On our last full night in Rhodes, the group came together
for a round table discussion in order to share our thoughts about the few days
spent in an area that is overwhelmed with a culture of tourism , and while I
was intrigued with the direction that the conversation went in, I was in no way
surprised at the comments and reactions of my classmates. As we began the discussion,
we all came to a consensus that we preferred Alikianos far more than Rhodes,
mainly because Rhodes gave us an opportunity to experience the artificial side
of Greek tourism that we had (for the most part) left behind in Athens.Many times on this trip, I have commented on the dramatic differences in the interaction I have with native of Greece after greeting/thanking them in their language. While in Rhodes, the difference was even more remarkable, and it was apparent that the store owners were not used to having foreigner or tourists speak to them in Greek. One afternoon, Adam and I walked into the Supermarket a few feet from where we were staying and I purchased a bottle of water. The store owner had a very stern, rigid look on his face and went about the transaction as he would with any customer. However, as soon as I thanked him with a quick ευχαριστώ, his demeanor changed and a brilliant smile spread across his face. I explained that I was travelling with a school, and that we were all taking Greek lessons. This seemed to satisfy him even more, and the next 3 to 4 times that I went into the store during our stay, our interactions were fun, lively and gratifying. It amazes me how quickly language can bring people together.
I think what was most interesting about the interaction was how excited he was that I was there with a
group of students who were sincerely interested in learning and experiencing Greek culture in its rawest
form (even in a tourist area).
Although we were still in a new country with unique values
and traditions, I felt a kind of odd familiarity as we paraded through the
streets while restaurant and store owners fought to have us in their
establishments. Walking through those streets felt in many ways like the many
shopping trips I took with my family to the outlet malls in Massachusetts and
Worcester… I guess some things are universal. While this trip has done a lot
for me in the short time that we have been here, one thing that I have always
known (and being here has only proved) is that there is so much about human interaction that is universal. I’ve seen the
two kisses on the cheek when greeting a loved one, the warm hugs that follow a
long stay away from home, and the love and intrinsic joy that comes with
serving a home cooked meal to the people in your life.
In Cyprus, the dynamic shifted in such a way that I was, for
lack of a better word, shocked. During the day, Cyprus could probably be seen
as any other town by the water. On one end we saw families eating ice cream by
the rocks and boats sailing in and out of view, and on the other end we could look
through the cracks in walls and fortresses and looked up to the Turkish flags
mockingly facing the community in Cyprus. There were moments on our tour with
the professor of the university that I honestly felt as though I was walking through
a city that has been lost through conflict and trapped in time.
At one point, we walked past a school whose playground once
doubled as a battle ground. As someone who has spent the past 2 years working
in an elementary school classroom, this really hit close to home. To me,
education is sacred, and a child’s relationship with his/her education is one
of the key defining factors that help shape a person’s life. To have that peace
and sanctity tainted by violence is detrimental to a community’s spirit, and I can’t
imagine what it must have been like to have that taken away at such a young
age.
Another thing that really took me by surprise while we were
in Cyprus was the disconnect I saw in the region itself. While I knew going into
the territory that it had been colonized by the British, I was still taken aback
by the little Greek I heard while wandering around the old city. I was always
greeted in English, and every sign and store was either translated to English or
was originally in English. It got me thinking about what defines the Cypriot
culture, and just how much of their history outside of the conflict is still a
part of them.
While Cyprus may not have been my favorite location of the
trip, it is definitely the most
intriguing… I look forward to coming back in a few years to see how much things
may change.
Overall, the past 3 ½ weeks have been incredible. The experiences
that I have had here have helped push me out of my comfort zone and solidified
some of my interests, while at the same time opening me up to a world beyond
what I already knew and reminding me that there is so much more left to see and
do.
I have one year left of my undergraduate degree, and while I
am nowhere near where I thought I’d be, I am honored to have been a part of
this experience leading into my final year.
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Here's a short video of Phil and I exploring the catacombs:
https://www.facebook.com/chuelsia.t.decarvalho/videos/1062784920519711/
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