Catch-up...

Hey friends! Sorry is has been a week since my last post... I found myself in a bit of a jam. The day after Delphi we went to Olympia, and ever since then my computer has been broken. It is still not fixed, but I am borrowing someone else's to send a few important emails and update this. So the computer problem... it worked fine in the morning at Olympia. I sent emails and everything was normal. Then I tried to turn it on during the bus ride to do some homework, but instead of booting up, it gave me "the blue screen of death." It said one of the Windows system files was corrupt or missing and could not load. So my dad has sent the original discs to me here in Crete and I am awaiting their arrivial with the hope that I will be able to repair the file without having to reinstall Windows thus lose all of my files.
Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

But that's not why you are reading this blog, so I will instead inform you more about my adventures in the Mediterranean. First stop after Delphi was Olympia where the ancient Olympic games were held. It was really cool for me to see this site because I wrote a speech on the ancient Olympics for school last year. We saw a few cool temple ruins and had a race in the ancient stadium.

The next day we stopped for lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. After eating, our group walked down to the water and played in it for about an hour. It was a bit cold (but not compared to Lake Superior!!) but fun to play in. We skipped rocks and basked in the sun, and one of the girls in our group found an octopus! It was a small octopus hanging out near the shore. She actually almost stepped on it (but luckily didn't), and so we watched that for a while, too.

That night, we stayed in Areopoli. The hotel here was amazing... it was caled Castle Mani and looked excactly like a castle. Our room was huge and the walls were made of stone and such. It was really cool.

That day, we started out by taking gondola-type boats into caves. I felt like I was Christine in Phantom of the Opera as Erik is taking her to his lair... there were stalagmites and stalactites all over and was really cool. Pictures will come once my computer is fixed and I can get them off my camera.

The plan for the afternoon was to hike to a castle that was built on a thin strip of land that jutted out into the sea and have a picnic lunch. Well we started our hike with a knowledge of the general direction of the castle, but didn't know for sure because we couldn't read the signs (there are over 25 of us by the way). We ended up taking a wrong turn and cutting our own path (do you sense a pattern?) through the bushes and shrubs in the Mani region of the Peleponese. After we reached a cliff and realized that it was not the right way to go, we began to backtrack and find the real path. Once we were on the real path, it took us about 45 minutes to hike to this castle. It was amazing... down a large mountain, across a little land, and back up the sides of this ridge to get to the ruins. There wasn't too much to look at, but it was really neat to think back about how this fortress might have looked when the buildings were all in one piece and people actually lived there. A group of us yelled "Soli Deo Gloria" (the motto of Concordia) from the cliff with the hope that we would get extra credit in Religion... but our professor sadly nixed that idea.

The next day we went to another castle ruin called Mystras. It was built into the side of a mountain (again) and we were given time to walk around and explore. At the top of this mountain inside the fortress was the "keep" (where the royalty would go in case of attack because it is the hardest place for enemy to get to without getting killed), and a group of us decided to hike to the top. There was a great view from the mountaintop and the hike wasn't nearly as rough as the one the day before (and the one from Delphi a few days before that) so it was fun.

The next day we performed our second set of scenes for theater class. They were all from Agamemnon and we performed them in the theater of Epidaurus (in the area of Greece that Agamemnon lived and ruled). That was really fun and cool, but not quite as much of an honor as the first time because the theater was open to anybody and we had to stop between nearly every scene for tour groups to come in and look around and leave. Then we saw Mycene which is an ancient civilization possibly dating back to 3,000 BC. It is where scholars and historians believe Agamemnon lived and was also buried.
That night we built sand castles because our hotel was right on the beach. Our castle was amazing... it resembled the ones that we had seen for the past few days. There were double-gates and keeps and watchtowers and everything. Again, picture to come when my computer gets fixed.

The next day we went to Corinth. This was a cool site because if you have read Acts 18 or the books 1 & 2 Corinthians, you can pick out the places in the ancient part of the city that Paul actually stayed and preached and such. We also hiked up to the acrocorinth (highest point in the city... another castle-type fortress) and walked around and explored for a few hours. I'm telling you... if my legs aren't in shape by the time I get home, there's no hope for me! Haha. But this was a cool site to see and explore.

That brings us to today. Last night we took an overnight ferry from Athens to Crete, but the boat itself was more like a cruise ship. You couldn't feel the swaying or anything, and it was a fine night. The trip was about 9 hours so we loaded at 8:30 last night and landed at 5:30 this morning. Once we got off the boat we had breakfast in the hotel we will be in for a few days and then took a bus to Knossos which is a reconstructed city on the edge of Heraklion. One man, Sir Arthur, worked with this excavation and hired a Scottish friend of his and about 500 slaves to dig the city up and help him reconstruct it. There were some pretty neat things and also a good museum.

