1/22/11
Lets face it. You know what I ate. This time I had hot chocolate as well. A bit bitter though. We left today for Sunio. Our purpose was to go to the temple of Poseidon. With a two-hour ride ahead of us I typed. I forgot to charge my computer last night, so I cheated to save some battery. I just opened a word document and then turned my screen off. Spelling accuracy drops a little as I didn’t know exactly where I was in the word and sentence sometimes. There were times where I would light my screen back up just so I could see what I had written. I kept getting lost in thought. You would too if you kept going by the Ionian Sea and other interesting terrain.
We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. It was all bright sun and blue sky. Of course there were some clouds, but they never covered the sun for long. The temple to Poseidon is located up on this tall cliff next to the sea. With the spectacular views of the water it made sense why the temple was built there. I admit that I took more pictures of the water than I did the temple. It had the beautiful teal color of glacial water. Reminded me of home a little bit.
When we were done taking pictures and going around the temple we all got back on the bus and went down to a beach bellow. After all it was the Mediterranean. We couldn’t just pass up this opportunity to get in the water. Most of the group went to the bathrooms to change into shorts or swimsuits behind this little restaurant. Several people sat down to eat instead. There is only one word when it comes to swimming in January. Cold. Ok I can give you another few like stupid, brave, and even ignorant. It was by no means dangerous, unless you consider that numbness is an onset of hypothermia. It took me a while to get in. I hate being cold but I love water. Getting my feet in I started to tense up. In high school I used to have to do ice baths for my calves as I would get shin splints. These actually would make me feel sick as I would create such a huge difference in body temperature between my upper body and my lower. I learned I either had to over stimulate myself with loud music or, something I discovered as a senior, get my head wet too so that the difference in temperature would be way lower. Here I did the old fashioned way. Freeze yourself bit by bit. I would wade in, go back towards shore, and then go back in a little more. After midlevel I dived in. Salty. I forgot how much salt there is in bodies of salt water - hence the name salt water. I didn’t take a mouthful or open my eyes, thank you slight intelligence, but I couldn’t help myself from licking my lips a lot. I imagine the Mediterranean is more fun when the weather is closer to 90 degrees and not sixty with a breeze. Getting out I just wanted to stand in the sun. My goal was to soak up enough sun to make up for the lack of it from December to March. Eventually a few clouds covered the sun so I went and changed.
On the ride I typed again. My battery said it would only last three hours. I made it last four and have an hour left over. I love my Mac. Best battery ever plus it runs on so little power.
In my last blog I said, “I can’t lie.” I like that expression but the truth is I like the truth and despise lying. Aristotle talks about how ethics are not innate, rather they are built by practice. If you make good moral decisions you will get pleasure out of life and happiness. By following good moral practices you become a moral being. By telling the truth, you become a more moral person and you become better at doing it. What I appreciate about truth is that it allows for making of good decisions. The truth can be painful, but knowing it allows you to do correct actions or precautions rather than blunder head long into something that creates bigger problems. I also like the truth because it supports other ethics. By knowing what the truth is about acting on your ethics you can create better outcomes and not be duped by morality. The morals of many people in the Nazi army were duped by their morality when they followed the moral of loyalty. They were loyal, but that loyalty blinded them. Had the truth been known and the question of “is this right” been asked to the group at large, I don’t think that they would’ve been duped. The truth a person is a person no matter what their race, religion, orientation, gender, or ethnicity could’ve gotten more people to act against the persecution of the Jews.
Back at the hotel most people ran once again for a gyro. At the top of the hotel the sun was wonderful. I shed my shirt and did a little reading. After finishing the Symposium I just sat in the sun and closed my eyes. Eventually the wind started to increase. I simply curled up on the wicker bench on my pad and started to doze. Eventually I turned back towards the sun again to warm my front. The wind eventually got me too cold to enjoy the sun. We were going to have class up on the roof so I ended wearing my polar fleece and down jacket as well.
Class was interesting. We finished the two Roth group summaries that were left. They were all on the Holocaust. The class conversation turned to forgiveness. There was a question Greg asked that I really wanted to write about. The problem was that I was writing down a different part of the conversation in my moleskin and lost the second question. Greg brought up how guilt is always tied to forgiveness. I don’t know if I was misunderstanding him, but I felt like he was saying that the point of forgiveness is to create guilt. I had issues with this because that ruins the point of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not done to create guilt but to release it. You can “forgive” someone to create guilt within them, but that does not really mean you forgave them as your actions were done out of spite – not true forgiveness. The word was used but not the nature of the word. We also talked about how forgiveness is a gift that we give. We don’t have to give it, but it is there to be acted on. Greg asked how forgiveness could be a gift if it had parameters. It isn’t a gift in that instance. I am not saying forgiveness is not a gift we can give, but rather that by placing parameters that require something of the offender is actually reconciliation. They are requirements that get the relationship back to where it was before the offense. The reason that forgiveness and reconciliation get mixed up, in my mind, is because they have the same result. When you forgive someone there is nothing being held against the other and one person doesn’t feel as if they have to do something to fix the relationship. Reconciliation is the same thing – only the offender has to earn it. In forgiveness, the fixed relationship is a gift where the offended lets go of the negative emotions aimed at the offender – allowing the negative feelings associated with the offended to drop from the offender. Balance is brought back either way. It is just a process of how. I feel that forgiveness with parameters for the offended though are acceptable. In order to truly forgive, with heart, soul, and mind, there needs to be a process of thought and release that the offended must go through. Sometimes it is quick and in some situations that process takes longer. Setting a parameter of time before this forgiveness can be considered helps maintain that the forgiveness is truthful. It is better to take years to reach a point where you can truly forgive someone than to make a hasty forgiveness that does not truly settle the issue inside a person, causing an eternity of negative feelings associated to one person.
After explaining one situation in which fake “forgiveness” can be used to create guilt and how it wasn’t forgiveness as the intent was wrong I wondered, is this how people master philosophy? We spew words in the hope of pulling the listeners that understand with us or to confuse the others so that they just pretend they understand and jump on the bandwagon with the few moments of clarity they had – or just because they trust the person? Creating a defense for an idea with the spoken word is much harder in one sense because you can’t always create an amazingly organized trail all the time that people can follow, especially when you get into complex ideas and have to make the trail as you go. The advantage is that most listeners can’t grasp the structure as well so the judging is a little lighter (unless the speaker is really bad). Socrates is amazing to me in this sense because, at least the way he was written, when he talks he leads people down paths of thoughts to reach good morals using logic. I feel like he knows the end point and skillfully creates all the dots to lead a person to the desired destination.
There was one point in the conversation where I saw several people nod at what Greg was saying – all I could think was are you listening to what he is saying? Cause if you were you should be shaking your head. What makes us suddenly change our mind and switch vantage points? Maybe I wasn’t yet convinced and didn’t get the one key point that made everyone else nod. Or maybe it was the just the “keep nodding and we can move on” tactic. Either way I feel like we are missing something – or I did.
Another question that was posed to us what “what are virtues?” For me virtues are positive qualities within a person that are generally held within respect by society as a whole. They are qualities that people reach for in their quest to become a better person. Now when asked the question of if there is a virtuous person I want to say no. Not because I don't believe that we can't have virtue, but when asked this question I feel like we are asked if there a completely virtuous person. I don't believe that there is, minus possibly Jesus Christ. That said I have seen people have virtuous qualities. Unconditional love, patience, and forgiveness. These qualities generally though are viewable only because of certain situations where they shine out. Because of this it is hard to see these virtues and they aren't always obvious all the time. Also we are human, and we are flawed. I find it interesting that all the Greek Gods were humanized by their lack of perfection.
I was actually quite entertained during class when someone started playing and singing “In the Jungle” off in the distance. Athens is a jungle in many ways. People going everywhere, animals roaming the streets, and graffiti that makes the buildings feel more like they are part of a dangerous forest than a civilized city. There are dogs everywhere in Athens. They run around, lounge in the sun, and they follow you everywhere until they reach the end of their territory.
We loved the first restaurant so much that we decided to come back to it again. I ordered lamb baked in clay pot. I didn’t enjoy picking around all the bones this time round but the buttered bread was good as usual. We did discover that the bread costs one euro per person – not per basket. I was glad that we demanded extra bread when the guy didn’t want to give it to us. Of course the restaurant loved us and brought us wine on the house. They really did appreciate our business considering we tipped well last time and that we have already come twice. The first time we spent nearly 500 Euro on all the amazing food. Not hard to see why they liked us. I wonder if they were trying to get us to come back again. I would go for more of that saganaki which I didn’t get this time.
We went down to the flea market but it was closed. Instead we got to see some of the more artful graffiti. I forgot to mention that I ended the previous night with gelato. That time I had a scope of pineapple and one of kiwi. Both were…I don’t know how to describe them really. I found myself caught in a position where I didn’t know if I really liked it or not. It was just so different from what I am use to with ice cream.
