Study Day

Katie Jackson

27.2.2013

Study Day

Waking up this morning was tough. When I heard that dreaded sound of the iPhone screaming to wake me up, I turned in bed and pressed snooze. I dozed off for a few more minutes, dreaming of sleeping in bed all day instead of going to 3 hours of Greek. When the buzzer went off the second time, I woke a little more refreshed, feeling optimistic about the day, knowing that hard work for Thursday’s class would pay off. I threw on a pair of my comfiest pants and sweatshirt and walked to Greek class with my classmates. We were all dragging so we all staggered over to the coffee shop and bought coffees. The three hours seemed to go by fast with all the caffeine rushing through my veins.

            After our Greek class, we all walked back to the apartment. Unlike most days, we did not attend a lecture at a museum with Ioanna because she wanted to give us the day to study and work on our presentations, and that is exactly what we did. We all went to our own corridors of the apartment and labored away at studying for our test and the PowerPoints due. It took six hours to finish my PowerPoint, but I had done some research and writing the Sunday before. The rest of the night was all about homework.  I also worked on my online class test that was due on Thursday night. Although it was still homework, it was a nice break away from the Antikythera Mechanism paper I had been working on all night. We took a quick 30-minute break to eat dinner that Hayley and Chrissy prepared.  Every time we go out to eat with Ioanna, we would have a scrumptious cabbage salad that everyone loved. So Hayley and Chrissy made a gigantic Greek cabbage salad with fish and fried rice. The fish was breaded and seasoned with salt and pepper. It melted in my mouth the second I took a bite and I savored every bite. The fried rice was a perfect complement to the fish as it supplied me with a different, yet satisfying flavor. It’s safe to say that dinner was the highlight of my night because the rest of it consisted of reading, typing, studying, writing, studying and more studying.

Lost on Stadiou

            As I awoke from my sleep this morning I was overcome by an overwhelming feeling that I had overslept.  Thinking I was late for class I threw my blanket in a hurry and shuffled my pillows around in search of my phone.  I looked everywhere on my bed in search for it and it was nowhere to be found.  Reluctantly, as I was about to look under my bed I heard a buzzing noise, it was my alarm on my phone going off.  The time read 10:15 a.m. and I had 45 minutes to get from my apartment to the National Historical Museum on Stadiou Street.  Thinking that I had been on Stadiou a few times within the past few weeks I believed it would take no longer then 25 minutes.

            Leaving the house around 10:30, it gave me a perfect half an hour to get to the museum.  Vaguely remembering the previous times I had travelled to Stadiou, it took me a while to grasp a sense of direction after weaving up and down streets.  I asked for directions from multiple people, but not one could give me the right museum.  Some sent me to the other end of Stadiou down where Zach and I meet Benzicoco, the dog that followed us home on the first night, which was maybe 15 or so blocks away from the museum.  In being such a historical city Athens has a multitude of small museums that aren’t very well known by many of the citizens in the city.  I called Professor Roth and talked to Ioanna so I could try and find out where I had to go. After an hour of walking around trying to find the museum I had found my way to the glimmering marble steps of the museum. 

            Due to me being a bit late for class, we were running short on time, so Ioanna took us on an abbreviated tour.   It lasted about 45 minutes and the museum covered mainly the time during Greece’s War for Independence.  One of the pieces of work that I admired the most was the flag that Greeks of the city of Hydra would fly during the war.  The main part of the flag was a sky blue with a golden cross standing tall in the middle.  Then there was a crescent moon lying down, as to make a hill for the cross that stood tall upon it. This symbolized the conquering of Greek Orthodox of the Muslim faith, which then was inspirational for the Greeks.  Accompanying the cross atop the moon was an upside down anchor with a phoenix wrapped around it and a flag mast with a red flag flying.  The phoenix was a symbol of Greece raising from the ashes and the anchor a symbol of their naval strength, the main reason why they won the War.  Finally, an inscription inside the moon reads, “Η ταν η επι τας.”  This an old Spartan saying told by mothers to their sons before war to come back with your shield alive or on it.  The piece was very powerful with its bold statements and really showed an immense sense of nationalism throughout the Greek city states. 

