Volunteers do not usually work on weekends. Most travel around the country, but since I just arrived, I didn't have time to plan a trip.
Instead I stayed in Accra. I didn't do a lot this weekend. Besides watching a couple of soccer games of the kids I am going to coach, I stayed in and around my house. Both my roomates stayed as well, so it was a nice time to get to know them.
One of the hi-lights of the weekends was watching "The Little Mermaid" and a Nigerian movie with Jasmine and Mary. The African film was awful, but at the same time so funny. I was about a princess who falls in love with a commoner and her crazy mother's reactions.
(Mary is a 13 year old girl, who lives at the house I am living at. She is nice, but really shy, and I feel bad that she is alone for a lot of the day. Mary cleans and cooks on the weekends. Mable is a lady who comes to clean and cook on weekdays.
On Sunday night 3 other girls who live in the same house returned from their weekend trips. Elsa was a girl from France, but I did not speak to her much. Lauren is from Scotland, and seemed really nice. Finally, Jesse is an American from the Boston area, who is taking a gap semester. She had been in Accra for 3 months, knows all the locals and is really friendly. I talked to her the most. She seems really chill.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
First day in Accra
Last night I aarived in Ghana's capitol city Accra. I'm here coaching soccer to kids, and hopefully I'll get to play on a team as well. Today was my induction for Projects Abroad. Fynn took me and a new girl, Jasmine on a tour of Accra. he told us everything we needed to know about Projects Abroad and how to get around in Accra. (he explained about the crazy Tro-tros or mini buses and the line taxis- they are insane ways of getting around a city)
We walked around the city for a while and ate a Ghanian meal for lunch. Afterwards, I went to my work place to watch a match. I had not met any of the players yest, so I played with some of the little kids instead of watching the game.
Afterwards, I went back to my house. The place I am living is part of a school, and houses many volunteers. (Today I woke up to dozens of little kids singing "Oh Come Ole Faithful: they sounded so happy!!!) My 2 roomates are Chris, from Sweden and Tim from England. Jasmine and Chris are both on gap years as well. (Jasmine lives in the same place as well).
After dinner, we went to the Pharmacy to buy Tim medicine since he has Malaria. Afterwards, we sat around and talked, before we went to sleep.
We walked around the city for a while and ate a Ghanian meal for lunch. Afterwards, I went to my work place to watch a match. I had not met any of the players yest, so I played with some of the little kids instead of watching the game.
Afterwards, I went back to my house. The place I am living is part of a school, and houses many volunteers. (Today I woke up to dozens of little kids singing "Oh Come Ole Faithful: they sounded so happy!!!) My 2 roomates are Chris, from Sweden and Tim from England. Jasmine and Chris are both on gap years as well. (Jasmine lives in the same place as well).
After dinner, we went to the Pharmacy to buy Tim medicine since he has Malaria. Afterwards, we sat around and talked, before we went to sleep.
London
Before going to Ghana, I visted London. I did this for a few reasons. The first was because I was supposed to visit 2 univeristies, which I never did. I was also meeting my sister who was in India for 6 weeks. Finally, my flight to Accra was from London.
I really loved London. It was such a beautiful, cool city, with a lot of things to do. While we were there, we did a lot of touristy things, but it seems like a cool place to live.
Some of the things we did were as follows:
Big Ben, Petti Coat Lane Market, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Regent Street, Soho, Oxford Street, Central 3 department store, Wax Museum, Archeology Museum, Hyde Park, saw the Lion King, Picadily Circus, Leister Circle, Covent Garden, saw a Chelsea soccer game, went to a Jack the Ripper haunted house (since I'm missing Halloween), and did a bunch of other cool, interesting British thing, like I ate fish and chips.
I really loved London. It was such a beautiful, cool city, with a lot of things to do. While we were there, we did a lot of touristy things, but it seems like a cool place to live.
Some of the things we did were as follows:
Big Ben, Petti Coat Lane Market, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Regent Street, Soho, Oxford Street, Central 3 department store, Wax Museum, Archeology Museum, Hyde Park, saw the Lion King, Picadily Circus, Leister Circle, Covent Garden, saw a Chelsea soccer game, went to a Jack the Ripper haunted house (since I'm missing Halloween), and did a bunch of other cool, interesting British thing, like I ate fish and chips.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
More Greece
I also did a few other interesting while I was in Greece.
One day, I went to the new Acropolis museum. It was a really beautiful, modern building that exhibited the ancient artwork in a really nice way. The really cool thing was that the museum was built over an old Byzantine city. The floors were all glass, so as I walked through the museum, I could look down and see this ancient city. Another extraordinary feature about the museum was that it had a beautiful view of the Acropolis and Parthenon. I was extremely proud of the way the Greeks built this museum. Later that week we went to a Greek national team soccer game—Greece vs. Luxembourg. The game was exciting and was really important for the Greeks to win. In the end, the Greeks won 2-1. There was a really exciting and chaotic atmosphere at the game and I was happy I had that opportunity.
My time in my house in Greece was really relaxing and nice. I watched many movies, wrote post cards, saw my family and had a really relaxing time before I went to London and Ghana.
One day, I went to the new Acropolis museum. It was a really beautiful, modern building that exhibited the ancient artwork in a really nice way. The really cool thing was that the museum was built over an old Byzantine city. The floors were all glass, so as I walked through the museum, I could look down and see this ancient city. Another extraordinary feature about the museum was that it had a beautiful view of the Acropolis and Parthenon. I was extremely proud of the way the Greeks built this museum. Later that week we went to a Greek national team soccer game—Greece vs. Luxembourg. The game was exciting and was really important for the Greeks to win. In the end, the Greeks won 2-1. There was a really exciting and chaotic atmosphere at the game and I was happy I had that opportunity.
