From this...

(2007)

To this...

 (2008)

To this...

 (2009)

To this...

(2010)

To this...

(2012)

It's been a long journey, hasn't it?

Restoration work on the Caryatids

Yesterday's TO BHMA had a short article on the Caryatids from the Erechtheion and the laser restoration work on them that was undertaken recently. The International Institute for Conservation gave the New Acropolis museum an award for their use of laser technology (χρήση τεχνολογίας λέιζερ), an approach undertaken particularly well as it involved visitors being able to watch the process, as opposed to taking place in a lab. Almost two million visitors since December 2010 have witnessed the process of the laser restoration work!

I was a little lost on how the process actually works (my Greek is not so great, and my scientific knowledge is even worse), but from what I remember from actually seeing the process last year was that it was particularly innovative and included a sort of live-screen streaming of the process, so that visitors could watch it occurring but not be affected by the lasers.

The New Acropolis Museum hasn't allowed photos since the first summer they opened (Summer 2009), which is when I took this photograph of the Caryatid's fabulous hairstyles.

Living in Greece

Hey, wanna know what it's like to live in Greece?

Scenario: I am informed that the letter I have from my health insurance company is insufficient for the Greek Ministry of Culture, who are the ones in charge of issuing my residence permit.

Step 1: Call the number listed on Health Insurance Company's (HIC) website. Once you finally get through to someone, explain that you can't give them a callback number because you're in Greece and on Skype. Read every. single. stipulation that must be on the letter that they are to craft (not a simple form letter, but a very, very specific letter that outlines every minute detail of my coverage). Get to the end, and be told that your deductible is $50 higher than what the Greeks allow. Be told that you can switch to a conversion plan, whatever the f that is, and you are given another number to call.

Time: 22 minutes

Step 2: Call the number regarding the conversion plan. After giving all of your personal information (name, SSN, DOB), be asked if your name is Sharon (uhhh...). Be told that you can't do a conversion plan until August 2013, which is no good because I need to apply for the residence permit now. Also be told that you need to speak to someone related to your school's HIC's plan specifically, and be given a third number.

Time: 8 minutes

Step 3: Call that third number. Once you finally get through to someone, explain that you can't give them a callback number because you're in Greece and on Skype. They insist on some kind of number, so you give them your mother's cell phone number (and if they have to call her "back," she can't call you for the next 6 hours because she can't use Skype from her office). Be told, Hey! We can't do anything to change your $250 deductible to $200 or less, but we can tell you that if you get a referral from the Student Health Center, the deductible is only $75 per incident. Insist that the letter you need cannot include per incident, but must be per year. Have it suggested to you that perhaps you can cancel your current plan and enroll in a conversion plan, and by the way here's that conversion plan number AGAIN.

Time: 19 minutes

Step 4:  Call the conversion plan number. Finally talk to someone who understands what you're talking about. But, you're told that any plan you "convert" to will have a deductible higher than $250, not lower than, and therefore there's no point in converting. Be told that you should call the...second?...number once again, and/or your university itself.

Time: 21 minutes

Step 5: Decide to call your university Registrar, who is in charge of student health insurance and coordinating with your HIC. Get her phone number from the university's website. Call the number, only to find that "due to the high volume of calls, it's best you leave a voice mail message with a number I can reach you at." Of course, you don't have a number you can be reached at, because your only number is a Greek cell phone, and who at your uber-rich university is gonna want to call that? So you dig around for this woman's email and email her, asking what a good time for you to call on Skype would be. An hour later, you get a response that she's not actually with the Registrar anymore - as is listed on the website - but she's instead with the Registrar at the BUSINESS SCHOOL, and would you please email x or y instead?

Time: 10 minutes

Step 6: Explode from trying to work your way through a freakin' $50 difference in deductible. I offered to more than one person to pay the difference myself. I pointed out the ridiculousness of offering health insurance to non-university spouses and children, but not offering me, a lowly graduate student on $20,000 per year (actually half that this year), OPTIONS for my shit health care. I will pay you $50 for you to just state on a letter than my deductible is $200 rather than $250.

Step 7: Decide to blog about the whole ordeal, rather than yell at another person at your HIC.

Time: 20 minutes of attempting to calm yourself down through words.

To be continued tomorrow. I am sure.

The Home of the Gods

5 years ago, I was at the base of this mountain as an ASCSA Summer Session participant. I knew at the time that that summer would change me, but the process of it filtering into my brain took months (and perhaps even years when I think about it).

Two years ago this Saturday, I boarded a plane in Philadelphia that was the first step towards an entire year in Greece. This time, too, I had little idea of how much that year would change me. I saw myself grow a great deal professionally, I lost one of my closest friendships, and I came back with a stronger sense of who I was and who I wanted to be.

This Saturday, I'll make the great ascent up this mountain. Gods willing, I won't fall off a cliff. And again, I'll prove to myself this: I know who I am, and I know I can get through anything.

Καλό Μήνα!

