khaareka.. (lovely to meet you)

Its 10.00 pm , Tesco employees are about to call it a day. Every visit to tesco, I have more of less the same purchases.. Yogurt, hummus , pasta, sauce are some of the regulars..Today, as I  walk through dairy aisle, I see feta cheese... I smile... A little ahead I reach out to pick Greek yogurt, I break into a smile.. Two aisle past.. I walk across the oil section and see a collection of olive oils...  and i smile..  

I'm taken back by 3 months...I was in Greece. I went to visit my dear dear friend... Let's call her 'kharalambe'. Although she is not my blog follower, if she ever reads this post , it would make her laugh.. 'inside joke'  She is wonderful.. What i learnt later that , the people in her life are wonderful too.   Greeks and Indians are similar in more than one way.. i couldn't help but the notice the similarities of our cultures. People who love food, noisy family gatherings,religion, culture and traditions, music and dance are like mirror reflection of the curry lovers in the Indian subcontinent. No wonder i got on with these people...  Swap a few things like Zeibekiko with Bhangra, coffee with tea,  curry with feta cheese and there you go.. we have very similar loud people dancing and belching some gorgeous scrumptious food !    When I landed into her city she was the only person I knew...and each day that number went on increasing..    Similarities between Indians and the Greeks.. 

• We do not wait... not in queues , not on traffic lights , no where.. everything we need should be delivered at rocket speed or else be sure of some "customer lovin"
• we can break into song and dance at any time of the day... u meet a new person.. u break the ice.. u dance a few sirtaki steps... thats normal..
• dads should have beLLy... they aint dads without their cute beLLY
• FOOD FOOD FOOD... we eat all the time... Indian meal comprise of daal rice vegetables meat ... A greek meal comprises of baked dishes, 2-3 salads, stuffed peppers, fresh feta cheese and more..
• homosexuality,is a no-no... greek women should find a nice greek boy, date for a few years... get married and dance sirtaki all night, and make babies... 
• Indian and Greek public sector work at snail space... money and status can open all doors.. laid-back bureaucrats are all couch potatoes feasting on tax payers monies and looking to make some more under the table
• we swear... a LOT.. 
• its okay to enter a no entry once in a while.. and then when confronted with an incoming vehicle.. resort to damage control, smile, apologize.. if that doesn't work.. say some swear words and drive on.

When i got back home, i felt rejuvenated. I was touched by their hospitality, their love and their kindness. When I saw families bonding over dinner conversations.. i couldn't help but miss my own family. I called mom & dad almost every other day.  When you meet a stranger, they meet you as though they have known you for years.. No person seems aloof.  I made these judgements by experiencing 2 weeks in Greece. I may have had a small glimpse of people and their lifestyle.. make not be sufficient to make such accurate judgements... but for me... greece gave me what i needed at that time. I went there, a broken soul.. I was healed by feeling welcomed by my hosts.  Its not that place that makes the a holiday special.. Its the people. And this was one trip where i felt as though i struck gold, the place is breath taking.. more importantly the people are warm and have hearts of gold.  Greece is undergoing changes, financially it the country is suffering. I saw homeless people asking for money, food... i saw pubs and restaurants with locks on it due to increasing overheads and no business, i met people looking for jobs for over 12 months...  This was October. This aint summer.. where people are carefree and relaxed.. This was the crunch time... And i found what i was looking for. I wanted to experience humility, kindness, endurance.. and i saw these traits in people on many occasions. I met people who seemed to be the happiest souls , but layers below they have loads of worries.. They embrace it with a smile..  Sakis Rouvaz, is one of the most popular singing, style icon sings "OLA KALA >> OLA KALA" which means.. All is well..  and i felt people actually practicing it. They are positive and fearless. Some simple words that i needed to inculcate in my life the, even now.  

I came to Greece empty handed.. but i left with a bit of "greece" with me..  
When i boarded my return flight.. i didnt say my goodbyes.. i know i'll be back soon.. Yaamas.. 


(This sat in my drafts for 3 months... it finally gets published)