Just one musing for today. I think Ancient Greek is a lot like rugby in the sense that a lot of people don't understand WHY IN THE HECK someone would subject herself to hours upon hours of flipping through a glossary, learning minute linguistic differences between so many words that look and sound similar, and overall just rescinding all rights to a social life.
It's like how in rugby you just keep coming back to get the crud kicked out of you. And the strength with which you tackle (forgive the pun) the other aspects of your life comes to define you as a person. I can be defined by the fact that though it is extremely difficult and of no practical use, I study Ancient Greek. I am a Classical academic. A Renaissance man.
And I'm in good company if you think about it.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Day 6 - Afternoon
Big day yesterday. I started my Monday/Wednesday classes (I have 4) - Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, Ancient Macedon to the Death of Alexander the Great, and Achaeology of Athens, and then went to the Hadrianic Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and THEN went to taverna, and THEN pregamed in my room and THEN walked half an hour to a club in Monstraiki and THEN danced for hours and THEN walked home at 4 in the morning, meaning we did not arrive back in our apartment until 5 AMish.
So a more detailed breakdown: My classes seem really good, even though I'm a little nervous about Ancient Greek. It's just, I've never done scansion before (reading Greek poetry and noting where syllables are stressed) and that's one of the main focuses of the class. Also, get this - Bowdoin has a renowned Classics program. Who knew? I mean, I love my professors at home and I always feel challenged, but I never really though my old British Greek professor would make that comment to me when I told him where I went to school. So suck on that, Bio Majors. Classics is hard too.
My Ancient Macedon professor is an absolute baller. I cannot desribe him any other way except to tell you that my friend Kate calls him "the silver fox". He's attractive, enigmatic, bawdy and sooooo coool. He says we're all going to drink Macedonian style at some point and say innapropriate things and murder our king. It'll be awesome.
Archaeology was also neat. We went to the foundations of a Roman temple up behind the Olympic Stadium (which is literally RIGHT next to our classroom buildings), and then walked around the other side to a ship shead from a pan-Athenaic festival. To clarify, the Olympic stadium was originally a stadium in the ancient world, which later became a quarry when it fell into disuse. The main road outside of the stadium used to be a river, down which the boat would sail with a dress for the statue of Athena that the pan-Athenaic festival kinda revolved around. The dress was knitted by young women of noble birth (any by young I mean like 10), and was placed upon the statue at the end of the procession. The ship was stored after the festival up above the stadium. I'm really wondering how they got the ship up above the ancient stadium but that's a question for another class period.
After Greek I was standing outside with my friend Paul and these two guys I had met previously (Taylor and Andrew) and I asked them if they wanted to go try to find the Hadrianic Arch with me. They did and so we went on a bit of a wild goose chase through the National Gardens, and made some dog friends. HERE IS THE ANIMAL SITUATION IN ATHENS: Athens decided to take in all the stray dogs that roam the area around the National Gardens and neuter them, treat them for fleas/ringworm/ect. and release them back to their home in the Gardens. Anthens in general has dogs and stray cats EVERYWHERE. The cats moan at night and sunbathe on people's SmartCars in the daytime, and the dogs protect certain areas of the city that they deem their territory. There is a stray dog outside of our classroom building, and there was one by the club last night who almost followed us in. These dogs have no fear of the crazy drivers in Athens, and they live within an inch of death I'm pretty sure every day. However, Athens people love these dogs and cats and feed them and take care of them better than they do the homeless. An old lady feeds the cats that roam the allyway we take to school every morning, and two fierce greek women (about to go clubbing) stopped to bend down and pet the dog who follwed us to the club. Seeing her pet the dog without fear made me less nervous, so I started petting him too, which is probably why he followed us to the club. He was so cute. soooo cute.
So we finally found the Hardianic Arch (which was enormous and tall and beautiful) and I was so happy. We walked by the site of the Temple of Olympian Zeus but the sun had gone down by that point so we couldn't go inside but it was HUGE. I guess monuments always look smaller in pictures. On our way back, we stopped by a cafe to get a snack (because dinner here, as I've said, is late), and I got a piece of Chocolate Pie (which was actually chocolate cake but I'm not picky) and a sparkling lemonade. It was so good, exactly what I needed after that long walk.
