Well, after four months of beaches and rainstorms, countries that may or may not exist, and a complete lack of traditional studying, I’m heading home tomorrow!
So, what have I learned in these past four months?
Much more than I have the ability to put into a post. How about a few highlights mixed with humor?
- There are more cats than humans in most Mediterranean countries
- If you yell the name ‘Costas’ in public, at least 25% of the people in the room will turn and think you’re yelling at them.
- If that doesn’t work, yell, ‘Andreas’
- Cypriots and Greeks don’t think it’s as funny as you do when they tell you an English word comes from Greek and it reminds you of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
- They also don’t understand why names like Achilleas and Hercules are funny to us
- Mouflon don’t exist.
- Old women can rock a mustache if they commit to it. Who doesn’t love old matching couples?
- Only Jews and American circumcise
- Laws are only suggestions
- 1/6 of the world’s population are Chinese. One in six.
- Russian is a much more useful language than I originally realized
- Arabic is just as useful as I originally realized
- The 9-5er is not what life is about, and it is completely acceptable for adults to skip their naptime if play is calling
- Race is much more of a ‘thing’ in the US.
- Objects are closer than they appear
- It is not weird to have a fro yo place in a car wash, or a souvenir shop in an auto mechanic shop.
I learned a lot of really valid cultural things, obviously.
See you soon, ‘Murica!