Oh shit . . .
let's not go here . . .

My folks are first generation Greek, in a foreign country. They have two children (myself and a brother), and I'm the eldest, and also the only girl on my father's side of the family.

Far too many stupid prohibitions to mention here, but here are some highlights:
1. not being allowed to walk home after school alone (I was thirteen), because "someone might abduct me."
2. Being cautioned on not letting anyone "take my knickers down," else they could do bad things to me(again, advice to a 13 year old)
3. Not being allowed to see a movie at 14 - Dad and my brother came along too (it was "Who Killed Roger Rabbit" btw).
4. no visiting friends at home
5. no boyfriends - I decided to ignore that one at 17, and no one spoke to me for a week.
6. No going out with mixed groups - "might be boys there." If by chance, I was allowed to say, catch a movie (erm, I was about 16 at the time), I had to promise "I'd marry a Greek."

Oops - slight problem there . . . :)

7. No nightclubbing at 18 (waited until I was 19) - my father thought those places were "seedy." Actually he might be right.
8. No boyfriends brought home - by Uni, they'd realised I wasn't going to be the Good Greek Girl who only dated the one man, married said man, and brought him home for a Big Fat Greek Wedding, but, they didn't want to know about it until "the one."
9. No sex - "good girls don't do that sort of thing." I suspect my Mum may not have done that sort of thing much since we were born either . . .

The rules have relaxed somewhat lately: my folks have become increasingly paranoid about my singledom at 31, and now are happy for me to *shock* bring boys home.

Wait 'til they meet Legless . . . :)
( Mrs Legless . . . belongs to, well, you know . . . :), Fri 9 Mar 2007, 10:02, Reply)