ΠΑΜΕ ΣΙΦΝΟΣ

First thing is first.....WE ARE GOING TO SIFNOS.
Sophia just found us a house to rent in SIFNOS!!! Takis and Grigoris are comming too. And an added plus we are going to be able to meet our cousin, Takis twin brother, Grigoris. I was getting excited about going to Preveza with friends and all but Sifnos is an island, it is a dream that you only see in pictures and i am going for a week.
Ok so now that that is out of the way...the last couple of days have been a great vacation. we have been going to the beach alot and seeing Nafplio too. We went to an authentic Agora and shopped arround a little. And we went to a play, a tradgedy of coarse, in the ancient Epidarous Theatre which is known for its perfect acoustics. Last night was alot of fun with Mariana. We went to a local village, what we would call a city, to see her friend sing. He was really great, it was some authentic Greek music all about wine. It was really intresting to see how many songs there are in greek about wine. Then we went out to eat around midnight, something you could never do in america, and we found this really great Taverna that was playing some really great american songs in a blues kind of way. Tonight i think we are going to meet someone our own age here in Nafplio and maybe go out with her, i thik her name is Artemis. From what i gather she is a freshman in college somewhere in Chicago.
Ashley and I are just too excited about the Sifnos trip we are gitty.

Ok so this one is going to be an original post...
Today I slept in till about noon and it felt so good. The plan was to go into town and shop for ourselves and others after I saw all these great little shops last night. I am loving the European look and I know that it is going to be in America in the next year so why not be ahead of the trend. So after Ashley had to pry me out of bed, I got ready and we went down to find that we didn’t know where the stores were. So in true fashion we just went o eat and meet Sophia and Mariana at the beach. Which really wasn’t a beach at all more like a rock with some ladders to get in the water that was like a violent tidal pool splashing against the rocks. Against my better judgment I convinced Ashley to get in the water with me. The getting in was the easy part but the deadly getting throne against the jagged rocks to get out was a little taunting. So now we are taking a little siesta and I dont know what else.

Danger...its alot

ok so i havent been keeping up with this.... forgive me it is a little hard to find a computer in a foreign country. well luckally my travel partner and partner in crime, Ashley, is so great she has just recently updated her blog with all the jucie detailes. so here is what she has to say. sorry, if you know me you know i am not th most productive person with my time and i dont really like to wright so this is the me getting you the story the easy way.

