Buy Sunblock and Toothpaste at home!

Today, I have succumbed to buying the expensive bottle of sunblock as yesterday I had squeezed the very last of my Walmart bought bottle. Goodbye to the $6 prices that I used to go for in Walmart's vast aisle of many selections, boasting impressive levels of up to 45 SPF. Instead, I have bought Carroten, guaranteed to protect your skin from the high intensity of the Mediterranean sun, and yes done so with a whopping SPF10.

Let us compare.

Fruit of Earth / Block It UP!

• SPF 30
• Waterproof
• With Aloe
• With UVA/UVB Protection
• Made in Texas, USA
• $6 CAD for 355 ml

Carroten Hydra Plus Suncare Milk

• SPF 10
• Water Resistant
• With A+E extra moisturing ingredients, Hydra Plus
• With UVA/UVB Protection
• Made in Maroussi, Greece
• 9.50 euros ($15 CAD) for 200 ml

So, the lesson to be learned here is no matter how dark or tanned you think you are (I tan easily and was surprised to get a little burn and peel here), you should bring lots of sunblock if you plan to come to Greece. While the specs I have outlined above seem comparable and the website of the Greek brand quite impressive, you will be forced to pay double the price. The same goes for my Aquafresh toothpaste which I also bought today for 1.90 euros ($3.05 CAD) for a measly 75 ml.

Then and Now - Greece 1988 to 2009

My family and I the summer of 1988 at the Acropolis, overlooking the Odeon of Herodes Atticus below.

Me at the same Odeon two weeks ago, thinking to myself that this was the first time I have seen this place.

This was taken two weeks ago, looking at the East facade of the Erechtheion temple on the Acropolis.

This is my sister Sarah (light blue shirt) posing at the same spot but slightly different angle. I am the one in the yellow outfit and that is my mom beside me.

Me at the Erechtheion

My family and I posing at the same spot.

As I mentioned before, my family and I lived in Cyprus. I lived there from when I was 4 to 11 years old. My dad worked on a cruise liner that travelled to Greece, Egypt, and Israel. For our family vacations, we spent many times in these wonderful places. It is so interesting to look back at the family pictures and now recognizing the architecture and sites in the background. I have posted a few...... The rest will have to wait when I return to Toronto, as we have boxes full of pictures from many summer vacations in Greece.

Assignment #2-Culture Shock

Palm trees at Edem Beach.

Fuse Box.

Street vendors on the beach selling beach wear, umbrellas, jewellery, etc.

Another one.

Here, I have to remember to put the tube into the toilet while doing laundry, otherwise I flood my washroom like I did the second day I was here.

The shower head. The hose is so short so I guess tall people have to squat in the tub!

In this pic, you can see the bill in the shot glass to the front left.

Metro ticket.

Metro station platform.

Inside the Metro train.

At a Metro station - there is usually artwork or exhibitions as when they were building the Metro, they uncovered sites below the city.

Homeless dogs and cat sleeping in the middle of the street. The marble is cool on their bodies.

This beautiful homeless dog was just content lying down in the middle of the buzz.

Homeless dogs taking their siestas on the grounds at the Temple of Zeus.

Since I have already answered some of the questions in my previous blogs (e.g. my internship, my housing situation, etc.), for this particular one I will focus on the differences between Greece and Canada. Some I have already mentioned so sorry if they are repeats....

1) Toilet Paper and Flushing

-The first big difference that hits you smack dab in the face is the severe warning of "Do not flush tissue paper in the toilet!" Signs are everywhere in the airport, restaurants, and other public washrooms to guide unknowing tourists.

-For me, this is a problem, since not only has it taken me years to be "trained" to flush toilet paper in Canada (having grown up in Cyprus which also does not flush toilet paper). Now I have to be "re-trained" that it is ok to throw tissue paper in the garbage. Second, since I am one of those people who generously pamper myself by using wads and wads of tissue (let's just say, that I like it to be cushiony), then my waste basket gets pretty full. This means, I have to throw out trash quite frequently. Lucky for me the garbage dump is just outside our flat.

