Where Do I Go From Here?
They Tell Me to Try, Try, Try, Again,
Push, Pull, Shove, Shake,
There Is No Bottom To This Rabbit Hole.
Will I Make Something Of Myself?
On The Hill I Sit,
Looking Down At The City,
Destroy It Before It Destroys Me.
2/25/2010
2/22/2010
Greek Halloween celebration in Aristotle Square
View out of my apartment building (below)
Cemetary right next to my apartment.
Layover in Switzerland on the first day.
I realized I had not put any pictures up of my time here, so I added a few scenic ones. These are all on my facebook, but this way they entail captions.
Yesterday my friend Chelsea and I went on a 5 mile run along the ocean. It was incredibly windy, so there were white caps all over, and the ocean was spilling onto the path. Coming from the midwest, it was amazing to see the ocean's fury. I may live on a lake, but things like that don't occur :) It felt so good to run again that time flew by with all the people watching and wave dodging that it felt more like 2 miles. It makes me reallly appreciate where I am. Living on the Aegean Sea is not something I am ever going to get used to.
I've developed close friendships with two girls here, and it definitely enhances my experience. My friends at home mean the owrld to me, so that was what I was most worried about leaving in the States; Luckily I feel like I will leave Greece with ties with people I never would have met!
Greece is a place to grow. I've always known who I am, but it truly makes me appreciate my life, as well as life itself. I've only been here for 3 and a half weeks, but I know I'm going to have a difficult time leaving it come June.
Today, after class, I'm going to find out information about volunteering at a middle easte refuge camp. I feel like giving back will truly make my experience here even more complete. I have my first quiz tomorrow in Psychology of Personality, wish me luck! Gotta leave for school now :)
2/18/2010
Frustration, Beauty, and Realization
Today I experienced my first frustration with the Greek culture. Flowers arrived for me on Saturday, however the gatehouse at my college neglected to mention it to someone who could get a hold of me to let me know until today, 5 days later. Now the roses are completely dead. Because the European culture is so layed back letting me know about the flowers was not a priority of theirs. Normally I am all for the relaxed structure, however today it really got to me.
Also, I have a friend here who is also studying abroad who was outwardly discriminated against and was refused a cab ride because she was from America. Her blond hair makes her stand out like a sore thumb here, and the driver refused her service because of where she came from. At first I was annoyed that someone could be so outwardly discriminating of someone by where they are from, but really is it all that different from what we do? Sure, in America our discrimination is much more veiled, but it is definitely palpable. They just are more expressive.
However, the positives of Greece far outweighs the negatives.
Everyday I notice something else beautiful about Thessaloniki. Today when my friend Chelsea and I were on our way home from school and we were looking driving down from a hill towards the city and we realized how white all the buildings are. In the states, in an urban area, everything is black, but here it remains its' purity. Looking down upon the city and on towards the ocean with the sun setting... Mountains in the background.. It is incredible in its' own way.
I think that everyone should make a trip to Europe at sometime or another in their lives, just to see that life is not like the US everywhere else. Sure, in some ways the Europeans envy the Americans, but I think we have just as much if not more of a reason to envy them. The majority of Europeans are very welcoming and outgoing, whereas Americans are out for themselves. Money, money, money. Career. Seeking the "American Dream". Who cares? What about everyone else and just enjoying life for what it is? We all seem so certain about what will make us happy, but along the way we seem to lose focus of what truly matters and lead stressed and chaotic lives in the mean time. Coming here is helping me remember to STOP. Look at the little things. The sunset. Cherishing new friends. how lucky I am to be here. Learning to actually LOOK at what is seen as typical, and think about what it really means.
Yesterday, I was talking to my RA in my apartment and a class friend and they were telling me about the bombing of Serbia, which is where they are from. Apparently the members of NATO (which america was a member of) bombed the shit out of Serbia in the 90's. Inflation skyrocked, the cities were left in ruins, and people fought over loafs of bread. The economy was so bad that it became haggling based for some time. I'm not attacking America for what they did, I'm sure they had some reason for it, I just can't believe that I had never heard about it before. To see how it traumatized these fellow college students lives... America acts like they are so high and mighty and go fix everything they break, but what about Serbia? Ha I realize this was a hardcore random tangent... It's two am and I can't sleep because my mind is whirling... To tell you the truth I love America. I appreciate where I came from. It's just nice to have a different point of view and more knowledge from other sources. It's fascinating.