So for our last night in Athens, Jason and I went back to Goody's for dinner. Takis told us that he was going to meet us and his friends at Starbucks. So we walked over to Starbucks, and he never showed up. We walked back to the apartment, and he was hanging out with his friends, Takis (there are a million of them here). He told us that he was going to Starbucks for an hour and then he was coming back to take us out with his friends. Three hours later he still hadn't shown up, but his friends came over to babysitt for a couple of hours. We watched a couple of movies, and then they took off. Takis called us at 1:00am to ask if we still wanted to go out, and I bluntly told him no, that we had waited for three hours, and that we were tired. We angrily packed up and went to bed, and Takis continued his adventure at "Starbucks."
The next morning we all convened in the kitchen for breakfast, and darn him, it was impossible to stay mad at him. Then he took his "neice and nephew" to the bus station, and sat with us for an hour until our bus driver decided to show up five minutes after the bus was supposed to leave for Nafplio. We took a two hour bus ride to Nafplio where Sophie picked us up from the station. She brought us to her house where her sister, Lena, and her friend, Mariana, had lunch waiting for us. The house is absoultely gorgeous; it's an open, ranch-styled house with various levels and patios. It's on top of a hill overlooking the city and surrounded by olive and orange trees. (Sophie says that in October she picks the olives and takes them to a olive oil processor, and they keep ten percent of the oil while she keeps the rest. I could drink the olive oil here.) Also living on this hill are a million cicadas. (I plan on catching one and sticking it in Jason's pillow case. Ok, not really. But it's fun to imagine.)
After we took a siesta, the ladies took us to beach with actually waves but no sand. It was very pebbly. The two of us watched each other in amusement as we tried to walk bare-foot from the towels to the ocean. Sophie and the girls swam in the ocean the entire time while Jason and I tried to find the "coolest rock on the beach." Jason won.
Later in the evening, they took us to Old Nafplio for dinner on the bay. Even with the midnight sky encompassing the bay, you could see the crystal clarity of the water. In the States, the bill would have paid triple for the food simply because of the atmosphere. Their younger, pregnant friend came to join us, and hs sipped on her wine and puffed on her cigarette. Most of the Greek children look healthier here, so I hope hers will be OK, as well.
The next day, Lena left, and I joined Marina on a trip to the market. We walked down a street lined with vendors advertising their fruit, vegetables, and spices in Greek. After trying a few grapes and grabbing a couple handfuls of oregano to smell, Mariana bargained with the farmers and bought about eight bags of fresh fruits and vegetables. I aslo accompanied her to the bakery, pharmacy, and Greek super market.
After we got back and ate lunch, the four of us went to a different beach, where we sat at tables and sipped on Greek frappes. I played backgammon with Mariana and Sophie, and they taught us different variations of the game. For the rest of the time after that, Jason and I lounged by the oceans and read. I love how relaxed it is in Nafplio; it's the most relaxed I've felt since last summer.
In the evening, Mariana dropped the two of us off at an outdoor theater which sat against one of the walls of the fort of Nafplio. We decied to go see Mama Mia, since it was filmed in Greece. Even though it was probably one of the worst movie adaptation of a musical that we have ever seen, we enjoyed watching the familiar sights of Hellas on the big screen. (Hellas--"Greek" was a derogatory name given by the Turks, so they consider themselves to be Hellenic and living in Hellas/Hellada instead.) Anyway, Jason and I couldn't understand how a director could pair up a genius like Meryl Streep with a poor actor like Pierce Brosnan. But the atmosphere was well worth our time.
Sophie and Mariana came to pick us up and took us to get souvlaki. When we got back to the house, Sophie sat down with us on the patio and went through a historical, Greek book with pictures of our ancestors from Attalia. In the book were public records compiled over time, and they even mentioned Papou Pete (my Papou's father and Akis' brother). We were up until 2:00am, but Sophie promised that she will go show us more later in the week.
Today we woke up to the Greek army doing practice rounds nearby (either that or exploding cicadas). We played guitar and ate on the patio. We mainly just ate, lounged around, and read. It was a very relaxing day. Tonight we're going back to Old Nafplio for dinner.
Oh yeah. I think my favorite part of the house is the shower. It's like a small shower room with a window. If I time my shower right, I can watch the sunset behind the mountains. And right now Jason and I are in the study/library, and we can look out and see the fortress of Nafplio. I love it here.

