It’s the weekend already and today we are going out with Natasha’s boyfriend and a group of her friends for a Sunday brunch, in celebration of her friend’s engagement. The restaurant is situated nearby the Acropolis in an outdoor setting. It was a gorgeous gorgeous day to be out. The sky is perfectly clear and oh Soooooo beautiful! I love the breeze and the gentle sun.
Totally understand why café culture is so big here in Athens, its perfect to sit on the patio or café side walk and people watch, sipping a Frappe or Freddocino (Greek version of Cappuccino which I found really delicious! Loved it so much I bought a box home)

Anyway, lunch was an amazing Greek grill with fresh salads and produce. I ate till I almost couldn’t move- oh boy, it was that good! I really appreciated the opportunity to be able enjoy a meal with locals and Natasha’s friends were welcoming and friendly.
After the meal, we parted ways with her friends and walked around the area. The Acropolis Museum is around the corner so 3 of us went in for a walk around before we went home and called it a day.

In the last few days in Athens, I noticed how my mind is getting used to the hectic city life and also how less calm it is even though it's only less than a week since I left the countryside and the meditation centre in Berlin. In a way I suppose this is the best transition between being in the peace and calm of nature, engaging with my spiritually and going straight back to the busy city I call home and looking for a job.

Athens gives me an opportunity to enjoy what little time that's left of this amazing 5 months journey, playing tourist. There is a part of me that felt that these 5 months away is just nice and am happy to go home. But there's also another part of me that wishes I don't have to go back to SG, cos doing so would mean having to get back into work, career, busy hustle and bustle of city life- which I didn't miss 1 bit! I didn't miss the malls, the shopping, the pubs or discos, I didn't miss the crowd, the people. In fact, honestly speaking, I didn't miss anyone. Not any of my friends. If anything, the only thing I missed was the local food.

But I wanted to see my parents, spend more time with pa and mum. I really wanted to know how is dad's health, how is mum doing and being able to be there for them, since I wasn't when pa was going through his operation.

I noticed this old lady who sits by the balcony all day watching people go by. She dresses only in black and every morning when I leave Natasha's place to the train station and every evening when I come back from exploring the city, I see her sitting by the balcony. Her apartment is by the side of the walkway so it was very easy to notice her.

On day 4, I decided to smile at her that morning. She had a flicker of surprise before she too gave a half smile back. I asked Natasha later that evening about her and she said:' Ah, so you noticed her too eh.. Yes, she has been sitting there every day for a few years now. She wears black cos she's in mourning. Natasha told me that in Greece, widows and family members would wear black during the period of mourning but there are many widows who wear black for the rest of their lives.

That old lady by the window is in mourning. I wondered what life is like for her, and what she thinks about when she sits gazing at the walkway, day in and day out.
Is she looking forward to anything? Does she continue to live for something, or is she merely waiting for her time to be up?

I decided to check out the Acropolis today. Woke up a little too late in the morning so by the time I finished breakfast and get on the train to the site, if was past noon. Boy it was HoT! It was a walk up to the entrance took longer that I had expected but it was slightly surreal when I got to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheater. How many times have I seen this backdrop to the classical concerts ie: Yanni's 'Live' at the Acropolis. I can't really believe I'm actually standing here!

It took further walking to the Parthenon which is currently undergoing construction, so much of the structure is surrounded by scaffolding. It's amazing how a building built in 438 BC(!!!) is still standing today in modern times. The thought: 'If walls could talk�' definitely crossed my mind. Imagine the centuries of stories it would tell, from the Ancient Greek times dedicated to the Goddess Athena, to the Christian church dedication to Virgin Mary to the Ottoman Turk Empire turning it into a Mosque. And today, we have tourists like me, hanging out in our t-shirts and jeans snapping pictures. I wondered what the Ancients would make of us- 21st century people.

I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon walking around the area, checking out the shops at Monastiraki before meeting up with Natasha for dinner. We ordered in and they delivered the most delicious chicken Souvlaki with fries. Oh my god! My mouth was watering and even after I've wolfed down all of it, I wanted more.
YUM. Double YUM!

[See Pictures here]

Athen's weather was much warmer than I'd anticipated.
Natasha showed me the map of Athens and gave me some directions to town the next morning. She also mentioned some places best to avoid before leaving for work.
I spent the day exploring in town, walking in some of the ancient greek sites, visiting a few temple ruins and taking in the people, sights and sounds of Greece.

One thing I noticed, the greeks enjoy people watching and cafe culture is huge.
Every cafe & restaurant has big open seating allowing their patrons to people watch.
It reminded me very much of Paris in this aspect.
See and be seen.
The beautiful weather made everybody just want to sit outside and enjoy. And the women are gorgeous! So many beautiful Greek women.
With their different shades of dark hair, rather mesmerizing eyes and ample figure.
Nice boobs, slim legs and small waist, especially in the younger women.
I can't help admiring, almost everywhere I went.

I only wish the same could be said of the men.
I was expecting gorgeous hunks walking in every street corner. I mean, after all, we've all heard about the Greek gods and warriors so why shouldn't the decedents of all the Greek gods be really something too?
After all, the women were HOT!
But unfortunately, the general population of guys I saw in Athens were not. :(

Anyway, so the men's gorgeousness failed to expectations, but the food certainly didn't. Oh boy! Mediterranean food with their fresh fresh salads, aromatic olive oils... seafood, lamb etc.. Oooo, I smell that in a small corner street of Plaka.
It's a tourist town with many shops catering to tourist, but they also had many eclectic cafes and restaurants. My first official meal in Greece? Moussaka and fresh Greek salad. :)
Can't get anymore traditional than that! It was yummy.

