I knew I had to wake up eventually. My muscles were tensed and sore and I could hear the children screaming and running close by. Something exciting had happened.
I followed the kids over to a giant dark gray slimy looking thing lying on the beach near the water. A small crowd had gathered around it and everyone was talking excitedly in Greek. I asked, “What is it? What’s happening?” To no one in particular to see if anyone would answer. A man next me explained, “It is a jellyfish.”
I had never seen a jellyfish I real life. I had seen the cute little purple things on TV and this looked nothing like that. It was about the size of a beach ball and was laying on what appeared to be its back. It was shiny and dark gray and was twitching slightly. I felt bad for the poor jellyfish and assumed the kids would push it back into the ocean. But apparently this was an abnormally large and interesting jellyfish. The kids all found stick and began poking at the jellyfish. And not just poking at it, The Boy was on the front lines and took his long thin stick and slowly pushed it deep in to the jellyfish, where I can only assume its heart was.
Little kids began throwing sand and cigarette butts at it as the other kids began pushing sticks deep into its belly. The adults stood around, watching the kids maim the immobilized but still wriggling jellyfish. I backed from the group and started towards the ocean. I felt sick.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sleep Attack
We were going to the beach. Again. I realized these people go to the beach every single day.
And I was starting to get exhausted. The kind where you’re not just tired, you can feel your brain melting into your head and everything’s 10 times harder than it should be. So they packed up all their stuff, then packed me up like a mule with all their bags and toys and things and we headed to the beach. I already told you about how the beach is a lot of them running around screaming, and me following after them silently and getting scolded for not making them all talk in English. So I had had it today. I was so tired. I was exhausted of these kids, exhausted of trying. And I didn’t want to get in that freezing cold water again. So my survival skills kicked in. While they were all running around screaming and the moms were gossiping with each other in their push –up bikini tops, I laid down on one of the chairs and closed my eyes. I can’t nap. I’ve never been able to no matter how tired I am. But I knew if they thought the poor American was so tired from jet lag she had fallen asleep at the beach they would probably leave me alone. So I laid there with my eyes closed pretending to be asleep. I could hear them all talking and running around me, and my body was becoming uncomfortable from the twisted position I was sit laying in the reclining beach chair. But nothing would have gotten me to open my eyes. If a meteor had fallen into the ocean and everyone had started running and screaming and eating each other I would have kept my eyes closed. I don’t know how long I laid there, uncomfortable, pretending to be asleep, it had to be at least an hour. But eventually I knew I would have to “wake up” and deal with them. And the giant jellyfish that was about to be discovered.
And I was starting to get exhausted. The kind where you’re not just tired, you can feel your brain melting into your head and everything’s 10 times harder than it should be. So they packed up all their stuff, then packed me up like a mule with all their bags and toys and things and we headed to the beach. I already told you about how the beach is a lot of them running around screaming, and me following after them silently and getting scolded for not making them all talk in English. So I had had it today. I was so tired. I was exhausted of these kids, exhausted of trying. And I didn’t want to get in that freezing cold water again. So my survival skills kicked in. While they were all running around screaming and the moms were gossiping with each other in their push –up bikini tops, I laid down on one of the chairs and closed my eyes. I can’t nap. I’ve never been able to no matter how tired I am. But I knew if they thought the poor American was so tired from jet lag she had fallen asleep at the beach they would probably leave me alone. So I laid there with my eyes closed pretending to be asleep. I could hear them all talking and running around me, and my body was becoming uncomfortable from the twisted position I was sit laying in the reclining beach chair. But nothing would have gotten me to open my eyes. If a meteor had fallen into the ocean and everyone had started running and screaming and eating each other I would have kept my eyes closed. I don’t know how long I laid there, uncomfortable, pretending to be asleep, it had to be at least an hour. But eventually I knew I would have to “wake up” and deal with them. And the giant jellyfish that was about to be discovered.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Dishes
The jet lag was setting in. I could feel exhaustion weighing me down, and the thought of manning up and going out to face those Greek people didn't have me jumping out of bed. Eventually I got up, got ready, and headed over. But al the shades wer drawn and doors closed, so I went back to my room and laid down.
After awhile, they started woking up and the doors opened, so I made myself toast with some peach jam G had found in the back of the fridge for me. I sat down at the table with my coffee, but the children were watching something different than Zeke and Luther, so my day was pretty much wrecked from the beginning.
I can't really blame the kids for their, hmm...ability to do things for themselves. For every meal, G would prepare whatever they wanted and ring it to them on the couch where they would sit watching the Disney Channel. When they were finished G would pick up their dishes and wash them. If they wanted more juice or another piece of toast, they simply yelled the order to G and she brought it to them. It irked me to no end to watch G run around at the beck and call of a couple of children. To see this wonderfu 40 year-old woman taking orders from a bratty ten year-old.
