Hello from Thessaloniki! I finally posted some pictures so you can take a look at those. I still have more that I need to add, but at least you have something to look at finally! Everything is going well here! I think my frustration has finally passed for the most part! I knew it would happen sometime! However, my frustration level was tested this weekend!
Alot of people in our program were getting together at a local club, but we had to wait to leave until after we saw the newest episode of Grey's Anayomy. Obviously! We took a cab downtown and figured the club would be easy to find. That was not the case. We looked and walked, and asked people directions. For the most part, they tried to be helpful, but we never found the club. It was usually something that would drive me crazy, and it did for a while. But I survived and someone directed us to a club they thought we were looking for, and to put it nicely, we officially found out that Greece has biker bars.
We walked in and we were probably the only people not wearing leather with greasy hair. It was fine though! We made the best of the night and bought some completely over-priced drinks. But that was not even the best part! That came when the DJ started to play songs like, "Who Let the Dogs Out," and "Thriller." Not to mention the classic, "I Will Survive." We laughed alot and had a good time! It was our first night of staying out all night. (Don't worry Mom. I'm fine!)
To change the subject, I just wanted to share some things that I have been thinking about lately. To start, I have been thinking about how we are in America. In Greece, almost everyone you meet knows some English. I understand that it is a very popular language, but it is not necessary to know. In America, it is not easy to find someone who speaks another language fluently. Side note, did you know that the Greek language was voted down by one vote to be our national language back in the 1770's? Life could be alot different! Also, everyone here seems anxious to help us figure everything out. I can not say that Americans treat people from other countries the same. I just know that I will think twice next time I meet someone foreign to the US.
Also, it is no secret that Greek culture is alot different than American culture, but I have found one very cool difference. Greek people go out almost every night. There are so many restaurants and bars and clubs that it is unbelieveable. A Greek man told me that Greek people work so they can go out. They go out with friends, and talk and laugh for hours over drinks and food. And while you are looking among all of these clubs and restaurants, it is hard to find any of the stores that you usually would in America. There are no Best Buy's or anything like that. They do not work to buy stuff, they work to go out. I can not say which way of life I find to be more satisfying or better. They both provide alot of fun, entertainment, and fulfillment. They are just two very different perspectives on life. Maybe when I get home, I will just have two jobs so I can experience both!! :)
I should be going...I need to get some homework done! Take care everyone! Have a good week!!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Jia Sas! I hope everything is going well in America! Things are starting to get a little more difficult in Greece, but it is still one of the most amazing experiences of my life..and its only the third week! The culture shock part of the trip is turning from the vacation and visitor stage into the frustration stage.
My friend Brandy and I set out this morning to buy clothes and groceries. After about 3 hours of walking, I made it home with two bags of heavy groceries, and no clothes. The best and nearest grocery store to our apartment is about 10 miles, uphill, both ways, with no shoes. Actually it is about 10 blocks, only uphill on the way back, and I guess I was wearing shoes. It was still a challenge. I have learned that everyone in a big city has somewhere to be and they will push you out of the way to get there, if necessary. I am not used to this. For the most part, Greeks have a wonderful, relaxed attitude when it comes to life, until they need to be somewhere. I have already learned that smaller cities are my choice of environment. That could change over the course of this trip. If it does, I'm sure I will let you know!
I also had a frustrating first ride on the city bus. I was nervous to take the crowded bus and I had to take it alone. One of my friends drew me a map and I finally got up the courage to board the bus. I rode for what seemed like a long time, and suddenly everyone exited the bus. I was thinking how nice it was going to be to have my own seat. Then I heard the bus driver yelling at me to get off the bus. I had no idea where I was, so I just started walking. Luckily, I finally realized where I was and proceeded to walk the 30 minutes home. Uphill, like I mentioned!! I thought that this was going to be the most eventful part of my day..that was until I started doing laundry.
Our laundry room is in the basement, which already kind of creeps me out. So, I was minding my own business, putting my laundry in the washer when I noticed something in the corner that seemed out of place. When I looked closer, I realized it was a bag of bones. Human bones. A bag of human bones. Next to this bag was the skull in a pillowcase. If you know me at all, you know that I was pretty freaked out. To make a long story short, it turns out there are medical students living in our building and they use the real skeleton to study anatomy. Ew.
