greek speak

have you heard the phrase "it's greek to me"? after spending 6 days in Greece, I was actually starting to get used to the language. I managed to learn a few words like "paragalo" (please) "efkarishto" (thank you), and "poligalo" (good). I even learned how to say "dhen ksero ellinika" (I dont speak Greek), so I could respond to people who came up to me speaking in Greek, like I did when I was in Germany (ich sprecha kein deutsch)! Fortunately, we stayed in many tourist areas during high travel season, so we were able to speak our native tongue with the locals. In this popular European vacation destination, English was the second language.

For me, one of the most interesting things about traveling (whether domestically or internationally) is observing the variance in languages or dialects. I had become so used to hearing Hebrew and Arabic everywhere I went, and even being able to understand most of what was being said after 8 months of living in Israel. Russian was also quite common in Beer Sheva where i studied as there were many Russian immigrants there. I found Greek to be most similar to Russian, in both its characterset and spoken sounds. While I felt the trip to Greece interrupted my Hebrew and Arabic flow, a few days in Europe always helps me clear my head and allows for a smoother transition to the impact of entering a completely different part of the world.

On the plane from Athens to Philadelphia (I got on after the third day of standby), the American flag logo of US Airways greeted me everywhere I looked, on the napkins, the screen in front of me, and on the soap dispensers in the onboard restrooms. After 5 months abroad I was finally going home, and this emblem of freedom and familiarity comforted me to the point of bringing tears to my eyes. The last time I returned home from abroad (after only 3 1/2 months) I felt a special connection to my land, I feeling I had never felt before, and I have carried it with me to this day. This time upon arriving in the US I did not feel the same riveting force of nostalgia, but was overwhelmed with the sense of familiarity which America brought to my immediate observation. The first thing I noticed - and soaked in completely - was being able to listen to people speaking fluent English. Granted many of the people around the world speak SOME brand of English (generally jacked-up), but this was MY English, AMERICAN English, the same dialects, nuances, and culturally-embedded phraseology. I embraced these moments in the Philadelphia airport of merely sitting and listening to people speak - in English, American English. I also reactivated my American cell phone and called as many people as I could get a hold of. This was the most amazing part of returning home, to the most wonderful country in the world, the United States of America.

Since I left the US last October, a life-changing series of events have occurred to create in me not only a sense of patriotism, but a sense of urgency to understand the truths about global affairs. I will admit that I really didn't know anything about the Middle East (besides the music) and I thought that since it didnt affect me DIRECTLY that I should not care. I sought to discover what was really going on, and how the US IS IN FACT AFFECTED more than we realize. Last night a friend wanted to hear my story about the terrorists that I met (and was terrorized by) while in Israel. Before I could even begin my story, she started rambling about the US troops in Iraq, and how the US were occupiers, murdering civilians, etc. I could not believe my ears and immediately began defending the US strategical position and that they weren't even the only troops over there, but that those were the lies she was being fed through the American society. I also told her that I would not continue to have such a conversation with her until she went to the Middle East, found out the truth for herself, and then came back and I would talk to her. She didn't seem to get it. It was as if I was speaking Greek to her. I wasn't even able to tell my terrorist story without an element of tension because I had been sidetracked by this frustration. While I'm happily around native American English speakers again, I need to be a little more selective about with whom I have conversations. Otherwise I will need to excuse myself and say "slikha, ani lo medaberit anglit" (Hebrew for "sorry, I don't speak English"). Learn the facts, or everything will sound like Greek Speak.