Leah Learns Greek

The Basics: My name is Leah. I’m from Baltimore, Maryland and currently a student at the University of Washington in Seattle, majoring in history. As of now, my career goal is to be a writer/photojournalist/documentariest (I have officially made that a word). For spring quarter of my sophomore year, I will be studying abroad in Greece! The Program: The program is based in Ioannina, which is a little city located in the northwestern vicinity of Greece. We (24 other awesome students from UW) will be staying at the University of Ioannina while studying Greek language, Greek culture, and creating an ethnography by interviewing locals. We will also be traveling all around Greece, and visiting Albania. On top of this exciting program, I will also be making a documentary. The Documentary: It is about education in America versus education in Greece, again I will be interviewing lots and lots of people. This will be the first documentary that I have ever made, and besides the advice and guidance of my professor Taso, I will be making it on my own. After it is filmed, edited, and finished we will submit it to a film festival. The Reason: For me this program is the combination of many my great loves: history (my focus is in Ancient Greece and Rome), social sciences, film, photography, travel, people, and NEW experiences. The Objectives: 1) Learn and grow as a person through this amazing opportunity. 2) Create a documentary that is witty, educational, and worth watching. 3) Figure out if making documentaries is the kind of career I want. 4) Absorb the culture and give back in some way. 5) Become close with the other people in the program. 6) Meet new people and try new things. 7) Do well in classes. Always be grateful. The Blog: To properly document this eye-opening experience (and stay in touch), I have created this blog for my friends, family, and maybe even strangers. P.S.: A warning, while I love writing, commas and I have always had a rocky relationship. Please do not judge my grammar on this blog, well fine, you can judge, just keep the comma issue in mind. Efxaristo. Also it starts at the end, so to read from the beginning school down to the bottom and hit "Older" post to go to the first entry.

[leahlearnsgreek]

Ithaca by Cavafy

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge. The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops, the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them: You will never find such as these on your path, if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body. The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops, the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter, if you do not carry them within your soul, if your soul does not set them up before you. Pray that the road is long. That the summer mornings are many, when, with such pleasure, with such joy you will enter ports seen for the first time; stop at Phoenician markets, and purchase fine merchandise, mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony, and sensual perfumes of all kinds, as many sensual perfumes as you can; visit many Egyptian cities, to learn and learn from scholars. Always keep Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for many years; and to anchor at the island when you are old, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches. Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her you would have never set out on the road. She has nothing more to give you. And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

[leahlearnsgreek]

Thanks For Following

In closing, Greece was surreal. The reality was better than the fantasy, it always delivered. Studying abroad is a great experience. I made lifelong friends, met people from all over the world, experienced a new culture, and learned so much, from the classes, the country, and the people. I feel like, as Taso would say, I have become a citizen of the world. If there is one piece of advice I can give to anyone it is this, TRAVEL! Go outside of your comfort zone. Be open minded. Try different things. Meet new people. Appreciate what you have. Learn from the world. Only then can we attempt to make it better. I am ever thankful for being able to have this experience and I would not trade it for anything in this world Thank you all for reading my blog. If you have any feedback, I would love to hear it. E-mail me: [email protected]

[leahlearnsgreek]

[leahlearnsgreek]

Italia

At 3:30 a.m. Mom and I went to the airport and flew to Verona, Italy. We met her friends Morando and Mary who took us to their beautiful house in the Italian Alps in the remote town of Ortise. I napped for a little while and then we had a nice dinner and met some of the people of the town at the local pub. The next day, we went to see the Dolomites. It was absolutely beautiful, but it was a twelve hour day in the car. Then, we had dinner and went to bed. The next morning, we walked around the two villages and experienced a little bit of mountain farm life. We had lunch and then it was time to leave. Morando and Mary are such wonderful people. Mary is a published author, I want to learn Italian, just so I can read her books. They took us back to Verona and we said goodbye. Mom and I immediately went to find Juliet’s balcony. We got there just in time. I snapped a few pictures and we were the last people in before they closed. I wrote a quick letter and placed it on the wall of love. We were so lucky to make it there, if we were even a minute later, we would have missed it. Mom and I walked around a little bit, but we were so exhausted that we went back to the hotel and crashed. We woke up at 5 in the morning and went to the airport. We flew an hour from Verona to Munich, had a few hours in the layover, and then took a 9 hour flight from Munich to Dulles Airport. Luckily, we were in business class and got the nice seats with space. I watched Some Like It Hot, great movie, read a little, but mostly slept. Once we got to the airport, Leesha’s boyfriend Matt was going to pick us up, because Leesha couldn’t. (Leesha is one of my best friends) Matt kept saying “we” on the phone, so I thought that maybe Leesha came with him, but he said she wasn’t. When we finally found the car, Leesha ran out of it! Best surprise ever!!! It was so good to see her. Then we began the six hour trek home through DC. We all got dinner at Alonso’s and then finally, we were home. I hung out with Leesha and Matt a bit and then they left for Virginia. I tried to organize some things, but my brain was not working at all. I passed out at nine at night in my own bed.

