Back in Athens. LOVED Thessaloniki!

Ah, the Palace of Galerius. Home now of the stray cats.

Why did I really start off with that photo? I believe that it displays perfectly the way the Greeks revolve their current lives around ancient marvels. The ruins are second nature to them, not intrusive to the forward movement of their lives, but there like guardian spirits--nearly unnoticed.

I'm not really in Greece to check out the ancient ruins. I just do that because I'd rather check out ancient ruins than shopping malls and clubs (which are more abundant in Greece than ancient ruins). I'm here to open my mind and see what falls in. I go to places and spend time in them to see what will happen, not for some matter of principle ("if I don't visit ancient ruins, then I'm being ethnocentric"). Of course, my favorite thing in Corinth was the ancient monuments, I have no qualms about that. I'm just pointing out that while one place in Greece may serve as a ruin hotspot, another place will be geared towards other things. In the case of Athens, it's not geared towards anything :). My favorite thing about Thessaloniki wasn't the ruins, even though those were definitely a plus...it was the energy from the people in the city that makes it what it is today. Why don't I just tell you what I did?

I got there later than I intended, which was the fault of Athens, not me or Thessaloniki; so I lost a significant amount of time on Friday afternoon, but seriously, after a few hours, I realized that I was completely enamored with Thessaloniki and the people in it. Maybe it was because my hostel was situated in the middle of the hip-happenin' city center, or because the water right alongside it provided the element of peace that never seems to exist without a body of water, or because there was a humorous episode where I ran around to all the kiosks trying to break my 100-euro bill. Once night fell, everyone was all over the street and the walk along the water, just chilling out, eating gelato (which is to die for in Greece, by the way), making out with their significant others, and some boys were actually breakdancing next to a statue, which Thess was overrun with. Everyone's fun attitudes and friendly smiles and overrall positive energy gave a real character to the city, and it lifted my spirits so high that I must officially declare Thessaloniki to be my favorite city in Greece so far.

I also had a great experience at the hostel, where the next morning I met a Spanish couple who didn't mind me tagging along while they looked at ruins and churches. I would have been going to same places they were anyway, so between my Spanish and their English, we spent a pleasant day together. We visited the Palace of Galerius, which runs straight down the center of the city and is outside and isn't very tall anymore; the Roman Agora, with an amphitheatre; and the outside of some Turkish monuments, a bath and a mosque. We also walked up the White Tower, which gives some pretty views of the city and the sea (Aegean Sea); and the Byzantine walls, the remains of a fortress that is in the hills and stretches on for a while. We went to the walls at night, which didn't take away from the Thess experience. There were groups of people, mostly the young crowd, sitting out on the walls, smoking, laughing...chilling. Having a good time looking at the view of the lit-up city with their friends. Man, this town is so much fun.

As for the churches, we went inside the Agia Sofia and Agia Dimitrius. And if you saw me in Spain and Mexico, then you know me and churches. These churches here weren't identical to those ones, of course, since Greece is Orthodox, not Catholic. They were slightly less decorative, but I think the aim was to preserve as much of the original structure as they could when they were restored. I liked the Agia Dimitrius better because the walls and columns, when you look beyond the painted designs and carvings, are white. It just gives a friendly atmosphere as opposed to the dismal dark walls that all the other churches I've seen have.

And of course, the water. The land stops and the water begins. I don't know if people swim in there. There are nice parks near it, and street vendors selling popcorn and breaded treats hover there amidst the swarms of people and dogs hanging out there.

I am now back in Athens, having just gone to class the day after a six hour bus ride (ick) and some typical Athenian transportation drama (more on that some other time). I regret that I have no more three-day weekends and that I couldn't have spent at least one more day in Thess just to chill out ALL DAY. But...Thessaloniki, highly recommended! It is the second largest city in Greece, but it doesn't feel like it because it doesn't feel busy or jam-packed. It is the perfect combination of relaxation and a lot to do.

Brief thoughts on the act of traveling

I could just write about what I'm doing this weekend after the weekend is over, but I'd like to organize my thoughts in a readable way, too.

I know that this is kind of a funny thing to be saying, especially knowing how eager I am to get out and see stuff: I am pretty stoked to be staying in my first hostel. To the point where I am glad that it's night time right now so I can hang out in it! Strange. It must have to do with the backpacking charm. If you go to NAU's study abroad page, you will find lots of other blogs from students at NAU. For some reason mine isn't on there yet. Before I left I read through a bunch of those blogs, and pretty much all of them include stays in hostels during side trips. I feel like I've passed some sort of test, being inside this backpackers' refuge.