My time in my house in Greece was really relaxing and nice. I watched many movies, wrote post cards, saw my family and had a really relaxing time before I went to London and Ghana.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Videos
I posted about 50 videos from my trip so far. They are from my work with turtles in Crete and the Middle East.
Turtle 1
Here is one of a few videos of a baby turtle walking towards the sea after hatchling from its egg.
Turtle 2
Here is one of a few videos of a baby turtle walking towards the sea after hatchling from its egg.
Turtle 3
Here is one of a few videos of a baby turtle walking towards the sea after hatchling from its egg.
Turtle 5
Here is one of a few videos of a baby turtle walking towards the sea after hatchling from its egg.
Coolest Dog
I had morning survey one morning and a dog started to follow us. I was kind of bored so I took a video of him.
Me Swimming
This is a video of me swimming in really rough waves... it's kind of sad I took this video but whatever.
(Before) Hitch Hiking
Me and Mckenna had to hitch hike to get back to Chania. It was both our first times hitch hiking so I took a video.
Samaria Gorge 1
Today Christina, Katarina and I went to the Samaria Gorge. I decided to take videos throughout the gorge.
Samaria Gorge 2
Today Christina, Katarina and I went to the Samaria Gorge. I decided to take videos throughout the gorge.
Samaria Gorge 3
Today Christina, Katarina and I went to the Samaria Gorge. I decided to take videos throughout the gorge.
Samaria Gorge 4
Today Christina, Katarina and I went to the Samaria Gorge. I decided to take videos throughout the gorge.
Samaria Gorge 5
Today Christina, Katarina and I went to the Samaria Gorge. I decided to take videos throughout the gorge.
Samaria Gorge 6
Today Christina, Katarina and I went to the Samaria Gorge. I decided to take videos throughout the gorge.
Samaria Gorge 7
Today Christina, Katarina and I went to the Samaria Gorge. I decided to take videos throughout the gorge.
"Bungy" Jumping- Total Fail
I traveled hours to go "bungy" jumping and they guy told me to it was closed and to come back next year.
Everyone in my tent
My tent was huge, so we decided to see if we could fit everyone in it; we did that easily.
Another Turtle
Here is the last turtle I saw. He almost died, but Tanja found him and he made it to the sea!!!
Movie Night 1
Here is the Archelon tent beginning the Movie Night. M.N. was amazing not only because "Knights of Bloodsteel" was such an FLOTR but also because Christopher Lloyd is in it.
Lebanese Restaurant
This is me in a Lebanese restaurant. It was really busy and loud but really good.
Saudi Arabian Market Place
This is a video of a Saudi market place. Islamic prayers are heard in the background.
Demetrios Store in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 1
Here is the first floor of the Demetrios Store in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Demetrios Store in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2
Here is the second floor of the Demetrios Store in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Jeddah Airport
This was the Jeddah Airport at like 5:00 in the morning; it was the most hectic and one of the most funny things I've ever seen.
Greek Church near Jordan River
Here is a Greek Church near the Jordan River. There is a box of bones, and it says it is of the bones of John the Baptist
Dancing in the Store in Jordan
This is us dancing in the store in Jordan. We are listening to our favorite song-- we listened to that song actually 20 times in 2 days.
Back to Greece
For the next 10 days I'll be in Greece.
For the most part I just stay in my house, updating my blog, and adding pictures and videos. I am also watching a lot of movies and reading, playing soccer and running. I'm trying to relax before I have to go back to work. A few days a go I went to the beach, last night we went to Athens and ate in the shadows of the Acropolis.
For the most part I just stay in my house, updating my blog, and adding pictures and videos. I am also watching a lot of movies and reading, playing soccer and running. I'm trying to relax before I have to go back to work. A few days a go I went to the beach, last night we went to Athens and ate in the shadows of the Acropolis.
Jordan
Jordan- Day 1
Today we arrived in Jordan, our last stop in the Middle East. The head of the a Demetrios store here, Ramez, picked us up and took us to see the sites. The first was Petra.As seen in such films like Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade and Transformers 2, the Al Khzneh temple in Petra is an incredible structure. It is so old, yet at the same time so well preserved, huge and magnificent. However, there were hundreds of other thinsg to see in the ancient city of Petra besides this temple. There were other temples, tombs carved into the walls, a Roman amphi-theater and much more. (We took a horse and carriage to traverse through the passages through the mountains to arrive at the picturesque ruins. Turning the corner and seeing for the first time this temple was truly mesmorizing. Afterwards, we rode camels to see the remaining ruins and structures deeper into the city.
After seeing the dead city, we headed back to our hotel. We drove through deserts and mountain ranges, both beautiful in their own right. While drving through the country I saw many children playing soccer in the streets and many people working the farms and fields. It was a drastice change from my previous destination, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was an immensly rich nation, with beautiful manshion and many developed areas. Jordan on the other hand was much poorer, had less developed and seemed as if it relied on agriculture much more than its neighbor to the south.
Before we got to the hotel, we stopped to take pictures in front of the Black Sea with the sun setting behind it. We then went to the hotel where Ramez's family was waiting for us to give my dad and uncle flowers. (They were extremely happy that they had finally visited Jordan.) We then went to our room or an hour and watched the IOC choose the next host city for the 2016 Olympics; I was happy with the decision. ( I mention this because I always follow this kind of stuff). We then went to dinner where we were introduced to a man who works at the Greek Embassy. He also brought his son and his son's two friends so I could eat with them.
I went to eat with them in an American sport themed restaurant. Ironic how I'm half way around the world, and I am forced to eat in an American bar with pictures of football and baseball surrounding me. The kids, Joseph, Steven and Omar were good kids, but a but eccentric aka they were kind of strange.
