I always think, what if that homeless person is Jesus in disguise, how can I turn away from Him? Now, that is not to say that I always give, there are times when I do look down and away and I am ashamed. So what would I rather feel, shamefulness or that warm fuzziness I felt in my heart when I saw Christina smile for the camera or Kyriou's big blue smiling eyes as he reached for the food?

Assignment #4-Tourist or Tempest?

2009-08-18T23:16:00.003+03:00

It's hard for me to pick one over the other. I think that in some sense, I am still a tourist. I stop every so often to take photos of everything, even of a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. I can never get tired of staring in admiration at all of the beautiful sites.

However, I am only a tourist when it is convenient. For example, I have cut my Metro expenses by cheating and buying the student ticket for Greek students only (half price). My plan is that if I get caught, I will pull out the tourist card and pretend I was ignorant of that fact. After all, it read "student" and I am a student!

On the other hand, if I am shopping and the salespeople or store owners make conversations with me, I tell them I am working here in Greece. I want to give them the impression that I know what I am doing and let them know that they cannot gyp me! "I live here buddy!" is the impression I try to give out, so I throw around the few Greek words that I can speak. It also works for the street vendors, when you say "Ohi Efaristo" instead of "No thank you" because then they really listen and walk away.

I have also have began to dress like the Greek ladies. I quite enjoy wearing dresses and fancy things, even if I am just going down the street to buy groceries! It makes me feel prettier to be up to par with these fashionable Greeks.

So to sum it up, I am a bit of both....I eat at both family owned restaurants and big restaurants
in the tourists districts; I dress in my North American short shorts and tank but I also dress up more frequently; I have donned myself in authentic Made in Greece leather gladiator sandals but still asked my mom to bring my stilettoes when she arrived; and I secretly took tons of pics at an exhibit that had a No-Photograph-Policy, but scowled at that tourist who touched the marbles at the New Acropolis Museum.

And now, I leave you with something interesting found in the Athens In Your Pocket Tourist Guide: (I don't know whether to laugh or to be offended since I know they are making fun of North Americans!)

"Touristas Gormless
There's a certain kind of visitor of Greece that seems to be under the impression that a brain is not essential for travel. There's no mistaking them as they mill around the shops in Plaka or the slopes of the Acropolis. Often found in flocks, they are clearly distinguishable from the native species due to the bright scarlet markings on the head shoulders and arms. They seek out pools of blazing sunlight while the residents hide in the shade, and when in large packs have a distinctive braying cry that resembles that of donkeys. Their scientific name is Touristas Gormless, and though there are many subspecies, they share the same characteristic - they are totally clueless. In their native habitat, they may be highly educated and accomplished businessmen, educators, professionals, etc, but once they are on Greek soil, a mystifying transformation takes place. The eyes glaze over as they switch to holiday mode. Their plumage changes from sombre neutral officewear to brightly coloured shorts, tanks, and in some cases, straps of fabrics. Footwear for the men are sandals with socks.
While some start off by slapping on SPF 60, after a couple of days many are down to SPF 2 or resorting to Baby Oil so as to show off their "suntan" while the locals wince at the sight of their raw, red shoulders, and rapidly peeling nose."

My Personal Tour with the Archaeologists of the New Acropolis Museum

2009-07-28T17:57:00.004+03:00

Being granted this internship in Athens, Greece has been a big blessing. Currently completing my MA in Art History, I am required to write a MRP (Major Research Paper) on the topic of my choice. Being that my interests varied greatly (from Ancient Civilizations to Early Modern Europe) it was hard for me to narrow down what my topic would be. When I was notified in April that I was going to Greece, I decided to take advantage of this. I decided then that I would write my MRP on a topic regarding Ancient Greece and Museology.

In my preliminary research, I came across the topic of Ambience and Museum Stewardship. The question I ask is, What is more important? Preserving the original intent and purpose of onsite works (such as the Parthenon Marbles) and thus maintaining its ambience, or the preservation and conservation of these ancient sculptures via Museum Stewardship? My goal was to do a fair amount of research whilst I was here by observing the original site, making frequent visits to the New Museum Acropolis, getting a personal tour of the Old Museum to compare the space, and getting interviews with the key figures from the New Museum.

Since July 6, I have tried getting interviews with the appropriate archaeologists at the museum and after mailing Letters of Introduction, faxing, calling, and emailing, I finally spoke with two archaeologists yesterday who agreed to answer my questions. Also, arrangments were made for me to visit the Old Museum today. So this afternoon, with my sister in tow (as my secretary), we were given a personal tour of the Old Museum by two archaeologists and one exacavator. This was an amazing opportunity because I was able to get in and compare the space with the New Museum. Although, nothing remains in the Old Museum, I was able to make out from the outlines on the wall where certain artefacts and sculptures were once affixed.

My time here in Athens was truly amazing and I am proud to say that I didn't just party and sunbathe on the beach after work. For a whole month, before my family arrived, I made daily trips to the New Museum and/or the library. There, I stayed for hours on end researching and writing my paper ( I now have 30 out of the 50 pages done!) My unlimited access to the prestigious library at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (the best facility in Ancient Greek Studies) was also a bonus.

Now I am ready for my mini 2 days vacation on Santorini Island......aaaaahhhh

Last Day At Work with my Boss

2009-07-28T17:47:00.003+03:00

Today, was my last day at work with my boss, Jonathan, as my internship days here at the Canadian Institute in Greece draws to a close. It was a sad feeling when we said goodbye this afternoon and I felt even more teary-eyed when he leaned over to give me a hug!

