Thursday, March 17, 2011

Meepos

I've been a bit negligent about blogging lately, partly because of a sad string of events here at Ladas House.  I try to keep my blog positive even with the touch of self-deprecating humor and the inclusion of some of my mishaps in Greece and elsewhere, so I wasn't sure how to include a post that was sad.  It starts out happy, though - and you might say that it has a happy ending.

One of the exciting events of my sister's visit in late February was the birth of a litter of kittens.  I went down to our laundry room (which is in a three-sided room attached to the back of our house) to put in a load of laundry and discovered that a cat had had kittens in a cardboard box in the corner!  Now, this is the same mother cat I mentioned in my post "The Lada Cats" in the fall.  We had begun to suspect that her growing belly meant that she was pregnant again, but I had know idea that she would have kittens so soon... or in our laundry room!  Five tiny, furry babies - two striped, one black, one black and white, and one striped and white.  Completely adorable.  Here's a picture of Halie holding one of the babies on her last day in Athens; the kitten is probably about 2-3 days old.

Shortly after their birth, I found that the black kitten had died.  Since it had happened so early, I wasn't too attached, and I had read that it was not unusual for kittens to die a day or two after they are born.  I buried the kitten, and I started feeding the mother.  I even arranged for one of the other fellows to feed the mother cat during my time on Crete.  I came back to four cute kittens who were growing bigger.  In fact, kittens are supposed to double in weight the first week after they are born!

At about two weeks old, a kitten went missing.  They had grown big enough to grab onto the blanket that was draped over the side of the box and use it to climb out - I was afraid that by leaving the blanket it in that it was my fault that the kitten was missing.  But it's possible that the mother moved it because it was sick or even that it had been taken out by something else.  Alarmed at the prospect of something happening to the others, I took the kittens and their mother to a vet, which was an adventure in itself.  (Using a cat rescue website to find a vet.  Calling to see if they were open.  If they spoke English.  If I could bring the cats.  Confirming the address.  Hailing a taxi to take me there.) 

The veterinarian was extremely nice and spoke fluent English; she even stayed in the office late to see me that Saturday.  She confirmed that the kittens were healthy, cleaned their eyes, and gave them vitamin booster shots.  I bought good quality cat food, a vitamin supplement, and declared my adoption of the cats, though I knew that couldn't take them in the house because my roommates are allergic.  But I was growing increasingly attached to the babies - they had become like pets.

One morning I heard the noise of a scuffle outside, which is de rigeur for our house.  All sorts of cats roam the campus, and we hear weird cat noises at all hours of the day and night.  I put some cat food into a bowl and headed down to the laundry room... only to find a lone kitten, frantic and mewing in the turned-over cardboard box.  I desperately glanced around for the others, and when the mother arrived, she did the same.  She, too, seemed confused.

I never found any trace of the other kittens.  I can only assume that something got them - probably another cat, as we don't have any larger animals on campus.  I was worried and heartbroken, and I kept the last kitten (who happened to be my favorite) and its mother within reach for the rest of the day.  Two of the fellows who live in an apartment off-campus had expressed interest in fostering a couple of the kittens once they were weaned, and I was grateful that they were willing to take the mother cat and the baby instead.  Even though it sounds sappy, I miss their company, especially in a country where friends are few.  Claya (the mother cat) and Meepos, as Mandee and Whitney dubbed the baby, seem to be very happy in their temporary new home, however.  And it makes me smile to see them so content.   

Photo Credit: Shamelessly stolen from Mandee's facebook page.
P.S. "Meepos" is a Greek word which means "maybe."

"Telea," the Greeks might say.  There it is - the end.  Not a cheerful post, perhaps, but a part of my time abroad, and a sad facet of the country that I'm living in.  I didn't think I was an "animal person" - I'm usually too wary of all the germs - but it seems that I am, or at least that I can be.  And, I suspect, it has a lot to do with the need to feel welcome and loved in an unfamiliar country.  So, everyone go and give your pet a hug!  And thank all of the animal rescue groups both in the US and abroad.  

