Oh to have Greek songs stuck in ones head...
If you can't see it above click on this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCc4JSTHQvI
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The song I was singing to the doctors in the hospital...
Oh to have Greek songs stuck in ones head...
If you can't see it above click on this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCc4JSTHQvI
Skiing... in Greece!
If someone had told me all the unexpected things I would trip into here I would have laughed in their face. Greece is the most unique country I have ever been in and had the joy of living in. This past Saturday Perrotis College students, Klearchos and I went south to a ski resort located somewhere near Mount Olympous. I've only been on snow a few times and have never skied. Just thinking about flying down ice on boards strapped to my feet scared the junk out of me. But then as I began to see all that snow and these glistening mountains I thought what the heck!?!? So I did it!
This is Martin. He's from Tanzania (Africa) and like me he's never gone skiing before. Both of us got some snow yesterday and had a blast! He was more cautious than me...
The first half of my first time ever skiing I got really good at falling and getting back up all by myself. So by the end of my first time down i was alright at going back and forth and back and forth left to right on my skis! The second time down I somehow managed to fall (completely without grace) and lose a ski AND the boot with it. I think the boots I was wearing were bad. As I layed on the snow with one ski and boot on and my other foot up in the air with only a wool sock on I started saying "voithia! voithia!" meaning "help! help!"
One very nice rather ennoyed Greek man stopped about 10 meters past me and side walked his way up to hand me my ski. He was asking through a thick Greek accent "How did you do that? I've never ever heard of anyone losing their boot with their ski!" After I got my boot on and said "Ephxaristo PARA polee... thank you VERY much" I got back up on my ski's and took off again. A little shooken from that experience of laying on ice with a nearly exposed foot I wanted to go up on the lift one more time. So my Greek friend Giannis and I jumped on the lift once again.
With Yannis behind me watching to ensure I would not lose another ski + boot I was nearing the second half of hte run. I was going left to right across the higher side of the course and tried to stop because of the speed I was gaining. When trying to stop when skiing you put the front of your skis together- like a v. My right knee didn't agree with this decision and popped to the right. As this happened I fell forward and landed in snow... again without any grace. After a really nice ski medic guy (speaking only Greek & German) packed ice on my knee. I had a quick visit to the hospital in Veria (closest city) where they took xrays and wrapped up my leg. I just remember telling them that it hurts so much and pointing and singing "Moro mou sagapow- nai nai nai" to distract from all the pain.
Now I have a lovely full right leg bandage/cast. Its fine as long as nothing moves above my ankle. I am lucky enough to have so many wonderful people bringing me food from the dining hall, refilling my water bottle and just taking care of me.... especially being so far from home. Our cleaning lady, Ms. Sofia, only speaks greek and yesterday came by at 9 am and knocked on my door. I got up and hobbled over to the door with my crutches. I opened the door saying "yasas= hello" and hobbled back to bed. I remember her saying something like "oh my goodness your leg!" because it is completely covered in white bandages. I immediately fell asleep while she cleaned. When I woke up my room smelled fresh and she had taken some of my towels to be cleaned AND she left traditional Greek treats from a patisserie!
It has been so incredibly hard doing all of this so far from home but I can't imagine a better place to get stuck like this. Here I have a family and it's nothing like at home but still it's my Greek/Balkan family.
The hardest thing to deal with is the pain. Here they do not take medicine like we do at home so 1 Ibuprofin takes away all pain.... but I'm American and this is not the case at all for me!
Anyway- on Friday I get to see a doctor who will figure out exactly what is wrong with my knee. I know that it is not broken. But I know that the ligaments are messed up. I'll keep y'all posted!
This is Martin. He's from Tanzania (Africa) and like me he's never gone skiing before. Both of us got some snow yesterday and had a blast! He was more cautious than me...
One very nice rather ennoyed Greek man stopped about 10 meters past me and side walked his way up to hand me my ski. He was asking through a thick Greek accent "How did you do that? I've never ever heard of anyone losing their boot with their ski!" After I got my boot on and said "Ephxaristo PARA polee... thank you VERY much" I got back up on my ski's and took off again. A little shooken from that experience of laying on ice with a nearly exposed foot I wanted to go up on the lift one more time. So my Greek friend Giannis and I jumped on the lift once again.
