Crete at First Glance

Beauty. Humility. Generosity. Family.

That is what Crete at first glance is. And second and third and fourth. 

Being here on the island for the first few days has given me a chance to open up, take in my first impressions, and digest a little bit of the enchantment I am in for these next three weeks now. The classroom has contained great lessons and conversations that have translated throughout interactions outside of the institute. 

Earlier in the week, Dr. V and I took a drive to give Yannis, a man that helps around the institute, a ride home to his village in the mountains. A very beautiful, yet curious, ride. Much of my time here has been spent watching, observing. Dr. V pointed out the olive nets lining mountains while respecting the trees as they ran around them, waiting for the olives to fall. We acknowledged the amount of work that something like that must take. The labor that must go into the lining of the nets as well as collecting the olives once a year when they have fallen and are ready - a curious and dreadful idea. One that you can admire, but could never imagine living. Cretans are a very admirable people. Their hard work and love for their hard work is beyond anything we students could truly understand. Visiting the Manousaki winery, we learned about the love that Cretans have for their wine. Romeiko. A wine that the Cretans are fighting for due to new refined wines moving in because of tourism and the taste for wine changing. In a way Romeiko parallels the idea of love for their hard work. The authenticity of their wine, whether it is drinkable or not. It comes from their island and their culture, therefore it is something to be proud of. It is this sort of character that I feel brings enchantment to this island amongst other admirable characteristics. 

It is immensely refreshing to see a people so proud of their island and what they have worked for. In many ways, the island reminds me of my own island in the South Pacific - American Samoa. Family as a priority. God. An honorable work ethic. It is more than the natural beauty of the island, but rather the beauty the people bring to it as well. For the next three weeks, I am motivated to explore further the parallels as well as the unique qualities of this island that reminds me of home. And I think many others who are from other places on the globe can also agree that a little bit of home is found here for everyone. Crete beyond first glance, I am learning, is more than enchanting and breathtaking, but an intricate gem located in a very important place on the map. I am moved to work towards delving beyond first and second glance of this majestic island and really dig deep as to its importance in the Mediterranean.

Week One Recap

As the first official week comes to an end, I think it's a good time to reflect on what has happened. This trip has been a great experience so far. From getting to spend three days in Athens, to the week spent here in Crete, I am very appreciate of the Greek lifestyle. The commitment everyone has to each other has been refreshing to experience. I like that everyone seems to care about their fellow villagers. It is all very personal.
This was evident in our trip to the bakery. That family took time out of their work day and personal time to show us how their bread is made and let us all take the bread home. It was a very kind thing to do. Nobody here seems to have ulterior motives to their generosity, but just does it because they can and it makes others feel good.
 On the class side of this trip, the classes and discussions have been very informative. Before coming here, I really didn't know much about Greece or the problems they were facing, both socially and economically. I also was not aware of how much they seem to rely on agriculture. I am very glad we got to go to the packaging plant and see a little side of the economy here.
I am very proud of how far I have come in even just the past week. Less than a year ago, I was unable to take the T by myself or leave my dorm room without talking myself up to it for hours first. Now, sitting here, I was able to travel to three airports by myself and come to another country on my own. I am here on this trip with people I did not know before coming here and yet I have been able to make friends this early on. I am excited to see what else I can improve on in the next three weeks. Moving forward, I am looking forward to going to Cyprus. The UN is what I hope to work for in the future so I am very excited to get to go to the "dead zone" with them and see what it is all about.

Color Blind

Being in Crete I have found that I am seeing everything in hyper-color. Everything seems so much more vibrant, or even luminescent to an extent. One of the colors that I have noticed the most is the color white. On Crete there are just as many citizens walking around with whitewashed hair that no longer holds its original pigment as there are people whose hair is still young and healthy. Although this may seem odd to notice, it is indicative of the age of the population, and in Crete it appears as though the elder generation outnumbers the youth. Even more interesting to observe is the activity of the population, mainly that everyone in the community seems to be actively contributing to community life and progression in some way, shape, or form. It is almost as if the concept of retirement has not caught on here. As an outsider looking in I find that I have a lot more questions that answers for this observation.
Is there some form of state sponsored retirement safe net in place? Was this lost when the austerity measures began? Have people in retirement had to come out of retirement a necessity? Or is this merely the cretan way; to always be a contributing and engaged community member instead of eventually reaching freeload status Or does it come down to difference in culture? What I mean by this is the fact that a lot of the activities that community members rely on to live here (such as farming, fishing, baking, etc. etc) are the same type of activities that people in the states look forward to being able to do once they reach retirement and are no longer burdened by the 9-5 schedule. Obviously there is a discrepancy in the amount of time and effort that the activities require in terms of the lifestyle that they are adapted to, but the American mindset views these as leisure activities instead of legitimate, respectable work.
The simple explanation is that America values innovation and progression more than anything else and is willing to sacrifice tradition, culture, and leisure in order to maintain its assumed hierarchy and alfa wolf position, so obviously it looks down upon a more action way of life. But there is no reason why something like baking, farming, or fishing cannot require a sophisticated mindset in order to make it work and make it special, and my time thus far on Crete has taught me that; from my hours spent in the bakery to the walks that I have had through the various orchards that are scattered throughout the landscape. Although they may seem like simpler activities, the Greeks have perfected the lifestyle and have turned it into an art and science. From the color of the oranges and avocados, to the smell of the breads and pastries, to the taste of each meal...everything seems more genuine and sincere here than anything I have experience back home. It appears as though America has more to learn from the Greeks than merely a democratic model.

