Night Lights

From my experience, I feel like cities in Europe can't be truly appreciated until they are experienced at night. The youths of Italians (and when I say youths, I mean anywhere between ages 18-30something) gather nightly in the piazzas (squares) and sit around the fountains and talk and drink and eat gelato. Someone told me, "its like there's a nightly block party in Italy!" And they are so right. Our last night in Rome, a few of us ventured out to experience the sights under the sparkle of night. Parks do not close at night and there aren't open container laws. Not because Italians like to get crunk, but because community is such a vital aspect of their culture. Around the dinner table and the fountains, Italians devote their daily lives to each other. Its definitely one of the things I appreciate most about Italian culture. One of those things that we are unfortunately lacking in America.

So, as a tribute to our last night in Rome and as a general means of kicking off our tour, a few of us ventured towards a nearby square, casually passing the Colliseum along our way. Its silently beautiful resilience gracefully replaced the dusty hot crowds we had witnessed earlier in the day. A warm yellow Italian moon shone brightly above it.

When we arrived at the square, it was fairly intimidating. According to Elizabeth Gilbert, Italians keep the same group of friends from grade school through adulthood. Walking into that square full of happy Italians speaking in Italian separated into their lifelong cliques... well, it felt like walking into a lunchroom as a transfer student in the 7th grade, I'm sure. After getting enough courage to have some discouraging chit chat with some American freshman fratboy smoking a Cuban cigar, we gave up our attempts to be Italian-square-cool, hopped in a taxi and headed toward the Trevi Fountain.

TIP: Trevi Fountain at night is a must see!

Like the Coliseum, it was a beautiful Italian image, all lit up and sparkling at night and was a peaceful comparison to the crazy crowds from earlier. This was the first time I felt truly relaxed on our journey (though I became a semi-pro by the end of the trip). It felt like magic. We had a long and beautiful conversation with an Asian Australian couple about everything from style to theology before we hopped in another cab towards our hotel and said goodbye to Rome.

Buonanotte and I hope you enjoy these slowly pieced together legs of our journey.

The Hot Bods of Greek Gods

Yia sas! I've been here for almost six weeks. And we've only just made it to the Parthenon. TIP: Though the night life in Athens is typically very late, check the hours for tourist sites and grocery stores. They aren't open as late as you'd think! Markets tend to close at 9 pm and the tourist sites vary. A simple tip that I'm still somehow figuring out. However, one of the plus sides of Athens is that there's always an ancient ruin somewhere to be admired from afar.

Some of the adventures and events of this past week:

October 3rd. Our roommate Steph got hit by a car while she was out running in preparation for the Marathon. (You know, like the MARATHON Marathon - whoa.) This affirms the craziness of traffic conditions here. Narrow roads, little traffic enforcement, and most sidewalks are often blocked from pedestrians by planted trees, parked cars and dumpsters. There is even a group here in Athens trying to fight for pedestrian rights. Pedestrian rights.... something I've always taken advantage of, I guess! Send out your prayers and positive thoughts to this super sweet trooper!

October 4th. Cheered on the Deree women's soccer team. Our cheers were so inspiring that our friend Carissa actually knocked one of the opponents out!

October 5th. Anna, Jess and I checked out the National Archeological Museum here in Athens (€3 with student ID). It was beeeeauuutiful. The museum is near the area in Athens known as Exarchia and next door to Athens Polytechnic (aka the National Technical University of Athens). Exarchia is a popular area for college students, anarchists and demonstrations with many cool shops, restaurants and clubs. When we arrived in the area, there was a peaceful demonstration beginning across the street from the metro - its the first one I have seen during my stay in Athens. The area is very eclectic in appearance and is covered entirely in very artistic graffiti (while most of Athens is covered in very boring, gross, sad, and inartistic graffiti). At night time, in Exarchia Square, it is apparently common to see many people doing drugs out in the open. Needless to say, it is a unique community and made the sparkling beautiful building and grounds of the museum very easy to find.

The exhibits were crazy cool. Pieces were from the Archaic and Classical Periods, Bronze Age, Byzantine Empire, Egypt, and even a shipwreck (though don't quote me on the details here). However, many of the statues and monuments were taken from people's gravestones. They were of course very cool and artistic all the same, but it was still weird... I dunno how I would feel if I knew someone took the monument marking my grave to display in a museum somewhere. However, we did also see a few mummies and skeletons, so I guess all's fair in love, war, and historical preservation! Side note, all the statues of Greek gods had totally hot bods. Here's a couple (non-naked statue) pictures from our adventure:

Check out the detail on his arms - you can see his VEINS.

Anna and Jess. And Mr. Dead Guy.

Zeus' arm. And a statue of an arm. 

