I’m writing this blog on my phone, so it will be short!

Basically, I’m feeling rejuvenated! This was our second Celebration Week at HD, and we had a team from North Caroline come to teach our program participants how to make leather bracelets. It was so great to talk with Americans (so fast, without worrying if they could understand my vocabulary), and it was lovely to get a break from teaching and catch up on office work. 

In particular, Dina shared a dream with me that made me GIDDY. I don’t know if I can share it yet, but it epitomizes my love of providing extravagantly good gifts to women who have grown used to abuse. I want to do everything possible to make this a reality, and it reminded me of why I love working with HD so much. 

I also got to hang out with “A2” a little more, although we can only communicate through broken Greek (for both of us). We all had a big lunch after the program, and she snuggled into my side, tired of our guests, I think. But it meant so much to me that she’s starting to feel comfortable. And a couple days later just the two of us went out for a hamburger, and it was so fun (and exhausting) to communicate as best we could. 

Yesterday was the graduation ceremony, and once again I was blown away by how much they’ve learned, and how deeply they are internalizing their lessons. “A” made a leather plaque that says “Lack of Trust >> Anger >> Fear >> Lack of Trust.”  These are three different classes, and she personalized them and put them all together on her own. 

“D” told us what she’s learned in our Self-Esteem class, and she confidently told a room full of people that she is kind, giving, and spontaneous, good qualities that took forever for her to identify two weeks ago, because she’s so unused to thinking she has good qualities. 

“A2” made a beautiful painting, but even more touching was how she ushered Luciana and I into her room after the ceremony to show how she’d hung her certificate and medal on her wall, and also she had painstakingly arranged some knickknacks on her desk. She’s making the room her own, and it’s so lovely to see. 

I’ve still got culture shock running through my veins, but I feel SO grateful to work for HD. I honestly love it, and I am NOT ready to leave anytime soon!

Now… A weekend in Turkey with Roy and Idil! But you can read more about that later!

I met our newest participant in HD on Sunday.  As (I think) I mentioned before, she is literally right off the streets, and agggghhhh I want to tell her story so badly, but I won’t.  Because it’s her story to tell or not tell, and I won’t violate her privacy so publicly.  Even though I am a selfish person who wants to very badly.

Anyway, she only speaks Romanian, but she painted my nails on Sunday and it was nice.

Then I met up with Natasha, and we hung out downtown for a few hours, eating souvlaki, having coffee with Irini, and buying Greek sandals.  I actually took some pictures, which is why the header is actually unique again this week!

Aaaaand, that was the last time I was social!

I’m dying.   Continue reading →

Twenty weeks in Greece!  Wow!  That sounds properly impressive.

As far as weeks in Greece go, though, it was a pretty slow one!  Monday was Mallory’s last day here.  She went exploring on her own during the day while I worked, and then we headed downtown for her last Greek meal.  I googled “best places to eat in Athens” and settled on a place called GH Attikos because it said it had a rooftop restaurant.  We left straight after work at 4:00 and got there around 4:30 for a late lunch.  When we arrived, only one other table was full, and the hostess approached.

“What do you want?” she asked.

Confused by the seemingly obvious reply, I said, “…We want to eat.”

“Will you be done before 8?” she asked.

I glanced at my phone.  “Uh, yeah.”

She escorted us to our seat, which had a STUNNING view of the Acropolis.  While we were ooo-ing and ahh-ing, we heard noises that sounded like the kitchen starting up.  We took a closer look at the space around us.  None of the tables had plates or napkins or anything. The people sitting at the other table had been done for a long time and were only chatting.

The restaurant wasn’t open.  But we waltzed in with our American privilege and assumptions, and ordered a full meal that they mercifully supplied.  Sometimes it pays to be ignorant!

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Mallory left early Tuesday morning, and I spent the rest of the weekdays soaking up some quality time alone (except for my Greek lesson with Maria on Wednesday night).  This was especially necessary because work has been hard.   Continue reading →