July 3, 2007 School is in Session!

Public school classes in Athens ended May 16 and the next two weeks examinations were given, after which teachers graded papers and turned in their reports. Theodosia took me with her on the last day of school (last Friday) as she wanted me to see the campus. It is a Lycee, three years only, comparable to our junior and senior years of high school plus one year of college prep. Theodosia teaches algebra, geometry and "special math".
Classes do not end for her however. She has a full complement of students whom she tutors in preparation for college entrance examinations. These exams determine the level of college for which students may apply. Since her specialty is Math, the students she tutors are aiming for the premier science college, the Polytechnic Institute. She is in great demand because she has a reputation for getting her students well prepared. Parents beg her to teach their children, often offering to pay as much as double her usual fees if she will take them on. The phone rings constantly with requests for her help. Even though she limits the number of students she tutors, they take up all her day, five days a week. She will get vacation in the month of August when most families will go on vacation.
My education continues, too. Yesterday I rode the local bus circuit, without getting off, so I would see where it went. I paid special attention to how people signalled the driver to stop (a knob on some of the poles which when pressed lights up a sign in the front that says "WAGON HALT") and timed the ride for when it passed certain areas. We went by the main "plaka" in Haidari where Christos took me Saturday night to walk the promenade and have supper. I had noted a bank there so will go again today to exchange some money.
Violet, Theodosia's mother, gives me Greek "lessons" daily. These usually consist of her asking me questions in Greek, which I then try to comprehend and answer. The one good thing about her inquisitions is that she will rephrase if I do not get it the first time. Usually I find at least one word I recognize to give me a clue what she is asking and then I have to search for the words to answer. She doesn't trust herself, or me, because she always checks with Theodosia or Aris later to see if what she thinks I told her is really true.
When words fail, use body language, that age-old communication art-form.