That's so crazy?!

The group I’m with has been wonderful. We’ve already covered some ground in the just the few days we’ve been together.. Philippi, Kavala, Veria, Verginia and Thessaloniki. Traveling south through the heart of mainland Greece, we are now in route to Athens. Yet at the moment we aren’t making much leeway as we are stuck in incoming traffic to the city. Those sitting up front are getting a kick out of the ‘crazy’ driving. Motorcycles weave between cars, a smart car attempts to makes his way through and what was once 4 lanes is now … hmmmm 3.. 5.. oh wow, we just passed a bus broken down in the middle of it all along with another car which has been hit. Now we have a glimpse of how much traffic lays ahead of us. We are going to be here awhile.

Listening to the comments around me about the way they drive, the amount of unfinished buildings.. I recall the other comments I’ve heard expressed from this group over the past few days: ‘eww they don’t have seats on their toilets, that’s gross!’ ‘do you think they have to-go boxes?’ ‘ the cars are so small here!’ ‘why is nothing open on Monday? (Lent)’ why does everyone smoke here?’ ‘why does everyone wear such dark colors?’ ‘why can’t you flush toilet paper?’ ‘that’s so strange!’ ‘that’s so crazy!’ yes.. this is why you travel. To understand the rest of the world does not work like you are use to. What may be strange to you is normal to them. What you may think as going without, they don’t know any different other than they’ve always gone without and know no other way. It’s not that their cars are small, it is that ours are big. You have to change the way you think- understand the difference in mentalities. It’s not that they are crazy drivers.. but this is how they do things. It seemingly works. What I also find interesting in these tours, in doing them for several years now is how parents teach their children to not do or to do certain things, respect this and that.. yet the exact thing they scold them for (be quiet, make do without, stop talking and listen, don’t wander off from the group) is exactly what the adults then turn around and do themselves. They don’t live out what they ask of their kids. Constantly I see this. It’s a bit frustrating to see this happen. Parents wander off while a local guide is giving information, they decide they don’t want to eat with the rest of the group and have a ‘better meal’. I am learning a lot just by watching these interexchanges within these groups. It is all an example to me! Now I’m not saying this is the way it is with all the groups, with all the adults but I see it enough to obviously write about it. It’s no wonder these kids gets so confused!