PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR: Athens Pictures AND Journal Entries

**05.18.05**

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My iPOD is currently playing: “Go” – Common F/ John Mayer & Kanye West

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Bonus Track – The “Still Tippin’” Pictures

Here are the remainder of the Pictures from the Cruise, The Marriot Hotel, and the various islands we visited (With More Captions).

--The lobby of the Marriot

--This is what Intern Money can buy you…(Good)

--the CRISSSSSSTALLLLLL Lounge in the Marriot (no really, it’s called the Cristal Lounge)

--The Roof top Dinning area

--The Roof Top Deck and Pool

--You can see the Acropolis in the Background. Yes, we were Big Pimpin Like Dame Dash and Jayz...without the "Vodka Splashing"...

--Heres our Cruise Ship. *coughwackcouogh*

--On the Flipside: this is what Intern Money can buy you… (Bad)

--About to get our tan on…

--reason #1790 to love Greece: NO ONE heckles you when you have your North Carolina VINCE CARTER jersey on.

--in the disco lounge, Cat picks on someone 3 times older than her.

Philipino Lady *Smiling*: “Are u Korean?”

Me *Thinking*: Oh God No...she got that look in her eyes…

--Our First Stop on the Cruise: Mykonos

--Cat's Candid Photo #198084324p342423j4lj23l4jj4v2349u23v4

--Group shot

--as the sun sets…

--*speechless*

--Second Stop: Kusadasi, Turkey (Ancient Metropolis of Ephesus)

--following the tour group as we enter the ancient city

--if you look closely, medusa is engraved in the center stone

--This ain’t Mills Library for damn sure…

--Cat’s Candid Shot #2

--NOTICE MY DIGITAL CAMERA IN MY RIGHT HAND...

--Old Bath House: Yes that’s a Toilet. And yes, those “Holes” are extremely close to one another…

--you weren’t here…

--The Theater: Elton John and Ray Charles played here…

--Standing on the Floor of the Theater…2006 HK Idol...

--NOTICE, AGAIN, MY DIGITAL CAMERA AROUND MY RIGHT WRIST...

--The Theater in the Distance.

--Third Stop: Patmos aka “Wheres the Bar to pass the time?”

--Cat’s Candid Shot #3

--Cat's Candid Shot #4

--NOW NOTICE THE FRIGGIN FUNSAVER IN MY RIGHT HAND

--TELL ME: WHATS MISSING???

--I LOOK PERPLEXED aka WHAT THE F*** IS A FUNSAVER???

--Third Stop: Rhodes

--View From the Top

--On our way to the Top of the Acropolis in Rhodes

--ONCE AGAIN, NOTICE WHAT I"M HOLDING IN MY LEFT HAND...

--ALSO NOTICE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IN THE PICTURE IS HOLDING...

--WHO LOSES?

--yup, quite impressive!

--Fresh Off the Boat...

--DROP IT LIKE A FOBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB...

--take it away Cat: "Hello Hello Kitty, I love I Love"

--The Acropolis...

--Don't get no better than this...

--Wow...

--Group shot

--From the Church to the Palace...

--Oh the Jackasses...

--You weren't here either!

--Forth Stop: Santorini! aka "Mykonos on a Cliff"...

--Which one is the Jackass?? HAHHAHAHHAHAH

--KIDDING...Cat on a Donkey (Her Choice of Transportation to reach the Top)

--Santorini At Night...

--GOT the G-G-G-G-G Game Face on for our 1st Annual World Series of Rummy...

--Unfortunatly, THIS one was the Victor...

--hahaha...YOU WEREN'T HERE!!!!!!!!!!

--1 FINAL Group Shot (in the Dark)...

--WE LOVE U AMSTEL BEER

**05.17.05**

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My iPOD is currently playing: “Faithful” – Common

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Outro – The “I was in Athens and you weren’t” Pictures

First off, I’d like to give a HUGE Thank You to Catherine for being kind enough for accepting the role of “Newton’s Personal Photographer” for most of the trip. She was the only other person with a digicam and after my digicam was stolen, she was extremely gracious in allowing me the use of her cam. Thanks Bud.