It could also feel good because amidst my exporations, there is a bed waiting for me. It took seven hours to get here today. And it will take seven hours to return. This traveling business has been crazy, and I don't know if it's Greece's fault or not, but it's been not so much a learning experience as an obstacle course. So if there's a hostel at the end, it's much more settling. I'm actually beginning to suspect that I will be more than happy to get back to the States when all of this is complete. In order to justify my satisfaction, though, I've got to live it up!

So here's where I am right now (free wi-fi): Thessaloniki. Northern Greece, where I really belong. Growing up in northern California, being educated in northern Arizona...why am I studying abroad in southern Greece? I should be here! And I've only been here for an afternoon so far, but I can tell you that Thessaloniki is awesome. It's on the water, and it's centered around night life (in a good way), and there are archaeological appreciations all over the place. More to come after I've done more than just strolled around along the boardwalk, but there's your intro!

Large And Small.

Sometimes it is admittedly better to be amongst other people from your culture when you go abroad. When you are delighted by something you see, other people are there to be delighted along with you. Or at the very least you can direct all of your side conversations toward the fact that things are different here.

In Nafplio yesterday, we were treated to a colossal meal by our study abroad coordinators. I can only think of two Greek food items at the top of my head that were not on that table. It was unbelievable. All of us in the program have tasted Greek food in the States, of course, but yesterday we found out what the States has really been depriving us. (As a side note, I found out why feta cheese sucks outside Greece: because it's been declared officially "Greek" and so no one is allowed to reproduce it) During the entire meal, we laughed and tried to play telephone around the table with Greek sentences, and ate so much food, I don't know how we stood up afterwards. Someone at home once mentioned that they were fascinated by the way people celebrate events with food, and now that I think about it, I am, too. Every party/get-together or what have you, there is always food. What is so special about this sense that surpasses the other four senses at a celebration? The Greeks know why, and hey, I am not complaining!

But then again, there are sometimes not so good things about being amongst people of your culture when you're abroad. Our coordinators had had three parts planned for our Nafplio excursion: a tour of an ancient castle, the four-course meal and walk around town, and a visit to the main Greek winery and wine-tasting. Don't get me wrong, I had fun yesterday and came back feeling spent...but I wouldn't have planned out the excursion that way. It was in no way an exercise of Greek time to shove all those activities into six or seven hours. We all entered the castle and then after only an hour they gathered us back to go out. We hadn't even seen the whole thing! I believe in the when-in-Rome state of mind that I had when school first started, and although I realize that doing all those things in one day required us to move fast, I feel like that wasn't very Greek at all. I can think of lots of places that I've been where I just rushed to get through it all, and now every time I catch myself doing it here, I start feeling self-conscious: I don't see anyone else walking as fast as me.

Slow down, everyone. If you're inside a castle, don't just think about lunch the whole time. Or wine.

Anyway. While I'm enjoying the Greek immersion, I still have thoughts about my own American culture. Unlike last summer in Spain, where I was tripped up the entire time to be so far away, I feel a little calmer, perhaps because it's my second time now in Europe. I'm not uncomfortable with Skyping or checking email, like I first started out, thinking "Why would I want to break myself out of immersion?" And I still like to keep a few American habits (like letting people walk by you on the sidewalk!). I'm just starting to see a better picture here, about traveling. The phrase "it's a small world," man, I absolutely hate that phrase. IT'S NOT TRUE! Try comparing two completely different cultures and saying that, I mean, how can a small world be host to so many cultures? The world is huge. It's just that everything is related when it comes to the world as a whole. When we first looked at Flagstaff, my dad and I started calling the main street Contra Costa Blvd, because it had the same layout as the main drag back in Pleasant Hill. Today in Athens I discovered Golden Gate Park. Athens calls it the National Garden, but I've got my own ideas :). And even though it's different, obviously, it was nice to compare. And really nice not to feel bad about it. I'm glad that cultures can intermix like that. While the world can be huge, the small comparisons or coincidences are what really brings everyone together.

You guys want a break from my philosophizing? I had a funny moment today in the National Garden. There's some kind of excuse for a zoo inside (all they have are the ducks that used to be allowed to freely roam, before H1N1; some stray cats; roosters and other birds; and a couple of random rams). Looking at the bird cage, I spotted, not with difficulty at all, peacocks. As I watched one walk around its cage I thought about what a weird creature a peacock is. I mean:

  That's like the equivalent of a person with a carpet attached to his neck. Why would God create that?

