And what might the preferred dance formation be for us Greek-Americans? You guessed it: circles. Greeks dance in a circle together and sometimes one of us dances alone while surrounded by a circle of other Greeks.
Just like life, it’s a beautiful thing. Not to mention super fun.
Why do we dance in circles? To be honest: I have no idea. Maybe that makes me a bad Greek-American, but it’s just something that’s always been done and will continue to happen.
I think when it all comes down to it, dancing in circles gives Greeks a sense of unity and community. (Did you catch that poetry? I attribute it to the fact that my family is from Lesvos and, therefore, I’m probably a descendant of Sappho).
But seriously, there’s something about dancing the Pentozali that makes me feel so incredibly connected to my heritage. And who can deny the absolute pride one feels when money is thrown at them during their Zeibekiko.
Just goes to show: circles are the way to go. On the real.
The fact that Greek-Americans are probably one of the most ethnically proud people in the US is evidenced in the constant reminder of Greek success. But can you really blame us?
From the beginning of civilization, Greece produced some of the best scholarly and scientific/technological works of the time (which the Romans then stole from us). In more recent times, Greece has kept to itself for the most part, but we’ve still managed to win the hearts of many.
This widespread philhellenism has been achieved mainly through the following:
1. Food
2. Media (i.e. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Mamma Mia!)
3. Famous People of Greek Origin
Take note that food is first on the list; that was completely intentional and well-deserved. Even if most people don’t realize it, the owner of your local pizza joint, regardless of the restaurant’s name, may very likely be owned by a Greek family, not Italians. Just because pizza is Italian cuisine, doesn’t mean Greeks can’t make it (it is pretty damn easy). This is true even in the smallest of towns, including my own rural hometown where I worked at a pizza restaurant called Angie’s. How did I get the job? The owners were Greek. No joke, that’s just how us Greek-Americans role.
Getting back to the point, Greek-Americans will undoubtedly attribute any success a Greek person has to their heritage, or at least brag about the fact that a successful person is Greek. And that person doesn’t have to cure cancer; it can legit be anything noteworthy. For example, I would be willing to bet that some Greek-American out there has brought up the fact that the inventor of the Pap smear was Giorgios Nicholas Papanikolaou, born on the Greek island of Evia and graduate of the University of Athens.
This is serious stuff people. Its like a disease. As prideful Greek-Americans, we are programmed to go out of our way to know about this things. There are even video blogs (humorous ones, of course) explaining the phenomenon of “Greek Success.”
Despite the sometimes sheer ridiculousness of this habitual boasting and bragging, you have to admit that its pretty damn cool that we do have all these historically influential natives.
I, for one, really appreciate and wonder at the fact that I can truly say that my ancestors are from the same Greek Island on which Sappho and Theophilos Hatzimihail grew up and developed their art. That’s right, most of my Greek heritage is derived from Λέσβος (Lesvos) and its pretty frickin awesome, don’t you think? On my Dad’s side, however, my ancestors are from Sparta and, for any of you that have seen 300, you know just how sweet that is; and if you have it, you need to immediately!
It’s also important to mention that this trend is not limited to Greek-Americans. Oh no no no no no. Native Hellenes today make their importance known even today. So much so, in fact, that in the Spring of 2008, Skai TV opened up the polls to their viewers to vote on who is the greatest Greek of all time. Subsequently there is a show entitled Μεγαλοι Ελληνες (Great Greeks). No matter how ethnocentric this whole ordeal might be, it is still pretty kick ass.
Anyways, if you’re curious about other famous Greek-America people, you should check out this list. You better believe people took the time to compile a comprehensive list of notable Greeks on wikipedia.
That’s all for now. Expect great things for next week…Πασχα is almost here!!!
Whether its a cheap diner or a high end restaurant, Greek people LOVE to eat out, which is kind of funny because Greek people also love cooking (but more about that later).
Nonetheless, Greeks enjoy little more than being served food and drink. Obviously nobody can eat out all of the time, but I know that my grandparents eat out about 5 times a week (not the best for their health). And who do Greek people bring their regular business to…other Greeks of course!
There are so many Greek restauranteurs, the most common being the “pizza greeks.”
But then there are those higher end Greek restaurants, usually run by some successful Greek chef. For example, the restaurants Anthos and Kefi, owned by chef Michael Psilakis.
Now, my mom and I go to New York City a couple times a year and last time we were with my dad and brother there, we went to this great Greek place called Molyvos, named after the village on the island of Lesvos (where we’re from). The first time we went there I got sick and wasn’t really able to enjoy my meal, although from what I did eat I could tell it was the best octopus that I had ever had. When we went back I got the same thing and, trust me, it was REALLY good. My mom also got a lemon drop martini that she said was “excellent.”
The next night, we tried to find a nice Italian place, but, being the Greek-Americans that we are, we just couldn’t resist going to yet ANOTHER Greek restaurant called Avra.
This place is ABSOLUTELY my new favorite place ever in my favorite city ever. My mom and I split two appetizers and each had another appetizer to ourselves. My favorite dish was the Ouzo Mussels – sodelicious. And my mom had their lemon drop martini an said it was even better than the one she had the night before. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she got two.
Anyways, I’m getting off topic. My point is, this second place, Avra, was even GREEKER than Molyvos. Even the bathrooms (which were super nice), were decorated in a way that reminded me of the χωριο, aka the village. I have a theory that if a restaurant can afford to make their bathrooms look just as nice as the dining area, then they’re doing something right. So I think it goes without saying that my mom and I couldn’t help loving this place even more.
Moral of the story: the greeker the restaurant, the more a Greek-American will love it, guaranteed.
