Keepin' It Clean








As I continue to experience the culture here in Greece, I continue finding myself in situations that are different from my life in America. An interesting characteristic I have discovered is that Greek people tend to place a lot of importance on cleanliness. One situation that I found this to be true is at the gym- my first day working out I was told that I wasn't allowed to use any of the benches unless I had a towel with me to put on top of the bench. This indicates how Greek people may be grossed out if there is sweat on their workout equipment. At the gym at UNF, towels are not required, but I assume that even though we don't have a rule about it, it would still be considered rude to leave a bench dripping with sweat. 
Another example on this topic is that ACG students aren't allowed to use any of the pools on campus unless they have a shower cap on. I feel like this is quite excessive, as pools contain chlorine which sterilizes them and keeps them clean, so the stray hair wouldn't pose much of a threat. This rule may be put in place because the hair can clog the drains in the bottom of the pool or clog the filters. I think this is a rule because Greek people simply don't like seeing hair floating around in the pool- which is understandable I suppose, but it is different from most pools in America and seems needless to me. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Beauty of Meteora

Image
The natural beauty of Meteora was indescribable- the giant mountains jutting straight up from the ground, covered in lush, green plants. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. Additionally, the monastery on top of the mountain featured brilliant architecture and was a work of art on its own.  The monastery also contained amazing examples of some of the clothing items that some higher-ranking religious officials wore throughout the monastery's history. 
Read more

The Cats of Kefalonia

Image
An interesting cultural difference between America and Greece is that here in Greece many animals like cats and dogs that would normally only be seen inside as house pets in America, can be found freely roaming around the streets. I believe that in America, if the stray pet population got much larger, people would have a problem with this issue ethically, and would opt to make laws that would try to contain the animals, whether that be through animal shelters or adoption or bringing them to pounds. I believe the primary reason for this cultural difference lies in the fact that Greek people view stray cats and dogs as a natural cohabitant in most Greek communities. In America, people tend to either view strays more as pests or perhaps don't feel that stray animals are capable of taking care of themselves these days in the wild. Many of the Greek cats tend to claim a house as their territory and the house owners sometimes provide the cats with food and water. Additionally, the...
Read more

Decease in Greece

Image
Today I had the privilege of visiting the oldest and most well known cemetery in the city of Athens.  Próto Nekrotafeío Athinón (First Cemetery of Athens) is Athens' official cemetery, and it has been in use since 1837. This historical monument features a number of diversely styled graves- some overgrown with flowers and plants, others as elaborate structures with sculptures, large roofs and pillars.  Visiting the cemetery brought into light some major cultural differences between Greeks and Americans in regards to how death is viewed in each society.  Americans customarily view death as a negative occurrence, and typically mourn, grieve, and cry when a loved one loses his life. Burial customs usually either consist of cremation or an underground grave with a gravestone. This somber view of death is not reflected to this extent in Greece. Death seems to be more likely to be seen as a sort of relief from our bodies to the afterlife, and can be celebrated. A...
Read more