Later that night, some of my Greek friends from class took Carissa and I out for a night on the town; specifically, in the Gazi District. This area is also a very cool collegiate area with many cool looking clubs, bars, coffee shops and stores. We relaxed and talked for a while and then they took us dancing (to prove that Greeks DO dance)! TIP: If you plan on going to a club on the weekend in Athens, arrive relatively "early" - maybe around 11 pm, before the place packs up and the lines start. After about 2 am, you can't really go into any other places because of the lines. The club played everything from Britney Spears to the Rocky theme to Gangsta's Paradise. The dancing here is more subdued then back in the States though. As in, you don't really see people grinding - which is definitely cool by me. :) We called it an early night at 3 am - after the metro had closed at 2 am - and our friends continued to prove Greek hospitality by giving us a ride all the way back to our dorm. However, TIP: Do not ask a Greek boy what hair product he uses for his stylish and gravity-defiant hairstyles. According to them, they do not use product. But then again, that does go along with Anna's theory that all Greeks have beautiful hair.

October 11th. We finally made it out to the Acropolis (which is the name of a mountain, not a monument)! (€6 with USF student ID.) Atop this mountain sits the Parthenon and a couple other temples for the worship of Athena, the Goddess of War and protector of Athens. We were in total awe of these monuments. Can you imagine building such structures? And climbing a mountain every day to do it? 

The Parthenon

Odeon of Herodes Atticus - Just like we studied in Theater History!
Photo credit to Anna Thvedt

My favorite - The Theater of Dionysus

Afterward, we explored the Acropolis Museum (free with Greek student ID)- a beautiful building dedicated to the archeological discoveries of the Acropolis. I feel so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so much history! When I get home, I am definitely going to take better advantage of the museums in Sioux Falls. However, something I have found most interesting historically is Greece's more modern history. I feel like I am not alone when I say that, really, the only modern European history I've studied in America involves WWII. I'm not proud to say that I was even pretty ignorant of the Greek Revolution before my Modern Greek History class. You see, contrary to popular belief, modern Greece isn't the "Classical Greece" of theater and philosophy and science that one might expect before coming here. Some Greek historians actually go so far to describe their Classical inheritance as a burden. Much has happened and changed in this country since Aristotle's time - the religion, the boundaries, the language, the government, and the people. Which makes Greece's culture all the more rich, dynamic and fascinating to be a part of this semester!

All Dressed Up With No Where To Go

Having no money sucks. But it really puts things into perspective. Children here grow up having to ask for things and try to sell things in order to survive. I HATE having to ask people to pay for me, even though I know they'll get payed back. However, I can not make myself ask people for money to buy gifts for people. Kim has now also lost a debit card. Looks like I'll be passing out all the pretty shells I've  collected! I hope they are reminders of what my group has accomplished on this trip, the lessons I've learned, and of course, that I was thinking of my friends and family while learning them. Because I just spent the last dollar I could scrounge together on a coke (AKA my lunch). Most the soda here is glass-bottled. My mom would be so jealous!

We finally finished the swings yesterday – the playground looks BEAUTIFUL compared to what it was. The last day of work was optional, but it was satisfying to watch our whole group of eighteen filter in to finish it. It was awesome in an amazing and slightly depressing way to see it done. However, despite we just have the rest of today and tomorrow morning left, I’m sure our work here can’t be done. I have a feeling that Kim will be back soon. (However, not in August as we were originally hoping - hurricane season).  The rest of the day was kind of boring. It is frustrating when no one wants to do what you want to do. Yesterday was one of our guys’ birthday and it was supposed to be an eventful day. However, most of the guys partied pretty hard the night before so when I was ready to go eat and go dancing, everyone else was tired and just chilling. It was also the only night I got all dressed up – I borrowed a dress and even put hairspray in my hair! However, by the time we did get to the celebration, I was just sick of being around people. You know that feeling? All those hours of waiting around had just made me tired.  So I went to sleep around nine-thirty and had beautiful dreams about the top of Cinderella's castle in Disneyworld. Aside from finishing the playground, I felt like it was a pretty uneventful day. TIP #12: When you really have no ability to do what you want to do (ex. In Belize, I'm not allowed to walk around alone), one option is to grab a book, go outside, and let the party come to you. Someone’s bound to notice you eventually, or you’re at least bound to see someone or something interesting to occupy your time. That is what I wish I had done. 

Today, as our last day, has been the day of ultimate chill. It has been an absolutely wonderful way to end the week. I do feel bad though because in San Mateo, the impoverished part of Belize, work on building new non-trash roads is done on Sundays. However, we really have done a TON and it is the last day of spring break. Plus, I'm not exactly the greatest boulder-lifting candidate. It's so strange thinking that this particular journey of mine is coming to a close soon. Some of us are leaving our tennis shoes behind for the soccer team. I am included here. One more night left! I hope it is the best one yet.

