Daniel N. Lee

Page 68 of 82

12/20/2008

Good Ol’ US of A

Well, 3 plane rides, 6 hours worth of layovers, and one 30-hour day later, I am back in the United States.

I must admit, I am going through a bit of reverse culture shock. America is so different than any place on earth if by nothing more than the fact that we have by far the most diverse population demographics. I was used to looking around Greece and seeing Greeks. I looked around Italy and saw Italians. I looks around Israel and saw Jews and Palestinians. Not a whole lot of diversity around, save the tourists (like us). But when I look around America, I see people of all descents, races, nationalities, ethnicities, religions, color, body build. So much diversity leads to a very unique way of doing things.

Here are some of the key differences I see between America and the rest of the world:

On the whole, Americans do not realize how much the US effects the rest of the world
Americans care way less about the environment than most of Europe
After being overseas for so long, it’s shocking to me how big the vehicles are that Americans drive
We take our plumbing system for granted
America has real bacon
Our language (English primarily) is not nearly as important to Americans as it is to the British, or as Italian is to Italians, or French is to the French, or Hebrew is to the Israelis
*This is in no way meant to offend anyone, it is merely an observation* – There really are far more overweight people in America than anywhere else I have been
Europeans walk a lot more than most Americans would even think about
American public transportation (nearly non-existent in most places) has some catching up to do
While I disagree that America is a “Christian Nation”, there definitely is a much higher emphasis on faith (not religion) in America than most parts of Europe…and yes, there is a HUGE difference between faith and religion
It’s sad to me that most people I met around Europe, Egypt, and Israel could speak well at least 2 languages – one being English – when many Americans can barely master one language
English really is the “common” language of the world
Americans and the British put more emphasis on lines (or queues) than the rest of the world
I find it odd that the British economy is so much better than America’s, yet Americans work something like 50% more man-hours on average than the British do

These are just a few observations I wanted to share from my time overseas. While it is difficult to make the transition back to the American way of life once again, I did get to have Sonic for dinner last night and Cracker Barrel for breakfast this morning. When you spend that much time away from your home country, you start missing some things very strongly. You also dread going back to the things you definitely did not miss.

Missed bacon/American breakfasts
Did not miss American fast food
Missed driving
Did not miss seeing behemoth vehicles carrying one person “just because”
Missed fellow English speakers
Did not miss Southern accents
Missed having a cell phone
Did not miss TV commercials

There is also a list of things I will miss from Europe and some things I’m glad to get away from:

Will miss efficient public transportation
Will not miss European drivers
Will miss proper gyros (amazing food from Greece)
Will not miss getting more than recommended daily allowance of second hand smoke
Will miss being able to bargain at shops
Will not miss European fashions
Will miss being able to walk nearly everywhere
Will not miss having to walk nearly everywhere
Will miss the beautiful Cathedrals and architecture
Will not miss Greek Orthodox v. Catholicism

I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything in the world. I feel like this semester has been a turning point in my life – spiritually, politically, emotionally, mentally, etc. My eyes have been opened to another world outside the bubble that is America. I have been to the other side and back. I have walked through some of the most disputed land on the face of the earth. I have traveled deep into the Muslim world. I have wandered through the wilderness in the dark. I have traveled from the Middle East to the United Kingdom and have used 6 different types of currency. I have encountered 9 or 10 completely different cultures and have been shaped by each one. I feel that I am no longer bound by the short-sighted American lenses through which I viewed the world. I thank God for this experience and will definitely use it to the glory of his kingdom.

12/19/2008

Good Ol’ US of A

Well, 3 plane rides, 6 hours worth of layovers, and one 30-hour day later, I am back in the United States.

