Even though we had classes I still managed to get to the market on Friday - I love that before you buy, the vendors encourage you (sometimes pretty forcefully) to try the food first. Also, here is how I got a potato for free: I went up to the potato man, and asked for "one" in Greek. He says, "Kilo?" and brought out a bucket. I quickly said "No, no, just one potato" as he moved to fill the whole bucket with potatos. He laughed, stuck the potato in my bag, and when I asked how much, he said it was a gift. Friday night we decided to go out in the neighborhood of Psiri, and it was "Latin Night" at the club we ended up at - they had a dance instructor and everything! The night ended with us getting souvlaki sandwiches and eating them on the steps of the metro while people watching in Psiri. Yum, as usual.
Saturday my friend Natalie and I decided it was time to get us some culture. After a quick stop at the Archaeological Museum (I'm doing a class presentation there on Thursday, so I had to map it out), we walked around the corner to the museum of engravings (I forget the official name). The museum was completely empty, and was made up of room after room of slabs of marble with inscriptions from ancient Greece. It also had an outdoor courtyard with more small pillars and herms with inscriptions in rows, and some very pretty flowers. The woman in charge followed us from room to room, which was unnerving, but I understood that with such fragile artifacts, you have to be careful.
We had lunch at McDonalds. It was DELICIOUS. As much as I love Greek food, sometimes there's nothing so satisfying as a cheeseburger, fries and a coke. Natalie and I were both impressed by how classy the McD's was - the walls were full of photos and objects from the Olympics when they were in Greece (McD's was a sponsor), and it was really clean.
The next stop on our itinerary was Technopolis, a museum located in the neighborhood of Gazi (Gazi is kind of like the meatpacking district of Athens...too cool, basically). Technopolis houses contemporary art, and it used to be a factory of some kind. We actually got off one metro stop too early, but it turned out to be a blessing since we had a chance to walk through a very pretty area called Thissio along the way. Lots of cafes and a public garden. We also walked by Kerameikos, which is the very famous, very ancient cemetary of Athens.
Back to Technopolis - right now it's housing an exhibit called "Destroy Athens," which is a collection of various art and mulitmedia installations about physical destruction, urban decay, the death of culture, all that fun stuff. It was absolutely huge, and divided into six parts (the six days of destruction...). As depressing and, at times, disturbing as it was, I loved it. After so much old stuff, this was a breath of fresh air. Natalie and I agreed, though, that we were especially uncomfortable seeing how much anti-American imagery there was. It wasn't that we didn't agree with a lot of it - it was just unnerving to be faced once again with the fact that the people around you blame you for destroying everything.
After a much-needed nap and delicious (my new go-to dinner party meal: pasta with feta/olive oil, greek salad, bread, white wine, baklava) dinner, a few of us headed down to Pangrati (where school is located) for a funk concert! The jazz club was absolutely packed, and the band was really good. They were an American band, and the drummer was a family friend of our friend Erika. He told us that in the U.S., they usually play dives, but that they're HUGE in Europe.
Finally, Sunday. Day of rest. Did homework in Starbucks (so American, I know, but it's the only place where you can sit for hours and spread out, and no one will bother you). Caught up on American news and some pop culture (apparently there's a new song by someone called Soulja Boy, which we downloaded and learned the dance to - five points for YouTube). And now it's time for bed.
One of the Dipylon Vases (c. mid-8th century BCE) at the Archaeological Museum (I'm doing my presentation on it on Thursday). This and other vases like it were found about a mile north of the Acropolis, and are absolutely huge - this one is over 5 feet tall!
A room at the epigraphical museum - some of the tablets had labels, but most didn't. There were also tables were scholars could "check out" tablets to study.
A french fry bag at McDonalds - Natalie pointed out how it compares daily nutrition information based on a 2000 kcal vs. 1600 kcal diet, whereas in the U.S. it's usually between a 2500 kcal and 2000 kcal diet...
Gazi has beautiful graffiti - this was across the street from Technopolis, and spanned the entire length of the block on all sides. It was a futuristic/robot scene, and we had no clue what it meant, but it looked awesome!
One art installation from Technopolis - some of the rooms were like a regular museum, some were dark rooms where you would watch videos or listen to something, and some were outdoor installations like this one. We spent a few hours there and could have spent more, but I had to get back early.
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