And this morning G was off doing laundry when they finished so Mrs. Crazy lectured me about how I must wash their breakfast dishes as soon as the kids were finished before the ants came.
I didn't really care, I kind of like handwashing dishes. I find it relaxing. Especially when as long as I washed dishes I oculd be busy without having to interact with DC.
After awhile, they started woking up and the doors opened, so I made myself toast with some peach jam G had found in the back of the fridge for me. I sat down at the table with my coffee, but the children were watching something different than Zeke and Luther, so my day was pretty much wrecked from the beginning.
I can't really blame the kids for their, hmm...ability to do things for themselves. For every meal, G would prepare whatever they wanted and ring it to them on the couch where they would sit watching the Disney Channel. When they were finished G would pick up their dishes and wash them. If they wanted more juice or another piece of toast, they simply yelled the order to G and she brought it to them. It irked me to no end to watch G run around at the beck and call of a couple of children. To see this wonderfu 40 year-old woman taking orders from a bratty ten year-old.
And this morning G was off doing laundry when they finished so Mrs. Crazy lectured me about how I must wash their breakfast dishes as soon as the kids were finished before the ants came.
I didn't really care, I kind of like handwashing dishes. I find it relaxing. Especially when as long as I washed dishes I oculd be busy without having to interact with DC.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Greece Would Have Gotten It
It was my mom. She was hysterical.
The last time she had heard from me I had just found my Greek family at the airport. And then she hadn't heard from me or been able to reach me for over 4 days. We didn't know these people, I had met them over the internet. I didn't know anyone else in Greece.
Obviously there were a million things that could've been wrong. They could have been human traffickers and I could have been sold to a Serbian man by now. I could be dead.
So I found the country code and after about 5 tries finally got through to my mom. Who answered on the second ring. I could hear the relief in her voice followed by the tears. Which immediately started me crying. It felt so good. The first English speaking voice, pretty much the first English, I'd heard in days.
It was impossible to explain all that had happened to me so far. I tried to tell her about the family, stressing that things weren't that bad, they were just still new.
She told me she had been one day from calling the cops and turning this into an international incident. Which I believed.
Eventually I had to go, promising to call as soon as I ccould again, which I wasn't really sure when that would be.
I pocketed my cell phone and made my way through the dark in between the houses and ht mountains.
The last time she had heard from me I had just found my Greek family at the airport. And then she hadn't heard from me or been able to reach me for over 4 days. We didn't know these people, I had met them over the internet. I didn't know anyone else in Greece.
Obviously there were a million things that could've been wrong. They could have been human traffickers and I could have been sold to a Serbian man by now. I could be dead.
So I found the country code and after about 5 tries finally got through to my mom. Who answered on the second ring. I could hear the relief in her voice followed by the tears. Which immediately started me crying. It felt so good. The first English speaking voice, pretty much the first English, I'd heard in days.
It was impossible to explain all that had happened to me so far. I tried to tell her about the family, stressing that things weren't that bad, they were just still new.
She told me she had been one day from calling the cops and turning this into an international incident. Which I believed.
Eventually I had to go, promising to call as soon as I ccould again, which I wasn't really sure when that would be.
I pocketed my cell phone and made my way through the dark in between the houses and ht mountains.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Mixed Signals
I guess we were pretty far out in the, well, in the beach? Islands? Mountains? My phone in my room was showing some weird No Service. And when I went outside it flashed Emergency Calls Only. Everyone else got signal pretty much everywhere. And I had seen Bert take his phone down by the tennis courts to find signal.
So I pulled on my hoodie, filled both my pockets with chocolate, grabbed my cellphone, and went to try and find service.
I snuck out the back of the houses with the mountains rising up one side. It was beautiful. And awesome. There were stars everywhere. I snuck in pitch balck around the backs of the houses until I came to the final one and circled around towards the tennis courts. There were a couple lights turned on now, and I started pacing aorund the tennis courts with my cell phone in hand.
There was a Greek family sitting outside right on the other side of some thin shrubs, talking loudly and having dinner.
After about 15 minutes of walking and staring at my cell phone, and praying desperately that God would let there be signal, the cell phone lit up with some sort of weird Greek service message. I had 8 new voice mails. And I knew who all of them were from.
So I pulled on my hoodie, filled both my pockets with chocolate, grabbed my cellphone, and went to try and find service.
I snuck out the back of the houses with the mountains rising up one side. It was beautiful. And awesome. There were stars everywhere. I snuck in pitch balck around the backs of the houses until I came to the final one and circled around towards the tennis courts. There were a couple lights turned on now, and I started pacing aorund the tennis courts with my cell phone in hand.
There was a Greek family sitting outside right on the other side of some thin shrubs, talking loudly and having dinner.
