My second mother is half-Armenian, half-Greek and was born in Istanbul, Turkey. This endearing ” queen of hospitality” shared her knowledge with me about being a descendant of a survivor of the Armenian genocide. I am always fascinated to ask her about her upbringing in Istanbul from parents of mixed heritages. Exotic cuisine, homeopathic practices, religious customs and superstitions are all part of her background. I interviewed her about her Armenian background as well as her Greek lifestyle, growing up in Istanbul. I translated this somewhat as she is multilingual.Where were you born?
I was born in Istanbul. My father was Armenian and my mother was Greek. My mother was born in Istanbul. People told my grandfather to take his family from Armenia and go to Istanbul in 1915 because of the genocides. There were many Armenians in Istanbul.
What can you tell me about the Armenian genocides?
My grandfather and his family were on a train when they witnessed people sabotaging the train and lighting it on fire. Many people got off the train but many people died. My grandfather’s family got off the train. He lost his fortune and had to support his family by selling containers of water on the street. He also sold Turkish carpets and worked in the auctions, pricing carpets.
(writer’s side note: She also describe other violent acts to me that occurred during the genocide.)
How many years did you live in Istanbul? What heritage did you identify with?
I lived there 31 years before I moved to Greece. My father’s last name was Reisyan but the people changed it to Kahiaoglou to sound more Turkish. My surname was Kahiaoglou. I was raised more Greek.
What customs did you practice growing up? Did you have any Armenian customs?
Just receiving Armenian Orthodox communion. After 15 years of age, you wear a headscarf to take communion. Armenian women cannot baptize others or be a koumbara (sponsor role) in a wedding. My mother told me once I married, I’d take on my husband’s Orthodoxy. I never found an Armenian Orthodox church in Greece so I found a Greek Orthodox church.
Tell me about the cuisine you grew up with?
My mother and grandmother cooked Greek foods and Turkish foods. For example, Imam bayildi, Youverlakia, Moussaka, Baklava and Kadaifi are Turkish in origin. My mother cooked dolmathakia and keftethes. Antranik was an Armenian restaurant in Bosphurus and the chef made Topik which is a garbanzo dish. (a vegetarian meatball with a chickpea-paste.) Pictured here are Imam bayildi and Youverlakia.
Tell me about Istanbul. Describe it.
There are 4 islands near Istanbul, across from Bosphorus: Proti, Antigone, Halki and Pringipo. Halki had a seminary and a Turkish navy. Pringipo had beautiful houses! Every Sunday, after we went to a Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul, we’d have lunch in Bosphorus.
Bosphorus bridge
It was beautiful in Istanbul, but in 1954 there was vandalism. Churches were burned and stores were looted. Cyprus was separated in 1974 in a Greek-Turkish conflict.
Describe the homeopathic practices that you’ve told me about before.
My dad took me to a hodja (a Muslim priest) who cut my skin between my eyebrows to help me heal from jaundice. (writer’s side note: There was another jaundice treatment she shared with me but I am not going to elaborate on that one). My mom gave us a daily, morning drink of mournolatho which is an oil. It smelled so bad, I closed my nose. (pinched her nostrils together). Then we ate an orange after it.
Tell me about the superstitions that were part of your background. I remember you telling me about them when I had my first son.
A superstition for mothers and newborns was for new mothers to put a dirty diaper under their doormat for 40 days. When visitors came over and stepped on a doormat, they didn’t know that they were stepping on top of a diaper. It was supposed to ward off the exposure of germs. Another superstition I practiced was to never take a knife or scissors from a person’s hand. They had to put it down first and then I’d take it. It was believed that you’d avoid a fight or conflict this way. Also, if someone gave you soap, you were supposed to give them back a coin.
(Writer’s side note: my sons have noticed that she handles scissors and knives this way.)
an Armenian palaceArmenians during the genocide.
What is your favorite thing about moving to America when you got married ?
Everything! It was so different…. the lifestyle. Having a house and car was new to me. I lived in a house in Istanbul but in Greece, I lived in an apartment and took public transportation. I liked everything about moving to America.
My exotic and electrifying Venezuelan friend shared her knowledge with me about her homeland of Venezuela. This intelligent and dynamic businesswoman gave careful thought and reflection to her impressions of her homeland, then and now. I have always been fascinated with Venezuela from the first time I met her back in the 1980’s. When our family was vacationing in Aruba in 1981, we could see Venezuela in the distance only 14 miles away, approximately. I have been curious about this South American country since then.