After dinner we walked around the hotel grounds, going down to the Dead Sea and then I went to sleep.
Jordan- Day 2
I woke up at around 10:00 and decided to go swimming in the Dead Sea with my uncle. Before entering the water, we covered ourselves in mud, which is supposedly good for the skin.
The water was so amazing. It is so salty, 8.6 times saltier than most other seas, that people float immediately. In the deeper parts of the water, I tried to touch my feet to the ground and walk, but it was impossible because of the salt. After swimming in the Deas Sea for 2o minutes, we ate breakfast, checked out of the hotel and went to swimming somewhere else. This time we (actually it was just me who swam) in the Jordan River. Before swimming in the river, we took a tour of the area. We saw the place where Jesus was baptized, a Greek church where John the Baptist's bones are at rest and many other ancient structures and holy sites. There were Churches from all types of Christian sects (Catholic, Russian, Greek, Armenian), some dating back 1500 years. An important thing to mention is that the place where Jesus was baptized is now dried up because of dams and controling of the river.
After the tour we walked to the river, where I was able to go swim. The river seperates Jordan from the West Bank and Israel, and while in the river, if I took 3 more steps to the west I would have been in Israel, that is how close it is.
After our excursion to the Jordan River, we went to Mnt Nebo, the place where Moses showed the Israelites to the promised land and where he supposedly died. This was cool as well. There were ancient church and religious monuments, and we could also see Israel in the distance at the peak of the mountain.
The next stop was a Greek church, (St. George's Church). I do not know why we went there, but it had really beautiful art inside. On the floor of the church there was ancient mosaic map of the region. It was pretty big in its current form, but a man told us that in its original state it was 24 by 8 meters in size, spanning from Syria to Egypt and beyond.
This was the last sight- seeing destination, so we drove back to Amman and went to our hotel. From the hotel we went to the Demetrios store. Ramez went so far to make a grand entrance for my father that he made a huge poster of my fathers face, a sign that said "Welcome Boss" and fireworks all outside the store. Inside the store there were flowers, decorations, cake, pastries and many people, including members of the press, photographer and many of Ramez's friends; he was acting like my father was a celebrity, it ws pretty funny. We took a lot of pictures and danced and sang to Arabic and Greek music.
After the mini-party, we went to dinner with members of the Greek Embassy. We were several minutes late, and the consulate left because he did not want to wait for us. (It was kind of obnoxious) Since he left, we went to visit him at the embassy the next morning, which was cool.
Jordan was an amazing country, where I was able to experience incredible history and see extraordinary sites.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia- Day 1
If I was ever astonished by where I was on the globe and said to myself, "Wow! I'm here right now," my next destination would definitely be one of those places. I honestly would have never imagined that I would be in Saudi Arabia during my gap year, but my father told me in June that he was traveling here for business and asked if I was interested in going with him; he did not have to ask me more than once. Even before we landed in Jeddah, it was an interesting experience. Most of the women boarded the plane in Beirut wearing "regular" Western clothes. I took a nap on my flight and when I work up an hour and a half later, all the women were wearing long black robes covering the entire bodies. Something really funny, at least for me, was that the airplane magazines sold diamond encrusted cufflinks, watches and iPod cases (prices for the iPod cases ranged from 11,000-110,000 American Dollars).After departing the airport we met our hosts-- Kareem and Jaleel Khan (twin brothers who have Demetrios stores all over Arabia). We went to the airport, dropped our stuff off and me Caroline, their sister. (I have already met this family 5 years ago in Paris-- there are extremely friendly and nice.) We went for lunch, at an Indian restaurant overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea. During the meal I had the opportunity to ask our hosts about Saudi culture. First I asked about the religion in society and about how women feel about being forced to wear the black robes. Caroline told me that many people are not extremely religious, especially in the West of the country. She explained that even though the media portrays Saudi Arabia as a strictly religious nation, many people do not pray 5 times a day, and lead liberal lifestyles in the privacy of their homes or when they leave the country. Caroline also explained that women in Saudi Arabia did not have to wear head scarves, which was surprising to me because I thought it was mandatory. However, as the day went on I realized that there were many women who let their hair down. I also asked her about the young people of the country, music, movies.... and how weddings work since men cannot see the women's bodies. She explained how the bride buys a wedding dress for a private party to which only women are invited. (Sometimes at private parties held in houses the parties will be both men and women, but for the most cases only 3 men will see the bride in her wedding gown: the groom, his father and the bride's father.) From my opinion it seemed so much more liberal than I would have imagined. I am not denying that it is a conservative nation, but I thought I would only see a sea of black gowns with only eyes peering from within these robes or all the people dropping to the floor at the same time once their daily prayers began. However, like I said before I saw many women without head scarves as well as women with different colored robes and burkas. And when it came time for prayer, although most the stores closed, I only saw handfuls of people in special designated corners praying while most people continued on their daily routines.
After lunch, we drove our the city to get the feeling of this Arabian metropolis. (Let me start by saying I expected small city, totally immersed by desert and Bedouin-like culture: once again I was incorrect.)
I noticed 3 things while in Jeddah. First, I saw so much European art work along the sides of the road, in the center of the squares and near the ocean. Most of it was abstract and had nothing to do with Islam. (I took many pictures of these structures if you are interested to see them.)The second thing I noticed was the massive amounts of Western/ American influence. There were hundreds of American restaurants and American styled shopping centers and malls. Finally, I noticed the lack of people, cars and traffics during our drive. Caroline explained since the weather is so hot for the majority of the year, the Saudi culture revolves around the night. She said many businesses open at 5 pm, the people begin dinner at midnight and everyone, even families, stay up till around 2 or 3 in the morning.