As Promised, here are the FIRST set of pictures (from Cat’s Cam). I’m going to break them up into 2 entries, Athens Pictures and The Rest.

And without further ado, the following are the Athens Pictures (with Captions):

--We’ve JUST taken off from Toronto Int’l Airport and Cat’s already camera-happy.

Two things of note:

I’m holding The Book.

The girl in the background in the red vest

--NOW notice the girl in the red vest…

--Downtown Athens: Syntagma Square.

--Cat’s Candid Shot #1

--To the Acropolis in Athens we GO…

--I Take note of the Rules of Conduct before we enter…

--The Theater: Can someone confirm or deny: Was this one of the visuals in Alicia Key’s ‘Karma’ Video?

--View of Athens from the Top

--Group shot

--the more u know…

-I was here and you weren’t

-…shoot. I was here too…

-…and here too.

--reading is FUN-DA-Mental

--Cat: “Newty, get in the picture!” Me: *delayed reaction*

--Just Incredible. Reason # 1683 to Come to Greece.

--wait for it…

--just incredible.

--Different View, Same Story

--The City is Mine

--Historical site or Big A** Soccer Field…You Be the Judge…

---Group Shot

--Right before this picture was taken, I was told to take my feet off the ledge.

--Newton:1…Athens: 0

--The Site of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens

--this Ain’t the Golden Arches…

--Team HK Relay Member in 2008…

--Too Bad we weren’t allowed to enter…

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES FROM GREECE

**04.27.05**

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My iPOD is currently playing: “Stay With You” – John Legend

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Intro:

Hey. This is my first and probably last attempt at writing an online journal. However, I thought this would be the easiest method for me to share my adventures in Greece.

Some key points regarding this blog before i begin:

1. Updates will occur as frequently as possible (read: whenever I can get online).
2. Entries are divided into "Tracks". Just like your favourite CD.
3. Trip Pictures will be placed in the 'Outro' section of the blog when i get back.

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Track 1 - “The Jump-Off (Pre-Trip Entry)”:

For those who have been asking, here is my Trip/Cruise Itinerary.

April 30^th – Departure from Toronto aboard Lufthansa.

May 1^st – Arrival in Athens. Check in at the Marriot (way to inflate our travel expenditures guys!).

May 2^nd – Board Cruise Ship. Sail for Mykonos, Greece.

May 3^rd – Kusadasi, Turkey.

May 4^th – Patmos, Greece.

May 5^th – Rhodes, Greece.

May 6^th - Crete, Greece.

May 7^th – Athens, Greece. End of Cruise.

May 8^th – Arrival in Toronto.

 

Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about this trip. And don’t worry, I will not be picking up any rocks at any historical sites. I promise.

**04.29.05**

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My iPOD is currently playing: "Get By" - Talib Kweli

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Interlude - "Public Service Anouncement (The night before the flight)"

Quick Thoughts aka things that may only interest me:

• This trip will end up costing me LARGE. After factoring in the plane/cruise tickets, the Euros and the 2 nights at the Marriot, I might have to look for a second job when I get back. I overlooked one small factor, when booking this trip: IBM doesn’t pay me GREECE Money.
• Why the F are we staying at the Marriot? Was the Hilton at full capacity or something? Seriously, did we have to stay at a 5-Star hotel? F’N Goats…
• I hate Airplane washrooms. Especially on long flights. But I will try to break my own 10 Hour record.
• Thanks for the book recommendation. it will really help pass the time on the plane! (quick book review forthcoming?)
• Actual qoute from a friend. i will not name names: "dance music in Greece is suppose to be off the hook".....get the F outta here...
• The new interns will be arriving next week. I will receive two new interns. “Ping-Pong Champ” and “Mystery Intern”. I dunno how I feel about this. It could be a lose-lose situation but I’ll try to be optimistic about this.
• Can we have a Moment of Silence for the closing of 'Room 112' (aka 112 Whitney Ave)?.....if you've been to any of their house parties in Hammy ( parts 1-5), u know what i'm talking about. it was a sad sight seeing everyone move out.  
• I WILL miss a lot of things while I’m gone…

 

And on that note, I’ll see yall in GREECE. Peace.  