How long did you live in Venezuela?
I lived there for 18 years and left to go to college in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
What trip itinerary would you recommend?
From Houston, you can take a direct flight in one of the major airlines, or take other airlines and go via Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica. From other cities one might be able to take a direct flight or make a stop in a hub city. But going to Venezuela right now is not one recommendation I would make. Venezuela is going through a terrible time politically, economically, and socially. The current government has made it its task to ruin my beautiful country. Unfortunately, Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world right now where 25,000 people die of common crime and kidnappings every year for the last several years- a statistic that is alarming and disturbing.
Tepuy
Describe the terrain.
Even though I have lived away from Venezuela for the last 35 years, I still have much concern and love for my country of birth. Venezuela has some of the most beautiful natural resources you could find anywhere in the world. She has beaches to die for, with white sand and incredibly blue refreshing water from the Caribbean. Caracas, the main capital has the Avila Mountain, which is also called the lung of Caracas. It is a beautiful mountain that welcomes “Caraquenos” every morning with amazing views! Other mountains throughout the country are also incredibly gorgeous, some very sharp lines; others luscious.
The Andes Mountain range is part of those mountains. You can go to the area where you can find snow! Venezuela has a desert, and has jungle- one of the most incredible earth formations in the world are found there, as well as the tallest water fall in the world called “Churumeru”, also called the Angel’s Fall. I choose to call it by its indigenous name instead.
Angel Fall or Churumeru
What was it like growing up there?
I grew up during the 1970’s, which were great years in Venezuela. As a teenager I could go out with my friends everywhere without fear of being robbed or assaulted. Typically, we went out, to parties, or the dancing clubs and from there we would go to the “areperas”: where we would have an arepa as a late snack. At times we would go straight from there to the beach, which is about 45 minutes away. Of course, that was late at night and little traffic. It was a healthy, fun, safe time to be out!
Caracas
When you go back, how do you feel? What are you proud about sharing with your son?
When I go back, I very much look forward to spending time with my family and seeing some of my good friends. I’m proud of how we feel family is so important, and how our some of our friends are forever. Resiliency is something we admire. Venezuelans have the best sense of humor and great resiliency, perhaps to a fault….we endure way too much in Venezuela now.
What museums do you recommend?
Back then, the Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Natural Sciences and the Museum of Contemporary Art which housed original Picassos and original artists. I assume they are still there, but I am not sure in what condition they are. As I mentioned, this government has destroyed so much of Venezuela. Thank God the people continue to move forward and do their best to survive in such chaos.
When you came to attend the University of Tulsa, what did you find here in Tulsa regarding the culture that stood out as different?
It was a completely new city, new culture, a new world for me. Three things made a great impact on me: The large number of churches, people walking barefoot in Tulsa! I grew up being told to put my shoes on all the time. And, last but not least, the racial discrimination here also stood out to me. Tulsa became my home for the next 33 years of my life. It was a city that welcomed me, and I will always be grateful for that. I made the greatest friends and had wonderful colleagues. My best friends live there, my son grew up there, I went to school for my bachelors and both masters degrees and worked in Tulsa for the last 20 years. I miss it and will always love my Tulsa.
Describe the perfect Venezuelan meal.
I love the fusion of food Venezuela has. Venezuelan, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian influences. …. European influence and some German food, too. Arepa is the typical dish that is made from cornmeal flour that looks like a round muffin but prettier and much more delicious. .You open it and put shredded beef, cheese, ham….everything you want in it. It is the “best breakfast in the world.”
Tell me about your background and identity.
I am Venezuelan and partly Spanish and German descent. In my family tree, I am a descendant of Simon Bolivar who liberated Latin America from Spain back in the 1800’s.
What Venezuelan customs did you incorporate in Tulsa while raising your son?
Eating at the table together was an important part of the culture. Taking care of each other, and celebrating holidays and important dates. Being bilingual has been an advantage, too. I raised my child to be bilingual and because of that he has career advantages, and languages come easily for him. He loves to be a world citizen, travel and enjoy the richness of different cultures.
Andes Mountains
Describe the vibe of the culture.
The vibe is alive! It’s vibrant and happy. We are in a depressed situation in Venezuela now but despite of that, we’re happy, content, and have a wit that is unique. People are resilient, resourceful….and have a sense of humor that allows us to have our own kind of fun. Dancing is a big deal—-Venezuelans are born dancing! We dance without music, in the car, everywhere!