With Yannis behind me watching to ensure I would not lose another ski + boot I was nearing the second half of hte run. I was going left to right across the higher side of the course and tried to stop because of the speed I was gaining. When trying to stop when skiing you put the front of your skis together- like a v. My right knee didn't agree with this decision and popped to the right. As this happened I fell forward and landed in snow... again without any grace. After a really nice ski medic guy (speaking only Greek & German) packed ice on my knee. I had a quick visit to the hospital in Veria (closest city) where they took xrays and wrapped up my leg. I just remember telling them that it hurts so much and pointing and singing "Moro mou sagapow- nai nai nai" to distract from all the pain.
This is in the bus on the way from the mountain (where they put me in a air cast) to the actual hospital.
Students were so great... trying to make me laugh and just being sweet.
It has been so incredibly hard doing all of this so far from home but I can't imagine a better place to get stuck like this. Here I have a family and it's nothing like at home but still it's my Greek/Balkan family.
The hardest thing to deal with is the pain. Here they do not take medicine like we do at home so 1 Ibuprofin takes away all pain.... but I'm American and this is not the case at all for me!
Anyway- on Friday I get to see a doctor who will figure out exactly what is wrong with my knee. I know that it is not broken. But I know that the ligaments are messed up. I'll keep y'all posted!
Monday, March 7, 2011
March Madness
Gone are the hot Florida days where the beach becomes a mecca for all those seeking relief from the warm climate. Gone are the lovely blue skies that sit overhead sunbathers feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs. Gone are my natural high lights that appear out of no where when I sit in the sun for a few hours.... why you may ask? Because of March madness... or Μάρτιος κάνει τρελλό. Literally March is MAKING ME CRAZY.
Today it began snowing.... SNOWING. When I talk to people back home I'm hearing of lovely warm weather perfect for kayaking, fishing and swimming at the beach.
When I was hanging out with some students yesterday we were surprised to find a little peice of blue sky in all of grey clouds. For 3 weeks it has been only grey skies and rain- like London.
I asked my boss and a Greek friend why the weather is so terrible. They both said that here in Northern Greece the weather is crazy and no one knows what it will be like.
So- y'all with lovely weather. Enjoy it while we over here camp out cuddled up with tea and taking many naps.
Today it began snowing.... SNOWING. When I talk to people back home I'm hearing of lovely warm weather perfect for kayaking, fishing and swimming at the beach.
When I was hanging out with some students yesterday we were surprised to find a little peice of blue sky in all of grey clouds. For 3 weeks it has been only grey skies and rain- like London.
I asked my boss and a Greek friend why the weather is so terrible. They both said that here in Northern Greece the weather is crazy and no one knows what it will be like.
So- y'all with lovely weather. Enjoy it while we over here camp out cuddled up with tea and taking many naps.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Skopje
Friday the 18th my friend Elizabeth from FSU came over to Greece. She is studying abroad in Valencia, Spain and for spring break decided she would come over for a few days. What she did not realize at the time was that she would end up seeing and learning about what I have lovingly named "Balkan-land."
Balkan-land is the peninsula of Southeastern Europe. These countries include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, FYROM, and Montenegro. Balkan-land is smaller than the south east region of the United States but has more history than was ever alluded when studying it in school. There is evidence that people lived in this region during the Neolithic period (9500 BC) and definitely through the Roman Empire. All of these countries have similar histories and traditions but each are unique and bear their own dislike for the others. Bulgarians and Greeks traditionally dislike FYROM. No one traditionally likes Albania except Kosovo. Kosovo is not recognized by most countries but Albania and gained their independence from Serbia after the collapse of Yugoslavia. Like everywhere on this side of the pond, they have a lengthy history.
I had decided before I knew Elizabeth was coming that I would be going to Skopje FYROM's capital, with Kate and Carrie (the other female Americans here). After Elizabeth flew in we had planned to take a direct bus from Thessaloniki to Skopje. Due to Greece's economic position they have recently suspended all international trains. Long story short we didn't catch a bus out of Thess but we made a friend from Prague. He too was just trying to get out of the country. Kate and Carrie decided instead they would be going to Xanthi, a city north of Kavala known for its festivals.
The next day my boss Klearchos lovingly drove Elizabeth and I to Gevgalja. Gevgalja is a city on the border of Greece and FYROM and has buses to Skopje. We found the ticket office for the buses and exchanged euro's into denars. 50 Euro = 3,056 Denar (we felt rich) Next we found a cafe in which no one spoke English in. Elizabeth and I tried in every language we know but it got us nowhere... so we decided to point to the menu and smile. This actually worked in our favor. For only 2 Euro (120 denar) we got really good filling food.
