I GOT A SUNBURN...the first of many, many, MANY more to come, I'm sure. But it's okay! That mean's summer has officially arrived! And I can slide into my favorite sundress-and-sandal routine...yeeha! Although I do wish I had inherited my mom's skin...my sisters tan like sun goddesses, while I inevitably turn out looking like a boiled lobster.
Last night I sampled Greek pizza since I 've been craving Jet's so badly, which was entirely different but also entirely fabulous. Aaaand there was chocolate souffle. By the time all is said and done with this program, I will be the size of a hippo. That is, unless I continue to go on all of the optional historical hikes....I swear, my mild-looking, arsty-craftsy history professor is in reality a LandRover in human form. His mountain treks make me feel like I could star in a Kashi commercial: "Seven Whole Grains, on a Mission." (Sidenote, Kashi cereal is also going on my list of things I will fervently indulge in upon my stateside return).
On an oober creepy note, some random guy (or guys?) have been wandering into girls' rooms here late at night. Sketchy much? And I had over 100 Euro stolen from my room, although we're not sure that it's related to the late-nite creepsters. Grrr...after all my careful Scrooge-like saving! We've essentially been told that the wandering guys are probably nothing to worry about...just some tipsy but harmless Greek men looking for American beauties. Pfft. Sexual harassment may not exist as a concept here, but it still weirds me out.
That really is the only borderline-scary incident though...usually the attempts at guy-girl connection here are just bizarre, mildly irritating, or downright hilarious. Yesterday my friend and I had a laughing fit after this guy called us "his beautiful little cherries" and clearly thought he was the smoothest guy alive for doing so. Ah, Greek men and their sorry conceptions about American girls...sure serves as some good substance for laughs, though!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Tourist!
My gosh, Sunday again??? Time is just breezing past. Paros is beginning to feel so familiar, but new things catch me by surprise every day. I'm trying to soak it all in, savor each moment and new discovery, 'cause I know time is going to keep ticking by.
(Kazoo intro) Doo doo dee doo: Lindsey's List of WEEK THREE Cultural Interactions and Observations:
1. Black is the new pink, the new yellow, the new, well, everything. Everyone wears black here -- everywhere, all the time, no funeral needed. I thought it would change as the weather warmed up, but I still manage to stand out like a carrot in a candy shop with my crazy tropical color scheme.
2. Greek children in large groups like to heckle Americans. A lot. A big tribe of elementary schoolers followed some friends and I along the beach, pointing, laughing, and yelling "tourists! tourists! tooooooourists!!" while making rude gestures. I half expected them to start hurling rocks...maybe I should buy more black and try the blending method?
3. The bizarre and unfounded association of my face with Jodie Foster transcends cultures and crosses oceans. Twice this week random Greek strangers have pointed at me from afar and yelled that very name...guess Silence of the Lambs is a cultural universal?
4. St. Patrick's Day is not really celebrated in Greece. SAD!!! It's only the best holiday ever!! But I DID book my tickets for my spring break Ireland excursion, so all will be well once my feet hit the Emerald Isle. Can you say Dublin par-tay? Yeeeee-ha!
5. Apparently I missed the memo about needing rock-climbing/base-jumping/wall-scaling comic book hero experience to attend this school...our most recent hike almost led to this here clumsy girl's painful death. But, truth be told, it was so worth it, the view was out of this world. :-)
A storm's coming now, I can hear the thunder coming over the mountains. Maybe we'll have a true tropical gale, Gilligan's Island style...yup, here comes the rain!!
(Kazoo intro) Doo doo dee doo: Lindsey's List of WEEK THREE Cultural Interactions and Observations:
1. Black is the new pink, the new yellow, the new, well, everything. Everyone wears black here -- everywhere, all the time, no funeral needed. I thought it would change as the weather warmed up, but I still manage to stand out like a carrot in a candy shop with my crazy tropical color scheme.
2. Greek children in large groups like to heckle Americans. A lot. A big tribe of elementary schoolers followed some friends and I along the beach, pointing, laughing, and yelling "tourists! tourists! tooooooourists!!" while making rude gestures. I half expected them to start hurling rocks...maybe I should buy more black and try the blending method?
3. The bizarre and unfounded association of my face with Jodie Foster transcends cultures and crosses oceans. Twice this week random Greek strangers have pointed at me from afar and yelled that very name...guess Silence of the Lambs is a cultural universal?
4. St. Patrick's Day is not really celebrated in Greece. SAD!!! It's only the best holiday ever!! But I DID book my tickets for my spring break Ireland excursion, so all will be well once my feet hit the Emerald Isle. Can you say Dublin par-tay? Yeeeee-ha!