There have been two songs that I have heard over and over again in my room. Will will turn on the TV and flip through the channels everyday. Each time we end up at MTV. There are three songs that have played over and over. Playing God by Paramore, Animal by Neon Trees, and Grenade by Bruno Mars. Another video that caught my eye is Take That by The Flood. The reason this video stuck out is because it shows several great views of London from the water.
I just saw a great quote I thought I would share:
"The longer you wait for the future the shorter it will be."
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Ruins of Delphi, The Hurt Locker, and Sleepless in Athens
1/21/11
We had to be up early for our ride to Delphi (Del Phee). Breakfast was amazing Why - because I had yogurt and lots of honey. So good! My stomach wasn't very happy with me though. It wasn't ready to handle the large amount I was consuming, not that I was eating THAT much, but it was twice as much as normal. Our bus ride was going to take three hours. Our trip was full of history and other stories about buildings around us as we went through the city of Athens. I heard all about the battle of Marathon, Oedipus Rex, the birth of Artemis and Apollo, and how Athena came to be the god of Athens and not Poseidon. They are all interesting stories if you want to look them up, I do love mythology, but I don’t really want to retell all these stories – especially Oedipus. We stopped at a convenience store (or something to that end) and got some food. I didn't really trust the sandwiches that were in plastic so I instead got a cheese pie, which was nice and warm. It was basically a pasty or croissant crust filled with feta cheese. It was delicious, but the feta kept trying to come out all at once as I would take a bite. The rest of our trip talked about Thebes and the area around Delphi.
We kept climbing higher and higher into the mountains. I learned that Greece was 95% mountainous. (This explains why the game Zeus rarely gave so little flat ground as the missions got harder.) Up top we had stunning views, blocked slightly by mist. Delphi is known for its oracle, which was said to be possessed by Apollo. The temple of Apollo is where this oracle would giver her prophases, interpreted by the priests, every month. Almost everything at the temple to Apollo was in ruins. Greece got the short end of the stick after being a ruling country of the region for centuries. They were invades by group after group after group. This had the slight negative effect of meaning the temple got raided by each group in turn. The Turks actually took most of the statues at the temple to decorate a grand location somewhere. If the ruins weren't impressive, there was the theater, the stadium, and then there was the huge mountain we were on. The rock face was jagged and beautiful with its mix of red and grey stone. There were also the remains of a temple to Athena (I think) as well as the remains of a huge gymnasium.
At the stadium Greg talked about Aristotle. He then mentioned The Hurt Locker. I hate this movie but it has lots of ethical stuff within it. The movie is about a bomb disposal team in Iraq. Their bomb dismantler, who is supposed to take the bombs apart, is killed in the first scene of the movie. He is then replaced with a reckless guy who puts everyone in danger over and over again but effectively dismantles bombs everywhere he goes. He places the mission as his top priority and safety as his last. Not just his safety, but his life and that of his comrades. I hated this movie, partly because I don't like this kind of suspense, and because of how it goes against my ethics - my value of life. I find it ironic that I say this. This guy is risking his life to make sure that innocent people don’t get killed and yet I feel like he is going against my ethics. I guess my objections come from the fact that he is putting more people at risk by his actions than necessary. It doesn’t help that I found this guy to be stupid because of his actions and a jerk. When he finally gets sent home he is shown with his wife and little son. What I find interesting is that he has been gone for so long that he doesn’t seem to know how to act at home. Not only that but he has a drive to get back to the war. I felt like he was an adrenaline junky rather than a man motivated to keep his family safe. He told his wife that the US needs him to get rid of IEDs but I feel like that is just an excuse for him to get his high. He misuses ethics by twisting them to his own purpose instead of a greater good. Our ethics shouldn’t be used as a means to an end but an end in themselves.
After making our way back down we got to see all the artifacts that had either been too big to carry off or had been hidden away and not discovered by the many different conquerors. After the museum we checked out the small structure that used to be the other temple.
On the way back we stopped at the same rest stop. I got a Kinder Bueno Bar. Its kind of like a wafer with four cream blobs covered in chocolate. It tasted great but was even better was what Greg offered me - a bite of an oregano chip, made by Lays. SO good! I immediately went back and bought a bag for myself. I don’t remember the rest of the trip home, mainly because I passed out. After a break in the hotel we gathered for food. Gyros. That’s all we wanted. I ended up getting a pork gyro from Sabbas and a lamb gyro from the second gyro place. It’s pretty neat to be there as these guys just cut the hot meat off the vertical rotating spit of meat. I actually liked Sabbas better. I didn’t like how the second place added fries to the gyro and the bread didn’t seem to be as good. It was also 10 cents cheaper at Sabbas.
We wondered down to the flea market. I was actually sent out of two places because of my gyro – funny, I thought it was a flea market – eventually I just wrapped it up and put it in my pocket so I could go around in places. It was crazy – the extent of the content in each store. Every turn was filled with clothes, shoes, or random items. It was an experience just to go down the street. All the different people, the calls of the merchants trying to sell goods, and the graffiti added to make a captivating environment in itself. I must say that the merchants and servers here can be like jackals. They keep biting at you trying to get you to sit down at their restaurant or they follow you around in the store commenting on everything you touch or see. The servers will offer you a table even if you just walked by and turned them down ten minutes before.
On the way back I got gelato! I got two scoops, one of forest fruits (fruit with coconut) and I also had tangerine. It was delicious but came at the hefty price of 3.50. I am not sure I was completely in love with it, but it was definitely worth the experience in Greece.
I couldn’t sleep. We tried to go to bed around 9:30 but it didn’t work. I would fall into this half awake stage where I knew I wasn’t sleeping. I got up three times during the night. It was only around 10:30 the first time. Not sure about the last two. Both times I went up to the roof in only shorts and my blue pullover fleece. The first time I stayed up there just long enough to freeze. It was raining and everything was slick. The last time I came up I brought the light blanket from the end of the bed with me. People were taking pictures of themselves and the Parthenon.
I went to the backside of the roof, something I hadn’t done and wrapped myself and sat looking at it. The people came around and started pulling the benches up vertically. I knew what was going on, they were trying to get the camera high enough so that it would take a good picture. I offered to take the picture for them. They thanked me and said they had decided not to ask me because I had just wrapped myself in the blanket. They asked if I was cold and I told them not really, which was true. Only my feet were. They asked if I was an American. I told them I was and that I was from Seattle, WA. They kind of said ah, lots of rain there so you must be used to it. I told them I was actually from Montana so I was more used to the snow this time of year. The younger woman confessed she had only seen snow once, as they were from Israel. After another word of thanks they left and I curled up. I don’t know if I fell asleep or if I had just started to doze off or what. All I know is that I definitely started to shiver and was being blasted by rain and heavier winds.
Falling asleep this time was easy.
We had to be up early for our ride to Delphi (Del Phee). Breakfast was amazing Why - because I had yogurt and lots of honey. So good! My stomach wasn't very happy with me though. It wasn't ready to handle the large amount I was consuming, not that I was eating THAT much, but it was twice as much as normal. Our bus ride was going to take three hours. Our trip was full of history and other stories about buildings around us as we went through the city of Athens. I heard all about the battle of Marathon, Oedipus Rex, the birth of Artemis and Apollo, and how Athena came to be the god of Athens and not Poseidon. They are all interesting stories if you want to look them up, I do love mythology, but I don’t really want to retell all these stories – especially Oedipus. We stopped at a convenience store (or something to that end) and got some food. I didn't really trust the sandwiches that were in plastic so I instead got a cheese pie, which was nice and warm. It was basically a pasty or croissant crust filled with feta cheese. It was delicious, but the feta kept trying to come out all at once as I would take a bite. The rest of our trip talked about Thebes and the area around Delphi.
We kept climbing higher and higher into the mountains. I learned that Greece was 95% mountainous. (This explains why the game Zeus rarely gave so little flat ground as the missions got harder.) Up top we had stunning views, blocked slightly by mist. Delphi is known for its oracle, which was said to be possessed by Apollo. The temple of Apollo is where this oracle would giver her prophases, interpreted by the priests, every month. Almost everything at the temple to Apollo was in ruins. Greece got the short end of the stick after being a ruling country of the region for centuries. They were invades by group after group after group. This had the slight negative effect of meaning the temple got raided by each group in turn. The Turks actually took most of the statues at the temple to decorate a grand location somewhere. If the ruins weren't impressive, there was the theater, the stadium, and then there was the huge mountain we were on. The rock face was jagged and beautiful with its mix of red and grey stone. There were also the remains of a temple to Athena (I think) as well as the remains of a huge gymnasium.