Entry #2 6/1/17

     Much has happened in the past few days since my previous update.  On Wednesday, the group traveled to a local bakery and helped prepare breads as well as receive an education on business in the area. We baked an olive bread, a wheat sundried tomato bread, cheese pies, and a focaccia flatbread topped with tomatoes and olives. Baking in that kitchen, and seeing the competition that a local Cretan baker fights gives a newfound respect for the profession, as well as local Greek businesses as a whole. Using naturally grown ingredients and GMO free products is a testament to the difficulty that a baker has in competing against the supermarket. Especially when the baker's own sister is a supervisor at the supermarket rivaling his career. Upon tasting the food, the hard work and dedication shows as the bread was like none that I've ever had. Driving from Chania to Alikianos everyday at 3 in the morning to make bread is a sacrifice only few are able to make.
     In regards to Chania, the group took their second trip to the city, this time for our classes and to see the open air market. The market was incredible, full of sights and smells that made me want to spend all my Euros. The only thing I did purchase, was a magnet for my dad and I'm impressed at the self restraint I was able to demonstrate. The market speaks to the economy and the local farmers having to sell at low prices and in direct competition with other vendors. The classes we took on a cafe balcony overlooking the sea allowed for a better understanding of the importance of this area in a geopolitical perspective. The excursions are beginning to make me fatigued, but I'm not going to burn out just yet.
Until next time,
Teddy Miele

My studies and interests are now a reality, what do I make of it?

Only ever doing a cruise to some resort island in the Bahamas, I have never gotten to extensively travel. To be honest I have not even crossed the Mississippi ! Travel was always relegated for the most part for a few day affair within the Northeast. I have always loved reading about history and taking language courses. Since starting at Emmanuel I have studied International Relations and have encountered so many different nationalities and world views. Getting to do the Crete program and doing some traveling to see a friend in Mumbai has been my chance to really get to have these experiences. What can I make of it so far? For one thing it was not intimidating as I thought it would be. Even in Mumbai, people speak a good deal of English, they are very hospitable, and a lot of infrastructural things like airports and railways are good about having English. In regards to the content of the program and my trip in general is I am really seeing how societies are under threat and suffering and prospering from globalization. Whether it was the streets of Athens or the shopfronts in Mumbai, there were minions, Hip-Hop, McDonalds, the mediocre looking Bay Watch reboot and Fidget Spinners. Talking with my friend's mom in Mumbai and her perspective was interesting along with the rest of his family. They essentially argued that American individualism and consumerism was having the ill affect. Students they said who went to the States to study came back having complexes of superiority and having little desire to see social customs through. Even here in Greece I can see how such a laid back and personal society is under threat of neoliberalism with its necessary imposition of efficient structures to deliver results like with the cafe where we were given complimentary food and how that business model cannot function under the EU's push for more structure and rules. Overall so far I have had a really fun time seeing the old buildings, learning Greek dance and baking bread in a little local bakery. I hope to experience more of this old and beautiful culture.

From the Steps of Thucydides....

 From the steps of the Acropolis on a windy day in March, to the foot of the Temple of Apollo, to the archaeological ruins of Mantineia from ancient Arcadia, my experience in Greece has already granted me the opportunity to walk through history in its rawest, most honest form. Yesterday, we came together for a morning of eager discussion on the works of Huntington, Fukayama and Barber, slowly unpacking the different stages of civilization and identifying the crucial elements of society that make great Empires rise and fall.  This afternoon we became engulfed in a debate on the truth of human nature and the limits of morality in regards to decision making in the international community - particularly in regards to human rights and the limitations of globalization. I wonder where we go from here...

Winery Experience

After touring the vineyard, I have taken away two things: Hard work and Perseverance. Learning about the owner of the vineyard, it was evident that he did not have an easy life. His mom, wanting him to have a good life, sent him to America for a better opportunity, with almost nothing of value. Having the opportunity at a better life, is a big chance to make something of yourself but at the same time, it is also hard, as you are in an unfamiliar place, unaware of your surrounding, the people and culture of where you are. However, he persevered and went on to study business, and ultimately came back to his birthplace. He wanted to make something of his home place and give a draw for people to appreciate and experience Crete if they are not able to make the journey, and he did that through wine making. Starting a winery is no easy task, however he persevered and found out important information about his vineyard (that he was at a disadvantage of the chosen place for his vineyard due to heavy rainfall that can be bad for the plant) by asking the top winery owners on the island. Slowly he has been able to build his wine empire, and is now a very successful business owner that produces very high, organic quality wine for people to enjoy. What this has taught me is that even though you may be at a disadvantage or be unaware of your surroundings, you can always persevere and if you work at something, the hard work that you put in will pay off. That is what I would like to apply to my time here in Crete. I would like to apply it to my studies, but also to the Greek language. I want to put my all into learning the Greek language, so that by the time that I leave here, I will be able to communicate well with those who speak Greek naturally.