Later that night we went to a taverna for dinner and then bought some wine from a local convenience store to play kings with in our room. Paul doesn't drink and I think that's amazing. Especially later once we hit the club and he was bustin it out without any liquid courage. The club we went to was about a 25 minute walk from our room (but downhill mostly at least - but again, uphill on the way home), and was essentially an American club with a European feel. The bartender was American, and so was the dj, but basically this is how the Greek club scene goes down: Greek women don't dance, so Greek men every so often like to go to American clubs in Athens to see women dancing and maybe dance with them, becuase Greek men like to dance (sometimes). They weave in and out of groups of Americans (in a suprisingly non-predatory way) trying to dance with as many people as possible, and it's fun to dance with them becuase they want you to mirror their moves. It's silly, in an awesome way.
Tonight I think the plan is to go to the port (Piraeus) and look around there. So, wish me luck on Greek Weekend Round 2.
So a more detailed breakdown: My classes seem really good, even though I'm a little nervous about Ancient Greek. It's just, I've never done scansion before (reading Greek poetry and noting where syllables are stressed) and that's one of the main focuses of the class. Also, get this - Bowdoin has a renowned Classics program. Who knew? I mean, I love my professors at home and I always feel challenged, but I never really though my old British Greek professor would make that comment to me when I told him where I went to school. So suck on that, Bio Majors. Classics is hard too.
My Ancient Macedon professor is an absolute baller. I cannot desribe him any other way except to tell you that my friend Kate calls him "the silver fox". He's attractive, enigmatic, bawdy and sooooo coool. He says we're all going to drink Macedonian style at some point and say innapropriate things and murder our king. It'll be awesome.
Archaeology was also neat. We went to the foundations of a Roman temple up behind the Olympic Stadium (which is literally RIGHT next to our classroom buildings), and then walked around the other side to a ship shead from a pan-Athenaic festival. To clarify, the Olympic stadium was originally a stadium in the ancient world, which later became a quarry when it fell into disuse. The main road outside of the stadium used to be a river, down which the boat would sail with a dress for the statue of Athena that the pan-Athenaic festival kinda revolved around. The dress was knitted by young women of noble birth (any by young I mean like 10), and was placed upon the statue at the end of the procession. The ship was stored after the festival up above the stadium. I'm really wondering how they got the ship up above the ancient stadium but that's a question for another class period.
After Greek I was standing outside with my friend Paul and these two guys I had met previously (Taylor and Andrew) and I asked them if they wanted to go try to find the Hadrianic Arch with me. They did and so we went on a bit of a wild goose chase through the National Gardens, and made some dog friends. HERE IS THE ANIMAL SITUATION IN ATHENS: Athens decided to take in all the stray dogs that roam the area around the National Gardens and neuter them, treat them for fleas/ringworm/ect. and release them back to their home in the Gardens. Anthens in general has dogs and stray cats EVERYWHERE. The cats moan at night and sunbathe on people's SmartCars in the daytime, and the dogs protect certain areas of the city that they deem their territory. There is a stray dog outside of our classroom building, and there was one by the club last night who almost followed us in. These dogs have no fear of the crazy drivers in Athens, and they live within an inch of death I'm pretty sure every day. However, Athens people love these dogs and cats and feed them and take care of them better than they do the homeless. An old lady feeds the cats that roam the allyway we take to school every morning, and two fierce greek women (about to go clubbing) stopped to bend down and pet the dog who follwed us to the club. Seeing her pet the dog without fear made me less nervous, so I started petting him too, which is probably why he followed us to the club. He was so cute. soooo cute.
So we finally found the Hardianic Arch (which was enormous and tall and beautiful) and I was so happy. We walked by the site of the Temple of Olympian Zeus but the sun had gone down by that point so we couldn't go inside but it was HUGE. I guess monuments always look smaller in pictures. On our way back, we stopped by a cafe to get a snack (because dinner here, as I've said, is late), and I got a piece of Chocolate Pie (which was actually chocolate cake but I'm not picky) and a sparkling lemonade. It was so good, exactly what I needed after that long walk.
Later that night we went to a taverna for dinner and then bought some wine from a local convenience store to play kings with in our room. Paul doesn't drink and I think that's amazing. Especially later once we hit the club and he was bustin it out without any liquid courage. The club we went to was about a 25 minute walk from our room (but downhill mostly at least - but again, uphill on the way home), and was essentially an American club with a European feel. The bartender was American, and so was the dj, but basically this is how the Greek club scene goes down: Greek women don't dance, so Greek men every so often like to go to American clubs in Athens to see women dancing and maybe dance with them, becuase Greek men like to dance (sometimes). They weave in and out of groups of Americans (in a suprisingly non-predatory way) trying to dance with as many people as possible, and it's fun to dance with them becuase they want you to mirror their moves. It's silly, in an awesome way.