An hour later we climbed onto the bus that took us to Skopje. The bus was filled but we got seats next to each other. On the bus behind me was a screaming gypsy child singing in Macedonian the whole way. No one seemed to mind but I saw the bus driver smile as the child got louder, I imagine singing some nationalistic Balkan nursery song. I was happy that we were able to see so much of the countryside driving up from Gevgaljah. I felt like we got a really good glimpse at the whole country.
My friend Ivan met us at the bus station and drove us to our hostel. My friends in FYROM were so amazing to us. Ivan showed us around his city and explained to us the history and why things were as they were.
Things you need to know about Balkan-land:
1. Nap time is apart of the day... you can't change this nor should you.
2. Coffee time is also apart of the day... if you don't take time for coffee you aren't enjoying your life. Don't you want to enjoy your life?
3. Partying all night... every night. Sleep time shifts to anywhere from 6-9am to 2pm.
4. Never try to out drink a Balkan... their stomachs have been genetically modified to drink whatever their grandfather has fermented in the back yard and they begin drinking around 15.
5. Everything (except in Greece) is crazy cheap.
Through our stay in Skopje we walked around to the old fortress, over the ancient bridge, explored the city center, saw Mother Teresa's building (she was born here), saw ridiculously old church's, saw Matka (a really pretty dam and lake) and some mountains, went up near the cross on top of the mountain to look at the city at night, went to cafana (traditional restaurant), enjoyed amazing traditional food, went shopping in the old bazaar, I bought an antique ring and hand made traditional leather shoes, enjoyed local hot spots and had time for coffee :)
I learned some Macedonian and can read some. When I would buy things I would say thank you in Macedonian and the locals looked tickled pink that I would take time to try to learn their language.
I really enjoyed Skopje. For a country slightly larger than Vermont but with history stretching 4,000 years before Christ I feel really privileged to understand it the way I do, like a local. When telling people that I went up to Skopje and I desire to go to Albania and Bosnia, these other Balkan countries, I get strange looks. People want to try to get out of these countries and into America and I desire to visit their countries. Even though it is strange I have found my experiences in them invaluable. The friends I have made from Balkan-land have changed my perspective on so much and I'm happy to say that I will never be the same.
Balkan-land is the peninsula of Southeastern Europe. These countries include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, FYROM, and Montenegro. Balkan-land is smaller than the south east region of the United States but has more history than was ever alluded when studying it in school. There is evidence that people lived in this region during the Neolithic period (9500 BC) and definitely through the Roman Empire. All of these countries have similar histories and traditions but each are unique and bear their own dislike for the others. Bulgarians and Greeks traditionally dislike FYROM. No one traditionally likes Albania except Kosovo. Kosovo is not recognized by most countries but Albania and gained their independence from Serbia after the collapse of Yugoslavia. Like everywhere on this side of the pond, they have a lengthy history.
I had decided before I knew Elizabeth was coming that I would be going to Skopje FYROM's capital, with Kate and Carrie (the other female Americans here). After Elizabeth flew in we had planned to take a direct bus from Thessaloniki to Skopje. Due to Greece's economic position they have recently suspended all international trains. Long story short we didn't catch a bus out of Thess but we made a friend from Prague. He too was just trying to get out of the country. Kate and Carrie decided instead they would be going to Xanthi, a city north of Kavala known for its festivals.
The next day my boss Klearchos lovingly drove Elizabeth and I to Gevgalja. Gevgalja is a city on the border of Greece and FYROM and has buses to Skopje. We found the ticket office for the buses and exchanged euro's into denars. 50 Euro = 3,056 Denar (we felt rich) Next we found a cafe in which no one spoke English in. Elizabeth and I tried in every language we know but it got us nowhere... so we decided to point to the menu and smile. This actually worked in our favor. For only 2 Euro (120 denar) we got really good filling food.
An hour later we climbed onto the bus that took us to Skopje. The bus was filled but we got seats next to each other. On the bus behind me was a screaming gypsy child singing in Macedonian the whole way. No one seemed to mind but I saw the bus driver smile as the child got louder, I imagine singing some nationalistic Balkan nursery song. I was happy that we were able to see so much of the countryside driving up from Gevgaljah. I felt like we got a really good glimpse at the whole country.
My friend Ivan met us at the bus station and drove us to our hostel. My friends in FYROM were so amazing to us. Ivan showed us around his city and explained to us the history and why things were as they were.
Things you need to know about Balkan-land:
1. Nap time is apart of the day... you can't change this nor should you.
2. Coffee time is also apart of the day... if you don't take time for coffee you aren't enjoying your life. Don't you want to enjoy your life?
