People first: They are very nice and helpful! If you ask one but she/he can't help you, the other one who heard us comes to tell the answer. When we arrived to Athens Merja's bag was kinda at her back and someone told her to keep it in front of her. We went to fetch some breakfast from a bakery and the guy put some Greek cake/pie/whatever into our bag for free! We went to get some takeaway latte somewhere in the morning and in the next morning the girl already remembered us, what we order and who wants sugar and who doesn't.
Another thing about the people is their English! I came here thinking that sure I need to learn some Greek because the English skills of the people here is supposedly not that good but so far this is just so not true! We barely bumped into people who couldn't answer us in English. I usually approach young people or a bit fancier looking people if I have a question and it makes sense that they speak English. But one day I didn't see many people around us except an old, 70-80 years old man sitting in a bus stop. He looked typically like someone who never learned a word of English but I only wanted to show him a place on the map and ask what direction it is. You can do it very easily even without having any languages in common so I started to approach him and he was already "How can I help you?" and then explained us with perfectly ok English how to get there. His English was easily on a strong intermediate level. I was just so shocked! So yeah, our experiences with the Greeks' Englishes are very positive so far. I wish I could tell the same about my Greek.
So, time to talk a bit about our Greek course:We started on Tuesday at 9..except that the teachers didn't come in time. When they arrived they told us we should divide ourselves into two groups and so we did. Of course we stayed in the same group with Merja. Then in some minutes people from the other group started to come in with their teacher and it turned out that they have already divided us up. A real harsh moment came when they called out my name and I had to go to the other group...without Merja! I hadn't even realized till then that since our departure we have spent every moment together.But maybe this is good like that so we can get to know others as well.
Already at the beginning of the lesson I started to freak out because it seemed that everyone knows already things, but at least the alphabet. The teacher was writing to the board and I couldn't even read it! I started to be afraid that they are skipping the teaching of the alphabet but after some torturing finally we started to deal with it. I can't say it's easy but I guess I can learn it. There are some pretty impossible sounds in it and it is very confusing when for a sound they use a letter that exists in the latin alphabet as well but in it stands for another sound. Like they use the letter "v" for "n" sound. Their B letter stand for the v sound. H letter is "i" sound for them. So there're plenty of room for confusion and it also takes time to learn to write quicker the letters we haven't known from before. But this is ok. What was frustrating is one of the teachers attitude: "why don't you know this?", "Why aren't you interested?", "you don't say it well, it's ___ not ___. no no no.". Her attitude was very annoying sometimes. I often felt like telling her a couple of things about language teaching though I'm no expert in the area. But do you need to make the student feel stupid if he/she can't produce some sounds, that he/she doesn't have in his/her mother tongue, for the first attempts? Or should we be able to write easily and quickly just because we have dealing with he letters for a bit over an hour previously? So after the first days I wasn't so happy. On Thursday, though, there was a 24 hour strike and there weren't any metros, trams or buses. The teachers asked who can make it on foot and I said I can, along with 2 others in my group. So we were 3 who said we definitely can make it and some more said maybe. On Thursday morning we arrived there with Merja and there were 2 other Finnish girls, and no one else. This was just so typical! Who are the ones who go to class even during a 24th hour-strike?! Of course the Finns! And now I have to include myself among them again. It was pretty funny actually that eventually the 3 other girls were on one class and I was alone with my teacher! Private lesson!:)I really liked it though, I could ask all my nerdy linguistic questions!:) On Friday it was again much better and if we go on like this I think I will like the course. But so far the language sounds very unfamiliar and it's very difficult to remember words. I also need to practice reading because my speed is like a 1st grader's.
The area where we study is pretty nice by the way. Lots of nice cafes, book stores, music stores. It's young and different and nice.However, it turned our that it is right that place that the tourists are not advised to go and that is said to be dangerous. Well, we have been there only daytime and then sure it seems perfectly fine. In fact, that is the place I feel the safest at. By night it could be different though but I don't feel like trying it yet.
I'm starting to be very cautious with my things. We always hold on our bags and I'm very afraid someone tries to steal from me. The metros are always packed so that is a very good place for that and there are also thousands of motorists who could just grab your bag when passing by. And what didn't help at all was today going for shopping, The sales started today and the shops were absolutely packed! And unfortunately some used the chance and stole Merja's wallet:( I felt really sorry for her but I think she noticed it quickly enough. She called to block her cards so that should be ok but she lost her cash and many cards that were in her wallet. We went to every shop we have been and left her name and number there in case hey find the wallet. In one shop the seller was very assuring and said that in most cases they do find the wallet, of course without cash and bank cards. But getting back insurance cards, driving license and student card would be pretty nice already. Anyways, of course our shopping trip ended there and we headed to get to know the police station a bit. It was pretty bad to see that in the line there were a lot of foreigners and a lot of girls:( But anyways, we are fine and hopefully the wallet will be found. And stealing the wallet is still better than getting robbed face to face.
So, that's all for now. There are so many things to tell but I can't remember and I think I have written enough for now. Sorry for the typos, I'm lazy to correct them.
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