Σάββατο 31 Οκτωβρίου 2009
Τετάρτη 21 Οκτωβρίου 2009
Between Two Worlds
Being around Greek-Americans, or Greeks that have lived in any western country for many years on end, makes one realize just how torn these poor souls are between their home countries and their host countries. When they're in the U.S., they miss Greece. When they're in Greece, they bicker about it and talk about how great the U.S. is. This is characteristic of the older generations. Go figure...
In the U.S. they reminisce about their carefree childhood, and about how you don't need money to be happy in Greece. "We didn't even have anything to eat, but we were happy," my grandmother would tell me. "These Americans... they don't know how to live! They go from their homes to their jobs, and from their jobs to their homes. This isn't life!" The other popular topic of conversation is the beauty of Greece. It's scenic landscapes, mesmerizing beaches, the mountain villages hidden amidst trees... All of these are described with pride to their American friends. The topic that makes them fill up with pride is how "smart" and "cunning" Greek people are. They actually admire their fellow countrymen's wit and ability to get out of anything. After all, this is one of the biggest assets they had in order to survive in a foreign country for so many years and become successful, too.
However... this asset becomes a nightmare when they come to Greece for a few weeks to relax. They spend most of their vacation time bickering about the Greek system, the cunningness of all Greeks, how you can't trust anyone in this country, and so on.
Πέμπτη 15 Οκτωβρίου 2009
Where Image Beats Essence
You walk into your first interview, all dressed up and polished. Your future employers start describing the position and you get nervous just thinking about how demanding and respectable these suit-clad people must be. A few weeks into the job, you realize just how far from the truth this first image is...
As social beings we feel the need to conform to society's rules and always try to reach success, popularity and happiness. After all this is when most people respect you and give you the time of day. In this country where "you are who you declare to be," people and businesses have put a new twist on things. As long as they look serious, they wear suits and use big words, many believe that they can actually become someone important. The background or what happens behind the scenes is irrelevant.
My first personal shock when I moved to Greece had to do with the American college that I transferred my credits to in Athens. The website showed an organized environment where education was taken extremely seriously, and the dean of the school attested to this image. Unfortunately, I witnessed several situations there that shattered my initial image. Other transfer or study-abroad students also expressed the same dissatisfaction during their first visit, and some even went back to their countries before the semester even started. Student housing was in decrepit buildings with the absolute necessities, a variety of majors were offered without any professors to teach some of the higher-level courses, rich Greek students showing up a day before finals for the first time and passing the class, and several other instances where greediness overpowered the need to educate. Despite these circumstances, I met some of the most reliable and brilliant professors there that were just doing their job.
The second shock came at my first job in Athens. Although my coworkers were pleasant and the atmosphere was excellent overall, the president of this organizational software company, that was one of the best of its kind in the country, seemed so stiff and demanding. After staying there for a couple of months, I learned that this oh-so-serious man hadn't paid his over-worked staff for over six months, while he was trading in his old car for a new one every couple of months. Another employer serves as a similar example of the latter. As the owner of a private English school, who preaches dignity, compassion and true interest in the education of his students, another employer of mine opted to spend money improving the physical image of his school, so that it would be more attractive to potential clients, rather than investing in the underpaid teachers, smaller groups of students per class, and better organization in the chaotic working environment.
But this is Greece's market in its majority at present. This is the country where a small electrics shop places an ad in the paper as "the biggest gas-supplier of Northern Greece." This is the country where a simple teller or cashier at a public office, claims to be his department's supervisor. This is also the country where a measly dentist that never spoke English can put up a big sign outside his office stating that he has a Masters degree from a major college in America, when in reality the most he's done is observe a few auditing courses there. How can we expect anything to change in this country, if we don't make a few changes ourselves?