Officially, my last day at CIG is on Aug. 6th (the day before I fly home to Toronto), however, because Jonathan doesn't work on Wednesdays and I leave for a mini vacation with my family on Thursday to Santorini, I won't see Jonathan before Aug. 1 when he goes for his own vacation back home to England. Here, August is when everyone in Athens goes to the islands to their nice vacation homes. There, they enjoy the rest of their summer on the best beaches in Greece. I have heard that Athens becomes a ghost town and lots of businesses, universities, and libraries are closed.

So while I continue on with my duties as the CIG intern, it will be quiet days here at the office without Jonathan.

Filipinese?

2009-07-23T23:11:00.003+03:00

On the way home from the library yesterday afternoon, I was crossing a major road by my house. A Greek lady crossing towards me called out, "Excuse me, are you Filipinese?" To which I replied, "Yes". She then proceeded to pull out her business card and introduce herself. I looked at the text on her pretty green and white card, and read ATHENS HOME SERVICES. She said she was a hiring manager and asked if I was looking for a job. Being polite I asked, "Oh, so do you sell houses?" and that is when she started to ramble off about at home nannies, maids, and tutors and how she recruits and hires them. I explained that I was actually a student from Canada and that I was only here for the summer. She said "Oh sorry" and walked away. And then she came running back and said "Well anyway, if you have friends, you can tell them. Here is my email address. Ok bye!" As she walked off I can hear her calling out "And sorry again for the misunderstanding!"

And here I was thinking I thought I looked cute and fashionable, but instead I was mistaken for a maid/nanny looking for a job. I guess the ponytail hairstyle will have to go! Back to voluptious curls and volume. There is one good thing I can take from this though, here in Greece us 'filipinese' are the most sought after for these kinds of positions. I guess we are seen as nurturers, teachers, caregivers, and most importantly, trustworthy and hard-working. And with that, I will smile at my fellow filipinese here making a hard-earned living for their young families.

Cape Sounion - Temple of Poseidon

2009-07-21T22:29:00.008+03:00

A nudist on the secluded rocky beach.

Fortress wall built to protect Sounion from the invading Spartans during the Peloponnesian Wars.

Secluded rocky beach off the cliff.

Me by the column drums.

A profession of their love by a couple, dated 1907.

Although we couldn't find Lord Byron's signature, we captured some as old as the 1800s......

The square column is apparently where the inscription of Lord Byron's name is, according to a blogger.

Me with view of the islets and islands behind me.

My sis, Sarah.

Sare-Bear.

Our yummy lunch - fried kalamari, greek salad, and bread.

Last Friday, my sister and I took an hour and a half bus ride to Sounion, located on the southernmost tip of Attica, Greece. The site we visited was the famous Temple of Poseidon, strategically built on the edge of a high cliff overlooking Cape Sounion and the vast Aegean Sea. From this jutting headland, there is a panoramic view of the surrounding Aegean islands.

Myths and Legends

According to legend, Cape Sounion is the spot where Aegeus, King of Athens, leapt to his death off the cliff, thus giving his name to the Aegean Sea. The story goes that Aegeus, was anxiously looking out from Sounion, waiting for his son, Theseus, to return home from Crete. Theseus had gone to kill the Minotaur, half man and half bull, that was kept locked up by King Minos of Crete. Every year, the Athenians had to send 14 youths to Minos as tribute and Theseus had gone to slay the Minotaur to end this terror. He was instructed by his dad to put a white sail on the ship if he was alive or a black sail if he had been slain; the crew forgot to change the sail to white on their return home and King Aegeus threw himself off the cliff.
The earliest literary reference to Sounion is in Homer's Odyssey, composed in the 8th century B.C. This recounts the mythical tribulations suffered by Greek hero, Odysseus, in a gruelling 10-year sea-voyage to return to his native island, Ithaca, after the sack of Troy. This ordeal was supposedly inflicted upon him by Poseidon, to whom the temple at Sounion was dedicated.

History

Originally there stood an Archaic temple in its place, which was destroyed probably during the Persian Wars. Today, what stands is the columns from the later temple that was built in ca. 440 BC, and contemporaneous to the Parthenon on the Acropolis and the Temple of Hephaistos in the Athenian Agora. In 413 B.C., during the Peloponnesian War against the Spartans, the Athenians fortified the site with a wall and towers, to prevent it from falling into Spartan hands.
In a maritime country like Greece, Poseidon, the god of the sea, was considered second only to Zeus, his brother. His implacable wrath, manifested in the form of storms, was greatly feared by all mariners. In an age without mechanical power, storms very frequently resulted in shipwrecks and drownings. The temple at Sounion, therefore, was where mariners, and also entire cities or states, could propitiate Poseidon, by making animal sacrifice or leaving him gifts.
As with all Greek temples, the Poseidon building was rectangular, with a colonnade on all four sides. The total number of original columns was 42: 18 columns still stand today. The columns are of the Doric Order and are made of white marble. They were 20 ft high, with a diameter of 3.1 ft at the base and 31 inches at the top. Inside the temple was a colossal bronze statue of Poseidon.
The site was excavated in 1906 and the artefacts are now housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

The Temple of Poseidon in popular culture

The famous English Romanticism poet, Lord Byron, was said to have carved his name onto the base of one of the columns at this temple. The date of this was possibly from his first visit to Greece, on his grand tour of Europe, before he acquired fame. Byron spent several months in 1810-11 in Athens, including two documented visits to Sounion. There is, however, no direct evidence that the inscription was made by Byron himself.
Byron mentions Sounion in his poem Don Juan:
Place me on Sunium's marbled steep,
Where nothing, save the waves and I,
May hear our mutual murmurs sweep...
The temple was featured in the 1981 (Gosh-the year I was born!) movie, Clash of the Titans.