How does your Venezuelan heritage enrich your life?
I have the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective. I can be an insider or an outsider. It can enrich me to see, understand and accept people differently. I feel like I am a citizen of the world.
My talented writer and photographer friend is an enchanting and earthy woman who embodies the term “philhelene.” She embraced all things Greek a few decades ago when our family got to befriend her. This yoga lover also loves gardening and immersing herself in the Greek culture. She spent several weeks on the island of Icaria in an Greek language immersion course which inspired her to write a children’s book. I invited her to be a guest speaker at a Greek language class I taught decades ago at my church. She vividly described her experience and love for the Greek language and passed around many photos for my Greek School students to see. I am inspired by her drive to learn a foreign language and culture as an adult.
Swimming hole with cavern for us locals
What inspired you to travel to Ikaria?
I was drawn to Ikaria because it offered classes on Modern Greek Language. The name of the school is the Hellenic Culture Center (Kentro Ellinikou Politismou). I had been to Greece several times with my best friend Renee and had fallen in love with the people and started studying the language and learning to speak it, but I wanted to immerse myself in their culture with no English spoken.
with one of my favorite girls
This was my fourth trip to Greece in five years and stayed for six weeks. I could have taken this class in Athens, but I want to immerse myself into the life of the beautiful people. And Ikaria is NOT a touristy island. It is known for being an “exile” island where Turkey often banished criminals. (update: HCC has moved it’s little school from the sea side village of Evdilos to a very small village just a few miles away in the VERY small village of Arethoussa. Courses are offered on Ikaria May-October. You may want to check out their site for more info.)
Farm fields by the sea seen from my balcony
What did your trip itinerary involve?
A long flight to Athens, then a long ferry trip to Ikaria and my teacher picked me up in a very small car and then we drove 30 something miles to our small village. Oh my- the car ride! Definitely worthy of race car driver material. Curves at full speed and the only time we slowed down was to avoid a man riding his donkey. I was so car sick.
What excursions or museums do you recommend?
To me the whole island was a museum. It was like stepping back in time as it was not modernized or touristy. As part of our Greek language immersion class, we visited small villages all over the island, hiked the beautiful mountain/island trails, learned Greek dances, visited churches, attended lectures on works by Greek painters, poets and writers and learned how to make donut holes (loukoumathes) using local honey. We attended Greek festivals of dancing and we learned to show and prepare our own Greek dinner. We had to speak Greek to the little man in the store to buy our food.
night time village festival
We watched Greek films and listened to Greek music. On my own, I went on excursions and was most impressed with the self-reliance of the local village people. This comes from their families’ history and experience with war. They would have starved had they not grown their own food. So the old stone aqueducts they had built from the mountain were still in use. Water flowed down these to their gardens by the sea. So much produce! Excursions were available to islands of Fournoi, Patmos and Samos. I took an excursion to the island of Patmos and hiked to the top to the cave where it is believed that St. John saw God and wrote Revelations. We toured the cave where John lived and then hiked up to the monastery. There was a fantastic museum, small alley ways with shops and tavernas. A must visit.
What hotels and restaurants do you recommend?
Keep in mind these are the places located close to Evdilos. I am not familiar with other hotels on the island. Very few. These places are located close to Evdilos, a coastal village of 600 people. There are limited places to stay as far as hotels, but several family owned studio apartments near the beach of Kerame. That’s where I stayed along with several other students from Germany and Belgium and they have now become life long friends. It was so clean and fresh and complete with bedroom, bath, kitchen and balcony that overlooked the garden by the sea. We walked each day about a mile to class in Evdilos.
Other places included Sofia apartments and Atheros Hotel which is located in the village of Evdilos. It has a pool and gym. Other options included staying with families of Arethoussa.
How would you describe the perfect Icarian meal?
I love, love, love. love briam with fresh Greek bread. “Bree-ahm” is made with all kinds of vegetables baked in LOTS of olive oil. I always ate a Greek salad with feta cheese and the funniest of all things…..there was only one little grocery story and I am addicted to Coca Cola light. I drank so much over my two week stay that the owner of the store had to order more. Of course, everything had to be shipped in by ferry. SO let’s just say I was the talk of the town for my habit! 🙂
Describe the vibe of the culture?
