NATIONAL HELLENIC SOCIETY
  • Home
  • ABOUT NHS
    • Mission & Background
    • Board of Directors & Advisors
    • Corporate Governance
    • Regions & Chapters >
      • Bay Area
      • Boston >
        • Women's History Month
      • Chicago
      • Los Angeles
      • New York
      • Philadelphia
      • San Diego
      • Seattle
      • Texas
      • Washington, DC
  • News
    • NHS News
    • NHS Publications
  • Programs
    • NHS Talks®
    • NHS Talks® Stories
    • NHS Talks® Excellence
    • NHS Talks® Downloads
    • Benefiting the Community >
      • Heritage Greece
      • Heritage America
      • Hellenic Career Center
    • Celebrating Heritage >
      • My Greek Table
      • National Geographic Partnership >
        • Greek Guide to Greatness
      • National Hellenic Museum Partnership >
        • Spirit of the Marathon Exhibit
        • Oral History Project
      • Social Networking >
        • MyParea
        • Hellenic Career Center
    • Advancing Posterity >
      • Tebtunis Papyri Project
  • Heritage Greece®
    • Heritage Greece® Program Overview
    • Heritage Greece® Thessaloniki
    • This Is America Visits Greece
    • Application
    • Heritage Greece Blog >
      • 2019 Blog
      • 2018 Blog
      • 2017 Blog
      • 2016 Blog
    • NHS Talks® Pathways
    • Newsletter
    • Press
    • Social Media
    • Media
    • Heritage Greece Alumni Network >
      • HG Alumni Portal
      • HG Alumni Reunion
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Upcoming Events >
      • 2023 Heritage Weekend & Classic
    • Heritage Weekend & Classic >
      • 2022 Heritage Weekend & Classic
      • 2021 Heritage Weekend & Classic
      • Heritage Day 2020
      • 2019 Heritage Weekend & Classic
      • 2018 Heritage Weekend & Classic
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Membership Overview
    • New Member Application
    • Membership Renewal
  • Photos
  • Donate
    • Donate
    • John Aniston Memorial Heritage Greece Scholarship
  • Contact

NHS NEWS

Op Ed: This Is The Greek Culture

11/1/2017

0 Comments

 

BY ALEXANDRA PAPOUTSIS, HG 2017

Picture
We come from a people that live by the water. The mountains are daringly beautiful and cascade into the sky to tower over everyone.  But they are not monstrous, they are scaled to perfection with low towering plants to show off the beauty and shape of the mountain.

The houses are clustered and scattered and never overbearing. They all have little orange rooftops. The water extends into forever and is flat and gorgeous, and in the distance you can still see the next mountain. Pictures will never describe what I am trying to explain.

By the beach we can swim out far
Lay in the sand and stare at the stars
Part of me is forever there, never caring if we make it
back.
The food is rich. Everything is fresh, and the man you
buy your fruits from at the market
Will throw in extra cherries because he is generous. When we get coffee,
Instead of saying “I’m tired.”

We say “I need to see you. I miss you” This is the Greek Culture.
And it would be nothing without the people.

I am lucky that everyone I have met, everything I have
seen, can be accredited to
The bonds I made when testing out the language on my tongue.
It can be certified by the hugs I shared on balconies
while telling stories
That will exist a lifetime,
Because none of us will ever forget them.
This is everything I have been blessed to see. The people are beautiful and strong.
They carry distinct features of their heritage,

Between dark hair and smiles,
And I cannot see where I have gone wrong.
I have sacrificed sleep here. I have forgotten 5:00 dinners.

I have learned that if something doesn’t get done, maybe
it wasn’t meant to get done.
I am looking at the airplane as it is flying over the Atlantic Ocean.
And my experience will only start making sense after.
Where does Greece belong?
There are many ways I could answer that,
But truly the only important answer is that Greece belongs in my heart.
One day we will all be reunited with all the people we
have come to love,
And it will be beautiful.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    July 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    April 2015
    September 2014
    June 2014
    November 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Categories

