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My second week of classes rounded up the end of this week. On Thursday the Center hosted “movie night” and showed Never On Sunday, which has got to be on of the greatest prostitute movies out there. It was old, in black and white, and moved between English and Greek (there were subtitles on the whole time, though) and is apparently a Greek film classic! In short, it tries to compare the logic of the Americans/Western societies and the passion of the Greeks. Guess which side wins. I highly recommend it!
Friday was a day not to be forgotten. The Center provided an optional day trip that I, of course, took. We first went to Lavrio, this old mining town by the ocean, and then moved onto the Temple of Poseidon and Sunio, a beach not too far off. The Temple was, to put it mildly, breathtaking. These pictures still don’t seem real to me. Fun fact: When Lord Byron visited this place, he carved his name into the sides of one of the columns. It’s hard to see now, but you could certainly make out the “B” if you squinted really hard.
The view around the area was pretty dang spectacular, too…
Naturally, I brought my iPod, so I found a secluded cliff and sat and listened and wrote in my little notepad I carry around with me. It was too beautiful not to be inspired. I felt like I had my real first moment of peace since coming here since everything has seemed so fast and hectic all the time (save, perhaps, the coffee experience, but I even felt rushed to get that assignment done). And then people began realizing that my cliff was an excellent place for photo opportunity, so I had to slowly migrate back down the hill.
We moved onto the beach of Sounio next, where I enjoyed a Greek salad at a beach-side taverna. I came outside to find my friends asleep on the beach, though everyone got up to swim and sunbathe when the air started getting warmer. I will say, there is nothing more exhausting than sitting on a beach and doing nothing. I did have some fun building rock towers as you can see below. If only my friend Ryan had not gotten his foot in the way, it would be an awesome picture.
We took a bus home and everyone was out within ten or fifteen minutes. Around 11:30 that night, despite my exhaustion, found myself hanging out with a group of friends at the FloCafe, a little cafe/bar Imitou Street, the main drag of Pagrati. They had all gone to see a dance performance, but the show got rained out, so off they went to enjoy hot chocolate and apple pie. I tried my first Irish coffee and have to say, I believe I have a taste for it…
My roommates had gone out as well and did not return until 5:30 in the morning… completely drunk and in the company of one of the guys on the program who was also drunk. After waiting up to make sure all the girls got home safely, and after pulling down our cot for the guy and making sure he drank some water before passing out, I went back to bed. They all blew it off later like the whole event was nothing and that they were fine, but it does make me wonder about our American drinking habits… I still have yet to see a drunk Greek.
Yesterday, I hiked to the top of Lycabetus Hill, the tallest hill in Athens, with the same friends from the FloCafe. There’s a Byzantine church at the top, and we had heard rumors of a spectacular 360 degree view of the entire city. We wanted to take the little cable car up but could not find it and instead hiked our way to the top, which I was not too upset about but my companions were. In any case, the rumors were true. It was breathtaking.
Last night, my friends went out to the theatre again to try and see their dance show. I had bought a ticket, too, so I went with them. The show was at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The outdoor theatre right next to the Acropolis. Yeah, it was built in 161 A.D. It was certainly a great Greek experience. Here’s a picture of it that I took last weekend…
We were going to go clubbing in the “gas lamp” district of Athens, Gazi, but between almost getting rained out again (there’s nothing more amusing than an outdoor theatre full of people holding umbrellas… I’ll see if I can snag a picture of this amazing phenomenon from a pal!), the show went really late. I hadn’t really eaten dinner since I had been slaving away at my homemade hummus all afternoon before the show, so off we went again to the Flo Cafe for late night snacking! I was in bed by 2:00am and slept in until about 8:45 this morning. It’s homework time now, though I would love to gallivant off to a museum somewhere since they’re all free on Sunday… we’ll see how far I get on it all!
Next week should be somewhat routine now… classes… homework… my first Greek language quiz is on Tuesday. Oh! And I am indeed heading to the island of Syros on Friday for a night. The weekend after next (my birthday weekend!) will be a trip to Olympia and Arcadia. Somewhere in there, some friends and I are trying to plan a trip to Mount Olympus to hike to the top (how epic!), and I still need to figure out how to get to Santorini. A five-day trip to Crete over October break is looking more and more like a reality.
Stay tuned!
P.S. Apparently posting links to music gets my blog shut down for copyright infringement. So no more musical interludes for now, I think… I like my blog too much!