[leahlearnsgreek]

[leahlearnsgreek]

Goodbye Greece

Mom took my stuff to her hotel and then Taso and I went off to shoot the last few pieces of my documentary. It was fun to do some filming together. We shot Aristotle’s Academy and then we went to the Hilton to get some panning shots of Athens. We went to the roof, but the swanky restaurant was closed and it looked like the sliding doors to the deck were too. However, I had a feeling that we could still get out there. I walked to the end of the hallway and I saw some tables against a large sliding door. People usually put stuff in front of doors that are unlocked. I walked up to the door, flipped the handle, and pushed it open all the way. Taso was shocked! He just said, “Leah, you’re my hero.” I replied with, “Where there’s a will there’s a way.” He just laughed. There was a big screen that almost went to the ground, but the beam left a few feet of space at the bottom, so I slid my camera gear underneath it and then I shimmied under it myself. Taso crawled under also, and I got the perfect panning shots I needed! We got out of there quickly and then did the last interviews in the lobby. I interviewed Taso and then he interviewed me. We took the metro back to the main transfer hub and then said goodbye. I couldn’t believe it. It was all really over, the program, the documentary, being with my awesome new group of friends. I was so flustered that I accidentally took the metro the wrong way. Whoops! But then I realized, it’s not over yet. The program may be over, but the adventure is not. I still have to edit my documentary. My new amazing friends and I will still hang out in Seattle. Greece will always be with me in my heart. I met my Mom and went walked around Athens a little bit and then had dinner at place that was suggested to her. It turned out to be the same restaurant where the whole group had dinner our first night together in Athens. I felt like I had come full circle. Mom and I spent the night on the roof of our hotel watching the sky change behind the Parthenon. I was skyping Maddie and tried to show it to her and then Mom went down to the room. I sat on the roof for a little while, trying to soak in my last few moments with Greece and thinking about how grateful I was for the most amazing experience. Then I said goodbye to my great love. I tried to remember, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.

[leahlearnsgreek]

[leahlearnsgreek]

Vitalo on Evia Island

The next morning, thirteen of us got ready to go to Evia, Taso’s island. Shelan and I said a ten minute, heartfelt goodbye. It makes me sad just thinking that we will never be roommates again, but it was great while it lasted. I also said bye to Tani and the remaining people left to take the metro to the bus stop and then a three hour bus ride to the island. We met Taso’s cousin, Evangelistsa, at the station, and we rode in the back of trucks to her house. Once we were there, we had a fabulous lunch, all made by her with local vegetables, fresh calamari caught that day, and other awesome food. After that, Taso took us on a tour of his village, sort of the autobiographical tour of Taso. It started to rain, but it was still neat to see Vitalo. The rain didn’t stop the entire weekend. We didn’t get to go to his beach, but we did play cards with old men the whole weekend, it was actually pretty nice to just do nothing. The last night, Taso had us go around the table and say some closing thoughts. It got pretty heavy in the room and I almost cried, but I kept it together. We left in the morning and when we returned to the hotel, we all said our last goodbyes.

[leahlearnsgreek]

