Greece for 2 Days

My hike last week was so incredible that it has left me hungering for more. There are so many exciting things going on here at the Center.

This man named John vanBuren came here to see us today. He is a gracious benefactor of the school. He is an Oregonian and he donated quite a bit this term, and he has agreed to fill the school's library. He is a famous composer, and he is living in Germany. I really liked working with him today, and I will see more of him in the future.

This week we are going to go to the Paros marble mine, I can't wait. It is the spot for the most pure marble on earth. It just sounds like so much fun! After that, the next day, we are going to do some art outside called Earth Art. Jane (John's wife) and the painting class are going to go rearrange stones and stuff in honor of Earth Day! That seems exciting.

Other than that, I'm working on my normal classes. I had a figure drawing class that was just amazing today. I am learning tools on how to draw that have been used by many masters of the past. We work on a skill, and then Jane shows us things in books of sketches done by famous artists using the same tool. I am getting relatively good at drawing the human form. Much better than before, and there is so much to learn. Also, learning about the human form and the use of lines in drawing are helping me so much to learn about photography. I see so many new things through the viewfinder here.

The teachers here really are working professionals. Each of them are incredible in their own right. They have so much knowledge to impart, and I just eat it up. That is why I am up until 1 AM every day working on some new project or reading Greek literature that could only enhance me further. My teacher in that class is so knowledgeable, and I just feel like a sponge as I soak it up!

Today was Clean Monday, so we did little class work. We took part of the day off and rented a car and drove it to the other side of the island to a restaurant one of our friends has over there. When we got there, we ordered a feast. We had Shrimp and Calamari and Humus and Chick Peas and Fried Cheese and special Lent Bread and fried zuccunni and zuccunni rolls and Lent dessert. The deal on food for Lent is that you can't eat fish, meat, oil or dairy products for the 40 days of Lent. I am told that all the stores will be open for these things anyway. Also, the people only strictly follow the diet for the first and last three days of Lent.

I am going to go to the supermarket tomorrow to get some oranges, bananas and yoghurt. I'm running out of food here!!! All I eat really is bananas and oranges and yoghurt. Then for dinner it's olive oil and bread with cheese on it. Good stuff. More and more commonly the whole group has gotten together, and we have done potluck dinners. It's been incredible. I've eaten some pretty good food. I'm looking for a collection of Greek Recipes for when I come home. Please get used to the idea of being Greek at heart! I'm just so excited to be a part of something this cool.

Our lunch today was awesome. After, we went for a walk along the beach. It's the first time I've been near the water. It was still quite cold, but that didn't hurt its beauty. We could see the other islands out in the distance. I got to see AntiParos up close today. It looks beautiful, and I will get to go snorkeling there soon! I also saw many more fields of goats today. This one little lamb (a couple of weeks old) came running up to me (they always pick me) and started playing with me. It was the most incredible experience. We also got to see a random donkey on the side of the road. How did I choose the two animals to love that they happen to have in Greece?

Ok. I have a thousand emails to sort through and some photos to do the same with. I just finished my second painting assignment. I don't love it, but it's better than the first. We're definitely going to improve on them both, so I'm excited for that. My photos are coming out absolutely incredibly. I love this place.

I miss you, and I wish you were here! Chris