This is Susan Herrington, reporting live from Athens...

Ok, not really. There's no way I'd give Susan Herrington the password to edit my blog.

Athens is great!!! The kids on the program are all real cool, and although the social environment is very different from I am used to, I like it. There are so many different kinds of people, and I have made some good friends here already. As for the city itself, I really like what I have seen. However, it is huge, and the area where I am living is really well-off compared to most of Athens. Tomorrow I am hoping to set out early and walk for most of the day. Some other girls have also expressed interest, and we are planning to see as much as we can on foot in one day. One of my apartment-mates is Greek, and this is her second semester at CYA, so she knows a lot about the city and where to go. She has been a huge help.

Everything is really different here, as can be expected. The lifestyle change ranges from the little things - like not being able to flush toilet paper - to the major differences, such as city life and an overwhelming language barrier. It's really neat, though, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know this culture and its people.

Today there was a rally/protest in front of the President's house (which is across the street from our school), and they marched (loudly) to the front of the American embassy. A Greek woman who works for CYA said that most protests take that route, since America plays a big part in resolving Greece's internal problems. So much for Europeans not liking Americans! They are really friendly toward us here, and even the older people try so hard to speak English. I hope to pick up some Greek so that I can talk to them more. But yeah, this protest had to do with the legal business hours. The Democratic Party is in office now, and they are helping to resolve the excessive regulations that have been placed on businesses by the Socialist Party. I think it's neat how Greeks call the parties by their proper names, while in America we disguise the "Socialist Party" with the term "Democratic." How misleading!

Well, I hope y'all are having a great time in the good ol' freezing USA. I'm enjoying the nice weather here! Later.

~Libby G

Song of the day: "Lord Reign in Me" - Vineyard