Kelly and Ben's Visit

An empty airport!

Well Kelly and Ben endured planes, ferries, trains, buses, strikes, pick pocketers, BO, ruins, sunsets, and more! What a Greek Adventure they had!First, all buses, taxis and the entire Athen's Airport was on strike the day they were to arrive (March 11). That said fortunately they got on a flight which landed at 12:30 am on Thursday night where I met them at the airport.
Friday and Saturday were packed full of tourist destinations here in Athens. They weather was chilly but sunny. We hit the Acropolis, National Archaeologist Museum, the Plaka, Kolonaki, Lykavittos Hill, Monastraki Flea Market, Panormou Laki, Ancient Agora and other places.

Then they flew to Santorini and spent 3.5 days there - beautiful sunsets, seeing the sights from their AV. Then took a ferry to Naxos and had a great time there driving around to pottery places, cheese places and eating a lot of Greek food and fresh fish! Then took the ferry back to Pireaus on Friday.

They were suppose to fly out Saturday afternoon but British Airways went on strike! So they had to leave earlier on a different airlines on Saturday morning.

It was a great visit. And of course realized after they left we only took one photo of the 3 of us. I will post that when they send it to me! Thanks for visiting Kelly and Ben!

Meat-Mud-Music and Mayhem

Well the past few days have been busy and different all in one! Saturday, my friend Christy and I went to the neighborhood where I first stayed (in the hotel when I first arrived) to check out the laki. These are street markets which sell fruits, vegetables, dried fish, nuts, and olives. Then there are stands that sell clothes, purses, knick-knacks, paper towels, TP, towels, sheets, etc. So we walked around there for a while then went downtown to Central Market. I didn't realize that this daily Central Market was ONLY fish and meats. It was kind of digusting - actually it was quite gross all the dead animals hanging, the loud chopping of meat, things that came from animals which I had never seen, men with their white butcher coats on with blood all over it - horror film more like it!!

It was beautiful weather on Saturday but that changed come Sunday. I didn't leave my apartment nor my pajamas! It was about 50 degrees, cold and rainy.

However on Monday the sky was really weird. Looked rain, felt like rain but when you looked upon your clothes and the cars, it was raining mud. Yes mud. Mud from the Sahara Desert - and the sky was yellow - should have taken a photo. It was quite freaky.

Monday night I went downtown to Mega Music Hall to see a similar medical presentation which I attended last year - this one was honoring Florence Nightingale - a hundred years past her death. Stone Ridge's parent Dr. Cynda Rushton was the keynote speaker. It was good to see her yet it was brief. there were a lot of presentations, and some musical numbers - a brass quintet and a duet of violinist and pianist.

I had heard that the Greeks may have another strike on Thursday. So I did some searching and had heard that all metro and taxis were going to strike on thursday. My sister Kelly and brother-in-law Ben are to fly into Athens this Thursday. Being proactive I am raking my brain to figure out if I need to hire a private taxi or what begging measures would I have to go to to get someone to drive me out there. So I call the airport to see if taxis would continue to go from the airport- yet before I could ask that the lady informs me that the airport (the entire airport) would be on strike for 24 hours - meaning no flights departing NOR arriving for 24 hours - midnight Wed. to midnight Thursday. This caused mayhem in my and my sister's plans.

I do have to quietly chuckle though - Welcome to Greece Kelly and Ben!!!!!

My Play-by-Play of the Men's Hockey Game = Stress!!!!

Okay now this is my play-by-play experience of the men's hockey game tonight! As mentioned earlier I couldn't get the Olympics videos to play on my computer....... I was reading a great page turner book and therefore stayed up to finish it tonight. As I am about to go to sleep I think well a good hour of the hockey game has been played let me go turn my computer back on and just see what the score is. It is the end of the second period 2-1 Canada.

I desparately start clicking on all these buttons to see once again if I can watch it on ctv.ca but no luck. I try channelsurfing.net one more time and click on something which downloads and all of a sudden I AM watching the hockey game! Blinmeny - after all this time - 2 weeks and on the last friggin' night I CAN watch the Olympics. At this point, I think well I have to watch this.

As many of you know my internet is a tad slow and freezes a lot. So while I am watching it the screen freezes but the commentaries can still be heard as their voices become higher as exciting things are happening in the game and I am left screaming at my computer screen to unfreeze. Then I have some R-rated popups coming along accompanied by some home-boy rap music - I am sure it came with the downloading the Olympics.

As my clock is reaching 12.30 am and I am thinking oh good 24 more seconds and I can go to bed. BUT NO, USA scores and now it is tied!!!! Overtime? Unbelieveable!

Ah but it gets better! 4 mins of the OT period has gone by and my internet connection fails. Yep, I have to log on again - by the time I get on it 4 more minutes have passed...... and just as I begin to get connected.... He shoots and he SCORES!!!!!!!

CANADA HAS WON THE GOLD!!!!!
So although I have missed the entire Olympic games, my head will be happy to hit the pillow (as it is 1.20 am) with sweet dreams and a happy heart that Canada's Men and Women's hockey team have won the gold.

I am proud to be a Canadian!

Bunco or Bride-to-Be?

Well let's see.... what have I been up to? Well it's February so I am a tad in hibernation.... but the weather here has not been the typical February blues weather that all of you in North America are experiencing... the past few days have been about 65 degrees - so no complaining here!

Unfortunately I am unable to watch any video from the Olympics on my computer at home - though I have been following it and read every day what has been happpening. So it's the BIG hockey game tonight.......Go Canada!!!!! Not only will it be fantastic if they win but this is hockey night in Canada! And then Canada would break the record of earning 14 gold medals in one Olympic Games!!!!!


