sometimes it feels like the desert here: warm and sunny as can be in the afternoon, then :freezing: at night!! I'm never quite sure how I should dress.
I think vacationing is starting soon - yay!!!
Today is also the beginning of Mardi Gras and it is a SERIOUS holiday here. People eat meat up the wazoo so I'll be getting in on the local festivities. My roommate and I are planning on making togas out of our bedsheets. =) [something i've always wanted to do!]
So some crazy things that have happened:
1. Was running on the track, and met this random person that is actually a tourist agent of some sort...but we got to talking about religion, and he's coming to the house-church I go to this Saturday! (if you could remember that in prayer, i know God will listen.)
2. hahahaha i swear, there was more, but i'm drawing a blank right now.
My roommate and I have this list of restaraunts we need to try, and last week we chose the chinese rest. It was incredibly disappointing. I'm missing Korean food too. My only solution is the sriracha sauce my dad convinced me to bring (THANK GOODNESS!). It accompanies my every meal. =)
fyi: i wish i could go to the benefit dinner JUST for the raffles.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
v-day, picturesque
So, like most colleges in the U.S., the official 'going out' night is Thursday in Greece. How perfect that Valentine's Day fell on this same day! There's a DJ at our school, and I don't know how or why, but anyone from the school that goes doesn't have to pay anything to get into the club he works at. Some snapshots of people looking pretty!!
Asli, Kelsey, Brittani
Dino, Jen
John, DaveEmily, Danielle,
Dan (he's HILARIOUS. reminds me of Das. =)
on one of our explorations up the ginormous hill just outside our apt, two friendly greek boys asked if we were Americans and we had a small conversation with them. I was so excited to see kids that I took a picture, but only one of them told us his name.
friend, JIMMYS!Jimmys: Are you from America?
Jen and I: yup!
Jimmys: Oh, well, I'm JIMMYS!
hahahaha. i'm just trying to say that he was very enthusiastic.
can't figure out how to put the caption below, but say hello to Bissell Library! Proud cover of a 2006 edition of an international library magazine (can't remember the title...), and decent replacement for KSL. Yesterday, thinking it closed at 8:30 instead of 8:00, I got LOCKED IN. Very scary and dark, but I had my phone so eventually a security guard came and unlocked the door. KSL is 24/7. And has amazing secuirty guards that would never let anyone stay past closing. And awesome chairs. And allows food! But this one's nice too. =)
Kamara Arch. Another section of the palace that was built for the visiting Roman Emperor in 250 A.D. In modern day Greece though, this serves as the quintessential meeting place. I had to meet two unknown American girls for church, and where did we meet? the Arch!
just. breathe.
I'm beginning to realize the benefits of taking just 12 credit hours instead of jam-packing my schedule like all Case students. It's a different kind of existence. SERIOUSLY. That saying "America lives to work, [Greece] works to live" is becoming truer. Even the teachers aren't as tight about time. It's refreshing!
"You have filled our hearts with wonder, so that we always remember that you and I were made to love... Even the rocks cry out, even the heavens shout, at the sound of his holy name" - Chris Tomlin (Made to Worship)
"Don't let me lose my wonder" - Kristyn Getty
Monday, February 11, 2008
pictures at long last.
pictures are working!!
kelsey, me, caitlin
it's a cloudy day, but i'm sure that when it's sunny, this view is b-e-a-uutiful.
me, jen! my amazingly amazing roommate.
the seats are for the elderly inside the church we were visiting.
jen, emily, danielle
with part of the old wall that protected the city behind them.
with part of the old wall that protected the city behind them.
the fruit market right outside my apt. shot taken from my balcony. =)
yeaaa buddy!! i'm actually going to go to a piano and cello recital on feb. 25th. not here, but still! they have an orchestra!!
imported i think. but for you unni! =)
what's really unusual about Greece are the ruins that are side-by-side with modern buildings. These are remnants of a palace from around 250 A.D. that was built for a visiting Roman emperor.
my favorite trees here. there're LOADS of them. but I don't know what they are. yet. =)
i havne't had the guts to take a picture of the roasting circular meat..but hopefully this week i will. class in 10 minutes!!
ya sou! (bye!)
