WP#2 Final draft
All senses awake at Marathon Lake
A few kilometers away from the center, in the northern suburbs of Athens, there is a place where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the lake Marathon while drinking a beverage or having a meal. Couples, friends, families, and sometimes tourists enjoy a coffee or their dinner under the trees that form a natural umbrella. Groups of people with different racial, national, social and cultural characteristics, share the same preference for this location, even if their purposes vary. Their choice to visit this particular area becomes the factor that shapes a new collective identity as customers of this place. In this essay, I will present their characteristics in relation to space, and in comparison to our society, whose members assume different identities and belong to multiple groups, in various situations.
I conducted my research in three stages. Firstly, I wrote down all my thoughts before I visit the location. Secondly, I observed the place and took field notes when I was there. Then, I interviewed a customer, and at the end, after my visit, I reflected on my research, and I collected my final thoughts before starting to organize the presentation.
Fragma, the cafeteria-restaurant that I have chosen to investigate is my favorite place for a coffee, drink or dinner at Marathon Lake. The view of the sunrise over the lake is magnificent when the colors of the sun mix with the green and blue of the scenery. The sound of the soft music is relaxing, and the smell of the ground after a September rain makes you feel connected to the Earth. What I had never considered, though, was the connection with the other people with whom I shared the same space. I had never thought myself before as a part of a larger community there, as I was always seeking tranquility and privacy at this place.
My visit to Fragma as an observer, a researcher, and an ethnographer offered me a different perspective and the possibility to be curious, open and to engage in a different way with space and the people involved. Well, when I say people, I mean all the residents, including cats and mosquitos! Only tourists were absent, perhaps because it was Tuesday and a little bit late at 7 pm for tourist buses to come. Couples, families, and friends at their thirties or forties were sitting on the comfortable chairs, around the large tables, they were chatting, having a drink and some of them were having dinner. Two infants and a four-year-old kid would stand out; you can imagine why! You could hear the baby's cry and its mother's voice, as she was trying to calm it down. On the other side, you could see the boy who was playing with his father on the terrace. All the people I could hear were speaking Greek, the boy and his father, however, were speaking English and that triggered my curiosity. They did not look like tourists; they could be Greeks from abroad. If my description so far did not convince you about this place, the video below will make you see through my eyes and hear as if you were there. You can even listen to the kid and his father!
Fragma Cafe at night from Chrys Poly on Vimeo.
As you could see, it was a calm evening, and the environment was relaxing: jazz music, low lights hidden in the trees and the street lights that reflected on the water of the lake. The people were talking moderately, and even the baby who cried for a while and the child who was playing were not disturbing the atmosphere. It seemed that everybody respected the aura of this place as if they were following invisible rules. This demonstrates how powerfully that space integrates visitors into the "lake community." The following audio will give you a taste of the music and the sounds we could hear.
Although most people do not consider it a low-priced restaurant-cafe, there is no formal dress code. Everyone was dressed in casual, informal clothes, demonstrating a purpose of relaxation. If you come on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you might notice people dressed more formally, as these days are ideal for going out or celebrating, a birthday, for example. It is not a cafeteria that someone would choose as a study room or working space. People come here for the lake, which is the main attraction of the area. Or maybe because there is no open wifi and the 4G signal is not strong enough.
Overall, the Greek culture regarding coffee was represented all over the place. The comfortable chairs, for instance, reflect our value that views drinking coffee as a relaxing activity and an entertaining practice. This fact tells that people of my culture see having a drink as a way to de-stress and socialize. However, in this particular case, it was one of the rare times when drinking a coffee and having a snack was not an activity I did in my free time. I had the responsibility to gather information for my essay and to prepare my interview, as well.
I talked to a regular customer of the cafeteria and the restaurant, who preferred to remain anonymous. He told me that he visits the cafeteria once a week, usually to have a drink or dinner. I could totally relate to the reason why he chooses this place: he enjoys the beauty and the serenity of the lake. The only thing that he found annoying was when the place gets crowded. "It is precisely the reason why I come here; because the place is quiet and peaceful," he explained.
Trying to discover more about his identity as a member of the "lake visitors community" and his relation to the other people, the only thing he believed that they had in common, was the means of transportation. You can reach Marathon Lake only with private vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, as there is no public transportation to this place. I was amazed to hear that the city mayor, on the other hand, comes here with a helicopter!
