[Manuela]

I have two questions:
1. I wonder how come you left your native country and chose to teach abroad, in countries where the language and culture are so different from your own?
2. Can you recollect any instance of the so called "culture shock". when you understood that something you considered common knowledge was unheard of in your new country of residence, or when you did something you considered OK but which made people around you raise their eyebrows?

Ok, i'll go first.
1. I changed countries when I got married and then when the divorce came I already had a daughter and believed that she needed to stay in touch with her father while growing up, Anyway, Greek and Romanian people are not so different. They fought together against the Turks, they supported each other throughout history.
2. In Romania when you offer flowers as a gift you make sure that they are an odd number 1 or3 or 5 etc. Flowers in even numbers are only taken to funerals.
Here I was newly wedded, expecting guests for dinner. House clean, soufle in the oven, table nicely laid, butterflies in the stomach. The bell rings. The first guests arrive, all smiles, holding 4 beautiful red roses in the hand.
It was the first time I realised that this was a different culture.