**04.30.05**

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my iPOD is currently playing: "Tonight Tonight" - Smashing Pumpkins

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Track 3 - "The City is Mine (Day 1 entry)"

Hey all. i know i haven't been updating lately. i haven't gotten a chance to get on the net yet. but lets to a quick recap b4 i disembark again.

 

The Flights to Athens from Toronto:

if there was an award for most pissed off MF'er on the flight, i would have won...what an long and annoying flight...

i know, it was only 10 hours combined...but lets put this in perspective.

when we arrived in Frankfurt, Germany it was 2 AM TORONTO TIME. yes, it was 2 am when we reached our Connecting FLIGHT!!! we still had 3 - 4 more hrs to go to reach our destination.

add to that the a-holes who constantly get up and bump into u, and the crying children...needless to say, i was pissed.

Twin sums it up best: "u looked really upset. so we had to give you some space"...

 

"Tuesdays with Morrie" is shaping up to be a great book.

 

Arrival in Athens:

WOW. is there a better city??? i mean pint of beer is only 1.50 EUROS! lol

but really, its so beautiful. Checking into the marriot, we soon discovered the ROOF TOP pool. yes, roof top pool which had an excellent view of the Acropolis in Athens.

we spent the night travling to the city sq, and gazing into the night on the deck of the roof top pool.

**04.31.05**

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my iPOD is currently playing: "Hate it or Love It" - Mary J Blige

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Track 4 - "Love @ 1st Sight (the Mykono's Apreciation Entry)"

Boarding the Cruise Ship

• so we get up the following day at 8am to enbark on our island hopping journey.
• damn the Cabins are SMALL!...thing jail cell...with bed sheets...
• we quickly realize that we are the youngest members of the cruise...avg age: 50???

Mykonos:

• Picturesque coastal town. we arrive around 3pm local time and leave at 9pm.
• watching the sunset, while sitting at a costal cafe: Priceless.

Back on Board:

• so looking for some fun at night, we decided to make the disco room our own little BYOB party. we loaded up on TOO MUCH duty free alchy that we brought aboard.
• scene of the night: the group of 10 Filipino's (avg age 60) calling me out on the dance floor while ABBA was being played by the live band.
• these ppl had MOVES ON TOP OF MOVES. who knew old ppl can move their hips like that!
• needless to say, we showed them who's boss!
• we love u Amstel Beer!

**05.01.05**

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my iPOD is currently playing: "03 Bonnie & Clyde" - Jay & B

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Interlude - "Thief's Theme" (F-U A-Holes Entry)

i'll make this short and sweet:

• i got pickpocketed in Turkey. i lost my Digicam containing some 50 pictures from the past 3 days.
• if u've ever been to europe, u know how messed up pickpocketing is... 
• funny thing was: i hold my water bottle in my left hand and my camera, around my wrist on my right. i walk out of the Turkish market and shit...my right hand is empty...
• i went from a 300$ digicam to a 20$ funsaver.
• biggest losing scene EVER
• the book is getting me thru the loss. thanks again!

**05.02.05**

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my iPOD is currently playing: "Welcome to the Jungle" - GnR

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Interlude - "Murderers Row" (The Cast of Characters on Board the Ship)

I thought it'd be fun to share with u the ppl that i've met on my Cruise:

1. Blackjack - Dude from South Africa that i play BlackJack with onboard the ship casino
2. Aussie - Australian dude i played Stud Poker with also at the casino
3. Flip Crew - the retired philipino crew thats ALWAYS in the disco lounge at night
4. A-Hole Ship Captain - proppsitioned one of my friends. if u know what that means, i don't need to explain how gross that is.

**05.06.05**

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my iPOD is currently playing: "The Scientist" - Coldplay

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Track 6 - "Me, Myself and I" (Exploring Athens Entry)

A quick point before i begin:

• i'm missing a whole lot of days between entries. i will go back and fill in the details when i get home.

You gotta come to Athens. thats all i gotta say.