After a drive around the city we returned to the hotel to rest for a couple of hours. After relaxing we traveled to the Demetrios store in Jeddah Mall. As we were driving we could see the roads were much busier and the sidewalks more crowded since the sun had set.
The best words to describe the store are luxurious and magnificent, in my opinion. It had marble floors, giant chandeliers, huge vases filled with elegant bouquets and high, arched ceilings. My father also mentioned how it was one of the busiest bridal stores he has ever seen. We also met Caroline’s father, a little old man, who was extremely nice and talkative.
After visiting the store we went to dinner. We got back to the hotel at 2 am.
Saudi Arabia- Day 2
We began our second day in the Kingdom by visiting Jeddah’s largest mall, the Red Sea Mall; it literally had every American/ designer label store as well as all the American fast food, dessert and coffee restaurants of which I could think. Despite this Americanization, we ate at a restaurant with local Saudi cusine, and it was incredible. (Perhaps the great surprise throughout my Middle East adventure has been the amazing food) The food we ate consisted of mashed peas and chickpeas, cheese and meat pies and a hot banana pudding-like sweet; like I said before, it was superb.
After lunch we drove to Old Jeddah to get a feel of the more antique parts of the city, before all the malls and stores were built. On our way to the old city, we passed the square in which the government kills and punishes convicts.
Old Jeddah was totally different from the area of the city where I had primarily been. First of all, it was much poorer than the new sections. Nevertheless, it was much more beautiful than the modern city as well. The antiquity of the small paved roads and the classical Arabic architecture were breathtaking. The houses were such beautiful structures painted extraordinary colors such as bright green, blue and brown.
As we were walking around the city, I saw some little boys riding bikes and playing soccer. I went over to talk to them. They saw that I had a camera so they all started to make funny faces so I could take a picture of them. The kids on the bikes were doing tricks for me and the other boys were introducing themselves to me, pretending they were all famous soccer players. They were really excited when I showed them pictures and videos of the turtles I had seen the month before.
We kept on walking until we reached the market place. We explored (for the most part) the empty market, looking at what the locals need to buy like traditional robes, perfumes and sandals. While in the market place a man started reciting a prayer throughout the old city. The combination of the exotic language and the lyrical way in which the man sang the prayer made it extremely beautiful to listen to. Walking around the old city I realized how the people were very congenial always smiling at you. I thought I would encounter stoic faces and people who would hate foreigners but I have learnt that many foreigners from across the globe (China, Philippines, USA, Lebanon…) live and work in Saudi Arabia.
Next we returned to the hotel, and I went to the gym to work out and run. (I am only mentioning this because part of the gym was a bowling alley, something I have never even heard of being in a hotel.)
That night we went back to the Demetrios store where my father, uncle and the Khan family discussed business. We went down to the food court for drinks and coffee half way through their discussions. While down there, some girls across the room started giggling and waving at me; I, of course, waved back. As I walked out of the food court and onto the escalator, I saw the girls get up as well. They followed me back to the store but were too afraid enter. However, this is not the last I saw of them. As I was leaving the mall and going to the parking lot, the girls approached me. The asked for phone number and email address, and one girl gave me her bracelet, so I gave her my livestrong in return.(Now these girls constantly write messages to me on facebook saying how they miss me and love me, and how I should become a model and travel the world with them: a little funny as well as creepy.) Afterwards we went to dinner.
Saudi Arabia was a really beautiful nation that I had a totally incorrect perception of (partly because of my lack of research but also because of the media, news and movies). I am so fortunate and grateful to have visited this cultures that is more different than anything I have ever witnessed. Before coming here I told people I was excited to go to Saudi Arabia because it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity: “Why would I go more than once there,” was a common question. However, I have learnt about this culture and have seen there is so much more I can visit, see and experience. This is why I love to travel: to experience cultures unknown or misconstrued to me and to learn new things. I can honestly say that my two days here in Jeddah have open my eyes and taught me something about a culture I knew nothing about.
If I was ever astonished by where I was on the globe and said to myself, "Wow! I'm here right now," my next destination would definitely be one of those places. I honestly would have never imagined that I would be in Saudi Arabia during my gap year, but my father told me in June that he was traveling here for business and asked if I was interested in going with him; he did not have to ask me more than once. Even before we landed in Jeddah, it was an interesting experience. Most of the women boarded the plane in Beirut wearing "regular" Western clothes. I took a nap on my flight and when I work up an hour and a half later, all the women were wearing long black robes covering the entire bodies. Something really funny, at least for me, was that the airplane magazines sold diamond encrusted cufflinks, watches and iPod cases (prices for the iPod cases ranged from 11,000-110,000 American Dollars).After departing the airport we met our hosts-- Kareem and Jaleel Khan (twin brothers who have Demetrios stores all over Arabia). We went to the airport, dropped our stuff off and me Caroline, their sister. (I have already met this family 5 years ago in Paris-- there are extremely friendly and nice.) We went for lunch, at an Indian restaurant overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea. During the meal I had the opportunity to ask our hosts about Saudi culture. First I asked about the religion in society and about how women feel about being forced to wear the black robes. Caroline told me that many people are not extremely religious, especially in the West of the country. She explained that even though the media portrays Saudi Arabia as a strictly religious nation, many people do not pray 5 times a day, and lead liberal lifestyles in the privacy of their homes or when they leave the country. Caroline also explained that women in Saudi Arabia did not have to wear head scarves, which was surprising to me because I thought it was mandatory. However, as the day went on I realized that there were many women who let their hair down. I also asked her about the young people of the country, music, movies.... and how weddings work since men cannot see the women's bodies. She explained how the bride buys a wedding dress for a private party to which only women are invited. (Sometimes at private parties held in houses the parties will be both men and women, but for the most cases only 3 men will see the bride in her wedding gown: the groom, his father and the bride's father.) From my opinion it seemed so much more liberal than I would have imagined. I am not denying that it is a conservative nation, but I thought I would only see a sea of black gowns with only eyes peering from within these robes or all the people dropping to the floor at the same time once their daily prayers began. However, like I said before I saw many women without head scarves as well as women with different colored robes and burkas. And when it came time for prayer, although most the stores closed, I only saw handfuls of people in special designated corners praying while most people continued on their daily routines.