Once again, it has been a while since I've updated my blog, so this entry will probably be lengthy as well. Please read at a healthy pace.
Ok, let me try to think back five or six days. Wednesday night Takis took us out to meet some of his frineds. Here in Athens, the best way to get around is by motorcycle. For your sake, I won't go into detail, but it's easier to avoid traffic on a bike. We went to this district called "Gazi" because it's near an old gasoline factory. We went to a small outdoor disotech, but it was crammed with people. Takis friend, Peny, told the DJ that we were from America, so he played a few songs for us. But they listen to a lot of American music over here anyway, so we heard everything from Justin Timberlake to Frank Sinatra.
The next day, Jason and I just hung out around the apartment until lunch. When we arrived to the house, YiaYia and the house maid (I feel so rude calling her that, but she has a really Greek name that I can never remember) were in the kitchen, and Papou was sitting in the living room by himself. Normally when we come over for lunch, he is in his room sleeping, so I took advantage of the moment and started to show him pictures of my family. I showed him pictures of my real Papou, who is infamously known around here as "Tzimi" (Jimmy). (Everyone always asks about Tzimi, and I'm always proud to claim him as my Papou. They also always ask about Wheeling, which I think is comcial because 95% of Americans don't know that Wheelig, West Virginia exists, but here in Athens they ask about it like it's a well-known city.) In Greek, I attempted to explain each of my mother's immediate familiy members, and I think I succeeded. Later, he got up and showed us a picture of he nad Despina on their wedding day. I asked him which year it was from, and thiking I didn't know my Greek numbers, he didn't say a word and just wrote imaginary numbers with his finger on the table. I'm not really sure why, but I thought it was so cute how he did this. I think it reminded me of the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when Tula is sitting with her mother and YiaYia, and her YiaYia silently shows her items from her family's memory box. When Papou drew the numbers, it was if we weren't letting the language barrier and cultural difference interfere with the fact that we are family.
After lunch, Grigoris came over and took Jason and I out around downtown Athens while Takis whent to work. When we were on the tram, I asked something about the Acropolis, and his reply was, "No, the Akropoli is over there," and he pointed to the right. I saw the Acopolis clear as day, and I said, "No, I'm pretty sure it's right there." "Oh, yes," he repsonded, trying to cover the fact that he didn't know the layout of his own city,"that's the small Akropoli. The bigger one is over to the right."...and so went the rest of our "tour." Jason and I were laughing becuase we knew the area better than Grigoris. (To be fair, it's the touristy area.) We walked around the base of the Acropolis where there are parks, pathways, a lot of vegetation (for Greece), and very few people. I wish my dad, in particular, could have been with me because I don't think he enjoyed the constant hustle and bustle of Athens. But in this area I didn't feel like I was in a huge city. Also, because we had Grigoris with us, the people were very friend. (So what they say about the Greeks being friendly is true. I guess they just don't like tourists.) After walking around, we went to a small restaurant to eat souvlaki (you can't come to Greece without eating souvlaki--they sell it like hot dogs). Then we took the Metro out to Piraeus to see the port, and then we got on the tram back to the "house of Takis."
Grigoiris' mother is from Argentina, and his father is from Greeece. So he speaks Spanish, Greek, and English fluently. It's the prefect combination for him to teach us the language because we can always make comparisons among the languages. We always ask him, "Do you conjugate this verb in Greek like you do in Spanish?" Or, "How do you say 'towel.?' Ok, now in Spanish?" At first I thought he would get annoyed with us, but he loves it when we say words in English that orginiate from the Greek language. We also surprisingly find many Spanish words with Greek roots. I also carry around a red notebook and write everything down so that I can remember. At frist when I wrote in my notebook, he admonished me for only spelling in Grenglish (Greek in the latin alphabet). Now I write it in both Gringlish and Greek, and he corrects it for me. Jason, Grigoris, and I have discussing teaching our languages abroad. Grigoris would be a great teacher because he does not get impatient with us incessant "students." The other night the three of us (Takis is normally texting on his phone when we get into these conversations) figured out the meaning behind the word "galaxy." I was explaining the story behind the name, Mily Way, (I won't go into too much detail, but it involves Zeus, Hercules, Hera, and breast milk), and we realized that "gala" means "milk" in Greek, so galaxy "come from the Greek word" for milk. (We looked it up and confimed it on Wikipedia.) We loved to do this with other words, as well, but I think that we make some of it up. For example, we convinced ourselves that "OK" stands for "ola kala" (everything is good). We couldn't find anything on the web to support us, but we're going with it. Regardless, learning Greek in Greece and through other languages is any linguist's dream.
When Takis got home from "Starbucks," he and Grigoris took us to a restaurant in the center (Monastiraki). We sat out on the street where we could see a small catherdral and watch everyone walk by. Later we went back to Gazi for a little bit while they danced. I mainly sat down half asleep. I don't like the dancing here because all the girls do is bend their knees swing their arms. They look like (short) Barbie dolls trying to dance. Jason and I were dancing like idiots/Americans, and then we noticed that no one else was stepping outside of the basic knee-bend "step." So then we just had fun imitating them.
The next day (Friday), Jason and I woke up to go to actually go up to the Acropolis. It was yet another hot day, and it was packed, but we still go to take everything in a little more than we did last year. (We had gone with 22 people, and we were twenty water bottles and one wheelchair too short.) It was a little more enjoyable this year. I was able to observe things that I only breezed by last summer.