Tonight I think the plan is to go to the port (Piraeus) and look around there. So, wish me luck on Greek Weekend Round 2.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Day 4 AM - Excitement
Yesterday we had our second day of Orientation, during which we made a trip to the U.S. Embassy to meet with them and discuss things that might keep us safer while in Athens. It was on a sort of main drag street, and it was a HUGE complex. We were trying to figure out why America needed such a big building in downtown Athens. On the way, we passed by some gardens, which were nice, except littered with trash, like, a lot of trash. I commented to a friend that Athens is just on the cusp of being beautiful. If the stray dogs stopped pooping on the streets, and more street cleaners existed, it would be prettier, but it also wouldn't be Athens.
At the Embassy, they told us about particular scams that exist either when you go to certain areas (Plaka, Ammonia - I think that spelling is wrong), or if you do certain things that make yourself vulnerable. Apparently like 65% of all thefts that the Embassy hears about happen when people distract you by making a scene on the Metro. I liked walking better anyways.
Last night, we had another taverna dinner, except this time with some professors. One of the ones at our table was a native Athenian, and the other was born in England and raised in Newfoundland. We discussed how British Airways was a terrible airline. It was great to learn a bit more about the city, and about the differences between Ancient and Modern Greek. A mu and pi now make a "b" sound, and a upsilon makes an "eeee" sound, so you spell "beer" (phonetically sounds similar to English) "mpur". I'm gonna be so good this language....not.
I almost got lost coming home with my friend Alex from Bates (I know, I know, but he's okay I swear), but once he navigated us to his own apartment, I navigated myself back to mine the long way because I can only navigate to my apartment from 2 things: the CYA complex and the supermarket. But I got home, and that's what counts.
Later last night, we had a little crisis when our roommate Blair locked herself in the bathroom at 1 AM. My other roommates were tipsy from taverna dinner, but we had to hide all of our accumulated wine and beer bottles from the other night quickly and call the CYA emergency number and in the meanwhile, try to take the doorknob out to bust Blair out of our bathroom. Apparently this "bathroom trap" phenomenon is pretty popular at CYA during the first week. I guess I'm luck I just don't care enough to lock the door. Also, my roommates are hilarious.
Now that Michalis (the maintenance man) has left, because he had to come reassemble the bathroom door this morning, I'm going to go shower and get ready for my first class. Oh dear.
At the Embassy, they told us about particular scams that exist either when you go to certain areas (Plaka, Ammonia - I think that spelling is wrong), or if you do certain things that make yourself vulnerable. Apparently like 65% of all thefts that the Embassy hears about happen when people distract you by making a scene on the Metro. I liked walking better anyways.
Last night, we had another taverna dinner, except this time with some professors. One of the ones at our table was a native Athenian, and the other was born in England and raised in Newfoundland. We discussed how British Airways was a terrible airline. It was great to learn a bit more about the city, and about the differences between Ancient and Modern Greek. A mu and pi now make a "b" sound, and a upsilon makes an "eeee" sound, so you spell "beer" (phonetically sounds similar to English) "mpur". I'm gonna be so good this language....not.
I almost got lost coming home with my friend Alex from Bates (I know, I know, but he's okay I swear), but once he navigated us to his own apartment, I navigated myself back to mine the long way because I can only navigate to my apartment from 2 things: the CYA complex and the supermarket. But I got home, and that's what counts.
Later last night, we had a little crisis when our roommate Blair locked herself in the bathroom at 1 AM. My other roommates were tipsy from taverna dinner, but we had to hide all of our accumulated wine and beer bottles from the other night quickly and call the CYA emergency number and in the meanwhile, try to take the doorknob out to bust Blair out of our bathroom. Apparently this "bathroom trap" phenomenon is pretty popular at CYA during the first week. I guess I'm luck I just don't care enough to lock the door. Also, my roommates are hilarious.
Now that Michalis (the maintenance man) has left, because he had to come reassemble the bathroom door this morning, I'm going to go shower and get ready for my first class. Oh dear.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Day 3 AM
So I went to the Academic Center in hopes of paying my deposit and picking up my books today, but Accounting is closed until 11, which means I have free timeeee!
So I thought I would sit on my gorgeous balcony and talk to you. It's probably 40 degrees out right now, but it doesn't bother me because I mean, it's 17 degrees at Dartmouth today. Athens is bustling. There are cars flying down the street (people drive with no respect for their own lives here - and the motorcycles are even worse!!), babies peeking out windows, laundry floating in the breeze, and people's voices muffled underneath everything else. I've never been in a place so filled with other people, and it's kind of like what people say about "love": "You can't feel it but you know it's there." Well, I can't see the people who live adjacent to me, across or down the street, but I know they're there.
