Comfort

From day 1, the chairs I've encountered have not been comfortable. I flew to Athens on Olympic Airlines and the seat I sat in was well worn and sloped forward. Most cafes & tavernas have small wooden chairs with a woven seat that's old and sagging. The chair in my apartment is a folding chair with a thin slat of wood for a back. My first reaction was that maybe it's just me having back problems. But now that I'm sitting in a comfortable chair, I'm beginning to have other theories: maybe I'm larger then the average Greek, or maybe I don't sit the way Greeks do, or maybe living in the states has made me sensitive and spoiled. Uncomfortable chairs is not what i would expect from a nation that has more places to sit and chat per capita then anywhere in the world.

I haven't eaten out with that many people, but I have noticed that on my eating companions often cut up shared dishes into small pieces before we dig in. It's totally necessary in order to share certain dishes, but every time it happens it reminds me of how mothers cut up food for their children and it seems surprisingly sweet and touching.