After lunch, we drove our the city to get the feeling of this Arabian metropolis. (Let me start by saying I expected small city, totally immersed by desert and Bedouin-like culture: once again I was incorrect.)
I noticed 3 things while in Jeddah. First, I saw so much European art work along the sides of the road, in the center of the squares and near the ocean. Most of it was abstract and had nothing to do with Islam. (I took many pictures of these structures if you are interested to see them.)The second thing I noticed was the massive amounts of Western/ American influence. There were hundreds of American restaurants and American styled shopping centers and malls. Finally, I noticed the lack of people, cars and traffics during our drive. Caroline explained since the weather is so hot for the majority of the year, the Saudi culture revolves around the night. She said many businesses open at 5 pm, the people begin dinner at midnight and everyone, even families, stay up till around 2 or 3 in the morning.
After a drive around the city we returned to the hotel to rest for a couple of hours. After relaxing we traveled to the Demetrios store in Jeddah Mall. As we were driving we could see the roads were much busier and the sidewalks more crowded since the sun had set.
The best words to describe the store are luxurious and magnificent, in my opinion. It had marble floors, giant chandeliers, huge vases filled with elegant bouquets and high, arched ceilings. My father also mentioned how it was one of the busiest bridal stores he has ever seen. We also met Caroline’s father, a little old man, who was extremely nice and talkative.
After visiting the store we went to dinner. We got back to the hotel at 2 am.
Saudi Arabia- Day 2
We began our second day in the Kingdom by visiting Jeddah’s largest mall, the Red Sea Mall; it literally had every American/ designer label store as well as all the American fast food, dessert and coffee restaurants of which I could think. Despite this Americanization, we ate at a restaurant with local Saudi cusine, and it was incredible. (Perhaps the great surprise throughout my Middle East adventure has been the amazing food) The food we ate consisted of mashed peas and chickpeas, cheese and meat pies and a hot banana pudding-like sweet; like I said before, it was superb.
After lunch we drove to Old Jeddah to get a feel of the more antique parts of the city, before all the malls and stores were built. On our way to the old city, we passed the square in which the government kills and punishes convicts.
Old Jeddah was totally different from the area of the city where I had primarily been. First of all, it was much poorer than the new sections. Nevertheless, it was much more beautiful than the modern city as well. The antiquity of the small paved roads and the classical Arabic architecture were breathtaking. The houses were such beautiful structures painted extraordinary colors such as bright green, blue and brown.
As we were walking around the city, I saw some little boys riding bikes and playing soccer. I went over to talk to them. They saw that I had a camera so they all started to make funny faces so I could take a picture of them. The kids on the bikes were doing tricks for me and the other boys were introducing themselves to me, pretending they were all famous soccer players. They were really excited when I showed them pictures and videos of the turtles I had seen the month before.
We kept on walking until we reached the market place. We explored (for the most part) the empty market, looking at what the locals need to buy like traditional robes, perfumes and sandals. While in the market place a man started reciting a prayer throughout the old city. The combination of the exotic language and the lyrical way in which the man sang the prayer made it extremely beautiful to listen to. Walking around the old city I realized how the people were very congenial always smiling at you. I thought I would encounter stoic faces and people who would hate foreigners but I have learnt that many foreigners from across the globe (China, Philippines, USA, Lebanon…) live and work in Saudi Arabia.
Next we returned to the hotel, and I went to the gym to work out and run. (I am only mentioning this because part of the gym was a bowling alley, something I have never even heard of being in a hotel.)
That night we went back to the Demetrios store where my father, uncle and the Khan family discussed business. We went down to the food court for drinks and coffee half way through their discussions. While down there, some girls across the room started giggling and waving at me; I, of course, waved back. As I walked out of the food court and onto the escalator, I saw the girls get up as well. They followed me back to the store but were too afraid enter. However, this is not the last I saw of them. As I was leaving the mall and going to the parking lot, the girls approached me. The asked for phone number and email address, and one girl gave me her bracelet, so I gave her my livestrong in return.(Now these girls constantly write messages to me on facebook saying how they miss me and love me, and how I should become a model and travel the world with them: a little funny as well as creepy.) Afterwards we went to dinner.
Saudi Arabia was a really beautiful nation that I had a totally incorrect perception of (partly because of my lack of research but also because of the media, news and movies). I am so fortunate and grateful to have visited this cultures that is more different than anything I have ever witnessed. Before coming here I told people I was excited to go to Saudi Arabia because it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity: “Why would I go more than once there,” was a common question. However, I have learnt about this culture and have seen there is so much more I can visit, see and experience. This is why I love to travel: to experience cultures unknown or misconstrued to me and to learn new things. I can honestly say that my two days here in Jeddah have open my eyes and taught me something about a culture I knew nothing about.
Lebanon
Tuesday September 29th
Today I began my voyage to the Middle East with my father and uncle. Our first destination was Beirut, Lebanon.
