Today was our fourth day in the beautiful city of Thessaloniki, Greece. Our lecture today focused on intercultural sensitivity which was a very interesting topic in my opinion. As my professor defined it, intercultural sensitivity is the ability to distinguish, experience, and act appropriately in different cultures. This topic is especially fascinating to me because of the vast amount of diversity that I get exposed to everyday on Purdue campus, so it is extremely important to be aware, accept, and make an effort to adapt to other cultures. Our lecture today made me feel very privileged to be a boilermaker, representing Purdue University on this wonderful adventure learning about Greece. During our discussion, we came up with several ways to help us become more interculturally sensitive at Purdue like engage in cultural events on campus, join multicultural clubs and organizations, take the initiative and reach out to international students, and be careful about our attitude and behaviors about other cultures.
For lunch, a group of us went to get the traditional Greek gyro which had roasted pork, cheese, fries, ketchup, and mustard all wrapped in pita bread. I'm a meat lover so I absolutely loved it! The restaurant waiter was very friendly and welcoming. She knew we were tourists, so she tried to explain to us all of the ingredients in the gyro and gave us some traditional Greek cheeses and sauces to try. The longer I stay here, the more I fall in love with the Greek cultures, language, and people. I realized that as long as you make an effort to go out of your way and interact with people, you will be amazed at how much people take pride in sharing their cultures.
Then we had our community service in the afternoon. We volunteered at a non-profit organization called Smile of the Child. This organization was inspired by a boy who was diagnosed with brain cancer. He believed that every child deserves to have a smile, a second chance, so the organization started with the sole purpose to help less fortunate kids. The organization now has 13 homes that support 380 children. We made small crafts like paper houses and cards that the organization sells to the locals during special occasions like weddings. All of the profits go toward helping the children. I had a lot of fun because I love doing crafts and volunteering has always been one of my favorite hobbies. I also enjoyed talking and getting to know my fellow study abroad friends who have been there for me, indulging in this adventure....
Hailey, Shenetha, Josh, and I eating our Greek gyros!
A more close up picture of the gyro.
Varieties of cheese and fries that the nice waiter gave us.
Me making the cards for Smile of the Child :)
