Just in TIME: Abby's adventures in the Middle East

holiday season in Athens!

Well, it's hard to believe that just yesterday I woke up in our funky yet homey hotel room in the Cosmopolitan in Cairo, and today I'm writing from a new-age high tech internet cafe in Athens, Greece! Our last few days in Egypt were hectic--after taking our final exam on Saturday morning which I'd been studying for all week, I had to mail a package home in order to meet the weight limits for my luggage at the airport. A hassle, but luckily our friend Adam helped us out. On Sunday morning, we went to church at St. Andrew's, where we presented a donation of around $600 to the coordinator of the church's refugee education program. This money comes from an independent fund set up by alumni of Term in the Middle East and Global Semester programs, and current groups like us get to designate where we'd like to give the money. It's a pretty neat idea--it gives those of us who have had life-changing experiences on this trip to give back to the communities we've shared in during our stay. We chose St. Andrews for many reasons--especially becaus a bunch of us were able to volunteer there a couple times in beginning English classes and see firsthand what it means for the refugee children, almost all Sudanese, to have the opportunity to learn English. We were also able to speak with the leaders of two major tribes of refugees who are living there in Cairo. They told us about the struggle of trying to find work in a city where over 40% of Egyptians are already unemployed, and enduring prejudice and racism on top of everything else. I can't imagine what their lives must be like.

That evening, our last night in Cairo, I was "kidnapped" by some of my friends who insisted on taking me to a mystery location to celebrate my birthday! What fun--we ended up at a Pizza Hut right across from the Pyramids and watched the sound and light show from the upper floor! After that, they took me to a wonderful restaurant that was in a tent right on the edge of the Nile, where we ate great food and hung out for the rest of the night. So much fun! It was definitely one of the best birthday celebrations in recent memory! I am so thankful for the wonderful people I've been traveling with. I felt so special and it was just a great day overall. I can't imagine any better way to turn 20!

Yesterday morning we left Cairo and after a short flight got off in the beautiful city of Athens. Cairo and Athens are like night and day. The first thing all of us noticed were the Christmas decorations EVERYWHERE--and the weather is perfect, just chilly enough that we need to bundle up when going out! This is a real treat after being in relatively warm weather since June! Today we had a half day city tour, during which we visited the Acropolis and the Parthenon with an incredible 360 degree view of the city, and walked through the quaint and idyllic pedestrian streets of the old town. So far, I absolutely love it here. Our hotel is very nice and conveniently located close to the Metro and bus routes. Tomorrow we begin classes at the College Year in Athens. I can't wait to get out and explore in the next few weeks!

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful birthday messages--I love you all so much and can't wait to see you soon. Until then, season's greetings from Greece!

posted by Abby @ 9:21 AM