Our Outing

We began by boarding a comfy and fancy Mercedes Benz tour bus that took us to the site for 5.60 euros. We started off by eating a lovely meal of kalamari, Greek salad, and bread at the restaurant that sits just at the entrance of the site. This is a family owned restaurant that has been there for 70 years and I imagine makes tons of money for it is the only one there.
The site was incredible, much less to see than the Acropolis of course, since there is only one temple but nonetheless still a pleasure. My sis and I took countless pictures of the temple and the great backdrop scenery of the Aegean Sea. As my sister encircled the temple twice, determined to find Lord Byron's insription, I sat and stared out at the sea. It was a beautiful sunny day, as always, and the breeze was delightful.
After that, we headed down to the rocky, secluded beach which was visited only by the daring and the locals. It was a great place to sunbathe - indeed, we saw an old man sunbathing naked (yes everything hanging and freshly shaved) for us to see. Picture a super tanned Billy Bob Thornton. My sister laughed as I snapped away (Enjoy the pic). This guy and three other ladies were the only ones there, and I soon realized why. The water, although crystal clear, was rocky. Scared that I would slip and scrape my legs or hurt my head, I insisted my daredevil sister to make it to the other side, the sandy tourist beach beside the hotel. There, we swam just as the afternoon sun was ready to set. It was a beautiful day trip that I would definitely do again.

Sisterly Shenanigans -Site Seeing in and around Athens

2009-07-16T22:58:00.004+03:00

ME AT THE TEMPLE OF OLYMPIAN ZEUS.

SHOPPING ON ERMOU STREET, THE SHOPPING DISTRICT.

POSING AT THE ERECHTHEUM TEMPLE.

MY SISTER, SARAH

ME AT HADRIAN'S LIBRARY

ME AT THE THEATRE OF DIONYSUS

SARE BEAR AND I AT THE PARTHENON

ME STANDING AT THE ODEON OF HERODES ATTICUS, WITH VIEW OF THE PARTHENON.

Since my sister has arrived to Athens this past weekend, I have upped the ante on my site-seeing and living the Med life. On Monday, we visited the Acropolis, Hadrian's Arch, Theatre of Dionysus, and Temple of Zeus. On Tuesday, we visited the Temple of Hephaistos, the Ancient Agora, the Agora Museum, and Hadrian's Library. On Wednesday, we visited the National Archaeological Museum and saw an orchestra concert at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (2nd c. AD theatre). It has been so much fun taking in the history and culture of Greece as grown ups and we laugh when we think back to the photos of us as kids with the bored looks on our face. Now, we actually appreciate what we are seeing and we can actually understand the vivid stories that are associated with these ancient ruins.

I also can't deny that I love my sister's enthusiasm for taking photos, sometimes dramatic (like when she pretended to be in a drama play at the Theatre of Dionysus before being yelled at by the strict guards who said 'No posing!') or her directions to me about posing beautifully with the columns and ruins 'Lou! Think water nymph..show me your glory...bask in the sunlight!" LOL...Yes, we have this joke that we are at a photoshoot amidst these ancient ruins. It's quite fun being with my older sis, being silly, and enjoying all of the sites all over again. Since she has been here for four days, we have also eaten out a lot at traditional Greek tavernas.

Tomorrow, we are going to Sounion to see the Temple of Poseidon, which sits on the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea. On Saturday, we are visiting Sparta and Mystras. But for now, I will leave you with some pics from the Athens site-seeing.

Blog Assignment #3- To Change or Not to Change

2009-07-16T22:15:00.003+03:00

The first week I was here, I was cautious. I would bite my tongue before I yelled at a rude gawking male smiling and calling out sleazeball comments to me and I would be passive to that obnoxious lady who pushed me on the Metro. Seven and a half weeks later, I have become just as rude, oblivious, pushy, and fast-paced. I dress quite casual at work, yet dressy when I am out. Let me explain....

-I don't know about you but I can feel it if I step on someone's feet, elbow them, or hit them with my bag by accident. I know it's crowded in Athens and people have to get to places, but I have really become bothered at the fact that people here do not say sorry when they do these things to you! At first I would constantly say "Signomi" (sorry or excuse me in Greek) but now I wait to see if they say it first. If not, then I play the same game they do - the 'I-am-oblivious-to-the-fact-that-I just-elbowed-you-in-the-gut-game.'

-I was fearful and weary of jaywalking especially when the cars are coming at you at a fast speed, but I feel rather stupid whem I am the only one left standing on that sidewalk waiting for the light to change. It's as if I was the one doing the wrong thing....So now, I am at the front of the crowd leading the jaywalk.

-Now that I am used to the Metro system, I have become part of the hustle and bustle. I walk really fast with the crowd when I get off and on trains, otherwise I will get trampled like all the newbies.

-In terms of the sleazy looks and comments I get from the guys here I have departed from my passive and cautious self. I am tired of them associating me with either "the filipino nanny maid who is on her day off" or with their sick asian fetish fantasies. I get catcalls and looks all the time. The mailman from three weeks ago was following me during his work delivery - zig zagging on the pavement with his scooter and smiling and yelling things at me. I turned around angrily and said "What the (beep) are you looking at?" He drove off scared. When I get this kind of behaviour from perverted men, I give them the finger and the look. (Sorry Larissa and Natasha but this is the nitty gritty truth!)