Here are some of the key differences I see between America and the rest of the world:

On the whole, Americans do not realize how much the US effects the rest of the world
Americans care way less about the environment than most of Europe
After being overseas for so long, it’s shocking to me how big the vehicles are that Americans drive
We take our plumbing system for granted
America has real bacon
Our language (English primarily) is not nearly as important to Americans as it is to the British, or as Italian is to Italians, or French is to the French, or Hebrew is to the Israelis
*This is in no way meant to offend anyone, it is merely an observation* – There really are far more overweight people in America than anywhere else I have been
Europeans walk a lot more than most Americans would even think about
American public transportation (nearly non-existent in most places) has some catching up to do
While I disagree that America is a “Christian Nation”, there definitely is a much higher emphasis on faith (not religion) in America than most parts of Europe…and yes, there is a HUGE difference between faith and religion
It’s sad to me that most people I met around Europe, Egypt, and Israel could speak well at least 2 languages – one being English – when many Americans can barely master one language
English really is the “common” language of the world
Americans and the British put more emphasis on lines (or queues) than the rest of the world
I find it odd that the British economy is so much better than America’s, yet Americans work something like 50% more man-hours on average than the British do

Missed bacon/American breakfasts
Did not miss American fast food
Missed driving
Did not miss seeing behemoth vehicles carrying one person “just because”
Missed fellow English speakers
Did not miss Southern accents
Missed having a cell phone
Did not miss TV commercials

There is also a list of things I will miss from Europe and some things I’m glad to get away from:

Will miss efficient public transportation
Will not miss European drivers
Will miss proper gyros (amazing food from Greece)
Will not miss getting more than recommended daily allowance of second hand smoke
Will miss being able to bargain at shops
Will not miss European fashions
Will miss being able to walk nearly everywhere
Will not miss having to walk nearly everywhere
Will miss the beautiful Cathedrals and architecture
Will not miss Greek Orthodox v. Catholicism

12/04/2008

The time has come

It’s hard to believe, but our time here in Greece is almost up. We leave tomorrow morning, flying out of Athens to Rome to begin 13 days of travel through Europe. Along the way we will see Rome, Florence, Pisa, Paris, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London. It’s going to be a lot of fun but very stressful at times. Please keep us in your prayers for the next two weeks until we get back home to Columbia.

I will try to update all about Israel and free travel when I get back home.

God bless.

PS – I added my calendar to the bottom of the blog page so you can see what’s coming up on the schedule and when we’ll be where.

12/04/2008

The time has come

I will try to update all about Israel and free travel when I get back home.

God bless.

PS – I added my calendar to the bottom of the blog page so you can see what’s coming up on the schedule and when we’ll be where.

11/30/2008

Israel…go ahead and be jealous

I don’t have time right now to update much about Israel, and I can’t guarantee that I’ll get very far this week with finals and everything coming up. Just so you know what’s coming, here’s a list of all the places/sites we visited on our trip through the Holy Land:

Caesarea Maritime
Nazareth/Church of the Immaculate Conception
Bethsaida
Sea of Galilee boat ride
“Jesus Boat” Museum
Capernaum
Mt. Tiberias
Mount of the Beatitudes
Dan Nature Reserve
Tel-Dan
Banyas Falls in the Golan Heights
Caesarea Philippi
Fortress of Nimrod
Baptistery at the Jordan
Mt. Horeb/Springs of Harod (Gideon in Judges 7)
Valley of Jezreel
Qum’Ran
Ein Gedi
Dead Sea
Mt. Sodom
Masada
Bedouin camp
Be’er Sheva
Ha Ella Valley (David and Goliath)
Bet Guvrin
Bet Shemesh
Bethlehem/Church of the Nativity
Jerusalem
Mt. of Olives
Garden of Gethsemane
St. Anne’s Cathedral
Pools of Bethesda
Church of the Flagellation
Church of the Condemnation
Via Dolorosa
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Temple Mount
Western Wall
Hezekiah’s Tunnel/Pool of Siloam
Southern Steps of the Temple Mount
Temple Mount Archaeological Park (w/ virtual tour)
Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum)
Jerusalem Museum (Model of 1st Century Jerusalem & Shrine of the Book)
Traditional Upper Room
Tomb of David
Gordon’s Calvary/Garden Tomb

Yeah, we saw all these in only 9 days. It was one crazy trip. I can’t wait to share my experiences with you.

