January 2020

Back in Greece! While it's slightly chilly back in Regina (-35) it's like spring time in Athens! 

But even with night time temps at 8 degrees I wouldn't want to sleep outside... 

Apparently, there are over 55,000 asylum seekers in Greece and housing is insufficient. Some find empty hotels. Some tough ones remain sleeping on the street. Some are Greeks. 

Richard and I have about 14 ESL learners in our class. Today, we officially divided into "pre-beginners" and approximately level 1. I have the level 1's. What are they learning? "To be" (or not!) We are conjugating and listening, speaking, reading and writing. We've found a great ESL resource from Winnipeg. I add in reflection time and journalling. Richard is focusing on alphabet recognition and the very basics "My name is...." and how to spell names in English. 

Greek food is great - souvlaki, meatball soup, white bean soup, Greek salad, and a zillion bake shops filled with phyllo pastries covered with honey syrup. 

We've tasted, but not indulged! One bake shop owner gave us free tasting! 

We walk lots - about 3 hours a day - mostly on concrete. 

Our Omonia team is very welcoming, supportive and hardworking. 

Wednesdays we all have lunch together with the staff and refugees. Eleni cooked the soup and the refugee volunteers prepared the baba ganoush and other fixins'. 

While Eleni was busy today Richard gave a short lesson to all of us on forgiveness. One of the little Syrian boys (about 11 years old) did the translation into Arabic. His family came to Greece a couple of years ago and he and his sibs are fluent in Greek and learning English very well.  

Airbnb is highly in use by tourists, but there is some opposition as noted outside our little home away from home!