The Cultural Contrast I Experienced in Greece

By:

Ruth Solano-Cardel

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Ruth Solano-Cardel

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hej do & 12 others <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> Arizona State University <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2023 <i>Destination city & country:</i> 13 countries <i>Program provider:</i> Semester at Sea <i>Major/minor:</i> English Language & Literature <i>Demographics:</i> First-Generation, Hispanic <i>Future career aspirations:</i> I want a career in international business where I can leverage my language skills and exercise my passion for liberty and free markets. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> 1) Develop a new framework for understanding the world 2) Practice my language skills 3) Build an international network of friends and professional contacts

January 22, 2022

It’s my second day in Greece, and I’m still astonished by the beauty of the country. We’ve been really busy with field trips and classes. I’ll offer these photos of nature, but I’d want to discuss the cultural contrasts I’ve seen while visiting this nation.

Coming from a conventional family, it was fascinating to see how sexuality is a powerful concept in Greece. As most of us are aware, the Greek gods are an important part of this country’s culture, and I believe that most of us associate these gods with passion and lust. Something that struck me was how all these sexual symbols are part of this society. Many souvenirs or trivial items, such as card games and clothing, included sexual connotations. To be honest, I believe this is the only thing that has made me feel uncomfortable thus far, and the reason for this is that I am not used to it.

I mentioned this observation to a few of my friends, and they also agreed on how prominent these connotations are in Greece. When we spoke about it further in-depth, we understood that some of us have a tendency to believe that just because something is unfamiliar to us, it must be wrong. For example, when we discuss faiths, everyone thinks that they have the truth. However, what we feel is correct may be perceived as incorrect by others. This might be our way of life, traditions, religion, and so on. It was interesting to think about this from a different perspective. We are all in our bubble. We all have beliefs that guide our actions. When confronted with anything unusual, we tend to assume that what others are doing is insane or illogical.

I grew raised with little exposure to sexuality, which impacted my viewpoint and how I feel about the subject. People grew up with various family values, and I am aware of it; nonetheless, seeing such a severe difference not only made me feel in a certain way but also made me evaluate why I felt the way I did. I don’t want this experience to be confined to a single subject. During my study abroad experience, I want to explore what is different and actually strive to learn rather than think they are incorrect simply because they believe differently. And I want you, my readers, to do the same thing, whether you’re traveling or simply chatting to individuals who have different ideas than you. Try to examine your beliefs truly and put yourselves in the shoes of others; we might realize that what we think is correct does not make sense to other civilizations or people.