Athens was my favorite term at TGS. Coming from Germany myself, the news back home were loaded with the Greek economic crisis, however with a German bias. This lead me to come into the city with a certain preconception. However, I have learned that you can read as much as you want about a situation, but only really understand and know what it is like when experiencing it first hand. Living in Athens for almost three months drastically changed and influenced my perspective of the situation, as I had the opportunity to talk to locals and experience the atmosphere first-hand. As I was so interested in the situation, a friend and I decided to use the time in our New Media class, to shoot a short documentary on that topic. What we saw were very hard working people who even gave up their personal free time and leisure, to “make enough money to give [their] children the best education possible.” However, this was not the only that stuck to me, the exceptionally nice and welcoming people, the daily Gyros and ice cream in the shade of the Acropolis, the sunny beaches, the warm weather and the walks around the Acropolis made Athens an exceptionally enjoyable, informative and redefining term. What I have learned in Athens and how it influenced my perception of the holistic situation made me rethink what I learn and read about on a daily basis. I have learned that the point of view that is presented in the media always has a bias in it and is vital to evaluate what is being presented and question controversial statements. I am not saying that I have not done this before this term, but speaking to the people that were directly impacted by the situation just made the sheer importance of this reevaluating clearly visible.

In addition to this, the location provided us with humongous opportunities for our theory of knowledge class. We decided to reenact the Trial of Socrates. This was greatly entertaining and very informative. As we lived directly next to the Acropolis Museum, it was very entertaining to all adapt to the roles of the people present at that trial, and learn about them, by looking at and reading about their works and statues in the place where their worked and lived.

In conclusion I have learned that Athens is significantly more to offer than the broken ruins of the citadel in the center of the city and that every place has heaps to offer, you just have to go out and seek it.