good teachers never die badly

it seems like i've met many more people in crete than in reality i have. the last group to go through our language school had a few leftovers; people who were slow to find jobs or who decided to stick around for one reason or another. there was Russ who looked a little bit like tom cruise and was really into pop/punk rock. he's headed off to poland, jobless and hopefull. there was Christiana who looked 26 but was realy 31, had an obsession with the middle east and spoke the two coolest languages on earth, arabic and french. she's off to tunisia, nervous and alone. through them i learned about Mike; 55 and welsh. he plans on going to tibet to help monks learn english. i learned about the man who stayed in our new room and about how he used so much insect repellant that you could smell it down the hall. and still can. i learned about the swiss lady who was fond of bringing home random greek men and treating the entire apartment building, brilliantly designed with paper-thin walls, to an all-night auditorily stimulating performance. and i learned about paula who fell in love with a greek sheep stealer and ran off with him to the mountains, pilfering and plundering and drinking to her love's content. no lie.

but thus far life in crete has been simplistically beautiful. there's the old harbor, lined with cafes and restaurants and tightly wound streets, sprinkled here and there with hidden churches and mosques and quaint bars. the lighthouse at night lends it's glow to the lights and lanterns of the promenade and the myriad reflections of such on the harbor water. dogs and cats run free, in and out of table and chair legs, passing legs and fish stalls with their collection of sea creatures, dead-eyed, headless or hung on a line to dry, tentacles splayed out. cars don't like to stop and shop owners don't like to smile (unless upon a familair face). and if, as it might, this busyness overwhelms you, just west of town is a deserted beach where you can stroll and visit the occasional lazy greek men who lie in the dunes naked and aren't afraid to say hi. so as you can see, life is at least interesting. soon busy, but always interesting. teachers don't have it badly here. five days and running...