I went to Greece

I went to Greece at the beginning of April during spring break. There is so much I could say so I won't, for the sake of our precious time. But I felt compelled to post some pictures, although I couldn't get most to upload onto my laptop.

Places we went: Thessaloniki, Pella (capital of ancient Macedon), Athens, Aegina (closest island to Athens) and Delphi (home of The Oracle).

Best meal: A man on Pella drove us to his friend's restaurant. The waiter didn't speak English and we don't speak Greek so we gave the hand motion "bring us whatever you got". He brought out fries, tsatsiki sauce, cheese dip, grilled bread, salad, a plate piled with all sorts of meat, a shot of ouzo, and a plate of desserts.

Our only-in-Greece nicknames: Sasha = Sashadite, Joe = Joesopopolous, Greg = Gregonides, Sandra = Sandle.

Most fun: Ask me if you want to know.

Best things, ruins-wise: The amazing mosaics in Pella, seeing how large the Parthenon is and the Theater of Dionysus.

Coolest Greek we met: A hotel owner's husband was a very energetic old man. He told us he had some good friends in Arizona (promised to look up their names to tell us). He told us that if we bought him drinks he'd dance for us all night. His wife gave me a signed picture of him, which he has in bulk.

News to me: Greg tells me, as others do, that I would fit in in the Mid-West. I've never been so I can't say.

Most fruitless search: The search for a four-leaf clover outside the Temple of Zeus.

Best dessert: Pistachio baklava…mmmmmm.

Funniest moment: Joe, with a degree in classics, was our official tour guide of the trip. During our walk through the Acropolis he also included his own truthiness version of history which included a very detailed account of the many Acropolis brothels.

Most confined space: I crawled through the underground water passageways underneath the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. I hope to live on in the memory of a group of Spanish tourists impressed with my daring climb into the dark spaces under the temple.

Most beautiful place: Delphi, where you can see the mountains and the sea.

 

A view of Thessaloniki from the White Tower, formerly the Tower of Blood.

 

A floor mosaic in one of the ancient mansions in Pella.

 

A mosaic in Pella.

 

A golden crown, obviously.

 

The theater of Herod Atticus in Athens.

 

A view of the Parthenon from the Temple of Zeus.

 

The island of Aegina.

 

Greek cephalopods.

 

Sunset on the harbor.

 

A view of the sea from Delphi.

 

Delphi.

 

A beautiful park in Delphi.

 

 

 

Proof I was in Delphi.

Quotes from the kindergarten

One month since my last post. Partly because I'm too lazy to post pictures and write, and partly because my life is boring (but what's new, eh?). I did go to Greece though. So there's that. Will do a post on that one.

Here is a little exchange between me and a four-year-old. All of it was said in Bulgarian (except 'six'). Quick Bulgarian lesson: six = shest. Sex = sex.

Child: What does "sex" mean?
Me: Six? Shest.
Child: No, sex.
Me: Six?
Child: Sex.
Me: Six? Shest!
Child: No, what does sex mean?
Me: Shest!
[child gives up]
And that's how you avoid awkward conversations.

I had an Easter Egg Hunt at the kindergarten which was new to the kids. I hid a couple of eggs and some candy for each of them. You know how you plan things with kids and then when it actually happens there's a lot more screaming and fighting than you planned? Yeah, me too. It was a lot of fun though and they all asked to do it again afterwards. The littlest one didn't get the concept of looking for eggs. He just followed me around saying, "Sasha, tell me where the eggs are! Please! Tell me! Saaaaashaaaa!"

After nap time:
Child: A gypsy stole my egg!
Teacher: Where are there gypsies in the kindergarten?
Child: Gabi is a gypsy!
Gabi: No I'm not!

Threats from the kindergarten teachers to get kids to behave:
-"That's it, I'm calling the police!"
-"Sasha will leave and never come back if you don't behave!"
-"Quickly! The police are coming!"
-"Hear that? Baba Yaga* is coming to get you!"
-"Lie down or you will have to study!"
-"Quiet kids, I just saw the police car drive by!"

*Baba Yaga is a witch who flies around kidnapping children and threatening to eat them.**
**Disclaimer: Baba Yaga is a fictional character.

I am learning a lot for when I may become a parent someday:
Me: Pick up your toys.
Junior: No!
Me: That's it I am calling the police. [fake dials] Here I go…calling the police chief right now…Hello, my daughter won't…
Junior: Okay, okay!
Me: Now let's look over your homework.
Junior: I don't wanna!
Me: That's it, I'm calling the president. [fake dials] Hello, Madam President, my daughter refuses to get an education…
Junior: Alright already!

Fool proof, parenting. Empty threats, for the win.

Kukeri in Shiroka Luka

This past Sunday was the celebration of the beginning of Bulgarian Orthodox Lent and I went to a small village in the Rhodope Mountains called Shiroka Luka. Every year on the first of March they have a kukeri festival. The holiday is called "Baba Marta" or Grandmother March and it welcomes springtime and symbolizes cycles and rebirth. The celebration began with the kukeri from Shiroka Luka parading through the streets, making their way towards the square. Kukeri are men dressed in costumes (usually sheepskin) decorated to look like large beasts with copper bells around their waists that ring as the kukeri jump up and down. The kukeri are supposed to scare away the evil spirits and provide a good harvest for the village.

It began with some folk theater which was too strange for me to even being to understand. The kukeri were dancing and one of them had their head taken off (not really though children, it was pretend). Then Baba Marta (who was always a man dressed like an old woman) had twins and they danced around shaking the babies. There was some whipping, cross dressing, plowing of Baba Marta (literally, with a plow), dancing devils and priests flinging holy water at us. Then kukeri from different villages around Bulgaria came into the square, each with a band, folk dances and their own decorated masks. It was quite loud with the music, singing and the copper bells ringing.

After that was over a band began to play Bulgarian folk music and people began to dance horo. I was hungry so I decided to dance until the song ended. Luckily, after about 45 minutes of the same song I decided to give up. The band ended up playing, without stopping, for about four hours. The day was beautiful and even though snow still covered the ground dancing made you warm enough to take off your jacket.

Everywhere were stands of people selling meat, potatoes, candy, bells, rugs and martenista. Another tradition on Baba Marta is to give friends martenitsa, which are red and white yarn bracelets, tassels or dolls called Pizho and Penda. You tie them on your friends' wrists, wishing them health and success. You wear all of your martenitsa at all times until you see a stork or a budding tree (usually at the end of March) which symbolizes the beginning of spring.

My camera works so I have a lot of pictures posted! Chestita Baba Marta! Честита Баба Марта!

 

Shiroka Luka from above.

 

 

Me and a kukeri.

 

 

Plowing Baba Marta.

 

 

Battle between the priest and the devil.

 

 

This is one cool looking priest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children getting twigs to whack the backs of the adults.

 

 

 

 

Lots of horo dancing in the square.

 

My martenitsa.