2) Metro System

-I have already mentioned the lavish looks of the metro system here and the reasonably priced fares. I will recap them briefly. For adult prices, a weekly fare is 10 euros (16 CAD), a day pass is 3 euros (4.80 CAD), and a single trip is 1 euro (1.60 CAD). For students, the fare is 50 lepta (80 cents CAD) The best part of the single fare is that it lasts for 1.5 hrs so you can actually watch a movie in the theatre or go shopping and have brunch with friends, all on one ticket. There are no stern Metro officers waiting for you to flash your ticket; they simply trust that you will buy it at the automated ticket purchase machine before you enter the "non-existent" entry gates. I know there are so many that just go through without purchasing. The penalty for getting caught without a ticket, however, is 60 times the regular fare. OUCH!

3) Catching the bus

-I tried to go to the beach by myself yesterday afternoon. I decided to go to Alimos Beach, which is just outside the city centre and is reachable by first a metro ride, and then a bus ride. This beach is privately owned, which means you pay 8 euros to get in, but the sand and water is cleaner and there is access to umbrellas and sunbeds. After getting to the right Metro stop and waiting out on the street for Bus 113, I couldn't figure out why it would not stop. THREE buses whizzed by me and being that the bus stop was packed and I didn't want to stick out anymore than I already do, I pretended as if I wasn't really walking towards the bus. I realized after standing at that bus stop for an hour, that to get on the bus, you actually have to stick out your arm way out into the road to indicate to the bus driver that you want to get on. Seeing how Bus 113 wasn't the popular bus that day, I was the only one who needed to get on and seeing how I didn't know this secret code, I lucked out on three buses. I guess standing on the pavement smiling just doesn't work here as it does back home in Toronto, when the bus driver stops all the time. After that hour of waiting, I was beginning to catch the beginnings of heat exhaustion, so I decided to skip the luxury beach and head home.

4) "Signomi (Excuse me)....May I have the bill please?"

-Here in Athens, when the waiter brings you your food or drink, they also bring you a small shotglass with a piece of paper inside. Rather, it is your bill. No longer do you have to tag down your waiter at the end of your meal to say "Cheque please!"

5) "Do not Get Electrocuted!"

-That is the warning that scared the heck out of me my first day in Athens. It was written on the instruction sheet that awaits you at the Institute hostel, when you arrive in your room. It warns you that you have to flip the switch on the fuse box, before taking a hot shower and that you had to make sure to turn it off before you jumped in the shower to avoid electrocution. I had to wait until one of the housemates came home before I jumped in the shower! Fuse box?? I didn't even know what that looked like before I got to Greece! The shower here is very different from back home. You have to flip the switch to get hot water for showers and the shower heads are not stationary. Also, the washing machine is usually in the washroom and as you can see in my picture, the washer and toilet go hand in hand during laundry.

6) Street Vendors

-The streets of Athens is filled with these street vendors trying to sell everything from toys to sun umbrellas. I thought it was only in New York that you see the array of beautiful "Pradas, Louis, and Gucci's" nicely laid on a blanket on the ground, ready to be snatched up by the salesperson in sight of the Policia. These street vendors are usually ignored by the Athenian public, but some tourists go to them and look at what they have to offer. I was told to say "Ohi Efaristo" (No Thank you) in Greek as opposed to saying it in English, because then they will think I am Greek Filipino and leave me alone. If they know that you are a tourist, they become more persistent. At the beach, I usually have my ipod on and my sunglasses on when they come around. I feel bad for these people because I know they are just trying to make a living.

7) Siesta

-I love my daily 2 hour naps! I will leave it that so you fellow Canadians won't feel as bad when you are reading this at 3pm....in your office typing away at the keyboard while I am cuddled in my bed....lol

8) "Pedestrians are the right of way"

-They might as well not have the cross lights, because pedestrians here jaywalk ALL the time. They cross whenever they get a chance in between whizzing scooters and motos (cars). I have yet to see a pedestrian get struck yet.