Last night my friend Miah and I hosted a surprise engagement party for our good friend Kate. We masked it as our girls' monthly Bunco night - and boy was she surprised! The whole "American" gang was here - babies and all!

Here is dwain reading the letter Carten (Kate's fiance who lives in the US) wrote to her.

It was a fun time by all! We are all moving into different directions as our two year contracts are up this spring. Dwain and Miah will be staying here (as well as the "newbies" - those hired this year - Christy, Lacey, Eli and Therese) - Miah won't be working at ACS though - she will take care of Harper - the Kuniks got a sweet jobs in Dubai, the Levitts don't know what they will be doing as of yet; Kate will be following Carten whereever he ends up for grad school; Lindsey will be heading back to the states (Georgia) and for me? I still don't know - of course I will let you know as soon as I have any ideas!

This afternoon I went with my new cooperating teacher Irene to preview an interactive movie about our Earth, climate, natural disasters, etc. There were 4 short films - one with 3D glasses, one with incorporating lights and music to describe natural things like wind and rain - then I guy on the screen encouraged the kids to make noise with their bodies and get up and dance. The third movie was an interactive quiz game - this was move difficult to follow along as it was written all in Greek and my friend only had 8 seconds to translate - so didn't like that one so much and the last one had seats that moved, water that sprayed on us, cold air - so while we were going over waterfalls we got misted and stuff. Pretty cool!

Kelly and Ben are to arrive in 2 weeks - I sure hope the weather stays warm and sunny!

Long Weekend

US = President's Day
Canada = Family Day
Greece = Clean Monday - go fly a kite!

Today is the day in Greece that you are suppose to cleanse (I don't know your body or kitchen)of fattening foods before Lent begins tomorrow-well something like that. And people are suppose to fly a kite - it was perfect weather for flying a kite, maybe even a little too windy - but I wouldn't really know because I have not left my apartment all day.

I have been busying researching schools and countries, cleaning, cleaning, baking and more cleaning! But in a good way - oh ya and marking papers!

Yesterday (Sunday) I treated myself (since it was Valentine's Day) to a full body Swedish massage at the spa. it was lovely and relaxing.

Saturday I did errands and putsed areound the house. Friday night friends and I went out for southwestern (Santa Fe) fare. Really good food.

I was disappointed that I didn't have the opportunity to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. I am keeping up on the news and hopefully will figure out how to watch some of it on my computer.

Glad it is Tuesday already tomorrow!

A few notes on life right now!

Well - not much has happened in the past 3 weeks but thought I should update my blog! I will work/think backwards...... last night (Monday) a bunch of us got together to watch the Super Bowl. My friend had paid for the post-season games online so we watched it last night. Everyone brought food, there was some gambling, he projected it through a LCD projector onto a large wall - great fun by all! (even though most of us knew who won the game!)

Kate, Miah, Dwain, their baby and I will all be going to my friend's home in Provence for spring break. This is the same house Suzanne and I went to this summer. We are all quite excited!

OH - I joined a gym! It's basically right across the street from me. It has been there the whole time I have lived here - but it is more encouraging to join/go when all my friends are going as well!

I still don't have a job for next year but I am working on sending out my resume and such. It's a full time job looking for a full time job and right now I have a full time job!

Well I would love to have a snow day (like all those folks in the mid-Atlantic area) but I don't think it snows when it is 60 degrees!

So just checking in with everyone.
Happy Birthday Dad!
Happy Birthday Wendy!
hello Bachner!
hello Librot!

London - Job Fair

I came to London for a job recruitment fair - similar to the one I attended in NY in 2007 but on a smaller scale. In 2007, people had said to me you won't find a job in Europe because you don't have international experience. But I did get a job then. So now I was heading to London with almost 2 years of international experience but it's not that simple...

Unfortunately things really didn't go very well. I had researched, planned, organized - I had foreseen if I didn't get any job offers; however, I didn't foresee the problem I ran into like a brick wall. Saturday was an extremely difficult, disappointing and depressing day. It's not because the interviews didn't go well it's because I couldn't get an interview! due to the fact I didn't have PYP experience (Primary Years Programme - a type of curriculum often used in international schools). I had 2 interviews at the end of Saturday - one with a school in Leipzig, Germany and one with ACS Egham - the interviews seemed to go fine. I did hear back from England and unfortunately they didnt think I had the right fit - they were a PYP school.

On the somewhat positive side of it, it's early in the game. Though I am not planning on attending any more job fairs, I will be constantly sending my resume to schools.

On a more positive side, I am glad I had Sunday to have a pick-me-up day. It took me a while to get myself out of my hotel room but in the afternoon, I took a double decker bus down to an area called Covent Gardens - great little shops, restaurants, street entertainers, etc. I first went to the box office of the Lion King - because online it indicated it was sold out. However I WAS able to get a seat and as you know it was FABULOUS!!!!!! I loved the giraffes! And Timon was also fantastic! Really incredible. The music really hits the inside of your body - so powerful!

It ended a 6pm so then I went back to the Covent Gardens area and had a pint of beer called Courage Best at a pub I found in my guidebook called The Lamb and the Flag! Then had dinner at a pub called Sussex. Although I tried to get my bearings to take the bus back to the hotel I couldn't figure it out so hopped into a taxi!

So I am glad the trip ended on a positive note and it helped me cheer up and reflect. Boy I would love to live in London - so much to do and see.

So I leave you with this - my thought at the beginning of the trip and the end of trip.

"Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care. About some you will say, "I do't choose to go there. OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
Except when you don't. Because, sometimes, you won't. I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. But on you will hike and I know you'll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
Just be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. And you will succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! 998 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! your mountain is waiting. So.... get on your way!" ~ Dr. Seuss