I am sorry this entry was so long, but since we have been traveling every day for the past week and a half, we see new exciting things all of the time and they are all worth writing about. Thanks for reading all the way to the end, and I apologize that no pictures are here with the text but I promise that I am more frustrated with it than you are! I hope all of you are doing well back home... it is about 70 degrees here now, so try to stay warm back home!!

The Power of Education

One thing that I have to keep reminding myself about while I am here is that I'm here for school, not for vacation. Although at times it feels like a vacation because I often feel like a tourist, there are also times that I feel bogged down with schoolwork and paper writing and the like.

Today was definitely NOT one of those days. We are in Delphi, Greece, which is about 3 hours northwest of Athens. It is pretty close to the Gulf of Corinth (which will eventually lead to the Aegean Sea) and is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in my life. It is a city embedded into mountains and rocks and surrounded by olive groves. Part of our group climbed up a mountain today actually, and we could see really far off into the distance. It was a great experience though... I have not been feeling very good over the past few days... I have a cold and my lungs feel like they are covered in mucus (yum, right?)... and I didn't think that I could handle walking up the mountain. I decided to go as far as I could handle, so another girl and I went at a slower pace. We ended up losing the group, but caught up with one of the leaders and his daughter about halfway up the hill. We soon took a wrong turn, ended up on the back side of the mountain (where you couldn't see the water), made up our own path to get back to the correct side of the mountain, saw a pig farm, and eventually found ourselves at the top... at least 3/4 mile higher than the shelter that we were aiming to walk to. We saw our group at the shelter but it was too far away and they couldn't hear us. We somehow cut our own paths (again) to get to the shelter, and then cut our own path (once more) to get back to the original path we started on. It was a wonderful adventure and it was really fun! It took us about 3 1/2 hours from start to finish, and I would say we walked at least 8 or 9 miles up the mountain. What a workout!

Anyways, that wasn't the original point of my blog. Today was the day we visited the Sanctuary of Apollo and the Sanctuary of Athena, which was the topic of my site report. The point I am trying to make is how much more people are able to get out of a site if they know a lot about it beforehand. Everyone on this trip had to write a 10-page paper before we left on a certain aspect of Greek culture or a site that we were going to visit. Then at some point during the trip, each student has to give a presentation before or during the corresponding site. My paper was on Delphi, so today was my site report.

The presentation went well, thanks for asking =) But it was so much more interesting for me to be at a site that I have researched and know the historical background for before going. It was phenomenal for me to see the actual Temple of Apollo and the theater and stadium and Tholos in the Sanctuary of Athena.

Moral of the story: Do research on a place before you visit it. The site will mean that much more to you when you arrive.
But I climbed a mountain today and am trying to get over a cold, so I am exhausted and am going to leave you all now and get a good night's sleep before we travel again in the morning!


On a final note, more pictures from facebook! Follow these links to see them!

http://cord.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000607&l=26cd8&id=1273320032
http://cord.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000614&l=407fb&id=1273320032

Theatrical experiences....

We had an amazing experience on Friday. It was our first performance day for our Theater class, and somehow our professor managed to get us permission to perform in the Odeon of Herodion Atticus-- an ancient theater built out of marble and stone in the side of the hill that the Acropolis is on. They are in the process of restoring it, and I think he talked to the man in charge of the construction who said he would let us in for an hour.

The acoustics in this theater were AMAZING. Someone stood in the very top row at the back of the theater and our professor said something in a tone quieter than even normal speaking, and the guy in the back was able to hear him. All 20 of us performed, and one person on our trip brought a flute and played between performances. At the end, she let me play a little bit which was AMAZING because the acoustics were so good that it made me sound even better!

This was probably the opportunity of a lifetime... I can't imagine how many theater scholars or performers would kill to have that opportunity. Standing in the middle of the stage (called the orchestra) made me think of how many performances had happened in those exact places and how many years people had been performing there. It was really neat.

Later that day, we climbed up Lycabettus Hill-- the highest point in Athens. The hike up the hill was rather treacherous-- it took about an hour from our hotel-- but the view from the top was worth it! It was a beautiful day, too, so once we had cooled down from our hike to the top, we basked in the sunlight for a little while.


The rest of this post is for those faithful followers who might be under the illusion that everything we do is wonderful. Yesterday (Saturday) we had a five hour theater workshop with a man named George who is an actor/director concerning ancient Greek theater. We were told we were going to learn about how to be a chorus member in the play Ajax. Well, I went not knowing what to expect, thinking that there's no way I could get let down. I want to say right off the bat that it was really weird and a bit "etchy-sketchy."

