Amy Zhao, a sophomore majoring in Global China Studies at NYU Shanghai, spent the summer of 2014 at NYU in Athens, an NYU school that provides summer school opportunities for students looking to explore and learn about the language, history, politics, and culture of Greece. On Century Avenue got an opportunity to interview Amy and ask her about experience at Greece and this program. OCA: What prompted you to study in this location?Amy Zhao: First off, I want to clarify that NYU in Athens is not a normal study away site because it only provides summer courses. The school offers 8 credit courses and numerous excursions. Secondly, the reason I chose this program was because it is a reputable 17 year old program and so far is one of the top-ranked summer programs in NYU; reading details and schedules of the program on the website helped me make up my mind. Finally, my favorite photographer and writer, Li Xin Pin 李欣频, has been to Greece and written a book about it called The Blue Greece, so a trip to Greece wasn’t just for educational purposes but also to fulfill a childhood dream. OCA: How was your general experience with the summer program and with NYU in Athens?AZ: The NYU in Athens summer program also invites students from Princeton University, so it was a program of six weeks involving about 40 students in total. All the students had different classes, but because the classes offered were limited, individual schedules were not too different. This was a blessing in disguise, however, because not only did it result in a good quality of classes but also gave us ample time to discover the city of Athens. Each week, professors would lead us to different events to explore Greek culture such as operas, dramas, museums, and dinners. We also had multiple excursions such as one particular weekend when we went to Mykonos; NYU also took us Santorini and Crete. One of the greatest parts about the program was that a large portion of our classes include experiencing life outside the NYU building and emerging in the amazing city of Athens. OCA: How is the NYU campus in Athens, in terms of location in the city, facilities, etc.?AZ: There is no particular NYU “campus” in Athens since it is not a portal or study away site. NYU in Athens is basically just one building with four classrooms available for classes, but the building is in an area very close to an area popular for nightlife with a lot of bars. If you go further from the building, there are a lot of scenic areas available including walls with graffiti and a square. The academic building was 20 minutes from our hotel by walk, hence was relatively close. OCA: What can you tell us about the academics at NYU in Athens, including specific professors you would recommend, course selection, or academic facilities? AZ: In the summer 2014 program, classes offered included Greek Drama, City of the Athens, Greek language in the elementary and intermediate levels, and Archaeology. All of the classes were conducted in English. I took classes Greek Drama and City of Athens, a class that is actually very popular since it is closely related to the trip and gives a rich foundation and background knowledge about the city and its culture. Greek Drama offered a lot of opportunities to watch more Greek dramas and understand Greek culture from an artistic perspective, which was fantastic. OCA: How was the food? Were there vegetarian/halal/kosher/vegan options available? Are there any places you’d like to recommend to future students?AZ: NYU always seems to know which part of the city is the best for college students to explore and enjoy - they had picked a hotel that was located in Kolonaki, a vibrant area in the center of Athens that is full of art galleries, bars, shops, and restaurants serving European cuisine. In Kolonaki, I would recommend a frozen yogurt shop that was right next to our hotel called “Yozen.” Greece is famous for its yogurt so frozen yogurt is a definite must-try. I would also recommend checking out several shops offering late night snacks such as souvlaki, feta & cheese, etc. OCA: Did you get to experience any festivals or holidays while you at Greece? Do you recommendations for certain festivals or events throughout the year?AZ: Unfortunately we didn’t get the chance to experience any cool festivals or holidays while we were in Greece, but we were lucky enough to experience the full-moon day towards the end of our trip. On that day, both NYU and Princeton students were invited to a private concert on a rooftop under the Acropolis. Full-moon day is not exactly a festival or holiday in the conventional sense, but is a day most of Greece uses to relax and drink on their rooftops. You can see people sitting on their rooftops, paying attention to the rising moon, and drinking away - this was definitely a worthwhile experience, especially because of the live band background music. OCA: What is Greek culture like? What sets them apart from other cultures you have experienced?AZ: Greek culture is one of the oldest cultures in society, and two things that instantly come to mind when I think of Greek culture are wine and art. Because of the great climate in the country, Greeks are able to produce very authentic red wine, which is used in their age-long custom of drinking wine with friends on the rooftop while listening to Greek music. Moreover, the Greeks are well-acquainted with the best ways to appreciate and celebrate their long history. Art is a crucial part of Greek life and culture - popular daily activities include visiting galleries, watching ancient dramas, and going to open-air cinemas to celebrate art of all forms. Moreover, every summer, Athens holds its annual Art Festival where different forms of art are celebrated and displayed for locals and tourists to enjoy at affordable prices. What sets Greek culture apart is how relaxed it is. People in Greece definitely know how to live their lives in a relaxed and enjoyable manner. OCA: Tell us more about the cities you visited, in terms of the weather, getting around the city, places to visit and recommended things to do. AZ: I visited Athens and several islands in Greece. Athens has a typical subtropical mediterranean climate, so I found that the weather in the summer was very hot. With regards to getting around the city, subway is the fastest way and it also closes pretty late so is a good option for public transport even at late hours. Cabs in Athens are also one of the cheapest among other European nations, so they are a good option as well. When it comes to excursions to different islands, we generally took boats and ferries for transportation, because buying a boat ticket in the harbor is very easy and convenient. One of the best things about going to NYU in Athens is also that the school is proactive in helping you explore the country and hence generally prepares all the tickets for you in advance. We travelled a lot in Greece, so in Athens I would recommend visiting Acropolis, Monastiraki Square, Agora, Mt. Lycabettus, the Constitution Square and the Kolonaki area. Museums such as the Museum of Cycladic Art, Benaki Museum, and the Byzantine Museum, as well as theatres such as the Olympia Theatre and Dionysus Theatre are also great places to visit for art. I would also recommend going out of Athens and exploring several of the islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, and Illos. As the first native Chinese student in this 17-year-old program, Zhao thinks that NYU in Athens not only helped her learn and explore Greek culture, but also improved her understanding of American culture by giving her an opportunity to be surrounded by American students for six weeks. Moreover, one of the best things about this program was it allowed her to get closer to the professors and truly see the passion and commitment they have for their subjects and this program. “NYU in Athens is a mature and well-developed program”, Zhao says, “and I would recommend this program to anyone still figuring out their summer plans.” OCA would like to thank Amy Zhao for taking out the time to answer our questions, and wishes her the best for her study away plans and all future endeavors! This interview was conducted by Lathika Chandra Mouli. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Amy Zhao