Besides the frustration and the bones, I am getting to know my apartment mates very well. We are having a great time getting to know each other and getting to know each other's different backgrounds. This will prove to be a huge learning experience for all of us! I just hope that everything goes smoothly the whole time! :)
We just had a three day weekend and it seemed to have snuck up on us. We did not have enough time to plan a trip that would be affordable. We took this time to bond and get to know the city a little bit better. Brandy and I spent our Saturday exploring. We walked down to the water and then turned around and climbed all the way to the top of the city. We had been there before, but this time it just seemed more amazing than the time before. We wanted to wait for sunset, but the sky was too cloudy to enjoy it. Instead, we sat at an outdoor cafe overlooking the entire city and drank hot chocolate and lattes. Life is good!!
I am trying to figure out the picture situation, so you should expect to see some photos before next week. I hope! I hope everyone has a great week!! Jia!!
My friend Brandy and I set out this morning to buy clothes and groceries. After about 3 hours of walking, I made it home with two bags of heavy groceries, and no clothes. The best and nearest grocery store to our apartment is about 10 miles, uphill, both ways, with no shoes. Actually it is about 10 blocks, only uphill on the way back, and I guess I was wearing shoes. It was still a challenge. I have learned that everyone in a big city has somewhere to be and they will push you out of the way to get there, if necessary. I am not used to this. For the most part, Greeks have a wonderful, relaxed attitude when it comes to life, until they need to be somewhere. I have already learned that smaller cities are my choice of environment. That could change over the course of this trip. If it does, I'm sure I will let you know!
I also had a frustrating first ride on the city bus. I was nervous to take the crowded bus and I had to take it alone. One of my friends drew me a map and I finally got up the courage to board the bus. I rode for what seemed like a long time, and suddenly everyone exited the bus. I was thinking how nice it was going to be to have my own seat. Then I heard the bus driver yelling at me to get off the bus. I had no idea where I was, so I just started walking. Luckily, I finally realized where I was and proceeded to walk the 30 minutes home. Uphill, like I mentioned!! I thought that this was going to be the most eventful part of my day..that was until I started doing laundry.
Our laundry room is in the basement, which already kind of creeps me out. So, I was minding my own business, putting my laundry in the washer when I noticed something in the corner that seemed out of place. When I looked closer, I realized it was a bag of bones. Human bones. A bag of human bones. Next to this bag was the skull in a pillowcase. If you know me at all, you know that I was pretty freaked out. To make a long story short, it turns out there are medical students living in our building and they use the real skeleton to study anatomy. Ew.
Besides the frustration and the bones, I am getting to know my apartment mates very well. We are having a great time getting to know each other and getting to know each other's different backgrounds. This will prove to be a huge learning experience for all of us! I just hope that everything goes smoothly the whole time! :)
We just had a three day weekend and it seemed to have snuck up on us. We did not have enough time to plan a trip that would be affordable. We took this time to bond and get to know the city a little bit better. Brandy and I spent our Saturday exploring. We walked down to the water and then turned around and climbed all the way to the top of the city. We had been there before, but this time it just seemed more amazing than the time before. We wanted to wait for sunset, but the sky was too cloudy to enjoy it. Instead, we sat at an outdoor cafe overlooking the entire city and drank hot chocolate and lattes. Life is good!!
I am trying to figure out the picture situation, so you should expect to see some photos before next week. I hope! I hope everyone has a great week!! Jia!!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Getting started...
Hello everyone!! Sorry that it took me so long to start this blog. I have been busy exploring Thessaloniki and getting to know all the new people that I am meeting! I will try and make this recapping post short. For starters, traveling to Greece was not easy! Because of late flights, I missed 2 of my own. Which meant that I had to not only get on two different flights, but I also had to buy a new ticket and figure out where my baggage was located. It was not an easy process, but I survived. Luckily everything worked out and I made it safely to my current home: 5 Panepistimiou Street. Our apartment is pretty small, but a small apartment in Greece is better than a lot of places I could be! There are 8 other Americans staying in my apartment building and so far we are all getting along. I am very happy with where I am living. We are about a 10-15 minute walk from downtown and the Agean Sea. It is beautiful! On a clear day you can look across the bay and see Mount Olympus. Downtown is always busy and there is always something to see!