The culture was very different from anything you would experience in the U.S. or even in other places of Greece. Again, it was as if I was stepping back in time and I think due to its remoteness and history of an exile for prisoners and criminals, it is not on the radar of many. So it was common to see people riding mules, farming, building rock fences, and most interesting of all, I got to attend a Communist rally in the village. I was there during the Kosovo war when there was political conflict with America. I always passed as a Greek American because I could speak enough Greek, so I was not harassed. I was the only American in our group of students.
Gorgeous rug made by a village woman
The island is very laid back and a great island to hike from village to village and REALLY experience what Greek culture is like. You won’t find big party groups, but more traditional festivals and old stone houses falling down that are for sell and some people buying and fixing them.
milking goat for breakfast
Describe a custom that you observed there. Did you incorporate any of their customs back home?
I use a lot of the Greek language and gestures such as saying “nosteemo” after a good meal. I respect their self-reliance and felt so connected to their farming and use of honey. And I make baklava every Christmas with filo dough in their honor. I so loved the fresh bread I bought every day from the bakery.
woman at the church making loukoumades (honey puffs)
Were there any challenges in getting to your destination? What was the flight like?
Th flight to Athens is always a long trip. Ikaria is remote. You can fly from Athens to Samos and take a ferry or take a ferry from Athens. There is no easy way, but that’s what makes it so special. Few people will go to all that trouble to get to a Greek island so the island is not full of tourists, but full of REAL Greeks.
hilltop shot of Evdilos village
What did you learn about yourself from this trip?
That I was probably a Greek in a former life. 🙂 Seriously, what I learned was to see Americans through the eyes of another culture and their thoughts about us. As it was during a war in Kosovo, I experienced the negativity that America is the richest nation in the world. However, for me, I saw them as the richest people in the world with their simple lifestyle. It did make me sad how cultures view each other. So all to say, I did a self exam on my views about other cultures and have tried to open myself up to differences of opinions and respect them.
my neighbor sharing her harvest with me from the fields
How did this trip enrich your life? Describe any experiences that made you grow spiritually.
I got to grow and l love the family that owned and operated the apartments. I fell in love with their children, little Alikn. (Alice). I helped them milk the goat each morning. They used that milk for their cereal and that was so funny because they used a Coca-Cola bottle to squirt the milk into instead of a bucket. Just fantastic and humorous. As a writer, it brought me closer to the legend of Icarus who flew to close to the sun and his wings melted; so he fell to earth and thus Ikaria was created. I felt so connected to my love of literature, experiencing an authentic life of another culture. I yearn to return there and wish I could fly on my own wings! 🙂
fisherman baiting hooks for fishing. great conversation with him!
While there as part of our Greek immersion, I wrote a children’s story and took photos to illustrate it and still have it. It’s so precious to me; the memories and the wild billy goat that graces the cover. The title is called Billy Goat (Katsika) HA! As an avid gardener/farmer, I fell in love with their lifestyle and would love to live there in an old stone house, with a garden and a billy goat.
To summarize: Ikaria nurtured my body and soul with authenticity of a true Greek life for that island. It is not typical of other islands and so I experienced something unique that you can experience nowhere else on earth. I so believe in Mark Twain’s quote: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” ~ Mark Twain
My friend went on a Mediterranean cruise that included Egypt. Going to Egypt had been her childhood dream. This beautiful and radiant young woman has such a sparkle about her and it was fulfilling to know she achieved her dream travel destination.
What inspired you to travel to Egypt?
It was part of the cruise itinerary. I’ve always dreamed of seeing the pyramids from a very young age. The pyramids are one of the most recognizable and iconic things that you study about as a child. Egyptian culture and history has always fascinated me.
What did your trip itinerary involve?
The bus tour from Alexandria to Cairo was a planned tour. We saw the Cairo Museum, the pyramids, and a King’s Palace where they served us food in a ballroom.
What excursions or museums do you recommend?
Definitely, the Cairo Museum! It was incredible! —the coolest experience of my life. It was breathtaking and the pyramids were larger than you expected. The museum had the most artifacts of Egyptian culture you could find in one place from caskets to pieces of art.
Describe the vibe of the culture.
Cairo was fast paced and busy with six lanes of traffic. There were kids trying to sell things in different languages. If you didn’t respond to English, they’d try out other languages in a row. Alexandria had a lot of poverty. Driving through it, we saw the community hospital which was a public hospital for the economically challenged people and a different hospital for the wealthy people.
