The Reflecting God

Jason

I like this photograph. I think it looked better in the lens of my camera, when my eyes were strained from taking so many pictures of the sunset and the contrast seemed much greater, but I like the composition of color, blackness, and color again. It's not intended to be a complete reflection or anything purposeful, it's just a picture I took.

Aren't reflections fascinating, though? Visual representation of the existence of something else. Touring the museum today and seeing the sculptures really put new life into the stories of the Greek gods, for me. Seeing a representation, a marble reflection of Athena, encased in glass and protected as though she were fragile, made her seem all the more ferocious. You could almost get the impression that the glass wasn't to protect her from us, but to protect us from her. The statue of Athena is finished with armor and decoration and weapons, while the rest of the sculptures in the museum are missing limbs and chunks of their faces. The museum tells the story of war and destruction and leads down a hallway to this sculpture. The sculpture is on a pedestal and if you look right, your own face is reflected on the glass far below Athena's gaze. Everything in the museum points to Athena being one tough lady, above and aloof of the city she took for her own.

First impressions are not always lasting impressions...

Jason Athens is not what I expected. At least, not what I have seen is what I expected to have seen. I don't know that I could really pin down what I thought Athens would be like, but I know it's not this. Even descending into Greece from Amsterdam today, I wondered, "Where is Athens?" I didn't see a sprawling city with notes of Mediterranean fishing culture along its coasts. I didn't see a city where everything is steeped in history and a sense of, almost, magic and intimacy with the past. I didn't see these things from the plane. From the bus ride into the city, that sense of confusion was put away. We exited a tunnel and Athens was there. Covering the country to the base of the hills on the horizon, the city is just enormous. I don't know how I missed it from the air (maybe it was tucked just right behind the hills) but seeing it instantly be laid out before us was awe-inspiring. With each mile we covered on the road, the city continued to creep out to the new bounds of the horizon, never ending despite its sudden arrival. There were very few words on that bus ride. We were all exhausted, sure, but I think we were all taking in something new that we hadn't fully anticipated.

I think all cities become more beautiful at night. Take our own Seattle; it's a great place any time of day, but driving through downtown at night is stunning. Athens is the same way, but different in it's intangibles. While Athens dons a similar luminescent mask once the sun sets, the vibe of the city is very different to any other I have experienced. People move much slower in Athens than I expected! They drive fast, sure, but people did not seem to be in much of a hurry tonight (Saturday.) They stroll though the downtown markets and cafes with all the time in the world. The Acropolis, which dominated the skyline of downtown Athens, seems to go largely unnoticed. I love that people are content to linger over coffee and chocolate in the warmth of outdoor heaters, sitting on plush couches and carrying on their conversations over the hundreds of others happening simultaneously. It's a very casual yet vaguely celebratory atmosphere. Soccer games are on every television and are projected onto walls and screens. People everywhere seem genuinely happy to be there. Downtown Athens is firmly rooted in its history, but there is no fear of modernization either. I'm glad that my initial projection (however ill-defined it may have been) of Athens was shattered today, because what I've seen so far is pretty exciting!

We've Arrived!

Anonymous After about 16 hours of airplanes and airports, we have finally reached Athens! Our flights were pretty uneventful, and we had a quick trip through the Amsterdam airport to catch our flight to Athens. Right now we're getting settled, figuring out our apartments, and learning about the area we'll be staying and having class in. Our apartments are all within a couple blocks near the building we will have class in. On the drive from the airport we were mostly silent as we took in our new surroundings. Athens is so different; a bustling, exciting city that seems to change with every block. I am very excited to explore it more, especially with such a fantastic group of people. Well, I'm off to the balcony to go enjoy the nice view we currently have of the Olympic stadium and the Acropolis. :)