That's all for now. Off to bed.
Also, I have a friend here who is also studying abroad who was outwardly discriminated against and was refused a cab ride because she was from America. Her blond hair makes her stand out like a sore thumb here, and the driver refused her service because of where she came from. At first I was annoyed that someone could be so outwardly discriminating of someone by where they are from, but really is it all that different from what we do? Sure, in America our discrimination is much more veiled, but it is definitely palpable. They just are more expressive.
However, the positives of Greece far outweighs the negatives.
Everyday I notice something else beautiful about Thessaloniki. Today when my friend Chelsea and I were on our way home from school and we were looking driving down from a hill towards the city and we realized how white all the buildings are. In the states, in an urban area, everything is black, but here it remains its' purity. Looking down upon the city and on towards the ocean with the sun setting... Mountains in the background.. It is incredible in its' own way.
I think that everyone should make a trip to Europe at sometime or another in their lives, just to see that life is not like the US everywhere else. Sure, in some ways the Europeans envy the Americans, but I think we have just as much if not more of a reason to envy them. The majority of Europeans are very welcoming and outgoing, whereas Americans are out for themselves. Money, money, money. Career. Seeking the "American Dream". Who cares? What about everyone else and just enjoying life for what it is? We all seem so certain about what will make us happy, but along the way we seem to lose focus of what truly matters and lead stressed and chaotic lives in the mean time. Coming here is helping me remember to STOP. Look at the little things. The sunset. Cherishing new friends. how lucky I am to be here. Learning to actually LOOK at what is seen as typical, and think about what it really means.
Yesterday, I was talking to my RA in my apartment and a class friend and they were telling me about the bombing of Serbia, which is where they are from. Apparently the members of NATO (which america was a member of) bombed the shit out of Serbia in the 90's. Inflation skyrocked, the cities were left in ruins, and people fought over loafs of bread. The economy was so bad that it became haggling based for some time. I'm not attacking America for what they did, I'm sure they had some reason for it, I just can't believe that I had never heard about it before. To see how it traumatized these fellow college students lives... America acts like they are so high and mighty and go fix everything they break, but what about Serbia? Ha I realize this was a hardcore random tangent... It's two am and I can't sleep because my mind is whirling... To tell you the truth I love America. I appreciate where I came from. It's just nice to have a different point of view and more knowledge from other sources. It's fascinating.
That's all for now. Off to bed.
2/16/2010
Things I've Learned
Alright so first off I stole this idea from the beautiful Melissa. Just thought I'd give her props for it :)
Things I've learned :
1. In Greece, the bars do not close until 5 am, so people generally do not go out until midnight.
2. It is not illegal to have an open container on the street (not that I have taken advantage of that or anything)
3. Gyros here are NOTHING like they are in America. Greeks should be insulted with what we have done to them. You can find a gyro stand here as often as you would find a mcdonalds in America, and they are fairly cheap.
4. Drinks at bars in Greece are VERY expensive, but often times when ordering shots if you are nice to the bartenders they will give you one for everyone you buy.
5. Stray dogs and cats are everywhere. Sometimes whole apartment buildings feed certain animals and they are the community pet. During the day they wander.
6. Greeks drive CRAZY! It doesn't matter if the light is red, sometimes they will still go, consequence free.
7. Greeks rarely use their blinkers, but seem to be very fond of their horns.
8. Anywhere there is room you can park. Whether its blocking someone in, backwards, on the side walk, in the middle of the street, you name it. No tickets.
9. Cops here don't do shit. I've only see 3 or 4 and I live in a city of a million people. The government here is VERY corrupt, so the junkies smoke heroin at bonfires in the middle of the city park, no consequences.
10. The majority of the black people on the streets selling things are illegal immigrants from Africa. They generally have VERY good english, and haggle good on the street, often times being stolen.
11. Unlike America, Greeks will often stare at you. There is no shame in it and they won't look away. It is not always a bad thing though.
12. Greeks are very friendly. It is not uncommon to be talked to in the streets by random strangers.
13. 3-5 is siesta time is Greece. Nothing is open except cafes and tavernas. Also, on sundays almost everything is closed.
14. Greeks have a very different clothing style. It's all about dark colors, skinny jeans, and boots. Wearing bright colors is unseen. (I choose to stand out because boy do I love my bright colors!)
15. Greeks have no idea what beer pong is, and they are very eager to learn it. As well as tippy cup. They love being social and stating their opinions.
