By Jimmy Pitenis

Eleni, if you could distinguish one Hellenic tradition, which
one would it be and why?

OK, one Hellenic tradition…

I guess that would depend
if you mean tradition in terms of ritual, or tradition in
terms of value? I think that tradition in terms of ritual
my favorite is Easter with all the festivities. If I can, I like
to spend Easter time in the village. I think that the value
would be the community in Lia. So it’s a little bit tied to the
ritual side of the traditions, because what’s so nice about
spending Easter in the village is that everyone does everything
together. Everyone goes to church together, cooks
together, eats together and everyone gathers together to
celebrate. Those are some of my favorite traditions.

You have lived in Lia, Greece for a year and you have
experienced an authentic Greek traditional life. What did
you like the most?

I liked getting to know my neighbors the most. I liked how
they made the most of every time of year and every day.
We would gather oregano when it was in season or we
would hike to the top of the mountain for the Prophet
Elias festival. There were many festivals! So, I really liked
how they had a very involved relationship with the environment
around them and with each other. It was easy to
become a part of that just by being in that place.

Has your Hellenic Heritage shaped your identity?

I think it definitely has since I always grew up speaking
some Greek and going to Greece. It has made me curious
about other cultures and now I like to travel to other countries.
Also, I like to learn about other communities and
rituals. Maybe that is why when I was in college, I studied
folklore and mythology. I don’t think I would have done
that, if I hadn’t had my own heritage in my background.

After returning from Lia, you said “I know more about
beauty than I ever thought I had known before”. What
did you mean by that?

What I meant by that was when you get to know a place,
it starts to seem beautiful to you and how much joy there
is in every day. So, I think when you love a place, as I do
Lia and especially when it is small, you can see the whole
picture of change as the light shifts and morning turns to
afternoon and afternoon into evening. Georgia O’Keefe,
the artist, once said, “to see takes time like to have a
friend takes time.” So, I think living in a small place for
that long, allowed me to see it fully and realize how
beautiful it was.

Your love and admiration for the traditions of Greece and
its history is evident in your creative work. You are truly
one of the best Greek Ambassadors. What would you
advise an undecided traveler to take into account when
visiting a country in the Mediterranean Sea?

Well, people ask me for advice about visiting Greece a
lot. I think they just have to accept that they need to go
back more than one trip, because Greece is such a varied
country. There are mountains and beaches, islands and
mainland, ancient sites and monuments, rich folklore history,
delicious food, authentic music and warm hospitality.
I, also, think you have to decide what you want to focus
on in one trip and understand that you have to come
back again for the other. Now, even though I go every
year, because I’m writing articles about it, I usually go for
6 weeks at a time. I’m always torn between do I go back
to my favorite places, or do I start discovering new places.
Now I’m trying to do a little bit of both on every trip.

What are your plans for the future?

That’s a good question! Right now, I’m teaching at
Columbia. I’m teaching essay writing to freshmen and I’ll
keep doing that next year, as well. In parallel, I’m working
on a novel. I’m revising a novel that I should be done with
fairly soon and I have to get it published this year. Those
are my basic plans.

Jimmy’s Mom: No marriage in that future?

Eleni:We’ll have to see…we’ll have to see what happens and see
what St. Photios has in mind for me.

Jimmy’s Mom:Perhaps Agios Fanourios will help you find your true love.

Eleni, thank you, for taking the time to share your thoughts with Goneis
readers. Thank you, Jimmy and Mom, it was my pleasure. Ω