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| Photo Credit: My roommate T. |
Every Friday, an open air Farmer's Market takes place a few blocks away from where I live. It's a very neat market, with vendors yelling out (in Greek) what they're selling, and for how much. On the very first full day here in Athens, I went to it with my two roommates, to pick up some food for the apartment, and just to see what was available. We were just looking, when S. decided she wanted an orange. We stopped at a vendor, and in English and hand gestures, she asked the vendor how much one orange cost. The vendor looked confused for a moment, before waving her hand and saying "Dorean, dorean!" She was giving S. the orange for free. S. thanked her, and the three of us went on our way.
A few moments later, an older man I'd noticed standing near the vendor tapped me and T. on the shoulders. We turned, and he handed us each an orange, with a smile. We thanked him, and he waved us off, the universal sign for "Don't mention it". Without a word, he went one direction, and we continued in a different one. It was the first real interaction we had had with Greeks since we'd arrived, and I won't soon forget it. As the people at the Athens Centre keep telling us, the people here are laid back and friendly, not like the city-folk back in the States at all. I'm highly inclined to believe it, and look forward to getting to know the people here better.