16. Wine or beer is often seen with every meal. You can find both quite cheap.
17. Greeks are much more relaxed then we are. They are often late for things, and tone everything down. They get there when they get there. Class never starts before 11 30 because they do not like to wake up early and are out late.
18. There is a potato man by my apartment that wakes me up quite often. He yells on his megaphone about his potatoes. It sounds like the army or some religious cult is going to get us. With him and the construction, you learn to sleep heavier if you want to get enough.
19. Greece is a very cash based economy. If you use a credit card to pay they look at you like you are crazy and it takes a long time to process.
20. Land is everything to the Greeks. When a family buys land they build on it and it stays with them for generations. You don't move. Either future generations will rebuild a new house on the same spot when the time comes, or they let it decay; they do not sell the land, there is much to much of an emotional tie with it.
21. There are not dryers in Greece, one must hang dry their clothes and the washing machines take two hours.
22. In tavernas (restaurants) you are given free bread and sometimes dessert. The Greeks do not order an item for each person, they order a few things and everyone shares. Also, the taverna owners compete for your service, so you can often convince them to give you free drinks.
23. Tzatski sauce is absolutely amazing. It can go on ANYTHING. pizza, crackers, bread, fruit, chips... not that I've done it or anything.. It's a type if creamy cucumber sauce that is also found in the gyros.
24. You can not flush your toilet paper in Greece. The pipes are too small, so their is always a garbage in the bathroom with you to dispose of it. Luckily for me I'm able to in my apartment and college!
25. Reading is seen as "uncool" in Greece. If you are reading in public it means that you are not a social person... Not too fond of that norm because I love reading.
26. I've learned that the time difference here is really hard. It is almost impossible to get a hold of all the people I love on a semi normal basis. It def. shows you who your true friends are.
27. In Thessaloniki, there are ruins all over the city, including the middle of downtown. Instead of removing them, the Greeks just build around it, preserving their culture. It's not about the here and now like it is in the U.S., it's about remembering who you are and where you came from.
28. Greeks get VERY heated when it comes to the topic of Macedonia. The desire them to call themselves a different name, as they do not wish to be affiliated with them (from my understanding) I do not really understand the whole matter, but it's deeply engrained in every Greek person so I'm sure I'll get a better grasp of it before I leave.
29. Greeks often mother their children much longer here. Sometimes when their children get married, they will still go and live with them as to futher take care of them.
30. All young people speak English, as well as many other languages. They have a hard time believing how little of other languages we know.
That's as much as I can think of write now, but I'm sure I've learned much more! I love Greece, but I have a feeling homesickness is going to hit me pretty hard relatively soon. I'm very excited for my parents to come see me in April, it's hard only talking to my mom like 2 times a week online.
Things I've learned :
1. In Greece, the bars do not close until 5 am, so people generally do not go out until midnight.
2. It is not illegal to have an open container on the street (not that I have taken advantage of that or anything)
3. Gyros here are NOTHING like they are in America. Greeks should be insulted with what we have done to them. You can find a gyro stand here as often as you would find a mcdonalds in America, and they are fairly cheap.
4. Drinks at bars in Greece are VERY expensive, but often times when ordering shots if you are nice to the bartenders they will give you one for everyone you buy.
5. Stray dogs and cats are everywhere. Sometimes whole apartment buildings feed certain animals and they are the community pet. During the day they wander.
6. Greeks drive CRAZY! It doesn't matter if the light is red, sometimes they will still go, consequence free.
7. Greeks rarely use their blinkers, but seem to be very fond of their horns.
8. Anywhere there is room you can park. Whether its blocking someone in, backwards, on the side walk, in the middle of the street, you name it. No tickets.
9. Cops here don't do shit. I've only see 3 or 4 and I live in a city of a million people. The government here is VERY corrupt, so the junkies smoke heroin at bonfires in the middle of the city park, no consequences.
10. The majority of the black people on the streets selling things are illegal immigrants from Africa. They generally have VERY good english, and haggle good on the street, often times being stolen.
11. Unlike America, Greeks will often stare at you. There is no shame in it and they won't look away. It is not always a bad thing though.
12. Greeks are very friendly. It is not uncommon to be talked to in the streets by random strangers.
13. 3-5 is siesta time is Greece. Nothing is open except cafes and tavernas. Also, on sundays almost everything is closed.
