το μάθημά μου ελληνικών στην Ελλάδα (my Greek class in Greece)

I just got back from taking a two week immersion class in Greek on the island of Syros -- here are some highlights...

We started with a welcome dinner at the local taverna where I got to meet a fascinating mix of students from Norway, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Austria, Canada, and more.

Every morning started with a walk by the Aegean - απόλυτα θαυμάσιο (absolutely wonderful)!

Four hours in the classroom (in Greek!) every day, working on hard stuff like irregular Greek adjectives required an emergency nap afterward to reset my brain. Interestingly, most of my fellow students were also teachers -- I guess teachers like to be students, too :)

I survived and earned my diploma, thanks to my great teachers Μαρίνα (Marina) and Εύα (Eva) -- σας ευχαριστώ (thank you!)

On the 30 minute flight from Syros back to Athens, my checked bag somehow wound up on a ferry boat in the middle of the Mediterranean -- a LOT of things have to go wrong in just the right way for that to happen...

Passing a couple of buskers on the Acropolis promenade playing Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven", I put a few euros in the open guitar case & complimented them (in Greek, of course). Next thing you know I'm playing "You've Got a Friend" with the violinist -- a beautiful cultural mash-up!

And speaking of cultural mash-ups, I swear I heard "The Mexican Hat Dance" played by strolling musicians in an Athens restaurant (apparently anything can sound Greek when played on a bouzouki...)

Overheard at the Acropolis Museum:
mother: "This is 3000 years old; you're 4 years old."
girl: "Oh."

Ελπίζω να ξαναπάω του χρόνου, και εντωμεταξύ, θα συνεχίζω να διαβάζω!
(trans: I hope to go back next year, and meanwhile I will keep studying!)