HOK. Here we go...It's time to remember before I forget SO. Let's recap the past few EXCITING days in Greece. Can I get a woot woot? No? ok....totally cool. ANYWAY. Right then...SO let's discuss our FIRST evening out in Thessaloniki. We haven't slept...I'm feeling some SERIOUS jet lag...I have been awake since Early Sunday Morning....I still can't quite figure out how or when my time and sleeping and its all a mess as you can see I can't even explain it....SO after we settled in a
nd unpacked our stuff as I exclaimed earlier WE decide its time to hit it. Luckily one of the SAB students who lives above us is decently fluent in Greece.....not that WE NEED IT....but for the first time out in this city, it wasn't a bad thing. So a bunch of us in the building that had just arrived peaced-out into the city. I'll be honest....I'm feeling a little apprehensive at the moment....meaning...I don't do cities....slash I have never really been in a city by myself and all of this business is really similar to New York city....however...that's really the only city I have visited beyond the Burg which neighbors Hershey by a mere 20 minutes....but to be honest, I don't think of it as much as a city...though Padre will tell you differently....SO we go out the bunch of us and find ourselves walking aimlessly toward the wind that seems to keep pulling us closer to something more captivating than the constant shops and food stands that line every sidewalk....and there it was... The routunda that marked the front of the pamphlet that I found in the Study Abroad office at Virginia Tech. ACT in bold red opened up to a mere three quarter pages explaining yet another opportunity to travel to Europe....I remember just shuffling the small document into a pile of othe possblities thinking that this option wasn't as elaborate as the others....and here I am....standing right infront of this HUGE enormous spherical landmark....Can you imagine trying to hug this thing?....and thats the first thing I said when I saw it....literally.....SO what is this thing really???? THIS is the White Tower. Built in 1430, this is said to be Thessaloniki's most famous site on the paralia. When we saw this it was also my first sight of water FROM land. IT was so awesome. WE LIVE HERE....this is where we are going to live......are you serious? This is like over 2,000 years of HISTORY.....take a minute....drink it in, drink it in....it always goes down smooth....and who doesn't want to live in a city, and live by water...and live where EVERY SHOP here is like 7/11.....its open at all hours ready to rumble...and I mean ALL hours....the streets are busy late at night...they are filled with busses, cars, and people.....WHEN DO THEY sleep.....They are up early...and they go to bed late....late as in they go to bed when they wake up....I DON'T get it.
nd unpacked our stuff as I exclaimed earlier WE decide its time to hit it. Luckily one of the SAB students who lives above us is decently fluent in Greece.....not that WE NEED IT....but for the first time out in this city, it wasn't a bad thing. So a bunch of us in the building that had just arrived peaced-out into the city. I'll be honest....I'm feeling a little apprehensive at the moment....meaning...I don't do cities....slash I have never really been in a city by myself and all of this business is really similar to New York city....however...that's really the only city I have visited beyond the Burg which neighbors Hershey by a mere 20 minutes....but to be honest, I don't think of it as much as a city...though Padre will tell you differently....SO we go out the bunch of us and find ourselves walking aimlessly toward the wind that seems to keep pulling us closer to something more captivating than the constant shops and food stands that line every sidewalk....and there it was... The routunda that marked the front of the pamphlet that I found in the Study Abroad office at Virginia Tech. ACT in bold red opened up to a mere three quarter pages explaining yet another opportunity to travel to Europe....I remember just shuffling the small document into a pile of othe possblities thinking that this option wasn't as elaborate as the others....and here I am....standing right infront of this HUGE enormous spherical landmark....Can you imagine trying to hug this thing?....and thats the first thing I said when I saw it....literally.....SO what is this thing really???? THIS is the White Tower. Built in 1430, this is said to be Thessaloniki's most famous site on the paralia. When we saw this it was also my first sight of water FROM land. IT was so awesome. WE LIVE HERE....this is where we are going to live......are you serious? This is like over 2,000 years of HISTORY.....take a minute....drink it in, drink it in....it always goes down smooth....and who doesn't want to live in a city, and live by water...and live where EVERY SHOP here is like 7/11.....its open at all hours ready to rumble...and I mean ALL hours....the streets are busy late at night...they are filled with busses, cars, and people.....WHEN DO THEY sleep.....They are up early...and they go to bed late....late as in they go to bed when they wake up....I DON'T get it.ANNNNYWAY,
SO our first night out we walk towards the water like I said and we stopped at one of the food shops and got my first gyro.....ok...it isn't guy-ro....so check yourselves, haha. ANYWAY....so I didn't even have to order because Mr. I speak Greek for fun did the job for me....I was exhausted...this was perfect....and it was SO good....I'm not a big red-meat person but it was pretty baller....SO on we went and found ourselves in this place called, theCoast. Ok..it's in English....we just picked a radom place....and it was relatively americanized. Not really the best place to go as my first nightlife activity in Greece, but it was awesome all the same. The water-line is just bar after bar. THIS puts Blacksburgs DT to complete, utter, and sincere shame.....EVERY few feet its a new cafe/bar ready for you to sit down and have a drink. I COULD really get used to this....however in the midst of us enjoying ourselves....enter the NUin students. Now you might be thinking....hok Heather....sweet update I'm done....or TELL ME MORE....in which case....alright, I'll tell you MORE!
