The Greeks and family time the other day

To recap from a previous post of the Greeks being "unpleasant" not my words by the way.  We passed by a man in a shop in the plaka the other day and he welcomed us in.  Usually we would keep walking but we entered.  He asked us where we were from and when the answer was obvious, his reply had been what I was looking for.


"The Greeks mix politics with the people of America. But then they wear American clothes, listen to American music, watch American movies but don't like Americans, it is all a misunderstanding!"  



Well that's just one opinion but still.


I still don't know what it is but maybe it's a stereotype of Americans.

"Greek affection is possessive."

Even though we are distant cousins through my aunt's husband's family, being related in anyway makes you family. Because of this the smiles grow brighter and you are treated as one of their own.   

After playing phone tag and facebook tag I finally got a time and place to meet my Greek cousin Katerina and her family.

 

It's a pretty cool feeling to meet up with family you haven't met before and who live is such a different place.  My roommate and I put our brave faces on and set on nearly an hour trek by metro for a frappe in her neighborhood plateia; the main square of the neighborhood, where the children play and the adults socialize about their day.  When we spotted her and her mother with her two boys, I knew.  At first glance the started out saying "You look most like..." and I finished for them, "Pia! We look the same!" "Ahh...yes !"  Pia is my cousin and their cousin all the same but I see her more often back at home.  This was the first moment of familiarity.

After taking 15 minutes to figure out the family tree we conversed about the connections of our lives. 

I hope we can meet up again in this fast pace time we have left here.