Curiosity was one the characteristics that distinguished the interviewee from the other customers. "Most of them come here from far away only to see how this place is. I come here often to enjoy the space, for pleasure," were his exact words. As a regular client, what he would suggest to a person that visits the lake for the first time, is to respect the beauty and the atmosphere of this location.
The interview reinforced what I believed about the people of this place. Individuals with different racial, national, social, and personal characteristics assume a distinct identity, and in this particular location, they are becoming part of a community defined by the same choices: to visit the lake for a drink or a meal. Locals and tourists, males and females, young and older people, singles and couples, friends and families. Whoever they are, in the lake they share the same space, and a similar behavior defines them. It is like a micrography of our society, where groups are always being mixed with other groups to form new communities and whose members change or combine different identities in different situations.
WP#2 Rough draft
All senses awake at Marathon Lake
A few kilometers away from the center, in the northern suburbs of Athens, there is a place where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the lake Marathon while drinking a beverage or having a meal. Couples, friends, families, and sometimes tourists enjoy a coffee or their dinner under the trees that form a natural umbrella. Groups of people with different racial, national, social and cultural characteristics, share the same preference for this location, even if their purposes vary. Their choice to visit this particular area becomes the factor that shapes a new collective identity as customers of this place. In this essay, I will present through my research their characteristics in relation to space, and in comparison to the society, whose members assume different identities and belong to multiple groups, in various situations.
I conducted my research in three stages. Firstly, I wrote down all my thoughts before I visited the location. Secondly, I observed the place and took field notes while being at the cafeteria. Then, I interviewed a customer, and at the end, after my visit, I reflected on my research, and I collected my final thoughts before starting to organize the presentation.
Fragma, the cafeteria-restaurant that I have chosen to investigate is my favorite place for a coffee, drink or dinner at Marathon Lake. The view of the sunrise over the lake is magnificent when the colors of the sun mix with the green and blue of the scenery. The sound of the soft music is relaxing, and the smell of the ground after a September rain makes you feel connected to the Earth. What I had never considered, though, was the connection with the other people with whom I shared the same space. I had never thought myself before as a part of a larger community there, as I was always seeking tranquility and privacy at this place.
Going to Fragma as an observer, a researcher, and an ethnographer, offered me a different perspective and the possibility to be curious, open and to engage in a different way with the space and the people involved. Well, when I say people, I mean all the residents, including cats and mosquitos! Only tourists were absent, perhaps because it was Tuesday and a little bit late at 7 pm for tourist buses to come. Couples, families, and friends at their thirties or forties were sitting on the comfortable chairs, around the large tables, chatting, having a drink and only a few of them having dinner. Two infants and a four-year-old kid would stand out, needless to say, why! You could hear the baby's cry and its mother's voice, and you could see the boy playing with his father on the terrace. All the people I could hear, spoke Greek, the boy and his father, however, spoke English and that triggered my curiosity. They did not look like tourists; they might be Greeks from abroad.
I conducted my research in three stages. Firstly, I wrote down all my thoughts before I visited the location. Secondly, I observed the place and took field notes while being at the cafeteria. Then, I interviewed a customer, and at the end, after my visit, I reflected on my research, and I collected my final thoughts before starting to organize the presentation.
Fragma, the cafeteria-restaurant that I have chosen to investigate is my favorite place for a coffee, drink or dinner at Marathon Lake. The view of the sunrise over the lake is magnificent when the colors of the sun mix with the green and blue of the scenery. The sound of the soft music is relaxing, and the smell of the ground after a September rain makes you feel connected to the Earth. What I had never considered, though, was the connection with the other people with whom I shared the same space. I had never thought myself before as a part of a larger community there, as I was always seeking tranquility and privacy at this place.
Going to Fragma as an observer, a researcher, and an ethnographer, offered me a different perspective and the possibility to be curious, open and to engage in a different way with the space and the people involved. Well, when I say people, I mean all the residents, including cats and mosquitos! Only tourists were absent, perhaps because it was Tuesday and a little bit late at 7 pm for tourist buses to come. Couples, families, and friends at their thirties or forties were sitting on the comfortable chairs, around the large tables, chatting, having a drink and only a few of them having dinner. Two infants and a four-year-old kid would stand out, needless to say, why! You could hear the baby's cry and its mother's voice, and you could see the boy playing with his father on the terrace. All the people I could hear, spoke Greek, the boy and his father, however, spoke English and that triggered my curiosity. They did not look like tourists; they might be Greeks from abroad.