Things are really getting hectic here. I am not sure whether it’s because I’m just out of shape in regards to academic work or whether professors really are heaping more work on us all at once. I had my first sociology/anthropology class meeting on Monday (“Contemporary Greek Society”) and turned in my first 5-page paper for that class. The woman then decided that she was going to give us another field work assignment – ride the Athens metro for two hours, watch and observe people – and then write another 5-pager… due that WEDNESDAY. Seriously? A day and a half? To make a long story short, the only time I could feasibly sit on the metro for two hours was that Monday night, so after my literature class ended at 8:00pm, some of my classmates and I trudged down to the nearest metro station that was 15 minutes away in a gnarly lightning and thunderstorm to go do our assignment. I got back around 11:00pm that night, sopping wet and quite cranky. But I got it done and actually just printed out my final copy of my paper to be turned in today, and I don’t have to worry about another one of these fieldwork assignments for two or three weeks (why could she not space these two projects of hers out over the course of those two to three weeks? Beats me…).
Besides that, I have been learning some interesting things. I am surprised by how many words in our English language actually derive from Greek words. I mean, I guess I always knew that, but when my Greek professor, Apostolos, actually gives us examples, it becomes way more apparent – and exciting! For instance, the Greek word for victory is pronounced “Nee-kee” (I’d spell it in Greek but it probably wouldn’t make sense, plus I don’t know how to type with the Greek alphabet on my computer). Point being, when you get the English translation, it becomes “Nike.” Yes, Nike. Like the sports brand. The shoe. Nike! Nike apparently means “victory.” Makes sense. And in The Odyssey, Odysseus’ son, Telemachos (whose name, by the way, we butcher to no end… it’s pronounced “Tell-leh-mee-kos” rather than “Tell-em-ah-cuss”) actually has some deeper meaning to it. “Tele,” which means “far” (as an added point, think about “telephone” or “television” in reference to “tele” = “far”) and “Machos” means “battle.” As Apostolos put it, Telemachos is “the man who battles far away.”
I just love words! Even in other languages, it seems, but especially in a language that has connections like these to my own native tongue. I’m wondering what a linguistics course would be like…
Another thing. In sociology (I’m trying not to let the professor make me hate that class because the subject material is fascinating), we have been analyzing the “tradition versus modernity” duality present in Greek society today. I had already been aware of this little theme since I had kind of read about it before coming here, but it really is kind of a strange concept. Greek society seems caught in the middle of old versus new. The Greeks have this amazing memory for what occurred in the past – they take pride in their ancient history and proudly try to uphold some of their more traditional values and notions… there is still a great separation of gender roles, time is still very flexible, people speak their native language of Greek. But then there are ways in which Greece is trying to move into the 21st century… more and more younger women are going out on their own (especially in Athens… I hear that in rural villages in the Greek countryside, tradition is still very much alive in regards to women’s places), in the city where people are on work schedules time has become more “Westernized” and thought of in economic terms (“time = money” is a very Western concept, I think, which Greeks seem to try not to buy into for the most part – though as I discovered during my sociology experiment, time becomes very real and “Western” on the metro system), and more and more younger people are speaking both Greek and English. It is a society caught between times. And it’s ridiculously confusing sometimes.
Another two-faced issue I’m dealing with is the Greek versus American duality. I think this is a more personal issue rather than a culture-wide one. Here I am in Greece, trying to integrate and live like the Greeks, but I’m still attending an American educational institution. I am still deeply ingrained in my American habits. I am trying to eat lunch at 2pm and dinner at 10pm, but my stomach still rumbles around noon and 6pm. I am trying to speak Greek, but the Greek people begin to speak to me in English once they realize that I have an American accent and my Greek is highly underdeveloped. I am trying to live by the Greek time schedule, but American classes demand that I am sitting attentively during the siesta hours, and the two-hour coffee dates that Greeks keep are impossible when I have two-hour homework assignments to complete. I am trying not to make eye contact and smile at Greek men for fear that they interpret by body language as something that it is not, but I still want to hold my head up confidently, look them in the eye and challenge all of their pre-conceived notions about women and gender stereotypes.
Despite all this, I am still extremely happy here. My roommates are all kind of down, which makes me feel bad, but I don’t really think I can do anything for them, really. They have all fused together, forming a kind of inseparable group, and though I was initially hurt by the fact that I felt left out, I am really glad that I have friends outside of my apartment. I get out more, and I interact with more people. I feel like I’m seeing more, too. I am in the process of figuring out lots of trips right now. I am for sure heading to the Temple of Poseidon for a day trip this Friday. The weekend after that might be a trip to the Island of Syros. I’ll be sure to alert my decision once I make it.
Anyways, I have to run off now to my first “Greek Key” seminar class. It’s a bi-monthly class that falls on Wednesdays and involves “experiential learning,” which I’m sure would make a lot of my practical, down-to-earth CMC friends cringe. I don’t think it should be too bad, though. The only thing I’m concerned about is how to get to my sociology class in half an hour from downtown Athens where we are meeting. I guess it’s a good thing I’m getting to know the public transit system pretty well.
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Poe – Today
Great lyrics to this song… I should have been playing this near the beginning of my adventure.
