Δεν μιλώ Ελληνικά

Posted in the rest.
whew.

that is the first thing i want to say after hours of trekking around greece. i arrived after a nine hour flight, five of which, i slept peacefully in two seats with two blankets and two pillows.

if i wasn’t convinced that i was greek at heart before i got here, i am convinced now. there are no stares. no gawks. no people calling “lady, lady!” after me everywhere i walk. it is quite nice to fit right in with the greeks.

really, the only downside is when people start speaking to me (in greek) and i have to respond Δεν μιλώ Ελληνικά (or- then milo ellinika) (or-i don’t speak greek). as i mentioned in my previous blog, i am finding that having studied ancient greek for a couple years has greatly increased my ability to understand the language as well as have to confidence to try and speak it. the lady who sold me my cheesy, mouth-drying-out bread smiled when i asked her in greek if she spoke english. i know that the quickest way to connect with a people is to try and learn their language.

i arrived around 10:00 am and followed the signs to the metro, which i then took to piraeus, the largest port in athens. i wandered for about 20 minutes, trying to find the place that my guidebook suggested to buy my ferry ticket at. after purchasing my ticket for tonight, i began the quest for this internet cafe that i had read about.
i’ve spent all day in observation, which is one of the most important parts in learning a culture. watching its people do everyday things, interact with each other, and to see their habits. i’ve had to observe how people act towards strangers, how they cross the street, and even how they buy fruit and vegetables in the super market.

i spent at least two hours trying to find the internet cafe. but it wasn’t all a loss. that was a good two hours learning to navigate a completely foreign city, where nothing is in a language i am all too familiar with. i also stumbled across the supermarket. which was lucky because i need food to get me through the night and tomorrow morning. i’m going to try and do this trip mostly eating supermarket food, hopefully picking up tips from the greek friends i make.

but for now, it was two baguettes, a pack of la vache qui rit (laughing cow cheese), two plums, and two water bottles. so much cheaper than eating out. two meals for a grand total of 3.55 euros. then there was that 1.25 that i spent on the warm chessy bread that made me thirstier than all get out. part of the learning experience.

apparently at the supermarkets here, there is a guy whose job is to weigh your fruit for you in the fruit section. meanwhile, he and his friends throw melons about as you wait for your fruits to be weighed. very nice.

i’m enjoying being independent and figuring everything out for myself, but i also look forward to meeting people, greeks and fellow-travelers alike.

i feel like i want to be a nomad all my life. absorbing everyone and everything i can.

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