Ρείτσελ

Today was another amazing day at ELEPAP. I always feel like I don’t want to go when I get up at seven, but it’s always so amazing once I’m there. I used so much Greek today—a lot of the kids can’t speak that well, but there were two I spent a lot of time with today who are really good at speaking and comprehending language but who can’t really walk. I talked with them so much; it was awesome. At first I was so nervous I was going to say something wrong and mess these kids up, since the school is trying so hard to teach them to speak well in the first place, but after a while I started using all kinds of vocab to talk about giving the baby doll a bath, which clothes we wanted to dress them in, the colors of different things, where they wanted me to sit. It was really cute, I was having entire conversations in Greek with these kids! At one point, one of the little girls had kicked off a shoe and I didn’t notice, and one of the little boys who spoke well said, “Ρείτσελ”, and when I turned he said “τα παπόυτσια”, the shoes, and I fixed the problem. As I turned though, I realized he said my name! I didn’t realize they really knew me, and I know some of them probably don’t, but it was the sweetest moment, this adorable little boy calling me by name. I felt like I was really communicating with them, and they were obviously having fun with me too, so I just felt really great.

I got my Greek midterm back and I got a 95! A lot of them were educated guesses, but still! I did better than the Greek-speaking kids in my class, which I teased them about. They are way better at speaking than I am but when it comes to writing or sitting down and learning the grammar rules they just don’t take the same amount of time to study it as I do. Although to be fair, I would rather be good at speaking Greek than be book-smart with Greek, but I’m working on it.

We had a nice family dinner out tonight. We went to a street off Aristotelous square where there are all these little tavernas, and when you’re in a big group they fight over you to get you into their restaurant. We got a meal with four appetizers, a meat dish, kalamari, and wine for five euros a person. A lot of people in our building leave for Rhodes tomorrow, but Tanya, Abby and I are going to make mashed potatoes and roasted chicken for dinner. And of course, Friday morning I fly to meet Dad in Munich! I’m so excited to see him, it’s been too long!