I wonder who's on strike today. I'll probably find out when I walk down a commercial street and all of the shops that sell the same goods are closed, like the pharmacies yesterday.
Ooohh! Cats meowing, babies crying. The city may be finally waking up. Many more cars, and a cold breeze, so I think I might go inside. I kinda keep thinking since they warned us about petty theft, that someone is going to Spiderman onto my balcony and rip my laptop out form under my fingertips.
I have irrational fears sometimes. But now I do my nails.
So I thought I would sit on my gorgeous balcony and talk to you. It's probably 40 degrees out right now, but it doesn't bother me because I mean, it's 17 degrees at Dartmouth today. Athens is bustling. There are cars flying down the street (people drive with no respect for their own lives here - and the motorcycles are even worse!!), babies peeking out windows, laundry floating in the breeze, and people's voices muffled underneath everything else. I've never been in a place so filled with other people, and it's kind of like what people say about "love": "You can't feel it but you know it's there." Well, I can't see the people who live adjacent to me, across or down the street, but I know they're there.
I wonder who's on strike today. I'll probably find out when I walk down a commercial street and all of the shops that sell the same goods are closed, like the pharmacies yesterday.
Ooohh! Cats meowing, babies crying. The city may be finally waking up. Many more cars, and a cold breeze, so I think I might go inside. I kinda keep thinking since they warned us about petty theft, that someone is going to Spiderman onto my balcony and rip my laptop out form under my fingertips.
I have irrational fears sometimes. But now I do my nails.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Day 2 - Orientation
So. You kind of caught me again at a point of absolute exhaustion. But I'll try to plow through what I can and only catch the highlights in the hope of actually getting some sleep tonight (last night, I was not so lucky).
Last night, we went to a taverna dinner, which is a dinner where you pay a flat rate and they bring you course after course of big entrees to share with everyone at your table, including (but not limited to) bread, beans, salad, zucchini balls, meatballs and some sort of spicy pork dish. They also bring you lots and lots of wine, and come over to your table to toast with you throughout your meal. It was so good, but I was really full, and full of red wine. I had to go to the bathroom at one point and I got directions from someone at my table, but I accidentally walked by the door and straight into the kitchen, at which point one of the staff gently led me away and opened the SUPER SECRET BATHROOM DOOR which was hidden inside the wood paneling on the stairs. I felt dumb.
Last night we came home and finished unpacking, and I tried to sleep. I slept for a little bit and then woke up at 6 for no real reason, also my jaw has been cramped since being here and I don't know why. Yoga tomorrow seems a must. I had a little episode when I was awake, alone, in a new country, with new roommates, and with a time zone that conflicted heavily with my contacting Ben, but I watched 30 Rock, talked to Ben on skype, and then felt better enough to sleep for a bit longer.
We had Orientation today, which involves a lot of talking. They talked, we listened, and I learned I should read my handbook but jiminy cricket I just do not have the time. After our meeting with the President of DIKEMES (The International Center for Hellenic and Mediterranean Studies), Liz and I went to the grocery store to get some groceries to make dinner for these guys we met on our walking tour of our neighborhood. We made (or, Liz made and I helped) a tomato sauce with chicken and olives. It was delicious, and it was good to stay in and make new friends. :)
More later.
Last night, we went to a taverna dinner, which is a dinner where you pay a flat rate and they bring you course after course of big entrees to share with everyone at your table, including (but not limited to) bread, beans, salad, zucchini balls, meatballs and some sort of spicy pork dish. They also bring you lots and lots of wine, and come over to your table to toast with you throughout your meal. It was so good, but I was really full, and full of red wine. I had to go to the bathroom at one point and I got directions from someone at my table, but I accidentally walked by the door and straight into the kitchen, at which point one of the staff gently led me away and opened the SUPER SECRET BATHROOM DOOR which was hidden inside the wood paneling on the stairs. I felt dumb.
Last night we came home and finished unpacking, and I tried to sleep. I slept for a little bit and then woke up at 6 for no real reason, also my jaw has been cramped since being here and I don't know why. Yoga tomorrow seems a must. I had a little episode when I was awake, alone, in a new country, with new roommates, and with a time zone that conflicted heavily with my contacting Ben, but I watched 30 Rock, talked to Ben on skype, and then felt better enough to sleep for a bit longer.