My preconceievd notion of what the country would be like was totally incorrect, and it was evident once I got off the plane. I expected an extremely conservative society with all the ladies with head scarves and most men wearing traditional robes and long beard. As I walked out of the airport I saw this was not the case; I saw girls wearing mini-skirts and billboards for Absolute Vodka and Heinekien Beer on the walls.
During our drive to the hotel, I noticed that the terrain was reminiscent of Greece's land. Even more astonishing were the many reminders of Western and American lifestyle: KFC, TGI Fridays, Starbucks, the radio station Lite FM...
We dropped out stuff off at our hotel and went to look around the city. My dad's costumer, Imad, picked us up and gave us the quick tour of Beirut. He has been asking my dad to visit him every year, and was extremely happy that my father and uncle finally came. However, Imad was also upset because we were only staying in Lebanon for one night.
Our first stopn was a downtown, antique looking area, filled with shops and cafes. There were also 3 churches, a mosque and Greco-Roman ruins all next to one another. That was another surprise for me. I knew that there were many Christians in Lebanon, but I did not realize that there were this many (Imad said 1/3 of the population= about 1 million). In fact, as we drove around Beirut I saw many more churches and mosques.
After walking around the town, we went back to Imad's shop. It was really beautiful store with elaborate carpets and magnificent art work. We went to his office and the adults spoke business; I just ate fruits and baklava.
(Imad's business partner, Seri, also came into the office for business.)
After the business talk, we went to a place callec Herissa, a really high place so we could see the whole city below us. It is also a Catholic holy site; there is a Church and a huge statue of Mary. It was really cool to see the entirity of Beirut with millions of lights and houses.
After Herissa we went to dinner at a Lebanonese place called Mhanna. It was a huge Lebanonese feast with dozens of dishes to eat: hummas, zucchinni, fish, raw lamb, chicken, lamb, salads, lamb, chops, pork, shish kebab, chick peas, stuffed grape leaves. For desert there fruits, sweets and baklava: plums, pears, apples, grapes (the size of my thump), pineapple, tomato looking fruit, which was amazing, and guava. The stuff was so tasty and delicious.
I sat next to Seri and I talked with her about Lebanon culture, asking her so many questions. We talked about things such as religion in the daily life (there aare 19 religions in Lebanon), Hezbollah, the night life and Western/ American influences in the region.
After dinner we said our good-byes. Imad was such a nice, hospitable person who showed us an amazing time and gave us a great, however brief introduction in Lebanese culture. He even gave me his beautiful watch so that I would never forget him, and he invited us to go to his house in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt whenever we wanted. Lebanon was a beautiful country where I learnt a lot and experienced such amazing hospitality.
Today I began my voyage to the Middle East with my father and uncle. Our first destination was Beirut, Lebanon.
My preconceievd notion of what the country would be like was totally incorrect, and it was evident once I got off the plane. I expected an extremely conservative society with all the ladies with head scarves and most men wearing traditional robes and long beard. As I walked out of the airport I saw this was not the case; I saw girls wearing mini-skirts and billboards for Absolute Vodka and Heinekien Beer on the walls.
During our drive to the hotel, I noticed that the terrain was reminiscent of Greece's land. Even more astonishing were the many reminders of Western and American lifestyle: KFC, TGI Fridays, Starbucks, the radio station Lite FM...
We dropped out stuff off at our hotel and went to look around the city. My dad's costumer, Imad, picked us up and gave us the quick tour of Beirut. He has been asking my dad to visit him every year, and was extremely happy that my father and uncle finally came. However, Imad was also upset because we were only staying in Lebanon for one night.
Our first stopn was a downtown, antique looking area, filled with shops and cafes. There were also 3 churches, a mosque and Greco-Roman ruins all next to one another. That was another surprise for me. I knew that there were many Christians in Lebanon, but I did not realize that there were this many (Imad said 1/3 of the population= about 1 million). In fact, as we drove around Beirut I saw many more churches and mosques.
After walking around the town, we went back to Imad's shop. It was really beautiful store with elaborate carpets and magnificent art work. We went to his office and the adults spoke business; I just ate fruits and baklava.
(Imad's business partner, Seri, also came into the office for business.)
After the business talk, we went to a place callec Herissa, a really high place so we could see the whole city below us. It is also a Catholic holy site; there is a Church and a huge statue of Mary. It was really cool to see the entirity of Beirut with millions of lights and houses.
After Herissa we went to dinner at a Lebanonese place called Mhanna. It was a huge Lebanonese feast with dozens of dishes to eat: hummas, zucchinni, fish, raw lamb, chicken, lamb, salads, lamb, chops, pork, shish kebab, chick peas, stuffed grape leaves. For desert there fruits, sweets and baklava: plums, pears, apples, grapes (the size of my thump), pineapple, tomato looking fruit, which was amazing, and guava. The stuff was so tasty and delicious.
I sat next to Seri and I talked with her about Lebanon culture, asking her so many questions. We talked about things such as religion in the daily life (there aare 19 religions in Lebanon), Hezbollah, the night life and Western/ American influences in the region.
After dinner we said our good-byes. Imad was such a nice, hospitable person who showed us an amazing time and gave us a great, however brief introduction in Lebanese culture. He even gave me his beautiful watch so that I would never forget him, and he invited us to go to his house in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt whenever we wanted. Lebanon was a beautiful country where I learnt a lot and experienced such amazing hospitality.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Last Morning and Back to My House in Athens
Today was my final day at the Archelon camp. I had too pack up all my things and take down my tent. After preparing my stuff for my departure, I took my last pictures of the camp and helped with the big camp clean up.
Loukia, my dad's client drove into camp and I said my good-byes. We had a huge group hug; it was really sad. I was upset because I just got to know all of them and I had to leave so soon.