Church, School.
well, i don't know what's up with blogger, but here's another brief description of events in thessaloniki w/o pictures!
i went to church here - it was a house church that was more pentecostal than presbytarian (which is what i'm used to) so it was definitely a new experience. [if you've been to IHOP, it resembled one of their services] Prior to that though, i got to go for 'coffee' at the home of a missionary couple. Drinking coffee in Greece is a much longer affair than America. The differences?
a. Everybody brings a dessert dish (i did NOT. awkward...hahahaha not really. i did start to feel a little guilty after a bit though)
b. You sit for hours just talking. plus refills of coffee/tea/juice. and of course food. =)
c. it seems like it substitutes actual meals. I had a bowl of soup for dinner at their house - it was GOOD cabbage soup - but not enough to feel like an actual meal. So i'm thinking the desserts are considered not desserts but food.
okk. so church was on a Saturday night and more informal than what i'd imagined because there were about 15 of us sitting in a circle. It was great though! The message was so :clear: and practical and logical. [it was about how we can be transformed by the renewing of our mind]
today was the first day of school! it doesn't seem too bad, but i do have classes everyday, at least 2 a day, with large breaks inbetween some of them that can be used for the lovely MCAT or h.w. Basically, the campus is 2 building: The New Building, where most of our classes are, and Bissell Library, where I'm at ahora!
so with some structure fixed into my schedule, i realized how much I loved break and zero deadlines, but it should be interesting here! =)
i went to church here - it was a house church that was more pentecostal than presbytarian (which is what i'm used to) so it was definitely a new experience. [if you've been to IHOP, it resembled one of their services] Prior to that though, i got to go for 'coffee' at the home of a missionary couple. Drinking coffee in Greece is a much longer affair than America. The differences?
a. Everybody brings a dessert dish (i did NOT. awkward...hahahaha not really. i did start to feel a little guilty after a bit though)
b. You sit for hours just talking. plus refills of coffee/tea/juice. and of course food. =)
c. it seems like it substitutes actual meals. I had a bowl of soup for dinner at their house - it was GOOD cabbage soup - but not enough to feel like an actual meal. So i'm thinking the desserts are considered not desserts but food.
okk. so church was on a Saturday night and more informal than what i'd imagined because there were about 15 of us sitting in a circle. It was great though! The message was so :clear: and practical and logical. [it was about how we can be transformed by the renewing of our mind]
today was the first day of school! it doesn't seem too bad, but i do have classes everyday, at least 2 a day, with large breaks inbetween some of them that can be used for the lovely MCAT or h.w. Basically, the campus is 2 building: The New Building, where most of our classes are, and Bissell Library, where I'm at ahora!
so with some structure fixed into my schedule, i realized how much I loved break and zero deadlines, but it should be interesting here! =)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Pictureless update. =(
I've been trying to load pictures onto the blog, but my computer has not been responding well to the ethernet cord, so I decided to do just a little more explaining and less visuals.
Orientation for school started yesterday, and it ends tomorrow with a trip to Vergina (pronounced with a hard 'g' and rolled r as Vergeenah) to see Alexander the Great's father's tomb. Not being the greatest history buff, hopefully I will know all about Alexander the Great, before we leave through wikipedia. =)
Today's most eventful memory was the hour of learning Greek dancing. (Like in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.) We all stood in a HUGE circle and managed to keep our circle somewhat connected doing the three-step dance. :and: Greece's new US embassador came to visit during our dance session and joined our circle of fun. =)
I'm still getting used to the walking, but the grocery store is just 10 minutes away, along with a whole string of other stores - fastfood, bakeries up the wazoo (yay!), rent-a-cars, electronic stores, etc...and then shopping a little ways down.
My favorite food so far is a gyro from this fast-food place called "The Best". It's a comPLETEly accurate name. =D Stuffed with pork, chicken, fries, tomatoes, ketchup, mayo, and this spread that's put on all types of bread (yogurt+cucumbers+leafy something), this thing is massive and filling and delicious. If I remember to take my camera next time, the roasting meat is pretty cool to see! They're on vertical spits prolly....3 feet tall and everyting looks juicy as can be.
