This semester we have laughed, cried ( from happiness of course), been to a lot of trips together, met awesome people from all over the world and lived a lot of crazy moments!

However, all good things come to an end, and this Friday it’s time to say goodbye..

But don’t be sad, cause this is not the end! You can always meet your friends again, you can still organize trips together and reunion in some place of the world! Remember, life is about memories, and Erasmus definitely is one of the best experiences in our life! So whenever you feel sad, think about all the beautiful moments of your Erasmus, and you’ll see how blessed you are to have lived this amazing experience!

And of course if you still want to live the Erasmus life, you can join the ESN section of your city, like we did, and keep on discovering new places and meeting new people from all over the world!

So don’t forget, this Friday our Goodbye party, where we’ll have lots of surprises for everyone

The winner of the photo competition will be announced, and they will be awarded with their gift!

And don’t forget to be dressed in white t-shirt, then you can have it written from your friends, to remember our last party!

http://www.facebook.com/events/279768312087449/

Be there! 

January is almost over, and most of you are already done with your exams. Even worse some of your friends have already left Athens. Time has come to a point that you need to take action; you must do something really crucial that you have been trying to postpone it and i am sure you will postpone it for a couple more days…

Oh, what did you think? I am not talking about goodbyes! For God’s shake, Europe is the tiniest continent of them all, OF COURSE YOU WILL MEET AGAIN!!!!!!!!

I was talking about PACKING!!!

Now, don’t be scared; I know your luggage seems too small, and that all the stuff you want to take with you seem way to many. And trust me, I know how hard this “20-kg limitation” can be!!!! But you don’t to worry  You just need to separate your stuff in two main categories: Things I DO want and things I do NOT want. But, please, DO NOT throw away anything for any reason!!!

ESN KAPA Athens and ESN NTUA Athens started a project so that you could give your stuff to the next Erasmus students who will come to Athens in the near future! They will be really thankful and will drink water in your name as we say in Greece!!!

More info at http://www.esnkapa.org/athens/content/give-next

After you are done with all your stuff you don’t need (kitchen ware etc), select all the clothes that you don’t need or you would throw away either way, and take them to ESN TEI Piraeus. At the end of February all the collected clothing will be donated to the Homeless Foundation of the Municipality of Athens.

More info at http://www.facebook.com/events/199933453425268/

Sweet, huh? No it s easier to pack and you gave a little something back to the society

I was looking back in my agenda, and as I was turning back the pages, going back in time, I realized that…

I HAVE NOT BEEN PARTYING ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, what happened to me? I am a HUGE party-liker… What do I do? What do I do? How can I get my “queen of the party” reputation back? … I should go to a BIG party, an AWESOME party, a party with many LIGHTS and vivid COLORS!!!

I know: I will go to the TRAFFIC LIGHT PARTY by ESN Panteion!!!!!!!!!!

And I should definitely wear green… or maybe yellow (you know, play it hard-to-get?)

WHEN: Friday 27.01.2012 @ MIDNIGHT!!!

WHERE: MILLENNIUM GKAZI , Voutadwn 60

More info @ http://www.facebook.com/events/256365477767057/

So you were Erasmus in Greece, you have probably been in more than one Greek nights and you have seen Greeks dancing those “traditional” dances….

And now you are about to go back to your countries everyone will ask you: Did you learn any Greek dances???

Well, you don’t have to feel bad cause you don’t have to answer NO!!! Because we are here to help you!!!

So, most popular and simple greek dance is the following:

It is danced in a line – and in some cases in circle formation – with the hands holding the other person’s shoulders. Line formation is considered the traditional way of dancing. The dance meter is 4/4, with an increasing tempo, and often the sequence changes to 2/4 in the fastest parts. Accordingly, the dance begins with slow and smooth moves that gradually transform into fast , vivid actions that include leaping and hopping – which are both fun to do and watch.

The simpliest way to learn is by following this video. Childish simple, yet good enough to start with …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO1b2ue6bTk&feature=related

So we have:

1) right leg -> step

2)left leg -> back step (your left foot moves to the right, behind the right leg)

3) right leg -> step

4)left leg -> slight kick to the front and right and then back to previous position

5) right leg -> slight kick to the front and left and then back to the previous position

Simple huh? Enjoy!!!

• 6-8 baking potatoes
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 tbsp freshly grated root ginger
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• ½ level tsp salt
• 200g (7oz) caster sugar
• 150ml (¼ pint) cider vinegar
• 2-3 pieces star anise

DETAILS

• Serves: 6-8 portions
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cooking time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Skill level: Beginner
• Cost: Low
• Calories 282(kcal) / Fat 3.0g

PREPARATION

1. Set the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Prick the potatoes and wrap them in foil, then bake them in the oven for about 1½ hours, or until they are tender.
3. To make the topping: Pour the olive oil into a heavy-based saucepan and heat over a moderate heat. Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, red pepper and salt, and mix well.
4. Finally, add the sugar, vinegar and star anise, and stir over a moderate heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, so that the mixture doesn’t stick to the base of the pan. Remove pan from heat.
5. To serve, cut the potatoes in half and spoon the warm topping over.

