Athens is diverse, conflicted, and youthful. There’s a warm energy of people wanting to make something, but maybe in different directions. Politics is a clear example. 

But more viscerally, when looking around there are tons of new restaurants and cafes. Maybe some are for the tourists, but there seems to be a genuine push to create a renaissance out of what has been a dark period. Moreover, each Athenian neighborhood has its own vibrant character. Within a few blocks, you can go from an immigrant neighborhood with signs in multiple languages to designer luxury stores to authentic Greek cafes crowded with locals. The compact and diverse neighborhoods feel somewhat like San Francisco. The steep streets (note Lycabettus Hill) reminded me of climbing up to Coit Tower in SF with my boyfriend over winter break. Lots of green and lots of colors. Athens’ beauty earns its place under a wash of pink and orange sunsets. I can’t get over how much the landscape is imbued with magic.

I had a great time doing an Instagram story takeover for Whitman OCS (now in saved stories). I shared our lecture and trip to the Numismatic Museum of Athens to study Greek coinage. I also posted a bit about the art student protest and my expedition into the Exarchia neighborhood, known for anarchy and dissent, to talk to locals about the historical context for current student protests. Right now, the government is forcing the construction of a new metro station in Exarchia Square. Armed police guard a high fence that now covers the green space known historically for hosting anarchists and counter-culture. Some are calling it inevitable progress but others are highlighting the curious coincidence in location and the likely gentrification of a working-class area.

Many nights in Athens people would go out to the clubs or bars downtown. My friend and I felt like being homebodies but decided we’d venture out for a quick drink down the street. Greece has these incredibly romantic patio bars where people talk for hours. It feels like a semblance of a lost period in time when people meeting in a public place was the main form of news, gossip, and academic thought. While I still can’t make sense of it, the service was comically horrible at the spot we chose. We spoke to five different waiters repeatedly to order and then begged to be able to pay and leave. Each time they would say “just a minute!” and then take a smoke break, get a massage from a coworker (?!), and then help other tables while ignoring us. Two hours later we were hysterically laughing as we escaped bar purgatory by shoving our change in someone’s hand. 

Every other place I went to in Greece was extremely prompt. This is especially the case because it’s the law that you get a bill when your order is served. Sometimes restaurants would have a bill bowl on the table and we’d create a little pile throughout a dinner. It’s not too hard to split bills because waiters will typically come over with a mobile credit card machine when you ask. Note: Favorite meal bottom right at Ama Lechei in Exarchia.

We had a few wrap-up sessions as our day of departure neared. I presented my project: “Lost Faith: Student Protest in Light of the Greek Economic Crisis”. In addition to the students I talked about last week, I interviewed a police officer and a shopkeeper in Exarchia. To quickly summarize, the poor management of the Greek financial crisis created mistrust between students and the state. This has been renewed by anger over the train disaster. There is growing suspicion of corruption within the student community and frustration with negotiations. For the generation who grew up in crisis, there is little faith in the government responding to or solving issues.

It was difficult witnessing people my own age having such intense frustration. My encounters were corroborated by other students who did similar projects. While the older generation sounded more optimistic, elected officials do not seem to represent the students and consequently the future of Greece.