There are so many quirky things about living here.
1) Last Saturday, at about 1 or 2 in the morning, I heard the rumble of a big truck. It sounded as if construction was being started on something. I laid in bed utterly bewildered. Was this some weird Greek custom - to start construction work, before dawn, on the weekend?
The next day I asked my neighbor about the noise. She said the guy in the property across from us has a tractor as his sole means of transport. So, on the weekends when he stays out late drinking, he tipsily drives his tractor home and wakes up the neighborhood. I think that belongs in a book. Possibly an Alexander McCall Smith one.
2) When going for walks, it is not uncommon to see goats being led along the path. They are white as snow, and really dumb looking. The person leading them always looks vaguely depressed, as if he is wondering “What did I do in my past life to deserve spending this life with GOATS?”
3) Everything, as you already know, shuts down at around 2:00, and opens up again whenever the owner feels like it. This is somewhat charming, until you walk into the village specifically to mail a letter, thinking that the afternoon rest MUST be over by now, only to discover that whoever is in charge of the post office hasn’t felt like re-opening it. And then, because you are really really hungry, and haven’t had a chance to try one in its native land, you walk to the bakery to get a piece of Spanakopita....and find that it is closed as well
.
There is something quite shocking about getting used to a life centered around leisure, as opposed to one centered around convenience.
4) The children here actually look and act like children. Contrary to the unimaginative, pasty, constantly bored looking, perfectly groomed mini adults that coat North America, these kids wear cotton shorts and t-shirts, are dust covered from playing outside all day, and ride bikes around the village while yelling at each other. Their hair is windblown and quite possibly scattered with leaves, and their faces bear the marks of ice-cream bar snacks. They are not perfectly clean, coiffed, and dressed. They always look like they are having so much fun, and as if they are perfectly content with life.
Its like this:
Finally, and most excitingly, bamboo grows here, people!
I want for a walk the other day, and came to a bend on the path that was overshadowed by long graceful green branches. On closer inspection, this was revealed to be bamboo, and I felt a thrill of excitement. Other than Tigers and Koala Bears, Pandas are my favorite animal. I had sudden visions of importing a baby Panda, and helping it pick bamboo for its dinner. Maybe I could train it to crush bugs for me, and maybe on days when I was tired, I could ride it into the village, sort of like this:
1) Last Saturday, at about 1 or 2 in the morning, I heard the rumble of a big truck. It sounded as if construction was being started on something. I laid in bed utterly bewildered. Was this some weird Greek custom - to start construction work, before dawn, on the weekend?
The next day I asked my neighbor about the noise. She said the guy in the property across from us has a tractor as his sole means of transport. So, on the weekends when he stays out late drinking, he tipsily drives his tractor home and wakes up the neighborhood. I think that belongs in a book. Possibly an Alexander McCall Smith one.
2) When going for walks, it is not uncommon to see goats being led along the path. They are white as snow, and really dumb looking. The person leading them always looks vaguely depressed, as if he is wondering “What did I do in my past life to deserve spending this life with GOATS?”
3) Everything, as you already know, shuts down at around 2:00, and opens up again whenever the owner feels like it. This is somewhat charming, until you walk into the village specifically to mail a letter, thinking that the afternoon rest MUST be over by now, only to discover that whoever is in charge of the post office hasn’t felt like re-opening it. And then, because you are really really hungry, and haven’t had a chance to try one in its native land, you walk to the bakery to get a piece of Spanakopita....and find that it is closed as well
.
There is something quite shocking about getting used to a life centered around leisure, as opposed to one centered around convenience.
4) The children here actually look and act like children. Contrary to the unimaginative, pasty, constantly bored looking, perfectly groomed mini adults that coat North America, these kids wear cotton shorts and t-shirts, are dust covered from playing outside all day, and ride bikes around the village while yelling at each other. Their hair is windblown and quite possibly scattered with leaves, and their faces bear the marks of ice-cream bar snacks. They are not perfectly clean, coiffed, and dressed. They always look like they are having so much fun, and as if they are perfectly content with life.
Its like this:
As opposed to this:
Finally, and most excitingly, bamboo grows here, people!
I want for a walk the other day, and came to a bend on the path that was overshadowed by long graceful green branches. On closer inspection, this was revealed to be bamboo, and I felt a thrill of excitement. Other than Tigers and Koala Bears, Pandas are my favorite animal. I had sudden visions of importing a baby Panda, and helping it pick bamboo for its dinner. Maybe I could train it to crush bugs for me, and maybe on days when I was tired, I could ride it into the village, sort of like this:
.....because that's not weird at all.
I love the pictures Mary;)
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