Check Please!

We're down to almost a week left on this adventure, and I'm coming to terms with that. My time in Greece has been absolutely incredible thus far and it feels as though I'm going to be here forever. I'm starting to realize that the clock is ticking and that any last minute experiences or trips need to be put on a high priority list before we leave. I will miss Greece tremendously and the hardest part about leaving is accepting that you might not be coming back. It is something I feel every time I leave my home in Misawa, my parents' time in Japan is starting to dwindle from what I can tell, so every visit to Misawa from here on out could be my last. There are so many specific things I will miss about this place, and the unwritten "no separate checks" rule will not be one of them.

I love going out to eat in Greece. Not only does it prevent me from having to exert effort to create food (pasta), but it provides me an immersion into the culture that you can't get eating in the dorms. All of us have our favorites in Aghia Paraskevi, and they all serve different types of foods and fabricate different kinds of atmospheres. These establishments all carry the same fatal flaw though, no separate checks. Imagine, you go out with your friends to a Greek cafe and you all order large meals and drinks of varying degree and price; after your meal, you call over the waiter for the check and he hands you a bill for 80 euros, your head almost certainly will explode. You can ask for a separate check, but all that is returned to you is a blank stare of confusion and misunderstanding. They know what you're trying to say, but don't know what you're saying it. Separate checks are a thing of mystery in Greece, a legend not unlike Bigfoot and Nessie in the simple fact that they most likely don't exist. It is extraordinarily frustrating to be forced to convert complicated math equations in your head after a wonderful meal. On more than one occasion, I'm sure that I've over or underpaid in some fashion or another which means some of my classmates or I are getting screwed each time we go out to eat.

Apparently this stems from  the Greek family oriented style of dining. They go out to eat together as a group, and one person usually mans up and pays for the whole thing. It is a sign of dominance, of power, or a sign of the guy who drew the short stick in the car. Americans loathe the group check. Occasionally, some of us will take it upon ourselves to pay for the group, but that is usually limited to when relatives come to visit or after reading Oprah's "Pay It Forward" initiative. We like our checks how we like our food, separate from everyone else. Most Greek "traditional" dining is family style, with the group sharing the pre-set dishes that are brought out before them. This style rarely appears in American culinary culture as we are more content to pick our individual meals and refuse to share unless prompted. That is why we are even more content to pick up our own checks; why should I pay for anyone else when I didn't share in their spoils? I've grown so used to this style that having to assimilate to the group check for five weeks has been maddening to say the least, but there are ways to prepare yourself for the stress after the meal.

Ordering food becomes a strategic mathematical equation that each of us beings to solve before finalizing our decision. Since I mainly carry large bills and cannot make smaller amounts as easily, I look for items that round off to even euro amounts so that I get exactly the change I need. That way when the group check comes out, I know that if I put in a 20 for my 10 euro meal, there better be 10 euros entering my wallet or there will be hell to pay. Everyone has their own ritual, and immediately after ordering, someone whips out the napkin and starts figuring out how much everyone owes and how much everyone should get back. It is an arduous process, but it ensures that no one is overpaying or getting short changed in anyway. If I was on a decent salary, occasionally, I might offer to pick up the check every once in awhile. Until Greek restaurants start accepting scholarship vouchers though, I'm going to have to settle for paying for my own meal.