I must have gotten there right on time, because the peacock started shaking a little bit, and then ka-POOF! its feathers were out. I don't know if any of you have seen this, but it's quite a spectacle. My picture doesn't do it justice. If you were to take it back to my kitchen here and set it face-down, it would cover the entire floor. And when another bird, walked up to it, the entire thing vibrated and rippled. Again, I don't understand the existence of such a creature, because now it could barely walk, and if it was doing it for protection, it wasn't scaring anyone off.

Like I said, the picture is really not so good. I wish I could really show you how big it was. Despite my sardonic opinion, I had to admit: even though this was not a particularly Greek event to witness, it was pretty amazing. And then afterwards I saw a duck sticking its own wings out as if trying to show off, and that was probably the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

Keep dreaming, buddy.

So yeah, that was my weekend :). I know I've been neglecting posts more and more often, but I only want to report interesting occurrences, not the monotony of my school life. So that's why.

Korinthos

Before we proceed I have two gleeful announcements.

Number one: Look guys, it snows in Athens!

Nobody told me this would happen. Apparently I didn't even leave Flagstaff. Due to the weather I couldn't go running until...today.

Announcement number two: After much searching I finally found raisins in Greece! Yay!!!

Okay, and now we get serious. I will spare you the details about the particulars that went into my weekend and simply tell you how cool Corinth is. For one thing, it's not far from Athens, and yet it's quite different. It's much calmer, especially in the village in the shadow of the ancient ruins, where I, of course, was undebatably located. What we have there are the Temple of Apollo, and the ruins of a city next to it, some cute but decorative chapels, and most noticeably the acropolis of Corinth: the Acrocorinth (yes, it really is called that), sitting at the top of a mountain. I couldn't go inside the Temple, the chapels, or the cities because of the time they closed, but it was perfectly satisfying simply to look from the gates.

I wouldn't mind at all if my school were in Corinth. The more I walked down the quiet suburbs, the more I felt like the village and I were becoming friends. Every front yard had orange trees, and it smelled of plants. The view was peaceful, as Corinth is on the water and is surrounded on all sides by mountains. I truly felt as though I were far away in another country. I suppose being in a quiet place as opposed to the crazy city life that Athens is was what did that for me. My favorite part, though, about walking aimlessly around, was when I reached the chapel of Apostle Paul. I couldn't go in (in fact, I don't know if anyone can), but I could still see the colorful mosaic of some religious scene. I will not go into my religious views here, but I'll say this: standing in front of that quiet, lonely yet bright chapel, with a huge mountain with ancient ruins on top, and a view of the water below me...what I really wanted to do was sit down right there and start reading the Bible. After all, Apostle Paul was here. A figure so sacred to the lives of millions of devotees seemed impossible for an American like me to imagine up until I got to Corinth. It was just ecstatic and tranquil at the same time to know that I was actually in the part of the world where events from the Bible took place. I think standing in front of that chapel changed my life a little bit.

And the ruins were awesome! That's a typical way to describe a place, but it's the word that encompasses best how I felt. The remains of the castle at the top of the mountain was the picture of Greece that first comes to mind for most people. I had to hike up the mountain first, and once I had walked all over the Acrocorinth (took me around three hours and I think I still missed some spots), I was exhausted more by my amazement than by my physical strain. This place was just so perfect. You'll see in the background of the picture of the Temple of Apollo down below, this mountain is literally a gargantuan rock that juts out of the land. It's like it was put there FOR the purpose of the castle to be built there. I honestly think this place was more impressive than the Parthenon in Athens, just because it's more spread out and much higher up. How did these people do that? How did they lug those rocks up there and build this place when tourists in today's age need to drive (or in my case, trudge) up a paved road? I do think this rock that jutted so high out of the ground was meant to be there, so that this man-made wonder could reside there.

Greek Time

Let me tell you about the last three days.

This post is going to be long.