Even though about half of the students on the program (my four roommates included) went to Santorini this weekend, and even though I received a separate invitation to go to both Santorini and Mikonos, I elected instead to stay behind and enjoy a first full weekend in Athens. It was a weekend that did not disappoint.
I ended up walking around Athens all Friday with this guy on the program named Ryan. I finally ascended the Acropolis and got to see the Parthenon. I knew Athens was a big, sprawling city, but I don’t think I quite appreciated its enormous size until I stood at the center of it and saw the whole metropolis stretching out before me. Unlike American cities, Athens really doesn’t have skyscrapers (the Acropolis doesn’t count!). I likened the view to a big bumpy white pancake that went on forever and ever.
From the Acropolis, we went down into the Ancient Agora where all kinds of temples and statues reside. International/European Union students get discounted ticket prices to get into all these monuments and attractions, but Greek students get in for free. I was still shocked with how pricey some of these places are, though, even for non-Greek students. Lucky for us, Arcadia has made us their own version of a student I.D. card that the ticket-takers accept as valid for free admission. All we had to do was tell them that we were students in Greece (which meant, of course, speaking in Greek, so I guess I got some good practice there).
The Agora was pretty exciting… there were a bunch of buildings and statues that I need to read up about when I have time because it would be nice to know the importance of exactly what I was viewing.
We stopped for lunch for 5pm, and I was famished because the last thing I had eaten that day was a pseudo Greek salad at 11:30am. I ended up ordering one of the taverna’s specialties, called “Chicken Artemis.” It turned out to be the most moist, tender chicken breast drizzled with mushroom wine sauce with a layer of some kind of whitish-yellowish cheese on top. Rice, potatoes and sauteed carrots also came with it. I’m not sure whether it was because I was absolutely faminished (very likely) or whether it was because I have been channeling the power of the Goddess Artemis (less likely, but a more exciting explanation), but the whole thing was just fantastic. I’ll put in my plug again for the awesomeness of Greek food. I was quite excited for the potatoes, too, because every time I have gone to a restaurant and “potatoes” is on the menu, they usually come in the form of french fries (which are actually, still better than American french fries because the Greeks drizzle their fries with olive oil and oregano). The ones I got were oven baked, though still slathered in olive oil.
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around the Plaka, feeling very touristy, and trying to find my way home without a map (I’m getting better at it!). That night, I received an invitation from two apartments to partake in evening events. I ended up having dinner around 8:30 that night with some good friends at the apartment of Karynna, one of the other CMCers on the trip (who actually roomed with my freshman year roommate last year!). She had made us homemade Eggplant Parmesan using fresh ingrediants bought at the open air market that morning. I spent most of the evening laying in the hammock that they had strung up on their balcony, talking and getting to know my peers.
I woke up on Saturday to the sound of rain plunking away outside. It was as if some schizophrenic Greek god suddenly decided that it was no longer going to be summer anymore. All of a sudden, it became immensely chilly (immensely for me means 60s and 70s, which obviously isn’t that harsh, but dropping overnight from 90s and 100s to 60s and 70s? It almost makes you believe in the fickle Mount Olympus dieties). Still, I was exhilirated, so I went for a jog through the streets of Athens while listening to songs about rain. I probably looked insane to Greek onlookers, but I felt refreshed and cleansed.
Seal – Just Like Before
I went with a group to the Athens Planetarium, where I fell asleep in the big domed iMax-like theater… the music was just so soothing and the chairs were just so comfy. I have been staying up until one or two every morning and waking up around seven, and I haven’t been taking my siesta naps, so it was inevitable that the sleep was going to catch up to me. More city wandering followed that trip – but not after a harrowing trip into the metro. Whenever you get on public transportation here, you have to validate a little ticket by getting it stamped with the time and date of your traveling. Every once in a while, police will monitor metro and bus stations to check for people trying to beat the system. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding and much confusion among us (damn language barrier!), two of my pals got slammed with a 48 euro ticket as we went into the metro station due to complications with their tickets, validation and whatnot. I got through unscathed, but they both had to pay up right then and there. I am always going to be extra careful and attentive now when taking public transportation…
Sunday was a day for cleaning and for homework. My roommates were still gone, so I had the luxury of doing all of my laundry and using all of the clothesline space to myself. I also got to take a luxurious 15-minute hot water shower… hot water doesn’t last long, even with the water heater on, and when you’re trying to conserve enough hot water for five girls to shower, your time in the bathroom gets cut significantly. I wrote up my five-page sociology paper and became super addicted to a Candian cartoon show that my Arcadia friends here have introduced me to, “Class of the Titans.” Laugh all you want… it’s a show that follows seven teenage descendents of Greek heroes who in the present time are being trained at Olympus High School by the aging Greek gods in order to defeat Chronus, Zeus’ Titan father who has escaped from Hades and is hellbent on taking over the world. I have finally found my people, people who watch and enjoy things like this. A multi-hour long Skype with Brendan ensued, making my night… and then I decided to upload and have some fun with my pictures…
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Okay, it’s time to get the day going… another week of classes awaits!
