15Augoustos (finally)

15Augoustos (finally)

First time in my life I'm spending 15Augoustos in miserable rain, cold (16 C) and the ERT Deutero Programma on my headset!! Ouf!
So, Xronia polla to all Maries, Despoines and Panagiotes. Live long, have fun.
Sas afierwnw to 'H varka mas n kourelou, n xiliompalwmeni'
An to 3eren n mana mou pws douleua stnv trata,
tha mou stelne ta rouxa mou kai tnv palia mou vraka
(giati me ta rouxa pou exw edw, THA PSOFISW...POU EINAI TA GANTAKIA MOU!!!


Some thoughts

We all know I'm a trouble-maker. It took the German teacher about 2 minutes to find out. The other day, we went to German class (my first ever) and after the teacher asks me if I speak any German and I answer no, she asks the typical stuff: name an country. Then,the conversation continues in German:
- How long have you been here?
- One month.
- How long are you going to stay here for ?
- One month.
At which point she probably thinks that I can only count up to one. And continues.
- So, in a month you will return back to Griechenland.
- Nein.
And we start again. ''How long have you been here? How much time will you stay? So, in a month you're going to Griechenland.'
The Romanian girl was cracking laughing! I see her and I decide to give an end to this by saying that I will return to the States! Oh, what a relief!!

During the class, the vocabulary was about the family. As the teacher was rambling about young people who are engaged and finally get married and what words we use (all in German) I started losing attention (I mean, I have ADHD after all!!) and when I wanted to start paying attention again, I was completely Lost. So, I did the most natural thing that every student would have done: I leaned over the notebook of the Indian guy sitting next to me - only to discover that he was writing the translations in Hindi! I wanted to laugh so badly! Of, course, it is very natural that he does so...but it didn't even cross my mind! So true, but so unexpected! Next time I'll sit next to the English guy.

Even though the languages we speak are hundreds, our world is small. The other Indian in the German class looked familiar. After the introductory (where do you live, where do you go to school) we desperately tried to find out how we know each other.
- You hang out with the Greeks.
- No
- I met you at the Bhaghra party
- No
...the guy had lectured a few times in a course I took, and now he's in Göttingen doing his post-doc!!! The world is small.

Foreign among Foreigners

As a German guy said, 'you speak Greek, English and French, you hang out with French, Canadians, Singaporeans, Americans, some Germans. You don't really know whether you are in Germany or not. It makes very little difference'. OK, partly true, but it makes. (the sun just came out) On Friday night, at 11.30, there were 10 people in the streets in the Zentrum. Come on! Anywhere in Greece it would be so much more lively!

The other day I was talking to my dad, who said something along the lines of me being a foreigner among foreigners in Germany. But, the problem as I see it is not that I'm a foreigner in Germany where I don't speak the language and where I've been now for sth more than a month. The problem is that I feel foreign in Greece where I've spent 18 years. After all, if I pick up the phone, there are so many more people I feel confident to speak to in Boston or NYC rather than Athens. Sad? Sad. True? I feel this way, so... Anyways.

Tonight we're going for Greek food. If I find another Pontiaki here, I will be happily surprised. If not, all is gut.
Kalos 15Augoustos!