And now enjoy your meal!
TIPS: You can freeze the topping, let it cool, then pack in a suitable container and keep frozen for up to 1 month. Allow to defrost, and then serve either cold or reheated. Also, try it with Philadelphia cheese and you won’t be disappointed

So search through your countless pictures from your Erasmus in Athens album in order to find the best and send it to us!!! Yeah alright, you can send two if you are in a dilemma! But be careful there is a theme “My Funny Sight Of Athens”  so let your imagination free!!!

An exhibition with the photos will follow  and with the help of the aueb photography club the best picture will win a special prize!!!!

The prize is soooo good that I thought I should play myself and make sure I win, but ESN Athens AUEB disqualified me…

So hurry up because you have only two days to send your photos to us and who knows maybe you are the winner…..!!!

You can learn more about the competition by just clicking the following link on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/events/216444325106784/

If you are a fan of it here are some information about it as well as the recipe for it!!!

Rakomelo is a hot spirit made out of mixing cretan raki ( also known as tsikoudia) with honey and some spices. For the lovers of greek language ρακόμελο = ρακή + μέλι . The drink is common in the island of Crete and they use it mostly as a medicine for the sorehroat or the common cold!!! Now you have more excuses to drink it

It is also quite simple to make, so this is the recipe for you just in case you want to have a Rakomelo night at your house!

Ingredients :

250ml of Raki or Tsikoudia

1 tablespoon of honey

3-4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

Tip* You can always adjust the measurements depending on the amount of raki that you use.

 Preparation :

Pour the raki in a small pot and also add the honey and the spices. Some people also add 1-2 slices of orange.

Stir the mixture now and then….Feel free to try it, maybe you need to add more honey.

Let it boil but for a very very short time, you don’t want the alcohol to evaporate

Serve it in shot glasses while it’s still hot.!

Enjoy

Guys, please be aware! This is not like some random guessing about the end of the world… These are true facts!

Tomorrow there will strike in all the means of transportation in Athens.  And to be more specific:

The metro (RED and BLUE line) will NOT operate.

The GREEN line WILL operate from 9:00 till 21:00

The BUSES will operate from 7:30 till 22:00

The TRAM will operate from 8:00 till 22:00.

The SUBURBAL RAILWAY will operate from 7:00 till 22:00.

And if you were planning to travel, well the RAILWAY (trains) will NOT operate from 10:00 till 13:00.

DISCLAIMER:
ESN Athens AUEB bares no responsibility in case of changes on the hours written above from Athens Urban Transportation Organization (OASA).

ESN TEI of Athens and ESN TEI of Piraeus organize a magnificent one-day trip to Nafpaktos on the 22nd of January!!!

What you have second thoughts??? Wait, I have more arguments!!!

I knew it wouldn’t be too hard!!!

Nafpaktos is a small historical and picturesque town in a distance of 216 km. from Athens. It’s built amphitheatrically on the side of of a hill, which lies on the sea opposite to Peloponnese between Delphi and Messologi.  The old town situated in the Walls has kept its own style, its old face. Your look meets everywhere the beauty, the harmony, the serenity. Very easy you can find out small or big traditional particularities even among the cement and the antennas of modern buildings. The historical centre which is immured, it appears an interesting, traditional town-planned set that in combination with the successive battlements of the Venetian fort compose an historic environment. The area is structured under strict orders of constructing and esthetic expression. The road dredge is thick with narrows cobbled roads and stone stairs.

 In other words? A magnificent small city of Greece, that you shouldn’t miss!!!!

 More info about the trip at http://www.facebook.com/events/127201120731906/ 

Want a chill night-out in the movies? If yes, we have found some offers for you.
Every Wednesday, in the cinemas Nirvana and Aello, there is a special offer, you get 2 tickets for the price of 1 ! One ticket costs approximately 8 euros, so this means that if you go with a friend you just pay 4 euros, but it’s not valid for 3D movies, keep that in mind

Cinema Aello is located in Patision 140, it’s a 5 minutes walk from the Aueb and the movies currently playing on Wednesdays are “THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO”, “SHERLOCK HOLMES 2: A GAME OF SHADOWS “, and “THE ARTIST”.

Cinema Nirvana is located in Alexandras 192, right next to metro Ampelokipi but given the fact that it’s a smaller cinema, these days it only plays the movie “THE ARTIST” on Wednesdays.

All the movies are played in English with Greek subtitles, so it is possible for you to understand the movie!
And of course, the movies played change every few weeks, so you can enjoy a new movie every now and then.