9) Homeless dogs are fat, sleepy, and very much part of the city.

-The first day I walked through the city, I stopped in the middle of the pedestrian walk mortified to see a dog lying on the street, back against the curb. I thought that it had gotten hit by a car and was left on the street to die. People didn't even flinch as they stepped over the German Shepherd mix, eager to catch the street light. It was the busiest pedestrian walkway off Syntagma Square and my friend was so embarassed that I was stopping to check up on the dog. She said "He is not dead! He is sleeping! They do that everywhere here." And soon after, I began to realize that they are everywhere, the hot summer sun has them sleepy throughout the day--or maybe they too know of siestas. They sleep in the middle of the marble streets and sidewalks, in the stores' entryways, and yes even at the Temple of Zeus. They are all fat because storeowners and restaurant owners feed them scraps. You can only tell they are homeless from their raggedy fur and sores on their elbows from lying on the streets.

10) Butts are everywhere

-This is by far the biggest thing that has bothered me since arriving in Greece. Greeks love to smoke and they do it everywhere---in the restaurant, in the stores, at the beach, in the bars, etc. I have heard that they are going to ban smoking in public places as of July 1st, but I don't think it will be a smooth transition. Therefore, in the meantime I have become a "smoker".

11) Palm trees grow in the Mediterannean.

WHAT?! I know I couldn't believe it. There are soooo many palm trees here that you can sometimes squint your eyes and pretend that you are in Miami. (That's what I do when I miss North America) LOL

12) On walking fashionably and climbing the Acropolis in stilletoes.

-The ladies here are so fashionable that they walk on the marble streets UPHILL in 3 inch heels. I, however, have left my party heels back home in Toronto and have donned a more comfortable form of wear...flip flops and gladiator-inspired sandals. I was quite impressed with the lady who was climbing the Acropolis two weekends ago, wearing a mini skirt and 3 inch stilletoes. Yes, that's right, they weren't even wedges, just the dainty old pencil thin heel. And, she wasn't even my age but a middle aged woman. Here in Athens, you don't have to be 20 something to be in heels and wear fashionable clothes. You are competing with the materas (moms) and the yiayias (grandmas)!

Two weeks...Life as a CIG Intern

Orange tree on the sidewalk outside my flat.

Entrance into the foyer groundfloor, with view of our office door.

Elevator in our building. I know scary!

Elevator door.

Our office door. The knobs on the front doors here are at the center.

View onto the street from 3rd floor hostel veranda

My bed

The CIG library, where I do my slide cataloguing

My kitchen

On the way to Greece

Flying over the Alps

Some yummy curry dish with chick peas and salmon

So I realized that I have been writing about the Metro, the beach, etc. but I never wrote about my flight and first few days....so here goes.

The Flight:

I was scheduled to leave for Greece on Sunday, May 24th 4.40pm. By Saturday morning, I still had to pack, edit an essay and write two more.....yikes.....So I gave myself 2 hours to pack, which seemed reasonable enough. I had a checklist going with categories (e.g. Toiletries, Medical & Health, Work Clothes, Fun Clothes, School stuff, etc) along with sub-categories, that then went into Column A (Checked Luggage) or Column B (Carry On). I think the planning is what took long and perhaps I should have sifted through what tips at the Predeparture Orientation pertained to me instead of "over planning." For example, I don't think obtaining my own personal syringe in the First Aid Kit was that necessary for in Greece the Health System is pretty good, and there are about 5 hospitals in my neighbourhood. Hence, there I was organizing and packing at the same time and it took me SIX hours to pack. By the time midnight hit, I was ready to go to bed.