-In terms of clothing, I usually start work 10 minutes after I get up. Since my apartment is attached to my office, I can literally wake up, wash my face, brush my teeth, use the washroom, and be at work. I have to admit I have adopted my boss' casual dress of shorts and t-shirts so I have put away my dressier work tops and business skirts (back in Toronto, my work has an office dresscode, where I wear heels, pencil skirts, silk tops, and pantyhose for the winter) Here, I wear flip flops, tank tops, and shorts. However, to keep up with all the fashionable Greek ladies, I have been wearing dresses more often when I go out, even if I am just going shopping or to the grocery store. I also find the flowy dresses are much better for the heat.

So I think, that I have changed in order to survive. I love Greece but I miss the orderly line ups, the politeness, and the space that I am used to in Canada. I just remembered that the other day I was pleased to see that there was an actual lineup at a store; I was the next one in line but when the cashier said NEXT PLEASE! for some reason, some guy behind me just went ahead of me! They also don't know what it means to have space here. In another situation, one lady looked at me angrily and told me to move as she put her stuff on the counter to pay...the cashier had not even finished ringing in my purchase. And at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (a 2nd c. AD theatre that still has performances to this day), a lady was pushing me as we were walking to our seats, to the point that I almost tripped. They love to inch up on you here and at times I feel like I have a Siamese twin-not cool! These are the things that really bother me about Greeks' behaviour and I think that I have to just conform to them and not let it bother me! Let's just hope that I can conform back once I return to Toronto in 3 weeks!

38 degrees and sunny

2009-07-08T01:14:00.003+03:00

It is so hot here!!! Today, at 7pm when I left the museum, it was still a scorcher. Despite the heat, I decided to take a walk on Ermou Street (shopping district) right off of Syntagma Square(center of Athens)....and what did I see? Two cute dogs taking a fun splash in the fountain! The white dog was so happy splashing around and enjoying the oohs and aahs he was getting from the passers-by. He reminded me of Marley in the movie, Marley and Me. He was just so full of life. What a simple and happy life these homeless dogs live! Meanwhile, the younger black dog watched on the side, eager to join in the fun but a bit timid to jump in....Cute dogs!

Feverishly doing homework....

2009-07-07T23:29:00.004+03:00

Me on the 3rd floor, the Parthenon Gallery.

So I realized that I have been M.I.A. for a couple weeks on here so I decided to update you guys on what I have been doing. Last week I went to 3 beaches (Yabanaki, Kalamaki, and Voulameni), all about 1 to 2 hrs away from Athens by bus. It was sooo worth the long bus ride and I had so much fun swimming. I was like a fish taking in the waves and then cooling off on my nice sunbed. The view of the mountains in the background was fantastic and the soft sand beneath my feet was so pleasing.

After a week of that, I came to the realization that my time here was drawing to an end!!!! I have only a month left before I head back home. The internship part is great, I have catalogued so many boxes and boxes of slides, but it's my research that I needed to really focus on. Part of me coming here to Greece, was to do research on the New Acropolis Museum, which opened on June 21, for my MRP (major research paper). Before I had left, I had promised my supervisor that this experience would be vital in my research, for I had unlimited access to the museum, the Acropolis itself, and the libraries here. I also told them that I would interview key figures on staff that were responsible for the construction of the museum. It was in fact a promising proposal that I submitted to my department and I suddenly panicked thinking I hadn't done much really.

So that's when I decided to feverishly start doing research. For the last couple of weeks, I have made it to the American School Library here in Athens which is said to have been the best resource centre worldwide for the study of Ancient Greece Antiquities. Indeed, it was tough to get in - I had to get a Letter of Introduction, passport pics, and proof of my grad student status, in order to gain a library card. In the last week, I have upped the ante by visiting the library more often and alternating days with visits to the museum. To compensate for me not doing interviews with the museum staff, I have drawn endless diagrams, made observations, and sat in the galleries at the museum. I am quite please to say that I have written 20 pages in the last 2 weeks. Today, I dropped off the Letters of Introduction at the front desk of the museum, each addressed to the curators, archaeologists, and president of the museum. I hope before I leave in a month's time, I would have had the chance to speak to one of them....My professors back on campus are rooting for me to get published so this is a big pressure on me to do well in my MRP.

Attached are a few pics, I didn't want to add too many pics as I will be using them for my paper.

Buy Sunblock and Toothpaste at home!

2009-06-22T20:17:00.008+03:00

Today, I have succumbed to buying the expensive bottle of sunblock as yesterday I had squeezed the very last of my Walmart bought bottle. Goodbye to the $6 prices that I used to go for in Walmart's vast aisle of many selections, boasting impressive levels of up to 45 SPF. Instead, I have bought Carroten, guaranteed to protect your skin from the high intensity of the Mediterranean sun, and yes done so with a whopping SPF10.

Let us compare.

Fruit of Earth / Block It UP!