How would you describe the terrain?
It was only desert where we were.
Describe a custom that you observed there.
On the cruise, they told us we need to respect the local culture by covering our shoulders and knees so I wore a tee shirt and sweats.
Were there any challenges in getting to your destination?
No. The tour buses were lined up once you got off the cruise ship and it was very organized.
How did this trip enrich your life? Describe any experiences that made you grow spiritually?
It’s a simple as being thankful. I’m grateful that I saw it. After seeing broken down buildings and people on the streets, it makes me thankful for what I have.
What did you learn about yourself from this trip?
I wish I would’ve looked around more and taken it in, enjoying just standing there in awe rather than being busy taking pictures. From the perspective now (and not then when I was 19), I look back, now that there have been riots, etc. and I feel truly blessed that I saw one of the wonders of the world.
Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:
My childhood friend went on an adventurous trip to Argentina for a dove hunting excursion. My friend defines “dapper” and “driven” gentleman. I”m impressed with my fellow Greek friend and his love of traveling. He shared his February 2015 adventure with me.
What inspired you to go to Argentina?
We had always been avid bird hunters here in Oklahoma and it was my father-in-law’s dream to go to Argentina where there is some of the best dove hunting in the world.
What did your trip itinerary involve?
The people from the lodge picked us up from the airport. We changed clothes and they put us out in the field where you just shoot all day. There was a full staff. They feed you gourmet meals with game, meat, classic Argentine meals, and provide Cuban cigars (which are legal there), a fire pit and a stocked bar. We drank Scotch and talked politics. They fed us breakfast and then we hunted. They served us a gourmet barbecue in the field on a table they set with linens, wine, meat, salad and empanadas. They set up hammocks between trees where we took a one hour nap before shooting all afternoon. Then, they picked us up and took us to the lodge for horsd’oeuvres on a table on the lawn with mixed drinks. They washed our clothes, cleaned our boots and then we repeated the whole schedule again the following days.
What was the name of the lodge?
Laportenita Lodge.
How would you describe the perfect Argentine meal?
It’s very meat-heavy. There are lots of cattle raised in Argentina and it’s known for meat and barbecue. There are hunks of meat on the cutting board, salad and Malbec wine.
What did you learn about yourself from this trip?
I became better at shooting. Birds were so plentiful there. My hunting skills became better. It was a chance to reconnect with male friends and discuss things relevant to guys.
Describe the vibe of the culture.
They are really friendly and laid back….sort of like being in Mexico. They don’t give a bad vibe that they don’t like foreigners.
How do you describe the terrain?
Where we were was very flat. We flew over the Andes in Chile. The west part of the country goes over the Andes Mountains and then, where we were was vast plain, farmland and cattle.
Andes Mountains
Were there any challenges in getting to your destination?
The flight was 10 hours from Atlanta to Santiago and then 2.5 hours from Santiago to Cordova. This is an area where birds feed on the crop so much that they’re considered a pest, unlike here where you’re limited in how many you can shoot. They decimate the crop there in Argentina.
We did have an adventure where we got caught in a flood! We went to dinner and bed to prepare for our 4:00 a.m. pick up but it rained all night and bridges got washed up. We were trapped at the lodge. We missed our flight at the Cordova airport and they had to reschedule our flights. They found a back way to get us there and loaded us up in a Forerunner SUV for a 3 hour drive that would normally take 45 minutes. We went over farmland and back ground to get to town.
the flooded terrain
How did this trip enrich your life?
It enriched my life because I’d never been to South America—that part of the world–that culture. I got to experience a different region of the world!
Writer’s sidenote: I looked up La Portenita and read more details about the itinerary, at my friend’s suggestion. I found out the following details: “Asado” is the word for local barbecue. Cordova is known as the dove capital of the world. It is estimated that the dove population there is approximately 32 million birds.
RED ZINFANDEL! how do i love thee? Let me count the ways!
Earthquake
7 Deadly Zins
Boneshaker
Predator
Coppola Red Label Zinfandel 2013
Saldo
Let’s start with EARTHQUAKE. Hold on—the earth is moving! Why? Because there is an earth shattering deliciousness going on with this red zinfandel! It is by FAR my favorite red zin. It’s delicious. I’m not going to saturate you with lots of info—just get it!!
