My Window to the World

My new home is the international dorm, called Starros Niardos, at the University of Ioannina.  The window for my room is in the upper left hand corner of the first photo.  My room looks to the east.  The next three photos were taken from my window.  In the second photo, I am looking north.  In order to take that photo, I leaned out my window and over the balcony.  You can see some of Ioannina in the distance nestled up against the mountains.  The third and fourth photos are facing directly east; one features the sun setting on the mountains and the other the sun rising over the mountains.

The dorm is truly international.  There are a variety of students here to study Greek for the year.  They hail from the following countries: Armenia, Egypt, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Thailand, Ukraine, and the United States.  I am sure that there are other countries represented, but I haven't met all of the students in the dorm yet.  For several, this is their first time outside of their countries.  Every one of them is able to converse fluently in English with me.  They all speak and read several languages.  My favorite is Arthur from Armenia.  He knows six languages.  Yesterday, I saw him on the couch in the common area of the dorm reading a textbook in Greek.  He said for fun he likes to read something in Greek and then translate that word or phrase into Armenian, then into Russian, and then into English.  They have become my tutors while I practice Greek with them.  I enjoy them thoroughly.  When I am around them, I find their curiosity, intelligence, and kindness invigorating.  Because of young people like them, I think that there is hope for the world.