I have taken several excursions to downtown Thessaloniki. All trips have been by bus. There is a stop directly across from the school and it takes around 40 minutes to arrive downtown. The bus system has been reliable so far, and they never ask for bus tickets so it is essentially free. You are supposed to get your ticket stamped when you enter the bus, but most locals ignore the protocol and the drivers seem completely apathetic. Every aspect of life is more relaxed here. The pace of life is very slow which I enjoy.
Downtown Thessaloniki is picturesque and historic yet still feels like a modern city. There are ancient ruins, beautiful churches, and monuments amidst the grind of daily life. The main attraction is the boardwalk along the sea. Night or day, people are strolling along the water or sitting at one of the numerous cafes. Everybody here drinks frappes and smokes cigarettes. The omnipresent smoke clouds are bothersome but a law recently passed that prohibits smoking inside all businesses. It is a step in the right direction, however the police seem to be as indifferent as the bus drivers so enforcement of the law is already an issue.
Without further ado, I know that some of you are probably only reading this for an update on Shimosh so I will satiate your craving. True to form, Shimosh has kept the laundry machines busy throughout the week. He has also picked up the habit of sneaking up and poking the older kids to annoy them. Once poked, the older kids chase him around. Shimosh is quick and shifty, however they usually catch him. Most of the authority figures (myself included) allow Shimosh to receive a bit of physical abuse from the others because he has earned it; he is a pest. Thus, Shimosh has developed a defense mechanism which renders his attackers powerless. Once in their clutches (headlock and shoulder punch are popular), he starts to emit a shrill scream. It is no ordinary scream. It is a piercing, high-pitched noise that seems to originate somewhere in his soul. The older students have no option but to flee and hope that no permanent damage to their ears has occurred.
He also told me a story about life on his father's farm. The story was conveyed partly in English, partly in Greek and partly in International Body Language (luckily I am fluent). I have translated the Greek and IBL segments into English. The IBL parts will appear in brackets, so you can picture Shimosh acting out the scene. Also feel free to insert voice cracks wherever you see fit. It goes something like this:
Shimosh: On my fathaire's farm, there are many many mices. They eat holes in food bags then food [spills on the ground]. So, my fathaire has to [kill] the mices. [Laughter]
Me: How does he kill the mice?
Shimosh: Well we have many cats. Also, he uses [unrecognizable IBL. It must be some sort of new IBL slang that kids are using these days].
Me: Mouse traps with cheese?
Shimosh: No. [he starts choking himself]
Me: Poison?
Shimosh: Yes. Yes. Poison. He uses the poison and they [keel over and die a gruesome death].
Me: I see.
Shimosh: But sometimes, the mice die from the poison then the cats eat the mice, and the cats [die a death that appears to be represented by the IBL symbol for electrocution] too. [Uncontrollable laughter]
Me: Alright, get your damn clothes out of the dryer and let's get out of here.
That's all for now. I'll post some pictures of downtown Thessaloniki. I'll also try to snap a pic of Shimosh in the near future.
Love,
Jacques (or Zak as they refer to me here. Derrick Quarrels is a prophet.)
Jacques-
ReplyDeleteHow is the soccer team you are coaching? What position does Shimosh play? Can we play 20 Questions with Shimosh through this blog.
I'll start with Question 1:
Shimosh, have you ever been with a female, sexually or otherwise?
Jeff Collins has promised to provide question 1A.
-JxAx