As such, they are usually happy to help me practice, speak in Greek with me, and even correct my pronunciation and grammar when needed! Even though my skills still have a long way to go, I have come to really love the language and the confidence it has given me in interacting with others here.
Another crucial aspect of my integration here has been my experience with workplace culture, since I’m here primarily for my work as an English teacher. In general, many Greeks are more relaxed in their attitudes toward “professionalism” than Americans are. Around my city, teachers often wear jeans, emails are full of emojis and slang, and there is a well-defined, widely-accepted divide between one’s work and personal life. When I first arrived, I quickly noticed that things were different. On our first day, I came to school incredibly overdressed, and I decided to look at the lesson plans during my lunch break. When the teacher whom I was shadowing realized this, she immediately told me to put the papers away. I was a little confused and embarrassed at first, but she explained to me that--at many Greek schools and workplaces--breaks are meant to be breaks! I have been told that this has its roots in a Greek tradition sometimes referred to as siesta (a period of rest in the afternoons, taken directly from the Spanish word of the same meaning). Siesta culture in Greece purportedly started due to the country's hot summers. Because of the weather, people would go indoors during the hottest part of the day to rest and recharge. Although this is a somewhat antiquated practice--few people actually nap daily--this tradition finds its modern incarnation in lunch breaks which are guarded as strictly personal time.
