Katie Jackson
2/9/2013
Getting to Know the
Greeks
Last night we went out and had a lot of fun in Kolonaki. We
went to this bar that we had seen that has a happy hour and we all sat around
and drank ouzo. Ouzo is a local liquor
that everyone here drinks. It has the taste of a strong black licorice. It is
so strong I need something sour to get the taste out my mouth, but I like to
drink it because I want to become accustomed to the Greek culture.
At this small bar, I met a young Greek couple that were very
nice. I starting talking to Anna, a short skinny brown haired woman, and she
told me of many places we could go. She introduced me to “Gazi”, an area we
would have to get to by train where we could meet people our age and experience
something different. She also told me
she would take us to the sister bar that was playing live Greek music a little
bit later in the night. She walked me outside of the bar and pointed to a small
orange sign and told me that if I turned left at that sign and walked up the
stairs, I would reach a local live Greek music area. The place was very dark,
but so crowded and seemed like a local hangout. The band was in the front of
the bar and it was lit up with stage lights while everywhere else was dark. The
music was loud and upbeat and people were either dancing, or sitting and
enjoying a drink. It was a great experience and I am very glad I met someone to
show me the little local niches.
On Saturday, we had a different experience: class! Usually
on a Saturday, I sleep in, have a nice breakfast, and lounge around the house.
Instead, today we had a class at 10 AM with Rich. It was hard to make ourselves
wake up for class, but we did it so that when we go on our long trips we won’t
have to have as much class.
We first met at the university, and then all of us walked to
the local café, Teddy’s. The streets here are very uneven and I have weak
ankles to begin with. If take my foot off the road for one second, I have a
high chance of getting hurt. While we were walking downhill towards the café,
the group in front of me distracted me took my attention away from the ground.
I felt my leg weaken and my right ankle buckle under the pressure of having to
support my weight on uneven ground. To make it worse, I rolled my other ankle
the night before so it was especially hard to walk.
We held our class in a small room in a different building
and discussed our readings from the night before. The reading was titled,
“Bitter Oranges”, and it was about an American student that studied abroad in
Greece for the spring semester. Her life in a way was a lot like our life
today, and it was easy to make my own connections. For example, she lived in a
university apartment in Kolonaki, just like us, and also liked going to local
bakeries and cafes. At home, I go to Dunkin Donuts and little family-owned
bakeries, but here it is different. The bakeries are more authentic and use
fresh ingredients. Every time I walk into a bakery in Athens, I can smell the
freshly cooked doughnuts and pastries, rather than greasy, over cooked
hasbrowns that I smell in Dunkin Donuts.
After our class, we had some time to relax before we met
back up with Rich and Lily to go to a taverna Ioanna recommended. It was a
small place that had only a rooftop deck that had a stunning view overlooking
the Acropolis. Everyone ordered something small, like a Greek salad and a small
plate of calamari. The boys got a big mixed meat platter that contained
different kinds of meat prepared in different ways. I ordered a shrimp saganaki.
When I ordered it, I wasn’t sure what it was, but decided to try it because it
was a traditional Greek dish and I love shrimp. When it arrived, the shrimp was
in a bowl in what looked like soup. The shrimp was very flavorful and the sauce
it came in was like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. It was a tomato base with
basil and a Greek cheese. I also dipped bread in it, which was delicious! It
was like how I usually dip my bread in marinara sauce when I eat spaghetti, but
the flavor was much more rich in basil, tomato, and cheese.
We finished up our late lunch, and walked around the shops
in the Plaka. Plaka is a very touristy area. It is basically the downtown of
Athens, with nice hotels, restaurants and shops. There is a street named
“Ehrmou” that is a pedestrian-only street filled with all different kinds of
shops. It is a lot like Newberry Street in Boston, because I feel like it is a
little bit of an American shopping area and I am stepping away from the Greek
Culture. There are American things on that street like McDonalds and H&M
that remind me a lot of home. There are also classy shoes stores, cheap
clothing stores, and small kiosks with little trinkets like watches and iPhone
cases unique to Athens. It was the first chance we had to shop since being here
so all the girls were pretty excited!!
It is sale season right now so there are some great deals on everything.
The shoes were half off and some stores were even seventy percent off
everything. The street was very busy. Because it is a Saturday, it seems like
people go out to eat and enjoy their day with good company. I love being in a different culture and
trying to live in a way a Greek would.
We did lots of walking around today. Once we arrived back to
the apartment everyone laid in bed. The busy schedule and jet lag had finally
caught up with us and we needed that rest.
Tomorrow we are going to the Dionysian Wine Festival, which we are all really excited
for. It happens once a year, and hundreds of wineries from all over Greece
travel to showcase their selections of wines. I am personally very excited for
this because the only other wine tasting I have been to was one in Rome, Italy.
We only got to try 5 different wines and didn’t get much of a feel for Italian
wines. Ioanna tells us that we will be able to try some of the most unique
wines in the world from the small islands like Santorini and Kythira.
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