Got to 41 Alopekis (Al got me a taxi from the Academic Center) + met Iv my roommate. 6 of us in an apartment, 3 doubles, living room, kitchen, one bathroom with toilet bowl + 1 just with toilet bowl (chain from which u flush hangs from the ceiling, mysteriously enough).
1st lesson. Thank god the room was air-conditioned. Went to lunch with L, As + Iv at this chic café place, terrible ham sandwich for 900 drachma. Took my siesta, was so tired that I had harried, vivid dreams.
It’s warm but very dry, if I stop sipping water, feel like I’ll collapse from dehydration. Traffic conditions are terrible, streets are barely 3-cars wide with parking on both sides, lots of honking, the air quality is terrible. It’s a very packed city but most buildings not too tall so not claustrophobic, feels like lots of nooks and crannies around. Met at 6:30 at the library for tour of neighborhood. Talking with R, already graduated, entering master’s program in fall. Official briefing followed by dinner at a taverna, nice outdoor setting with trellises + vines, don’t care much for retsina but the food was pretty good esp fried cheese + the beef. Talking to a few pple – S, B’s dad was apparently in Singapore for 3 years. Sat with Dr M + J for dinner. She’s living in Egypt half the time since her research is there. Apparently, her father is a really famous archaeologist. Can feel the heat getting to me.