Athens
I just spent my first day in Athens. Let me recount my events:
Friday:
Quiz after 5 hours of sleep, not too much fun but whatever. Think I did okay, I'm speaking a lot better these days, I think it's my family. The bartender also said I spoke more confidently Thursday night. Awesome. After the quiz, I said bye to Sarah and checked out 2 books on Osama bin Laden in Spanish for my 'sinthesis.' Went home for comida and decided to not siesta nor go out because i still needed to run some errands and finish planning my trip. so, i spent the rest of the day booking a ferry to santorini and packing and all that fun, stressful stuff.
Saturday:
Didn't get to sleep until 2ish, woke up at 5. Showered, quick desayuno y cogi un taxi. Made it just in time, boarded the plane, fell asleep for a bit and then woke up after one hour in Barcelona. Barcelona 5 hours--Bought 70$ worth of tourbooks on grecia in Spanish and after carefully not breaking the spine, returned them all. learned a bit about where i was going to go, got more solid idea that is. Barcelona-Atenas, slept a bit, ate a bit, sat next to this old woman and young man (her grandson...I hope...or male escort...). Once in Atenas, went to the Hostel (slightly lost along the way, as is my way) where i found my room and as was entering, with my best possible inquisitive-not-sad face, un chico was exiting. I smiled at him and said hello and he responded the same. I entered and said hello and asked which beds were free to these british girls who answered briefly and then went back to their facebooking. I decided top bunk rather than bottom bunk. As I was unpacking, este chico vino y chatted with this blond boy who had been listening to music/working on his laptop heretofore. After some time of shy smiles, he introduced himself. Andres. Wendy. Where are you from? Uruguay, and you? New York, pero estoy estudiando espanol en Alicante. "Yay, espanol!" the rubio quietly exclaimed. We chatted for a while, in Spanish for the most part. Then they went to dinner and I went to the supermarket to buy almonds and cookies for my cena. Despues, we all returned and I took initiative and started some chatting with them. They'd been traveling a lot, and were really cool. They only had one day in Athens, so tomorrow they're going to do it all. Andres invited me to join them and I, thinking that it'd be too much to agree right away, said maybe. Then I showered and when i was all done, they'd gone to bed and I thought I'd lost my chance. But Andres was a bit awake so I asked him manana puedo ir con...ellos? claro. a que hora? nos levantaremos a las 8. Vale. I texted dad apologizing for my behavior on the phone earlier.
Sunday:
After wasting 3,10 on a tea and croissant. i had to throw out my tea as we entered the acropolis--gratis (we later found out that everything was free because it was the first sunday of the month). I wish I had brushed up on my ancient greek history beforehand. But I suppose ruins don't really impress me, the art rather does. However, it was beatiful, lindo as Manteo (he never introduced himself, and i only found out right before they left from Andres his name, and i was a bit tipsy) told me. I practiced my espanol most of the time, and understood theirs most of the time, despite the shh opposed to y (ll). As the day progressed, we spoke some in English, some in Spanish. We went to the acropolis, the agora, then ate some lunch. then did the national museum. then we went to these gardens and rested a while. then we went up this big ass hill and once at the top marveled the outragously amazing view of athens...had there been no smog would have been better. then we just bummed around, waiting until they turned the lights on at the acropolis.
This is where things got interesting. We were talking about life and globalization and how in Praga they'd be like kings with the Peso. Uruguay is a poor country, rural in nature. We had a whole discussion that I can't write right now because I'm a bit exhausted.
It entailed me explaning that I don't know what else is there, because the indistribution of wealth is a fact of life.
more important later. too late now. must sleep. but...
This feeling has been rising in me for some time. Since the summer at least, since hanging out with Sofia starting last spring. I can't sleep for much longer.
Friday:
Quiz after 5 hours of sleep, not too much fun but whatever. Think I did okay, I'm speaking a lot better these days, I think it's my family. The bartender also said I spoke more confidently Thursday night. Awesome. After the quiz, I said bye to Sarah and checked out 2 books on Osama bin Laden in Spanish for my 'sinthesis.' Went home for comida and decided to not siesta nor go out because i still needed to run some errands and finish planning my trip. so, i spent the rest of the day booking a ferry to santorini and packing and all that fun, stressful stuff.
Saturday:
Didn't get to sleep until 2ish, woke up at 5. Showered, quick desayuno y cogi un taxi. Made it just in time, boarded the plane, fell asleep for a bit and then woke up after one hour in Barcelona. Barcelona 5 hours--Bought 70$ worth of tourbooks on grecia in Spanish and after carefully not breaking the spine, returned them all. learned a bit about where i was going to go, got more solid idea that is. Barcelona-Atenas, slept a bit, ate a bit, sat next to this old woman and young man (her grandson...I hope...or male escort...). Once in Atenas, went to the Hostel (slightly lost along the way, as is my way) where i found my room and as was entering, with my best possible inquisitive-not-sad face, un chico was exiting. I smiled at him and said hello and he responded the same. I entered and said hello and asked which beds were free to these british girls who answered briefly and then went back to their facebooking. I decided top bunk rather than bottom bunk. As I was unpacking, este chico vino y chatted with this blond boy who had been listening to music/working on his laptop heretofore. After some time of shy smiles, he introduced himself. Andres. Wendy. Where are you from? Uruguay, and you? New York, pero estoy estudiando espanol en Alicante. "Yay, espanol!" the rubio quietly exclaimed. We chatted for a while, in Spanish for the most part. Then they went to dinner and I went to the supermarket to buy almonds and cookies for my cena. Despues, we all returned and I took initiative and started some chatting with them. They'd been traveling a lot, and were really cool. They only had one day in Athens, so tomorrow they're going to do it all. Andres invited me to join them and I, thinking that it'd be too much to agree right away, said maybe. Then I showered and when i was all done, they'd gone to bed and I thought I'd lost my chance. But Andres was a bit awake so I asked him manana puedo ir con...ellos? claro. a que hora? nos levantaremos a las 8. Vale. I texted dad apologizing for my behavior on the phone earlier.
Sunday:
After wasting 3,10 on a tea and croissant. i had to throw out my tea as we entered the acropolis--gratis (we later found out that everything was free because it was the first sunday of the month). I wish I had brushed up on my ancient greek history beforehand. But I suppose ruins don't really impress me, the art rather does. However, it was beatiful, lindo as Manteo (he never introduced himself, and i only found out right before they left from Andres his name, and i was a bit tipsy) told me. I practiced my espanol most of the time, and understood theirs most of the time, despite the shh opposed to y (ll). As the day progressed, we spoke some in English, some in Spanish. We went to the acropolis, the agora, then ate some lunch. then did the national museum. then we went to these gardens and rested a while. then we went up this big ass hill and once at the top marveled the outragously amazing view of athens...had there been no smog would have been better. then we just bummed around, waiting until they turned the lights on at the acropolis.
This is where things got interesting. We were talking about life and globalization and how in Praga they'd be like kings with the Peso. Uruguay is a poor country, rural in nature. We had a whole discussion that I can't write right now because I'm a bit exhausted.
It entailed me explaning that I don't know what else is there, because the indistribution of wealth is a fact of life.
more important later. too late now. must sleep. but...
This feeling has been rising in me for some time. Since the summer at least, since hanging out with Sofia starting last spring. I can't sleep for much longer.