Fragma Cafe at night from Chrys Poly on Vimeo.
It was a calm evening, and the environment was relaxing: jazz music, low lights hidden in the trees and the street lights that reflected on the water of the lake. The people were talking moderately, and even the baby who cried and the child who was playing were not disturbing the atmosphere. It seemed that everybody respected the aura of this place as if they were following invisible rules.
Although it is not considered a low-priced restaurant-cafe, there is no formal dress code. Everyone was dressed in casual, informal clothes, demonstrating a purpose of relaxation. If you come on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you might notice people dressed more formally, as these days are ideal for going out or celebrating, a birthday, for example. It is not a cafeteria that someone would choose as a study room or working space. People come here for the lake, which is the main attraction of the area. Or maybe because there is no open wifi and the 4G signal is not strong enough.
Overall, the Greek culture regarding coffee was represented all over the place. The comfortable chairs, for instance, reflect our value that views drinking coffee as a relaxing activity and an entertaining practice. This fact tells that people of my culture see having a drink as a way to de-stress and socialize. However, in this particular case, it was one of the rare times when drinking a coffee and having a snack was not an activity I did in my free time. I had the responsibility to gather information for my essay and to prepare my interview, as well.
I talked to a regular customer of the cafeteria and the restaurant, who preferred to remain anonymous. He told me that he visits the cafeteria once a week, usually to have a drink or dinner. I could totally relate to the reason why he chooses this place: he enjoys the beauty and the serenity of the lake. The only thing that he found annoying was when the place gets crowded. "It is precisely the reason why I get here; because the place is quiet and peaceful," explained.
Trying to discover more about his identity as a member of the "lake visitors community" and his relation to the other people, the only thing in common, was the means of transportation. You can reach Marathon Lake only with private vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, as there is no public transportation to this place. I was amazed to hear that the city mayor, on the other hand, comes there with a helicopter!
Curiosity was one the characteristics that distinguished him from the other customers. "Most of them come here from far away only to see how this place is. I come here often to enjoy the space, for pleasure," were his exact words. As a regular client, what he would suggest to a person that visits the lake for the first time, is to respect the beauty and the atmosphere of this location.
Overall, the Greek culture regarding coffee was represented all over the place. The comfortable chairs, for instance, reflect our value that views drinking coffee as a relaxing activity and an entertaining practice. This fact tells that people of my culture see having a drink as a way to de-stress and socialize. However, in this particular case, it was one of the rare times when drinking a coffee and having a snack was not an activity I did in my free time. I had the responsibility to gather information for my essay and to prepare my interview, as well.
I talked to a regular customer of the cafeteria and the restaurant, who preferred to remain anonymous. He told me that he visits the cafeteria once a week, usually to have a drink or dinner. I could totally relate to the reason why he chooses this place: he enjoys the beauty and the serenity of the lake. The only thing that he found annoying was when the place gets crowded. "It is precisely the reason why I get here; because the place is quiet and peaceful," explained.
Trying to discover more about his identity as a member of the "lake visitors community" and his relation to the other people, the only thing in common, was the means of transportation. You can reach Marathon Lake only with private vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, as there is no public transportation to this place. I was amazed to hear that the city mayor, on the other hand, comes there with a helicopter!
Curiosity was one the characteristics that distinguished him from the other customers. "Most of them come here from far away only to see how this place is. I come here often to enjoy the space, for pleasure," were his exact words. As a regular client, what he would suggest to a person that visits the lake for the first time, is to respect the beauty and the atmosphere of this location.
The interview reinforced what I believed about the people of this place. Individuals with different racial, national, social, and personal characteristics assume a distinct identity, and in this particular location, they are becoming part of a community defined by the same choices: to visit the lake for a drink or meal. Locals and tourists, males and females, young and older people, singles and couples, friends and families. Whoever they are, in the lake they share the same space, and a similar behavior defines them. It is like a micrography of our society, where groups are always being mixed with other groups to form new communities and whose members change or combine different identities in different situations.
Works cited:
Polyzogopoulou, Chrysanthi. Personal interview. 20 September 2017
Works cited:
Polyzogopoulou, Chrysanthi. Personal interview. 20 September 2017