The flight went well. It took me about 8 hours to get to France and the layover was only an hour. It was just enough time for me to get to the right terminal and then board to the next plane. The food that I ate on the plane was amazing and I have never felt overstuffed like that before while on a plane (but then again I am comparing this with the 3 hr flights to Cuba in which I was fed only drinks and cookies) I arrived in hot, sunny Athens on Monday, May 25 noon, Athens time. I was greeted by my boss, Assistant Director, Dr. J. Tomlinson, who was kind enough to pick me up at the airport; I was greeted by him with a big sign with my name on it, a friendly smile, and a thick British accent. The ride to the Institute was a 40 minute drive. I admired the familiarity of the Greek landscape, the abundance of scooters and bikes on the road, and the hot summer sun.

Once I arrived at the Insitute, I was greeted by Tori, the intern that replaced me for the month of May (due to delays caused by the York U strike). She was so sweet to get me settled in my room and much to my disappointment, I had to decline her invitation to go to the beach. I had those two papers to write!

Finishing up some last minute assignments:

So there I was first day in Athens, editing one finished essay and then starting on the next one that was due Monday, May 25 9pm. Ah ha! That was the beauty of it, Toronto time 9pm...which meant I had until Tuesday, May 26 4am Athens time to complete the task! (I thought of this brilliant plan that Saturday after packing) I tried as much as I could but unfortunately, much to my denial, I was hit by jetlag and worst, WRITERS BLOCK. The next day, after I finished my first day of work, I dove right into the second essay and finally completed it with success. All the while, Tori, was so sweet making me breakfast and lunch throughout the day. But I tell you, leaving those essays last minute was a bad move....I was doing the preliminary readings for Essay#2 in the airport and on the plane instead of enjoying the featured movie "Bride Wars". Sigh!

Living Arrangements:

The Canadian Institute in Greece (CIG) is located in a five storey building which is comprised of apartments and offices. Our office is on the bottom floor in an apartment space that was renovated to accomodate CIG's needs. The result is a library, a kitchen, a bathroom, a smaller office, my boss's office, and my room. Which means, I can wake up at 7am and start work at 7.30am and I can never be late! I literally, get up and walk out into my office. This is kind of nice since I have everything here and I don't have to spend money on commuting to work. I also have access to the 3rd floor, which is CIG's hostel. It has five bedrooms, a kitchen, a computer room, and a living room. Oh and did I mention that I have a veranda in my room, as well as upstairs? (It is common in Greece to have verandas that you can actually sit outside on, unlike those faux verandas that suburbian Toronto houses have, that are only meant to detail your master bedroom windows. ) Office hours are 9-1pm Mon to Fri, so once 1pm hits, my boss leaves and I am by myself. I have access to the Metro just up the street from my house and it is walking distance to Syntagma (the main square of Athens, picture Dundas Square in downtown Toronto).

My internship at CIG:

So the main project that I am working on is the cataloguing of slides donated to CIG by an archaeologist. The slides number almost 12, 000 and I am cataloguing the last 18 or so boxes before digitization begins (scanning of slides). Two interns (both non YIIP interns) began this project last year and believe it or not, the first intern who designed the database is my very good friend and colleague from college. We both took the Museum Management program at Fleming College, so we were trained in the same way. So it was great to see the work that she began and at the same time understood her thinking and methodology.

At first, I thought it would be a piece of cake, but I realized that cataloguing artefacts was somewhat different from cataloguing slides of an archaeological nature. First, my forte is not archaeology, and having only dappled in it during my Classics courses, I find myself stumbling over the differences between calyx kraters, volute kraters or discovering new types of vessels such as ewers and rhytons. Second, the Chenhall system of Cataloguing Museum Collections, which I practice religiously, did not seem to hold up well when applied to archaeological collections. I find myself double checking and second guessing myself. Third, after staring and squinting at slides for 4 hours straight, regardless of how much you love Ancient Greece, history, or museum work, let's face it...you start to fall asleep. And that's when I get up for an intermission and tend to my other "administrative duties" (tsk tsk tsk Larissa and Natasha, you didn't tell me I was doing dirty laundry! LOL).....Let me explain. As part of my duties, I am to do the laundry for the CIG hostel. (I suppose my unlimited access to the free laundry facilities and supplies onsite--right in my bathroom---is more than enough payment for my service....lol) But seriously...I do not mind it at all as I love doing laundry believe it or not and thank goodness that it is only sheets and towels that I have to do (LOL...when I told my boyfriend he said "Isn't that kind of weird that you are doing your colleagues dirty underwears!?") So yes, when I feel like the task of slide cataloguing is starting to get monotonous, I start doing laundry to wake myself up. Or, I just start cooking up a yummy dish in the kitchen!