Back in Athens I unpacked from Crete and packed for my trip to the Middle East.
I was extremely happy to see my parents!!! I am lucky because I have only been away a month and I get to spend a lot of time with them.
I also met with my aunt Stumatia ( I do not how to spell her name, but she is one of the nicest people ever!!!)
Afterwards, I went to eat with Ioanna and her friend, Takis.
Loukia, my dad's client drove into camp and I said my good-byes. We had a huge group hug; it was really sad. I was upset because I just got to know all of them and I had to leave so soon.
Back in Athens I unpacked from Crete and packed for my trip to the Middle East.
I was extremely happy to see my parents!!! I am lucky because I have only been away a month and I get to spend a lot of time with them.
I also met with my aunt Stumatia ( I do not how to spell her name, but she is one of the nicest people ever!!!)
Afterwards, I went to eat with Ioanna and her friend, Takis.
My Last Day of Work
Today I had my last Morning Survey with John on the HL beach. Fortunately the beach was shortened so we walked 1 less kilometer. Then I went to town early before my K2 shift began. As I was getting of the bus I saw Tanj in disarray. She had found a dog on her Morning Survey and had brought it to a dog shelter. She was really sad because the shelter she brought it too had over 200 dogs and only 3 workers. Tanj was really worried for the dog she had brought there because she really loved it; later on she decided she was going to take it back to Switzerland with her.
Since my K2 shift was the last Kiosk shift of the season, John made me go and exchange all the coins from the donation jar to bills. I went around to several stores, restuarants and kioks all who denied me my request. Finally, I went to the bus station and they were more than happy to convert the coins into paper bills. In total, this took about an hour and a half; I was happy that it killed so much time. After the Kiosk Shift ended, we took down everything from inside the Kiosk and brought all the extra stock back to the stock room. In the stock room, John and I (honestly it was more me than him) counted all the remaining stock that we had not sold.
We went back to camp, and on the bus we met Nora who had just come back for Iraklion, visiting a friend and the historical sites. We talked in abbrevs the entire way home and I think the whole buse, including John wanted to kill us.
For my last night we just went to the cafe near our camp, got ice cream and hung out.
Since my K2 shift was the last Kiosk shift of the season, John made me go and exchange all the coins from the donation jar to bills. I went around to several stores, restuarants and kioks all who denied me my request. Finally, I went to the bus station and they were more than happy to convert the coins into paper bills. In total, this took about an hour and a half; I was happy that it killed so much time. After the Kiosk Shift ended, we took down everything from inside the Kiosk and brought all the extra stock back to the stock room. In the stock room, John and I (honestly it was more me than him) counted all the remaining stock that we had not sold.
We went back to camp, and on the bus we met Nora who had just come back for Iraklion, visiting a friend and the historical sites. We talked in abbrevs the entire way home and I think the whole buse, including John wanted to kill us.
For my last night we just went to the cafe near our camp, got ice cream and hung out.
Day Off- Loukia
Saturday September 26th
Today was my day off. I was planning to go Sky Diving but it was 4 hours away and I had already traveled so far to go "Bungy" Jumping to just be disappointed so I decided not to go. Instead I met with my dad's client, Loukia, the lady who drove me to the camp my first day. She came to camp with her daughters, so I showed her around camp and explained to her what I had been doing here.
After my tour, she took me to camp to show me her store, and toured me around the old city/ where she lived as a child. Next, we went to eat lunch together at a sea food restaurant and then I was dropped off back at camp.
Back at camp I helped Tanj cook because she was extremely mad for a few reasons. After dinner we went to a local town to get ice cream. Then we went home to sleep
Today was my day off. I was planning to go Sky Diving but it was 4 hours away and I had already traveled so far to go "Bungy" Jumping to just be disappointed so I decided not to go. Instead I met with my dad's client, Loukia, the lady who drove me to the camp my first day. She came to camp with her daughters, so I showed her around camp and explained to her what I had been doing here.
After my tour, she took me to camp to show me her store, and toured me around the old city/ where she lived as a child. Next, we went to eat lunch together at a sea food restaurant and then I was dropped off back at camp.
Back at camp I helped Tanj cook because she was extremely mad for a few reasons. After dinner we went to a local town to get ice cream. Then we went home to sleep
Abbreving and the Nice List
Today I had K1 with Nora. All we did was look at pictures for M.N. and laugh at the fact that we had it. The movie was horrible but we had fun. We also started talking in abbreviations. It went so far that sentences would just be composed of the first letters of every word. ( For Example: I L M N= I like movie night.) It was funny because we got so good at speaking this way we could start to understand and interpret one another.
(Later on the whole camp played "Uno", the card game, and we only used our language to communicate.)
After K1 Nora got her Nose pierced. We also made the "Nice List". People in Greece only use the word nice to describe things-- it is as if they do not know other adjectives, so I decided to make a list of the ways they use the word nice.
Starting from Bad- Good
1. Very No Nice
2. No Nice
3. Nice but not too nice ( A camp favorite)
4. It's nice, I think
5. Nice
6. So Nice
7. Ohhhh, Nice
8. Very Nice
9. It's Too Nice
We also met a dog which looked like a Coyote, which we named Tyra, because Tyra Banks was in Coyote Ugly.
After K1 I went back to camp and played tennis/volley/soccer with Tanja. We were really bored so we played these games.
Tonights dinner was one of the last times we would all be together so it was nice to just hang out and chill with one another-- "It's too nice."
(Later on the whole camp played "Uno", the card game, and we only used our language to communicate.)
After K1 Nora got her Nose pierced. We also made the "Nice List". People in Greece only use the word nice to describe things-- it is as if they do not know other adjectives, so I decided to make a list of the ways they use the word nice.