            The next museum was we visited was at the Numismatic Museum of Athens, which was the old mansion to Heinrich Schliemann.  Schliemann was the archeologist who discovered the lost city of Troy and the great city of Mycenae; which we had visited two weeks prior.  The elegant marble floors and warm maroon colored wall made the museum bring a feeling of comfort to you.  Then, just like every other museum we have been visiting the elegance is lost through the screams and yells of middle school kids.  First thing I thought was this was karma coming back to get me.  If I were to say I have never talked too loud in a museum when I was in middle school then I would be telling a lie.  The museum was doing an exhibit about the evolution of coined money.  The shinning of coins in every room attracted my curious eyes to wonder around to all the enclosed displays.  It was quite amazing to think that some of these coins much like their counterparts, the ancient ruins of Mycenae and the Parthenon, have made it through centuries of looters and countless wars.  The tour lasted a little over an hour, which gave us time to grab some food before our three hour Greek class that was sure to be exhausting.

Patrick Malone

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Lost on Stadiou

Carol

February 25, 2013

Today started out with our typical Monday routine. We all rushed around the house getting ready for our nine o'clock Greek class. We walked into class still half asleep and out of breath due to the fact that we can never seem to get out of the house on time on Mondays. Greek class felt like it dragged on for hours. We started learning words relating to family and discussed the topic of our final oral presentation. It is mind blowing that we are already discussing our final. It feels like we just landed in Athens and were cruising down the highway anxiously waiting to arrive at our home for the next three months. When class ended we all filed out of the room exhausted and lethargic looking and headed for The City of Athens Museum. We walked out of Hellenic American University and headed for the museum. We took the same road we walk at least once every day heading in the direction of the parliament building. Everyone became alert and wide awake as we entered the park on the college campus. We came across multiple people shooting heroin. There was no way to classify the people we saw sitting on benches scattered around the park. There were men and women of all ages. Some had ratty, ripped clothing while others were clean cut and looked like they could be on their way to class. One man was sitting on a bench hunched over with one hand holding a needle that was sticking out of his arm. None of us have ever seen anything like this before. We couldn't figure out why these people had decided to congregate in the park located on the college campus. It is a very busy park where students gather between classes. The park is also located across the street from a bus station where hundreds of people come and go during the day.

Completely in shock, we all scurried through the park as quickly as possible trying not to draw attention to ourselves. No one said a word until we rounded the corner onto the next street. The second we were on the main road it was like the flood gates opened. Everyone was rambling trying to over speak one another questioning did we really see what we thought we just saw. As we approached the museum we decided to drop the topic and discuss it at a later time. Throughout the museum I couldn’t help but keep thinking about why someone wasn’t stopping these people or at least removing them from the college campus.

Back in Rindge on the Franklin Pierce University campus you can hear students moaning and groaning about campus safety at any given moment. Today’s walk through the park gave me a whole new outlook and allowed me to gain a new level of appreciation for our campus safety. After doing some research I discovered that in 1973 students at the Athens Polytechnic protested and when the police stormed the campus they violently ended up killing about 23 students. This led to the The Freedom of Speech Laws which banned police from entering Greek Universities making them homes for criminal activity. “The ‘academic asylum’ rules were introduced to protect freedom of thought and expression on campus in 1982” (Grove 2011). Police could not enter onto University grounds without seeking permission from a prosecutor first. “Campuses have become havens for criminals, most of (whom) are involved in crimes such as drug trafficking, assault, theft, counterfeiting of DVDs and CDs, looting and vandalism” ( Stevens 2011).  These laws still exist today which is why it is ok for people to sit around abusing drugs on college campuses. I know I have done my fair share of complaining about our campus security at Franklin Pierce but after seeing the beautiful park outside of our University here in Greece destroyed by heroin, I couldn’t be more appreciative for what campus safety does. I realize now that their job is not to get us in trouble but to keep our campus community safe from things like heroin. They are there to help us as students. Without our campus safety we would either have to face the police for every misconduct we make or our campus would be home to criminal activity like what I have experienced here in Athens.