Καλό Μήνα, everyone! A traditional Greek greeting on the first of the month. This first day of September also brings us a full moon. I suspect both at the same time is relatively rare. As it may be my last free Saturday in Northern Greece, I decided to take the day off and go to the beach. Well, first I got up at the crack of dawn, ran 3 miles down by the harbor, got groceries, bread, and bougatsa, wrote a little, took a nap, and THEN I went to the beach.

It took two buses and a little over an hour to get there, but it was so worth it. An umbrella, frappe, and pleasant conversation made for a very nice afternoon, and the water was fabulous. As I've mentioned several times, I can definitely feel autumn in the air, so this may be one of my last chances to enjoy the beach in Greece until next summer.

Has it really been a whole week? It took one entirely sleepless night, but I think I'm finally over jet lag. I have a lot to post about, but I just wanted to mention one thing. I found the most marvelous place to eat last week, and have gone back several times for lunch and dinner to go. It's just down the street, and this is what I got for my first lunch there:

Two kalamakia (sticks), a slice of lemon, tomatoes, onions, and brain. The kalamaki on the bottom is obviously chicken, but what's that one on the top? That's right, it's haloumi/χαλούμι!!! THE SQUEAKY CHEESE, IT IS ON A STICK. Haloumi is one of the things that I always miss most about Greece - you can get it at Whole Foods, but it's stupidly expensive. And I actually don't see it in too many places in Greece. But right here, two blocks from my flat, there's a souvlaki shop that has it for a mere 1,90 euro per stick. Heaven is salty, squeaky cheese on a stick.

ΚΑΛΟ ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ

When I first arrived in Thessaloniki, I saw signs similar to this one hanging in many of the shops. It announces that certain shops and restaurants are closed until a certain date, usually 20/8 - 22/8, thanks to "ΚΑΛΟ ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ" - a good summer vacation! No doubt this is also inspired by the recent holiday, the Κοίμησις Θεοτόκου (Dormition of the Virgin), which was celebrated on 15 August. Many Greeks have taken the week (or two) off from work to travel to their homes or perhaps even the beaches in the Chalkidiki (which is what I myself did last Saturday), a welcome respite from the hecticness of city life.

The quiet during my first week here was quite appreciated, especially since I was so jet lagged, but I'm enjoying seeing the shops and restaurants re-opening for business, and the city coming to life once more. It's a little tough to handle late at night and early in the morning, since I live on the Aghias Sofias square, but I'm adjusting.

ΚΑΛΟ ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ, everyone! Enjoy it while it lasts. You know that come winter, we'll be craving those 40° C + days. Or maybe not.

Jet lagged

You would think that after 8 years of graduate school, and with next to no real sleep schedule, I would have no problem with jet lag.

You would be wrong.

Tuesday: arrived
Wednesday: slept all day
Thursday: slept all day
Thursday night: slept 1 hour total
Friday: slept all afternoon post-placement exam
Friday night: slept 1 hour total
Saturday: all day at the beach; didn't sleep at all
Saturday night: caved and took a flexeril at 8:30 p.m.

Coupled with the fact that it is unbearably hot living without A/C, and this makes for a pretty miserable Jacquelyn.

Tips? Suggestions? Sympathies? I know it could be worse. And I know I should give it a week. But patience never was my best virtue.

ETA: I took a flexeril last night, and got a full night's sleep. Life feels so much better this morning!

Arrival

I made it to Greece on Tuesday afternoon, in one piece. The four flights that it took for me to get here were mostly uneventful. So uneventful that I didn't really sleep on the flight from Philadelphia to Munich. This didn't seem like a big deal until I got on the flight from Munich to Thessaloniki and realized how tired I was. The woman beside me, however, decided to speak to me for the entire flight. In Greek. Only. From what I could gather, she and her husband were on holiday in Germany, they only spoke a little German, she has 5 grandchildren, her mother lives in New York, she cooks, and they live in Trikala near Meteora. We spent the entire flight looking at my various Greek documents/papers/books as I explained to her that I would be living in Thess. for a whole month, then in Athens for three months, and I am an archaeologist. So so much for sleep, but I think I probably learned more Greek in those two hours than I have in the past 5 years.

View from the plane on my Philadelphia to Munich flight, as the sun was coming up.

I won't go into the boring details about the adventure it was getting from the Thessaloniki airport to my flat...the $100+ that it cost me to make two phone calls from the airport to my landlord, etc. (currently in dispute with my credit card). My digs are okay - I have a great view, though the room itself leaves a lot to be desired. More on that later.

The Church of the Aghia Sofia, seen from the balcony of my room. Not bad!

In the evening, I took a walk down by the water and bought some groceries from a small store up the street. On Wednesday, I slept the entire day. On Thursday, today, I also slept most of the day, but ventured out to buy some more food and explore a bit more. I found a Vodafone shop, where I bought a new SIM card, and found several markets, ice cream shops, and places to eat. Tomorrow I have the Orientation for my Greek class, including the placement exam, which will take most of the morning.

The Λευκός Πύργος (White Tower) of Thessaloniki, part of the Ottoman fortifications

 

By the way, I'm really liking Instagram so far! Gives a nice little edge to my photos, though I'm still carrying around my DSLR.

I'm off to Greece.

That is all.