At the stadium Greg talked about Aristotle. He then mentioned The Hurt Locker. I hate this movie but it has lots of ethical stuff within it. The movie is about a bomb disposal team in Iraq. Their bomb dismantler, who is supposed to take the bombs apart, is killed in the first scene of the movie. He is then replaced with a reckless guy who puts everyone in danger over and over again but effectively dismantles bombs everywhere he goes. He places the mission as his top priority and safety as his last. Not just his safety, but his life and that of his comrades. I hated this movie, partly because I don't like this kind of suspense, and because of how it goes against my ethics - my value of life. I find it ironic that I say this. This guy is risking his life to make sure that innocent people don’t get killed and yet I feel like he is going against my ethics. I guess my objections come from the fact that he is putting more people at risk by his actions than necessary. It doesn’t help that I found this guy to be stupid because of his actions and a jerk. When he finally gets sent home he is shown with his wife and little son. What I find interesting is that he has been gone for so long that he doesn’t seem to know how to act at home. Not only that but he has a drive to get back to the war. I felt like he was an adrenaline junky rather than a man motivated to keep his family safe. He told his wife that the US needs him to get rid of IEDs but I feel like that is just an excuse for him to get his high. He misuses ethics by twisting them to his own purpose instead of a greater good. Our ethics shouldn’t be used as a means to an end but an end in themselves.
After making our way back down we got to see all the artifacts that had either been too big to carry off or had been hidden away and not discovered by the many different conquerors. After the museum we checked out the small structure that used to be the other temple.
On the way back we stopped at the same rest stop. I got a Kinder Bueno Bar. Its kind of like a wafer with four cream blobs covered in chocolate. It tasted great but was even better was what Greg offered me - a bite of an oregano chip, made by Lays. SO good! I immediately went back and bought a bag for myself. I don’t remember the rest of the trip home, mainly because I passed out. After a break in the hotel we gathered for food. Gyros. That’s all we wanted. I ended up getting a pork gyro from Sabbas and a lamb gyro from the second gyro place. It’s pretty neat to be there as these guys just cut the hot meat off the vertical rotating spit of meat. I actually liked Sabbas better. I didn’t like how the second place added fries to the gyro and the bread didn’t seem to be as good. It was also 10 cents cheaper at Sabbas.
We wondered down to the flea market. I was actually sent out of two places because of my gyro – funny, I thought it was a flea market – eventually I just wrapped it up and put it in my pocket so I could go around in places. It was crazy – the extent of the content in each store. Every turn was filled with clothes, shoes, or random items. It was an experience just to go down the street. All the different people, the calls of the merchants trying to sell goods, and the graffiti added to make a captivating environment in itself. I must say that the merchants and servers here can be like jackals. They keep biting at you trying to get you to sit down at their restaurant or they follow you around in the store commenting on everything you touch or see. The servers will offer you a table even if you just walked by and turned them down ten minutes before.
On the way back I got gelato! I got two scoops, one of forest fruits (fruit with coconut) and I also had tangerine. It was delicious but came at the hefty price of 3.50. I am not sure I was completely in love with it, but it was definitely worth the experience in Greece.
I couldn’t sleep. We tried to go to bed around 9:30 but it didn’t work. I would fall into this half awake stage where I knew I wasn’t sleeping. I got up three times during the night. It was only around 10:30 the first time. Not sure about the last two. Both times I went up to the roof in only shorts and my blue pullover fleece. The first time I stayed up there just long enough to freeze. It was raining and everything was slick. The last time I came up I brought the light blanket from the end of the bed with me. People were taking pictures of themselves and the Parthenon.
I went to the backside of the roof, something I hadn’t done and wrapped myself and sat looking at it. The people came around and started pulling the benches up vertically. I knew what was going on, they were trying to get the camera high enough so that it would take a good picture. I offered to take the picture for them. They thanked me and said they had decided not to ask me because I had just wrapped myself in the blanket. They asked if I was cold and I told them not really, which was true. Only my feet were. They asked if I was an American. I told them I was and that I was from Seattle, WA. They kind of said ah, lots of rain there so you must be used to it. I told them I was actually from Montana so I was more used to the snow this time of year. The younger woman confessed she had only seen snow once, as they were from Israel. After another word of thanks they left and I curled up. I don’t know if I fell asleep or if I had just started to doze off or what. All I know is that I definitely started to shiver and was being blasted by rain and heavier winds.
Falling asleep this time was easy.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Parthenon, The First Rule, and The Gyro
1/20
Breakfast time rolled around. You want to know what I ate? Yogurt with honey. Our first morning was dedicated to the acropolis. We were going to get up early but our late night up top of the hotel made Greg change the time until later. The journey up was pretty short as our hotel was so close. Today it became extremely clear that there was a huge graffiti problem. Everywhere there was something on the walls, buildings, and every other flat surface. You couldn't walk ten feet without running into something sprayed. We followed a road up that was paved on the right and had stone on the left. The stone was the original road. It was tiny. Maybe enough room for three people abreast. The closer we got the larger the Parthenon grew and the larger the city seemed to become as we gained a better vantage point of the city. Walking up to the first building we were greeted by the noise of a jackhammer. These guys were taking apart some concrete reinforced with rebar. No idea what it was, but it was disconcerting to have people destroying something right next to the ancient building. It was pretty impressive with all the marble pillars. Walking through this building we were greeted by the view of the Parthenon...with scaffolding.
Apparently for the last 12 years or so they have been trying to restore the building to its past grandeur. Even with all the pipes and men working it was a sight to see. There was another building, the one I could see from my hotel room, but I never heard its name either. The backside of it was closest to the Parthenon had four statues as pillars. They were women in long dresses with a cylinder something sitting on there heads. All along the edge of the acropolis stood a tall wall. The wall was at least forty feet tall. Four feet of that wall went up to make sure we didn’t fall off the edge of the acropolis. The view was spectacular. It felt like we could see almost everything - city sprawl as the buildings climbed up the hillsides and even the compact buildings down by our hotel. It was neat that we could pick out our hotel. Made me found of the view we had once again. We went down to the theater of H something...which was impressive in itself. This theater would've had a spectacular view if it wasn't for the columns and structure that served as the changing area for the actors. I actually found a postcard where the theater was in use, but it wasn’t open for us to walk to. We kept going until we hit the theater of Dionysus. This one was smaller but was great because we could walk amount the seating. We weren't allowed into the orchestra spot, the half circle that was left open at the bottom level, probably in an attempt to help protect the sculptures in the front stage area carved into this short wall that served as the back of the orchestra. We passed ruins and more ruins on our way down hill.
We eventually turned around and headed back up. Our group accidentally split, a huge portion heading to the right and another small group with me headed to the left. My small group went to the Roman agora. The Roman’s had built it in an effort to try to get everyone to shop there instead of the old agora that had been used for centuries. The ground was mostly dirt now but it used to be completely lined with stone. A few pieces could be seen, conveying what an impressive sight it would be to see completely covered in marble. There were only a few columns that had been put back up on one side. The rest were in ruins. A few statues, and the two big column and triangular topped entrance buildings stood as well.
My group came back to the hotel. I thought everyone was going to keep on going to the temple of Zeus as several people had stated an interest in going. Boy, was I ever wrong. I asked the group if anyone wanted to keep going or at lest get food. Carianna was the only one to respond back an. Saying she would be willing to get food in a little bit. I asked her how long a little bit was. I loved that she was honest with me - she said a few hours. Its better to have information than to have no idea what is going on.
I can't pretend that I was a little annoyed. I was starting to really hate rule number one - don't go off alone anywhere. It makes sense, but I still feel like I am an adult. When it comes to ethical choices what should we choose: Free will or safety? What did Greg value the most? Safety. When it comes to ethics I think that Greg had the right decision. I love being able to go do what I want and when I want, especially when people are just vegging out, but this freedom is obviously a bit crucial to make people happy and the trip enjoyable. Had I been able to go off by myself I would've been able to have a better cultural experience. But what is happiness, and freedom, if you can't live to have it? Its not highly likely that I would get seriously injured, die or get kidnapped - but what is that risk worth? Greg’s rule insures one thing, that we don't get it trouble and that our safety is not endangered. If we are endangered in some way, at least we have someone to help us out when we are with a buddy. Revoking that freedom I have for the value of safety, in this instance, is ethical. I would rather have a short-term unhappiness than a long-term expense or consequence. (Does death count as long term?) I could totally see myself being hit by a moped in thon the sidewalk if I was by myself and going to the hospital would've been fun. I would’ve hated to have to call the hotel to pass on a message to Greg.
A car in Greece actually hit my aunt when she was younger. Now you can see why I am a bit weary of the cars and even the bus divers. I definitively understand why it is Greek law to be buckled up in buses.
One classmate arrived while I was sitting in the lobby reading my book in an attempt to distract myself from the desire to just run out because of my annoyance. I picked this spot so that I could go out with the first classmate heading out of the hotel. I waited downstairs for them to get some more money from their room. Then we went and wondered up to our meeting place for tours, which was next to a post office and looked at a sandwich shop that Greg had suggested. Almost got one, but then we decided to keep moving because it was a bit crazy in there. I know I wasn’t sure how I was going to order and the chaos of it all didn’t really make me want to blunder my way through. I had been starving when we first got to the hotel but it seemed my digestive system was shutting down since I hadn't fed it. We almost bought oranges from this little fruit cart in a little square but you had to buy it by the kilo. As good as I hear the oranges are, I didn't want 2.2 pounds of fruit. We wondered down the flea market that started right at the corner of the square. There were lots of places with clothes, Greek pottery and the other touristy shops. There were also shops dedicated just to backgammon boards that doubled as chessboards. I really liked them. I am still trying to decide if I want to get one. As we made our way back to the hotel I found a gift for my sister but she will have to wait to find out what that is.
