Dear Diary,
Now let me tell you. The Greek know food and drink, and they know birthdays too. Yesterday I hiked the Samaria Gorge, one of the most important things I've ever done. It really put a lot of things in my life in perspective; we really are smaller than we care to admit. I also hiked a whole entire mountain with Professor and it's safe to say that mans it my uncle.
Here's another thing to check out.
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Friday, June 2, 2017
Hostels: Homes for All
When arriving in Greece I had many expectations because of my strong Greek background. While my mom and dad worked full time, my yiayia raised me and brought me to Greek school every day for years. My immigrant grandparents on both sides of my family have passed down tradition, culture, and other aspects of the Greek lifestyle that I wouldn't trade for the world. As years passed, my appreciation for the love of my grandparents stories that seemed as old as Socrates slowly started to diminish. After coming home from school this May, my grandparents were ecstatic to find out I was going to be spending a month of my summer in the place they called home and fell in love with each other. As the trip slowly started to creep up on me, I became more and more excited.
My dad was driving me to the airport in Chicago for my flight before meeting up with Jamie, Nathan, Bailey, and Megan in Boston, and my flight turned out to have a three hour delay. The start of an extremely long day was already incredibly sucky, but in the end we ended up in Athens while battling jetlag and extreme sleep deprivation. We spent a day in Athens, it was absolutely everything I expected and more. We walked the entire Acropolis and as any other first time visitor, we were amazed at how something so old had maintained its structure and beauty. After we explored the entire city, ate some gyros, enjoyed a refreshing glass of wine, we settled into our hostel for the evening. For me personally, this was my first experience staying in a hostel, and with the preconceived notion that they are dirty and trashy I was completely incorrect. This hostel was my first impression of Greece and I'm so glad it was.
From meeting travelers around the world from Canada to Australia, we met people who were in Greece for the same reasons as we were. Connecting with these people we had just met was such a valuable experience. Although the tourists were as interesting as us, the staff, especially the bartender made us feel at home. The entire culture of the Greeks to me is about being comfortable and making others comfortable when exposing them to your own world. Greece to me has been full of life in ways that America has never been for me. Greeks have pride in their country, but in a way that opens a welcoming door to those who aren't part of the community. Inclusivity is everything to the Greeks and I really wish America would hop on that boat of being so accepting to those who are simply just looking for human connection and interaction.
Bread and Wine
During our first week in Crete I have been very struck by the experiences we have had with the local economy. Through our visits to the winery, the bakery, the open air market, and the packaging plant we have gotten a feel for different sectors of the local economy as well as different stages of production. The bakery was particularly striking because we were able to be a part of the production process and start to understand the labor that goes into making the goods. We were also able to ask questions about his business model and thoughts on the local economy. I was interested in how he spoke to the tastes of the locals and how he doesn't worry about competing with the supermarket because here more people prefer to buy from small producers than large supermarkets. This is something I see reflected in Crete as a personal society that upholds the values of knowing your local baker and having a real understanding of where food and other goods are coming from. The packaging plant expressed similar values about their quality even though they distribute their products on a broader scale. I would be interesting in comparing the sentiments of the workers at the packaging plant with more small scale producers of oranges and avocados who do not have their goods sold at the supermarket. I'm happy we had these experiences so early in the trip because now I feel like I will be more aware of the local economy's structure throughout my time here.
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.
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.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
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.
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
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
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