I feel like my little pieces of advice thus far, though good ones, are still difficult and I am still working on following them the best I can. Thank you SO MUCH to those who have been following my journey. I have many more adventures to come though! There's the rest of the semester to complete, summer vacation, and hopefully a month long stay in Bali. Let's keep each other updated and adventure on together. 

Love and Peace from Ambergris Caye, San Pedro, Belize,

Debbi

PS: If I get a chance during a flight layover tomorrow, and if anything has really inspired me to do so, I may give another update about tonight's adventures. 

Where's My Horny Monkey?

I've been on the go for the last three days. I hope that what I've learned can be properly reflected as briefly as possible.

March 22nd
When we prayed before work, I volunteered to pray for the first time. It felt good. I hate to admit it, but I'm such a total space of a person, I sometimes go off in my own little world during prayer. The focus on each other and myself and our guide in the sky felt like nothing I've ever felt before. When I was little, I used to be very very religious. I still love the tradition and personal relation with God that goes along with Catholicism, but I've had too many unanswered questions and discrepancies to consider myself religious in the traditional sense any more. I've forgotten about lent and no meat since arriving here. I feel like I'm in a whole nother world despite the many American qualities this island does hold (it is a tourist destination after all).

As beautiful as the culture is on this island though, I could never live here. We taught and performed theater for some of the kids in the classroom. It was their first time ever learning anything about it. Theater is nonexistent here and unnecessary for this culture. That is probably why I don't feel very connected here. This is also a very small island - I feel very isolated. However, I definitely want to come back in the fall when Kim brings another mission out, if finances allow. I've been teaching several children, between the ages of 7 and 11, how to read and write. They legitimately want to learn, but its hard in a school with no sound proofing and developing organization. They would not survive without volunteers like us. These teachers have the patience of saints, and hate their jobs. What amazes me is the fact that they don't hate it for the classroom work (which is chaotic) but for the anxiety they feel for the children after work.

March 23rd
This boy, Alexis, taught us how to make the jewelry. All the locals are constantly selling it on the streets. They are so talented it's ridiculous. His mother is a thief, his sister has been beaten so bad that she cannot speak clearly anymore, and he is so smart, the adults of the island respect his opinion. I bought so much jewlery from he and his sister (who share the money with their mother, but keep enough to take care of the family) its just silly. I even accidentally bought a boy bracelet for whoever wants it! I have a strong feeling he is going to make some major influence in his life.

March 24th
The kids' swing set went up today. I can't get over what a change it's going to make. The school doesn't have access to any machinery to create and level the land. Everything we've done has been done by hand. The last few days, one of our major jobs has been sifting sand to create cement so that their week old wooden septic system may be protected from the water. It was also my afternoon off today to go snorkeling. When we got back to the hotel, the guys in our group were telling us to hurry as fast as possible. Apparently, they'd been told that if we got there an hour early, we'd get to snorkel for an hour longer. No one told me and I still had to find an ATM to pay for the trip. My friend Aaron and I sprinted through the streets barefoot, praying not to be late. I had grabbed the card last minute with my key, both in my hand. Finally, by the time we made it there, we discovered that my card was gone.

I was bawling by the time I got back the hotel. We're all poor, no way am I going to make someone pay for me. I used the hotel cleaning lady's phone and canceled the card right away. It is gone forever. So I was at the hotel with the wonderfully amazing workers calming me down and Aaron comes on some random bike back up the beach to me saying that the snorkeling people would take pity on me and take me along for free. I am so grateful, but now I have to borrow from Kim for the rest of the trip. She is the most generous woman I have ever known.

I've been working on this blog too long. More to come later.

Ready? Set? Prep!

So I'm headed for Ambergris Caye in approximately... oh, I do hate math... whatever. At 11:45 pm tomorrow night. My director, Kim Bartling, is leading eighteen adventurers to Belize for mission work over spring break. Sounds stupid right? Another tropical tourist destination for college kids to create a selfless excuse to travel to. While there, we'll enjoy the beaches, go snorkling, and beat all the natives of the country with our bibles. It's the missionary life...

WRONG!

Our mission, from my understanding, is to learn from the culture of simplicity, to learn how to laugh a little more every day, and to share a little South Dakotan love with the children of the island. We plan to play sports and theater games with them and have collected TONS of books, balls, and bats for them to keep.

I'm a little nervous, because sometimes... I just feel a little awkward with kids, you know? Because I still want to be a kid... Who knows though--maybe that will be our connection. :) *fingers crossed*

I'm not saying this experience alone will change my life by any means--every experience changes my life every day. But I when Kim organized (at least, as organized as she gets) this trip, I felt.... I dunno. A calling. And I've never felt that before. So I've fought hard for my spot on this trip and am excited to share my experiences with you.

TIP #1: Pack lightly. Especially in tropical environments, there really isn't much need for too much. I'm learning from their life of simplicity, remember? I probably won't even pack makeup. Which, I hate to admit, is a little weird...