Once at the hotel and I took my spot on the couch again, waiting once more for the next person on their way out. I joined Professor Johnson on his trip to get a gyro (euro). The best food in Greece is the gyro. I don't know what it is about them that makes them so good but...ok I lied. I do. I loved the hot pita bread. America 's pita bread is too thick and tough. These things here are soft, pliable, and oh so pleasantly hot. The pork and tzatziki sauce coupled nicely with the slices of tomato. The pork juice, tomato, and melted tzatziki drip just a bit at the bottom of the pita and the tzatziki tends to get stuck to one side so you have to bite one side in a large clump. Other than that, perfect. We passed a group on their way back. Everyone had a gyro. We told everyone we would meet them back on top of the hotel. After ordering we realized that we had started at the wrong end of the Gyro line. The guy gave us our orders and then told us to go pay. The man at the cash register was annoyed with the guy who served us and said something in Greek. It was only then that we noticed people giving their receipts to the guy serving food. Felt slightly guilty about making a stupid American mistake that showed a lack of culture awareness. The day was beautiful on top of the hotel. The acropolis was just as neat looking in the day as the night, but I felt like it was more majestic in the night. I wonder what it used to look like when it was lit up by fires instead of large floodlights. I ended up doing some of my reading in the sun. Eventually smoke from people and the cooling day drove me back below to my room to type. We met up for dinner and headed off to some place that Greg had gone before. Don't remember the name at all, I ordered the night’s special of chicken in wine sauce. The chicken was nothing spectacular, but it was good. It had a great golden brown color and the skin was the perfect mix of crisp and moist. I actually pulled the leg off when I was trying to just get the drumstick. The meat was tender and moist. The rice that came along with my dish was flavored - I think it was cooked with tomatoes, mushroom, and bell pepper. Not really sure what else. It also had a fair share of grease at the bottom of it. Maybe it had some sort of meat too it as well. All I know is that I enjoyed it a lot. We gathered once again on the rooftop. It wasn't until the smoke from all the cigars started to be blown my way that I left my beautiful view.
Breakfast time rolled around. You want to know what I ate? Yogurt with honey. Our first morning was dedicated to the acropolis. We were going to get up early but our late night up top of the hotel made Greg change the time until later. The journey up was pretty short as our hotel was so close. Today it became extremely clear that there was a huge graffiti problem. Everywhere there was something on the walls, buildings, and every other flat surface. You couldn't walk ten feet without running into something sprayed. We followed a road up that was paved on the right and had stone on the left. The stone was the original road. It was tiny. Maybe enough room for three people abreast. The closer we got the larger the Parthenon grew and the larger the city seemed to become as we gained a better vantage point of the city. Walking up to the first building we were greeted by the noise of a jackhammer. These guys were taking apart some concrete reinforced with rebar. No idea what it was, but it was disconcerting to have people destroying something right next to the ancient building. It was pretty impressive with all the marble pillars. Walking through this building we were greeted by the view of the Parthenon...with scaffolding.
Apparently for the last 12 years or so they have been trying to restore the building to its past grandeur. Even with all the pipes and men working it was a sight to see. There was another building, the one I could see from my hotel room, but I never heard its name either. The backside of it was closest to the Parthenon had four statues as pillars. They were women in long dresses with a cylinder something sitting on there heads. All along the edge of the acropolis stood a tall wall. The wall was at least forty feet tall. Four feet of that wall went up to make sure we didn’t fall off the edge of the acropolis. The view was spectacular. It felt like we could see almost everything - city sprawl as the buildings climbed up the hillsides and even the compact buildings down by our hotel. It was neat that we could pick out our hotel. Made me found of the view we had once again. We went down to the theater of H something...which was impressive in itself. This theater would've had a spectacular view if it wasn't for the columns and structure that served as the changing area for the actors. I actually found a postcard where the theater was in use, but it wasn’t open for us to walk to. We kept going until we hit the theater of Dionysus. This one was smaller but was great because we could walk amount the seating. We weren't allowed into the orchestra spot, the half circle that was left open at the bottom level, probably in an attempt to help protect the sculptures in the front stage area carved into this short wall that served as the back of the orchestra. We passed ruins and more ruins on our way down hill.
We eventually turned around and headed back up. Our group accidentally split, a huge portion heading to the right and another small group with me headed to the left. My small group went to the Roman agora. The Roman’s had built it in an effort to try to get everyone to shop there instead of the old agora that had been used for centuries. The ground was mostly dirt now but it used to be completely lined with stone. A few pieces could be seen, conveying what an impressive sight it would be to see completely covered in marble. There were only a few columns that had been put back up on one side. The rest were in ruins. A few statues, and the two big column and triangular topped entrance buildings stood as well.
My group came back to the hotel. I thought everyone was going to keep on going to the temple of Zeus as several people had stated an interest in going. Boy, was I ever wrong. I asked the group if anyone wanted to keep going or at lest get food. Carianna was the only one to respond back an. Saying she would be willing to get food in a little bit. I asked her how long a little bit was. I loved that she was honest with me - she said a few hours. Its better to have information than to have no idea what is going on.
I can't pretend that I was a little annoyed. I was starting to really hate rule number one - don't go off alone anywhere. It makes sense, but I still feel like I am an adult. When it comes to ethical choices what should we choose: Free will or safety? What did Greg value the most? Safety. When it comes to ethics I think that Greg had the right decision. I love being able to go do what I want and when I want, especially when people are just vegging out, but this freedom is obviously a bit crucial to make people happy and the trip enjoyable. Had I been able to go off by myself I would've been able to have a better cultural experience. But what is happiness, and freedom, if you can't live to have it? Its not highly likely that I would get seriously injured, die or get kidnapped - but what is that risk worth? Greg’s rule insures one thing, that we don't get it trouble and that our safety is not endangered. If we are endangered in some way, at least we have someone to help us out when we are with a buddy. Revoking that freedom I have for the value of safety, in this instance, is ethical. I would rather have a short-term unhappiness than a long-term expense or consequence. (Does death count as long term?) I could totally see myself being hit by a moped in thon the sidewalk if I was by myself and going to the hospital would've been fun. I would’ve hated to have to call the hotel to pass on a message to Greg.
A car in Greece actually hit my aunt when she was younger. Now you can see why I am a bit weary of the cars and even the bus divers. I definitively understand why it is Greek law to be buckled up in buses.
One classmate arrived while I was sitting in the lobby reading my book in an attempt to distract myself from the desire to just run out because of my annoyance. I picked this spot so that I could go out with the first classmate heading out of the hotel. I waited downstairs for them to get some more money from their room. Then we went and wondered up to our meeting place for tours, which was next to a post office and looked at a sandwich shop that Greg had suggested. Almost got one, but then we decided to keep moving because it was a bit crazy in there. I know I wasn’t sure how I was going to order and the chaos of it all didn’t really make me want to blunder my way through. I had been starving when we first got to the hotel but it seemed my digestive system was shutting down since I hadn't fed it. We almost bought oranges from this little fruit cart in a little square but you had to buy it by the kilo. As good as I hear the oranges are, I didn't want 2.2 pounds of fruit. We wondered down the flea market that started right at the corner of the square. There were lots of places with clothes, Greek pottery and the other touristy shops. There were also shops dedicated just to backgammon boards that doubled as chessboards. I really liked them. I am still trying to decide if I want to get one. As we made our way back to the hotel I found a gift for my sister but she will have to wait to find out what that is.
Once at the hotel and I took my spot on the couch again, waiting once more for the next person on their way out. I joined Professor Johnson on his trip to get a gyro (euro). The best food in Greece is the gyro. I don't know what it is about them that makes them so good but...ok I lied. I do. I loved the hot pita bread. America 's pita bread is too thick and tough. These things here are soft, pliable, and oh so pleasantly hot. The pork and tzatziki sauce coupled nicely with the slices of tomato. The pork juice, tomato, and melted tzatziki drip just a bit at the bottom of the pita and the tzatziki tends to get stuck to one side so you have to bite one side in a large clump. Other than that, perfect. We passed a group on their way back. Everyone had a gyro. We told everyone we would meet them back on top of the hotel. After ordering we realized that we had started at the wrong end of the Gyro line. The guy gave us our orders and then told us to go pay. The man at the cash register was annoyed with the guy who served us and said something in Greek. It was only then that we noticed people giving their receipts to the guy serving food. Felt slightly guilty about making a stupid American mistake that showed a lack of culture awareness. The day was beautiful on top of the hotel. The acropolis was just as neat looking in the day as the night, but I felt like it was more majestic in the night. I wonder what it used to look like when it was lit up by fires instead of large floodlights. I ended up doing some of my reading in the sun. Eventually smoke from people and the cooling day drove me back below to my room to type. We met up for dinner and headed off to some place that Greg had gone before. Don't remember the name at all, I ordered the night’s special of chicken in wine sauce. The chicken was nothing spectacular, but it was good. It had a great golden brown color and the skin was the perfect mix of crisp and moist. I actually pulled the leg off when I was trying to just get the drumstick. The meat was tender and moist. The rice that came along with my dish was flavored - I think it was cooked with tomatoes, mushroom, and bell pepper. Not really sure what else. It also had a fair share of grease at the bottom of it. Maybe it had some sort of meat too it as well. All I know is that I enjoyed it a lot. We gathered once again on the rooftop. It wasn't until the smoke from all the cigars started to be blown my way that I left my beautiful view.
