Sharp in Greece

Now, for the important stuff…

It’s that time of year again folks and it is quickly approaching. For those who don’t know – specifically, all of Greece since you don’t celebrate it – Thursday is Thanksgiving! Personally my favorite holiday, this is the one day a year where we are allowed to ignore our annoying diets, the only thing acceptable to watch on T.V is football and John gets sent home with enough leftovers to feed himself along with another family for the next two weeks (exception, this year that will not be happening, sorry appetite). Sounds like a great holiday in my book but it seems I’m missing something from my list. Something that seems to be missing from everyone else’s list as well. Can you guess it? No, it’s not the sweet potatoes with marshmallows or pot full of greens, nor is it the breaking of the wishbone (something I look forward to every year). Okay if you haven’t guessed it, I was aiming at family! It seems to me – and maybe this Thanksgiving post just favors my personal experiences but I can imagine there are some people who share the same attitude – every year our families dispute on a variety of issues pertaining to the planning and build up to Thanksgiving Day. These complications include and are not limited to the following: Who’s cooking what? Who’s bringing the board/card games? Is your T.V big enough for the game? Whose house gets to play host? Who gets to clean up after all the hoodlums? Who’s coming? Oh, those people will be there? And as a result, the scrambling outcome typically one night before the big day is… Well I think our ‘family’ will just share our own Thanksgiving dinner at home because everyone isn’t happy on the final decision. While dissecting the preparation for Thanksgiving like it’s the Last Supper, our intentions and motivations get lost amid the unnecessary chaos. Instead of planning far ahead of time, we wait until the last moment in order to avoid the awkwardness associated with making decisions and sitting on them for a considerable amount of time, scared our final say might be challenged or altered by another’s interests. Rather than softening our hearts during a time of year that calls for us to give thanks – ‘hints the name’ – to everyone and everything who has ever meant anything to us, we decide to hold petty grudges and isolate our immediate family from the rest of the ‘family’. Whether that family is an in-law, distant cousin, great uncle or your own brother and sister no bitterness should replace the warmth and love that’s to be shared on Thanksgiving Day. This year change the way things operate. Start a new or add to an existing tradition. Open your hearts, smash the beef, kick the pride and invite those family members (or a complete stranger because this is about community more than anything else) who have been out of the picture for far too long. Damn, at the very least do it for the kids! I bet you’d rather share a meal on Thanksgiving than add to your already overpopulated Christmas list. No one really cares about whose bringing what or whose house gets to play host. If there’s a bird in the oven and football on T.V, I don’t care if you bring cereal (frosted flakes and cinnamon toast crunch please). As long as ‘family’ can come together in one place for one meal, I’d be a happy camper along with everyone else. So, until someone becomes the bigger man who wouldn’t mind taking the initiative as well as some humility along the way, continue to wrap everything your thankful for into that one big THANKS during the prayer prior to the dinner that isn’t being shared with the right people. In the meantime, you can always wait until John Sharp has his own place because you’re all invited! God Bless and HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of my friends and family! And enjoy this video for a Thanksgiving shout out from yours truly...

ps: go donate a coat or that t-shirt you got to wear only once because it shrunk after the first wash

Ya sas world! My dearest apologies for not updating this “stalk the life of John Sharp” blog recently.  Have some pity for me though because I’ve been busy knocking out research papers and earning my respect in the world of Greek language, with an A on my first Greek quiz. My next quiz is tomorrow. You can wish me luck but I’m not going to need it. Other than keeping myself busy with schoolwork, I had the chance to do some traveling since the last post. The weekend of November 4^th all the roommates and I indulged ourselves in the Barcelona experience. My 4 favorite aspects about Barcelona, Spain: beaches, Olympic Par, Guadi architecture, and the Dow Jones Bar. Of course there are plenty of more favorites I discovered in the city I’ll call home in the future and you should just ask if you’d like to know!

4 dislikes about Barcelona: metro prices, club bouncers, illegal immigrants on the beach at night and sharing a shower with 8 other people. I enjoyed my first “true” hostel experience in Barcelona. I’m talking about dormitory style rooms with 9 beds, one bathroom and shower, no towels, sandy floors and quiet hours. However, don’t think I’m complaining! The hostel was on the beach and offered a complimentary breakfast as well as Wi-Fi! In my book a hostel is a safe place for me to keep my things. Sleep isn’t necessary nor is it recommended on trips like these! The pope made an appearance during our stay in Barcelona to lead the very first mass at the cathedral. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to see him on Sunday because our flight left too early. All in all, the Barcelona experience treated me very good!

Classes for today got canceled! Currently, I’m in Starbucks (dislike) working on a paper because today is basically a national holiday for Greece. November 17 is the anniversary date of the1973 protests against the then-ruling junta aka group of military officers. In the past, some demonstrations were violent and included the destruction of property. So I guess we are advised to stay away from these demonstrations and seek shelter. HAHA! Okay, in all seriousness a girl from our group just walked into Starbucks saying that the police will not allow her to go home because they just dropped tear gas on the street in front of her apartment. Another friend experienced the tear gas first-hand a few moments ago and supposedly it hurts. I should probably head home or go walk the streets; hmmm I like the later of the two.

I’m leaving for Amsterdam on Friday! Wish me luck I’m going to need it. HA!

Alright, a herd of police motorcycles just passed, I have to get out of this Starbucks and go play Curious George!

ps: Thanksgiving is next week!

Kalimera! Ti Kaneis? Hopefully everyone back home enjoyed their 2010 Halloween. If I run across one more Jersey Shore costume in a Facebook album, I’m calling it quits on my career pursuit! I think I’d rather workout 7 days a week, feel better about myself after I get 40 spray tans and fist pump all night with DJ Pauly D on the 1’s and 2’s. Yeahhh, sounds much easier and more fun than getting an education! MTV has really let me down on this one. But of course it’s not their fault because the more viewers who consistently return every week determine a show’s lifespan and in that case, thank you America for proving how easily we are entertained. Most importantly, thank you MTV for bringing us “Snooki”, the greatest thing to laugh at since the downfall of Britney Spears.

After having a group of Greeks and Americans tease myself and scare the girls into almost backing out by watching their jumps ahead of ours, it was finally our turn. We signed our lives away, Larissa and I gave Amy a last minute pep-talk and the three of us ready or not, made our walk directly below the bridge to the launching pad.


I chose to go first in attempt to do one of two things. One, set an example for these young ladies and keep up my “act” of being as calm as possible so that they would have the courage to follow with a bungee of their own. Or two, be an example on how to fail at bungee jumping. Luckily for me the millions of rubber bands dangling from my feet decided on the former of the two. Everyone insisted on saying “make sure you don’t look down prior to jumping”, I looked down. Leaping from the edge of that platform was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The moment my body went into full swan dive mode and I realized it was me one on one with the Corinth Canal, every bit of fear or worry released from my body, my mind went blank and for that instant nothing else in the world mattered. HOLD ON! Why am I trying to put this experience into words? For the sake of me not getting carpal tunnel, help yourself to this short promo video and be sure to listen closely. (I LOVE MY LIFEEEEE!)

Larissa, I hope my reply satisfies you. To everyone else I hope you enjoyed the video and I encourage you to return next week for my blog following a visit to Barcelona, Spain! Kalineekta!