World Cultures

          The most enjoyable part of the BIC program has been the insight, structure, and historical context of World Cultures. On paper, it appears to be just an ordinary history class but it is much more enriching and insightful. The readings we did were not only enjoyable, but reflective of the culture and helped us gain a different perspective of the time period, area, and people. Studying history in high school, is like when you look at a painting and memorize its colors, brush strokes, characters, and etc. If someone was to ask you what color hair the largest figure had you could easily recite the answer. However, the interdisciplinary concept of Word Cultures dives into the reason and logic behind the painting. Why the artist painted the sky amber? What time period was this picture painted in and why? How come the faces are more somber? World Cultures asks these kinds of questions about history and gives meaning behind facts. 

           Similarly, this trip has given me deeper understanding of history by diving beyond analysis and experiencing the culture. The notion of education has evolved for me with the BIC and during this study abroad program. The greatest joy I have found is connecting my readings or analysis to the tangible evidence. The painting is more significant with deeper comprehension, but it comes to life when you actually touch it. Being in Turkey and Greece is making everything I've learned more real to me. We read several ancient Greek texts by Homer, Aesychlus, Plato, and Aristotle and it's been inspiring visualizing what they envisioned in their writing, actually seeing what they would have seen, and putting yourself almost literally in their shoes. 

           The themes and values they convey in each text not only arise in the culture, but even the art, architecture, and government. It reminds me of a baby growing into an adult then into and elderly person. History is the autobiography of a country.  When the baby is born it has certain distinctive traits and characteristics. Then it starts to grow and learn and his/her views start to change. Maybe a dramatic incident will happen or a neighboring kid will influence him/her. His/her frame of mind keeps evolving and so does his/her character. The way they dress changes from one trend to the next and even their values may fluctuate as they realize what is truly important in life. 

           To elaborate, we can use ancient Greek history as a reference because it not only was a thriving culture but a foundation to Western Civilization. During Greece's infant through adolescent years is considered the Archaic period. This was the time of Achilles and Odysseus that we have read about in Homer's epic poems. There existed several city states, but not a whole nation of Greece. However, they still all considered themselves Greek and had a common language and religion that united them against enemies. We observed that this period made free-standing sculptures that were stiff, egyptian influenced, and had interesting smiles. Art can be an interesting reflection of the societal mindset of that time period. A lot of the tour guides insist that Greece was doing well, so the statues were smiling.

           The next period is called the Classical period, which I would classify as a person's twenties. This is an exemplary time for both human history and cultural. The beginning is usually marked by the overthrow of the Athenian tyrant and transition into democracy. The people exercised more freedom politically and it was also demonstrated in their studies and art. The Parthenon is a iconic image of Greek flourishing combining intellect with grandeur. Philosophers began to seek the greatest good and truth in order to enrich their souls and live a happier life. Imagine a person that has just left their home and under the "rule" of their parents to enter university. It's an exciting time of discovery about themselves and the world around them. 

           Afterwards, we see the hellenistic period come about after the conquests of Alexander the Great. When we went to Pella, where Alexander and his father, Phillip II were born, we could the shift from city life to the more elaborate, luxurious homes. I already went into great detail about that in the previous blog so we will just skip over that. Basically, a person's thirties people have great stability and enjoy life comfortably. 

           Then mid-life crisis hits, the Romans take over and we saw this in the structures such as Pergamon in Turkey with the emperor worship of Trajan. The olympic gods are slowly falling into decline and Christians are persecuted. In order to maintain their power over the people, emperors had to exalt themselves as gods.  The new Christian God threatened their authority during this time.

           This goes into another great topic; how religion influences society and shapes history. If we look at Islamic practices in Turkey, we can infer a great deal about their culture. They are very pious and worship five times a day to Allah, the one true God. The Quran has many of the same biblical stories Christians and Jews are accustomed to but their religious views differ significantly. They believe that Jesus Christ is a holy prophet and the only sinless man. However, they do not believe he is the son of God and is divine. Actually, Muslims believe that no one can be divine except for God (Allah). That is why they reject icons and symbols in the mosque. Instead, they use arabic writing to create beautiful pictures. Visiting the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, you can see the use of symmetry and flower patterns they use to decorate every inch of the area. 

