When I first saw Athens and really took it in, I had no idea what to make of it. It was kind of like tasting something new…kind of like my experience of trying calamari. I was so excited to be in what many call “the cradle of democracy”, and I had so many preconceptions about this place I had heard so much about in a historical context. I was blown away, though, because I had no clue what to expect about present day Athens. My first thoughts were, “Wow! I have no clue how I’m going to live here for three weeks! I can’t even figure out my way to the hotel.” The hustle and bustle of millions of tourists and tons of Athenians made me feel very overwhelmed. I had no idea what to focus on, or how to focus at all for that matter!
I never thought I would get used to this city, I thought it was too noisy, too polluted with ugly graffiti, and too full of pushy people. Never-the-less, it grew on me. That ugly graffiti and those waiters and shop owners who wouldn’t let you go about your way without trying to draw you in gradually became endearing. I didn’t realize it, but Athens was becoming more and more appealing to me. At first, all I wanted to do was ignore the present day parts of the city and only pay attention to the ancient ruins that were scattered throughout it. I mean, that’s what I came to study and it only seemed natural, right? Well, I learned more and more as we took our course that one should never ignore the present day parts of a city. The development and the culture of the city today helps us learn a lot about the past just as the past helps us learn and prepare for the future. I’m so happy that I learned to take in more of the city and its culture as it is today, if I hadn’t, I’m afraid I would have learned very little from this study abroad experience.
The first moment that I really started to appreciate Athens for what it actually is today, was when I saw an interaction between an illegal immigrant and a restaurant employee. The immigrant was trying to sell a toy helicopter to some of the customers of the restaurant. I saw one of the waiters come out and I remember thinking, “Oh no! There’s going to be trouble!” I thought about how soliciting in restaurants was very forbidden in the U.S. and I was worried that the immigrant was going to be publicly humiliated (as if it’s not enough humiliation to have to make a living selling things illegally), but to my surprise the waiter just patted him on the back and went about his own business. The next day, sitting down in a café and drinking water like I hadn’t had any in weeks because of the intense sunlight and heat, I witnessed another surprising interaction between an illegal immigrant and a waiter. The waiter saw the immigrant selling fake designer purses in the sun and offered him a cold glass of tap water. These small acts of, not really kindness, but acceptance really surprised me. In a way, I felt slightly ashamed for the lack of acceptance that Americans and other powerful countries show for the less fortunate.
The occurrence of small acts like these in Athens taught me that I had so much to learn from being here! I think many others can learn a lot too, if only they would open their eyes. We are often too consumed with first impressions to ever give something a real chance. I almost didn’t give Athens a chance. I almost wrote it off as a city too busy, too poor, too dirty, and too strange for me to ever accept. Fortunately, I opened my eyes. Finally I saw the beauty that has drawn so many into the city of Athens. I now saw the graffiti that covered most surfaces of Athens as forms of art or a way for many to express themselves in this difficult economic and political time. I now saw waiters and shop keepers as human beings rather than unemotional, fake people who were trained to please (and sometimes cheat) tourists. Sure, the ancient part of Athens is beautiful and important; getting to stand on the acropolis and among the foundations of buildings in the agoras will forever be a sweet memory for me. There is so much else, though, to see here. Never close your eyes after your first glance…always look deeper and longer…you’ll always be in for a beautiful surprise in Athens.
I never thought I would get used to this city, I thought it was too noisy, too polluted with ugly graffiti, and too full of pushy people. Never-the-less, it grew on me. That ugly graffiti and those waiters and shop owners who wouldn’t let you go about your way without trying to draw you in gradually became endearing. I didn’t realize it, but Athens was becoming more and more appealing to me. At first, all I wanted to do was ignore the present day parts of the city and only pay attention to the ancient ruins that were scattered throughout it. I mean, that’s what I came to study and it only seemed natural, right? Well, I learned more and more as we took our course that one should never ignore the present day parts of a city. The development and the culture of the city today helps us learn a lot about the past just as the past helps us learn and prepare for the future. I’m so happy that I learned to take in more of the city and its culture as it is today, if I hadn’t, I’m afraid I would have learned very little from this study abroad experience.
The first moment that I really started to appreciate Athens for what it actually is today, was when I saw an interaction between an illegal immigrant and a restaurant employee. The immigrant was trying to sell a toy helicopter to some of the customers of the restaurant. I saw one of the waiters come out and I remember thinking, “Oh no! There’s going to be trouble!” I thought about how soliciting in restaurants was very forbidden in the U.S. and I was worried that the immigrant was going to be publicly humiliated (as if it’s not enough humiliation to have to make a living selling things illegally), but to my surprise the waiter just patted him on the back and went about his own business. The next day, sitting down in a café and drinking water like I hadn’t had any in weeks because of the intense sunlight and heat, I witnessed another surprising interaction between an illegal immigrant and a waiter. The waiter saw the immigrant selling fake designer purses in the sun and offered him a cold glass of tap water. These small acts of, not really kindness, but acceptance really surprised me. In a way, I felt slightly ashamed for the lack of acceptance that Americans and other powerful countries show for the less fortunate.
The occurrence of small acts like these in Athens taught me that I had so much to learn from being here! I think many others can learn a lot too, if only they would open their eyes. We are often too consumed with first impressions to ever give something a real chance. I almost didn’t give Athens a chance. I almost wrote it off as a city too busy, too poor, too dirty, and too strange for me to ever accept. Fortunately, I opened my eyes. Finally I saw the beauty that has drawn so many into the city of Athens. I now saw the graffiti that covered most surfaces of Athens as forms of art or a way for many to express themselves in this difficult economic and political time. I now saw waiters and shop keepers as human beings rather than unemotional, fake people who were trained to please (and sometimes cheat) tourists. Sure, the ancient part of Athens is beautiful and important; getting to stand on the acropolis and among the foundations of buildings in the agoras will forever be a sweet memory for me. There is so much else, though, to see here. Never close your eyes after your first glance…always look deeper and longer…you’ll always be in for a beautiful surprise in Athens.
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