Tuesday. Due to weather, I could not go for the run I wanted to go for outside, so I took care of a few things by email and then braved the elements and headed to the political science class that continually broadens my knowledge of Middle Eastern affairs. Then I headed to the gym. I can tell you that when I first went into the campus gym, on Friday, I felt, for the first time since I got here, at home. So today on Tuesday I went eagerly back...and due to the weather once again, I did something I have previously avoided doing like the plague: ran on the treadmill. And it was horribly boring, and I was dizzy as a drunk when I got off it, but...I really really really really really really really needed to go running after an admittedly upsetting weekend (with the exception of Sunday). And I also just felt the desire to be in the gym itself, where I felt at home; I can finally do something in Greece without being self-conscious, because I'm good at it and unashamed of my skills. It also helps tremendously that the Olympic team in 2004 was hosted here, which means that Sergei Bubka handled the same weights I handled, and we have only top-quality equipment.

Anyway! I went to class and found out that we didn't have class. Reminder: "Greek time" means that all Greeks are late for everything. If you were like me during senior year of high school, then school in Greece is your dream. Everyone is always late! And if the teacher has a meeting, they say to wait for him in class for a few minutes, but after that, to hell with it. When I got back here I cracked down on "The Iliad," partly because it was assigned, but also because all Greek people know "The Iliad," and then made the Greek version of pasta. Pasta, plus lots of tomato, cucumber, feta, and olive oil. (Word to the wise: feta in America SUCKS after you eat it in Greece).

Wednesday. There's a pastry shop down the street that I tried for the first time yesterday. After speaking a few words in Greek, I walked a little ways into a small park area, THOROUGHLY enjoyed my pastry, and watched some high school kids messing around. I thought more about Greek time. Obviously these kids should have been in school. But while they messed around in their teenage world, and I stood there eating, I couldn't help but understand with more clarity that Greek time is something...almost sacred.

That said, all of my classes on Wednesday were cancelled. Because of that I got to go to a cardio hip-hop class in the gym. And that was a workout! I was expecting to dance, but that's not exactly what happened. At least I can say that the Greek time is accounted for by taking full advantage of the fact that the Greeks invented athletics. After that I ate and went into the library for a little computer time, arranging some Spain stuff. I booked my flight last week, by the way, and that was stressful. Since then, I decided: only do one Spain-planning thing per day. I'm in Greece, and I can't waste my Greece experience by only thinking about Spain. Anyhow, then I actually finished my reading for "The Iliad," the endless war epic, and went back to the gym, getting another chance to speak a little more Greek.

Thursday, today. I had decided a few days ago that I wanted to see something outside Athens this weekend, and I settled on Corinth for a day trip. Today I asked a friend in my political science class who is Greek and German if she would like to accompany me. Success! So while my plan had originally been to go to Corinth alone, I may be going with someone that's not one of the study abroad students. Anyhow, after class I met some more Greek students. We had all signed up for a program that pairs Greek and American students up as part of a way to get us to meet people. I actually found out that I have two partners, and I clicked with them right away! We've already planned to meet next weekend for a visit to some ancient sites around Athens. After this, I went back to the library to read for my philosophy class, and I liked the book so much that I checked it out (and should be reading it right now instead of writing this).

I had said previously that I hadn't pinpointed what brings on my enjoyment of Athenian ruins. Now I think I know, after doing this reading. The reading was Sextus Empiricus, an ancient sceptic. The first thing I noticed from his writing was that some of the things he was confused about have since been scientifically proven. That's what I always liked about the ancients: they worked with what they had. Hence, I really pinpointed why I like that: IT'S SO SIMPLE. There isn't anything overly scientific or derived from the work of someone else...nothing to get in the way of the main idea. Don't get me wrong, I like the contemporary philosophers I've been exposed to, but I just really love the simplicity that the ancients can explain.

After this, I went to class, which was moved to a different classroom that we wound up sharing with students from Ohio here for a week-long trip. I'm in that class with another study abroad student who lives in my building, and we were both invited to eat pastries with them and talk to them about Greece so far. I realize that I've already done plenty of stuff here: I've spoken the language a little, I've eaten almost all the options on Taverna's menu in Flagstaff, I've been to the main areas in downtown Athens. Before I'd been freaking out that I hadn't done enough within three or four weeks, but...jeez, I've only been living here, I haven't been treasure-hunting, trying to knock touristy things off my list. Not at all.