SPF 30
Waterproof
With Aloe
With UVA/UVB Protection
Made in Texas, USA
$6 CAD for 355 ml

Carroten Hydra Plus Suncare Milk

SPF 10
Water Resistant
With A+E extra moisturing ingredients, Hydra Plus
With UVA/UVB Protection
Made in Maroussi, Greece
9.50 euros ($15 CAD) for 200 ml

So, the lesson to be learned here is no matter how dark or tanned you think you are (I tan easily and was surprised to get a little burn and peel here), you should bring lots of sunblock if you plan to come to Greece. While the specs I have outlined above seem comparable and the website of the Greek brand quite impressive, you will be forced to pay double the price. The same goes for my Aquafresh toothpaste which I also bought today for 1.90 euros ($3.05 CAD) for a measly 75 ml.

Then and Now - Greece 1988 to 2009

2009-06-14T22:31:00.005+03:00

My family and I the summer of 1988 at the Acropolis, overlooking the Odeon of Herodes Atticus below.

Me at the same Odeon two weeks ago, thinking to myself that this was the first time I have seen this place.

This was taken two weeks ago, looking at the East facade of the Erechtheion temple on the Acropolis.

This is my sister Sarah (light blue shirt) posing at the same spot but slightly different angle. I am the one in the yellow outfit and that is my mom beside me.

Me at the Erechtheion

My family and I posing at the same spot.

As I mentioned before, my family and I lived in Cyprus. I lived there from when I was 4 to 11 years old. My dad worked on a cruise liner that travelled to Greece, Egypt, and Israel. For our family vacations, we spent many times in these wonderful places. It is so interesting to look back at the family pictures and now recognizing the architecture and sites in the background. I have posted a few...... The rest will have to wait when I return to Toronto, as we have boxes full of pictures from many summer vacations in Greece.

Assignment #2-Culture Shock

2009-06-14T19:49:00.015+03:00

Palm trees at Edem Beach.

Fuse Box.

Street vendors on the beach selling beach wear, umbrellas, jewellery, etc.

Another one.

Here, I have to remember to put the tube into the toilet while doing laundry, otherwise I flood my washroom like I did the second day I was here.

The shower head. The hose is so short so I guess tall people have to squat in the tub!

In this pic, you can see the bill in the shot glass to the front left.

Metro ticket.

Metro station platform.

Inside the Metro train.

At a Metro station - there is usually artwork or exhibitions as when they were building the Metro, they uncovered sites below the city.

Homeless dogs and cat sleeping in the middle of the street. The marble is cool on their bodies.

This beautiful homeless dog was just content lying down in the middle of the buzz.

Homeless dogs taking their siestas on the grounds at the Temple of Zeus.

Since I have already answered some of the questions in my previous blogs (e.g. my internship, my housing situation, etc.), for this particular one I will focus on the differences between Greece and Canada. Some I have already mentioned so sorry if they are repeats....

1) Toilet Paper and Flushing

-The first big difference that hits you smack dab in the face is the severe warning of "Do not flush tissue paper in the toilet!" Signs are everywhere in the airport, restaurants, and other public washrooms to guide unknowing tourists.

-For me, this is a problem, since not only has it taken me years to be "trained" to flush toilet paper in Canada (having grown up in Cyprus which also does not flush toilet paper). Now I have to be "re-trained" that it is ok to throw tissue paper in the garbage. Second, since I am one of those people who generously pamper myself by using wads and wads of tissue (let's just say, that I like it to be cushiony), then my waste basket gets pretty full. This means, I have to throw out trash quite frequently. Lucky for me the garbage dump is just outside our flat.

2) Metro System

-I have already mentioned the lavish looks of the metro system here and the reasonably priced fares. I will recap them briefly. For adult prices, a weekly fare is 10 euros (16 CAD), a day pass is 3 euros (4.80 CAD), and a single trip is 1 euro (1.60 CAD). For students, the fare is 50 lepta (80 cents CAD) The best part of the single fare is that it lasts for 1.5 hrs so you can actually watch a movie in the theatre or go shopping and have brunch with friends, all on one ticket. There are no stern Metro officers waiting for you to flash your ticket; they simply trust that you will buy it at the automated ticket purchase machine before you enter the "non-existent" entry gates. I know there are so many that just go through without purchasing. The penalty for getting caught without a ticket, however, is 60 times the regular fare. OUCH!

3) Catching the bus

-I tried to go to the beach by myself yesterday afternoon. I decided to go to Alimos Beach, which is just outside the city centre and is reachable by first a metro ride, and then a bus ride. This beach is privately owned, which means you pay 8 euros to get in, but the sand and water is cleaner and there is access to umbrellas and sunbeds. After getting to the right Metro stop and waiting out on the street for Bus 113, I couldn't figure out why it would not stop. THREE buses whizzed by me and being that the bus stop was packed and I didn't want to stick out anymore than I already do, I pretended as if I wasn't really walking towards the bus. I realized after standing at that bus stop for an hour, that to get on the bus, you actually have to stick out your arm way out into the road to indicate to the bus driver that you want to get on. Seeing how Bus 113 wasn't the popular bus that day, I was the only one who needed to get on and seeing how I didn't know this secret code, I lucked out on three buses. I guess standing on the pavement smiling just doesn't work here as it does back home in Toronto, when the bus driver stops all the time. After that hour of waiting, I was beginning to catch the beginnings of heat exhaustion, so I decided to skip the luxury beach and head home.

4) "Signomi (Excuse me)....May I have the bill please?"

-Here in Athens, when the waiter brings you your food or drink, they also bring you a small shotglass with a piece of paper inside. Rather, it is your bill. No longer do you have to tag down your waiter at the end of your meal to say "Cheque please!"

5) "Do not Get Electrocuted!"

