Meet and Greet

Meet the Family

I have promised everybody for some time now that I would take pictures of Nicosia, especially the area I live in and take show some of my friends (to those who didn't believe how many George's I know) so this entry aims to fulfill that request.

First and foremost I live in the Hostel right down the street from Intercollege. The pictures are taken from my roof (which has since been locked and I have broken back into) at various points. Some awesome sunrises and sunsets take place on my roof so I included them in my pictures because I have so many.

The people with stupid loud cars race down the streets all night long and more often then not they keep us awake at night. Funny that we live in the hostel but the nicer apartments are directly next to where they race. I'm not sure its ironic, but it feels like it.

Hip-Hop Show to Toga Party

Wednesday of last week Stas (not pictured here for some reason) my 27 year old American friend (New York state, who knew) invited me to a hip-hop show that was going to take place at Cyprus College (formerly European University). The day started off fairly strange. At approximately 1 in the afternoon there was a cookout at the school (Apparently the last day Greeks are allowed to eat meat until Easter, or something). Unlike American university functions, Intercollege not only served up a wonderful mean of rice, chicken, pork and other sides they also provided us with beer and Zivania (which is a liquor made of grapes). Needless to say by three we were sufficiently intoxicated. I'd be ashamed if I was the only one, but we were all drunk. Soto made the called to Alliance (A girl from the Congo who does braids) and set up an appointment for me to go and get my head taken care of.

We loaded into Marko's serbian tank (Mitsubishi Panjero), we being Marko, George, and myself. Some 45 minutes and some frustrating directions later landed us at her apartment where we were welcomed by Prince (lil P). about an hour later I had my hair rowed without any pain, she had very able fingers and I was pleasantly surprised. We asked Prince if he would like to join us to the hip-hop show, we couldn't promise him a ride home but he said he could line it up.

Back to my apartment and a few casual beers for the next few hours and we found ourselves at Cyprus college. The hip-hop show was slightly disappointing because their beats did not seem to be well composed. Lyrically these guys were alright, tough to say about their Greek rap. We met up with a few of the other girls who made it out there and spent some time outside before leaving around midnight.

Back to the Hostel, got to find a Toga, got to make a Toga; how the hell do you make a Toga? We walked up, significantly more intoxicated due the the Zivania that we had stolen from the cookout in large amounts. I arrived to find my door already open and people wrapped up in various versions of a Toga. I remember saying something like, "Can anyone tie me a Toga?" and before I knew it I was being stripped and wrapped. I looked good, well the Toga did, and with a belt it managed to last an entire evening of abuse.

Good, a Toga, some drinks (I stripped the freezer of everything we had) and off to the Toga party.

The Toga Party itself was at the Maro house. A beautiful house stacked with thirteen girls or something. It was one of their birthdays, I think. We took the tank, and Soto's VW polo, and made our way. George, George, Marko, Soto, Ken, Kamille, Me, and some girls from the second floor hostel walked into the place. There were Toga's everywhere, we had a jug of wine (5L), there were Marines from the embassy (somehow, small world). It was pretty ridiculous in general, what can I say. I don't remember much except for cheek kissing and just being a mess. On the walk home I managed to slice my finger on a safety cone, that, I know, is ironic.

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