Last week was the start of the Greek Carnivale and it was crazy downtown. It seemed like Halloween! Everyone was dressed in costumes and going crazy. We felt out of place and mostly just watched everything that was going on, such as people lighting Roman Candles in the middle of the streets!! The Greek people are always out at night. They like to get together, eat and drink, and stay out until daylight. We have not yet done this, but maybe soon!! Besides the exciting nightlife, there is plenty to do around the city. We have already visited the town of Vergina, where the tomb of Phillip II is located. It was very interesting to see that part of Ancient Greek culture. We have some other trips planned to places like Athens and a field trip to climb Mount Olympus!
School started this week and everything seems to be going well. I think I will really enjoy my classes. I am taking Gender, Power and Politics, Art History, Modern Greek History, and Modern Greek Language. I am most excited for my Greek class. I have already started reading Greek after only two classes! It is a great feeling, especially since I am beginning to get really frustrated with the lack of communication between the Greek locals and myself! I have also decided to join ACT's varsity volleyball team. I am under the impression that it is mostly for fun, and I hope that is true. We also get to play a tournament in Athens, so that is very exciting! I am also hopefully going to be joining a Greek dance club. I have already learned a few dances and I love them!
I am starting to feel the culture shock that everyone explained would happen. It is really frustrating day after day to not understand the language and the customs of Thessaloniki, Greece. We are doing out best to respect Greek people and remain comfortable, but it getting harder. I think this feeling will pass soon, and I can not wait! One good thing about being in this unfamiliar place is that everyday you experience a small victory that encourages you to continue! For example, going to the grocery store is a lot harder that I expected. Just doing something like buying sliced meat was a huge challenge. But when you finally get what you want and everyone is happy, it is a great feeling!
Well, Happy Valentine's Day to everyone and have a great week! I will be posting some pictures on here so you can see some of what I am seeing!
Last week was the start of the Greek Carnivale and it was crazy downtown. It seemed like Halloween! Everyone was dressed in costumes and going crazy. We felt out of place and mostly just watched everything that was going on, such as people lighting Roman Candles in the middle of the streets!! The Greek people are always out at night. They like to get together, eat and drink, and stay out until daylight. We have not yet done this, but maybe soon!! Besides the exciting nightlife, there is plenty to do around the city. We have already visited the town of Vergina, where the tomb of Phillip II is located. It was very interesting to see that part of Ancient Greek culture. We have some other trips planned to places like Athens and a field trip to climb Mount Olympus!
School started this week and everything seems to be going well. I think I will really enjoy my classes. I am taking Gender, Power and Politics, Art History, Modern Greek History, and Modern Greek Language. I am most excited for my Greek class. I have already started reading Greek after only two classes! It is a great feeling, especially since I am beginning to get really frustrated with the lack of communication between the Greek locals and myself! I have also decided to join ACT's varsity volleyball team. I am under the impression that it is mostly for fun, and I hope that is true. We also get to play a tournament in Athens, so that is very exciting! I am also hopefully going to be joining a Greek dance club. I have already learned a few dances and I love them!
I am starting to feel the culture shock that everyone explained would happen. It is really frustrating day after day to not understand the language and the customs of Thessaloniki, Greece. We are doing out best to respect Greek people and remain comfortable, but it getting harder. I think this feeling will pass soon, and I can not wait! One good thing about being in this unfamiliar place is that everyday you experience a small victory that encourages you to continue! For example, going to the grocery store is a lot harder that I expected. Just doing something like buying sliced meat was a huge challenge. But when you finally get what you want and everyone is happy, it is a great feeling!
Well, Happy Valentine's Day to everyone and have a great week! I will be posting some pictures on here so you can see some of what I am seeing!
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