A Day in the Life of a Young Greek Person
(From an Amateur's Perspective)
8 am: Work/School
I have been in classes since Monday and am enjoying every single one thus far! This semester, after having to switch some things around, I'm enrolled in British Literature (with a very difficult professor apparently), Modern Greek History (40% of my grade is essay, 60% is a test... wish me luck), and three theater courses (Voice and Speech, Movement, and Acting). I added so many theater classes because I'm pretty sure I'm extending my college career by one semester. If I don't, I will probably die from the course load next semester (English + theater + 2 colloquiums + biology + everything else = death, obviously). I probably won't get to walk with my class which is disappointing...at a small University, it's kind of a big and heartfelt deal. But spending a semester in Greece with one of my best friends is definitely absolutely worth it. Everyday, I thank God for this opportunity!
But anyway, on with our day.
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Breaks/Between Classes: Sip a Greek Frappé
In one of my theater classes, the professor told the students to take me out for coffee to get to know me and learn from the way I speak. And guess what? They actually did! It was lovely! Despite a slight language barrier at times, we talked about everything from music to love to our dreams and ambitions. And they taught me how to drink Greek frappes. TIP: In Greece, if you consume this foamy deliciousness too quickly (though it will be tempting), your friends will laugh at you. ("Haha, silly foreigner!") The foam lasts hours and that is how long Greeks take to sip their frappes. To quote my new friends, "In Greece, you take a sip, wait three hours, take another sip. That is how we drink frappe!"
2 pmish - 4 pmish: Citywide Quiet Hours and Siesta
This is something that took a little getting used to at first, but I have quickly adapted (hello adult nap time!). Many stores shut down during these hours and many young Greek people get a majority of their sleep during this time. You'll soon find out why.
UPDATE
4 pm: Lunch!
The above quoted Greek friend, Peggy, has cleared something up for me. I was wondering whether and when Greek people have lunch. Apparently, here, lunch is the most important meal of the day. But they don't eat it until late afternoon. Breakfast is generally until noon and it's usually something small. Then, Peggy says that if they eat supper at all, it will be something like a yogurt some time around:
9 pm: Dinner Time!
I haven't quite gotten the hang of this yet. Greek food is so good and Anna is such a good cook! After a long day of class and siesta, why wait this long to eat? But this is the dinner rush in Greece. Many grilles may not even get turned on until 7 pm. TIP: In Greece (and many European countries) the tip is already included in the bill at restaurants. If your service was excellent, 50 cents to 1 or 2 euros is an appropriate amount.
12 am: Hit the Bars!
Though Anna and I tend to stay in, this is the time for Greek nightlife. Supposedly, it is very crazy and often bars stay open until 6 am. Can you imagine? Thank goodness for Siesta! I did go out Friday night (I'm 21, it's allowed, don't judge me) and was surprised to see that not a lot of people were even really dancing. Mind you, this adventure took place at a beach club with live music. And people weren't dancing! You could tell where our group of Americans were by where a majority of the movement was happening. I asked one of my Greek classmates about it and she said people don't dance to that kind of music (which just sounded like club music to me). I'll let you know when I find out what kind of music Greeks do dance to. (UPDATE: It's Greek rock. Though I still haven't heard anything but daft punk playing anywhere.)
Though I did get a dance lesson the other day on our Athens tour. Yai sas for now!
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