-That is the warning that scared the heck out of me my first day in Athens. It was written on the instruction sheet that awaits you at the Institute hostel, when you arrive in your room. It warns you that you have to flip the switch on the fuse box, before taking a hot shower and that you had to make sure to turn it off before you jumped in the shower to avoid electrocution. I had to wait until one of the housemates came home before I jumped in the shower! Fuse box?? I didn't even know what that looked like before I got to Greece! The shower here is very different from back home. You have to flip the switch to get hot water for showers and the shower heads are not stationary. Also, the washing machine is usually in the washroom and as you can see in my picture, the washer and toilet go hand in hand during laundry.

6) Street Vendors

-The streets of Athens is filled with these street vendors trying to sell everything from toys to sun umbrellas. I thought it was only in New York that you see the array of beautiful "Pradas, Louis, and Gucci's" nicely laid on a blanket on the ground, ready to be snatched up by the salesperson in sight of the Policia. These street vendors are usually ignored by the Athenian public, but some tourists go to them and look at what they have to offer. I was told to say "Ohi Efaristo" (No Thank you) in Greek as opposed to saying it in English, because then they will think I am Greek Filipino and leave me alone. If they know that you are a tourist, they become more persistent. At the beach, I usually have my ipod on and my sunglasses on when they come around. I feel bad for these people because I know they are just trying to make a living.

7) Siesta

-I love my daily 2 hour naps! I will leave it that so you fellow Canadians won't feel as bad when you are reading this at 3pm....in your office typing away at the keyboard while I am cuddled in my bed....lol

8) "Pedestrians are the right of way"

-They might as well not have the cross lights, because pedestrians here jaywalk ALL the time. They cross whenever they get a chance in between whizzing scooters and motos (cars). I have yet to see a pedestrian get struck yet.

9) Homeless dogs are fat, sleepy, and very much part of the city.

-The first day I walked through the city, I stopped in the middle of the pedestrian walk mortified to see a dog lying on the street, back against the curb. I thought that it had gotten hit by a car and was left on the street to die. People didn't even flinch as they stepped over the German Shepherd mix, eager to catch the street light. It was the busiest pedestrian walkway off Syntagma Square and my friend was so embarassed that I was stopping to check up on the dog. She said "He is not dead! He is sleeping! They do that everywhere here." And soon after, I began to realize that they are everywhere, the hot summer sun has them sleepy throughout the day--or maybe they too know of siestas. They sleep in the middle of the marble streets and sidewalks, in the stores' entryways, and yes even at the Temple of Zeus. They are all fat because storeowners and restaurant owners feed them scraps. You can only tell they are homeless from their raggedy fur and sores on their elbows from lying on the streets.

10) Butts are everywhere

-This is by far the biggest thing that has bothered me since arriving in Greece. Greeks love to smoke and they do it everywhere---in the restaurant, in the stores, at the beach, in the bars, etc. I have heard that they are going to ban smoking in public places as of July 1st, but I don't think it will be a smooth transition. Therefore, in the meantime I have become a "smoker".

11) Palm trees grow in the Mediterannean.

WHAT?! I know I couldn't believe it. There are soooo many palm trees here that you can sometimes squint your eyes and pretend that you are in Miami. (That's what I do when I miss North America) LOL

12) On walking fashionably and climbing the Acropolis in stilletoes.

-The ladies here are so fashionable that they walk on the marble streets UPHILL in 3 inch heels. I, however, have left my party heels back home in Toronto and have donned a more comfortable form of wear...flip flops and gladiator-inspired sandals. I was quite impressed with the lady who was climbing the Acropolis two weekends ago, wearing a mini skirt and 3 inch stilletoes. Yes, that's right, they weren't even wedges, just the dainty old pencil thin heel. And, she wasn't even my age but a middle aged woman. Here in Athens, you don't have to be 20 something to be in heels and wear fashionable clothes. You are competing with the materas (moms) and the yiayias (grandmas)!

Two weeks...Life as a CIG Intern

2009-06-09T22:20:00.013+03:00

Orange tree on the sidewalk outside my flat.

Entrance into the foyer groundfloor, with view of our office door.

Elevator in our building. I know scary!

Elevator door.

Our office door. The knobs on the front doors here are at the center.

View onto the street from 3rd floor hostel veranda

My bed

The CIG library, where I do my slide cataloguing

My kitchen

On the way to Greece

Flying over the Alps

Some yummy curry dish with chick peas and salmon

So I realized that I have been writing about the Metro, the beach, etc. but I never wrote about my flight and first few days....so here goes.

The Flight:

I was scheduled to leave for Greece on Sunday, May 24th 4.40pm. By Saturday morning, I still had to pack, edit an essay and write two more.....yikes.....So I gave myself 2 hours to pack, which seemed reasonable enough. I had a checklist going with categories (e.g. Toiletries, Medical & Health, Work Clothes, Fun Clothes, School stuff, etc) along with sub-categories, that then went into Column A (Checked Luggage) or Column B (Carry On). I think the planning is what took long and perhaps I should have sifted through what tips at the Predeparture Orientation pertained to me instead of "over planning." For example, I don't think obtaining my own personal syringe in the First Aid Kit was that necessary for in Greece the Health System is pretty good, and there are about 5 hospitals in my neighbourhood. Hence, there I was organizing and packing at the same time and it took me SIX hours to pack. By the time midnight hit, I was ready to go to bed.

