All the women’s teams in Greece play their games Sunday at noon. The men play either Saturday night or Sunday night. So most Sunday nights all the Americans can be found together, drinking, dancing, whatever. It is our only night we really have time to get together so we usually make the most of it. The last few weekends we haven’t done much of anything for a number of reasons and since everyone had been sick this week, we hadn’t even met up for coffee. Needless to say, last night we were ready to hit the town.
Bars and clubs here are pretty much out of control. Any night of the week Greeks are out partying until the wee hours of the morning. They think nothing of showing up at the club at 3 am and staying till 6,7, whatever. They think I am lying when I say bars close at 2am in the states. Last call in America is usually first call in Greece. So anyway, last night about ten of us gather at Trish’s house, Tracy’s American teammate from Oklahoma State. We are drinking and talking about how two of the girls haven’t been paid by their teams in three months.(We’ve been here four months) So we are swapping stories about the craziness of Greek basketball. My old team is in shambles, people quitting, coach quitting, new coach trying to sleep with players (that’s Tracy’s coach from last year by the way). Anyway, needless to say, we had plenty to talk about and most people after each story just wanted to drink more. “I haven’t been paid in three months…. Give me another drink.” “I think I’m leaving my team to go back to the states this week…. Can you pour me another?” Anyway…. good times.
Then about one o’clock we decide it is time to go dancing so we start downstairs to meet up with some guys players that are picking us up. Six of us pile into the elevator. Elevators here are small. They are less than half the size of a normal elevator and the door opens like a normal door, not slides open like elevators in the states. Why all six of us got in, I don’t know. So we are chatting on our way down when the elevator stops six inches below the first floor so the door won’t open. We’re stuck in a really confined area. Oh shit. My first thought is don’t panic and then why didn’t I bring some alcohol to go? The first fifteen seconds I felt really claustrophobic and kept thinking about MRIs. Then we all started chatting and taking pictures while we rang the buzzer for our friends to find us. We had one Greek with us and none of our cell phones worked in the elevator. So our friends on the outside are yelling through the door telling us to "grab the latch on the door" and “jump” and all kinds of stupid shit. Finally our Greek friend remembers the emergency number, so they call 1-9-9 and get the fire department. All I’m thinking is thank goodness we had friends outside the elevator, a Greek person with us, and that most Greek people know some English. Cause if it was up to us Americans and our knowledge of the Greek language, we’d a been screwed. So anyone who thinks English Only laws in America is a good idea has clearly never been stuck in an elevator in a foreign country where they don’t speak the native language.
Finally we got out, ahhhh freedom and went to celebrate at the clubs. It was a Sunday night mind you so there weren’t a whole lot of people there but it was early, about 2 am. by 3am there were plenty of people around dancing to crazy European techno music played too loud. It was really fun though and nice when all of us can be together. Another adventuresome night in Greece….
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