Starting from Bad- Good
1. Very No Nice
2. No Nice
3. Nice but not too nice ( A camp favorite)
4. It's nice, I think
5. Nice
6. So Nice
7. Ohhhh, Nice
8. Very Nice
9. It's Too Nice
We also met a dog which looked like a Coyote, which we named Tyra, because Tyra Banks was in Coyote Ugly.
After K1 I went back to camp and played tennis/volley/soccer with Tanja. We were really bored so we played these games.
Tonights dinner was one of the last times we would all be together so it was nice to just hang out and chill with one another-- "It's too nice."
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Movie Night... and a lot of other exciting things
Thursday September 24
Today was a really exciting day. I had my last MR Morning Survey with Nora. During our walk we saw Scarfy, my favorite stray dog so I said bye to him.
After the Morning Survey we went to the supermarket to buy food for the camp and we visited the talking bird. Today the bird felt like talking a lot. It kept saying Hi, Hello and Hey in all different voices-- it was the funniest thing ever. It also said Mama and Moomin/ Nora (we weren't sure which it was) a few times. Whenever it spoke we would crack up and could not stop laughing.
When we got back to camp John told us that there were some hatchlings lost near the back of the beach (near our campsite). Me and Tanj went to help Mckenna look for them. By the time we got to Big Mac aka Easy Mac aka Mac Daddy, she had already put 3 turtles on the sand near the shore (we are not supposed to put them in the water, just near the sea because the have to strengthen their muscles and lungs by walking into the sea. If we put them straight into the water they will drown.)
We went back to the back of the beach and Tanj found another hatchling. We brought it to the front of the beach and watched it as it walked into the water and got washed away by the waves. We searched for another 45 minutes but found nothing else.
I went back to camp and cleaned my tent of movie night. This is really random but I started talking about the contenders to hold the 2016 Olympics with Daniel. This is relative because at K2 later that day a man wearing a Chicago Olympic T-shirt came over to the Kiosk and we also started talking about it. He also knew Northwestern which made me excited because no one in the world knows it. Later on some people who lived in Chicago also came over and also knew Northwestern!!!!
An important thing which happened right before my Kiosk shift began was the Mel had told me "Lord of the Rings" had not downloaded on her computer so we could not watch it; Movie Night was doomed. Tanj then told me to look for the bootleg DVD people to see if they had LOTR. I found two of these men and did not ind LOTR but I found a movie called "Knights of Bloodsteel", which looked like a Fake version of LOTR aka FLOTR. I knew that this would be a terrible movie but histerical to watch and it had Christopher Lloyd so that was an incredible feature as well. I also bought "Mamma Mia" because we are obsessed with ABBA at camp. Nora, Mac Daddy and Tanj thought FLOTR was a good idea while Daniel, Mel and John did not.
After K2 we went back to camp, ate dinner and killed time till 11:30 until the K3 people returned from work. Then we began Movie Night!!
We all went to my tent since it was huge to watch the movie.
The movie was honestly terrible and we could not really hear it well. We ended up just hanging and laughing and hanging out instead. (John did not come and Mel and Tanj left early. Nore, Easy Mac and Daniel and I slept in the tent.)
Today was a really exciting day. I had my last MR Morning Survey with Nora. During our walk we saw Scarfy, my favorite stray dog so I said bye to him.
After the Morning Survey we went to the supermarket to buy food for the camp and we visited the talking bird. Today the bird felt like talking a lot. It kept saying Hi, Hello and Hey in all different voices-- it was the funniest thing ever. It also said Mama and Moomin/ Nora (we weren't sure which it was) a few times. Whenever it spoke we would crack up and could not stop laughing.
When we got back to camp John told us that there were some hatchlings lost near the back of the beach (near our campsite). Me and Tanj went to help Mckenna look for them. By the time we got to Big Mac aka Easy Mac aka Mac Daddy, she had already put 3 turtles on the sand near the shore (we are not supposed to put them in the water, just near the sea because the have to strengthen their muscles and lungs by walking into the sea. If we put them straight into the water they will drown.)
We went back to the back of the beach and Tanj found another hatchling. We brought it to the front of the beach and watched it as it walked into the water and got washed away by the waves. We searched for another 45 minutes but found nothing else.
I went back to camp and cleaned my tent of movie night. This is really random but I started talking about the contenders to hold the 2016 Olympics with Daniel. This is relative because at K2 later that day a man wearing a Chicago Olympic T-shirt came over to the Kiosk and we also started talking about it. He also knew Northwestern which made me excited because no one in the world knows it. Later on some people who lived in Chicago also came over and also knew Northwestern!!!!
An important thing which happened right before my Kiosk shift began was the Mel had told me "Lord of the Rings" had not downloaded on her computer so we could not watch it; Movie Night was doomed. Tanj then told me to look for the bootleg DVD people to see if they had LOTR. I found two of these men and did not ind LOTR but I found a movie called "Knights of Bloodsteel", which looked like a Fake version of LOTR aka FLOTR. I knew that this would be a terrible movie but histerical to watch and it had Christopher Lloyd so that was an incredible feature as well. I also bought "Mamma Mia" because we are obsessed with ABBA at camp. Nora, Mac Daddy and Tanj thought FLOTR was a good idea while Daniel, Mel and John did not.
After K2 we went back to camp, ate dinner and killed time till 11:30 until the K3 people returned from work. Then we began Movie Night!!
We all went to my tent since it was huge to watch the movie.
The movie was honestly terrible and we could not really hear it well. We ended up just hanging and laughing and hanging out instead. (John did not come and Mel and Tanj left early. Nore, Easy Mac and Daniel and I slept in the tent.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
