Monday, November 12, 2007

What Not To Wear


Correct me if I'm wrong but Greeks don't like rules and they don't like order. The exact opposite of the Swiss, so it's always fun to travel to Greece with Swiss airlines.

Yesterday I was in transit in Zurich surrounded by Greeks when the boarding call went out. We'd like to invite passengers seated in rows 26 to 35 to board first. My seat was 31A. All the Greeks got up and everyone tried to board at the same time, because like I said they don't like such rules, and such behaviour is called ellinares by Mr Zeus. The comic quality of this can only be appreciated in Switzerland, where the Greeks won't listen and the Swiss are too polite to say no your seat is 5F, I said rows 26 to 35, get out of the queue until you're called. So everyone was trying to board at the same time. Ha ha!

I noticed that I was almost dressed like a Greek girl on a journey, but I say almost. All was in order until you got to my feet. I tend to travel in trainers/sneakers/sports shoes. Sometimes I toy with the idea of boots or heels, but I abandon it in favour of comfort. In all my travels I have NEVER seen a Greek girl travel in trainers. It's like they'll die, but they won't travel in trainers. Actually I lie, once or twice I did see a Greek girl in trainers but she was usually a sporty type. The shoes you travel in are practically a second passport. Hey, see that girl over there? Her skin tone is a little suspect, but she's dressed like an Ellinida. Hair, coat, bag, tight jeans, oh wait. No, she's xeni. Look at her shoes!

Taking my seat I wished I could tune out the buruburu around me. I was having a rotten day, the sort of day where you'd only be satisfied if you were the only person on the flight and Antonio Banderas in a sequined thong was your flight attendant.

Now that I can understand Greek, I find it hard to recall what it sounded like before. Every so often, though, I am reminded when someone says a word that I don't know. To understand how that feels, imagine you are listening to someone and they are saying how the weather yesterday was cjjebsuyk but not that terrible. Cjjebsuyk is just a sound, a collection of noises until someone explains it to you. And just like that, a noise becomes a word.

4 comments:

itelli said...

"Ellinares", "buru-buru"... Lol

It's nice to see u learning the "proper" everyday vocabulary. It says a lot about ur integration.

And, if I may, the way u're describing us has changed (although, still spot on). It's become more Greek :) I don't know what that says :)))

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with Itelli. This post was almost as if written by a Greek.

A wonderful post. I especially liked the phrase, "Antonia Banderas in a sequined thong was your flight attendant". Haha!

I don't particularly care for him as a heartthrob but I can appreciate how that image could totally make my day.

Anonymous said...

Id have to say that I don't like Swiss. They don't have decent inflight meals but I do like that bar of chocolcate you get before landing!

But you know who are 'worse' than the Swiss when it comes to rules and regulations....?

It's the Germans!

We were once sat on the ground at Eleftherios Venizelos airport... with the doors open I might add as people were still boarding. I was sat in my seat and decided to make a call on my cell.

Well...

The stewardess spotted me... and stomped up the plan towards me and proceeded to tell me off for using my phone and said if I wanted to use it, I'd have to get off the plane.

So I did...

Went back to the gate area and finished my call there... they had to call me again to board as they were waiting.

All because of Helga Von Psycho and her 'rules are rules' despite the fact that using cells on planes when they are parked up is OK on most airlines.

I won't name and shame the airline concerned... oh wait, yes I will... it was LUFTHANSA

bollybutton said...

Ha ha ED! I have to agree, Swiss's meals are so bad I usually eat well before boarding. But the difference is on Swiss they would have been too polite to try to tell you not to make a call. ANd most travel workers are smart enough to know that intefering with a Greek will actually create more problems than it will prevent. "Just get them boarded and from A to B, they could be trying to bake a moussaka en route, don't try to stop them or they'll go off on one."