The Greek Wonders

Today was a wonderful day. Every day here is wonderful, but I was just so happy, and I noticed it in particular as I walked from class to class that I am so lucky here. I realized that I am actually studying as a full-time student, and it's so great to have this experience. I also realized how important education is to me. I was kind of telling people that I was interested in doing art history just because I was bored and I thought that it was kind of fun. I realize now that I would never be willing to drop these studies. They are totally incredible. I love every second of what I do here. I just eat up the information that is available to me. I am doing more classes than anyone else, and the main reason for that is because I love them all, and I would never forgive myself if I left this Greek Island without the most amount of knowledge and experience that is possible to me. Every time I sit in a class, I realize how much information the person standing in front of me has to impart. There are so many people in the world that are good at their jobs, my dad, for one, knows so much, and he's just one person. There are so many things to be incredible at here, and I'm doing them all. I don't feel ashamed to be doing so much at all. I like that every waking hour of the day from 9AM to 1AM is devoted to the things I love most about this world.

I have worked out a twisted and contorted way to take a shower, but at least it is a shower. You have to lean over the side of the tub and wash and condition your hair in completely cold water. After the water has ran long enough, the red light comes on in the water heater. It takes about 40 minutes for a few gallons of hot water to heat up. While it is heating up, I wash my face in semi-warm water and put my hair up and get my contacts in. Once it has heated up, I get 45 seconds of hot water. I jump in the tub and wash my body. Try holding a shower head while scrubbing yourself and at the same time adjusting the cold water so that you don't scold yourself for 45 seconds and you don't freeze yourself. Not adjusting things right just lands you in the position of taking a cold shower. I'm getting pretty good at my little system though! I can't wait to go home and take showers for hours on end!

It's funny to note that I went shopping in the supermarket. I can understand where the idea of the market being super comes from. There are a lot of different products to choose from (underwear to dish soap, oranges to squid). However, the size of the market is not super. The whole thing is probably a little bigger than the size of our condo. It's a lot of fun to try to find a product too. One hell of an adventure to look at cheese and then try to see the price tag. It's all written in Greek. No kidding either!

I also got my laundry done today. You take it to a lady who washes it in a washing machine. When that has been done, she gives it back to you wet, and you have to dry it on a clothes line. Let me tell you, I couldn't figure out how to make the clothes line work, so I just laid them all over my apartment to dry. It was kind of funny actually. I was so American I didn't know how to make a clothesline work! But I have clean clothes, and that is a relief.

I did have a big success today, and that was that I went shopping and did the entire thing in Greek. I got everything I needed, and I paid for it all by using Greek words that I know. I didn't speak a word of English. I'm getting pretty good actually. I'm trying to learn two words a day. I'm not bad now! I can't read it yet, but I'm starting to learn how to speak it!

Here are a few Greek words for you.

Signoma (long a)- Sorry/Excuse me
Ti Canis- How are you
Ena- One
Kala- good
Ti hora ini-what time is it
Efharisto-Thank you

The Greek vowels are so hard. I have to learn the alphabet. I can't survive without being able to read simple things at least!

Here are some things that being on his island have inspired me to do:

• Draw
• Paint
• Carve/Sculpt
• Write
• Write a book
• Continue serious schooling
• Go to Italy
• Grow herbs for my own kitchen
• Cook hearty Greek meals
• Read heavy literature
• Read heavy Greek literature
• Lean Greek
• Survive as an artist
• Do freelance photography/writing
• Sell my art
• Do art everyday
• Travel
• Most of all, I want to be myself

These things come to me like a ray of light each day, but they are a final part of who I am!

There are some serious changes going on here!

Other than that, I learned some incredible painting techniques today, and I spent 5 hours in my beautiful painting studio learning how to perfect them. I turned a painting that I hated into one that I like a lot. I worked on a second painting that I loved quite a lot when I was done with it. There are still lots to go though!

I felt very satisfied after working with the poetry that I wrote last night.

Also, today, I had a photography class, and I realized that silver photography is very much so a part of who I am. We need to work on getting me a darkroom space really because when I come back, I am going to produce like a maniac. It is possible that I am going to need to work with medium format (BIG) film if I can't get my camera fixed, and that doesn't bother me at all. It's cheaper anyway!

I'm having a hard time living without a clock at all, but I'm starting to get used to it. It's interesting living in a culture where time isn't really important!

I had a wonderful art history lesson tonight that has inspired me to go with a bunch of friends to Crete over our Spring break. It will be very, very inexpensive if we all go together, so I'm very excited! We may just do that!

Tonight I have a lot of things to do, so I am going to go. I have a class tomorrow that I have to do some serious preparation for. I have figure drawing tomorrow as well. I love that class, I'm getting better at it. It's the one thing (after painting) that I was terrified of, and I'm glad that it's something I can conquer while I am here!

With much love,

Chris