After about 15 minutes of walking and staring at my cell phone, and praying desperately that God would let there be signal, the cell phone lit up with some sort of weird Greek service message. I had 8 new voice mails. And I knew who all of them were from.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Chocolate
So they were gone when I got back. G and I chatted a little, and then I sat down to eat with DC.
Eventually the parents came back...so they could get ready and really go out for the night. Once again, they didn't tell me anything. I didn't know where they were going or when they'd be back.
G had me go up with her to help her give DC a bath before putting him to bed. Everyone would have me help with DC so I could learn to do things myself. Except that DC wanted none of it and would scream and push me away. So my helping usually meant I stood right outside the door and watched. G put him to bed and sent me downstairs to peel the eggs off of some hard-boiled eggs for the kid's dinner.
Once she comes back she serves the kids dinner at 10:30 and lets me leave. But before I go...
I had brought a hospitality gift with me. I knew in other countries, or countries I had been before, it's been polite to bring a small gift with you when visiting a family. So I had brought a box of little wrapped Dove chocolates for the family. Yesterday I had discovered they were kept in the fridge and the kids got like two a day.
Now, not to overshare, but it was that time of the month, and I had had almost no sugar in the psat four days. That was probably also the longest I had gone without sugar. I really hadn't eaten much at all since I had been here.
So before I left to go home for the night, I snuck to the fridge and grabbed a handful of chocolates, shoving them in my pockets and slinking back to my house.
Eventually the parents came back...so they could get ready and really go out for the night. Once again, they didn't tell me anything. I didn't know where they were going or when they'd be back.
G had me go up with her to help her give DC a bath before putting him to bed. Everyone would have me help with DC so I could learn to do things myself. Except that DC wanted none of it and would scream and push me away. So my helping usually meant I stood right outside the door and watched. G put him to bed and sent me downstairs to peel the eggs off of some hard-boiled eggs for the kid's dinner.
Once she comes back she serves the kids dinner at 10:30 and lets me leave. But before I go...
I had brought a hospitality gift with me. I knew in other countries, or countries I had been before, it's been polite to bring a small gift with you when visiting a family. So I had brought a box of little wrapped Dove chocolates for the family. Yesterday I had discovered they were kept in the fridge and the kids got like two a day.
Now, not to overshare, but it was that time of the month, and I had had almost no sugar in the psat four days. That was probably also the longest I had gone without sugar. I really hadn't eaten much at all since I had been here.
So before I left to go home for the night, I snuck to the fridge and grabbed a handful of chocolates, shoving them in my pockets and slinking back to my house.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Houses for the Seasons
Apparently all rich Greek people have multiple houses. There's their usual city house. They have a summer house by the sea that they spend the summer in inbetween visiting the islands, and then there is the winter home in the mountains so they can ski and do other rich winter activities. Mr. Crazy had been absent from my days because he had been at the winter house "getting things ready".
He was one of those rich fathers that was never there, but would sweep in loudly, picking up the children and spoiling them, rolling through the house like a hurricane so everyone knew he had arrived. He apparently noticed the unease settled between me and DC, and recommended we both take him down to watch the other children play tennis. Once down there, Mr. Crazy attempts to leave, thereby leaving DC with me. Well, DC would have none of this, he started screaming and running after his father.
So then we ALL go back up to the house. But once there, Mr. Crazy realizes he's left his iPhone down at the tennis courts. He "asks" me to go back for it, and I go willingly if only because it allows my eyes a little more time with the Hot Tennis Instructor.
So I get back to the house again, now with the iPhone, and...Mr. and Mrs. Crazy are gone. This would happen frequently. They would just disappear into the night. I had no idea where. No idea when they would be back. And no one seemed to care because G was in charge. I realized this made sense because G knew all the schedules, and knew what do for the kids, but I felt pretty useless. All the time. They didn't even bother to try and help me be in charge of their children. I know they didn't make me feel useless on purpose, but it was still pretty disheartening.
He was one of those rich fathers that was never there, but would sweep in loudly, picking up the children and spoiling them, rolling through the house like a hurricane so everyone knew he had arrived. He apparently noticed the unease settled between me and DC, and recommended we both take him down to watch the other children play tennis. Once down there, Mr. Crazy attempts to leave, thereby leaving DC with me. Well, DC would have none of this, he started screaming and running after his father.
So then we ALL go back up to the house. But once there, Mr. Crazy realizes he's left his iPhone down at the tennis courts. He "asks" me to go back for it, and I go willingly if only because it allows my eyes a little more time with the Hot Tennis Instructor.
So I get back to the house again, now with the iPhone, and...Mr. and Mrs. Crazy are gone. This would happen frequently. They would just disappear into the night. I had no idea where. No idea when they would be back. And no one seemed to care because G was in charge. I realized this made sense because G knew all the schedules, and knew what do for the kids, but I felt pretty useless. All the time. They didn't even bother to try and help me be in charge of their children. I know they didn't make me feel useless on purpose, but it was still pretty disheartening.
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