Flying to the best view ever - with the best food ever.
1/19/10
Today we flew to Athens. I had a bit of a scare along the way. I thought I had everything, but really I somehow left my Bose headphone case at the Starbucks we went to. With my iPod. With tickets. With my passport. Just a slight scare, it was there though so no worries. What was scary was the price we paid at Starbucks. I spend the equivalent of five bucks on a caramel cream frappachino. I can't lie…it was wonderful. Tasted just like a caramel milkshake with a bit of ice. I have been avoiding any meal or place that screams American until this point. I caved when I tasted Carianna's. I managed to finish the last of Trials during that time.
There were also beautiful clouds that distracted me from my book. THEY'RE SO FLUFFY I COULD DIE! The sunset added a beautiful touch, although I was on the moon side of the plane so I took a few pictures. Driving into Athens was an experience in itself. People are crazy drivers here in Greece! The bus would come within inches (or just one) of hitting cars, trees, and other objects near the road. Of course there was also the view of Athens. It was an endless sprawl of buildings in every direction.
We were dropped off in the main square of Athens, the one where everyone riots and protests when there are problems. Great location right? Actually, it is. We followed a road down to the Hotel Plaka. I have been in an elevator three times this trip. My room is on the 3rd floor. The catch is that there is a mezzanine before the first floor, so I was really on the fourth. Will and I carried our bags up to the room. It was larger than our last two, with the exception of the bathroom, which was pretty small. They definitely managed to compact everything. The toilet has a flush where you pull up on this knob on top and then push down when you want it to stop flushing. We had a balcony so we rushed out there. We could see the acropolis and one of the buildings on top - not the Parthenon. We then decided to go on the roof. As you have seen two posts ago, amazing view! This view alone is worth the expense of this wonderful trip.
We met in the lobby to go to dinner. I can't even type the name of the place because of the symbols. It was something like Tuo Yappa (with the Y having three prongs on top and the last a had an accent). Oh my goodness was the food amazing! We started out with a Greek salad - tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, capers, and olives. I feel like I am missing something...oh yeah! It had a block of feta cheese on top! The flavors combined nicely but the olives and capers were way to strong for me. I am glad I only took a small piece of an olive instead of the whole thing. Made that mistake with two capers at once. Complete salt blast. We next had tzatziki sauce, a kind of spiced yogurt sauce. We dipped fried zucchini into it and bread. There was also herb butter. Of course I was sold the second I heard butter, but the herbs added a nice touch to the flavor. After that came saganaki - fried cheese. I use to do this as a kid. I would heat up a frying pan and cook little pieces of cheese. Greasy…yes. Delicious…even more so. Same thing with the Saganaki, only this was a small block of cheese and covered in lemon juice. We loved it so much each table made another order on top of the two we had already had. We also got some green weed. Ok it wasn't a weed, but this plan reminded me of seaweed because of its look. We covered it in lemon juice and olive oil. I ordered Ambelourgou Lamb. They basically take a lamb steak and stuff the center with garlic and some sort of cheese. It was so good, but it definitely had the strongest lamb flavor I have yet had in my life. Something about it makes me not want to eat it while another part of me wants to keep munching away. I wonder if I am having a subconscious problem with eating a baby sheep.... The last thing we had for desert was yogurt with honey and walnut pieces. This may have been a highlight. Not because it was the best dish but because Greg said that it would be served at breakfast everywhere. The yogurt is thick, closer to sour cream in consistency. It fluffs (FLUFFY!) up when you mix the honey in.
Returning to the hotel we all gathered at the top of the hotel. It was amazing to spend all my time typing up there - look up and there the Parthenon was on the acropolis. This is what we had for our view. I can get over how amazing it is and how lucking we are to have this hotel. Every chance I get, I am going to come up there to type.
Today we flew to Athens. I had a bit of a scare along the way. I thought I had everything, but really I somehow left my Bose headphone case at the Starbucks we went to. With my iPod. With tickets. With my passport. Just a slight scare, it was there though so no worries. What was scary was the price we paid at Starbucks. I spend the equivalent of five bucks on a caramel cream frappachino. I can't lie…it was wonderful. Tasted just like a caramel milkshake with a bit of ice. I have been avoiding any meal or place that screams American until this point. I caved when I tasted Carianna's. I managed to finish the last of Trials during that time.
There were also beautiful clouds that distracted me from my book. THEY'RE SO FLUFFY I COULD DIE! The sunset added a beautiful touch, although I was on the moon side of the plane so I took a few pictures. Driving into Athens was an experience in itself. People are crazy drivers here in Greece! The bus would come within inches (or just one) of hitting cars, trees, and other objects near the road. Of course there was also the view of Athens. It was an endless sprawl of buildings in every direction.
We were dropped off in the main square of Athens, the one where everyone riots and protests when there are problems. Great location right? Actually, it is. We followed a road down to the Hotel Plaka. I have been in an elevator three times this trip. My room is on the 3rd floor. The catch is that there is a mezzanine before the first floor, so I was really on the fourth. Will and I carried our bags up to the room. It was larger than our last two, with the exception of the bathroom, which was pretty small. They definitely managed to compact everything. The toilet has a flush where you pull up on this knob on top and then push down when you want it to stop flushing. We had a balcony so we rushed out there. We could see the acropolis and one of the buildings on top - not the Parthenon. We then decided to go on the roof. As you have seen two posts ago, amazing view! This view alone is worth the expense of this wonderful trip.
We met in the lobby to go to dinner. I can't even type the name of the place because of the symbols. It was something like Tuo Yappa (with the Y having three prongs on top and the last a had an accent). Oh my goodness was the food amazing! We started out with a Greek salad - tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, capers, and olives. I feel like I am missing something...oh yeah! It had a block of feta cheese on top! The flavors combined nicely but the olives and capers were way to strong for me. I am glad I only took a small piece of an olive instead of the whole thing. Made that mistake with two capers at once. Complete salt blast. We next had tzatziki sauce, a kind of spiced yogurt sauce. We dipped fried zucchini into it and bread. There was also herb butter. Of course I was sold the second I heard butter, but the herbs added a nice touch to the flavor. After that came saganaki - fried cheese. I use to do this as a kid. I would heat up a frying pan and cook little pieces of cheese. Greasy…yes. Delicious…even more so. Same thing with the Saganaki, only this was a small block of cheese and covered in lemon juice. We loved it so much each table made another order on top of the two we had already had. We also got some green weed. Ok it wasn't a weed, but this plan reminded me of seaweed because of its look. We covered it in lemon juice and olive oil. I ordered Ambelourgou Lamb. They basically take a lamb steak and stuff the center with garlic and some sort of cheese. It was so good, but it definitely had the strongest lamb flavor I have yet had in my life. Something about it makes me not want to eat it while another part of me wants to keep munching away. I wonder if I am having a subconscious problem with eating a baby sheep.... The last thing we had for desert was yogurt with honey and walnut pieces. This may have been a highlight. Not because it was the best dish but because Greg said that it would be served at breakfast everywhere. The yogurt is thick, closer to sour cream in consistency. It fluffs (FLUFFY!) up when you mix the honey in.
Returning to the hotel we all gathered at the top of the hotel. It was amazing to spend all my time typing up there - look up and there the Parthenon was on the acropolis. This is what we had for our view. I can get over how amazing it is and how lucking we are to have this hotel. Every chance I get, I am going to come up there to type.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Grey Zones, Leaving My Mark, and Dog Smell is Universal
If you missed the last post please scroll down - I have an epic picture for you!
1/18/10
Shower. Best thing to start the day. The bathroom has a tub you have to climb into just to shower. Life would've been fun if I had slipped and fallen. I did a quick run to the bank with Will. I ended up getting change for a five, two Euros and a one. The woman at the desk handed me what looked like a hotel card with a magnetic strip and directed me to an automatic machine. I inserted the card and the machine spat out my coins one at a time. I wanted the woman just to hand me money, but it actually makes sense to use the machine. The tellers no longer have large amounts of money as it is all locked away behind a giant machine.
The whole group did a laundry run. I struggled through some of the trials and actually left my mark on at the laundry mat - permanent mark. My jeans have a metal piece on the back right pocket. It is actually kind of neat as it has a carving that can either be taken as a rabbit or a whale. The problem is that it is on the left side of my pocket...directly where I sit. Most of the time it doesn't bug me but sometimes it kind of stabs. This time I was lounging on the wooden bench in the laundry mat. I slid my legs forward so that I lounge even more. I slid too far down so I sat back up and slid down again. I heard an odd noise through my headphones this time. I took my headphones off. Eventually I was too far and so I repeated the process, this time clearly hearing the grating sound that was now coming from under me. I looked under my...butt...where I located three huge gouges marks along the bench. I felt bad that I had been the first one to really scrape up the bench. I tried just to sit normally. Took a lot of effort. Clearly I have been spending too much of my time lying on floors with only my head leaning against the wall. I have a horrible feeling that my posture is going to give me a beating as I try to sit in chair properly at school.
