Saturday, December 30, 2006

Buh-Bye Athina! Yiea Sou Paidia Mou!
I've left Athens now and am in Wales for the next three months. Overall... well, I haven't really agreed with myself about it, not enough to give any "overall" statements. I'll get back to you on that. Saying goodbye...


This is me and Donald, the froo-froo plant that Liz and I looked after so lovingly this semester. Donald is all dressed up for the holidays, and I'm dressed up to go to a Ballet with Liz, Taylor and Jennie. It was a fun evening, made me really itch to get back into dancing, though. ---side note on poor Donald: I was carefully carrying him to Niko's flat so that he would be looked after, and-- I swear-- someone lassoed my legs together with xmas lights and I went face first into the cement, though Donald broke my fall ~crunch~ poor thing. I came in crying (stress, leaving friends, Donald) and I was promised that a new pot would be provided and Donald would make it... hope thats true!







Athens was done up real purdy for the holiday. They timed it right so that you didn't fall into the spirit to early, left uninterested as the day came nearer. This is Sofias av. I crossed it everyday on the way to and from school.





This is Sintagma square, one of the main squares in athens right by Parliment. They transformed it into a christmas village, with rows of little houses selling old fasioned candies, elves and Santas' everywhere offering pony rides and photo opportunities; beautiful tree, carisels, music, giant nutcrackers... was magical, I have to say. I'm glad I got to see it.










In Greece Father Christmas comes on a boat to your house. This makes sense, due to the dependance and adoration of the sea in the Aegean region. There is no explanation of how Santa gets to the landlocked children...






Liz, Taylor and I had a "Christmas day." We mad gingerbread cookies, and lacking cutters, our imaginations went wild. We tryed to make the cookies more... Greek. The cookie on the left is a standard geometric figure (note the mourning pose, triangle torso and head, MASSIVE thighs) cookie to the right is of course an octopus missing a tenticle (hey, this sort of thing happens ALL the time out there in blue, dont poke fun at this little guy he was delicious).


(L) If you are in Athens and want to get a feel for some of the local cuture, go into plaka and as anyone on the street where you could find "Tom." Tom is an Irish artist who has been in Plaka for 15 years. I think his legs are broken, so he doesnt go far from his little home. He likes to have fun, making politcal statements in his art, quite a character and very friendly (not crazy, no matter what they tell you!)
(R) This is the scariest looking xmas tree I have ever seen in my life. Covered with knives and placed in a store front window, I think the staement trying to be made is something like "a MAN'S Christmas. ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH BUY A JACKET AT OUR SHOP?"

Now, These three I am really going to miss. Niko and his brothers (l-r: Stephenos, Solonos, Nikos)
These are my boys. they are like peas in a pod, adorable and I am so glad to have spent as much time with them as I did.











Three random pics of me in my last days in Athens l- me holding a little chocolate thing that Liz and I were going to eat while we watched a feel good xmas movie. m-me filling my stomache with my favorate combo (banana and peanut better) before a night out. r-random very excited picture of me after that night out.

Hello Wales....

some pictures from Christmas day, my grandparents and aunt, uncle, cousins




















All for now, more pictures and putdates as I get my life started here. please send me recent pictures of yourselves! I miss most of you ;-)