We first learned how to speak like the ancient Greek people did by pronouncing vowels and consonants in a unique way. We then participated in a meditative-like chant where we sang the five vowel sounds while we went around a circle and took turns screaming. We then learned how to laugh like the chorus in Ajax would using these vowel sounds. Then he choreographed the laughter to us hopping around like barbarian animals.

Around this time, we put on makeup. The point of the makeup was so we could look more like we were wearing masks without actually wearing the masks. It was really interesting to distort our faces and see how that made our look change.

George showed us how the chorus would enter for this play. The picture really explains it all... We were in a squatting position with our right hand extended towards the sky. In order to move, we wouldn't change position but rather begin to hop. Hopping required the jumping of your feet/legs, but for your upper body to stay still. It was a workout for the legs!

We learned a short routine acting as Sufi whirling dervishes. This included the squatting position again in addition to a smooth twirling action like the whirling dervishes.

The session ended with a recitation of the ancient Greek text of Ajax. George had been saying things in ancient Greek all day and they sounded like something from a pow wow or a cult-like meditation. It sounded kind of like barking. Real weird.

Overall, I guess it was a fun experience. How many people who come to Athens can have a five hour workshop with a man who is specialized in ancient tragedies and will give you face paint and teach you how to grunt and hop in unison? I guess when I write it that way it has a bad connotation, and although that is basically what we did, it wasn't really as bad as it sounds. But every time I look at the picture of us in the squatting position, I laugh at how ridiculous the afternoon really did seem.

Someone from George's "production team" was videotaping most of the workshop, and some of the people in our group were talking about it at dinner that night. We decided that in a few days the whole thing will be on YouTube and George and his people will advertise it like "Look at the Americans making fools of themselves!" Haha... what a unique experience.




P.S. New rule about leaving comments.... please tell me who you are!! Just write your name in the "nickname" box =)

The Universal Language

I've always been told that music is the universal language. I've always believed that statement, and I've often repeated it to make a point. But I never really understood the statement until yesterday.

Last night, we went to a concert. It was a Greek musician named George Dalaras (center), and he plays a type of bluegrass music. Our group was unsure of what to expect going into the concert, but tickets weren't too expensive-- 10 Euro a piece-- so we went.



I was absolutely floored (in a good way) by this concert, and I have no idea why. I don't even particularly like bluegrass music. It was all in Greek, so I couldn't understand the lyrics, and there was a series of little vignettes between some of the songs that was completely Greek as well. I must admit, however, that this was definitely what gave the concert its beauty.

Since I couldn't understand the lyrics, I was forced to listen intently to the music. When I go to concerts in English, I don't often get anything out of the lyrics anyways (unless I know them prior to coming to the concert), and this time they weren't even there for me to comprehend. George Dalaras played the guitar and sang and there were four backup vocalists as well. There was a 12-piece orchestra to accompany the songs, and behind the orchestra was an elevated stage for the vignettes. At times they would have a dancer come out and interpret the songs with a dance.

The most moving part of the concert, however, was when he had the audience sing along. Now this man isn't necessarily a popular artist; they weren't singing his songs. But the second half of the concert was almost completely a sing-along. The absolute greatest part of this was that these people were excited! They weren't singing shamefully or quietly; they were belting the words loud and proud. It got me thinking; do we have any cultural songs that would do these two things? Songs that 1) Everybody knows the words to, and 2) will sing at the top of their lungs to show their national pride. I, and through discussions with others from my group, couldn't think of any.

So that's my current thoughts. I really like it here because I am able to go to something like this and enjoy it just as much as locals Dmitri and Niki who are sitting behind me.

Quick overview of other things we've been doing (in the order I remember, not the order we visited =] ): National Archaeological Museum, Cycladic Art Museum, Greek dancing lessons, Greek language lessons, Jewish Museum of Athens, reading at the Theatre of Dionysus, Acropolis Museum, and an Archaeological cemetery on an ancient pottery site.
Things I am looking forward to: Theatrical performance at the Odeon of Herodion Atticus, Virtual Reality center, and possibly a visit to the 2004 Olympic Stadium.


Oh, and one more thing.... I've been taking pictures! If you want to see them, follow these links:

http://cord.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000597&l=be42b&id=1273320032
http://cord.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000601&l=f7d2e&id=1273320032
http://cord.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000602&l=7dfce&id=1273320032

There are about 150 (60 in the first and second and 30 in the third) so don't feel the need to look at them ALL... but if you want to comment about any of them, feel free to post comments on here! (In order to comment right on the picture, you need to have a Facebook site... but you don't need a Facebook just to look at them).

