Hello All,
Welcome to a week of learning and becoming active in the education system at Perrotis University. With my first FULL week of classes now under my belt, I have a complete understanding of what is going on and what I will be learning.
On Monday, I had my olive production course; in this course, I learned that olive trees are a form of evergreen trees. To me, this was a huge “ah-ha” moment, as I have been wondering during my time here why they have leaves, while all the other trees do not currently have leaves. During this course, the teacher brought to our attention the consumption rate of olive oil in Greece compared to the United States. In Greece, the average citizen consumes approximately 14 liters per year whereas in the U.S. the average citizen consumes only about 0.5 liters per year. This makes sense as Greece is the #3 world producer of olive oil. In olive production class, we also learned how to prune olive trees. There were two big takeaways here; one is that olive trees are pruned for the simplicity of the harvesting machine and two, Greeks really are very focused on taking their time in everything they do. In this class, there is a fair amount of study abroad students and we were asked to pick up sticks with some Greek students. We started by picking up as many sticks as our hands could hold and they quickly taught us to only pick up two sticks at a time. In America we are taught about working efficiently and quickly and working at their pace is something we will need to become accustomed to.
Tuesday consisted of Greenhouse Production and Management where we studied the different types of protected cropping. Protected cropping is about using methods to control specific variables of the environment. On Wednesday, we toured different types that can be seen in my pictures! After this class, we also decided to visit the local bakery, where we discovered that they offer freddo espresso with ice cream if you ask really nicely. It was not on the menu, but they sure did not disappoint in making one.
(Some of the greenhouses and plants growing on campus)
Thursday was our first class of Greek Language and Greek Culture. I am super excited for both of these classes as I feel like it will help me to be fully immersed in the culture. In Greek Language we began to learn the alphabet and the sounds they make. This was very interesting to me because I had to learn the Greek Alphabet for my sorority and quite frankly, we learned it completely wrong. In this class, we also learned about the term “greekles” which is Greek words pronounced with Latin words and phonetics. My favorite is “Thelo Freddo Espresso Parakalo” which translates to “I want a cold espresso please.” In Greek Culture, we learned about what makes Greeks who they are and their culture. Thursday night we traveled to Thermi, where we explored the Buffalo Gelato which was AMAZING! I cannot wait to go back as ice cream is one of my favorite foods.
(Buffalo Ice Cream; Group photo before in the college building)
Friday, I had my Environmental Soil Science class where the instructor showed up an hour late to class. This was crazy to me, but here it is the norm for Greeks to show up late to class. In this class, we learned about taking soil samples and what they are used for. Friday night, I flew to Tel Aviv and met three friends there.
Saturday morning, the group of us headed out for a large tour of Bethlehem, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Dead Sea. This was a very surreal and absolutely stunning tour, even in the rain. In Bethlehem, we were able to tour the church where Jesus was born. This was just breathtaking, as the church is three-in-one. To enter, you must duck down through a small door, this is to make you bow before the altar in the front. Within the church, there is the Greek Orthodox Church, Armenian Church, and the Catholic Church. They have three different mass times and it is offered morning and night. As we toured the church we were able to see many different statues, murals, and more. Unfortunately, we were not able to see the actual nativity scene as the line is on average a 4-hour wait, also the original stable is in Italy as it was previously stolen.
(Pictures in the church in Bethlehem)
The old city in Jerusalem is split into four different sections: Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Armenians. Walking from section to section it was beautiful to see how the way of life changed in each area. Each area had slightly different houses, shops, and religious places with rich history behind it all. Almost all of the shops, markets, and stores were open except in the Jewish section due to it being a religious holiday. When we were able to visit the Western Wall, I found it breathtaking to see so many people coming together to pray and honor him. In the Christian section, we were able to go to the church where Jesus was crucified and laid to death. Being here brought me to tears, as I felt an intense connection to my faith. In one day I was able to be where Jesus was born and then later where he was crucified and having that whole experience was amazing. There are no words to write how I felt and continue to feel as it was just breathtaking.
(Pictures of Bethlehem and Jerusalem; view my photography tab for more details)
After touring Bethlehem and Jerusalem, we headed to the Dead Sea where we were able to cover ourselves in the mud and float in the sea. The sea itself was beautiful and the sensation of floating without working was crazy. The mud make my skin extra soft, but after getting out and drying off the salt ended up making my skin and hair extremely dry.
(We stopped at Sea Level to take pictures; double rainbow over the Dead Sea; view of the Dead Sea where it is different colors)
On Sunday, we just walked next to the beach in the morning. The tides were huge and there were a lot of people trying to surf, I loved watching them try and catch the different waves. We then continued to walk through markets and found our way to a cute little Garden Cafe where we got brunch. Afterward, we made our way to the train station and then the airport, where we learned to make sure you have a minimum of three hours before your flight. The Israel airport has crazy thick security and it took us over an hour to get through. We definitely would have made our flight, but it ended up being delayed approximately two hours, so we had time to relax and find a bite to eat before flying back to Thessaloniki for another week of classes.
(Street Walking in Tel Aviv; Mural walking by the beach; the view of the sea)
This week began slowly but definitely ended in a whirlwind of events. I loved my very short trip to Israel, where I was able to awe at my surroundings and be inspired in my faith. I am super excited to see what this week of classes has in store for me!
- With Love, Cambrie
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