11/30/2008

Israel…go ahead and be jealous

Caesarea Maritime
Nazareth/Church of the Immaculate Conception
Bethsaida
Sea of Galilee boat ride
“Jesus Boat” Museum
Capernaum
Mt. Tiberias
Mount of the Beatitudes
Dan Nature Reserve
Tel-Dan
Banyas Falls in the Golan Heights
Caesarea Philippi
Fortress of Nimrod
Baptistery at the Jordan
Mt. Horeb/Springs of Harod (Gideon in Judges 7)
Valley of Jezreel
Qum’Ran
Ein Gedi
Dead Sea
Mt. Sodom
Masada
Bedouin camp
Be’er Sheva
Ha Ella Valley (David and Goliath)
Bet Guvrin
Bet Shemesh
Bethlehem/Church of the Nativity
Jerusalem
Mt. of Olives
Garden of Gethsemane
St. Anne’s Cathedral
Pools of Bethesda
Church of the Flagellation
Church of the Condemnation
Via Dolorosa
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Temple Mount
Western Wall
Hezekiah’s Tunnel/Pool of Siloam
Southern Steps of the Temple Mount
Temple Mount Archaeological Park (w/ virtual tour)
Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum)
Jerusalem Museum (Model of 1st Century Jerusalem & Shrine of the Book)
Traditional Upper Room
Tomb of David
Gordon’s Calvary/Garden Tomb

Yeah, we saw all these in only 9 days. It was one crazy trip. I can’t wait to share my experiences with you.

11/29/2008

Olympia – as in the Olympic Games

Olympia was definitely my favorite place on the Southern Greece trip. It was extremely beautiful, there were trees that were actually changing colors, and it was really the first time all semester that it actually felt like fall. I loved it there.

We started by going to a really cool museum where we got to see lots of amazing statues (Like Hermes, and Nike) and some really cool artifacts, like weapons and armor dedicated to Zeus. Speaking of Zeus, he was the patron god of Olympia (even though it is no where close to Mt. Olympus). The Olympic games, which were held every 4 years, were dedicated to Zeus. The Temple of Zeus, which is now mostly in ruins thanks to earthquakes, used to house the great statue of Zeus, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Unfortunately, like all but one ancient wonder the Statue of Zeus is now destroyed. We got to see a really nice artist’s rendition of it, though…

The site of ancient Olympia was one of the prettiest places I have been in Greece. It was just a perfect day to tour the site. We saw a couple gymnasiums, the Temple of Zeus, an old basilica dating to the 4th Cent. AD, and the Temple of Hera (Zeus’ wife) where they light the Olympic Torch every 4 years.

At the end of our tour we came to the famous Olympic Stadium…more like dirt track/field. This was not the first Olympic track, technically. This one was built in order to accommodate larger crowds and more participants, but it’s close enough. We were able to race on the track, which was a lot of fun. We ran it like they would have back 2500 years ago…no, not naked…down and back one time – winner takes all. It’s 192 meters one way, and four of us, including myself, ran it in 60 seconds or less. I loved it.
____________

Well that pretty much wraps up the Peloponnese trip. Highlights: Acrocorinth, Citadel of Mycenae, Theater of Epidaurus, and the Olympic Track

Next on the agenda is a recap of our trip to Israel. I can’t wait to share my experiences with you.

11/29/2008

Epidaurus Health Club and Resort

Epidaurus (Epidavros in Greek) is basically set up as an all-inclusive health club and resort. This is where wealthy Greeks would come for treatment of certain diseases or just to obtain better overall health. The patron god of this town was Asclepios, the healing god. His priests were also doctors at the resort. I call it a resort because it wasn’t really a town of its own. Very few people actually lived there. Most people only came for short periods of time (a few months at most) and lived in hotel rooms of sorts.