5. Apparently I missed the memo about needing rock-climbing/base-jumping/wall-scaling comic book hero experience to attend this school...our most recent hike almost led to this here clumsy girl's painful death. But, truth be told, it was so worth it, the view was out of this world. :-)
A storm's coming now, I can hear the thunder coming over the mountains. Maybe we'll have a true tropical gale, Gilligan's Island style...yup, here comes the rain!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Fruitti Tutti
www.foodreference.com has this to say: QUINCE FRUIT ~ In the raw form, the rind is rough and woolly, and the flesh is hard and unpalatable, with an astringent, acidulous taste. How the heck was I supposed to know this?? It looked cool at the farmer's market, all label-less, sitting there so knobbly and golden-yellow (and I love experimenting with foreign fruit, much safer than meat or cheese, or so I thought....) but let me tell you, the taste and texture are most definitely NOT friends to mankind. Blech. The fragrance is muy bien though.
On another far less irksome note I continue experiencing the generosity of the Greek island people. While on a walk along the shorefront I passed a couple of adorable old men selling oranges out of their truck. One of them waved me over and started putting oranges in my hands while chattering in Greek. I said that they were beautiful (and believe me, they were! yummay!) and asked how much, and he just shook his head. I asked again and he said "no monies, no monies," -- they were just a nice gift to a passing stranger! I *heart* Greece.
On another far less irksome note I continue experiencing the generosity of the Greek island people. While on a walk along the shorefront I passed a couple of adorable old men selling oranges out of their truck. One of them waved me over and started putting oranges in my hands while chattering in Greek. I said that they were beautiful (and believe me, they were! yummay!) and asked how much, and he just shook his head. I asked again and he said "no monies, no monies," -- they were just a nice gift to a passing stranger! I *heart* Greece.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
El Fin de Week Numero Dos
Another lovely close to another lovely week. This island, this country, this culture…almost beginning to feel like a new home. Except for the plumbing. Man, do I miss those good old American showers and toilets. Oh, and the U.S.A.’s relative lack of creepy gawking men who somehow avoid successful hygiene. Maybe even the locals get frustrated with Greek plumbing? Other than that…I’m finding the adjustment easier than expected.
Developments this second week:
I’ve finally run the gamut of my classes, and it should be a good exercise in self-motivation but at the same time a needed break from my typical tightly-scheduled existence. Go with the flow, right? My professors could comprise the cast of their own Paros-ian reality television show...quite the range of idiosyncrasies. I’m sure I’ll have a novel’s worth of stories once the semester’s through.
I’ve been soaking in the scenery, enjoying the peace of the island before tourist season starts, experimenting with my [almost nonexistent] culinary skills, exploring, learning that free wine should absolutely NOT be over-indulged in, and attempting to navigate the sea of dizzyingly unfamiliar cultural quirks. I learned the hard way that showing your palm to someone here is the rough equivalent of the middle finger in the states…it’s so hard to break the habit of a friendly wave! Blah! But I LOVE the laidback nature of Mediterranean living…seriously, we need to instigate a siesta session in the U.S. It could put an end to stress-linked heart attacks I tell you!
Yesterday we hiked into the mountains to one of my prof’s houses. I can’t even begin to tell you how pretty it was – wildflowers of every color and description covering the terraced hills, little houses and little farms, the smell of sage and thyme in the air, and the sea far below but never out of sight…I felt like breaking into a spontaneous Sound of Music chorus!! And I did, much to the confusion of my classmates. Yeah, call me a dork, but I’m one HAPPY dork. Plus I got in a bit of exercise to counteract the pounds acquired through Nutella and spinach/feta pastries.
Well, I should go check on my stir-fry concoction. I pray for the patience and sanity of my future husband and/or children since my kitchen mastery is definitely lacking. Cheerio!
Developments this second week:
I’ve finally run the gamut of my classes, and it should be a good exercise in self-motivation but at the same time a needed break from my typical tightly-scheduled existence. Go with the flow, right? My professors could comprise the cast of their own Paros-ian reality television show...quite the range of idiosyncrasies. I’m sure I’ll have a novel’s worth of stories once the semester’s through.
I’ve been soaking in the scenery, enjoying the peace of the island before tourist season starts, experimenting with my [almost nonexistent] culinary skills, exploring, learning that free wine should absolutely NOT be over-indulged in, and attempting to navigate the sea of dizzyingly unfamiliar cultural quirks. I learned the hard way that showing your palm to someone here is the rough equivalent of the middle finger in the states…it’s so hard to break the habit of a friendly wave! Blah! But I LOVE the laidback nature of Mediterranean living…seriously, we need to instigate a siesta session in the U.S. It could put an end to stress-linked heart attacks I tell you!