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Minus the Bear – Pachuca Sunrise
The lyrics to this song are so perfect right now, they have to be read to be believed!
I got back yesterday from our weekend adventure to the island of Kea (or, Tzia, if you’re Greek. I pronounced it “Kee-ah,” which is apparently the biggest pronunciation mistake of them all. I believe it is, in fact, Kay-uh). The boat ride there was only about an hour, but man, was it an amazing hour. I turned on my iPod and sat up on the ship as far as I could and let the wind blow and zoned out, and when Death Cab for Cutie’s “We Looked Like Giants,” shuffled on, I couldn’t help but cry at how pretty it was. Luckily no one saw the tears from underneath my sunglasses!
Death Cab for Cutie – We Looked Like Giants
We got in somewhat late, but that only meant that we got to see the afternoon sun’s glow light up the little port village of Korissia. We walked down the road to these little hotels where we would be staying and got into our rooms. And these were no fancy 5-star luxury hotels. They were little inns run by a Greek couple that set out a continental breakfast every morning for us. Continental breakfast in Greece, however, means toast crackers, tomatoes, cheese, ham and hard-boiled eggs plus coffee and tea. In any case, these rooms were opened by actual keys (no key cards here), and you were allowed to leave your keys at the front desk instead of having to carry it around and be responsible for it.
We had a party on the beach that night in which alcohol was overpriced and people could swim in the ocean under the moonlight. No one was really dancing, but when Madonna came on, I couldn’t help but get up and dance with the Arcadia staff and sing at the top of my lungs. Also on the playlist was Kim Wilde’s “Keep Me Hanging On,” which made me think of David Nahmias and tugged at my homesick heartstrings a little bit. I left around 10:30pm (it seemed so much later, though!) and hung out on a balcony with a group of other girls. Everyone drank cheap red wine and waited until midnight to wish the one token guy who was hanging with us, Ted, a happy 21st birthday!
The next morning, my Kea roommate Carrie and I went down to the village to kill time before we had to meet at 11:00am for our next adventure. I ordered my first coffee from a cafe in solely Greek (“Ena elliniko freddo skieto” – a plain iced Greek coffee) and was surprisingly shocked at how amazingly strong my drink was. I almost winced at first, but the strength of the caffeine outweighed all of the bitterness. Iced coffee drinks here always have foam on them, whether it’s just an iced coffee or whether it’s an iced cappuccino. The entire group took a bus up the windy mountain roads to the village of Ioulida, where we went hiking in the mountains and got a chance to visit an ancient archeological museum on our way back.
A group of us had lunch in the village, and I had my first truly Greek meal. I ended up with the most tender piece of chicken I’ve ever tasted in my entire life… it was baked in an oven with lemon, olive oil and oregano, and the meat was falling off my fork and melting in my mouth. Other dining fares included a Greek salad, spaghetti bologanese (Greek? Really?) and ground fava beans with olive oil, onions, and lemon juice (apparently a specialty of the island). We all tasted each other’s food and split a bread basket with some cheese and caper spread. I have eaten so much cheese in the last 48 to 72 hours… I never thought I would be able to enjoy cheese again, and literally, that’s all I really feel like eating.
A side note: I remain firm in my declaration that food tastes so much better here. I also feel “cleaner” if that makes any sense… all the food is fresh and organic, really, because industrialized food really doesn’t exist here. Sure, in Athens there’s some processed stuff, but on the island, everyone farms there own crops. I was woken up by roosters each morning, and out in the hills are these terraces where fruit and vegetables are grown. Goats are kept up there, too, and the farmers tie one of their front legs together with one of their back legs to keep them from moving too quickly. It doesn’t hurt them – it just keeps them from getting away from home. Also, things really are served seasonally. I can’t find berries anywhere because they peak in June. Over the weekend, there must have been a fresh watermelon harvest because Sunday morning when I woke up, there was the sweetest, juiciest, most delicious platter of watermelon available at the continental breakfast. Suddenly, restaurants everywhere started serving watermelon. It really comes to show just how fresh everything is…
Anyways, back to my story. From our lunching spot, we took two taxis to the other side of the island. There is nothing more terrifying than driving with a Greek island taxi driver. They were literally swooping around these curvy roads at 60 miles per hour, talking on the phone every other minute in Greek, driving with one hand. And these roads are narrow… if another car comes, often one of the cars has to stop and swerve to the side to let the other pass. I tried to close my eyes and wait for us to get to our destination – Karthea.