           Everything, we have learned in class and from reading has been cemented within this study abroad program. The connections I have made about history, art, architecture, and literature is truly unique to this type of studying. 

Why I Love Food

          I think everyone on this trip has witnessed my capacity to eat. I weigh a good 70 pounds less than Benjamin and I still eat more than him. It's not that I'm a never-ending pit that is using food as a comfort or necessity. I actually really truly enjoy food and eating for its own sake. As Plato would say I love it for what it is and not the benefits and pleasure it gives me.

           What is neat about being in another country is experiencing the cuisine; the different spices, the cooking techniques, the serving styles, and the presentation. By tasting what each country has to offer, you are gaining valuable insight into their culture and lifestyle. 

           In Turkey, I noticed that we were always served in a family style, where several plates are placed on the table for everyone to share communal. This demonstrates the fellowship they share with one another. As I have mentioned before, the Turks are very hospitable and helpful to not only to the native people but to tourists. They find great pleasure in having tourist enjoy the land and everything it has to offer. Sharing food is just another way of extending their hospitality. The sentiment, "what is mine is yours," is very prevalent in Turkish traditions. 

           In Greece, food is generally served individually but the dishes are much heavier than the Turkish food. It contains more carbohydrates like rice, pastas, and pita. A typical dish I would have could contain both potatoes and rice in addition to a large portion of meat. This differs from the Turkish meals that were lighter like small kofte (meatballs), fish, kebabs, and vegetables. The meat served was always in such a small portion to the entire meal. My hypothesis about the Greek cuisine and its more filling dishes (often 3 filling dishes in one sitting) is because the Greeks like many Europeans utilize meal time as leisure time. They take their time and go through each course slowly because they want to enjoy each other's company and the food they are eating.

           This can be contrasted to the American view of eating as necessity and almost a burden. Where can we get the quickest meal? Why is the service so slow? Are common American sentiments towards to restaurant industry. In Europe, eating is a pleasure and a type of social hour. In Thessaloniki, we ran into three to four times more coffee shops than fast food restaurants. That is because gathering for a meal or drink with friends and family is enjoyable. Every dish is savored and every piece of conversation is amusing. 

           For both cultures and in others, gathering at the table is a time for bonding and unity. The Last Supper is a iconic Christian symbol of fellowship. Asian tradition and even the Turks gather for tea frequently. In ancient Greek cultures, showing hospitality would require a great feast and discussion about their journey and history. All these have a common theme of friendship being developed and enhanced by the dining table. 

           Something about sharing a meal and taking the time to sit and converse with each other is lost in American culture. We never take the time to really enjoy each other's company and what food has to offer. True camaraderie is lost and is replaced by superficial relationships through social networks and technology. Why can't we just sit down with one another and talk. 

Improvements for the Program

          Traveling on the west coast of Turkey, exploring Athens, seeing the sites of the peloponnesian, visiting the wonderful islands of Greece, and venturing to northern Greece has been wonderful. The amazing views, historical areas, insightful museums, and awe-inspiring religious buildings have made this trip unforgettable. Being able to tangibly connect my education with what we have seen is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, there are some things I would change about the course in order to enhance future students' experiences. 

