Cultural Post #1

[Daniel Matthew Kunath]

Although it is usually ill-advised to cast a generalization over an entire country, I do believe that I can say that Greeks largely communicate with very high context.  As we learn some vocabulary, I notice that sometimes the same word can mean very different things, based on the placement of the stress.  I wonder if this tends to happen more in languages from high-context cultures.  In any event, there seem to be a number of things which I must be careful about saying, and Smaragda often advises that I avoid phrasing something with a particular word, because “it has other, negative connotations.”  I will really have to watch my tongue in Greece, because I might end up in a fight trying to wish someone a good morning.  I really hope that people I meet will have mercy on me and understand my struggle.  Of course, fighting is not very well regarded in Greek culture, but roasting is, so I will probably be opening myself up to some amount of ridicule during my visit.