My roommate is amazing and my room is nice and toasty since the heater started working. School seems like it should be interesting:
1. Ethnographic Accounts of Greek Culture (something like that...)
2. The Doings and Writings of Anthropology (it seems like an independent study - i'll be researching Greek music! should be cool)
3. Greek 101
4. International Relations
Classes in just 4 days from now. It feels weird to be thinking about school and deadlines and such.
I think I might be one of those 'homesick' candidates pretty soon - hopefully won't hit me too hard. =)
I'll try to post some pictures next time!!
Orientation for school started yesterday, and it ends tomorrow with a trip to Vergina (pronounced with a hard 'g' and rolled r as Vergeenah) to see Alexander the Great's father's tomb. Not being the greatest history buff, hopefully I will know all about Alexander the Great, before we leave through wikipedia. =)
Today's most eventful memory was the hour of learning Greek dancing. (Like in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.) We all stood in a HUGE circle and managed to keep our circle somewhat connected doing the three-step dance. :and: Greece's new US embassador came to visit during our dance session and joined our circle of fun. =)
I'm still getting used to the walking, but the grocery store is just 10 minutes away, along with a whole string of other stores - fastfood, bakeries up the wazoo (yay!), rent-a-cars, electronic stores, etc...and then shopping a little ways down.
My favorite food so far is a gyro from this fast-food place called "The Best". It's a comPLETEly accurate name. =D Stuffed with pork, chicken, fries, tomatoes, ketchup, mayo, and this spread that's put on all types of bread (yogurt+cucumbers+leafy something), this thing is massive and filling and delicious. If I remember to take my camera next time, the roasting meat is pretty cool to see! They're on vertical spits prolly....3 feet tall and everyting looks juicy as can be.
My roommate is amazing and my room is nice and toasty since the heater started working. School seems like it should be interesting:
1. Ethnographic Accounts of Greek Culture (something like that...)
2. The Doings and Writings of Anthropology (it seems like an independent study - i'll be researching Greek music! should be cool)
3. Greek 101
4. International Relations
Classes in just 4 days from now. It feels weird to be thinking about school and deadlines and such.
I think I might be one of those 'homesick' candidates pretty soon - hopefully won't hit me too hard. =)
I'll try to post some pictures next time!!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
first day
i'm here!!!
the flight was long and i was so excited they served tea on British Airways that I drank 2 full cups before realizing I normally NEVER drink that much caffeinated anything and then couldn't fall asleep for most of my plane ride. =)
my roommate is not here yet, and school actually doesn't start for another week! We have orientation beginning Wednesday though, which includes the much-talked about trip to IKEA. That will be interesting!
two sad things: 1. the dollar is so incredibly weak compared to the euro - i was shocked at the difference. so while a 4.50 euro dinner sounds like a great deal upfront, i think i'll find myself recalculating often. 2. my boiler doesn't work yet! very very very cold in my room. colder than outside. (i'd say..lower 50's in my room, and upper 50's outdoors.)
i always like picture updates - so here are some!!
the flight was long and i was so excited they served tea on British Airways that I drank 2 full cups before realizing I normally NEVER drink that much caffeinated anything and then couldn't fall asleep for most of my plane ride. =)
my roommate is not here yet, and school actually doesn't start for another week! We have orientation beginning Wednesday though, which includes the much-talked about trip to IKEA. That will be interesting!
two sad things: 1. the dollar is so incredibly weak compared to the euro - i was shocked at the difference. so while a 4.50 euro dinner sounds like a great deal upfront, i think i'll find myself recalculating often. 2. my boiler doesn't work yet! very very very cold in my room. colder than outside. (i'd say..lower 50's in my room, and upper 50's outdoors.)
i always like picture updates - so here are some!!
kitchen
beds; the desk and cabinet is for both me and my roommate.
i can't seem to put captions next to the pictures, but from left to right, top to bottom:
-bathroom
-first dinner's salad, fries, fried eggplant (GOOD!), and yummy yummy baked bread
-meat-a-mania with meatballs, chicken, lamb, sausage. and fries.
-the harbor at night
-the view from my balcony!! =)
[K. how was the retreat???]
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