I had wanted to go hiking, but I had planned on going back to the hotel to change. I did not realize that once you were out, you would want to stay out. So I ended up hiking down this gnarly mountain path in a skirt and sandals (albeit the expensive travel leather sandals my mom bought for me in San Francisco). I was pleasantly surprised at how in shape I was… even in my debilitating garb, I managed to remain at the head of the pack. And when we got to the bottom, the ocean stretched out before us in all its cerulean glory. We all started screaming at the top of our lungs and sprinted towards the water and everyone stripped down to their bathing suits as they ran. It could have been a “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” movie moment. I, again, was unprepared and did not have a bathing suit, and since skinny dipping seemed like a bad idea, went over to this old building, where I sat and wrote and collected my thoughts. Though that’s not to say that I didn’t snag any pictures of my female companions!
Now, the part of Karthea that intrigued me was the fact that there were some ancient ruins down near the beach. Once everyone rinsed off in the extremely salty sea, we trekked up the hills to see the ancient debris. It seemed as if someone was trying to reconstruct what pieces had been dug up, as all these rocks were laid out neatly in order as if ready to be erected once again. We did get to see some columns, though. Looking for a better view of the area, I climbed up the side of this cliff and found the most amazing view I had ever seen. For a second, I believed I was in the most incredible place in the world. I got a little lost in the moment and was only brought back to reality when my pals started screaming at me to get away from the edge because they didn’t want me to fall. It felt nice to be worried about just a little bit!
We called the taxis to pick us up at 6:50pm, so to make sure we could scale the mountain in time, we left around 5:00. We must have all been determined or energized or something because we made it up with an hour and fifteen minutes to spare. So we played the waiting game. I sat down on a rock… and then lay down on the rock… and then fell asleep on the rock for about 40 minutes. I dreamt strangely enough of Disneyland… namely Tomorrowland and Star Tours. I woke up screaming, “Ow! Ow! Ow!” because, well, I had fallen asleep on a rock. It took us another 40 minutes of twisty, windy taxi driving to get us back to Korissa. The taxi driver spoke no English, so we tried to communicate with him the best we could using the few Greek phrases we knew. To fill the silent space, he turned on his radio, and I got to listen to some modern Greek music while I watched the scenery flash by me out the windows. We got in around 7:45pm, showered, and went out to dinner. We turned in late Saturday night after finding a cool ice cream place because we wanted to get up early the next day and explore some more…
Sunday morning was certainly less eventful but still exciting. I wanted to walk out to the lighthouse but was too tired so instead watched this boat regatta go by on the rocks and then had lunch with two other girls that I befriended over the weekend. I had my first Greek salad all to myself and nearly ate the entire block of feta.
Exhausted, we returned on the boat and took a charter bus home. Now it’s Monday morning and I have my first class, Greek Literature As Culture, tonight at 6:30pm to 8:30pm. After that, I have helped plan a dinner party with some other girls in the program. After we cook and eat, we are going to go to the Acropolis since tonight is the first full moon we will have in Greece. The Parthenon under the full moon. My internet in my apartment went down today, and hopefully it will be back soon to make blog posting easier. Nevertheless, expect pictures soon.
I am not referring to virgin olive oil, though I have been cooking extensively with it each day since being here. So Jan was talking to us the other day about “virgin experiences.” According to her, these are times when we do something, go somewhere, or see something “for the very first time” (this was a very awkward meeting, by the way). An example would be when I went running at the Olympic Stadium for the first time by myself. Or when I went to the grocery store and bought groceries all by myself using the little Greek that I knew.
So these past few days were full of multiple “virgin experiences.” I went shopping at a department store alone for the first time to buy a hair straightener. Then three of my roommates and I took public transportation alone and went shopping down in Syntagma Square, one of the main plateias in downtown Athens. We went to H&M to buy clothes and to the Hondos Center, a big department store in Greece, to get mirrors, school supplies, etc. I also made the perfect pot of Greek coffee that morning – one more “first time” experience.
Yesterday, I also became highly depressed for the first time since being here. I really miss my friends and family, and I really miss familiar things. I miss the comfort of Claremont McKenna and 10:30pm Snack. I miss Berkeley adventures with Brendan. I miss getting Golden Spoon with my mom and staying up late surfing YouTube with her. I miss flavored coffee in a French press. I miss frozen yogurt. I miss driving. I miss being able to flush my toilet paper down the toilet. I miss not having air conditioning. I miss being able to speak and be understood, and I miss being able to read signs and menus and food labels. Petty things, some of them seem, but all the feelings are real nonetheless.
Last night, we decided to go out to some bars. The first place was kind of awkward and the bartender laughed at us and our feeble attempts at ordering drinks in Greek. From there, however, we moved onto a more popular bar down the road from our apartment. It was full of old Greek men who called for us to come in. Some other Arcadia students had been there in previous nights, so we figured they were harmless. There was a really old white-haired man who was playing traditional Greek music on a guitar, and because I expressed so much interest, he patiently explained in the best English that he could what the songs were called and where they originated from. So I finally got to hear some live Greek music! The men chuckled a bit when I told them I came from Southern California, and one of the men who was smoking a thick, sweet-smelling cigar said in broken English, “Ah, California. Good wine. White wine. I bought bottle other day.” He grinned at me with slightly yellowed teeth and I said, “Yeah… wine is up in Northern California. Not near me.” His quiet nod implied to me that he did not particularly understand what I had said. Oh well.