We had Orientation today, which involves a lot of talking. They talked, we listened, and I learned I should read my handbook but jiminy cricket I just do not have the time. After our meeting with the President of DIKEMES (The International Center for Hellenic and Mediterranean Studies), Liz and I went to the grocery store to get some groceries to make dinner for these guys we met on our walking tour of our neighborhood. We made (or, Liz made and I helped) a tomato sauce with chicken and olives. It was delicious, and it was good to stay in and make new friends. :)
More later.
Monday, January 24, 2011
......day......one......
I don't even know where today starts and ends. I guess it started when my parents dropped me off at the airport at Boston time 3:30 yesterday, and I went through security, cried a little tear, then began what has proven to be the most torturous experience I've had since, well...a good long time ago. Being so nervous about flying by myself, I couldn't sleep on my first flight, and stayed awake during my layover with these kids from Ghettysburg that were going to my program but had spent most of the previous flight gettin crunk. After being violently ill after eating my overnight flight dinner, I decided to eat at the airport before boarding my 3 1/2 hour flight from London to Greece, on which one of the kids from Ghettysburg fainted, hit his head, and had to be taken to the airport hospital upon our touchdown in Athens. Needless to say, I could not, again, sleep on the plane. I think I got half an hour of sleep in on accident somewhere, because when I woke up my first thought was, "This feeling is why they have barf bags." I steadied myself, and breathed in though my nose until I knew I could keep whatever threatened to come up down until we reached the ground. Once I FINALLY got off all those gad dang flying contraptions, I felt much better though I was (and still am) hungry.
THEN we had to go meet the cab man, who called cabs for us in Greek. Guess what I learned today? If you are not forceful about your need for a cab, you will not get a cab until after all the other cabs have gone into Athens, and then come back out to the airport. Which is A LONG TIME LATER. Then, if you have a debit card, and you don't tell your bank you're going away, they, naturally, assume your card has been stolen and taken on vacation to the Mediterranean, and they don't let you withdraw money, which means you have no money to pay your refundable deposit on your keys, apartment, ect.
BUT I WASN'T STRESSED OR ANYTHING.
NOPE.
But then we came back to the apartment and I figured out my phone thing and I'm moving in now and my roommates are nice. We're going to the "endless wine" taverna tonight for dinner, because there is nothing I need more tonight than a stiff drink, and seeing how well I do trying to find my apartment while inebriated.
It kind of just feels like being back at school when I'm just hanging in my bedroom/living room with Liz and unpacking. This Liz is even klutzy like the other Liz - she has a huge bruise on her leg from when she ran into her bed unpacking. She also heard that Greeks wear their engagement rings on their right ring finger instead of their left, so she wears a ring on each of her ring fingers for "extra deterrence". I think I adore her.
First impressions of Greece: It's a real city. It's not hyper-efficient. The roads are crowded, sometime there's litter. Stray cats and dogs, lots of stores and signs. We have a balcony and I love it. The landscape is so unusual, with trees I've never seen before. The people talk forcefully, but never angrily. They argue good-naturedly, like me and my roommates back home.
I think that's it for now.
THEN we had to go meet the cab man, who called cabs for us in Greek. Guess what I learned today? If you are not forceful about your need for a cab, you will not get a cab until after all the other cabs have gone into Athens, and then come back out to the airport. Which is A LONG TIME LATER. Then, if you have a debit card, and you don't tell your bank you're going away, they, naturally, assume your card has been stolen and taken on vacation to the Mediterranean, and they don't let you withdraw money, which means you have no money to pay your refundable deposit on your keys, apartment, ect.
BUT I WASN'T STRESSED OR ANYTHING.
NOPE.
But then we came back to the apartment and I figured out my phone thing and I'm moving in now and my roommates are nice. We're going to the "endless wine" taverna tonight for dinner, because there is nothing I need more tonight than a stiff drink, and seeing how well I do trying to find my apartment while inebriated.
It kind of just feels like being back at school when I'm just hanging in my bedroom/living room with Liz and unpacking. This Liz is even klutzy like the other Liz - she has a huge bruise on her leg from when she ran into her bed unpacking. She also heard that Greeks wear their engagement rings on their right ring finger instead of their left, so she wears a ring on each of her ring fingers for "extra deterrence". I think I adore her.
First impressions of Greece: It's a real city. It's not hyper-efficient. The roads are crowded, sometime there's litter. Stray cats and dogs, lots of stores and signs. We have a balcony and I love it. The landscape is so unusual, with trees I've never seen before. The people talk forcefully, but never angrily. They argue good-naturedly, like me and my roommates back home.
I think that's it for now.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
almost done packing - departure in 26 hrs.
so I'm FINALLY going. whew.
but I should probably hang out with my family instead of wasting time on the Internet.
so this is a very short post.
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