bird gehrl

life of an immigrant (or just me whining about things I don’t like)

Right now I’m supposed to be taking a hiatus from blogging and also writing a lab report and an essay both of which are due next week. But I just had a long phone call with my best friend and there are some things I need to get out because they’re eating me from the inside.

Georgia is my best friend. And that is not just some silly title, she is my friend and the best one at that. She understands me perfectly even when I can’t properly convey myself and she’s been there for me through very hard times. I can only hope I’m as good a friend as she is to me. Anyway, Georgia told me that after she graduates from school she’s going to move either to Sweden (:D) or to Japan. Of course I am delighted by the possibility of being reunited with my best friend, but what if she moves to Japan? She’s been studying Japanese for a few years now and frankly life would be much easier for her there. 

Georgia is not the only one who wants to immigrate though, Lilly wants to move to Italy to study, Bella and her boyfriend want to leave Greece in a few years too. All my friends will spread out to the four corners of the earth and I won’t get to see them any more. So maybe I should make up my mind about it and stay here in Sweden and not think about going back home any more.

Just thinking about that future though make me feel sick to my stomach. Why should I be forced to live away from my loved ones? Why can’t I go back home? I want to go home. Sweden is a beautiful country and I could earn a lot of money working here, I could even pursue a career in academia which has been my dream for years now, but! But people here don’t understand me.

I don’t dare to smoke in front of people because they criticize me heavily, even strangers give me the evil eye. In fact, if you get sick in Sweden as a result of your smoking your health insurance doesn’t cover the expenses for your treatment. Because the way they see it, it’s your fault you got sick. However, they don’t treat alcoholism the same way. Probably because getting wasted beyond oblivion every weekend is considered normal here.

And don’t get me started on how disgustingly spoiled people are here. I met this 8 year old boy that has two iphones and one ipad. And that’s just his gadgets, everyone in the family have their own. In the meantime my cell still has buttons on it (oh the shame!) and I have to tape and twist my laptop’s cord in order to keep charging the battery that only lasts 20 minutes without being plugged in. My foodie room mate looks down on me for using margarine instead of real butter and my French wannabe room mate only drinks tea from a certain shop in Paris and cooks shit like fresh mussels (!) and throws the leftovers in the trash. 

It is inconceivable to these people that I cannot afford to replace my laptop. My friend asks me “why don’t you just ask your parents for one?”. I guess they don’t realize that even parents some times don’t have money to buy you stuff. And when I tried to talk to them about the situation in my country, and how upsetting it is for me, this is the response I got: “Don’t worry, these things tend to work themselves out”. 

And just one last titbit of “developed” world idiocy. I mentioned to a friend that my brother would get me a new phone and this guy who just happened to be sitting in our table said this to me: “You people are poor and don’t have food to eat, people in Greece commit suicide because of that and instead of saving money you are getting a new phone?”.  …. And that’s not all unfortunately. One of my teachers even went as far as to refer to Greece as an underdeveloped country…. 

So no. No! I don’t want to spend all my life here. I don’t want to be like these people. I don’t want to forget how to be compassionate. I don’t want to forget that critique is my best weapon against ignorance and stupidity. I don’t want to lose touch with what is important and what’s not. I’d rather have a cell with buttons and a five year old laptop than exchange my spirit for gadgets and trips to Thailand. 

Ugh! I hate my tumblr right now. It’s all pictures of stuff that do not go well together and it’s ugly and I hate it and uhhhh! |At the same time I have a blogspot where I have only published one post and I have a dozen unpublished drafts of me going on and on about one thing or another. So, I decided to take a break from posting and think about what I want out of my blogging future. 

After one of my professors suggested it I finally decided to check out TED talks. I am amazed! So many interesting things to delve into and learn. This evening I listened to a talk about string theory. It was awesome! and a little bit scary 

How about you? Do you know what TED talks is? Do you have any talks to suggest? 

My mom sent me this big ass package full with nice things like ION almond chocolate and cinnamon cookies and turkish (or greek) coffee and a briki to make it with. I made a cup and instead of drinking it I’m just sitting here, taking in the scent and feeling crappy. I miss everyone so much. 

at home, sick, and wri　ting letters to all my friends <3 I don’t see how this might go wrong ^__^

Today has been the most embarrassing days of my academic life. My whole morning has been one huge brain fart of epic proportions. The lecturer asked us what the difference between allele and genotype is. No one dared to give an answer and I decided to do it only to blurt out some completely idiotic bull crap. WTF self?! Seriously??? We learnt those things back in high school. Why oh why didn’t I keep my mouth shut? I want to crawl under a rock and hide there forever. I’m not a scientist! I’m just being delusional… 

ps: I might have spent my break in the bathroom crying, but you know nothing about that.

Things Afroditi hates #5

My new Greek “friends” here in Sweden. I went out for coffee with them today. In the short amount of time we spent together they managed to insult gay people, muslim people, women and also say that all illegal immigrants should be shot upon trying to enter Greece. I am UTTERLY ashamed that these people breathe the same air I do.