The bartender spoke better English, and he and Elyssa spoke at length in both English and Greek. Then he took out six shot glasses, one for each of us and one for him. He filled them with tequila, put a lemon slice on each one and invited us to take it with him on the house. As I had learned from my extensive reading about Greek culture before arriving, it is considered extremely rude to refuse free drinks given freely from Greek men, so after a cheers in Greek, I swallowed it in one gulp and promptly stuck the lemon slice in my mouth. I then proceeded to down my entire glass of water, eliciting roaring laughter from the Greek men, who delightedly proclaimed, “Look at her! She drinks all the water!”
I finally got bed around 2:15 in the morning and woke up to get to the open air market (called the Laiki) at 10:00am. Again, another “virgin” moment. I tell you, this market trumps every Farmer’s Market in California three times over again. Even the one in Berkeley could not compare to this. Fruits, vegetables, flowers, clothes, kitchen supplies… all can be purchased on the streets of Pagrati each Friday. I bought some carrots, garlic and apples for roughly two euro and a cute black dress for five euro! I would have bought more, but because we’re going to the island of Kea (Tzia) for the weekend, I figured perishable stuff would go bad by the time I returned. But I can’t wait for next Friday. And I can’t wait to go to my first Greek island! More about that on Sunday when I return…
The Laiki
I know that once orientation week ends, I will be posting less, what with classes starting and me planning field trips for myself on the weekend. I can’t believe it’s only the third full day here… I feel like I’ve already been here for weeks already.
Yesterday was for certain a day to remember. I woke up early and decided to go running at the Olympic Stadium. I ended up going alone because my roommate Elissa was feeling a little sick from waking up with such a lack of sleep (it’s so hot here, sleep is a fitful event at best). I was feeling more awake, however, so I donned my running shorts, strapped on my iPod armband and made my way to the stadium. I received a few looks from the Greeks who where there (“Who is this young woman with an iPod around her arm?” I imagined them asking themselves, followed by some comment like “Damn foreigners…”), but I tried not to let that get to me… I realize I stuck out as an American, but I really had no idea what kind of things Greeks wore when they went out to exercise in the morning. But whatever – it felt good to get the endorphins going.
And then I found a trail leading up into a hill, and I figured what the heck and ran on up. The sun was rising, I was listening to “Sweet Things” by Charlotte Martin, and as I turned a corner, the Parthenon atop the Acropolis came into full view in the near distance. I stopped, stared, and noticed that all around me was a panoramic view of the entire city. It was amazing. I daresay it was magical. I plan on going back tomorrow with a camera to take pictures.
Then later on, we were basically dropped off in the middle of downtown Athens and were given a list of places to try and see on an “Athens Scavenger Hunt.” We had to use public transportation and were ultimately told to find our way home. I was in a group with three other girls, and we were literally wandering around for 2 to 2.5 hours trying to find things and make it home. We walked a lot, so much that my feet hurt… I can’t remember the last time that happened to me. Though I feel way less disoriented now, I still want to figure out how to use all the various forms of public transit. I think David’s words of wisdom ring true: once you figure out the public transportation system, you feel like you can conquer the city.
We made dinner last night together. We had a lemon chicken stir fry with rice and an authentic Greek salad made with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, green bell peppers, oregano, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Oh yes – and Greek feta. People were telling me that I would love Greek feta and that it tasted nothing like American feta. I scoffed at them, but they were right. I love Greek feta and it tastes nothing like (read: so much better) than American feta. I wish I could bring some back for all my feta-loving (and feta-hating) loved ones.
It’s more windy today (today meaning Wednesday). I’m really sorry that I didn’t pack any shorts. A shopping trip will be in order soon, I think. Anyways, we went back to the clinic this morning to have our TB tests read (negative, of course), and then I ventured back to the grocery store by myself. It was a little anxiety-provoking going on my own, and I certainly needed the help of the store workers and other friendly Greek shoppers, but I made it out alive! I even got to practice a little Greek, saying “please,” “thank you,” “excuse me,” and more. I was so pleased with myself, as I walked into my apartment building, I enthusiastically said to a little old woman in the lobby, “Kalimera!” (good morning) and she grinned the biggest grin I had ever seen from a little old woman and replied, “Yassas, kalimera.” I felt a little Greek for just a split second.
So today we have a short meeting in the early afternoon and another Greek class. Hopefully I can stop by a Vodafone and get this cell phone of mine unlocked. We’re also going to try to make dinner again tonight and by the end of the day, I plan on being fully moved in and packed away.