Next—is 7 Deadly Zins. It is also made by the Michael David Winery, like Earthquake. It is less expensive. Very good! Boneshaker is the most recent one I’ve sampled. It’s also aromatic, pungent and dissolves easily into your taste buds. The employee at the liquor store said it’s flying off the shelves.
Predator is a delightful zinfandel. My husband brought this one home and I was impressed. Great price, too! Coppola Red Label Zinfandel (and any Coppola wine) is another smooth zin. I haven’t met a Coppola wine I didn’t like. Saldo is luscious. From the first sip, it was perfection. It’s tied for first place with Earthquake for my favorites.
Antioxidants + entertainment = benefits from wine. Red Zinfandels are flavorful and rich and, in my opinion, they pair well with any food.
Let’s talk guacamole! The guacamole at Zocalo on the Kansas City Country Club Plaza is delicious!!!!! Paired with a sangria—wow!!! And what can beat having these during a happy hour special??? The chips were perfect!! The guacamole was smooth……and the sangria was refreshing! I really like the indoor/outdoor ambience of Zocalo….so many of the restaurants on the plaza have that format—and it enhances your dining pleasure to be both outside and inside. There’s white sangria and red sangria. The bartender brought me a white sangria sample. Now, that’s service!! If you’re looking for a Mexican food experience on the plaza, try Zocalo!www.zocalokc.com
I interviewed my niece about her mission trip to a Romanian orphanage in 2007. This striking, bright-eyed young lady has a gift for working with early childhood children. Her compassion for mission work in this area was perfect for voluntourism. Her Orthodox background played an important role in her enthusiasm for working with young children. She was candid, frank and sincere in describing her trip experience and how she evolved from it.
childhood photo of my niece at ethnic festival
What inspired you to travel to Romania?
During my senior year in High School, I was researching which mission trips I could go on. The choices included Tanzania, Guatemala, Romania, etc. There was an opportunity to build a church in Guatemala and that interested me. But my love for kids drew me to an opportunity to work in an orphanage in Romania. I had just graduated from high school when I found out that I would be going to Romania a month later.What did your trip itinerary involve?
Three days before we left for Romania, we went to Jacksonville, Florida for a three day training where we met the other kids who would be on this trip. The kids were from Kansas, California, Michigan, etc. One girl was from Romania originally and had moved to the states but went back to do this mission trip. When we got to Romania, we spent the first few days sightseeing in Cluj. We spent two weeks in a youth camp up in the mountains and went back into Cluj where we worked at the orphanage for three days. We stayed at the Bishop of Cluj’s apartment. St. Michael’s Cathedral was across the street from the apartment. Bishop Vasili stayed in his quarters but visited us every night.
What excursions and museums do you recommend?
We went to the Salt Mine across from Dracula’s Castle. Read link below about the salt mine.
Underground salt mine
It was pretty cool! We weren’t allowed to take pictures of Dracula’s castle. The outside was beautiful and the inside was like a museum….with many pictures of Dracula. The Nicula Monastery is the oldest monastery in Transylvania.
Nicula Monastery
What meals do you recommend? How would you describe the perfect Romanian meal?
In Cluj, we ate a lot of cabbage rolls with chicken and rice. The cabbage rolls had either tomato sauce on them or lemon juice. The biggest thing over there is cabbage rolls. All the monasteries served them.
Describe the vibe of the Romanian people?
In Cluj, the people were very nice, very open. People walked up to us on the streets and asked us if we needed help or information. It was obvious we were tourists.
Saint Anna (Rohia) monastery
Perfect strangers? Were you supervised by an adult?
Yes, we were supervised by an adult. They offered to take us on tours when they saw us looking at maps.
our mission group
Describe the terrain of Romania.
It was mountainous, beautiful and everything was in bloom when we went in late June/early July. There were beautiful rose bushes everywhere! I was shocked at the amount of rose bushes.Any challenges in getting there?
We flew from Florida to London, then Bucharest to Cluj…..all in all, approximately 12.5 hours. We had a long layover in London which made it nice. The Heathrow Airport is huge and we had to ask people how to get around it. In London, at the Heathrow Airport, we saw David and Victoria Beckham.
POSH AND BECKS?
Yes, they were friendly and waving to people.
What did you learn about yourself on this trip? How did it enrich you spiritually?