3. Partying all night... every night. Sleep time shifts to anywhere from 6-9am to 2pm.
4. Never try to out drink a Balkan... their stomachs have been genetically modified to drink whatever their grandfather has fermented in the back yard and they begin drinking around 15.
5. Everything (except in Greece) is crazy cheap.
Through our stay in Skopje we walked around to the old fortress, over the ancient bridge, explored the city center, saw Mother Teresa's building (she was born here), saw ridiculously old church's, saw Matka (a really pretty dam and lake) and some mountains, went up near the cross on top of the mountain to look at the city at night, went to cafana (traditional restaurant), enjoyed amazing traditional food, went shopping in the old bazaar, I bought an antique ring and hand made traditional leather shoes, enjoyed local hot spots and had time for coffee :)
Mother Teresa
In the city center along the sidewalk.
They have statues everywhere for the important people in their past. Without these guys FYROM would not be what it is today.
This is Stone bridge over the Vardar River. They say that it was originally built in 1555 but it has suffered through earthquakes and explosives (from the crazy history remember)
This is at Matka Canyon. We walked around on this path which lead to the lake.
This monastery was built 1389. It isn't very big but inside are beautiful paintings and ancient Macedonian script.
notice the 'made in USSR'
This is Ivana and Ana two of my friends from this country... aren't they precious! This is in the bazaar.
I learned some Macedonian and can read some. When I would buy things I would say thank you in Macedonian and the locals looked tickled pink that I would take time to try to learn their language.
I really enjoyed Skopje. For a country slightly larger than Vermont but with history stretching 4,000 years before Christ I feel really privileged to understand it the way I do, like a local. When telling people that I went up to Skopje and I desire to go to Albania and Bosnia, these other Balkan countries, I get strange looks. People want to try to get out of these countries and into America and I desire to visit their countries. Even though it is strange I have found my experiences in them invaluable. The friends I have made from Balkan-land have changed my perspective on so much and I'm happy to say that I will never be the same.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Kavala part 2
It took a while to climb to the top of this castle on top. It was a super steep walk but the view of the city was totally worth it!
If you ever get the chance to go to Kavala definitely climb to the top of the castle and try their seafood. It is amazing!
This is standing on the top most part of the castle looking down.
If you ever get the chance to go to Kavala definitely climb to the top of the castle and try their seafood. It is amazing!
This is Carrie and I in a seafood taverna... it was SO good!
I hope you all enjoyed the many pics!
Kavala part 1
Καβάλα is the 2nd largest city in Northern Greece (Thessaloniki is first). It was originally called Neopolis- Νεάπολις meaning "new city" and was founded by settlers from Thassos (the island right south of Kavala).
http://www.pickatrail.com/jupiter/location/europe/greece/map/kavala.gif
Cool stuff about Kavala:
-Was a base for Brutus and Cassius before they were defeated
-Has a ton of history dating back since the 7th cent. BC
-Has a super old castle that has been built around... literally houses are built upon the ancient walls that once kept outsiders far away
-Beautiful city!
http://www.pickatrail.com/jupiter/location/europe/greece/map/kavala.gif
Cool stuff about Kavala:
-Was a base for Brutus and Cassius before they were defeated
-Has a ton of history dating back since the 7th cent. BC
-Has a super old castle that has been built around... literally houses are built upon the ancient walls that once kept outsiders far away
-Beautiful city!
1. The family Kate, Carrie and I stayed with was AMAZING!!! The mother cooked amazing food (the best postilito I've ever had) and the daughters were wonderful and happily showed us around everywhere we went! The thing that made me most excited was when walking into the room we were staying in at their house I found my bed like this... hahahahaha! AWESOME right?
We took a bus into the city from the village Orphani on a Saturday morning.
Around this quiet village are ancient ruins from a castle. Michaela (our amazing highschool host) told us about the history behind these walls.
When the Turks and Bulgarians invaded the Orphani village people used to flee to the mountains with blankets and hid or through a secret tunnel under the mountain to escape to the sea.
This is overlooking the sea- its on the horizon. Imagine climbing through a cave under all of this to escape to the sea. Crazy stuff...
This is Kavala:
Looking up at the old city.
This is a Saturday morning bazaar. You can buy anything here from clothes, food, freshly made honey or household goods.
This church was built for Saint Paul. Who first came to Kavala to preach the gospel. This beautiful tiled thing stands out front of the church. Unfortunately the church was locked.
