My 3rd day

Wow, I'm here and I don't really know how to begin. My experience here has been awesome so far, everything is going really well-I couldn't be happier!

My apartment is enormous and bright and airy with lots of windows and balconies. It's beautiful and my roommates are hilarious and down-to-earth-they are amazing, I love them already. I've taken three Greek language classes so far and my teacher is basically drowning us with conversational Greek to start us off because we are all completely unable to communicate properly. Everyone who told me not to worry because everyone in Greece speaks English was dead wrong hahaha. It has been really fun and exhilarating trying to mime/point/act out what I would like to buy or what I need from the Greek people I've met. These past few days have really been an eye opener-I really didn't know what to expect before I got here, but what I've encountered has been warmth, encouragement, kindness, and a sense of humor from all the Greeks I've met. We (meaning all forty of us students) are trying desperately to pick up the Greek we're being flooded with in our classes because we're all desperate to communicate and get to know the people here.

Today my program advisor, Jan, put half of us in small groups on trolleys and told us to meet her somewhere in another part of downtown central Athens. My group was successful in getting off at the proper stop and when the rest of the group caught up with us we went to the fish and meat markets in Monastiraki. And it was wild. I saw freshly butchered WHOLE cows and goats and lambs hanging from market stalls. HUGE whole cows with their heads still on and everything! And the vendors were also trying to sell us cows feet and goats feet and just anything you can imagine. The fish market wasn't as jarring in sight as it was in smell. Obviously I'd been around fish markets before but I swear I've never walked in sandals through fishy water that splashed all over my feet and toes. To be honest, I walked as fast as I could to get out of there but it was definitely a new experience. After that we separated into smaller groups again and explored the Plaka which had really cool shopping districts. It was like being in the downtown flea markets in LA but with older cobblestone streets and calm yet overbearing and protective Greeks selling their wares. And another difference of course was that from the middle of the Plaka you can clearly see the Acropolis in in the background. I will go back there as soon as I can to do a more thorough tour of the Acropolis and its surroundings.

Where I live in Pagrati is a really nice community neighborhood. The main platia or square has many small tavernas, shops, and mini markets that are all family owned. It's really nice because I know once I begin to feel comfortable speaking Greek, I will learn to know these people very well; the baker, the pharmacist, the local cafe guys, the guys who run the gyro shop, it's all going to be part of my new home.

Anyway, I don't have Internet access in my apartment so hopefully that will mean less procrastination (no facebook or compulsive email checking) and more down time to get to know my roommates/go out with people from my trip. And of course more time to explore Athens and other cities as well. I can't wait to figure out in more detail how to take greater advantage of the public transportation system in Greece.

Hope everyone is having a great time wherever you all are! Let me know what you're up to!

Love,
Mia