Take care everyone, I love and miss you all!
Emily

Ashes to ashes...

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. I go to a Lutheran college, so it wasn't a surprise when a group of us were interested in finding a church to go to. But how easy do you think it is to find a Protestant church in the middle of a Greek Orthodox country?

We ended up finding a church that was within walking distance from our hotel. Crazy lucky, eh? So there are 14 of us who are going to the service. It is this really old Anglican church. The service is in English (thank goodness!) and the pastor is from England. It wasn't exactly a Lutheran service, but it was incredibly interesting. We sang one hymn, and the hymnal didn't have any music written in it! It was funny though-- I go to a very musical college, and by the second verse we had all picked up on the melody, and by the third and fourth verse, I definitely heard people harmonizing!

We read some liturgies and responses, and scripture was read. They marked us with ashes on our foreheads and then we took communion. Overall it was a very nice service.

As I mentioned, there were 14 people in our group. If you don't count us, I would estimate that there were about 10-15 people attending the service. At first I thought that was kind of sad that there were so few people in attendance. Then I thought about a few things. First of all, how many protestant Christians do you think there are in Athens, Greece? Probably not many to begin with. Secondly, how many of them are able to go to a church service at 10:00 AM on a Wednesday? Probably not many, either.

It also made me realize that these people (and now I am generalizing-- "these people" refers to the Protestant Christians in a primarily Greek Orthodox society) must be very strong in their faith. To live in a city with 4,000,000 people within the city lines and attend a church with an attendance fewer than 30 has got to create a tight bond between the 30 people. The feeling of having such a strong belief in God that you will still go to an Ash Wednesday service was inspirational to me.

That's it. I'm really getting to orient myself to this area of the city which is nice because I know how places are connected and can find my way back to stores and cafes that I have been to before.
Tomorrow we are going to the Theater of Dionysis where we actually get to perform! One of my classes is a theater class and we have been working on monologues and scenes for it. Our final performance isn't until next Friday, but tomorrow we get to go and practice on the real stage! Think of all the real actors who haven't been able to do this... and here I am, a measly college kid with no intention of using my theatrical ability for stage performance, and I get this opportunity! Needless to say, I'm pretty excited.

Asbestos and Pet Rocks

Greetings to my faithful followers! This will probably be quite brief because it is midnight and I am rather tired (and we are going on a bike trip in the morning... I need to be awake for that!), but I thought I should catch all of you up on what has been happening in this neck of the world, 8 hours from every single one of you (except for possibly Chris, although I don't know if you read this. If so, Hi Chris!!)

So what has happened since the Parthenon? We saw a few other monuments, and not to drop names, but we went to the Tower of the Winds, the Choragic Monument, the Agora, the Temple of Hesphastos, the Temple of the Holy Apostles, the Petraki Monastery, and a really old church that I don't know the name of. I remember that it was going to be torn down, but some man known as Crazy Ludwig saved it from destruction. This same man, Crazy Ludwig, designed a castle in Germany called Neuschwanstein and is what the Disney castle is designed after.

Anyways, we went to the temple of Hesphastos (which I like to refer to Asbestos because it is easier to remember and sounds exactly the same), and that was really cool because it looks like the Parthenon but is in pretty full condition. We also went to the Petraki Monastery (or as I call it, the Pet Rock E Monastery because it is easier to remember, too), and that was a really interesting experience because our guide admitted that he didn't know much about it, so he asked if there was a monk there who could help explain things. One came out, and he only spoke Greek so he talked through our guide, but explained all about the monastery, monastic life, and answered any of our questions. Then he invited our group inside the monastery and gave us juice and cookies! It was really fun and really nice! Roy Hammerling (professor on the trip) said that out of all the monasteries he had been to, he had never been invited in for juice by a monk :-)

Yesterday we also went to a really neat conference. It was about Greece's issues concerning the freedom of expression and religious freedom. Their church is a part of their state, so there have been a lot of problems recently with people who claim to have free expression but are offending people in the church because of cartoons, artwork, plays, poetry, etc. The conference was minimally in English so we wore headphones and listened to a translator for most of it, but it was still really engaging and only boring a few times. I think I am going to try to write an article about it (I took notes and got a packet of information) for The Concordian and possibly Howie Hanson's blog. We'll see.

Last night and tonight were pretty good group bonding times. I learned quickly that I have not yet acquired the taste for wine (so you don't have to worry about me taking advantage of being over the legal drinking age), but it was fun to spend time just talking to the other people on the trip. I can tell that this is a really good group of people and we are going to have a lot of fun.

That's it for now. I'm tired. Catch up with you all again soon!!