We have officially started our last week in Greece today. To kick off the morning we got a much needed extra hour to sleep before class. Our class was on the Greek economic crisis, but it also put the crisis in a global perspective. Then, after class, a group of us decided to go to the war museum in town. We had seen signs for it on our earlier museum excursions, but we didn't know much about it or its location. So we went on the hunt, and we got turned around a couple of times due to bad signs. Once we found it, we wandered a few halls filled with displays of metals and weapons. Then a tour guide named Kostos came up to us and asked if we would like him to guide us through. He started off by explaining some of the metals and weapons, and he caught us off guard when he was explaining a particular handgun and he said, "This is the gun your police use to shoot black men". I was shocked, and I gave a nervous giggle because I was speechless. It is amazing how news travels, but I was somewhat sad and almost disturbed to know that people across the world see us through the lens of the media and the stories on the news. Kostos's comment also put into perspective the lecture from the morning and how we view the Greek economic crisis through a lens that sensationalizes the crisis more than what it should.
After that comment, the tour continued more normally. It really got interesting when we ventured to the second floor and walked through the exhibit on WWII. In all of the classes I have taken thus far over history, we have always talked about wars from the U.S. perspective. Hearing about the war from the Greek perspective was like hearing personal stories of an event from two different people. It is important to look at things from all perspectives to get the full picture because some people, or in this case countries, were affected in different ways and take something different from what happened.
To end the day we went to an outdoor cinema. The only movie playing in English was “The Humbling”, and I will say it was… interesting. Most of us were confused, and the awkward giggles and the exchange of facial expressions was the best part of the experience. After the movie was over we took the bus back to the hotel. Even though we have now ridden it at least 6 or 7 times, we forgot to press the stop button and we all had to run out of the front door laughing and in a panic. To say the locals love us would be a stretch, but at least we entertain them.
This trip so far has been two weeks of fun, beauty, and “ beautiful disasters”, but these are the memories that I will treasure for a lifetime.
Our group with Kostos the guide. I'm the one in the white in the front left
Our group in a carrier tank at the war museum (cameraman Josh not in the picture)
The Outdoor cinema
Movie poster of "The Humbling"
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