Living à la Grecque

Pardon the somewhat overdue first post, but it's only been a couple of days since I've landed, gotten over jet lag, and have more or less gotten to know the basics of life in Athens. This post will summarize some of the major characteristics and differences of life in the Greek capital.

I mention Athens specifically because as homogeneous as Greek ethnic and religious demographics may be, Greek lifestyle varies greatly between regions and people. Athens especially is perhaps the odd one out in all of Greece. With a third of the country's population, the Greater Athens Metropolis is quite likely to have a very different dynamic from many other parts of the country.

That said, this post is an attempt to generalize some of the more frequent and common observations I've made here. Without further ado, let's get to business:

Geography
I'd heard Greece was beautiful, but landing here and seeing it for myself still took me by surprise. I'd landed last Thursday morning and it was 24 degrees Celsius and not very humid--a cold day by Greek summer standards. (As I'm writing this, it's nearly 9 PM and the temperature has dropped from an average Athenian 36 degrees to an evening "cooldown" of 32!)

Needless to say, there's palm trees all over the city. Especially during the first couple of days, the sight of palm trees really emanated that "honeymoon"-like vacation setting. Moreover, the stereotypical Greek white buildings fill the streets and practically every neighbourhood of Athens, creating a breathtaking landscape of chalk-white residences populating the plains, surrounded by mountains to the north, and the calm Mediterranean to the south. All the while, the historic Athenian Acropolis towers over the entire landscape--serving as a reminder of the city's rich heritage and people's achievements.
The geography, both the natural, and the man-made, define and reflect the lifestyle and culture of the Athenians.

Traffic

As I'd learned from the travel warnings and guides, traffic in Athens can be quite the challenge to master for the Canadian. Many drivers, especially taxi drivers, tend to weave and/or ignore lanes and there's rather little care given to pedestrians crossing the street. Simply knowing you've got the right of way is often not enough to get across safely.
While the high population density, widespread automobile and motorcycle drivership, and fairly narrow roads all have a role in the traffic mess of Athens, I believe there are cultural dimensions to this phenomenon, too. Much like New York, Athens is Greece's "busy city" (and I've noticed this in other social aspects, too, below). People are rushing from place to place, trying to accomplish what needs to be done within the rather limited public service hours: most offices are closed by 2 PM. Moreover, there's little adherence to many traffic regulations, including speed, parking, safety. I think the lack of proper and harsh enforcement are among the factors to blame for this. With no significant penalties or consequences for not obeying the rules and paying one's fines, Athenians find little motivation to abide by the law--and it certainly doesn't help that the most of 3 million other Athenians don't feel all too differently either.

Food
I am of Caucasian descent, from a region lucky enough to share a very similar climate to that of Greece. This warm weather allows for natural and effective growth of many fruits and vegetables. Thus, I was more aware of the difference in food production, taste, and quality. This is very evident in the freshness and sweet ripeness of the local produce. Moreover, because a large portion of Greek agriculture is organized by small farms rather than larger agribusiness, much of the production of foodstuffs is non-industrial and incorporates less synthetic ingredients and processes. This can be observed here in foods that have a very different and rather fresher taste, but with the trade-off of the natural rate of spoilage--with little addition of preservatives and other modifications.

People
Perhaps the biggest enigma for me since my arrival though, would be the Greek people. The Greek stereotype protrays them as friendly, out-going, and very high-context individuals. However, this image clashes with the busy "New Yorker" lifestyle of Athenians on the street who're quick to mind their own business and rarely return your greetings (no matter how well you feign the local accent). But the minute these very same Athenians sit down at a bar, café, or any other resting or socializing spot, they transform into their warm, friendly stereotypical personalities.
I suppose this may be a manifestation of conflicting lifestyles: the fusion of the hectic, rushed, yet short business day in the crowded Athens metropolis and the other the laid-back, curious Greek who loves life, family, and sociability.

More on that and other themes coming soon!