here comes the sun

The weather has gotten warmer and things are beginning to heat up here in Thessaloniki! With abundant sunshine comes picnics in the grass and laying around in the sun. Beach volleyball has also started and lots of pick up games of soccer or frisbee in the grass. I love laying around in the grass with friends and just enjoying the warmth of the sun and the warmth of friendship.

My fellow students and I have also been able to talk some of our professors into hold classes outside. One day in my Women in Literature class we had a picnic outside with lemon-poppy seed cake, nutella cookies, chips, and soda. We played "Jane Eyre: Truth or Dare." My dare was to rap the song that Bessie sings to Jane in the beginning of the novel. Some other dares were: "Reenact the atmospheric conditions that were illustrated in the beginning of the novel" or "Act out the red-room scene." Some truths were: "Would you date Jane?" or "If Jane was a contemporary celebrity who would she be?" We had lots of fun and lots of good food courtesy of our resident, wonderful Candian: Elizabeth. This is how classes are supposed to be: playful, fun, interactive. I love having class out in the sun and out on the grass. It's perfect.

here's a video of a fellow classmate, Molly, reenacting the weather conditions of Jane Eyre

Other than Women in Literature we've been able to talk other teachers into holding class outside. We had Modern Art and Architecture outside the other day where we spent an entire hour and a half just talking about Picasso and his many lovers and wifes. Picasso gossip in the sunshine and petting a black kitty-cat that wanders our campus? PERFECT. Also, instead of a lecture in my Religions class, we went outside to reflect on Daoism symbols and wrote short responses or poetry about paintings of bowls and rocks. Can you say AWESOME?! Seriously, this is the life. This is the way the education system needs to work. I love it :)