When I went, I had just turned 18 years old. I was immature, in the high school phase and the center of attention. Seeing people who don’t live financially comfortable lives made me realize how great I had it growing up. I appreciated my big family. The orphans had nobody. Spiritually, I got more out of the monasteries just sitting there where I wasn’t really comfortable. There were no pews–everyone participates, sings and says prayers together which is a different side of church from what I’m used to with the priest and choir doing most of it. They don’t have choirs at most churches in Romania. Chanting comes from parishioners. Men stood on one side and women on the other.
They do that in Greece, too, …
This was 4 years before I went to Greece so I had never seen that before.
Describe your experience volunteering in the orphanage.
It was mainly just playing with the kids so they had an interaction outside of the people who normally work there. We took them outside on walks. They were all little; 1-5 years old. There was a one year old I wanted to adopt and take home!
How many orphans were there?
There were nine orphans. It was at the orphanage called Protection of Theotokos Family Center. Most of the orphans are there because their mothers were too young to take care of them.
How did you grow from this trip?
I learned patience with older kids at the youth camp. They were 10 years old to seniors. We worked at the youth camp which was similar to the youth camp I work at in America . They had Orthodox Life Sessions, outdoor recreation, skits and sing a longs.
Greek Orthodox sacraments in her home church
I remember contributing to the funds that you raised for the trip. Describe that process. What is the name of the program?
I gave a presentation at church and raised approximately $1700. The only thing I had to pay for was airfare. The program was OCMC: Orthodox Christian Mission Center. Other people in our church did this as well. I hope people who read this are inspired to take trips like this. It was my first trip by myself. I was 18 years old and had just graduated from high school. It was a religious experience and I got to work with kids. The Romanian kids didn’t know Americans and we didn’t know Romanians…until then. It was an eye-opener and I branched out to see the world. It was breathtaking and I’d definitely go back!
My friend and our church’s head chef for the Greek Festival is a treasured volunteer and cantor in our Greek Orthodox community. He is from Cyprus originally and travels back annually to visit his homeland and family. This magnetic and charming person shared his information and recommendations about Cyprus with me.
What inspired you to travel to Cyprus?
I was born there. However, having lived as many years in Cyprus as in the US, I almost feel like a tourist when I visit the island these days.
What did your trip itinerary involve?
Tulsa to a major US airport (Chicago) to a major European Airport (London Heathrow) to Larnaca (island’s largest airport).
What excursions or museums do you recommend?
Cyprus has a very rich history dating back thousands of years. You can easily spend weeks just visiting museums and archeological sites. In the island’s archeological museum in Nicosia (Lefkosia), you can find information and exhibits from the first settlements dating back 10,000 BC to the most recent history. You can observe the historical findings and see how Cyprus evolved.
If you are visiting Lefkosia, the island’s capital, you can observe the Venetian walls surrounding the old city. The regional Renaissance fortifications are preserved here. They are a major tourist attraction.You can also visit the Choirokitia archeological site, southern part of the island, where you can find one of the most important and best preserved prehistoric sites of the eastern Mediterranean (Neolithic era, 7 millennium BC). The evidence of an organized society is found in the form of a settlement.
An excursion to the western part of the island is a must. On the way there you can stop by the “Petra tou Rwmiou” (“rock of the Greek”) and enjoy your coffee on a café overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the birth place of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. A few more miles to the west, you can find the place -that as the legend has it- Aphrodite used to take her bath with her lover Adonis. This is very near a national park in the most Western peninsula where you can find wild life (preservation area for a unique sea turtle species caretta-caretta), a sea wreck and an ancient theater by the sea. The major city of the western part of the island is Paphos where you can find the “Tombs of Kings”, a well preserved necropolis where they used to bury the aristocrats of the area back in 4 century BC. You may also want to visit St Paul’s Pillar in Paphos where in the year 45 AD the local Roman ruler tight St. Paul and whipped him 40 times.
I would also highly recommend a trip to the Troodos Mountains where you can find several beautiful Greek Orthodox Monasteries dating back from the early years of Christianity to the Byzantium era. Just to name few: Panayia Trooditissa, Kykkos, Ayios Panteleimon etc. You can relax, observe the beautiful iconography and listen to the monks’ chanting.
The temperature between sea level and the Troodos mountains may be as much as 20 C (around 36 F) degrees cooler.
What hotels and restaurants do you recommend?