Yesterday we hiked into the mountains to one of my prof’s houses. I can’t even begin to tell you how pretty it was – wildflowers of every color and description covering the terraced hills, little houses and little farms, the smell of sage and thyme in the air, and the sea far below but never out of sight…I felt like breaking into a spontaneous Sound of Music chorus!! And I did, much to the confusion of my classmates. Yeah, call me a dork, but I’m one HAPPY dork. Plus I got in a bit of exercise to counteract the pounds acquired through Nutella and spinach/feta pastries.
Well, I should go check on my stir-fry concoction. I pray for the patience and sanity of my future husband and/or children since my kitchen mastery is definitely lacking. Cheerio!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sundae
So, Sunday, Sunday. I went to the first Greek Orthodox mass of my life this morning...very cool. Very strange/massively disorienting, but beautiful and awesome. Lots of chanting, candle-lighting, incense, people cycling in and out of the church at odd times...and I never did get communion since I couldn't figure out when or how to go up...but regardless both the building and the service were lovely.
We went on a tour of the island this afternoon; it was soooo green it reminded me of photos of Ireland. (But then, what doesn't bring my brain back to Ireland, let's be honest). Terraced hillsides, olive groves, fields of purple and yellow wildflowers, pastures with wooly lambs, goats, and cows (yes, even the cows looked wooly!), cliffside beaches, and everywhere the characteristic white and blue houses...darn it, why didn't I manage to squeeze my colored pencils or watercolor paints into my massive pile-o-luggage??? What I wouldn't do for a good pack of Crayolas right about now. :-P Or a chocolate sundae for that matter.
We went on a tour of the island this afternoon; it was soooo green it reminded me of photos of Ireland. (But then, what doesn't bring my brain back to Ireland, let's be honest). Terraced hillsides, olive groves, fields of purple and yellow wildflowers, pastures with wooly lambs, goats, and cows (yes, even the cows looked wooly!), cliffside beaches, and everywhere the characteristic white and blue houses...darn it, why didn't I manage to squeeze my colored pencils or watercolor paints into my massive pile-o-luggage??? What I wouldn't do for a good pack of Crayolas right about now. :-P Or a chocolate sundae for that matter.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Week Numero Uno!
Ciao, ducklings! Due to popular demand I have decided to keep a travel blog cataloguing my spiffy adventures here in the isles of Greece. We’ll see how faithful I actually am about sticking to it…but I will definitely make a solid attempt.
So…the good stuff! It’s nearing the end of my first week in Greece, and it definitely has been a major shift from snowy little P-town. My circadian rhythm has me doing cartwheels at 3 am and longing for a solid 6 hour nap at noon. (We’re 7 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time). But the 65 degree weather, sunshine, and SPECTACULAR scenery makes the biological havoc well worth it. Oh yeah, and the food. Let me tell you, you have just never tasted real yogurt my friend. Or honey. Or citrus fruit. It truly is the food of the gods here.
Anyway, I digress. The point is, Greece is truly mah-velous. My journey over was a bit nutty; plenty of airport drama. Ever run through London Heathrow at full tilt knowing your plane is about to leave? But I do love British airways…NorthWest could take a page out of their book. I got fed all the time (I might as well fess up to the fact that I’m totally food motivated) and offered tea every ½ hour by adorable English stewardesses…too cute. I was supposed to sleep the whole way but that wasn’t happening with my personal tv stocked with an arsenal of unreleased films as well as a collection of classics. I got my Bond fix while crossing the Atlantic, he he!
Athens was crazy. In both good and bad ways. The bus ride to downtown and the subsequent urban navigation to find my hostel was nerve-wracking to say the least, but it saved me a 75 dollar taxi charge. The city itself is….hmmm….a weird mix of litter, designer fashion shops, graffiti, olive trees, modern highrises, the occasional random ancient ruin, beautiful winding streets in the old town, old orthodox churches….very cool. On the first day after I checked in there was no one from my group around so I decided to explore on my own. Which rocked, until it started getting dark and I realized I was hopelessly lost. Yeah. Fortunately, my obvious pathetic blonde American-ness elicited the help of this random Egyptian guy who spoke some form of basic English. I half suspected as he led me for a solid 45 minutes through unfamiliar streets that he wanted to sell me into a human trafficking ring but my parent-infused suspicions proved unfounded; he brought me right back to my hostel. (I’ve found people here are very nice in general). Later I went to the Acropolis which was beyond amazing, and some other excellent touristy sites. Super!
