Ramadan Afternoon: A Photo Essay

I met the Bako family at Ritsona refugee camp. They invited me to come back with them to their apartment (about twenty minutes away from the camp) and spend the evening until the rest of the Arcadia clan arrived for dinner. I happily obliged. Here is the resulting photo essay:

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 Chalkida, the main town of Evia Island, attracts many international tourists.  Hidden in a neighborhood behind a built-up  boardwalk, the Bako family lives on a second-floor apartment. June 14, 2017. 

 Ahmad, 11, watches Shrek the Third  on his family's shared laptop; he is the youngest son. Chalkida. June 14, 2017.   

Khlail, 20, searches on his desktop for his saved Statistics and Dynamics textbook: "I want to study Mechanical Engineering. This is 1051 pages!" Chalkida. June 14, 2017. 

Hiva, 42, prepares potatoes to be cooked later in the afternoon. In observing Ramadan, she has not eaten since 4:00 am. Chalkida, June 14, 2017. 

Hiva rests in the common room while Ahmad watches television. Chalkida. June 14, 2017. 

Khlail checks the time; he spends exactly two hours at the gym six days per week. Though he is eager to start a new life with his family in Germany, Khlail makes an effort to keep his life "as normal as possible" in Greece. Chalkida. June 14, 2017. 

Hiva prepares a cake for Ramadan celebration; her slow movements reflect the exhaustion from a day of fasting. Chalkida. June 14, 2017.  

The Bako family's kitchen, complete with a washing machine; this appliance is an exciting upgrade for Hiva, who explains that. in the refugee camp, she had to hand wash all her children's clothes. Chalkida. June 14, 2017. 

Hiva displays her method for cutting onions, adding, "If you have to cry, cry." Chalkida. June 14, 2017.   

The Euripus Bridge connects Chalkida to the mainland of Greece; the family crosses twice a day (via a volunteer chauffeur) to spend the morning and afternoon in Ritsona refugee camp. June 14, 2017. 

Adnen, 17, navigates through his neighborhood. Asked if he speaks any Greek, he scoffs and shakes his head; "I'm moving to Germany." June 14, 2017. 

The island of Evia from afar. June 14, 2017.



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Additional Photos:

The Changing Dreams of a Barista

Nikos Domuros is the ideal barista. Charming smile, firm handshake, flawless presentation—he blends a perfect coffee without even breaking eye contact with his customers. And the regulars—who call themselves his friends—say they could not imagine going anywhere else for a coffee break.

But Domuros has not always been a barista. In fact, five years ago, if you told him he would be in Athens serving drinks for a living, he would have called you crazy. Originally from Thessaloniki, the self-proclaimed “unconventional Greek” started up his own graphic design and video editing firm—something he had wanted to do since majoring in graphic design in 1997.

Life was far from perfect—as with many fine arts professions, freelance graphic design is not always lucrative. But with a night-club security job on the side, he was making ends meet.

And then the financial crisis hit.

What used to be a fifteen-hundred-euro monthly income quickly became half that. His earnings continued to decrease until he was left with a failed business. His only option was to move.

“I had to go South,” he says, “the more South it is, the better things are. In Crete, you know, they’re okay. But bigger cities mean bigger opportunities, so I came to Athens.”

For the first time since he was nineteen, Domuros found himself living with a roommate; he was suddenly relying on friends—even friends of friends---in ways he never expected he would have to do.

“And that’s how I ended up here, even,” he says, a cigarette lingering too long between his fingers, “I used to come here for my coffee and beer or whatever… when I quit my previous job I mentioned it [to the owner] and he was like, ‘Okay do you wanna make coffee here on the weekends?’ I told him I don’t know how to make coffee. And he said, ‘Well, you’re gonna learn.”

Domuros laughs and then turns nostalgic. “See there’s another example. You find support from your friends and they become your family.”

It has been three years since moving to Athens, but he is finally feeling a bit more stable. By September, he plans to be in his own apartment—thanks to his savings from work.

But there is more to life than money, and the move to Athens gave Domorus an avenue to pursue new talents.  He teaches martial arts and deejays during the weekends—a nod to his love for the arts.

