She'd say come now baby, I come a runnin'

My first night in in a few nights. Time flies. I've been in Thessaloniki for nearly a month now. Today I went to the refugee center where I will be volunteering to teach English to "youngsters" as they call them, ranging in age from 15 - 23. There are about 19 youngsters, mostly coming from Afghanistan, so I will have perhaps 2 students. We will see. the center is more organized and official than I expected. They are really interested in helping these kids assimilate into a social world. In many cases these kids have grown up in areas of violence, street living, and unimaginables, so their behavior tends to be outside of the social norm. This is an attribute of the center that I did not anticipate but probably should have, I am excited to begin working but slightly anxious about who I might come across. It is a very different world, where they come from, where they have escaped to. I'm afraid you never quite know how one might respond to interaction with a lifestyle so different. It is my hope that with the right mindset and preparation.. I will have totally overprepared. :-)
Here's my latest observation/appreciation in Thessaloniki. It is nearly a sure bet that at any point while passing a sacred or religious item, a church most commonly, you may look around and find a fellow passing pedestrian or bus rider commemorating such passage. By that I mean, making a cross with their finger from forehead to chest to sternum and back again. While I personally have not explored such compelling religious ties, I do find it quite endearing that this faith is a constant thought. The people who participate are readily aware of their surroundings and the appropriate religious sentiment. I feel this is something to be admired. Perhaps we often all too quickly pass by things in life, physically or metaphorically, and fail to maintain a consistent recognition of their purpose in our lives. Think on it suckahs.