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A friend who studies Art History asked me how my trip to Athens once. Indeed city's monuments, its many ruins and its statues of the most renowned philosophers are all embodiments of such a rich history and culture. Athens is the epitome of History literally rooted in every corner and precipice of the city. In all its glory and beauty, I also remember feeling a sense of gloom. At the centre of the city, surrounded by well-known ruins and other monuments, I remember a young lady, withering flowers in her hand. "Here's a flower for you," she said as she approaches me and proceeds to put a stem in my hand without a second beat. Just as I was about to thank her, she lays out her palm and gestures at her belly. "Baby coming, I need food. How much can you pay for the flower?" I made the wrong move to pull out my wallet because as I pulled out a euro for the single stem, she looks into my wallet, points at my €5 bill and asks for it. At the same time, a younger kid walks up next to her, also holding stems of flowers, and watches me. I didn't know how to react in the moment, and gave the bill away. Suddenly I looked around and noticed so many more of them around the area. There were others who would ask for tourists' hands and wound a bracelet around their wrists or pushed a ring onto their fingers. Just a sad sight to see in a country that has so much to offer.
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other gems: overheard conversations at the Parthenon about how its columns aren't perfectly aligned in a straight line, and when I'm lucky, occasional smart discussions about other structures' history and architecture / the many puns and references to Greek philosophers plastered on souvenirs / first time swimming in a natural lake with one of the clearest waters I've ever seen / overlooking the beaut of the city from atop a hill / GYROS EVERYWHERE!! /
A friend who studies Art History asked me how my trip to Athens once. Indeed city's monuments, its many ruins and its statues of the most renowned philosophers are all embodiments of such a rich history and culture. Athens is the epitome of History literally rooted in every corner and precipice of the city. In all its glory and beauty, I also remember feeling a sense of gloom. At the centre of the city, surrounded by well-known ruins and other monuments, I remember a young lady, withering flowers in her hand. "Here's a flower for you," she said as she approaches me and proceeds to put a stem in my hand without a second beat. Just as I was about to thank her, she lays out her palm and gestures at her belly. "Baby coming, I need food. How much can you pay for the flower?" I made the wrong move to pull out my wallet because as I pulled out a euro for the single stem, she looks into my wallet, points at my €5 bill and asks for it. At the same time, a younger kid walks up next to her, also holding stems of flowers, and watches me. I didn't know how to react in the moment, and gave the bill away. Suddenly I looked around and noticed so many more of them around the area. There were others who would ask for tourists' hands and wound a bracelet around their wrists or pushed a ring onto their fingers. Just a sad sight to see in a country that has so much to offer.
​
other gems: overheard conversations at the Parthenon about how its columns aren't perfectly aligned in a straight line, and when I'm lucky, occasional smart discussions about other structures' history and architecture / the many puns and references to Greek philosophers plastered on souvenirs / first time swimming in a natural lake with one of the clearest waters I've ever seen / overlooking the beaut of the city from atop a hill / GYROS EVERYWHERE!! /
MADRID, SPAIN
AUGUST 2019
I've always felt shameful of my inability (or perhaps my unwillingness) to learn beyond the basics of Spanish.
That shame culminated at one point in this trip - when I found myself utterly unable to communicate what I wanted for dinner at a local restaurant, desperately pointing my camera at the menu, waiting for Google Translate to do its work.
My dinner? 3 pieces of jamon serrano and 3 pieces of breadsticks.
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honourable trip mentions: weekend markets with independent businesses / familiarizing myself with Madrid's metro system / Madrid's convenient location that allowed me day trips to Segovia and Toledo / a chanced-upon art and cultural centre AND a film festival at a former slaughterhouse - Matadero Madrid / tapas everyday / churros with a cup of hot dark chocolate dip
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