After a seemingly eternal tram ride back to Takis', we went down the street to the Greek "fast food" restaurant, Goody's. I got a salad with fresh greens, real feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and toasted bread. Goody's definitely has McDonalds beat. We took our food back to the apartment, and Takis came in ready to the beach. Grigoris came over, and we loaded up all the equipment and squeezed in his car. We stopped by his friends' house, ran into a little market for food, and then went stright back to Takis' house because he forgot the most important piece of windsurfing equipment. (Grigoris says it happens every time.) We drove along the coast to a practically remote beach. The guys went out windsuring for a bit, and then they came back to the shore to teach Jason and me. Takis teaches water polo to children every day, so he has all of the qualities of a good instructor. He taught me how to get on the board, maintain my balance, pull the sail up at the right angle with the wind, and then grab ahold of the sail. Even though the furthest I said was five feet, I really enjoyed the sport, and I hope I can try it again.
A few hours later, Jason, Takis, and I started playing raquetball, which is very popular to play on the beach. Eventually the game evolved into an intense match of "beach tennis." We played while the sun set behind the mountains in the distance. The scenery was pefect. It's amazing to think that the Greeks can enjoy this type of atmosphere any time they please.
On the way back, we stopped at a Starbucks. (The Greeks are obsessed with Starbucks--both the drinks and the baristas.) When Jason and I got out of the car, we looked around and realized that the area looked familiar. It was the same cornere where we had been looking for a taxi driver last year. We had gone to a beach outside of the city, and we couldn't find a taxi driver willing to take us back. Poor Aunt Elf searched for almost an hour until we found two greedy taxi drivers. Yet again, something so foreign to us last year has become a familiar part of life here in Greece.
That night the guys said that they wanted to go out again, but I put on my PJs and decided to stay in. They decided to sit down with me a little before they left, but Takis fell asleep and the other two were worn out. So we all ended up staying in and going to bed.
Saturday. This has been my favorite day out of my entire trip thus far. We woke up around 11am, and Takis went to the bakery to bring us back fresh crossiants. After breakfast, Grigoris came over, and we took the bikes to Sounio. After making a stop at the same Starbucks area, we rode for an hour through the moutains and along the coast down to the very southern tip of the peninsula. At the top of the hill is the Temple of Poseidon and the hill from where King Aegeon jumped, hence the name Aegean Sea. We had to go up and tour it because this is the one place that our mother insisted that we had to visit because it was the most breathtaking part of their trip when they were here thirty years ago. And it was certainly worth the trip. The view of the mountains and coastline was amazing.
We tried to go to the beach right below the ruins, but it was too crowded, so we went to a beautiful beach down the road. Afterwards we went to a small restaurant and ordered almost every Greek dish you could imagine. On the way back we pulled over to the side of the road, and Takis and Grigoris started to walk down the cliff. Not knowing where we were going, Jason and I followed them down to a small cove where people were swimming. Once we got down to the very bottom, we saw a small, hidden bar built into the hillside. We took a quick dip, ordered drinks, sat on the rocks, and watched the full moon rise over the water. There were only locals there, and it was relatively quiet with soft, relzxing music playing. We set our drinks down in the little holes of the rocks and laid down. The setting was PERFECT; I felt like I was in a Corona commerical.
When we got back, Takis and I played guitar on the balkoni. After Takis went to bed, Jason, Grigoris, and I lined our chairs up along the window to watch the water and moon, and I fell asleep.
The next morning the four of us got on the bikes and went to the "house of the parents of Takis" about thirty minutes outside of the city. They have a beautiful home with huge windows that overlook another Sea (there are too many to keep track of). His mom was in Santorini, so only his father was there. We sat down with him, and we...no, he...talked about everything under the sun: politics, language, geography, guitar, salaries, the history of China, and dergoatory slang words. He really was like the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and he (seriously) explained how the root of every word is Greek. With a glass of ouzo in his hand for every hour, he also went through the family tree and tried to tell us that Takis is more like an uncle to us. Takis liked that a little too much, and now he refers to us as his niece and nephew. I called him Thios Ilithios (Uncle Stupid...it rhymes). He also took us out to dinner, and he ordered raw clams and grilled octupus. It was pretty much a tentacle on a plate, but it was soooo good. When we returned to the house, he played the guitar for us and tried to teach my some Greek songs. All I can say is that he is your typical Greek man with long, slicked back grey "hairs" in a pony, a beard, and chest hair showing.
When we got back to the house, Grigoris went home, and Christos and his friend Pablo came over. Pablo is half Spanish. I love behing able to use my Spanish and Greek. They stayed up for a while, and I went to bed.
Today went to YiaYia's house, and they were yelling at Papou again because he never eats. (He's much like my Papous Tzimi because he won't eat, but he'll insist that you pile the food on your own plate.) YiaYia was yelling at him to eat, and Moro starting cutting his food for us. He looked at Jason, took a sip of his Coke, and said clear as day, "Baby." Those Arslains forever keep their wit.
I'm not really sure what we're doing this evening. We may go to the beach or out to eat. Den ksero.
Yia sas.
Pictures!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2219667&l=cec4b&id=25815473