Decided to break off from the group exploring today and venture on my own into the heart of Athens after our tour of the Acropolis. never have i enjoyed sight seeing so much before:

• The Acropolis in Athens is AMAZING
• it consists of The Parthenon, the Theater etc
• we had a blast taking photos.
• we even got one picture of me pointing at the "Rules of Conduct" posting and then me picking up a rock.
• The acropolis has PLAIN CLOTHED SECURITY (aka Spies) all over the place. i tried posing for a picture lying flat on the ledge and one spy came up to me and told me to get my feet off the ledge...
• after a few hours of personal exploration and some rest on the roof top pool deck at the marriot, we went downtown for some CLUBBING (with some of the South Africans).
• The Clubbing is MUCH different than it is in Toronto.The night only BEGINS AT 12 MIDNIGHT and doesn't end till the early morning.
• after being denied entry for the first couple of clubs, we found a club. but heres the catch: 15 EURO cover...we were a little reluctant at first, since it seemed like all the locals were getting in for free and walking right by the door man. however we soon learned that our cover also includes 1 free drink. can someone say RED BULL and Vodka???
• not only is the music different (actually quite enjoyable) but the dancing is totally wacked out. when u scan to room, you notice some ppl hopping to the beats or doing to a funky twist to it...i didn't know what to think, but we had an AMAZING time trying to imitate their movements.
• Best part of the night: Doing the Thunderclap between songs...(imagine confused looks from the locals)

**05.06.05**

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my iPOD is currently playing: "Officially Missing U" - Tamia & Talib Kweli

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Track 7 - "The Gift and the Curse" (The Best/Worst List w/ Commentary)

Before we begin with the list, 3 of us went to the Olympic Village just outside of Athens. it was a moderately disapointing.

Things of Note:

• they fenced up the parimeter of the complex.
• they had military personel at the entrance to refuse entry

Whic led to this conversation:

me: <warm smile> good morning, can we go in and take a few pictures

guard: no entry. but u may enter for 5 minutes. and only go as far as that post. then u leave

 

Kinda shitty, having built such a wonderful complex, and being so anal about it. (understandable due to vandalism tho)

 

Athens at Night:

we just got back from a midnight "tour" of the city. just us, a map of the city, and our day passes for the metro. it was just incredible. the little lit up side streets, the streets FILLED with trendy cafes, and the Acropolis LIT UP AT NIGHT. amazing scenery. we even ventured to the OLD olympic stadium which was even more impressive than the current one (i.e. it was accessible to the public).

 

======== Best / Worst List =========

 

Best Night: Gala Dinner night on the Cruise Ship (3rd night)

--Everyone in formal wear for a really elegant 5 course meal. Then the party ensued in the disco lounge. First came the Philipino's, then the South Africans.

when "Yeah" came on, i was wilding out (keep in mind, we've been hearing ABBA all trip). after the disco lounge, we hit up the casino for more late night fun with Aussie and Blackjack...good times

--a close second was Clubbing in Athens. For the fun and the euro clubbing experience

 

Worst Night: The Last night, i.e. 4th night, on the Cruise (Santorini)

--the actually island wasn't that bad. but it wasn't that great either. Dinner wasn't spectacular, altho roof top dinning does have a certain appeal.

 

Best Meal: Gala Dinner

--on the menu: smoked salmon, calamari, Steak, baked alaska

 

Worst Meal: Mousaka (first night in Athens)

--decided to be adventurous. didn't know what mousaka was. i was given a vague explaination by twin. i couldn't tell if the top layer was cheese or potato...and that wasn't a good thing.

 

Best of Athens: Acropolis at Night, the Metro (amazed at the cleaniness and its crazy honor system...it wouldn't work in Toronto), Old Olympic Stadium, Clubbing (really, it was that good...dance music and all).

 

Worst of Athens: the INSANE amount of Stray Dogs, the traffic, and the CRAZY drivers (they don't stop for stop signs or pedestrians), Cabbies (not only are they BAD drivers, they have stupid rules - can't overcrowd a cab with 5 passengers but u are ok drinking beer IN THE CAB)

 

To Be Continued.