They had everything there – Roman-style baths, gymnasiums, a track, a theater for entertainment (the most well-preserved ancient theater in the world, I might add). The theater was a masterpiece, accoustic perfection. Our tour guide gave a demonstration to show us just how amazingly sound could be carried. I and several others went to the very top of the theater and could hear everything as if our guide were just a few feet away. We could hear him crumple and rip a piece of paper, whisper, even breathe. It was incredible.

If you were sick back in the day, this was definitely the place to be. You would be pampered, spoiled, and entertained until whatever ailed you eventually left.

I do find it interesting that the Greeks had a practice of making plaster molds or small sculptings of whatever body part wasn’t well and they presented that as an offering to the god Asclepios. They have found thousands of stone or plaster eyes, ears, noses, fingers, hands, feet, and certain other body parts which I will leave unnamed. I guess in the days of the early church, “miraculous” healings were promoted by the priests, but it was a big deal when Paul, Peter, and other apostles could actually do it.

11/29/2008

Citadel of Mycenae

Yet another fortress on a hill. We see a lot of those in this part of the world, and don’t worry – there are plenty more to come.

Mycenae is one place I had been looking forward to seeing for a long time. Anyone familiar with the works of Homer or the movie Troy will recognize this as the home of the Greeks who waged war on Troy. They were very much a warrior society, with gigantic fortress walls, elaborate tombs full of votive weapons, not to mention being the victorious in one of the most famous battles in history that may not have happened…

Regardless of the accuracy of Homer as an historian, the Mycenaean civilization left behind a lot of good stuff for modern archaeologists to oogle at. The most impressive of which is definitely the Lion Gate in the “Cyclopean Wall”. It is called the Cyclopean Wall because when the classical Greeks first stumbled upon this citadel, they thought that there was no possible way humans could have built such a wall out of such large stones; therefore, it must have been built by the cyclopese (these are the same Greeks which said, “Man is the measure of all things.” How’s that for irony…). The famous Lion Gate is named such because for the two large bodies of lions carved into solid stone and placed above the lintel piece in the gate. I was impressed with this even after seeing the Great Pyramids.

The Mycenaeans also had interesting burial chambers. They were basically gigantic underground domes. The pressure of the soil above the dome actually held it in place. In fact, the dome of King Agamemnon’s Tomb (which actually pre-dates him by a couple centuries) was the largest dome ever built until I think the time of the Romans.

When all is said and done, I would not want to be on the side against the Mycenaeans in a battle. They ruled, and they ruled well. They were not afraid to raise up an army in a moment’s notice. They were also the main civilization ascribed as ancestors to the mainland Greeks, and were responsible to developing and passing on their religion and theology (mainly through the Homerian tradition). I really enjoyed walking around the citadel of this great civilization.

11/29/2008

Nafplion – another fortress on a hill…I’m sensing a trend

Nafplion and the Fortress of Palimidis:
To be honest, although this is one of the more interesting hilltop fortresses which we have visited, it has absolutely nothing to do with ancient Greece or anything biblical (the two main focuses of all our tours thus far). The fortress itself was not even constructed until the middle ages and saw a lot of action during the skirmishes and quarrels between the Ottoman Turks and the Venetians.

This fortress, also called Acronafplion, would be a great setting for a giant game of paintball, or even hide-and-seek. The structure sits atop a hill overlooking the Sea to one side and the city of Nafplion to the other. This was a very strategic location for a fortress like this because it is basically on the other side of the isthmus from Corinth, a major trade route from Southern to Northern Greece.

It was really nice to just be able to have about 30 minutes of free time to walk around this gigantic structure exploring all the side rooms, prison cells, etc. The view from the top was absolutely beautiful. Coming down, though, was not so fun. The main way down from the hill is a series of nearly 900 steps to street level. Awesome workout for the quadriceps…