I remembered that it was near the Starbucks located at the corner of Mitoropoleos street, Athens. I saw three young guys in their twenty sitting on the road side, and selling small, cheap toys for children as a souvenir of not Athens or Greece, but something else, not special.
The cheap toy was actually a small rubber ball. It was an egg-size and seemed to be so soft that once the ball hit the flat ground, it was bashed in flatten like a fried egg shape. Then after a while, the rubber ball was gradually becoming a original ball shape again. And these small balls were decorated as a small tomato with vivid primary red color, or a pig with an comical, impressive nose.
Whenever these guys found tourists with their children or even infants, they started to hit their sample balls on the flat square board again and again until tourists passed by or happened to show some interests.
At the time, the old lady was passing by these youths on the street. The lady did not look like a tourist, so the guys did not start hitting a small ball on the board. They were just chatting, and boring. The old lady was slowly approaching them, and suddenly handed a 2 euro coin to one of these. She showed totally no interest in a small toy, and indicated by a simple body gesture that the guys could share the coin. The old lady went away. The guys looked at each other in a little bit perplexity, and began to put the toys back, then went away slowly.
Here was on Mitropoleos street, Athens
After walking around Athens, I took an hour and half trip of a middle sized ferry that would go to Aegina island from Athens. Maybe or maybe not, it is the second nearest island from its capital city among quasi-star dust like Greece islands, and of course, like many, once had its ancient polis, which is now symbolized by its well known temple of Aphaia. Actually, I did not go to see this temple, or other famous spots in the island, or even did not enjoy its beautiful beach near the harbor.
I kept walking through alleys, back-alleys of Aegina town, just looking small, family owned shops or stores, some of which would sell its specialties, including green pistachios. In front of a small house, the old lady put a long brown desk and placed dozens of small packs of pistachios on it. Whenever people, who looked like tourists, passed by, she said "please" several times with a faint voice.
When walking around Athens, I was surprised how modern the capital city has been with its still quasi-brand new subways, or well-constructed main road to the famous Acropolis. The modern heritages of the Olympic game of 7 years ago might be still shining. In here, at the middle of small ally of Aegina town, I smelled the flavor of roasted pistachios and maybe atmosphere of old Athens, which may be at least before the Olympic.
Here was Aegina town, Greece.
At Athens international airport, I saw a group of high school students near one of departing gates, maybe, coming from U.K. Two male teachers in their middle-age accompanied them, and managed and led this total of about 30 boys-and-girls all together.
These students were literally so different.
An obliging girl with dark brown hair was giving a shoulder-massage to the boy with short curly blond, who were sitting before her and closed his eyes with fully relaxing. Then, they switched their roles.
A little bit fat boy was carrying a ukulele and found an empty seat in the middle of boys-group.
There was one class-mate-couple, and the girl leaned on the boy who was the only student having a thin mustache.
Two fashionable, bad-guy-like boys were having sandwiches at the cafe, and besides them, a teacher in short pants talked with them with laughing each other.
A little bit fat girl accidentally kicked her friend's baggage while walking through the students, and said "wow" comically, two times, instead of saying "sorry". The girl, whose baggage was kicked, also kicked this fat girl's butt in reprisal. The boy who sitting beside her laughed for a while.
Seeing these, I just wondered if we, my colleagues and I in our office, are also so different and have so various characters like these students.
Maybe not. In our company, we all may seem to be same, because we are all in business suit, because we are doing same business, which we chose for living.
Here was Athens international airport. For a while, I remembered many of my high school class mates. We were so different at the time.
I remembered that it was near the Starbucks located at the corner of Mitoropoleos street, Athens. I saw three young guys in their twenty sitting on the road side, and selling small, cheap toys for children as a souvenir of not Athens or Greece, but something else, not special.