And that leads me to the reason why I bothered writing all this: I wanted to be immersed in Greek culture, right? And I have been. By way of running on Greek time. Without even realizing it, I've been put under the spell of the Greek habits by trying to copy them, and I've been sitting and talking to people, eating a LOT of pastries, and shamelessly being late to class...just like the Greeks. Let me share with you a quote from Deborah Cunningham, who was here last semester and kept a blog of her own: "In Greece, there are 36 hours in a day. This is a secret that Americans have been trying to master for quite some time, but somehow the more activity they cram into their day, the shorter it gets. Perhaps this Hellenic mystery has been passed down for centuries; perhaps it is a more recent development. Regardless of the origin, it remains an undeniable reality. The key? Breathe. Look around. Enjoy your meal. Say hello to friends. Live life at your own pace. Live Greek." So yeah, I'm not running around Greece trying to rush myself into seeing all the sites, so that I can "say I did." I can do that in Spain all I like, but I'm very slowly planning it, so as not to interrupt Greek time. And now that I understand Greek time, as Deborah did, I no longer feel bad about it...I feel like this is the natural thing to do.

The moral of the story is that I think I'm turning Greek.

Kalispera, feelah-mou!

A day that boosted my pride

Today was the best day I've had here so far. Took about three weeks. My roommate and living situation has not improved, as yesterday showed. So this morning I decided I'd had enough of it--I was going to go downtown by myself. Honestly, the idea scared the living daylights out of me. I've never even been in San Francisco by myself before, and here I was in a completely foreign country, barely able to speak the language, and not having a phone. But I knew, hey, I'll be in Spain for two weeks completely alone anyway, I should get used to it already.

Once I finally left this wretched building I started feeling calmer. When I hopped on the bus, I felt totally blissful. When I hopped off the metro, I was elated.

My experience downtown in Athens has consisted of four places, the previous ones being the Acropolis, Syntagma square, and Chinatown (DON'T go there. There are drug dealers). Today, when I got out of the metro station, which was really nice-looking, I thought for a second that I was in Disneyland: Monastiraki

It was a trip into Greek culture that is an absolute must. Under the protective majesty of the Acropolis is the bustling flea market of Monastiraki. I'd wanted to see it for a while now, and I figured my first excursion alone should be in a safe tourist trap. There are streets upon streets upon STREETS of hole-in-the-wall shops, and they have literally everything. There was a spot where the things just looked like junk...and there were shops that were obviously souvenir shops. There were tons of cool stuff, though, and it just went on forever. And ever. And ever. I also discovered the Plaka, which is like a higher-class version of the flea market. I heard some music playing, I ate some food from the side carts (are you supposed to eat the shells on chestnuts?), and I got to talk to some people. I bought a necklace and learned the history behind the symbol on it: the Evil Eye. It came from Homer. Homer wrote about the ships in Athens having the symbol on them to bring good luck and protection. Evil Eye memorobila has taken over Greece now.

One thing I find adorable about Athens is it's random ancient mysteries. Amidst a rush of apartment buildings that I feel really characterize Europe, there will be one stone chapel, and a few buildings later, there will be another one. I wandered into some ruins today next to Monastiraki, to take a break from the hustle-bustle. The sign said "free on Sundays until March 31," so I shrugged and said, "Yeah, okay," and went in. Turns out it was the relic of a 12th-century library. There were turtles in it :) I really appreciate this old-time care that Athens has taken its time to preserve. As much as I loved the Spanish architectural miracles of the 20th century, the work of the ancients, who only used what they had, is equally impressive. The pyramids in Mexico, too, I remembered those when I was in Spain having my life changed by one church, I remember thinking, "You can't compare this to the Mayan pyramids." I can't really describe the awe and appreciation I have for Athens yet. I'm impressed by the works of people who didn't have the resources we have today, but there's something deeper than that. I haven't pinpointed it yet.

The moral of the story is: travel where YOU want, and don't be afraid to do it alone. I had a lot of fun, and even though I had to spend maybe a few minutes fretting about something, it was a day very well spent. My dad just pointed out to me that I write a lot of negative things on here...well, not today! Happy traveling to everyone!

I believe I'm coming upon the third week of my stay here. Since I am stuck in suburbian Athens and cannot easily access the spots that make Greece GREECE, in order to get what I can out of the experience I have no other option than to observe people's behavior.

First and foremost, I am now incredibly depressed that I grew up in America (sorry, guys). The only Americans I know who can speak a foreign language fluently are those who have lived somewhere else. I 100% blame my lack of fluency in Spanish to middle and high school. I had a Mexican friend when I was little whom I played with almost every day after kindergarten, I SHOULD be fluent! But the importance was not emphasized enough, and by the time I finished high school I was so tired of Spanish and the scatterbrained jerks we called teachers and those stupid videos that I didn't have any desire to practice it until Spain 3 years later. Now, I'm in a very foreign country where everybody knows at least two languages, but more than likely they know four. I talked to one of my classmates and actually apologized about it. I've seen my share of international students at NAU, and they all try to speak English, and I think they do a decent job speaking it. We all know how difficult the English language is, too. I know difficult, I studied Sanskrit. It's sad, our school system, and what's even sadder is the lack of motivation in Americans because of our school system.