ΦΑΜΙΛΙΑ

Last night was another great time with Takis. He took us to a taverna for an amazing plethora of different Greek dishes. Mostly stuff i have seen before but for some reason tastes sooo much better. Ashley and I learned a couple things from Taki about the Arslain family that makes us not just Greek but Arslain. Like different customs and recipes that we assumed were a common Greek things that are actually specific to our family.
Well it seems that Ashley beats me getting up in the morning every time now. This morning was a little different because she ran in to get me up to let me know that the bus to Sounion was coming in less that 20 minuets. so after i got ready in 5 minuets we ran down to the bus stop across the street. Well it was a lost cause for a rush, because Takis forgot to let in on an important fact that we need to flag down the bus. so it just flew right past us. Ashley and I just kinda looked at each other in disbelief. So we decided to just go to a different beach closer to Glafyda. It was a llittle bigger than our usual spot, it had a younger demographic with a nice bar that we sat at after my nap on the beach. After, of coarse, we were off to the Arslain pad where Yiayia had lunch waiting. Maro, Takis mother, was there and her sister Lena. It was nice to see them again. And it was fun to get some dirt on Takis from his mother. YiaYia Despina had a couple more laughs at Ashley and My expense when we spoke Greek, but it is ok.
Right now we are content hanging out at Takis place while he is at work. We are planing to go to Piraeus for some drinks with our professional sports man, Christos.
I am loving Greece, especially Athens, more and more each day. I feel so comfortable and at peace when i am here. Besides the language barrier, there is nothing keeping me from planning my life here, and at the rate Ashley and I are learning we might just be fluent in a couple of years. Just in time for me to finish school.
I am getting excited to see more of Greece in the coming weeks, but Athens is so amazing it is going to be hard to beat it. This weekend we are heading to Sounion with Taki for a day, and then we are off to Nafplio for a week. From there we are going to the most beautiful island of Sifnos. I just looked at the pictures and i cant believe that we are staying there for a week. Amazing!!!

Ya Sou.

φιλος

Last night Ashley and I did end up going down town to Syntagma Square. It was kinda nice to be able to walk around and know where we were going. We got off of the slowest tram after about 30 min at Parliament and i took a picture for my big sister of the guards. We made our way to the plaka that was still so familiar in our minds, and found a nice restaurant to have dinner. Of coarse we had souvliki and some tsaziki and a large beer. Much to our surprise the bill was only 10 euro for both of us, and you don't tip so it was perfect. we made our way back to Taki's flat where we met him and his friend Chris. Chris was so much fun, he is a professional water polo player for the Greece National Team. He loves America and is obsessed with hip hop and rap music from the states. so he thought it was cool that i was from Atlanta, but i had to clarify i was not from this place "college park" that he hears allot about.
This morning i woke up late. I think the time change finally caught up with me last night so i didn't wake up till around 11:30. Ashley was waiting for me to get up and we made our way down to the beach for a little bit. Then we made our way back to Theos Ikie's where Thia Despina had our daily lunch waiting for us.
Right now i am just enjoying more of this incredible view of the sea and resting, Taki went to the beach with some of his friends and then had to work right after. So Ashley and i are just relaxing at the place kinda just waiting for our personal tour guide, translator, and new friend to get back.
Yasas!

Here!

After the longest time traveling to get here i can happly say that i am currently staring at the Mediterranean Sea. On my layover in Frankfurt i did end up getting a taxi to drive me around the city and straight back to the airport for a very cheap price, it was cool but not all that interesting. I met up with Ashley in the airport where we met up with taki, much to my suprise, i found out that i am staying with him in Athens at his flat in glafyda which over looks the sea.( i decided that i am just going to find a job and live here with him forever). we are staying here for a week or so i am glad i get to stay in athens for a while it is so fun. It is kinda strange to be here and kinda know my way around for last summer, but it is convenient at the same time. after waking up from my much needed sleep, ashley and i enjoyed the view for a bit and decided to go down to the beach across the street(i know a tough life the people here must live). We soon met up with Sophie and Taki (who was on his break) at Theos Aikis' down the street where Thia Despina made us an amazing lunch. We went to the store to get some groceries really quick on the way back to Taki's (where it took Ashley 12 min. to find the right lotion because everything is in Greek).
This is my favorite city ever and i never want to go back. I must say that Taki is our official translator because Ashley and I speak little to no Greek and can sound out the writing but definitely cannot understand what it is we are reading. So Ashley and I are getting ready to go down town to Syntagma Square, another familiar place, just to hang out there while Taki finishes up work.

p.s. Just as a heads up I am trying to find a way for me to stay here forever. Only if Taki wants a roommate in this dream of a bachelor pad

It Starts

The beginning post for the most amazing summer of my life. I am in such a state of shock and awe I dont know how i am feeling about the month to come. Tomorrow I start my journey. I have a couple more things that need to be done before I get on that plane. Just kinda taking it all in at the moment. I cant wait to get there. I cant wait to see Ashley and Sophie. I cant wait to see Linzy, Katie, and Logan. I just cant wait to see what is to come. I love it.