“Yeah, I’d love to run a media company again. But I’ve learned to live and let live.” 

Domvros quickly hides the melancholy. He looks up and smiles.

“I’m still an artist. Martial arts is an art. Even coffee is an art! Blending this stuff? It’s a f------ art form.”

Glancing around at the place he has come to love, it is as if his next thought takes him by surprise.

“I guess my dream is to have both.”

“

Much Ado About Athens: An Update

It's been two weeks since I arrived in Athens, and I think I am finally adjusted to the laundry-on-the-clothes-line, feta-cheese-with-everything, laid back way of life.

Hanging my laundry on the line like a true Greek :)

I absolutely love my little apartment that I share with four other girls. I have my own room, with a door that opens to a balcony and lets in lots of natural light. The best part? A bakery with amazing breakfast pastries right across the street. And every Friday, the street next to mine is turned into a market; for less than eight euros, I can buy enough fruits and vegetables for a week!

7.50 euros worth of groceries! What a steal!

The Greek people I've met so far have been incredibly friendly, and for the most part they speak English. They love when we try to speak Greek in conversation--even if it is just 'thank you'.

As for Athens itself, I am in awe every day. The view from the top of the hills is breathtaking--no picture can do it justice. And its an archaeological heaven. With our American student IDs, we were able to buy a discounted package deal: the seven top ancient sites for only 15 euro!

If you look closely, you can see Acropolis in the background (kind of above Tashi's head)

Aside from museums and ancient ruins, the weeks have been full of other random activities. Arcadia staff provided two Greek cooking lessons--we made Greek salad, a cheese pie, and a spicy sausage entree. We visited some of the art exhibits from the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, including one theater performance. And we even visited an outdoor movie cinema...

The movie theater itself was really neat--set in the National Gardens at night. It's well-known theater that locals visit a lot; it showcases one movie for an entire week.  Of course, the weekend we decided to visit, the movie of choice was The Queen of Spain. It was entirely in Spanish, with Greek subtitles. And it was a sequel. (Needless to say we didn't totally understand what was going on!) Even so, it was neat to do something that local Greeks do for fun too.

Practicing my Greek lettering :)

And that's it for now! I'm looking forward to exploring more of Athens soon (and hopefully other parts of Greece too!).

...And that, my Friends, is Greek Coffee at it's Finest

It takes Giannis Bratsolias 126 seconds to make my iced coffee. He brings it to me with a smile; one hand holding the blended drink, the other holding a glass of cold water.

 I am the first and only one here in this early morning—at Bar The Way in Pangrati, Athens—and I watch as Bratsolia’s sister appears from downstairs to mop the colorful floor in preparation for the day. She is wearing long jeans and a white t-shirt, as if the hot and sticky temperature is barely warm enough.

I am here on a quest—to see if coffee is as much a part of the Greek morning routine as it is the American. An East Coaster myself, I am well-versed in the delicious potentials of the iced coffee.

This particular coffee fulfills my wildest dreams. It is a perfect gradient of browns: dark chocolate brown at the bottom, caramel next, a light tan towards the top, and foamy white deliciousness at the rim. I try to drink it slowly to soak it in, but it is so light I consume it all within a minute. 

The airiness of Bratsolia’s coffee isn’t unique; it’s the epitome of the Greek caffeinated drink. When I tell him I’ve only had American coffee, he replies, “You try this and tell me what you think.”

A second customer arrives 13 minutes later, and Bratsolias gets to work making a drink for him before he even says a word; it is remarkably quiet and the regular pulls out a cigarette to smoke as he waits. He doesn’t pay—at least not from what I can tell; the two speak a few words in Greek and I assume he is either family or on some sort of tab system. After this second customer come two more, and soon a steady flow of people begins to filter in. 

Each customer here is quiet, patient, and friendly. They have the same sleepy just-woke-up look as the Americans back home, but there is a relaxed atmosphere that is a stark contrast to the average east coast Dunkin-Donuts.

When I go up to pay, I tell Bratsolia his coffee is delicious. Then I ask if he thinks Greeks can survive without caffeine. He replies, “Our coffee is good.” I smile. That’s answer enough.

And then I can’t help myself. I spend another 3 euro on a second coffee.