After two days in Athens, I came to Paros via a ginormous ferryboat. It’s one heck of a sight to see the island approach, all white marble and whitewashed homes and white sand (yeah, they like their white here!) contrasted against the very blue Mediterranean. Breathtaking. Right now, Paros is pretty quiet. Tourist season doesn’t start for another couple months and the real high season (i.e. the months of insane drunken dancing tourist mass shenanigans) happens after we leave. It’s so beautiful here, I can’t believe it’s really happening…my home until June. I’ll talk more about Paros later…this post is getting très long. A pet peeve. A pet peeve, mind you, that I may be guilty of a lot in the near future.
To sum up my first impressions of Greece:
1. Fabulous. Just fabulous.
2. I decided I am going to file a formal complaint against Michigan winters. I just love me my sunshine and warmth.
3. I’m going to miss American plumbing, I’ll be honest.
4. Milo Ventimiglia is NOT the average male Greek look. Sadly. Of course, my exposure thus far is limited, so this may be revised.
5. I may need to dye my hair black to avoid unwanted staring
6. Greek food = bliss
7. Greek pop music = hilarious. As is the way Greek guys blare their car radios with such obvious pride.
8. The Greek alphabet = wacky symbols font times 10.
9. I'm in love with the ocean. The smell, the sight, the sound, the whole kit-n-kaboodle.
10. This is going to be a true adventure. :-)
So…the good stuff! It’s nearing the end of my first week in Greece, and it definitely has been a major shift from snowy little P-town. My circadian rhythm has me doing cartwheels at 3 am and longing for a solid 6 hour nap at noon. (We’re 7 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time). But the 65 degree weather, sunshine, and SPECTACULAR scenery makes the biological havoc well worth it. Oh yeah, and the food. Let me tell you, you have just never tasted real yogurt my friend. Or honey. Or citrus fruit. It truly is the food of the gods here.
Anyway, I digress. The point is, Greece is truly mah-velous. My journey over was a bit nutty; plenty of airport drama. Ever run through London Heathrow at full tilt knowing your plane is about to leave? But I do love British airways…NorthWest could take a page out of their book. I got fed all the time (I might as well fess up to the fact that I’m totally food motivated) and offered tea every ½ hour by adorable English stewardesses…too cute. I was supposed to sleep the whole way but that wasn’t happening with my personal tv stocked with an arsenal of unreleased films as well as a collection of classics. I got my Bond fix while crossing the Atlantic, he he!
Athens was crazy. In both good and bad ways. The bus ride to downtown and the subsequent urban navigation to find my hostel was nerve-wracking to say the least, but it saved me a 75 dollar taxi charge. The city itself is….hmmm….a weird mix of litter, designer fashion shops, graffiti, olive trees, modern highrises, the occasional random ancient ruin, beautiful winding streets in the old town, old orthodox churches….very cool. On the first day after I checked in there was no one from my group around so I decided to explore on my own. Which rocked, until it started getting dark and I realized I was hopelessly lost. Yeah. Fortunately, my obvious pathetic blonde American-ness elicited the help of this random Egyptian guy who spoke some form of basic English. I half suspected as he led me for a solid 45 minutes through unfamiliar streets that he wanted to sell me into a human trafficking ring but my parent-infused suspicions proved unfounded; he brought me right back to my hostel. (I’ve found people here are very nice in general). Later I went to the Acropolis which was beyond amazing, and some other excellent touristy sites. Super!
After two days in Athens, I came to Paros via a ginormous ferryboat. It’s one heck of a sight to see the island approach, all white marble and whitewashed homes and white sand (yeah, they like their white here!) contrasted against the very blue Mediterranean. Breathtaking. Right now, Paros is pretty quiet. Tourist season doesn’t start for another couple months and the real high season (i.e. the months of insane drunken dancing tourist mass shenanigans) happens after we leave. It’s so beautiful here, I can’t believe it’s really happening…my home until June. I’ll talk more about Paros later…this post is getting très long. A pet peeve. A pet peeve, mind you, that I may be guilty of a lot in the near future.
To sum up my first impressions of Greece:
1. Fabulous. Just fabulous.
2. I decided I am going to file a formal complaint against Michigan winters. I just love me my sunshine and warmth.
3. I’m going to miss American plumbing, I’ll be honest.
4. Milo Ventimiglia is NOT the average male Greek look. Sadly. Of course, my exposure thus far is limited, so this may be revised.
5. I may need to dye my hair black to avoid unwanted staring
6. Greek food = bliss
7. Greek pop music = hilarious. As is the way Greek guys blare their car radios with such obvious pride.
8. The Greek alphabet = wacky symbols font times 10.
9. I'm in love with the ocean. The smell, the sight, the sound, the whole kit-n-kaboodle.
10. This is going to be a true adventure. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
