The Communist Party

We had arranged to stay with a guy named Petros in Athens, so when we arrived late that night, we called him and got directions to his flat. He told us that he couldn't be there, unfortunately (we found out later that he was with his father in the hospital), but his roommate would be there and she could let us in.
We had a little trouble finding the place, and really just wandered around Athens for a little bit, but we eventually made it and rang the bell. "Third floor!" a girl shouted excitedly through the intercom, and once again when we entered the building. "Third floor!"
Up the circular staircase, bags mounted on our backs, Petros' roommate greeted us with open arms. "You're here!" Cristina said with a very Greek accent. "Come in, come in!"
Her friend was there with her and they were getting ready to go out for drinks. "Would you like to come?" they asked.
Sure!
And we were off.
The bar was in walking distance, so we walked and talked with the two girls. They were so nice, one of them was studying Greek literature, and the other, Cristina, had already graduated and was interested in fashion design.
And they were a part of the communist party in Athens, a fact that intrigued us.
The two girls told us that elections were in one week. They said that currently, students can attend universities for free and the people receive free healthcare, but the government wants to start privatizing many organizations similar to those.
They told us the next month is going to be crazy - that they are going to have to go out every night. "Why?" we asked.
And they explained to us that they want to convince people to vote for their party - to motivate people to change things. Keep in mind, they don't work for the party, they are just students and citizens of Greece.
You could tell they were not sure how we would react to their political standings. They obviously new that Americans are not keen on communism. But we thought it was so cool to come across such passion and dedication for a cause that currently makes up less than 5 % of the vote in Greece.
And as we sat down in this bar with a great atmosphere, we met several of their other friends who were also part of the communist party and they struggled through their English to explain what they believed.
They wanted equality - for all people to exist on a level playing field. They said that they know that the kind of change they are campaigning for is not something that they'll witness in their lifetime, but they want to work to improve things for their children, and their children's children.
Wow. How many people in the world are willing to dedicate their lives to a cause that they will never reap the benefits of? It made me question, am I? Hmm...
One of the girls was also explaining to us that she is working as a teacher, but it is hard to find work. So she has to live in the suburbs with her parents because she is only working part time right now outside of the city, because work in Athens is almost impossible to find if you have no previous experience.
She said she wants to be able to work full time, to be able to make a living for herself.
They asked us what we believed - about politics, about communism, and about capitalism.
They challenged us to fight for change - whatever our beliefs may be - because change has to start somewhere, and why not work for a better world in the future? So cool.

And they asked us about the Greek system. One girl turns to us and says that in movies, they see university students in groups doing stupid things, and they have Greek names. "Is this real?" she asked.
At first, we were confused...students doing stupid things? You mean parties?
No. She meant fraternities and sororities.
How do you explain the "Greek system" to students in Athens? Yea...so they use your alphabet...and make groups that put on social events - aka: keggers - and sometimes do community service? (Of course, the movies only depict the, uh, social aspects of the groups).
We did our best to explain them objectively, and they understood what we were saying, but they didn't get the system or why people would pay to be a part of it.
We laughed so hard later that they asked us if it was "real."
I kept imagining the situation reversed. Students in Athens in the AB group. Americans watching Greek movies of university students partying as a part of the group LMP. It sounds funny when put yourself in the position of a foreigner.
Ha. "Is this real?" I almost wished I could say no. Sorry, greek members.

We loved talking with their friends. They were so nice, and so interesting. And all of them made such a great effort to include us in the conversation, even though it was difficult for them to speak English. I hoped that my friends would do the same if someone came to visit from another country - to take the time to talk to them. We just felt so welcome.
And at the end of the night, all of them hugged and kissed us on each cheek, telling us what a pleasure it was to meet us and to enjoy our travels.