Athens on my Birthday

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Birthday Bash

I awoke on my birthday morning to a beautiful day. I received a few calls from people who had my Greek cell number. I read Joe’s card that he wrote me and it was really sweet. I ate breakfast with Chris, Jenny, Marilena, and Kelsey. It was Kelsey’s birthday also. She turned 21 and I turned 20. After breakfast I skyped with Matt and then got ready for the day.  We all got on the bus and met another tour guide, Dionysus, awesome name right? We drove through many cool parts of Athens and then arrived at the Acropolis. First, we stopped to see where Socrates was kept in prison. It was pretty cool, considering I’m going to be taking a class completely about him in the fall. It looked like a pretty spacious cave, but it was still a prison. After that, we walked up to the Acropolis. It was unreal. I had seen it from afar a few months ago, but walking around it is completely different. It was packed with people from all over the world, literally. We learned that the side the Parthenon that most pictures are of is actually the back of the building. The other side is the front because it faces the sun. It was built to appear straight and even, the stairs are actually convex. The pillars also curve. It is absolutely unbelievable. While the Parthenon is gorgeous, I feel like it has become the cliché of Athens and Greece in general. My favorite part of the Acropolis was the smaller temple with the Caryatids, they are beautiful. Of course, the ones on the temple are replicas and the authentic ones are in the museum, but it’s still breathtaking. Sculpture fascinates me, they look so real. The folds of their togas simply flow down their bodies as if they were cloth instead of stone. After the tour was over, I walked around by myself for a little while. I tried to find a quiet place to sit and think, but to no avail. I couldn’t believe that it was my 20th birthday, I was an Ancient Greek and Rome history major, and I was at the Acropolis! We ran into the couple from the theater that had just got married and talked to them for a little while, small world. As I stood there with my friends and gloried at the Parthenon, I was mystified at how it has survived thousands of years. It served multiple purposes based on who conquered the area. It even lived through being blown up by more idiots. (It would be awesome, if men could stop blowing up ancient moments or building modern cities on top of them.) Soon, it was time to leave, Shelan and I were walking back down from the Acropolis and I slipped a little. I told her I had a feeling I was going to fall. Not five seconds later, I stepped on random piece of marble and I could feel myself falling. Luckily, I knew it was going to happen, so I crossed my legs and put my arm out, and it turned into more of a graceful glide. Obviously, that was the best way to leave the Acropolis. After we met everyone outside, the planned day was over, and we could do as we wished. Shelan, Reyna, Tani, Jenny, Kelsey, and I went to meet my Mom and then we went to an awesome lunch with an absolutely delicious cake. Later, we journeyed down the Plaka, the main strip for tourist shopping, and got a few last things. Then we proceeded to the main street for regular shopping and did some more damage. After that, I said bye to Mom, and we all to the metro back to the hotel and had dinner. When dinner was over, Taso took all of us to the Chocolat Café for Kelsey and my birthday. It was unbelievably awesome with all kinds of sweet goodness. Reyna, Shelan, and I stopped to look at all the cool street jewelry and they bought me a pair of earrings that I wanted for my birthday. I have awesome friends. Then we took the metro back with some of the other girls and I crashed into bed. What an amazing birthday.

[leahlearnsgreek]

Arrived in Athens

Soon we were back in Athens! Traffic was awful because all the public transportation was on strike, with the exception of Taxis. We finally arrived at our hotel, which was nowhere near the proper end of the city, and crashed for a bit. All the girls and I were going to walk around, but then I decided to stay, because my Mom was meeting me and I didn’t want to miss her. Plus, it didn’t look like there was much around and apparently the consiarge (just for you Jaymie) told us, “Turn left, don’t turn right, drugs are right.” Uhhh…. The ironic part is directly across the street of us was a giant...CAREFOUR! That’s the equivalent of a K-Mart. In Ioannina, we always had to walk 20 minutes or take the bus to get food and now that we don’t need any, it is right across the street, go figure. I took a nap while everyone else went out, but they soon returned. Jenny and Kelsey came into our room and Kelsey had just bought me my birthday present of…new headphones! I don’t know if I’d mentioned this but my headphones were completely shot. I’d have to have my iPod all the way up just to barely hear the music. She got me these awesome blue Philips head phones with a sharing device, since we’re always sharing music. I went to test them and since my iPod is always on the loudest volume, the music blasted into my ears and my whole body jumped! Jenny and Kelsey just looked at me and I said, “Yeah, I think they work.” We all started cracking up and then Mom came! It was so good to see her and I brought her upstairs to introduce her to Kelsey and Jenny, then Shelan came in, followed by Reyna, so she practically got to meet the whole crew. We hung out for a while and then went downstairs for dinner. Mom ate with us and she met Tani, Chris, and Joe. After that we made plans for the next day, my birthday, and then she left. Chris, Joe, and some other people were leaving the next day so I said goodbye to them. Joe wrote me a great birthday card, Reyna, Shelan, and I chilled for a while, and then went to bed.

[leahlearnsgreek]

[leahlearnsgreek]

Tolo, The Epidaurus Theatre, and The Corinth Canal

Back on the bus and a few hours later we landed in Tolo, which is a suburb of Nafplio.  Our hotel wasn’t bad by any mean, but we had recently be spoiled by our hotel in Sparta. Shelan simply said, “It’s…charming.”