I still do not understand why the Universities here do not have a program similar to our campus safety. This would allow students their freedom and give someone the authority to welcome the police when necessary. 

The Best Pasta Ever

Lily McGartland

February 24, 2013

The Best Pasta Ever

            Today was quite a relaxing day because it was one of our first official days off; meaning we didn’t have any classes or assignments due, at least for a little while. It was extremely refreshing to just go about a normal day here in Athens, or as normal as it can be living abroad in a foreign country. The only unusual thing about today is that it’s Carolyn’s 21^st birthday! The students celebrated with a little party, but I can vouch for all of us in saying that this past weekend’s excursions tired us out a lot.

            In order to regain my senses after the long weekend, and to take advantage of the warm weather (it was in the sixties), my dad (Professor Roth) and I went on a quick walk around our neighborhood, which is very upscale, to do a little window-shopping. But we were also hoping to find an open market. Unfortunately, it’s Sunday, everything is always closed, including our favorite little deli a few blocks away. While we were browsing the shops, we passed a chic little restaurant. At the table by the window, a woman had just been served a bowl of pasta that had a rich red tomato sauce and fresh herbs on it. I decided right then and there that we would eat an early dinner at the restaurant, so perfectly named, La Pasteria, but only after we walked a bit more.

            The weather has finally taken a turn for the good, which is the main reason for our prolonged walk. For the past week it has been dreary and unseasonably cold, but today the sky was a dazzling blue with barely any clouds. The sun shone and warmed our backs. It was only a little windy; practically the ideal day.

            Just as I had planned, we walked back to the restaurant and sat down to order. Judging by the descriptions on the menu and what the woman appeared to be eating, I chose the pasta Napoletana, “fresh tomato sauce and basil”; it was just what I had craved earlier. The tagliatelle pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, exactly the way I like it. The homemade sauce was tangy and light, with some cherry tomatoes in it as well. It was by far my favorite pasta dish I have ever eaten; it even topped the pasta we ate in Italy, it was just that good!

            After stuffing ourselves with pasta and salads (my dad got pesto pasta – it was super delicious too), we began our walk home. On the way, we passed a nearby church; a bride and groom were walking down the stairs into the crowd of their families and friends. The whole street and cross street were filled with people from the wedding, and traffic was even backed up two blocks. Except, unlike normal traffic delays, these cars weren’t honking, they were just waiting patiently for the wedding procession. It was quite a sight, considering that Greek drivers are absolutely bonkers and don’t follow any traffic laws (motorcyclists even drive on the sidewalks). We sidestepped the cars and taxis, and finished our walk home.

            When we arrived back at the apartment, we relaxed and watched some TV. Afterwards, I began to research my topic for our Athens Across the Ages course final. I chose to do my presentation and paper on the Caryatids; Caryatids are ancient figures of women who stand in place of columns. I’m researching the Erechtheion Caryatids; they are famous since they are on the top of the Acropolis. After I got some research done, we went to bed, very tired from our walk earlier.

A Day in the Fog!

A Day in the Fog!

Lauren Miller

2-23-2013

Today was an exceptionally early morning for us. We met for breakfast at 7:30. The breakfast at the hotel was perfectly filling for our adventurous day: eggs, sausage, cereal, bread, yogurt; some people had coffee, some hot chocolate. Ioanna met us downstairs at 8:15 and we headed off to the mountain! It was about a 30-minute drive up steep, winding roads. Some of the roads had no railings on the sides. Because I am so prone to carsickness, some can understand that I did get a little carsick. I had to keep my eyes closed for the majority of the trip up. The car was so small and everyone’s skis and snowboards had to be squeezed into the back of the van, so I was cramped and it did not help my carsickness. There were skis slid under the seats, on the sides of both seats in the back, and laid over one of the seats that had to be put down to make room.