           Firstly, I would make the amount of work, touring, and break time more proportional. Condensing several ancient sites, intensive readings, ten page final paper, reflective blogging, and commenting on other's blogs is quite overwhelming in the short four weeks we have. I understand that we were given the syllabus in advanced in order to prepare for the trip and possibly get ahead. However, most of the requirements of the course except for the readings cannot be completed before the trip. Blogging is based on the daily excursions we take and the connections we find with it to the readings. Commenting is only available if the other students have blogs up. Then the paper is a reflective paper on your overall meditation of the journey. All these things must be done on a daily basis more or less, but the schedule of touring and class time we engage in make it difficult to accomplish all these things in one day. Especially when we were in Turkey, we would visit three or four different archaeological sites that lasted from 8am to 7pm. Being out in the hot blazing sun and trying to actively listen to the information the tour guide was so exhausting that by the end of the day I would just want to pass out. We would have long bus rides in-between locations that would theoretically give us more time to get work done, but often my classmates and I would get car sick or would be sleep deprived from the night before desperately trying to catch up on journals. Listening to the guides, going on the bus and immediately doing journals means being alert and attentive for 12 hours in a row which is impossible. 

           Therefore, if the workload is to maintain the same amount of intensity the free time and rest days should be increased to balance out the entire trip. If sacrificing more guided tours and sight-seeing is not viable then perhaps make the overall trip longer. Let's do five weeks instead of four and allocate those extra 7 days evenly throughout the trip. This would not only give students more time to rest and create quality journals, but would produce a calmer more enjoyable atmosphere for everyone. Students could be more active in the tours, more lively in discussion, and more focused on their readings. The set up of the program now is like trying to fit twelve clowns in a tiny clown car; everyone fighting for room, uncomfortable, and irritable. If we lengthen the trip its like if the clowns are able to leave the car and enter the arena; happier, freer, and therefore funnier and entertaining. 

           I know it's difficult financial to increase the length of the trip, so I might suggest lessening the overall classwork. That sounds drastic and like i'm a lazy student, but hear me out. Participation I understand cannot just give you a good grade. Showing up to class is something everyone can do. But consider the amount of time the trip is requiring us to go to class, 4-8 hours depending on the day (that is including the bus ride discussions and such). The amount of information that we receive is like having five three hour level classes in one day at Baylor. However, at home in Waco we at least have weekends free to spend time on our work and we usually only have 2 or 3 classes in one day. Journals are a great tool for the professors to tangibly see the amount of consideration a student is putting forth in the trip, but what about how they express themselves in discussion or on the tours. Maybe the participation should count for more or at least the discussions if they are thoughtful and reflective should be more significant in the final grade. 

           Another reason I would either lengthen the trip to ensure adequate time for studying and rest or lessen the academic requirements is because it will give the students a chance to really fulfill the purpose of studying abroad, which is to experience the culture. The tour guides give us great facts and history about each location and the country overall, but to be blunt, I can read about that in books. I'd rather go out around the city and see things for myself and make my own analysis of the people, the land, its values and views of the world. What's the point of being in a great city filled with a rich heritage and new experiences if we are constantly stuck in our hotel room writing journals or recouping from long tour days. I feel like I have learned the most from going out and talking to the locals and imitating their style of life. "When in Rome do as the Romans do," am I right? The best way to understand different cultures is to live it and to feel it. I have comprehended so much more about Turkish and Greek lifestyle by going out and discoursing with locals. One night we spoke with a Turkish man about his view of Americans and how our lifestyle is so different from theirs. He explained that Europeans are much more liberal and they do not understand why Americans quarrel about matters such as abortion and gay rights. Their lifestyle is relaxed and less confrontational because they do not want to interfere into someone else's affairs like they do not want someone interfering in theirs. This casual mindset can attribute to the way they handle business like some of the stores I visited in Turkey where the cash register was the owners own wallet and then if he didn't have enough change he would run next door and borrow some from the other store. This could also be why they eat so late or why they are so friendly with one another and quick to help each other. All from this one conversation I was able to gain understanding of how and why the Turks think the way they do. 

           That is what I would like to see this program emphasize more than anything else. I hope that future students are able to enjoy all the amazing ancient sites that the tour guides have to offer, soak in the information they are receiving, reflect on their readings and connections with the sites, be well rested to do all these things, and above all have time to explore on their own and figure out things for themselves.