Things have finally been winding down here in Greece, as in we've finally been able to take sometime to relax and reflex on all the exciting adventures we've been on.Yesterday was one of those days. Our schedule consisted of our bi-weekly class with Dr. Kaplan (this time we had a cooking workshop and got to attempt to make some traditional Greek dishes like tzatziki sauce!), our other bi-weekly survival Greek class (this is where we get to work on learning the Greek language), and then our daily art history class at the American college of Greece (doesn't seem so relaxing does it?). But after classes ended at 4:30, we were freeeee!
After recuperating from about 6 hours of classes, I decided to take advantage of my free time and go out shopping for dinner supplies. At first I was planning on making something simple that was cheap, but at the same time would be enough to feed me and my three roommates, like a yummy frittata with vegetables or something.
But as I was waiting for the stores to reopen for the evening (Greek nap time includes stores too), I gathered up the courage to take a trip to the butcher! Earlier that morning, I was talking with Dr. Kaplan during our workshop and she suggested a store close to the mini super market. The catch was, the owner didn't speak much English.... How was I supposed to tell him what meat I wanted, or even how was I supposed to tell him what cut I wanted, because I surely wasn't prepared to gut a chicken anytime soon.
I was starting to get a bit nervous before we headed down to the shop, so I had made sure exactly how to say chicken breast in Greek (something along the lines of kotopoulo stithos), and if he still didn't understand what I was saying, I was prepared to whip out the chicken dance if I had to.
When we first arrived he was dealing with another customer. As I was patiently waiting for my turn, I realized that the owner and the customer weren't just speaking the minimal words required, but they were having an actual conversation, almost as if they were catching up.
As I've been walking around, exploring, and enjoying my time in different restaurants (aka omnom), I've noticed that the neighborhood has a strong sense of community. When we were at the crepe place right next to the hangout places for all ages (there's even a playground for the kids), I would occasionally notice a younger fellow casually walk to the back of the store grab glass and fill it up with some water. Then they would down it as fast as they could and try to subtly head out. There were even some that were brave enough to strike up conversation with some of the workers there, but they were friendly. There were even some teenagers that would straggle in sometimes just to use the restroom and leave.
At first I was kinda perplexed by this because for the most part in America, you don't casually stroll into let's say, cold stone just to use the restroom or go in just for a drink of water. But it seems like everyone knows each here, including customer/butcher relationships!
After what seemed like forever, it was my turn at the register. I hesitantly told the worker that I wanted chicken breast in Greek, and guess what, he understood me! After that, he disappeared into the back refrigerator and then came out with a big chunk on chicken and started chopping it right in front of me! I have to admit it was kinda cool to see that for the first time, even though it was kinda gross too, but after he somewhat cut it, he brought it up to his scale to weigh it. Problem was, there was still bones and skin attached that I didn't exactly want. As I noticed this, I started to get a little nervous and jittery as I wasn't prepared how to ask him for just the meat (the guys behind me got a kick out of it though). Luckily, the worker noticed my reaction, and to my relief, cut off all the unwanted stuff.
After a successful trip to the butcher, I headed home to make us some dinner! I ended up cutting up the meat and sauteing it in olive oil, onions, garlic, and some basil along with some chopped up zucchini. Needless to say, dinner was delicious and we had no leftovers whatsoever!
Tomorrow we've got a day long trip to the island Hydra (one of the most beautiful islands of Greece, so I'm told) and we get to relax at the beach for a little bit. So stay tuned for some island news soon!
After recuperating from about 6 hours of classes, I decided to take advantage of my free time and go out shopping for dinner supplies. At first I was planning on making something simple that was cheap, but at the same time would be enough to feed me and my three roommates, like a yummy frittata with vegetables or something.
But as I was waiting for the stores to reopen for the evening (Greek nap time includes stores too), I gathered up the courage to take a trip to the butcher! Earlier that morning, I was talking with Dr. Kaplan during our workshop and she suggested a store close to the mini super market. The catch was, the owner didn't speak much English.... How was I supposed to tell him what meat I wanted, or even how was I supposed to tell him what cut I wanted, because I surely wasn't prepared to gut a chicken anytime soon.
I was starting to get a bit nervous before we headed down to the shop, so I had made sure exactly how to say chicken breast in Greek (something along the lines of kotopoulo stithos), and if he still didn't understand what I was saying, I was prepared to whip out the chicken dance if I had to.
When we first arrived he was dealing with another customer. As I was patiently waiting for my turn, I realized that the owner and the customer weren't just speaking the minimal words required, but they were having an actual conversation, almost as if they were catching up.
As I've been walking around, exploring, and enjoying my time in different restaurants (aka omnom), I've noticed that the neighborhood has a strong sense of community. When we were at the crepe place right next to the hangout places for all ages (there's even a playground for the kids), I would occasionally notice a younger fellow casually walk to the back of the store grab glass and fill it up with some water. Then they would down it as fast as they could and try to subtly head out. There were even some that were brave enough to strike up conversation with some of the workers there, but they were friendly. There were even some teenagers that would straggle in sometimes just to use the restroom and leave.
At first I was kinda perplexed by this because for the most part in America, you don't casually stroll into let's say, cold stone just to use the restroom or go in just for a drink of water. But it seems like everyone knows each here, including customer/butcher relationships!
After what seemed like forever, it was my turn at the register. I hesitantly told the worker that I wanted chicken breast in Greek, and guess what, he understood me! After that, he disappeared into the back refrigerator and then came out with a big chunk on chicken and started chopping it right in front of me! I have to admit it was kinda cool to see that for the first time, even though it was kinda gross too, but after he somewhat cut it, he brought it up to his scale to weigh it. Problem was, there was still bones and skin attached that I didn't exactly want. As I noticed this, I started to get a little nervous and jittery as I wasn't prepared how to ask him for just the meat (the guys behind me got a kick out of it though). Luckily, the worker noticed my reaction, and to my relief, cut off all the unwanted stuff.
After a successful trip to the butcher, I headed home to make us some dinner! I ended up cutting up the meat and sauteing it in olive oil, onions, garlic, and some basil along with some chopped up zucchini. Needless to say, dinner was delicious and we had no leftovers whatsoever!
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