14. Greeks have a very different clothing style. It's all about dark colors, skinny jeans, and boots. Wearing bright colors is unseen. (I choose to stand out because boy do I love my bright colors!)
15. Greeks have no idea what beer pong is, and they are very eager to learn it. As well as tippy cup. They love being social and stating their opinions.
16. Wine or beer is often seen with every meal. You can find both quite cheap.
17. Greeks are much more relaxed then we are. They are often late for things, and tone everything down. They get there when they get there. Class never starts before 11 30 because they do not like to wake up early and are out late.
18. There is a potato man by my apartment that wakes me up quite often. He yells on his megaphone about his potatoes. It sounds like the army or some religious cult is going to get us. With him and the construction, you learn to sleep heavier if you want to get enough.
19. Greece is a very cash based economy. If you use a credit card to pay they look at you like you are crazy and it takes a long time to process.
20. Land is everything to the Greeks. When a family buys land they build on it and it stays with them for generations. You don't move. Either future generations will rebuild a new house on the same spot when the time comes, or they let it decay; they do not sell the land, there is much to much of an emotional tie with it.
21. There are not dryers in Greece, one must hang dry their clothes and the washing machines take two hours.
22. In tavernas (restaurants) you are given free bread and sometimes dessert. The Greeks do not order an item for each person, they order a few things and everyone shares. Also, the taverna owners compete for your service, so you can often convince them to give you free drinks.
23. Tzatski sauce is absolutely amazing. It can go on ANYTHING. pizza, crackers, bread, fruit, chips... not that I've done it or anything.. It's a type if creamy cucumber sauce that is also found in the gyros.
24. You can not flush your toilet paper in Greece. The pipes are too small, so their is always a garbage in the bathroom with you to dispose of it. Luckily for me I'm able to in my apartment and college!
25. Reading is seen as "uncool" in Greece. If you are reading in public it means that you are not a social person... Not too fond of that norm because I love reading.
26. I've learned that the time difference here is really hard. It is almost impossible to get a hold of all the people I love on a semi normal basis. It def. shows you who your true friends are.
27. In Thessaloniki, there are ruins all over the city, including the middle of downtown. Instead of removing them, the Greeks just build around it, preserving their culture. It's not about the here and now like it is in the U.S., it's about remembering who you are and where you came from.
28. Greeks get VERY heated when it comes to the topic of Macedonia. The desire them to call themselves a different name, as they do not wish to be affiliated with them (from my understanding) I do not really understand the whole matter, but it's deeply engrained in every Greek person so I'm sure I'll get a better grasp of it before I leave.
29. Greeks often mother their children much longer here. Sometimes when their children get married, they will still go and live with them as to futher take care of them.
30. All young people speak English, as well as many other languages. They have a hard time believing how little of other languages we know.
That's as much as I can think of write now, but I'm sure I've learned much more! I love Greece, but I have a feeling homesickness is going to hit me pretty hard relatively soon. I'm very excited for my parents to come see me in April, it's hard only talking to my mom like 2 times a week online.
2/15/2010
The Beginning
So I've been in Greece for two weeks now, and decided it would be a good idea to start a blog. That way I can record my memories and look back on them later.. There are already so many! I flew out of the US on Jan 28th, making it to Switzerland 12 hours and 2 panic attacks later. Spent a lot of time arguing in the Airport and with the taxi drivers, but I made it! Me and the 5 girls I traveled with had an 11 hour lay over so we decided to go out and see the city :) Luckily for me their main language they speak in Zurich is German so I was able to navigate us around town. I bought a really tight ring in the process.
We arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece at 3 am after 26 hours of traveling. One of the girls lost her bag, so we did not arrive to our hotel until 4 30 am. Then we all talked to our parents quick so they knew we made it safely and crashed because we had been up for 2 days straight. We pretty much slept all day, not waking up until 4 pm. Damn the jet lag! Then we walked around the city and I experienced my first gyro :) The next day we arrived at our apartments. I was one of the unlucky ones who was on the ground floor and didn't get a balcony, but I was just happy to be able to unpack finally. Living out of a suit case is not my cup of tea. That night our friend Rich took some of us girls out to a bar with some of his Greek friends and just showed us the town. He was def. our savior when we got there, we learned a months worth of info in one day and we felt way more comfortable. He became a fast friend and we have already formed a little group of friends here. We've done a lot of drinking... perhaps too much.