When we arrived at Mount Parnassos, there were about 150 men, women and children unloading their gear and equipment. The temperature was perfect though; in the 50s. We waited in the ticket line for five minutes and only paid 28 Euros for an all day pass! We were each given a card with our picture on it, which proved that we had paid and also allowed us to get onto the lifts. We then had to climb up two sets of stairs in our ski boots to get to the gondola. Four of us rode in one gondola and four in another. The skis and snowboards were in pockets on the outside of the cart. As the gondola climbed, we entered fog. The fog was thick and snow/rain droplets were coming from it. The sky was very dark and there was no sight of the sun even trying to squeeze through the fog. When we reached the top, we stepped out of the cart and had to go down a flight of stairs sideways because of the boots. At the bottom, there was more people than there were unloading the cars. Among these people there was a group of instructors in bright orange jumpsuits standing next to a sign on which they were offering lessons.

Carolyn, Ashley, and I wanted to start on the bunny hill, but none of us knew where it was. So we decided to just head to the first lift that we saw. As Carolyn and I were on our way up, we started getting nervous because it seemed like we just kept climbing higher and higher. After about 15 minutes we finally made it to the stopping point and I slid down the ramp. I was freaking out because I knew that this was going to be a task trying to ski down when it had been almost a year since I had last been on skis.  

At the top it was even foggier than below. It was hard to see twenty feet in front of you.  Because we were all new to these paths and it was extremely foggy, we took it slow the first time down. I was very hesitant about the people skiing around me. There were many times that I came very close to running into another skier.  Each of us wiped out a few times in the extremely slushy snow that resulted from the massive amounts of rain the mountain had been getting! When someone had fallen, we had to keep an eye out until they got back up in case another skier was coming down and did not see them.

We skied until 2 pm and then met up with Rich, Lily, and Matt back at the entrance. This was perfect timing because it was becoming busier by the minute. Each person told a funny story about skiing and snowboarding and we all laughed about the falls and sites that we had seen. Then we squished all of our skis, snow boots, and snow pants back into the van and trunk of the car and headed back down the mountain. Again, I became carsick looking over the sides of the roads but the views of the snow capped mountains and houses in the valleys looked as if they belonged on a postcard. There were large homes packed tightly together with smoke coming out of the chimneys. In the distance, the neighboring mountains to Parnassos had the sunlight hitting them to make the snow shine bright.

When we arrived back in town, we returned our rentals to the ski shop and went to the hotel to grab our luggage and change out of wet clothes. Having skied all day without breaking for lunch, we were starved and agreed on pizza! We went to a small pizzeria, Pomodori, where we guzzled down water and munched on thick pita bread with a cream cheese spread. Ashley and I ordered a Forest Salad (apples, pomegranates, cabbage, and a creamy balsamic dressing) and a Francesca Pizza (cheese, tomatoes, mushroom, onion, and oregano) to split. We each ate three slices and there were two remaining; Ashley suggested that we each have one more piece because bringing home two pieces would be a waste, so of course we ate them! When we were finished at the pizzeria, we had a half hour of free time and Hayley, Carolyn, Katie, Ashley, Ioanna, and I went to Café Bonjour to have a cup of hot chocolate before we got back on the road to Athens.

The 2 ½ hour drive back to Athens went by quickly; everyone was extremely tired from the early morning and the trips up and down the mountain! We all slept the majority if the ride. Back home, we met up with some of our American friends that from the school’s pita cutting the week before!

Each day I continue to grow closer with my peers. Long days like today help our relationships in the building process. When I finally returned back to the apartment and my head hit the pillow, my eyes shut instantly and I felt as if I could sleep for days.