Field Study Summary

Hellenic-American Cultural Center and Museum
by Emma

The walk to the bus stop proved almost more than I could handle in the wet, cold, day of this field study. My nose was running constantly and something in my hip was bothering me. Five minutes in I was already sidestepping puddles and was glad I’d worn my old Converse. They day was typical for Portland, one of the examples people give for not moving to our city yet, or one of the days real Portlanders are always out in-- walking dogs, riding their bike, or just walking for the fun of it. We got on the bus happy to be out of the drizzle but then having to find a seat next to someone we didn’t know. Going on a city bus is always a gamble because of the smell, sometimes it is like cleaning products, sometimes the smell vacuums make when the bag is full, but more often then not it smells like urine and wet sidewalks. We were blessed with a reasonably un-smelly ride on the way to the church but it was only five minutes so it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. When we got off the bus I was slightly disoriented because we had to walk some distance before getting to the church. That walk was fine in the beginning but soon we started to see the evidence of a wet night: worms. Worms are a large phobia of mine so every time we saw one I would jump to the side and hold in a girlish squeal.
The outside of the cultural center was short, wide, and extended far to the back as well. The bricks were light in color and alternating darker, that combined with its squat shape gave it a more welcoming look than most churches. The building had many protrusions and rooms that extended beyond the perimeter of the rest of the building, giving it a misshapen look like someone had dumped it quickly from a jar it had spattered on the ground. We were invited in and sent to a large room that used to be a gymnasium with lines still painted on the floor. A nice lady waited for us there and began a presentation about Greek art in its many time periods.
We then walked up stairs to the exhibit. A woman briefly explained some artifacts and a man there played a traditional Greek instrument. After that we visited the church part of the center. The pastor invited showed us around the church and explained a little about Greek Orthodox. The church had high ceilings on which were carving and stained glass depicting scenes from the Bible. I really appreciate the center letting us come and learn more about Greek culture.