Every day I feel better and better about being here. I can’t wait for the weekend… we’re going on a weekend field trip to the island of Tzia (or Kea, as it’s pronounced in English).
P.S. Food tastes better here all around. It really does. Pineapple, grapes… even tomatoes just taste better. I can’t explain what makes it better or why it tastes better… it just is! Bread tastes better, milk tastes better… the deli turkey slices maybe not so much, but as far as fresh foods go, in Greece, they just taste better.
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Charlotte Martin – Sweet Things
In front of the Olympic Stadium
We got into Athens airport and about half of our group lost their luggage. Luckily all of mine were there waiting for me after the half-hour line to get my passport and visa stamped. We were literally dropped off at our apartment and told to be at the Arcadia Center at 20:00 (8pm) for dinner. We were all exhausted, but two other girls and I were too hyped up to sleep, so we went exploring around the area. Though signs on the freeway were in both English and Greek, in the city, they’re primarily Greek, so we got a little lost… but at least we figured out what kind of stores and cafes are around us. We found a Starbucks, a KFC and a TGI Fridays nearby, but I’ve sworn to not enter into any one of them until I’m physically aching for America.
Last night was rather uneventful… made a few landline calls that I could with my Greek calling card and chatted with my roommates. I had strange dreams all night about home and CMC, and when I opened my eyes in the morning, it was like, “Oh yeah… I’m in Greece…”
But I quickly got up since we had to meet at 7:30am to head down a clinic to get a TB shot and to get x-rays of our chests. I tried making Greek coffee but apparently made it way too weak. Last night we went to a mini-market to get a few food items where I bought milk, oatmeal and apples, so without a microwave, I boiled up some oatmeal for breakfast. I have to say, it was a pretty sketchy looking clinic… the doctor who gave me my shot was super nice, however, especially when I told him I hated needles, so he said, in a thick Greek accent, “Just relax, take a deep breath and tell me your name.” So I did, and by the time I hesitantly said, “My name is Bri,” it was done. Then I got naked. No really. I had to take off everything from the waist up and was pressed into this cold plastic panel for the x-ray. It was a little awkward, I’m not going to lie…
We walked by the 2004 Olympic Stadium on our way to the clinic. There’s a track and exercise course up above it, so I figure that’s where I’ll go run in the mornings. Jan told us we could get a gym membership and a couple of girls expressed great enthusiasm at the prospect, but I bet it’s cheaper just to head down to the stadium. And closer too.
The disorientation is wearing off as I get acclimated to the time zone. It’s hot. Really hot. Really hot and humid. It’s like Southern California and New York City combined. Oh yes! I have a single in our apartment and my window opens up to a balcony overlooking an alleyway. I’ll post pictures when I have more time as I need to run off in a few minutes to get to an orientation meeting. We have our first Greek class this afternoon. We hope to grocery shop later tonight for more necessities.
Everyone here smokes. Athens is full of stray cats. It’s rather run-down and old looking (Greek graffiti everywhere), but there’s a kind of charm to the place. My converter doesn’t fit the outlets, leaving me flat-ironless and curly-haired. Greg wrote in his Greece blog that he felt like a child learning to walk when he first got here… well I feel like a toddler learning to crawl.
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Tori Amos – Parasol
Finally my adventure begins. I’m typing now from a hotel in New York near JFK Airport… I left this morning around 11:00 Pacific Coast Time after a rapid unpacking and repacking in a different carry on bag. The flight was rather uneventful. JetBlue really is a nice airline, though… each seat has televisions and around noon I found a special airing about Atlantis and Greece on the travel channel. Weirdly coincidental, no?
I do have to mention, though, that on the way to the airport, my mom and I stopped at a Radioshack in search of a cell phone charger for the international cell phone that Greg Hall so nicely passed off to me. I have been searching high and low for a charger and have been unable to find one. We thought we found one last night, but the tip to insert into the phone was too big. To make a long story short, the worker at this Radioshack, Eduardo (I swoon!) researched the different tips online and actually tried one that worked! He made my day, and I enthusiastically told him so! I figure when I get to Greece, I shall have to sacrifice something of importance to the Greek gods in his honor.
In any case, I got in around 7:15pm East Coast Time… I’m still adjusting to the small time change. Hopefully the red-eye to Heathrow tomorrow will facilitate an easy transition to Greece’s time. In any case, I had been somewhat laughing at my mom for printing out maps of the JFK airport terminals and AirBus system, but man, was I glad to have those sheets when I got off the plane. JFK is huge and I almost got lost on the way to the baggage claim. It tooka while to get my giant black monster of a suitcase from the baggage carousel, and of course, I feared it had been lost even though I logically knew it had not. From there, it was down several hallways and up an elevator or two to the AirBus, which took me to Federal Circle (lame name for a lame cul-de-sac where all the free hotel shuttles go). I guess I had that “deer-in-headlights” look because this really nice African-American man helped me haul my luggage around and up onto my shuttle and told me to “Calm down and relax, hun, you look like you’ve had a long flight.”