But all in all, I am enjoying my internship. I love the dynamics of the group, both with my boss and my colleagues who live in the hostel. I also cannot complain about my benefits of being a CIG intern: free pass to all the museums, archaeological sites, and art galleries in Greece & exclusive invites to dinner parties and lectures (e.g. today was a lecture at the Belgian Institute which was followed by a lavish reception at the Belgian ambassador's home here in Athens)

Life is sweet right now and this experience I know will go down in history as one of my most memorable.

Long Weekend - Beach Fest

This past weekend was a long weekend in Greece, for June 8 was Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday (Aghiou Pneymatos in Greek). In the Eastern Orthodox Church, what this means, is it is the first day of the afterfeast of Pentecost.

It was a beautiful weekend hitting high numbers of 35 degrees Celsius. (I feel bad for my family and friends back home in Toronto who has had rainy cold weather for the past week...LOL) So my friend and I decided to hit the beach...twice.

On Sunday, we went to Marathon Beach. If you remember your Ancient Greek history, Marathon is the location of the famous Battle of Marathon between the Persians (25 000) and the Greeks (10 000) in 490 B.C. The story goes that after the bloody battle, the messenger Pheidippides ran the 42 km from Marathon to Athens, to announce the news; and that upon arrival he died from heat exhaustion. This is what started the Marathon foot race which still happens today, following Pheidippides' route.

Attached are pictures of the beach. I wasn't that thrilled about the seaweed on the shore and you have to wade through it to get to the "clear" part of the water. Hence, I didn't swim, just sunbathed. The scenery of the mountainside is beautiful, and as the highway rises, which is cut into the mountainside, you can see the beautiful bay below.

On Monday, I went to Edem beach, 30 minutes by tram from the Athens' city centre. I enjoyed the chubby palm trees that decorated the beach, but I did not like the pebbles in the water. It was so hot however, that I did walk along the shores. The water was quite nice and warm! You will differentiate Edem from Marathon in the pics because the sand is more white and there are no dark seaweeds.

I have yet to see the clear crystal blue waters of the Aegean Sea. I will have to wait for my family to arrive in July before we can take the ferry out and make it a weekend trip.

Keep posted for more beach adventures. I am determined to find one close to Athens!

TTC versus Athens METRO

So I realized that I have become a metro rider criminal...You see, here in Athens, they trust you so much with paying the correct fare (1 euro = 1.60 cdn) that they don't have those turnstiles and suspicious TTC workers watching your every move as we do back in Toronto. You go to an automated ticket purchase machine, and pick Student (50 lepta) or Adult (1 euro) and you simply validate your ticket in the open style entryway. And since I have been following my trusty coworker Tori (a fellow American but lover of Greece), I have been buying my reasonably cheap Student ticket, even if I am not enrolled in a Greek university. I feel a bit guilty in doing this but I feel I better suit the category of student than an adult, since I have been going to school for 23 years of my life!!!

And talk about modern and clean! The metro stations have exhibits in them, glass elevators where there are no finger prints and nasty snotmarks, and lighting that belongs to an art gallery. I swear they look like hotel lobbies of a 5 star hotel!

Another beauty about the Metro is that you have 1.5 hr to do what you want. Hop on the metro, go shopping, have a latte, and hop back on --as long as you do it within the time restraints. I don't know about you but I always make sure to hop on the next TTC bus in fear that my transfer will expire. (Remember that TTC driver who made you pay that extra fare because you crossed the street to get a drink from the corner store, before catching your next bus???)

I love Athens Metro.