There was this dog in the building. He, I am guessing, was happy, wonderful, and loved to be petted. When he left it was oddly comforting to realize that he smelled the same as all other dogs. Nothing like the good old universal dog smell.
Walking back there was a car crash. A taxi was driving crazy and a porch was backing up. The taxi honked and swerved left but the pourche didn’t stop. It slammed its back left corner into the taxi's side. It made such a huge noise for so little damage though.
We gathered later to go out. The girls split from us the second they found a woman's H&M leaving us guys to wonder. We went to H&M, a sports shop, LEGO, several tourist shops, and a few other random places. We heard Under the Sea played by a Jamaican looking guy on a marimba.
In class we started talking about Grey Zones of ethics. It is sort of like virtues becoming vices. The difference is that your ethics may force you to do something less ethical, leaving you with less faith in the ethics that you had. There is one situation I have had to face a lot in Germany - the homeless or crippled. People would walk around, with their leg bent in at a 30-degree angle or unable to move around more than three feet in the air because they couldn't support themselves higher. Some were less handicapped. The double bind is do you help? This may seem like a stupid question. Of course my heart screams yes but my head wonders if I should. By giving to these people so that they can survive I wonder if the money will be used for things I don't support and that will not help their survival - often cigarettes or alcohol. I have had this happened in Canada. I went running early one morning before my choir was going to perform at All North West in Vancouver BC. I ran into a guy who asked for money as he sat in the doorway of a 7/11. I told him no but I would get him something to eat. He said no. I asked if he was sure. He changed his mind and asked for a few candy bars. I got him a sandwich. Did he start eating it? Yes. Was it what he would've spent his money on? No. When placed in a situation where you don't know if the person is going to spend the money the way you want it to be spent it is better to just get them what they need (to survive), fulfilling your desire to improve their life. Kant would argue that I am wrong, as no matter what my intentions were they are led by good will, making my actions good within themselves. I would argue that he has made the actions good, but that does not deny the fact that my good actions can produce bad results. This is the problem of that Grey Zone. I have given money to several people, but when there is doubt I have trouble acting. I don't want the bad results - even if my actions are good. I can't completely trust that my actions won't lead to bad things. I can only hope that what I do can make a difference for these people.
The first time I had this concept of a grey zone was actually in an RPG (roll playing game). You act as a character in the game and the actions that you choose creates how good or bad you character becomes. A beggar comes to you asking for money. You can either give him money or call him scum and scare him off. If you give him money he goes off to buy food. Realizing he has money other beggars beat him to death to steal the money, as they are so desperate. When you choose to meanly scare him off he doesn't attract the attention that causes his death. Knowing what happens in both choices, I actually decided to scare him off, making my character more "evil." My actions were bad, but the results were harmless compared to an act of compassion that causes death. Funny how random things stick with you and influence your life. I assume the world isn't that bad that the people I give a coin to won't get mugged. It just makes me a little aware that we don't know the consequence of our good actions sometimes.
We had dinner at the same cafe that we first went to. Its name is Schuarzes cafe...or something like that. I once again ordered milk, to the laughter of me classmates, and a Germany style noodle dish. It was the same poufy noodles as last time, but there was a completely different sauce. Can't really explain it. It was a wonderful night though because the place gave us water!
Clean room. Pack. Shower.
We had a mini party downstairs in one of the kid’s rooms. People were smoking cigars on the balcony with the door mostly shut but we could smell it from outside the room. I stayed for a bit but eventually the smoke drove me away. I typed for an hour in my bed. With Will not back I decided I should just pass out.
1/18/10
Shower. Best thing to start the day. The bathroom has a tub you have to climb into just to shower. Life would've been fun if I had slipped and fallen. I did a quick run to the bank with Will. I ended up getting change for a five, two Euros and a one. The woman at the desk handed me what looked like a hotel card with a magnetic strip and directed me to an automatic machine. I inserted the card and the machine spat out my coins one at a time. I wanted the woman just to hand me money, but it actually makes sense to use the machine. The tellers no longer have large amounts of money as it is all locked away behind a giant machine.
The whole group did a laundry run. I struggled through some of the trials and actually left my mark on at the laundry mat - permanent mark. My jeans have a metal piece on the back right pocket. It is actually kind of neat as it has a carving that can either be taken as a rabbit or a whale. The problem is that it is on the left side of my pocket...directly where I sit. Most of the time it doesn't bug me but sometimes it kind of stabs. This time I was lounging on the wooden bench in the laundry mat. I slid my legs forward so that I lounge even more. I slid too far down so I sat back up and slid down again. I heard an odd noise through my headphones this time. I took my headphones off. Eventually I was too far and so I repeated the process, this time clearly hearing the grating sound that was now coming from under me. I looked under my...butt...where I located three huge gouges marks along the bench. I felt bad that I had been the first one to really scrape up the bench. I tried just to sit normally. Took a lot of effort. Clearly I have been spending too much of my time lying on floors with only my head leaning against the wall. I have a horrible feeling that my posture is going to give me a beating as I try to sit in chair properly at school.
There was this dog in the building. He, I am guessing, was happy, wonderful, and loved to be petted. When he left it was oddly comforting to realize that he smelled the same as all other dogs. Nothing like the good old universal dog smell.
Walking back there was a car crash. A taxi was driving crazy and a porch was backing up. The taxi honked and swerved left but the pourche didn’t stop. It slammed its back left corner into the taxi's side. It made such a huge noise for so little damage though.
We gathered later to go out. The girls split from us the second they found a woman's H&M leaving us guys to wonder. We went to H&M, a sports shop, LEGO, several tourist shops, and a few other random places. We heard Under the Sea played by a Jamaican looking guy on a marimba.
In class we started talking about Grey Zones of ethics. It is sort of like virtues becoming vices. The difference is that your ethics may force you to do something less ethical, leaving you with less faith in the ethics that you had. There is one situation I have had to face a lot in Germany - the homeless or crippled. People would walk around, with their leg bent in at a 30-degree angle or unable to move around more than three feet in the air because they couldn't support themselves higher. Some were less handicapped. The double bind is do you help? This may seem like a stupid question. Of course my heart screams yes but my head wonders if I should. By giving to these people so that they can survive I wonder if the money will be used for things I don't support and that will not help their survival - often cigarettes or alcohol. I have had this happened in Canada. I went running early one morning before my choir was going to perform at All North West in Vancouver BC. I ran into a guy who asked for money as he sat in the doorway of a 7/11. I told him no but I would get him something to eat. He said no. I asked if he was sure. He changed his mind and asked for a few candy bars. I got him a sandwich. Did he start eating it? Yes. Was it what he would've spent his money on? No. When placed in a situation where you don't know if the person is going to spend the money the way you want it to be spent it is better to just get them what they need (to survive), fulfilling your desire to improve their life. Kant would argue that I am wrong, as no matter what my intentions were they are led by good will, making my actions good within themselves. I would argue that he has made the actions good, but that does not deny the fact that my good actions can produce bad results. This is the problem of that Grey Zone. I have given money to several people, but when there is doubt I have trouble acting. I don't want the bad results - even if my actions are good. I can't completely trust that my actions won't lead to bad things. I can only hope that what I do can make a difference for these people.
The first time I had this concept of a grey zone was actually in an RPG (roll playing game). You act as a character in the game and the actions that you choose creates how good or bad you character becomes. A beggar comes to you asking for money. You can either give him money or call him scum and scare him off. If you give him money he goes off to buy food. Realizing he has money other beggars beat him to death to steal the money, as they are so desperate. When you choose to meanly scare him off he doesn't attract the attention that causes his death. Knowing what happens in both choices, I actually decided to scare him off, making my character more "evil." My actions were bad, but the results were harmless compared to an act of compassion that causes death. Funny how random things stick with you and influence your life. I assume the world isn't that bad that the people I give a coin to won't get mugged. It just makes me a little aware that we don't know the consequence of our good actions sometimes.
We had dinner at the same cafe that we first went to. Its name is Schuarzes cafe...or something like that. I once again ordered milk, to the laughter of me classmates, and a Germany style noodle dish. It was the same poufy noodles as last time, but there was a completely different sauce. Can't really explain it. It was a wonderful night though because the place gave us water!
Clean room. Pack. Shower.
We had a mini party downstairs in one of the kid’s rooms. People were smoking cigars on the balcony with the door mostly shut but we could smell it from outside the room. I stayed for a bit but eventually the smoke drove me away. I typed for an hour in my bed. With Will not back I decided I should just pass out.
