歐洲飛行日記

Greece...a fascinating place...
When my friends think of Greece, they think of blue sky, clean Aegean sea, lazy kitty, windmills, and cute mule.
Those are impressions from taiwaness, or you can say from the media exposures and how they present Greece.
Indeed, Greece has all those nice places and images but they are located in Greek Island.
But in Athens, you would just find images of hills with bushes, crowded houses, buildings and some dirty corners like other big cities in the world.
希臘...ㄧ個令人充滿幻想的地方
每當有人問我...哇!!!希臘耶...好羨慕你喔~~~
我則會三條線的說...美麗的地方都在希臘小島
而雅典則是歐洲人公認的醜陋的首都

開著車從機場進入雅典市中心則會看到光禿禿的一片
擁擠的房屋,真的看不出美麗的希臘
我們在台灣看到的希臘風情都是藍天白雲,慵懶的貓咪,美麗的風車,可愛的騾子等
這些大部分爲在希臘小島,不在本島


But honestly, there is one thing remina the same. The fine blue sky.
Wherever you go, the sky is always nice and blue. It seems the favorite color for God that gives it to Greece only.
Moreover, you can use sunglasses through out all the seasons. Due to even in winter, the sun is shinning and a lot warmer than other european countries.

但是本島還是有著美麗的天空
愛琴海的氣候真的是舒適宜人,ㄧ年四季都可以用得到太陽眼鏡
冬天的氣候也比其他歐洲國家溫暖
更重要的是海岸咖啡中舒適的海風,清涼的Frappe(希臘咖啡),寬敞的座椅



With such a nice weather, I couldn't help but wonder where are all those greek after work.
Greek told me, we go home first rest a bit, get change, then go to the beach or go out for movies and dinners with friends.
My eyes become bigger when I heard it. I didn't know it is such an easy thing going to the beach just like that.
Like the beach just near your backyard or something.
We are surrouded by seas too, but how come it is not so easy just going to the beach as Greeks do???
And if you ask people who live in Taipei, where do you usually go after work?
50% might answer, by the time I left my office, it is already too late to do everything.
Another 50% would tell you, shopping, dinner, or movies. I beleived this is pretty much the same everywhere.
There is another thing that make TW and GR so different is the population of knowing how to swim.
I don't have satistic to tell, but the impression I have is, all the Greek I know can swim like a fish.
Back and forth several times without any goggles.
For Taiwanees, half of our elementray students do not how to swim at all and the parents are so worried for them even going to the sea.
They are worried they might drown or do not know how to protect themselves.
Which makes the huge difference since we are little. Some of my friends, they are adult already and still don't know how to swim.
Taiwan and Greece we are all surrounded by oceans, however, the difference is huge in swimming culture.
But there is another interesting thing I found out, Aegean sea is really clean and transparent.
You can easily see sea urchins under. I am wondering where are those bread that throw away by those waiters.
Because, they always throws those breads into the oceans.

我問希臘人你們下班都去做什麼
"下班後先回家,休息一下換上泳裝去海邊,或者是看電影與朋友吃飯等等"
原來下班去海邊是這麼簡單的事
同樣是環海的國家怎麼會差這麼多
如果你問台北人你們下班都去哪
很有可能ㄧ半的人說...下班都幾點了---辛苦的臺灣人啊
另ㄧ半的人可能告訴你...逛街,吃飯---這個應該大家都差不多
除此之外,同樣是環海國家,幾乎每個希臘人從小就會游泳
在海邊遊...不用戴蛙鏡遊...就可以遊過去又遊回來...自由自在,好像魚ㄧ樣
台灣人旱鴨子的人很多,聽說中小學幾乎有一半的人都不會游泳
到了海邊,蛙鏡是必備品...我也是
看著希臘人像魚ㄧ樣游來游去,但是ㄧ但我試著在海水裡睜開眼睛
就會急著想要閉起來...試了幾次後才勉強張開
海水真的很乾淨...令人不可思議...因為我看過餐廳裡的服務人員把吃剩的麵包往海裡丟
真不知這些麵包去哪了...

But when talking about the cafe by the seaside, the view, the local frappe, and the beautiful sky line, those are just created a nice picture and cozy life too.
However, even the sun is shinning, most of the Greek still prefer to sit outside to enjoy the wind and sky.
Dear, this is life in an island, swimming after work, drinking coffee by the sea side and hang out with friends.

但是希臘的海岸咖啡可真的沒話說
結合大自然的風光
品嚐希臘的Frappe...看著美麗的海岸線
但是可別小看他的太陽...可也是會烈日當頭...讓人不敢領教
但是咖啡廳裡的希臘人還是喜歡坐在戶外...享受陽光
真希望在台灣的日子也可以這樣寫意
下班去趟海邊...遊泳或喝咖啡
這樣才是海島的人生啊~~~