Maiden, North Carolina

This summer I am living in the thriving metropolis of Maiden, NC for a few months. I have been assigned to May's Chapel UMC as their pastoral intern for a few months before I begin my Masters at Duke this August. 

Maiden has all of 3 traffic lights, 1 supermarket, 1 gas station and what feels like 10 churches. I feel like half the town is clergy. To let you understand the cultural vibe in Maiden I must first explain (what I think) is the favorite past time of locals... I have seen at least 15 people in the last week rocking out mowing their lawns on riding lawn mowers with headsets with antennas that might pick up the radio from mars- these people are serious about their grass and hay. 

Yesterday I went to a local Christian organization that helps people pay their bills when they fall behind. I was sitting in the waiting room with a retired nurse from May's Chapel UMC helping give free blood pressure tests. This very large African American man walks in the door and heads over to get his bp checked. Afterwards while standing in line he whips out his harmonica and with one hand starts pipping out some of the best blue grass music I have ever heard. He started singing old hymns between his harmonica beats. In the middle of this waiting room with about 30 people in it he sang the story about "a man from Galilee" beautifully. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. 

I'm staying in the basement of this couple who are members of the church. Later that same day as my bluegrass encounter in the day I was sitting in the grass next to the house talking to my sister. As I hung up the phone and stood up I looked over and saw I long skinny black snake. I went to the front of the house and asked Guylene if Jimmy was there to get him to take care of it, which he wasn't, and I told her about the snake. Without hesitation she grabbed a hoe walked around the the side of the house and chopped its head off.

I did not know what to expect in a small town. I've had Miranda Lambert's song stuck in my head for days. I've learned in 6 days that it could not be more true. Dave, the pastor at May's Chapel, said that someone could sneeze at one end of town and someone on the other end of town would say bless you... it's that small.

Now I'm sitting in a locally owned coffee shop in Newton, a larger nearby town, in a coffee shop named Zander's. Zander's has local Carolina coffee, wifi, a cool artsy vibe and a giant chandelier when you walk in the door. I love it. I think one of my missions on my off days is to find local coffee shops around the town of Maiden this summer. So far its been really fun and interesting. I've learned the best places to find local pottery.

Really y'all?

Here I am back in the US chilling in south Miami with my grandma who lovingly takes me to physical therapy 3 times a week and pretty much anywhere I want to go. Transitioning from Balkan Eastern European life to American life has been a little something like this...

Just to give you an idea I'll let you know a few things that have been running through my head:

"Really? 5 aisles of useless crap on sale for Easter just to fill little American children with chocolate and tell them that Easter is about an oversized bunny? What the heck happened to Jesus dying and living again?"

-compliments of living in an Orthodox country

"Why are the cars so big? There are parking lots everywhere! Why does everyone complain about gas when they drive everywhere? Why do engineers here plan cities on being so spread out?"

"I can understand everything that people are saying in the entire room... yay for English!"

"Twin beds are HUGE here!!! alllright" :)

"Everything is SO easy... you can get whatever you want whenever you want it!"

"I FREAKING ADORE CUBAN FOOD!!!" 

Looking around at such a strange environment from one that I've been used to is kind of making me realize a very important thing. So, in lou of Holy Week fast approaching- WHY DO CELEBRATE A BUNNY INSTEAD OF JESUS? Celebrating something so arbitrary as a bunny and connecting it to the death and eternal life of the Son of God seems a bit off topic. 

Another thing... why do we shovel chocolate towards kids on the holiest day of the year?

Any thoughts? 

Life sucks.

With my knee as it was in Greece my parents and I decided it was time for me to go home and have tests done to figure out what I needed to do or have done. So in a whirlwind I packed, said goodbyes and flew from Thessaloniki to Rome then on to Miami. It was difficult to manage with my leg in this lovely bionic looking brace but at every airport everyone has incredibly helpful and nice.

The hardest part....
I have fallen in love with Balkan people and Eastern Europe. Right now that is home to me. I miss Greece. I miss those people and I truly miss everyone at Perrotis College. They all have such a special place in my heart and I want to go back so badly!

Today I see a knee specialist here in Miami. Hopefully today we'll figure out what is next with my knee.

Filakia y'all :)

I might be coming home...

Update on my leg:
I went to a doctor that specializes in knees. He thinks I either bruised my bone or have a tear in my miniscus. If it is a bruised bone then I will just wear the brace we've had to buy and it will heal itself. If it is the miniscus then most likely I need surgery. To determine which it is I need an MRI. My parents (and I agree with them) think that it is crazy to spend so much money here to determine what is wrong because if I do go through everything here and it is the miniscus then I will have to go home and have another MRI, surgery and the whole shebang.
For now I'm using my lovely crutches and wearing my bionic knee brace. The knee brace is pretty hard core. This sucker is intense and comes fully loaded with side shinny things that look like they could shoot trank darts. Those shinny things on the side keep my leg from extending any more than 15 degrees.
I'm getting really exhausted from using the crutches to move but its necessary.

Kate brought me beautiful flowers that now sit in the corner of my room in a vase from my friend Nikoleta. My friend Jo, an American intern from Anatolia College nearby, brought me kiwi and mandarin oranges.

For now I'm just seeing how my leg feels and trying to figure out what to do. If I go home I will not be coming back to Greece for the year. Big decisions need to be made and all I can think about is how dumb it was to push myself to ski that hard on the first time.

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.

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. 

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! 

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.