In the dark of the night I can hear you calling my name, So we drink and we Smoke and we ask if you're ever around...

In transcription:

Ya sas! Ti kanis?

Appropriate Responses:

-Kala

-Mia hara

-Poli kala

-Etsi Ketsi

Translation: Hi! How are you? Good, Very good (?), Not Good, So-so.

Ah, Peut-etre francaise est le plus bonne que helenique pour moi. Mais non, Je parle un petite helenique aussi!

Party people my languages are struggling. who would have thought that my background in French would help me more in Greece than the universal language (English) does? Pour-quoi? Parce que many of the food packaging and general packing labels include French as a second or third language choice. Often, English is not listed. Although, for the Greek companies I might assume it has something to do with Africa's close proximity to Greece.

Today, as an alternative to the supermarket - I went to the farmer's market. Here, not only can you find fruits and vegetables.. meats and fish.. for lower prices than the commercial stores but you can also find boots, kitchenware, glassware, candies, coffees, and religious paraphenalia at discount prices. The atmostphere is an exciting and gives a certain "underground" vibe which makes you feel like you are in this incredibly nondescript, local spot. But in fact, the market is located in an alley right off what is probably the largest and most populated square in central downtown. This is a great place to test language learning skills. While everyone speaks Greek, it is not uncommon to find an English speaker as well. So, here is what I propose - one attempts to start a conversation in Greek BUT if said person cannot follow the conversation as well as intended, then there is a bailout. Thank goodness you can still buy strawberries without knowing the word "strawberries". I have been doing mild amounts of Greek language studying on my own, since I am not taking the course in school and I believe I had a truly exciting moment that solitifies that perhaps I will be able to make it in this city and continue to pick up more than just useful phrases. I stopped at a kiosk ( which is similar to a U.S. street convenience store) to purchase milk. Milk which I discovered later smelled like yogurt, I can only assume it was expired despite the exp. date being 2 weeks away; however, that is neither here nor there. I greeted the kiosk keeper with " ya sas" and held up the milk and said "poso kani?" (how much) and she replied. I then hand her 2 euros to cover the 1.30 charge and said "oriste" (here you are). Then I blew it. She asked if I needed a bag, and I said in English, "Oh no thank you, I will just carry it." Suprisingly she she asked where I was from, and I replied America, and she said not Greece? I replied with a negative and she questioned, "but you speak Greek" and I sadly admitted, "Signomee, milao ligo elinika" ( sorry, I speak a little Greek). How outstanding! I nearly could have walked away from somehow not being the ridiculous foreigner. Better luck next time soldier.

- and for anyone paying particular attention to my titles, this title is from my personal favorite song "Revelry" by an incredible band, which I also claim as my favorite, The Kings of Leon. What a phenomenon to watch them implode over the last year.