The Road to Athens
Posted by Joe Hallwood - 06:09 on 12 July 2009
I forget the heat as you walk off the plane. Though it's easy to do considering we flew out of Inverness. We were 5 and taxis only take 4. But, I didn't forget that getting what you want is about attitude and bluster. The taxi driver only noticed my 3 year old after we had loaded up and left. So, true to form she was requied to duck down in the event of cops coming into
view.
I forget how Greeks drive. There is a new airport with a new road to central Athens. With one hand on the wheel and the other on the automatic gear stick, he was at 150 kmh quicker than a Boeing 737. Luckily in Greece you don't seem too restricted to any specific lane on the motorways, leaving our driver the freedom to choose the lane that presented the fewest obstacles. We were chatting, the kids in the back were strangely silent. Only the youngest finding voice by commenting 'He drives fast, doesn't he Mummy?'.
I forget my Greek. Nethertheless, I was determined to speak it despite our driver's obvious command of English, I was explaining that we were staying with my family in Athens despite my wife or I not having relations east of Hull. On the way he asked to borrow my phone to ring his woman. His was on the blink. With one hand on the wheel and the other stuck to the gearstick, I didn't relish finding out which one he was going to use to make the call, and at warp speed too. I muttered something about the cost of international calls and he accepted that. He then picked up his phone (with gearstick hand) and proceeded to whack it against the steering wheel. A few moments later it rang. Oh yes, the age old way of injecting energy into tired phones. (I felt vindicated I didn't lend him my phone).
We slowed a little as we reached downtown Athens and I could hear the kids beginning to breathe again. We got to the hotel and it dawned on me why our driver had been talking about my family in Athens. I'd only gone and used the word for family instead of hotel. I can see my rusty Greek causing further problems as I make every effort to impress my family with my linguistic talents.
Back to Greece
The Road to Athens
An Awakening City
Handbags and Manbags
Speaking the Lingo
Your Comments
Add your comment below
- Recent TEFL Scotland Blogs
- ILA Scotland - Save money off your TEFL Scotland Course By Tim McCann
- Do I need a TEFL certificate to teach abroad? By Kiva Richard
- Abigael in China By Jenny McCann
- Monthly Archive
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- Tags
- Country guides (1)
- News (2)
- Teach English Abroad (3)
- Teaching (3)
- TEFL courses (6)
- Tefl Jobs (4)
- TEFL Stories (4)
- Travel Tips and Advi (5)
“Very relaxed, enjoyable, great tutor, learned more than I thought I would. It covered most topics I was worried about.” Fraser Duff, Builder, Stenhousemuir
TEFL Scotland is an SQA Approved Centre and accredited by ODLQC and NCFE.