One day we took a field trip to Vergina, which is the tomb of Alexander the Greats father, Phillip the second. It was pretty cool to see where someone was buried that I have only heard about in books. Then we went to a church that was made in honor or St. Demetris which was beautiful. Beneath the church was an ancient roman bath/ church. I still can not get my mind around the fact that that place is from 400 bc.. It's mind boggling.
Last monday we started school. Things is Greece are def. much more relaxed. My favorite class is art appreciation by far. it is so interesting to hear about, especially is such a beautiful and historic country. This weekend I mostly just hung out. For valentines day my group of friends went out to dinner at a taverna, and then headed to the bars. I def. had more then one to many drinks and I've been paying for it all day... I don't know how to say no to free shots though! Greek guys often buy the girls drinks, which I am def. ok with. The bartenders as well. They just want someone to talk to. My favorite bar by far is called Silver Dollar. It is a rock/metal bar, and not too far from home. I made a fool of myself their last night, but that won't keep me from going back :)
Some random thoughts.... I've joined many clubs... I want to get the full experience while I'm here. I'm going kite surfing in May which I am ECSTATIC about. My good friend Sam and I (she laso is from EC) are planning a trip to Istanbul for the middle of march. We also are looking into spring break. spain.. italy... egypt... who knows!!! I'm so excited for my mom and dad to come in the middle of April... I may have only been gone for two weeks but I already miss them. It's hard not bieng able to talk to them whenever I want to. The time differences are hard. I'm set on bringing them to the greek island crete when they arrive.... Their are sooo many things I want to show them here! Tavernas... tzatski.... the GYROs..... I can't wait :)
So far I absolutely love it here.... I miss my friends and family but hopefully my new firends here will be ones I will have forever. The culture is amazing and unlike anything I have ever seen. I'll write more about it soon.
We arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece at 3 am after 26 hours of traveling. One of the girls lost her bag, so we did not arrive to our hotel until 4 30 am. Then we all talked to our parents quick so they knew we made it safely and crashed because we had been up for 2 days straight. We pretty much slept all day, not waking up until 4 pm. Damn the jet lag! Then we walked around the city and I experienced my first gyro :) The next day we arrived at our apartments. I was one of the unlucky ones who was on the ground floor and didn't get a balcony, but I was just happy to be able to unpack finally. Living out of a suit case is not my cup of tea. That night our friend Rich took some of us girls out to a bar with some of his Greek friends and just showed us the town. He was def. our savior when we got there, we learned a months worth of info in one day and we felt way more comfortable. He became a fast friend and we have already formed a little group of friends here. We've done a lot of drinking... perhaps too much.
One day we took a field trip to Vergina, which is the tomb of Alexander the Greats father, Phillip the second. It was pretty cool to see where someone was buried that I have only heard about in books. Then we went to a church that was made in honor or St. Demetris which was beautiful. Beneath the church was an ancient roman bath/ church. I still can not get my mind around the fact that that place is from 400 bc.. It's mind boggling.
Last monday we started school. Things is Greece are def. much more relaxed. My favorite class is art appreciation by far. it is so interesting to hear about, especially is such a beautiful and historic country. This weekend I mostly just hung out. For valentines day my group of friends went out to dinner at a taverna, and then headed to the bars. I def. had more then one to many drinks and I've been paying for it all day... I don't know how to say no to free shots though! Greek guys often buy the girls drinks, which I am def. ok with. The bartenders as well. They just want someone to talk to. My favorite bar by far is called Silver Dollar. It is a rock/metal bar, and not too far from home. I made a fool of myself their last night, but that won't keep me from going back :)
Some random thoughts.... I've joined many clubs... I want to get the full experience while I'm here. I'm going kite surfing in May which I am ECSTATIC about. My good friend Sam and I (she laso is from EC) are planning a trip to Istanbul for the middle of march. We also are looking into spring break. spain.. italy... egypt... who knows!!! I'm so excited for my mom and dad to come in the middle of April... I may have only been gone for two weeks but I already miss them. It's hard not bieng able to talk to them whenever I want to. The time differences are hard. I'm set on bringing them to the greek island crete when they arrive.... Their are sooo many things I want to show them here! Tavernas... tzatski.... the GYROs..... I can't wait :)
So far I absolutely love it here.... I miss my friends and family but hopefully my new firends here will be ones I will have forever. The culture is amazing and unlike anything I have ever seen. I'll write more about it soon.
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