July 18
Today, the Session 2 Journey family began their first day of academic classes. Our group had the privilege to hear from a guest speaker, Alec Mally, Executive Director for Global Economic Affairs at Foresight Strategy and Communications. Mr. Mally briefed us on a variety of topics including how international media unfairly portrays Greece, employment issues, and illegal immigration. Mr. Mally went into depth about specific economic issues including how Greece spends double the Euro Zone average on defense and continues to be in an arms race with Turkey.
Following the briefing, the Journey family went to our favorite Plaka taverna for an authentic Greek lunch. Subsequent the meal, students attended their Modern Greek Language and Greek dance classes. At the conclusion of the lessons, our group gathered in front of the UINDY, Athens campus for our visit to the Acropolis. Dr. Dimitriou spoke to us and provided additional insight regarding the Acropolis’ historical significance. Afterwards, the Journey family made our way to the summit. Once on top, we took our traditional group photo and explored the monument until sunset.
After our time at the Acropolis, the Journey family returned to their apartments and enjoyed a relaxing evening.
July 19
Today, the Journey family had their second day of classes. In Dr. Dimitriou’s Foreign Policy class, students chose their midterm projects. Our group selected a specific topic, which varied from the Macedonia name dispute, the Cyprus conflict, the Ecumenical Patriarch Controversy, and US-Greece Foreign Relations. When class ended, The Journey family walked to their traditional taverna lunch in Plaka.
After lunch, our group attended their afternoon Greek Language and Dance classes. In the Greek language class, students learned conversational Greek and expanded their vocabulary.
In the Greek dance class, for the first half, students learned the history behind the Greek dances. After learning the story behind the zonaradiko, and syrtaki Greek dances, we were able to practice with our newfound understanding.
At the conclusion of the lessons, the Journey family gathered in front of the UINDY, Athens campus for our visit to the Acropolis Museum. Dr. Dimitriou gave the students a private guided tour throughout the museum. The tour provided ample information regarding the Acropolis, but also clarified the Parthenon Marble controversy, explaining the hope of Greece to see the return of the freezes taken by Lord Elgin. After a guided tour, students watched an informational video at the museum and had time to further explore the artifacts.
Students than made the short walk back to their apartments with a new found appreciation of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
July 20
Following an eventful day, the Journey family returned to the classroom to continue their studies. In Dr. Dimitriou’s foreign policy class, the Journey family was informed about the significance of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Greece. We learned that it was a positive one, where Secretary Clinton praised Greece for how they are dealing with their budget issues, insisted that Turkey respect the rights of the Greek religious minority, and how there must be a solution to the Cyprus conflict.
At the conclusion of the class, the Journey family went to our favorite Plaka taverna for our beloved souvlaki, kleftiko, tzatziki, and salata.
After lunch, the afternoon lessons began. In the Modern Greek class, students learned more conversational Greek that could be used in day-to-day situations. Students also added more words to their Greek vocabulary lists by practicing speaking, reading, and writing the words. The Greek Dance class continued to learn about zonaradiko, and syrtaki Greek dances and were afforded the opportunity to further practice the steps.
When the afternoon classes were complete, the Journey family gathered and together we left for the Dora Stratou Dance theatre. Upon arrival, Alkis C. Raftis, President of Dora Stratou and the President of the International Dance Council and CID UNESCO, Paris, welcomed us to the theatre. We then had a private lesson from a professional dance instructor, who introduced us to different dances from various regions of Greece.
At the conclusion of the lesson, we took our seats at the open-air theatre where we enjoyed a dance performance from the world-renowned Dora Stratou dance troop.
Following the show, we returned to our apartments and reflected upon an eventful day.
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