There are not many hotel chains but the “Hilton Nicosia” and the “Hilton Park” are among the two best hotels in the capital. There are also several hotels and all-inclusive resorts in the coastal areas ranging from five-star (The Grecian – Ayia Napa Area, La Meridien in Limassol and Elia Village in Latsi – Paphos) to more modest depending on your budget. Pricing is always dependent on the season with the months of June-August being the busiest. In terms of restaurants, you should visit one of the local “tavernas” where you can sample local traditional food.
How would you describe the perfect Cypriot meal?
A perfect meal should include all local delicacies and there is no better way of doing that than ordering the traditional “Meze” plate. These are numerous dishes that keep coming to your table that contain samples of everything from local wine-sausage (loukaniko) to the traditional Cyprus Cheese (Halloumi: The Cheese you can Grill), to stifado and souvla… It is very similar to the Spanish tradition of Tapas except there is tons more of food.
You can have meat, fish or a combination “meze”. To wash everything down you can order the island’s local beer (KEO) or you can taste some of the islands most renounced wines (several world-wide awards). I would recommend the white “Arsinoi 62”
Describe the vibe of the culture?
Cyprus culture is pretty laid back. People are truly happy even though they suffered a lot over the years (400 years of Turkish occupation, 70 years of British ruling, Turkish invasion in 1974, and recent financial crisis). They are friendly and welcoming to strangers. It is not unusual for people to invite you in their homes and offer you coffee or deserts, especially if you are visiting remote villages up in the Troodos Mountains.
Describe the physical terrain.
The terrain varies a lot. The southern coastal areas are mainly flat while the western part of the island is more mountainous. The tallest mountain peak is Olympus at 6000ft+. The northern part of the island (now under Turkish occupation since 1974) has the second tallest mountain “Pentadaktulos”. Pentadaktulos actually means “five fingers”. As the legend has it, one of the islands Byzantine heroDigenis Akritas’ hand gripped the mountain to get out of the sea when he came to free Cyprus from its Saracen invaders, and this is his handprint. (Interviewer’s side note here is that there is a similar mythological story found in my blog posts Gibraltar and Morocco.)
Describe a custom that you observed there. Did you incorporate any of their customs back home?
It is customary in Cyprus when an elder person enters the room for everyone to stand up out of respect. Yes, I try to do this here in the U.S.
Were there any challenges in getting to your destination? What was the flight like?
No particular challenges. You typically need 3 flights to reach Cyprus from the US, one is domestic, the other is transatlantic but usually 7-8 hours and the last one is around 3-5 hour from a major European City. It would be ideal if you can check in your bags to your final destination.
What did you learn about yourself from this trip?
That I still love this place and still call it home.
How did this trip enrich your life? Describe any experiences that made you grow spiritually.
Spending few days in a Greek Orthodox Monastery is an experience that made me grow spiritually. Away from any distractions and from our fast pace of life here in the western world, a Greek Monastery provides you the opportunity to recollect yourself, meditate, set your priorities straight and emerge as a new human being.
Italian food is one of my top 2 favorite cuisines to eat and cook. I am obsessed with Italian food and my favorite chef on TV is from Italy. The Italian food we had in Italy was slightly different than back home in the states. It wasn’t as rich for one thing. In Venice, my husband ordered pasta in squid ink. It was delicious and his smile afterwards was hilarious because his teeth were stained in the ink!
The salads in Italy were amazing—fresh, light and not drenched in dressing. Tomato “sauce” in Italy consisted of diced tomatoes lightly blanched or sautéed but not pureed like in the states. The arugala is spicy and the parmesan flakes on top are the right amount. Ground pepper and ooohlalaaaa—delicioso! I had my first local ensalada Italiano in Milan facing the fabulous shopping boutiques in the famous square.
The bruschetta is divine. A drizzle of olive oil, minced garlic, fresh tomatoes, good quality cheese—-yum. I can taste it now.
This endearing ” queen of hospitality” shared her knowledge with me about being a descendant of a survivor of the Armenian genocide. I am always fascinated to ask her about her upbringing in Istanbul from parents of mixed heritages. Exotic cuisine, homeopathic practices, religious customs and superstitions are all part of her background. I interviewed her about her Armenian background as well as her Greek lifestyle, growing up in Istanbul. I translated this somewhat as she is multilingual.
Where were you born?
Next—is 7 Deadly Zins. It is also made by the Michael David Winery, like Earthquake. It is less expensive. Very good! 
