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Hi, my name is elexadiktas and I'm a 29 year-old female from Washington, DC. I am looking for friendship with both men and women. Personal Statement: “Why do you have a moustache like a boy?” At seven years old, I did not know. I looked different because I am Greek-American. Even though by freshman year of college I had regular waxing appointments, the animosity I felt towards my culture and religion was not as easy to remove. Entering Ohio State, I was overjoyed knowing that I could completely avoid all cultural and religious obligations imposed by my parents throughout my childhood. This remained true for some time. That all changed the night of Good Friday at the end of my freshman year. On Good Friday, in the Greek Orthodox Church, there is a ceremonial funeral precession: the community comes together and walks around town with lit candles. Every year of my life until that night, my family and I walked together in the procession. As I lie in bed that night, I was brought to tears, realizing that my culture and religion was a beautiful, not oppressive. These religious events from my childhood taught me lessons like: humility as we mourned Christ's death and collectivism as we joined together as a Greek community for this service. I then decided that I needed to re-incorporate Greek culture in my life. I joined Sigma Epsilon Phi, a Greek Orthodox organization on campus. This community became a support group that motivated me to take advantage of the opportunities that made my college life international and well-rounded. I was encouraged to study Modern Greek in Athens, Greece. This time abroad allowed me to advance my language skills and gave me the opportunity to work for international agencies like the United States Trade Representatives in the Executive Office of the President. I am now proud to be Greek-American and plan to incorporate values like philotimo (the love of honor), kefi (the expression of positive emotions), and collectivism in all of my future endeavors. While in DC, I hope to join DC Greeks so that I can continue to incorporate Greek cultural wealth in my life. The kind of person I'm looking for on DCGreeks.com: I want to find a community to spend my time with in DC. |