The flight went well. It took me about 8 hours to get to France and the layover was only an hour. It was just enough time for me to get to the right terminal and then board to the next plane. The food that I ate on the plane was amazing and I have never felt overstuffed like that before while on a plane (but then again I am comparing this with the 3 hr flights to Cuba in which I was fed only drinks and cookies) I arrived in hot, sunny Athens on Monday, May 25 noon, Athens time. I was greeted by my boss, Assistant Director, Dr. J. Tomlinson, who was kind enough to pick me up at the airport; I was greeted by him with a big sign with my name on it, a friendly smile, and a thick British accent. The ride to the Institute was a 40 minute drive. I admired the familiarity of the Greek landscape, the abundance of scooters and bikes on the road, and the hot summer sun.

Once I arrived at the Insitute, I was greeted by Tori, the intern that replaced me for the month of May (due to delays caused by the York U strike). She was so sweet to get me settled in my room and much to my disappointment, I had to decline her invitation to go to the beach. I had those two papers to write!

Finishing up some last minute assignments:

So there I was first day in Athens, editing one finished essay and then starting on the next one that was due Monday, May 25 9pm. Ah ha! That was the beauty of it, Toronto time 9pm...which meant I had until Tuesday, May 26 4am Athens time to complete the task! (I thought of this brilliant plan that Saturday after packing) I tried as much as I could but unfortunately, much to my denial, I was hit by jetlag and worst, WRITERS BLOCK. The next day, after I finished my first day of work, I dove right into the second essay and finally completed it with success. All the while, Tori, was so sweet making me breakfast and lunch throughout the day. But I tell you, leaving those essays last minute was a bad move....I was doing the preliminary readings for Essay#2 in the airport and on the plane instead of enjoying the featured movie "Bride Wars". Sigh!

Living Arrangements:

The Canadian Institute in Greece (CIG) is located in a five storey building which is comprised of apartments and offices. Our office is on the bottom floor in an apartment space that was renovated to accomodate CIG's needs. The result is a library, a kitchen, a bathroom, a smaller office, my boss's office, and my room. Which means, I can wake up at 7am and start work at 7.30am and I can never be late! I literally, get up and walk out into my office. This is kind of nice since I have everything here and I don't have to spend money on commuting to work. I also have access to the 3rd floor, which is CIG's hostel. It has five bedrooms, a kitchen, a computer room, and a living room. Oh and did I mention that I have a veranda in my room, as well as upstairs? (It is common in Greece to have verandas that you can actually sit outside on, unlike those faux verandas that suburbian Toronto houses have, that are only meant to detail your master bedroom windows. ) Office hours are 9-1pm Mon to Fri, so once 1pm hits, my boss leaves and I am by myself. I have access to the Metro just up the street from my house and it is walking distance to Syntagma (the main square of Athens, picture Dundas Square in downtown Toronto).

My internship at CIG:

So the main project that I am working on is the cataloguing of slides donated to CIG by an archaeologist. The slides number almost 12, 000 and I am cataloguing the last 18 or so boxes before digitization begins (scanning of slides). Two interns (both non YIIP interns) began this project last year and believe it or not, the first intern who designed the database is my very good friend and colleague from college. We both took the Museum Management program at Fleming College, so we were trained in the same way. So it was great to see the work that she began and at the same time understood her thinking and methodology.

At first, I thought it would be a piece of cake, but I realized that cataloguing artefacts was somewhat different from cataloguing slides of an archaeological nature. First, my forte is not archaeology, and having only dappled in it during my Classics courses, I find myself stumbling over the differences between calyx kraters, volute kraters or discovering new types of vessels such as ewers and rhytons. Second, the Chenhall system of Cataloguing Museum Collections, which I practice religiously, did not seem to hold up well when applied to archaeological collections. I find myself double checking and second guessing myself. Third, after staring and squinting at slides for 4 hours straight, regardless of how much you love Ancient Greece, history, or museum work, let's face it...you start to fall asleep. And that's when I get up for an intermission and tend to my other "administrative duties" (tsk tsk tsk Larissa and Natasha, you didn't tell me I was doing dirty laundry! LOL).....Let me explain. As part of my duties, I am to do the laundry for the CIG hostel. (I suppose my unlimited access to the free laundry facilities and supplies onsite--right in my bathroom---is more than enough payment for my service....lol) But seriously...I do not mind it at all as I love doing laundry believe it or not and thank goodness that it is only sheets and towels that I have to do (LOL...when I told my boyfriend he said "Isn't that kind of weird that you are doing your colleagues dirty underwears!?") So yes, when I feel like the task of slide cataloguing is starting to get monotonous, I start doing laundry to wake myself up. Or, I just start cooking up a yummy dish in the kitchen!

But all in all, I am enjoying my internship. I love the dynamics of the group, both with my boss and my colleagues who live in the hostel. I also cannot complain about my benefits of being a CIG intern: free pass to all the museums, archaeological sites, and art galleries in Greece & exclusive invites to dinner parties and lectures (e.g. today was a lecture at the Belgian Institute which was followed by a lavish reception at the Belgian ambassador's home here in Athens)

Life is sweet right now and this experience I know will go down in history as one of my most memorable.

Long Weekend - Beach Fest

2009-06-09T21:14:00.007+03:00

This past weekend was a long weekend in Greece, for June 8 was Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday (Aghiou Pneymatos in Greek). In the Eastern Orthodox Church, what this means, is it is the first day of the afterfeast of Pentecost.