NUin: Northeastern University located in the Boston area has a relatively strong affiliation with ACT. They have started a program this semester where Freshman students that were deffered until the spring semester could do an abroad program to ACT to take about 4 courses that would cover the basic intro curriculum many students just love to get out of the way.....enter 60 freshman....into the Thessaloniki nightlife....
lets have a moment to reflect on this....
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? haha ok It's great for them, really it is, I mean if I were there parents I would definately allow my 17 year-old who just graduated from High School to travel across the world to experience higher education for the first time and jump into higher education extra-curricular activites without knowing anything about college-life or being able to have that first semester to mature and transition into a very different part of their barely adult lives. Yes....that sounds like the ticket....why let them get in trouble with the law and alcohol poisoning in the states when they can just do it in Greece without ANY trouble or complication....where the culture they are entering doesn't EVEN compare to the nature of the american-collegian lifestyle....where binge drinking and drinking for all the wrong reasons may or may not be realized within the first few weeks at a university. Hmmm..... and we wonder why europeans think that Americans are loud, obnoxious, and billigerent...................if it were their 2nd semester....awesome....but there is no structure for these new students....and in my opinion after watching them for just a few days....the are not ready nor mature or this type of stimulation. I know they will all mature and find a good balance, and I'm sure I may not think the same when this is all over, but for now......NU needs to lock it up.....and if they are going to send their students abroad....shouldn't they want to send their firsts and not their runners up?
(WOAHHH rant....a little harsh...I understand....but I'm a writer.....and WHEN have I not caused controversy with my ideals and thoughts in publications?.......)
ANYWAY.....so we decided to leave theCoast once a handful of 
the freshman invaded our space and made a mess of things. SO we took a taxi to get to another part of the water-line....or so we thought....we took 2 taxis but we ended-up exactly where we started and the other taxi ended at some random bar a bit away. So we sat down at a table and decided to get a beverage. Mythos and Amstel seems to be our beer of choice...to give you an idea of mythos....I think it tastes worst than natty better than keystone...and amstel....well its on the same lines....I'm not a beer drinker anyway....insert Greek Wine Here...so the others caught up to us....and that was really the end of our night...however, I'd like to disclose what the time schedule is like here.....let's do a question and answer session.
the freshman invaded our space and made a mess of things. SO we took a taxi to get to another part of the water-line....or so we thought....we took 2 taxis but we ended-up exactly where we started and the other taxi ended at some random bar a bit away. So we sat down at a table and decided to get a beverage. Mythos and Amstel seems to be our beer of choice...to give you an idea of mythos....I think it tastes worst than natty better than keystone...and amstel....well its on the same lines....I'm not a beer drinker anyway....insert Greek Wine Here...so the others caught up to us....and that was really the end of our night...however, I'd like to disclose what the time schedule is like here.....let's do a question and answer session.Q: What time do people go out in Thessaloniki?
A: KILLA LATE
Q: Say what?
A: If you go out before 10:30 or 11:00 you are going out WAY too early. People eat dinner around 10...DINNER....that means sit down and laugh away....then followed by drinks
Q: So that isn't too bad you eat dinner at 10 your on your way to the bars by 11....right?
A: WRONG!!!! The Greeks eat dinner like no other. You can't just go some place grab a quick bite to eat and be on your way....Dinner for these people is between 2-5 hours long. You sit and talk well after you are finished leaving.....they give you wine and bread and feed you forever....oh don't worry...I'll get to the food at a later post....but It's an interesting life the Greeks live...
So about those dogs and cats everywhere....Kboo...you'd be SO excited.....they are EVERYWHERE.....and stray...which means ofcourse i'm telling everyone NOT to even think about touching them.....they all have mange....I can feel it....Naturally we Americans melt at the site of a cute dog or cat.....but here....I mean come on lock it up....I don't think it would even be ok to pet someone elses dog while they are walking them here........TOTO, we are NOT in Kansas anymore.
NEXT TIME on HlockdoesGreece:
DANTE, My first Crepe, the 3 Greek boys we met in the Centre, Orientation days 1 and 2, My trip to Vergina, FOOD and the old toast man down the street, the taverna, the people that hate us down the street, quiet hours, my first trip to the grocery store, taxi's, downtown shopping, no matter how hard I've tried....am as American as you can get, PEACH TEA, and BAKLAVA!!
ps. Classes start monday
pps. Tech has been in school for a month muahahaha!! I WIN!!!
.....it's all GREEK to me
-Hlo
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