Transcripts
Nafplio, a small town in Greece. Now, Greece is a strongly polychronic culture and, as we have been learning, time in polychronic cultures is seen as something that is in infinite supply. In contrast, time in monochronic cultures is thought of as something that is in short supply. This difference impacts on the language that people use to talk about time. At home, in Greece, the main verb we use when talking about time is ‘to pass your time’, implying that time is infinite and sometimes the problem is to find things to do to fill it. In contrast, here in a monochronic culture, people are always worrying about wasting time, not having much time, arriving on time, spending time wisely, and so on.
So the cultural artefact I have chosen is a set of worry beads, known in Greek as a ‘kombolói’. I have one here to show you, but it’s rather small, so you can also see a photo of it here on this slide. As you can see, it consists of 19 beads on a cord, or string, that is joined at the top with a silver piece, which we call the shield. This kombolói also has an extra bead at the end for decoration, and a long tassel. This one is made with amber beads and the cord is silk, so this is quite an expensive set of worry beads, but it is also possible to get ones that have synthetic beads and metal chains, which are, of course, much cheaper. The number 19 is not a set number, but all Greek worry beads have an odd number of beads on the string – this makes them hang better when you hold them by the tassel, or by the single bead at the end.
The origins of the kombolói are a bit obscure. Some people say they are adapted from the ropes that Greek Orthodox monks used to wear round their waists. They tied knots in these rope belts as a way of helping them to remember all the prayers they had to say. Other people believe the kombolói was adapted from Muslim prayer beads some time during the long period when Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire. They believe the Greeks adapted those sets of beads, which are strung together tightly, by removing some of the beads so that they could move on the cord. Maybe both explanations are partly true.
Whatever the truth is, nowadays worry beads have no religious significance in Greece at all – they are used as a kind of toy to relieve stress and pass the time. There are different ways of playing with them – for example, you can run them slowly through your fingers, one at a time, or flick and turn them rapidly like this [sound effect of worry beads clacking]. If you have ever been to Greece and sat for any time in a village café, you will surely have seen and heard old men playing with their worry beads and making that clacking noise. It used to be considered inappropriate for women to use worry beads. These days, however, some women can be seen using them, and worry beads are also becoming more popular with young people than they used to be. This may be because the financial crisis has left 50% of young Greeks unemployed, so they have lots of time on their hands.
So, how do they fit in with polychronic culture? I said before that in such cultures, time is considered to be unlimited and so worry beads are one way to help you pass the time. The feel of the
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beads in your hand is soothing, the noise they make is satisfying, and you need to play with them for a long time to learn to be proficient. Another feature of polychronic people is their love of doing lots of things at the same time, and it is not unusual to see Greek people in cafés drinking coffee, chatting to friends, carrying on a conversation on the cellphone and playing with a kombolói all at the same time. And polychronic people are often late, so having a set of worry beads in your pocket is a good way to pass the time until your friend shows up.
So that was my cultural artefact, the Greek kombolói. Thanks for your attention.
Slideshow – Culture shock Presenter In the 21st
century, increasing numbers of us are
spending time in foreign countries. This allows us to experience different cultures, obtain new perspectives and meet people we would never otherwise have met. But spending time in an unfamiliar culture can pose problems, too. An expression you may have heard before is ‘culture shock’ – the experience of disorientation and confusion people often feel when they find themselves in an unfamiliar culture. On this week’s Top Chat we’re going to look at some examples of culture shock and hear from some people who have experienced it for themselves. The way we dress is an obvious expression of culture. Although much of the world today has become more similar than it used to be, with young people from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe wearing jeans, T-shirts and trainers, there is still a huge variety in the way people present themselves. Being suddenly surrounded by people dressed very differently to what you are used to can seem strange. The same is true for houses. While you may be used to the privacy of space between you and your neighbours, in many parts of the world it is traditional for people to live very close together. One central part of any culture is food. The expression ‘you are what you eat’ can have more than one meaning, and cultures are often very proud of their cuisine, believing it represents part of their character. But when you spend time in a different culture, it’s not just what people eat that can surprise you, it’s also how they eat. Here’s Joe from England.
Joe
Where I’m from everyone’s in a hurry. During the week, people eat lunch at their desks. Or sometimes we just have a snack, as we’re walking from one meeting to another. And for dinner, I often just collapse in front of the TV and eat a pizza. But when I spent a year studying in France, I couldn’t believe how seriously they took their meals. We would go to a café for lunch and spend an hour or even two hours eating and chatting. At first, I
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