That evening, I met up with Natasha after she finished work at Monastiraki and we took a walk up to a hill looking towards the Acropolis and the backdrop of Athens behind.
It was so beautiful. Seeing the change of hue of the sky in the evening sun, the surreal image of ACROPOLIS! behind, and sitting quietly with a friend in a delightfully strange new country with fabulous weather.

It's unreal and I appreciated every moment of it.

I didn't have the intention to visit Greece when I started out my journey 5 months ago. What got me thinking was when I was checking flights to go home.
Checking flights from Berlin to SG was alot more expensive than I thought so I started looking for alternative.The search came to an end when I found out that easyjet flew to Athens and Emirates flew from Athens back to SG. (Bonus flyer miles with Emirates too!)

My friend Natasha (whom I've first met in Jordan 4 years ago when we were there for a volunteer work camp at an orphanage,) had invited me a coupla times to Greece, so I decided to take this opportunity visit her.
All this, I planned when I was still in UK.

Arriving at night, I was looking forward to seeing Natasha again but I also wondered if we would be able to recognize each other. Afterall, we did only spend less than 2 weeks together, years ago.
I came out of the gates, alittle worried that if she forgot my arrival, I'd have no idea where to stay or how to get anywhere that night. My heart thumped harder, looking left and right, searching for a familiar face.
And there she was, looking very much as how I'd fondly remembered her!

We hugged and time just melted away. Even though we'd not been in much contact since we last saw each other in Jordan, maybe a handful of emails over the years, it felt like little time had passed.
I'm amazed how our friendship which grew from just 10 days together over 4 years ago still felt very present and affectionate.

Her mum and cousin was also visiting so we didn't catch up that night as everyone was tired.

Today, my time in Germany has come to an end.
After about 4 weeks living in KMC Germany, working and getting to know the sangha there, having the time and space to reflect and observe my mind and trying to adjust to an environment that's foreign in language and culture.

I realized how easy it was to take for-granted (especially in English speaking countries) the comfort of conversations and convenience of language.
Being the only non-German speaker in the community, there are times I felt left out but also alittle embarrass when everyone had to switch language to accommodate me into their conversation.
But it also allowed me to appreciate their effort and kindness when they do so.


So today is time to go into the final destination of this year's journey.. Athens, Greece.
I left on the last day of the festival before the ending whilst everyone was on a coffee break.
It was a drizzly Sunday when I left the KMC to the airport.

The weekend empowerment came and went too swiftly. One moment we were just finishing off painting the world peace cafe, the next moment preparing for the arrival of Gen-La Khyenrab,
the arrival of the German sangha from different parts of Germany and the start of the festival that evening.

The empowerment and teachings was wonderful but over too soon.
I've always enjoyed festivals but this time, being a foreigner in a completely German community,
I felt alittle disconnected, seems not as easy to chat with anyone without me feeling alittle awkward.
So with the exception of Romain- who's French and a fellow sangha from Singapore, (who was there to help guild the ceiling of the gompa) I didn't really talk to anyone much.

I had a deep appreciation how Dharma is presented in so many different languages and I am so thankful that I can received it directly in English.
It's a different feeling being able to hear the Dharma directly from the teacher instead of through an interpreter.. it's the subtle nuances that sometimes gets lost in translation I feel.

I shared my dilema with the teacher and another fellow sangha, hoping for some advice or a direction I should take.
Part of me feels like I'm not being a good filial daughter if I don't go home, but the other part of me feels that I could do more long term benefit if I stayed on to dedicate my merit with work, prostrations, purification and prayer.

Although they did not tell me what I should do (for ultimately it had to be my own intention and decision), they did share a similar experience they had.
That evening, we had a GP class which Gen Ananda taught in German and through the incredible kindness of a sangha- Gyalten, she sat beside me and translated it to English.
In that teaching, I heard the answer in Dharma.

I knew what I was going to do and it helped me develop a further appreciation
on the meaning of taking refuge in Dharma and in Sangha.

I woke up early to call home this morning. Pa turned to my dharma teacher in 1 statment-
" If you really understand impermanence, then you'll know that I can also die today in a road accident, death doesn't just happen in hospitals. Since you're in Berlin for a teaching and spiritual retreat, I appreciate your concern but it's not necessary for you to rush back.
Even if you do come back, you can only see me during visitor's hours
and if all goes well, I'll be discharged in 24 hrs.
So, it's not necessary for you to rush back."

I'd expressed my fears, concern and love openly.
And it was a kind of conversation that we've not had before- one without awkwardness and an openness of love.
It was one of the few rare times when I told my dad aloud how much I love him and hear him say the same.

Coming from a typical Asian family, we seldom express our love with words, but I know of my parent's love from their actions.
We don't tell each other ' I love you.' But I know it when my mum cuts short her time out with her friends to prepare dinner for dad each evening... when dad goes out to the supermarket to buy our favorite food and make sure we don't run out of multi vitamins.. when they nag at me when I don't eat well...

Now I'm torn. I'm not sure what to do now.
Would I be more benefit to him and others if I stayed on to received the empowerment and teachings or would it be more beneficial to go home?