Climbing up to the castle at the top of the mountain there are many modern beautiful houses like this!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)
This past Friday night I got the opportunity to Skopje the next day because one of our students is from there and needed to go home to get his things. This students name is Gjoko and he has been accepted at Ole Miss with a scholarship to go study journalism. We were worried about this because Gjoko could not get a visa to go into the US. BUT Gjoko got his visa! So he gets to go study in the USA!
I've realized that its really difficult for students that do not have an American passport to get a visa to go anywhere. To get my visa to come here the paperwork was intense but they gave it to me within a week. For students here to travel into other countries they have to get visa documents to even go for the weekend, unless it is a Shengan country.... which just means that they gave agreements between them so that people can move easier.
So yesterday morning 5 of us from Perrotis College got into Klearchos' car to head north into FYROM. After a little confusion (on my part) and a quick trip back to my room, we all had our passports and papers to cross the border. Because I work at an international college (we have something like 4 continents represented) all our passports were different colors and languages :)
Greece, FYROM (Macedonia), Bulgaria, and America were all represented!
I LOVE THAT ABOUT HERE... we're all SO different and still can be friends and understand each other.
Crossing the border both to and from the guards looked at all of our passports and raised their eyebrows at such international diversity.
In Greece there is a giant argument with people from FYROM about the name of the country- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or simply Macedonia. People from FYROM call their country the Republic of Macedonia. Greeks are upset at this because Macedonia was the land that is FYROM and stretched all the way south to central Greece. But when you cross the border the signs of the country say Macedonia. This dispute is deeper than you would think.
We went into Berovo and Strumica. Berovo is a town located near Bulgaria...
Berovo is in the central eastern side of the country. To get to Berovo we drove up across the border by Strumica and through crazy mountains with a ton of fog. It was about 3 degrees Celsius and got down to -3. Awesome right? There was a ton of fog but no snow! That part was irritating especially driving through mountains trying to get back to Strumica after sunset... thank God I wasn't driving!
FYROM's currency is the Denar. 60 Denar = 1 Euro.
This is Gjoko's neighborhood in Berovo... there are older vehicles like this everywhere and fire wood is stacked up because that is how everyone heats their houses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Slavic_languages
It was really interesting seeing a country that had been so effected by centuries of disputes. I really loved it though!
I've realized that its really difficult for students that do not have an American passport to get a visa to go anywhere. To get my visa to come here the paperwork was intense but they gave it to me within a week. For students here to travel into other countries they have to get visa documents to even go for the weekend, unless it is a Shengan country.... which just means that they gave agreements between them so that people can move easier.
So yesterday morning 5 of us from Perrotis College got into Klearchos' car to head north into FYROM. After a little confusion (on my part) and a quick trip back to my room, we all had our passports and papers to cross the border. Because I work at an international college (we have something like 4 continents represented) all our passports were different colors and languages :)
Greece, FYROM (Macedonia), Bulgaria, and America were all represented!
I LOVE THAT ABOUT HERE... we're all SO different and still can be friends and understand each other.
Crossing the border both to and from the guards looked at all of our passports and raised their eyebrows at such international diversity.
In Greece there is a giant argument with people from FYROM about the name of the country- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or simply Macedonia. People from FYROM call their country the Republic of Macedonia. Greeks are upset at this because Macedonia was the land that is FYROM and stretched all the way south to central Greece. But when you cross the border the signs of the country say Macedonia. This dispute is deeper than you would think.
We went into Berovo and Strumica. Berovo is a town located near Bulgaria...
Berovo is in the central eastern side of the country. To get to Berovo we drove up across the border by Strumica and through crazy mountains with a ton of fog. It was about 3 degrees Celsius and got down to -3. Awesome right? There was a ton of fog but no snow! That part was irritating especially driving through mountains trying to get back to Strumica after sunset... thank God I wasn't driving!
FYROM's currency is the Denar. 60 Denar = 1 Euro.
This is Gjoko's neighborhood in Berovo... there are older vehicles like this everywhere and fire wood is stacked up because that is how everyone heats their houses.
We went to a cafana (a restaurant) and had tons and TONS of amazing food. This is a Macedonian beer called SkopSko. It is like the national pride of FYROM and was really good!
This is the salad we had... it was SO good! The fish looking stuff on the plate to the right is cheese that has been fried. The cheese is very salty and is a lot like haloumi in Greece.
This is the lake in Berovo... unfortunately is was foggy but it was still pretty!
There are differenet kinds of Slavic languages throughout this region. South Slavic is comprised of many different dialects. They include Macedonian and are all different even though all dialects can understand and communicate with one another. This is Macedonian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Slavic_languages
It was really interesting seeing a country that had been so effected by centuries of disputes. I really loved it though!
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