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Halie Goes Greek

I was going to do another post on my trip to Crete, but I really don't think there's much to add to my initial post.  Chania, the city I stayed in, was picturesque, but I didn't actually DO much of anything there.  Then I spent two days on a ferry waiting for it to be cleared by the Port Authority to return to Athens because of the crazy snow the area was having.  (My attempts at travel never go smoothly.  Did I post about my lengthy stay in the Frankfurt airport?  How about barely making my flight out of Budapest?)  Anyway, my sister just posted about her trip to visit me in Athens, and I have been shamed into hurrying up my own post on the subject.  So, here it is: the story of a North Carolinean who attends college in Birmingham, AL (but is currently studying in London) in Greece!

My sister arrived quite propitiously on a Greek holiday - the last day that those who strictly observe the Greek Orthodox calendar are allowed to eat meat before giving it up for the 40 days of Lent.  We almost decided to stay in, but we were so glad that we took a chance when we sat down in a happening taverna in Monastiraki, a district near the Acropolis.  There were colorful streamers decorating the taverna and napkins papering the floor - the latter, we discovered, a result of an exuberant staff member who kept flinging them about.  I made Halie replace one that had fallen on her head for the picture below.  Look!


Confetti guns popped, people danced, and the live music was so loud you could hardly hear the person across the table.  It was everything that you would see in a Greek movie, and totally unlike what a usual dinner in a taverna would be!

My sister's to-do list for her trip was very short: see Acropolis, eat gyro.  I'd been in the Acropolis Museum, but I hadn't actually climbed up to the Parthenon.  Believe it or not, after living in Athens for several months, you kind of treat the Acropolis like a decorative piece of furniture.  "Wow, it's the Acropolis!" a tourist might say, and your reaction is "And...?"  I once likened it to never seeing Graceland if you lived in Memphis (it's a tourist thing, not a resident thing) - and then I realized that I was comparing an ancient monument to Elvis's house.  Oops.  But it was fun to be able to see the Parthenon up close for the first time with my sister.

Climbing the Acropolis.  You can see the bag of fruit at our feet!
Wait, wasn't Halie wearing the hat in the first picture?
Requisite tourist picture.
We also walked through the Panormou laiki, or market, on Saturday morning.  We ended up buying a few tangerines so that Halie could taste the amazingness of Greek citrus fruit, but of course the fruit vendor tossed in several free items, and we ended up lugging the bag of produce around all day!  We almost got in trouble for having strawberries at the Acropolis; apparently the fruit can stain the marble.

On Saturday evening, after a very full day of touring, I was determined to take my sister to my favorite new taverna.  Unfortunately, I had left my carefully mapped out directions at home.  Any of you who knows me know that I am directionally-challenged and that this move spells disaster.  My sister was a very good sport as I proceeded to drag her through half of Athens trying to find the taverna.   None of the cab drivers seemed to know the place we were looking for and we wandered in circles for... let's just say a very long time.  Finally, hungry and dispirited, we stopped for gelato.  And the employees gave us directions.  Thanks, gelato guys!  If I can ever find you again, I'm totally coming back for more gelato.

Sunday, we vegged.  I know, I know.  There were so many places we still hadn't seen!  But sleeping in late and catching up was actually some of the most fun I'd had all weekend - so much better than trying to rush to an island and back or cramming in more touring.  We made a quick stop by the Agora and grabbed a gyro, then headed to the airport, where we discovered that I had mistakenly booked my sister's return flight for March instead of February...  Clearly, my subconscious was at work to keep her in Athens.  I did, however, return her to London - and I get to visit her there in April!

First Gyro.  A Historic Moment.

P.S. Pop on over to Sweet Tea and Crumpets, Halie's blog, to see her pictures from the weekend!
http://hyork-sweetteaandcrumpets.blogspot.com/

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Lovely Crete

It's hard to believe I've been in Crete less than 24 hours.   I guess arriving on the ferry before dawn gave me an exceptionally long day - in a good way.  From seeing the city before most people were awake to ending the day with a delicious meal (complete with Greek coffee and cheesecake,) I've loved my day on this beautiful island.  I'm so pleased that I have two more days to enjoy.  But now, I'm sleepy, so here are some pictures to hold you until I get back to Athens.