    All
    AHEPA
    AHI
    American College Of Greece
    American College Of Thessaloniki
    American Hellenic Institute
    American School Of Classical Studies At Athens
    Archons
    Benaki Museum
    Cliffs Of Freedom
    Dean Karnazes
    Diane Kochilas
    Drake Behrakis
    Dr. Elizabeth Fisher
    Dr. John Camp
    ECOS
    Elios Society
    Greek Guide To Greatness
    Greek Independence Day
    Greek Reporter
    HAWC
    HCC-SW
    Hellenic Career Center
    Hellenic Journal
    Heritage America
    Heritage Classic
    Heritage Greece
    Heritage Greece Alumni Network
    Heritage Greece Thessaloniki
    Heritage Weekend & Classic
    International Spy Museum
    Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks
    Manatos & Manatos
    Member Of The Month Initiative
    Membership Spotlight
    Members In The News
    My Greek Table
    MyParea
    MyParea Marketplace
    National Geographic
    National Hellenic Museum
    NEO Magazine
    NHSA
    NHS Bay Area
    NHS Board Of Directors
    NHS Boston
    NHS Chicago
    NHS Culinary Legacy Fund
    NHS DC
    Nhs-grant-program
    NHS Internship
    NHS Los Angeles
    NHS New York
    NHS NY
    NHS Philadelphia
    NHS Sacramento
    NHS San Diego
    NHS Seattle
    NHSTalks
    NHSTalks Excellence
    NHSTalks Pathways
    NHSTalks Stories
    NHS Tampa Bay
    Onassis Foundation
    Orthodox Christian Network
    OXI Day Foundation
    Panchiaki Korais Society
    PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation
    PBS
    Tebtunis Papyri
    The Greeks
    UNLV
    Virtual Jazz FreedomFest
    Women's History Month

    RSS Feed

National Hellenic Society

5019- D Backlick Road
Annandale, VA 22003
Office: (703) 256-3180



The National Hellenic Society is incorporated in the State of Delaware as a non-stock non-profit corporation. The Society is an approved tax-exempt organization under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3) and under applicable District of Columbia law and regulations.
© COPYRIGHT 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  
DESIGN BY THEMIO CREATIVE LLC.


PLEASE VISIT OUR AFFILIATES & PARTNERS
Elios Society
AHEPA | American College of Greece | American Hellenic Institute | American School of Classical Studies at Athens | Hellenic American Bankers Association |
Hellenic American Women’s Council |Modern Greek Studies Association |National Hellenic Museum |National Geographic |Stavros Niarchos Foundation

  • Home
  • ABOUT NHS
    • Mission & Background
    • Board of Directors & Advisors
    • Corporate Governance
    • Regions & Chapters >
      • Bay Area
      • Boston >
        • Women's History Month
      • Chicago
      • Los Angeles
      • New York
      • Philadelphia
      • San Diego
      • Seattle
      • Texas
      • Washington, DC
  • News
    • NHS News
    • NHS Publications
  • Programs
    • NHS Talks®
    • NHS Talks® Stories
    • NHS Talks® Excellence
    • NHS Talks® Downloads
    • Benefiting the Community >
      • Heritage Greece
      • Heritage America
      • Hellenic Career Center
    • Celebrating Heritage >
      • My Greek Table
      • National Geographic Partnership >
        • Greek Guide to Greatness
      • National Hellenic Museum Partnership >
        • Spirit of the Marathon Exhibit
        • Oral History Project
      • Social Networking >
        • MyParea
        • Hellenic Career Center
    • Advancing Posterity >
      • Tebtunis Papyri Project
  • Heritage Greece®
    • Heritage Greece® Program Overview
    • Heritage Greece® Thessaloniki
    • This Is America Visits Greece
    • Application
    • Heritage Greece Blog >
      • 2019 Blog
      • 2018 Blog
      • 2017 Blog
      • 2016 Blog
    • NHS Talks® Pathways
    • Newsletter
    • Press
    • Social Media
    • Media
    • Heritage Greece Alumni Network >
      • HG Alumni Portal
      • HG Alumni Reunion
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Upcoming Events >
      • 2023 Heritage Weekend & Classic
    • Heritage Weekend & Classic >
      • 2022 Heritage Weekend & Classic
      • 2021 Heritage Weekend & Classic
      • Heritage Day 2020
      • 2019 Heritage Weekend & Classic
      • 2018 Heritage Weekend & Classic
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Membership Overview
    • New Member Application
    • Membership Renewal
  • Photos
  • Donate
    • Donate
    • John Aniston Memorial Heritage Greece Scholarship
  • Contact
Live Chat Support ×

Connecting

You: ::content::
::agent_name:: ::content::
::content::
::content::