Yesterday night (Friday), I stayed in and ate some particularly delicious leftovers, so I was ready to get out of the house today. The thing is, there's nothing to keep me on campus after work, but a sense of unfamiliarity and hesitancy about not being able to speak Greek (plus not knowing anybody) is pretty effective. This afternoon, some of the fellows made some noise about going shopping. Shopping? I am totally in.
So, at 3 o'clock we jump on the 550 bus, headed for The Mall. Yes, that's correct - it's capitalized because that's what it's called. We walk part of the way after the bus stop, and we pass a little carnival complete with bumper cars and a ferris wheel. We cross a highway by pedestrian bridge, and, as we take the steps up to the mall, we pass street sellers with belts, knock-off designer purses, jewelry, and sunglasses. Then - forgive the momentary rapturous expression on my face - we enter the mall. Such a familiar feeling. The layout reminds me a bit of Carolina Place Mall in Charlotte, as the mall itself has several floors that can be viewed from any one floor. There is a theater, where we quickly lose the boys to a showing of The Town. Eleni, Robyn, and I investigate the possibility of bowling, which is surprisingly cheap - about 5 euro for an all-day student pass. The bowling alley is small, but much nicer than anything I've seen in the States. American bowling alleys must be slightly sketchy to qualify for the name, I believe. This one serves sandwiches, frozen cappuccinos, and has a nice bar.
We pass a mix of stores that I recognize from home, others from those I've seen in Athens, and then some I've never seen at all. They have United Colors of Benneton, Nine West, Esprit, Marks & Spencer, and even a Claire's. I'm pretty sure I saw some Steve Madden shoes. What I am most excited about, however, is the food court - Auntie Anne's pretzels (butter + sugar, yum!), KFC, Goody's, and many more. This is no tacky plastic-chair area, either. The coffee shops have large, comfy chairs with cushions. People pass by with real coffee cups, plates, and silverware. I could get used to this. Then, the best thing of all: Gourmet Burger Kitchen. I have not had a real burger since my departure from the States in August; the beef patties they serve on campus don't count because they have oregano in them and taste like a flat Greek meatball. I look at the menu and the electronic pictures flipping past on a screen at the restaurant entrance. This is legit, and part of it's even in English. This is where I'm eating.
Robyn and Eleni have already had lunch, so they leave to begin their shopping. I stand confusedly by the hostess desk for a moment and then ask an employee whether I should sit down; I should. I settle on a Coke, Bacon and Cheese Burger, and Fries with Garlic Mayo. I play tetris on my phone awhile - I think that this is the first time that I've ever eaten by myself at a sit-down establishment. I usually try to avoid them when I'm on my own, but there is no way that I'm giving up my burger! I take note of the Big Ben poster on the wall - must be a British company. Then, my food comes. I know that I have never been as thankful for the British as I am as I attack my burger and fries. The garlic mayo is phenomenal, but I discover that the "bacon" on my sandwich is some bizarre cross between American and Canadian bacon. No matter - it's delicious. I scrape off some of the overly sweet ketchup-y stuff, however. After a truly heroic effort, I give up trying to finish the burger, but the fries are gone. I tip the waiter and leave.
I drift into a state of near-euphoria as I shop for the next hour, finally purchasing a cute bucket hat of pink wool with a black buckle around the brim - from a corner shop that is, amusingly, also British. One of the employees is from Virginia Beach, and the other has family in Charlotte. I mention how unusual it is to meet anyone from south of New York, and they say "We love the South here" (in the store, I assume). Happy sigh. Did you know that burgers and shopping are very therapeutic? In fact, I recommend them to all homesick ex-pats.
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| The Mall - trust me, it's much larger than it looks. (http://www.eawc.org/v2/?q=node/691) |
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