Got to my hotel and checked in only to find that I was considered a “preferred member,” so I was put on the “preferred member” floor (Floor 6) and am greeted with a, “Hello Miss Riggio, what can I do for you?” whenever I call the front desk. There’s a king bed with downy bedding and a giant plasma flat-screen television. I really would have loved to spend my last night in America in my own room, but I can hardly complain about this. I ordered room service since there’s nowhere to eat for dinner around here and might have to do the same for breakfast since I don’t know if I’ll be able to cook the instant oatmeal I packed along with me just in case…
I have to check out by noon tomorrow and be at the airport at least by 4:00pm. My flight leaves at 7:00pm and gets into Heathrow at 7:00am. Then it’s on a flight to Athens from there. By Sunday, 2:00pm Greece time (4:00am for Pacific Coast and 7:00am for East Coast), I should be in Greece and soon on my way to Athens.
So those are the gritty details of everything… I suppose it wouldn’t be my blog if I didn’t include what’s going on mentally and emotionally for me. I am not, as was feared, breaking down in the least. I don’t know… I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for so long, watching my friends take off one by one. It feels good to finally be going somewhere… even if I’m still only in New York. It still feels a little unreal, but I know the path is set. I think I’m excited… no, I am excited. More than I have been in a long time… my anxiety has turned more into a caution, if that makes any sense. My main worry is communication, actually. I’m not so concerned about not knowing Greek, nor am I concerned about my disdain for their food staples (feta, lamb and olives). I am a little wary of how the new time schedule will work out, but really, I’m most worried about not having connection to those I love and care about. It seems stupid, but that’s what I’m worrying about. My mom isn’t going to be just a cell phone call away anymore, per se… between all the time differences and probably limited Internet access, keeping in touch seems like it will be difficult.
I do recognize, though, that with this “problem” comes the opportunity to really grow (sounds cheesy, right?). I am hoping that out of this whole adventure, I learn to become more flexible, more willing to adapt to new surroundings and sudden changes. I hope I learn to be more spontaneous. And I hope to learn to become more independent… emotionally, I mean. I consider myself a pretty independent person, no doubt, but I find that I have a hard time detaching myself from people sometimes. I let my moods and happiness be influenced by other people too much. Hopefully this is the opportunity to wean myself off of some of that because though it’s nice to feel connected to people, I think it causes more harm than good sometimes.
So that’s all. I really can’t wait. And I’m finally getting sleepy even though my computer only says it’s 8:40pm in California. I hope to post as soon as I can, but I don’t know how the Orientation schedule will work out… but next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Greece for sure!
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Only this song can capture the bittersweet (happy-sad) feelings…
Chantal Kreviazuk – Leaving On A Jet Plane
But this one matches my frame of mind, I think…
Seal – Rolling
And I have no idea what they’re saying, but it’s Deep Forest and Peter Gabriel and it’s AMAZING!
Deep Forest and Peter Gabriel – While The Earth Sleeps
I know, I know… I’m posting again before departure. I’m going to change the name of my blog to “An American Girl Dreaming of Athens” since none of my recent adventures actually take place there. But I did want to put up some pictures from my mom’s going away party that she threw for me on Sunday.
I drove up to my dad’s house on Monday and did a little dinner, too. On the way I stopped at CMC, but I didn’t stay long. I was afraid going there was going to make me regret my study abroad decision, but surprisingly, it only confirmed it. As much as I love CMC, it would have been so boring just to go back…
I’ve typically been very excited, but last night, I had another minor panic. My mom provided an insightful analysis. As she pointed out, the day of departure is drawing closer and closer, but I’m stuck here waiting and feeling out of control. I was (irrationally) lamenting not doing the Washington D.C. program again, but she reminded me that I had good reasons for choosing Greece and suggested that talking to Brendan and thinking about how much more “safe” D.C. would feel in comparison to Athens was making me screwy in the head. I had to reluctantly agree, and to get my mind off of my fears, we went late-night shopping for the last few shirts I needed for my upcoming travels…
My class schedule seems to be finally set and is as follows:
The Greek Key Seminar: Either M or W, 11:30am – 1:30pm
Modern Greek Society: M-W, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Modern Greek Literature: M-W, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Byzantine History and Civilization: T-Th, 11:30am – 1:30pm
Beginning Modern Greek: T-Th, 4:00pm – 6:00 pm
All of my shopping is pretty much done… now it’s just cleaning up my room and practicing my Greek. And I promise, if there is only one more pre-departure post, it will be in my New York City hotel on the eve of the big flight.
P.S. I have eaten frozen yogurt every day since last Sunday, and I plan to have some tonight and tomorrow. That’s 12 days in a row. I’m going to miss frozen yogurt…
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Delays – Panic Attacks