The Holocaust Tower, Fight Reason to Love, and the Best View Ever
Ok, ok, I admit that I write in the first person even when its not "today" - I have been falling behind in my writing. The real today (1/19) though needs a comment as I write this. We have arrived at the Hotel Plaka (I think that is the spelling). Poking my head out of my bedroom window I had a view of the Acropolis. Upstairs, on the 7th floor (really the 8th) I had the best view ever. I plan on doing all my typing every night to this view. I will now return to my present tense of the past
1/17/10
Apparently going to bed early last night didn't help Will much, as I woke him five times during the night...walking to the bus I past the store Butler, a cooking store. I have seen it both in England, Germany and Greece (slight time slip). I really want to go in one sometime. The bus ride was painless, taking us close to the Jewish museum. This was an unexpected experience. When I first got in the exhibit I was actually really confused. I guess I was expecting the force and power of the concentration camp for some reasons. The first thing I was reading was about a successful family business. Didn't get the point. I actually got board and moved away from the family story. I ended up reading on a computer, mainly about stereotypes of Jews and where they came from but a little section on Albert Einstein. He is culturally Jewish but not religiously - despite this fact he was asked to be the first president of Israel. The rich money lending stereotype actually comes because the fact that Christians controlled many of the work guilds in Europe and refused entrance to the Jews. They turned to money lending because it was one of the few things they could do. Ironically, the Christians borrowed from the grudgingly because the economy needed money lending - also Christians weren't allowed to lend money for profit.
The building was interestingly designed. Hallways were slanted and a slight gradient. I was walking up this one hallway reading stories about objects, each attached to a single person. Eventually I ran into a toy figure, white made with carved wood. It belonged to a woman who owned the figure when she was younger. She was sent away to a concentration camp. She survived but was having a hard time. It was this figure, which she found again, that gave her strength to keep going. It is amazing how we can find something or someone in our lives that can hold great meaning and give us the power or inspiration to do something. What is crazy is that often these objects are nothing amazing, they are often commonplace objects. (sorry, lots my train of thought. We are playing "Bad Romance" and have a great view of the Acropolis) If we look at Mill and pleasure, the pleasure gained from high facilities is more worthwhile than ones based on lower, physical, facilities. An object that is so commonplace but brings such happiness and pleasure clearly must lean to the higher facilities, bringing the strongest of pleasures. Nietzsche argues that pleasure is all about sensations of power. You could argue two different sides about the toy figure. At first I was thinking that Nietzsche was completely wrong. These are commonplace objects. They are not objects of power such as a gun or gold. Looking up at the Parthenon, I realized that I was wrong. Not every object must be considered universally powerful to be filled with power to an individual. These objects of attachment can empower people far beyond anything we would normally consider empowering, bringing the greatest pleasure to the people who find them. That said, these types of items can also bring great sadness of horrible memories or painful thoughts of happier times. Not exactly empowering. The hope that these items can bring though is great.
After reading about the toy figure I actually went into the Holocaust tower alone. The tower was freezing. It was a triangular cement room with giant walls. There was a single slit at the top corner, shedding light down. A ladder was just out of reach. I could understand the connection to a concentration camp where you were so close to getting out and yet not. There were cracks and holes in the walls, hinting at the possible chance to get out but no real hope as you looked at the rest of the concrete. The door that I had entered in from was thick, heavy, and difficult to open. It gave the feeling of closing you in. I wasn't in the tower for a terribly long time, but I was starting to freeze: soul, mind and body. Voices and noise of the city was there, providing a surreal feeling of being locked away with no hope. Yet I suffered nothing. Nothing compared to the horrible conditions people - estranged from society - had to live through or died as a result of. I can't imagine the difficulty that these people went through.
Another empty room held what the architect called "voids." These huge empty spaces, like the tower, resonated the strongest feelings with me. One of them was huge and tall. On the ground lay 10,000 faces cut out of metal. The faces stood for the people who had to live and die with all the suffering.
Leaving the museum after two hours we went towards Checkpoint Charlie. It was interesting to see where the divide had been between Berlin. There was a great sandwich shop near there. Absolutely wonderful. I guess I am not really use to salami, or whatever it was, being in a sandwich with hardboiled egg, cheese, cucumber, lettuce and tomato slices. It was definitely a good experience. I also got some random doughnut thing. That tasted like peach, possibly apricot, and had an entire side dipped of chocolate.
We went to the Berlin wall as well. We actually saw where it used to be in the ground, as they filled it with bricks and the wall would swerve into the middle of the road. One wall. That is all it took to separate a whole city and political sphere. I pray we never divide our nation by our politics. Or have we already? Right next to the wall was the site of the Gestapo Headquarters. Destroyed, only a few remains from the structure exist below ground level. Today stands a museum, the Typography of Terror. There were a lot of stories about the Nazi's and the SS and how they came to power. I listened to a speech where one of the Nazi leaders, Heinrich Himmler, gave a speech on the elite SS's values: Only the dead enemy can't hurt you. Lead by example, both body and soul. Blind obedience with unconditional discipline. Comradeship not understood by others outside of the rank. Loyalty that will survive every difficulty and issue. Never dishonor your reputation, the reputation of the SS, or of your mother company. You can easily see how the Nazi's misused ethics. Roth talks about this and how it has destroyed the trust in the world. How can you trust ethics, which you thought were pure and good, when they can be used for horrible means? I guess we have to used ethics as a tool and must really consider how they are used. Really it is more of a question of when do our virtues become vices and knowing the fine line. For example, love can become controlling and abusive, loyalty can become blind obedience, and justice can become revenge. By being aware that our virtues and ethics can be swayed to misuse. That said, people in the SS should've realized that something was wrong when they were asked to have blind obedience. Being blind never leads anywhere when you must make decisions in war.
We eat dinner at the hotel restaurant, where we were suppose to get 10% off...but we forgot to tell them that we were staying at the hotel. I had stuffed guinea fowl. The stuffing was some sort of bacon, which sort of distracted from the chicken like bird. It was also served with a salad and some potatoes soaked in butter and then covered in cheese, which has been melted until it was crisp on the top. Surprising as it is, I was actually not a fan of these potatoes. They lacked the soft moistness that made other buttered potatoes delicious. The cheese didn't really add that much to the dish either.
Our entire group when out to a bar - the Beastro 2000. I ordered a glass of water. My mistake. I thought I ordered water. Instead I got a still water with a lemon. There went $3. The night was spent visiting, watching a football game, and chatting about life. My favorite subject was love. One person was talking about how it was pointless to start a relationship, or continue one, when they didn't know where the relationship would be going in the next few months or even year. We started getting into the discussion of what it means to be in a relationship. Or more accurately I was eavesdropping. I heard about baggage with relationships, being in different places within our lives, and in the words of Greg, a generation of people unwilling to let relationships flow - we must know where they are going and control them. After hearing lots of reasons why not to go for the relationship and the last comment I had to speak up. Our problem with relationships is that we don't want to take risks - risk with love, risk with our futures, and risk with time. We would rather spend our time in the security of not being in a relationship as we avoid conflict and emotional strife. We value stability, which is safe and allows for happiness. Kant talks about how reason decreases happiness. In this instance Kant is right, as our reason can drive us away from relationships. What we forget is that relationships in themselves are good. Kant talks about how the only thing that is good is good will, as good will is good in itself and is not a means to any end. We forget to bring good will to our relationships. We are selfish and just think about ourselves and the relationships as means to an end. What we need to understand is that relationships in themselves are meaningful. When it comes to relationships what we need to do is to stick through them. Too often we jump away from relationships because of signs that they may end some time in the distant future, instead of when they actually need to end. By sticking through relationships until the definite end date we get the most of them. Now I don't mean this in the selfish "get" way. By staying in a relationship you are forced to work through difficulties, hard times, and person flaws. You develop the ability to work through relationships after the whole honeymoon phase when you may be blinded by love. If you only have short relationships then you will never develop that skill. If you don't, when you find that person you really wish to be with for the rest of your life you may lose them just because of your inability to make the relationship work through thick or thin. Because of this workability factor, sticking with a relationship a long as possible is useful for your future and never a waste of time, even if the relationship does end in the future. If you don't have a solid reason to leave then it is pointless to do so. The excuse that you know you don't want to be in the same place later in life is flimsy at best - especially when you aren't at the peak of your relationships - lets say five, ten, or twenty years. Relationships never really stop growing. When we are only a year, or way less, into a relationship we don't know everything about the relationship that will never stop growing. A person may find that they are willing to make sacrifices for their partner (oh how p.c.) or the relationship later in the relationship - sacrifices that are unimaginable so early in a relationship. If we don't stick with relationships how will we know if they are worth sticking with in the end? You may find that a relationship you didn't think would last forever turns into something more amazing than you ever thought it could. The last part is baggage and personal flaws. We all have them. If you can figure out how to work with what you will always bring to a relationship then you will be able to go into any relationship and make them most of it by minimizing problems caused by the baggage and personal flaws. It also helps you to be ready to deal with other people's flaws or mini OCD moments.
I was offered some beer several times this night. I just told them my decision not to drink at all this trip. We all have our reasons for our actions. So do I.
