Helpful Strangers

For the purposes of this blog, I will convey a few secrets that I discovered throughout my eventful and memorable day.

Today on our venture to the heart of the city, four colleagues and I were temporarily misplaced from the rest of our class. This does not mean we were lost, we were just frazzled for approximately an hour. Even though this might sound scary, I wouldn't have traded this hour for anything because I learned so much.This shop was the reason for our separation. Look interesting? That's because it was. The five of us couldn't look away, so naturally we went inside and continued to be captivated by four stories of random tiny thing.

When we came out of the shop, we realized that the rest of our group was out of sight. So, we decided to walk speedily in the general direction of where our class was headed. Unfortunately, we did not find them any time soon. If only there weren't four possible directions to turn at each corner, we would have found them much faster.

On this journey, I uncovered many secrets about Athens. One, and probably the most important, is that the people of Athens are incredibly kind and helpful. I felt comfortable asking people if they had seen a large group of enthusiastic Americans carrying cameras. Even though they had no idea where our class was, I felt very welcomed knowing that each shopkeeper could and would be willing to help us find our way home. Sadly, the only thing Americans know about Greeks is their financial situation and the riots that accompany it. What they don't know is how caring and positive each person can be, even when it comes to helping wandering college students.

One slightly less sentimental secret is that the crosswalks in Greece are only viewed as a suggestion. Seriously. People do not wait for the walk signal. Instead, herds of people eagerly peer down the street and wait for the slightest break in traffic so they can all cross at once and make the cars, buses and mopeds slow down and inch through the mob of people illegally crossing the street. Unfortunately, when pedestrians have the right-of-way, drivers are no better. They will continue to drive through the intersection because, after all, they have places to go.
After reading this blog, you now have a deeper understanding the Athens and how the people function throughout the city. Know that if you get lost, many people will be willing to help you, and if you're able to make it safely across the street, you too will have a satisfying day.