Anyway. Not that I get enough chances to talk to anyone anyway. The Greeks are a fairly private bunch. In the US I'm used to walking by someone on the street and nodding hello, or even saying hello. Forgive me if I return to the States and act like the rudest, prissiest woman...the Greeks will stand in the middle of the hallway and not move over if you need to get by them, so I have learned to shove my way to wherever I'm going and not feel bad about it.

But, you know, I should talk to the Greeks more, because they are very knowledgeable of subjects that barely even concern them. Not that I really know what this feels like, but sometimes I almost feel like instead of being in Europe, I'm in the Middle East. Athens looks like Europe, with it's cute streets and architecturally advanced buildings...it's the talk I'm referring to. There is a lot of talk here about Saudi Arabia, Libya, Turkey, and Egypt. Things I didn't know anything about. People get heated about this stuff. It's not just the Middle East, either, they really do know a whole lot about things outside their country, as opposed to America, who seems very America-oriented (I have to work to get information about the Middle East, but here they just know). I did a little double take the other day when my political science teacher brought up Dwight Eisenhower's military-industrial complex. I would not expect an American to know little details like that about some other country. They're so well-informed here! And they don't even have to be!

My final thought concerns my behavior now that I'm in Greece. It's starting to set in that when in Rome, be like the Romans. If you don't know about "Greek time," don't attend a school in Greece without learning about it first. Teachers are late to their own class ALL THE TIME. A couple of dance workshops I've attended have started late. Evidently in 2004, the officials at the Olympics were worried that the opening ceremony was going to run on Greek time, so the construction workers hurried into the stadium early and pretended they weren't finished, and they wound up rousing everyone to action right on time, with Greek music and everything. So I'm getting the idea that I should slow down and not expect everything to happen all at once. Another adjustment I want to make has to do with food. Some of the food I'm used to eating, like cereal and granola bars, aren't cheap here. And other foods, like dried garbanzo beans and feta, are everywhere. I have to remember that Greek salads are very dependent on tomatoes and onions, foods that I never normally buy. I'm not saying I'm going to start drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes all the time (I quote one of the Greek-Americans here: "Our economy is in a sh*thole, but we're still going to drink our coffee!"), but I understand that I can afford to change my habits a bit if I still want to feel immersed in culture.

Okay, I'm finished. :)

I wish I knew what the songs were!

For me, being in Greece means being in the birthplace of not only philosophy, but athletics. I also am blessed to have been in Spain while they were in the process of winning the World Cup. Last week, one of the study abroad students here took it upon himself to collect money from all of us to buy tickets for a soccer game, Athens vs. Thessaloniki. Imagine my excitement when we approached the Olympic stadium last night.

After some confusion on the metro, we were a little late, so as we approached the Olympic stadium we could hear the chanting and the drum-pounding already, from the metro station. We hurried (I ran) to the entrance under huge metal archways proclaiming the pride that Athens had when they hosted the Olympics in 2004. We had field level seats, which is not really ideal (it's hard to see the whole field), but at half time we managed to squeeze up to the balcony railing amidst hardcore soccer fans.

Honestly, the game itself was not the most exciting part. They tied 0-0, so...yeah. I think spectators at a tie game should be refunded. But there were 2 red cards and a near-fight, so there was definitely excitement.

It was just so cool to be in that atmosphere! I've watched many futbol games, but I've never actually watched anyone kick the ball THAT far in real life. The view from up top was awesome, and being an actual spectator was surreal. I wish America were as hyped about soccer as Europe is, because being inside that huge crowd, where there were at least five different songs they were singing, they were throwing flares into the field, the amount of times I heard the word "Malaka" is the same amount of stars in the sky...it was really fun! What really has me feeling lucky to be there is that it was the Olympic stadium...the Greeks probably don't care, but as an amateur athlete who was screwed out of the Olympics by incompetent pole vault coaches (!) I felt like I was standing in a place of pure honor. Wouldn't you? To be in this place where the greatest athletes in the world once competed, it was a wonderful feeling. I wish I could have seen more of the arena, like the pool or the courts, but seeing the track was obviously the big thing for me.