I got a lot of great feedback on my previous blog post (thanks mom), but also a suggestion that I go for shorter, more frequent posts rather than my typical weekly novella. Point taken (though I am a terrible self-censorer so no promises). So I wanted to pop in a little micro-blog to precede further reflection on the work I’m doing with the GFR, and naturally I decided to do this in song. Please read the lyrics below to the tune specified, and don’t forget to check the footnotes (yes my song has footnotes). In fact, I’ve included a simply marvelous audio version of myself singing, which I am quite sure will be enjoyable to all, as I have been often told since childhood (by the voices inside my head) that I have true vocal talent.

My Favorite Things About Athens

(To the tune of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music)

Take away coffee’s a really big thing here
It’s actually decent and so is the Greek beer
There’s AC and wifi and towels in my house—
No, geckos, rats, scorpions not even a mouse! *

People are friendly and understand English
The pastries I’ve eaten make my top 10 food list
Comfort’s in style and clothing is cheap
My wardrobe has doubled just in the first week!

When there’s BO
On the metro
And I’m feeling sad
I watch old ladies ‘round me make signs of the cross**
And then I don’t feel so bad!

*This is in comparison to the apartment I lived in for a year in Lecce, Italy, where it was equally as hot but without blessed AC, the wifi I tried to steal from my neighbor’s apartment never worked, and yes there was a scorpion on my rug once and I spent a whole night chasing and mercilessly murdering a poor little gecko with ant spray.

**I couldn’t fit the whole explanation into the song, but I had been noticing that on the metro many of the little old ladies would do the Orthodox sign of the cross three times and end it with a kiss (I saw some burly dude doing it too) and it took me a few rides to figure out that they would do it every time we stopped at two particular metro stops—Aghios Nikolaus and Aghios Eleftherios. “Aghios” means “saint” in Greek, so they do it every time we stop at a saintly metro station! It always makes me laugh when I see them do it, and helps distract me from focusing on the more pungent passengers.