Reyna and I cracked up, because we knew what she really meant. The second we got there, a bunch of us put on our suits and walked to the beach. The water was wonderful! It was the warmest water we’d been in the whole trip and it got deep really quickly. We swam for about 45 minutes. Every time a wave came, Kelsey and I would jump up and say, “Wooooooo.” It was driving Jenny Jen crazy, but in a cute way. It became a running joke and for the rest of the trip, sometimes we’d just look at each other and go, “Woooooo.” Later we showered and had dinner. After that, Shelan, Reyna, and I watched 500 Days of Summer and then Reyna crashed in our room because we had an extra bed. Then the next morning, it was…Back on the Bus. Our destination was Athens, but on the way we stopped at the Epidaurus Theatre, aka Acoustico Phenomeno. We ran into our tour guide from Mycenae Theo, and a few of us got really excited because we thought he was our guide for the theatre, but he wasn’t. We walked up to the theatre and met our guide, Dina, there. She was great and did the sound experiment for us. One can here the actors, from the very top of the theatre, and it is insane.  Modern people still cannot figure out how it works. A German architect tried to replicate the design of the theatre, and he failed. At one point a woman sang and afterwards said, “I love you! We just got married!” Everyone in the theatre clapped. I’m thinking Greece for a honeymoon sounds great to me. After the tour, Taso walked in the middle and quote some Shakespeare, and after some coaxing from my friends, I went in the middle, and sang a terrible version of Don’t stop believing. I know I probably sounded awful, since I had lost my voice a week ago and it wasn’t fully recovered. It was so cool to stand in the middle and hear the all the sounds echo back. Of course, now I realized that I should have sang Lean On Me, but of well, at least I went up there. The boys got up there and sang In the Jungle and it was hilarious! Joe quoted some Jack Kerouc and Taso quoted some more Shakespeare.  It was kind of funny, because even with the Epidores acoustic phenomen, we still could barely hear Joe, but we love ya buddy! After, we got some lunch and then….all together now…Back on the Bus. We briefly stopped at the Corinth Canal which was incredible. I snapped a few pictures and held my camera close to me, for fear of dropping it into the deep canal. Kelsey and I pulled some Risky Business sliding moves on the slippery ground. Jenny treated Kelsey and I to some pre-birthday ice cream and then….Back on the Bus.

[leahlearnsgreek]

More Mycenae

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Mycenae

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Magical Mycenae

  The next stop was lunch and then Mycenae! It became one of my favorite places. Mycenae is said to be the city where Agememmnon and Klytemnestra are from, according to Homer. It was incredible, the honeycomb tombs are glorious. Our guide Theo, was by far the best. He told us that he believed in all the ancient myths and the words of Homer. “I buy all of it,” he said. He explained that were taught not to believe in the spiritual world, so we grow up assuming it doesn’t exist. “It’s all here if you’re willing to see it,” he exclaimed. Seeing the lion’s gate was unbelievable. The city is huge and it’s still here! My friend Alex asked, “How did they move these huge rocks.” Theo responsed, “I told you, Cyclopes, but you don’t believe me do you?” I don’t think anyone really knew how to respond to it, but I thought it was fascinating. When we walked up towards what would have been the palace, I broke off from the group, and walked to the other side of the hill. As I gazed over the ruins and the beauty of the nature, the wind started to blow strongly and was whistling through the olive trees. At that moment, I agreed with Theo. Maybe Homer’s stories are not completely factual, but perhaps there is some truth to them. Agamemnon, Menelaus, Helen, Achilles, Paris, Hector, Cassandra, Clytemnestra, and Odysseus maybe they were all real. Many ruins have been found in Turkey that were thought to be Troy, but the actual city has not been found yet. Schliemer, the man who found the ruins of Mycenae and the multiple Troys, made the mistake of using dynamite to escivate areas. He wasn’t even an archeologist. He just decided that the Iliad and the Odyssey were real and went to find them.  He only spent a few months in Mycenea and left once he found what he was looking for. He went and blew up parts of Turkey to find Troy, destroying ancient ruins in the process. What an idiot! Another interesting fact, all the artifacts he found in Turkey, was put on ship with his wife to be brought back to Germany. That ship disappeared and was never found again. Don’t mess with the dead. That was a long sidebar, moving on, as I was standing on the edge of the hill, Chris came up behind me and we started talking.  We decided to explore more parts of Mycenae since we knew we probably wouldn’t have a chance once the tour was finished. Tani came with us and we walked down the other side of the hill. I’m glad we did because we found the secret staircase of the Mycenae! The secret staircase is 99 steps down from the back of the palace to the front of the city. It isn’t even blocked off well. There is a tiny rope in front of the stairs. It was incredibly eerie inside. If we had a flashlight and more time, the three of us were going to walk down through it, but, as usual, we had to leave.

[leahlearnsgreek]

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