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!
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