Got to see a Greek hospital...

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The past few days have been difficult and I am learning that the parents are quite neurotic.

Friday, I noticed a bit of a tickle in my throat and feared that my extended time in an airport plus my new environment was taking a toll on my immune system. I mentioned it to Christina and asked if she had any cold medicine. That was my first mistake. I was immediately belittled because apparently, it is impossible to catch a cold when you are in the beautiful and perfect Greece. She asked if I had been sleeping with the air conditioner on. I told her I had it on for the first couple of nights I was here. That was my second mistake. After this confession, I receive a rather lengthy lecture and am made to feel like a complete idiot for thinking it was ok to have the AC on. Hmmm, I have slept with the AC blasting for the last month back at home and have never had a problem. Not to mention it was effing hot and humid in my room when I first got here. So now, instead of worrying about my health, I am simply being blamed for feeling a little under the weather. In case you are wondering, I have been sweating my ass of every night since then due to the fact that air conditioning is frowned upon here. Not too sure why it was installed in the first place then…

The next day, I’m not feeling much better but I don’t feel worse either. She asks me how I am feeling, so I tell her I am good but not great. That was my third mistake. I am then dragged to the emergency room (because it is Saturday and the pharmacy and doctor’s offices are closed) because I must have some horrible infectious disease. The entire way there I am again lectured about using the AC. I eventually break down into tears because I had the choice to either vent my building anger through my tear ducts or through my fists. I chose the option that wouldn’t get me sent home on the next flight. Of course I am then made to feel foolish for crying. Have I mentioned this broad is getting on my nerves?

We get in to see the doctor, and he examines me for all of 2 minutes before making his assessment. There is nothing wrong with me! Probably just a cold or something. Or SOMETHING! Where did you get your brilliant education, doc? He tells Christina in incomprehensible Greek that I just need to get some rest and to avoid swimming. On the way home, I am told I am not to be in contact with the children for the next few days. I am then lectured for being in contact with them that morning… Let’s see here, she and her husband don’t get up until almost noon every day, while the girls get up around nine. So what was I supposed to do? Let the kids play on the balcony/terrace by themselves because I had a tickle in my throat? Yeah, that would have definitely been in their best interests. Stupid me.

I am also given a lengthy list of the things I am not allowed to do. No swimming. No going barefoot. No being in the sun, no walking around, no being in the wind. No air conditioning. And definitely, no being around the kids. When we get back, I go to the kitchen and get a glass of water from the fridge. Turns out I am not allowed to have cold water either (how stupid can I be?) and am given a glass of warm water instead. Just what I needed to quench my thirst on this 90+ degree day!

Fed up, I go downstairs to my room to take a nap, since that is one of the only things I am allowed to do. Immediately upon lying down, I hear a knock at my door. It is the husband, Alex. He has a few more things to talk about with me. First, I need to do a better job of keeping MY room and MY bathroom tidy. The only thing about my room that was messy was that my bed was not made and I had a couple of books lying out. The only thing messy about the bathroom was that I had my shampoo and such in the shower and there were wet towels on the ground because their shower was leaking. I had told him this the day before, but apparently it wasn’t a priority to get fixed. I guess I was supposed to just leave the giant puddle on the floor instead of attempting to clean it up.

And another thing he needed to talk to me about…my drinking problem. Apparently the maid found a bottle of wine in my room so he begins to accuse me of getting drunk around his children. Firstly, the bottle was only 350ml and there was only a sip left in it. When I explained I had purchased the bottle while in Athens and had drunk it there with Zoe, he continued to lecture me on the dangers of drinking around children. I apologized for bringing it into the house and tried to explain I just wanted to bring the bottle back home with me as a souvenir (it was very unique looking and the label was in Greek), but he wasn’t hearing me. So now I am this horrible drunken slob, who intentionally got herself sick. I was infuriated. I honestly contemplated climbing out the window during the night and hopping on the next plane back home.

Thank goodness for the housekeepers, Marina and Teresa, or I honestly think I would have left. They have been the only ones to talk to me the last few days and have gone out of their way to make me feel at home. With their limited English, they have been trying to get to more about me and my life in Michigan. Keep in mind they barely speak English, and they already know way more about me than my English speaking host parents. It has been a boring few days, as the parents have treated me as though I have leprosy, and have made little to no contact with me. At this point, I no longer care what they think of me and am determined to stick it out. Marina, through limited English and sign language, has also made it clear she thinks Christina to be a bit nutty and to just let whatever she says go in one ear and out the other. This is what I intend to do.

Despite it all, the past couple of days have been pretty wonderful. I am feeling perfectly healthy, and have been enjoying the local beaches (even though the maid had to help me sneak out because I am supposed to be a prisoner in my room). Aside from the parents, everyone here has been absolutely wonderful and welcoming to me and I am starting to grow very fond of this place.

Today, things started to get better. I am officially allowed to play with the kids again, and am happy to report they didn't forget who I was over the past few days. We had a really fun day together and the parents were pretty decent to me. Hopefully, I have just been being overly sensitive to this new culture and things will be good from here on out!

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