It was a beautiful weekend hitting high numbers of 35 degrees Celsius. (I feel bad for my family and friends back home in Toronto who has had rainy cold weather for the past week...LOL) So my friend and I decided to hit the beach...twice.

On Sunday, we went to Marathon Beach. If you remember your Ancient Greek history, Marathon is the location of the famous Battle of Marathon between the Persians (25 000) and the Greeks (10 000) in 490 B.C. The story goes that after the bloody battle, the messenger Pheidippides ran the 42 km from Marathon to Athens, to announce the news; and that upon arrival he died from heat exhaustion. This is what started the Marathon foot race which still happens today, following Pheidippides' route.

Attached are pictures of the beach. I wasn't that thrilled about the seaweed on the shore and you have to wade through it to get to the "clear" part of the water. Hence, I didn't swim, just sunbathed. The scenery of the mountainside is beautiful, and as the highway rises, which is cut into the mountainside, you can see the beautiful bay below.

On Monday, I went to Edem beach, 30 minutes by tram from the Athens' city centre. I enjoyed the chubby palm trees that decorated the beach, but I did not like the pebbles in the water. It was so hot however, that I did walk along the shores. The water was quite nice and warm! You will differentiate Edem from Marathon in the pics because the sand is more white and there are no dark seaweeds.

I have yet to see the clear crystal blue waters of the Aegean Sea. I will have to wait for my family to arrive in July before we can take the ferry out and make it a weekend trip.

Keep posted for more beach adventures. I am determined to find one close to Athens!

TTC versus Athens METRO

2009-06-06T23:31:00.001+03:00

So I realized that I have become a metro rider criminal...You see, here in Athens, they trust you so much with paying the correct fare (1 euro = 1.60 cdn) that they don't have those turnstiles and suspicious TTC workers watching your every move as we do back in Toronto. You go to an automated ticket purchase machine, and pick Student (50 lepta) or Adult (1 euro) and you simply validate your ticket in the open style entryway. And since I have been following my trusty coworker Tori (a fellow American but lover of Greece), I have been buying my reasonably cheap Student ticket, even if I am not enrolled in a Greek university. I feel a bit guilty in doing this but I feel I better suit the category of student than an adult, since I have been going to school for 23 years of my life!!!

And talk about modern and clean! The metro stations have exhibits in them, glass elevators where there are no finger prints and nasty snotmarks, and lighting that belongs to an art gallery. I swear they look like hotel lobbies of a 5 star hotel!

Another beauty about the Metro is that you have 1.5 hr to do what you want. Hop on the metro, go shopping, have a latte, and hop back on --as long as you do it within the time restraints. I don't know about you but I always make sure to hop on the next TTC bus in fear that my transfer will expire. (Remember that TTC driver who made you pay that extra fare because you crossed the street to get a drink from the corner store, before catching your next bus???)

I love Athens Metro.

Assignment 1-Define your Culture?

2009-06-06T18:45:00.001+03:00

This is a hard question for me, because I see my life so far in three phases - my birth(Philippines), my childhood (Cyprus), and my adult life (Canada) - therefore I see myself as being tri-cultural, if there is indeed quite a word.

I was born in the Philippines and from what I can remember, I played a lot with my big sis and my two cousins, ate rice and eggs for what it seemed like, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and lastly, I recall only leaving the gates of our house once. I left my homeland when I was four and moved with my family to Cyprus, where we lived for 8 years.

My memories of Cyprus are wonderful. I went to a convent school, where we learned to speak Greek, French, and English and we studied about the ancient world, practiced our languages, and went to Mass as obedient Catholics. My family and I enjoyed the Mediterannean lifestyle of beaches, amazing food, and relaxed lifestyle. My father was working aboard a cruise ship liner, where his band provided entertainment for the vacationing tourists. Our summer holidays were spent in Greece, Israel, and Egypt. But after 8 years, my parents decided to move to Canada where "opportunities awaited us." I always think back to how great my childhood was living in Cyprus and often cry to my parents that they should have left me there (since my passion is art and history, and I believe with my career path it would have served me better to stay on that side of the continent). I would have been fluent in 4 languages by the time I was done highschool in that convent school!

Oh Canada......I arrived here when I was in grade 6 and my friends could not understand my "accent". I think they still believe my accent (filipino-british?) was the Cypriot accent...lol. I adjusted well to Canada but I missed the beach, the food, my friends, and the beautiful weather. But I have been in Canada for 17 years and I have grown to love it for its many beauties. After visiting the States, we have to love our Health System, our friendly Canadian attitude, and having a taste of everyone's culture right here in multicultural haven - Toronto!

So to put this introductory blog to an end...

I am very much Filipino in my adobo-eating, sinigang-loving, and ube icecream-licking ways (all food references). I eat with a fork and spoon and can eat rice with almost anything (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.). I am proud to still live with my parents past 18 yrs --and rent-free! (In our culture, we can stay as long as we want)

I am Cypriot (or Greek) because I want a lemon tree in my backyard, I am very much a big fan of siestas, I cook a mean sheftalia dish....oh and I can throw my tissue paper in the waste basket and feel ok about it!

And lastly, I am very much Canadian (eh!) in the sense that I am not American (as one Greek asked me today "Are you Philipinas-Amerique?"), I call that holiday in May, "the May 2-4 weekend", and I vacation in Niagara Falls on the regular......oh and I soooooooo have a problem with throwing tissue paper from No. 2's in the waste basket! lol....

Therefore, because of my life's experiences and travels, I see myself as being tricultural.