Bed calls as it is 2 am and I only did a rough draft of this blog : )
1/17/10
Apparently going to bed early last night didn't help Will much, as I woke him five times during the night...walking to the bus I past the store Butler, a cooking store. I have seen it both in England, Germany and Greece (slight time slip). I really want to go in one sometime. The bus ride was painless, taking us close to the Jewish museum. This was an unexpected experience. When I first got in the exhibit I was actually really confused. I guess I was expecting the force and power of the concentration camp for some reasons. The first thing I was reading was about a successful family business. Didn't get the point. I actually got board and moved away from the family story. I ended up reading on a computer, mainly about stereotypes of Jews and where they came from but a little section on Albert Einstein. He is culturally Jewish but not religiously - despite this fact he was asked to be the first president of Israel. The rich money lending stereotype actually comes because the fact that Christians controlled many of the work guilds in Europe and refused entrance to the Jews. They turned to money lending because it was one of the few things they could do. Ironically, the Christians borrowed from the grudgingly because the economy needed money lending - also Christians weren't allowed to lend money for profit.
The building was interestingly designed. Hallways were slanted and a slight gradient. I was walking up this one hallway reading stories about objects, each attached to a single person. Eventually I ran into a toy figure, white made with carved wood. It belonged to a woman who owned the figure when she was younger. She was sent away to a concentration camp. She survived but was having a hard time. It was this figure, which she found again, that gave her strength to keep going. It is amazing how we can find something or someone in our lives that can hold great meaning and give us the power or inspiration to do something. What is crazy is that often these objects are nothing amazing, they are often commonplace objects. (sorry, lots my train of thought. We are playing "Bad Romance" and have a great view of the Acropolis) If we look at Mill and pleasure, the pleasure gained from high facilities is more worthwhile than ones based on lower, physical, facilities. An object that is so commonplace but brings such happiness and pleasure clearly must lean to the higher facilities, bringing the strongest of pleasures. Nietzsche argues that pleasure is all about sensations of power. You could argue two different sides about the toy figure. At first I was thinking that Nietzsche was completely wrong. These are commonplace objects. They are not objects of power such as a gun or gold. Looking up at the Parthenon, I realized that I was wrong. Not every object must be considered universally powerful to be filled with power to an individual. These objects of attachment can empower people far beyond anything we would normally consider empowering, bringing the greatest pleasure to the people who find them. That said, these types of items can also bring great sadness of horrible memories or painful thoughts of happier times. Not exactly empowering. The hope that these items can bring though is great.
After reading about the toy figure I actually went into the Holocaust tower alone. The tower was freezing. It was a triangular cement room with giant walls. There was a single slit at the top corner, shedding light down. A ladder was just out of reach. I could understand the connection to a concentration camp where you were so close to getting out and yet not. There were cracks and holes in the walls, hinting at the possible chance to get out but no real hope as you looked at the rest of the concrete. The door that I had entered in from was thick, heavy, and difficult to open. It gave the feeling of closing you in. I wasn't in the tower for a terribly long time, but I was starting to freeze: soul, mind and body. Voices and noise of the city was there, providing a surreal feeling of being locked away with no hope. Yet I suffered nothing. Nothing compared to the horrible conditions people - estranged from society - had to live through or died as a result of. I can't imagine the difficulty that these people went through.
Another empty room held what the architect called "voids." These huge empty spaces, like the tower, resonated the strongest feelings with me. One of them was huge and tall. On the ground lay 10,000 faces cut out of metal. The faces stood for the people who had to live and die with all the suffering.
Leaving the museum after two hours we went towards Checkpoint Charlie. It was interesting to see where the divide had been between Berlin. There was a great sandwich shop near there. Absolutely wonderful. I guess I am not really use to salami, or whatever it was, being in a sandwich with hardboiled egg, cheese, cucumber, lettuce and tomato slices. It was definitely a good experience. I also got some random doughnut thing. That tasted like peach, possibly apricot, and had an entire side dipped of chocolate.
We went to the Berlin wall as well. We actually saw where it used to be in the ground, as they filled it with bricks and the wall would swerve into the middle of the road. One wall. That is all it took to separate a whole city and political sphere. I pray we never divide our nation by our politics. Or have we already? Right next to the wall was the site of the Gestapo Headquarters. Destroyed, only a few remains from the structure exist below ground level. Today stands a museum, the Typography of Terror. There were a lot of stories about the Nazi's and the SS and how they came to power. I listened to a speech where one of the Nazi leaders, Heinrich Himmler, gave a speech on the elite SS's values: Only the dead enemy can't hurt you. Lead by example, both body and soul. Blind obedience with unconditional discipline. Comradeship not understood by others outside of the rank. Loyalty that will survive every difficulty and issue. Never dishonor your reputation, the reputation of the SS, or of your mother company. You can easily see how the Nazi's misused ethics. Roth talks about this and how it has destroyed the trust in the world. How can you trust ethics, which you thought were pure and good, when they can be used for horrible means? I guess we have to used ethics as a tool and must really consider how they are used. Really it is more of a question of when do our virtues become vices and knowing the fine line. For example, love can become controlling and abusive, loyalty can become blind obedience, and justice can become revenge. By being aware that our virtues and ethics can be swayed to misuse. That said, people in the SS should've realized that something was wrong when they were asked to have blind obedience. Being blind never leads anywhere when you must make decisions in war.
We eat dinner at the hotel restaurant, where we were suppose to get 10% off...but we forgot to tell them that we were staying at the hotel. I had stuffed guinea fowl. The stuffing was some sort of bacon, which sort of distracted from the chicken like bird. It was also served with a salad and some potatoes soaked in butter and then covered in cheese, which has been melted until it was crisp on the top. Surprising as it is, I was actually not a fan of these potatoes. They lacked the soft moistness that made other buttered potatoes delicious. The cheese didn't really add that much to the dish either.
Our entire group when out to a bar - the Beastro 2000. I ordered a glass of water. My mistake. I thought I ordered water. Instead I got a still water with a lemon. There went $3. The night was spent visiting, watching a football game, and chatting about life. My favorite subject was love. One person was talking about how it was pointless to start a relationship, or continue one, when they didn't know where the relationship would be going in the next few months or even year. We started getting into the discussion of what it means to be in a relationship. Or more accurately I was eavesdropping. I heard about baggage with relationships, being in different places within our lives, and in the words of Greg, a generation of people unwilling to let relationships flow - we must know where they are going and control them. After hearing lots of reasons why not to go for the relationship and the last comment I had to speak up. Our problem with relationships is that we don't want to take risks - risk with love, risk with our futures, and risk with time. We would rather spend our time in the security of not being in a relationship as we avoid conflict and emotional strife. We value stability, which is safe and allows for happiness. Kant talks about how reason decreases happiness. In this instance Kant is right, as our reason can drive us away from relationships. What we forget is that relationships in themselves are good. Kant talks about how the only thing that is good is good will, as good will is good in itself and is not a means to any end. We forget to bring good will to our relationships. We are selfish and just think about ourselves and the relationships as means to an end. What we need to understand is that relationships in themselves are meaningful. When it comes to relationships what we need to do is to stick through them. Too often we jump away from relationships because of signs that they may end some time in the distant future, instead of when they actually need to end. By sticking through relationships until the definite end date we get the most of them. Now I don't mean this in the selfish "get" way. By staying in a relationship you are forced to work through difficulties, hard times, and person flaws. You develop the ability to work through relationships after the whole honeymoon phase when you may be blinded by love. If you only have short relationships then you will never develop that skill. If you don't, when you find that person you really wish to be with for the rest of your life you may lose them just because of your inability to make the relationship work through thick or thin. Because of this workability factor, sticking with a relationship a long as possible is useful for your future and never a waste of time, even if the relationship does end in the future. If you don't have a solid reason to leave then it is pointless to do so. The excuse that you know you don't want to be in the same place later in life is flimsy at best - especially when you aren't at the peak of your relationships - lets say five, ten, or twenty years. Relationships never really stop growing. When we are only a year, or way less, into a relationship we don't know everything about the relationship that will never stop growing. A person may find that they are willing to make sacrifices for their partner (oh how p.c.) or the relationship later in the relationship - sacrifices that are unimaginable so early in a relationship. If we don't stick with relationships how will we know if they are worth sticking with in the end? You may find that a relationship you didn't think would last forever turns into something more amazing than you ever thought it could. The last part is baggage and personal flaws. We all have them. If you can figure out how to work with what you will always bring to a relationship then you will be able to go into any relationship and make them most of it by minimizing problems caused by the baggage and personal flaws. It also helps you to be ready to deal with other people's flaws or mini OCD moments.
I was offered some beer several times this night. I just told them my decision not to drink at all this trip. We all have our reasons for our actions. So do I.
Bed calls as it is 2 am and I only did a rough draft of this blog : )
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Um...possible internet trouble?
We are leaving for Greece today and I don't know if there will be internet anywhere we are staying. If there isn't, I will be back in the US on the 1st of February - and sleeping until the 2nd. I will probably post my journal entries then.
Thanks everyone for reading and I will try to post stuff when I can.
60 degree weather with sun, here I come!
Thanks everyone for reading and I will try to post stuff when I can.
60 degree weather with sun, here I come!
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