Webcam update: On home island, Greek student Athina changes plans

ATHENS, Greece – Athina Prassa is on her home island of Lemnos, soaking up the Mediterranean sun after graduating from university in Athens.

But it’s not exactly vacation for the 22-year-old English grad.

She’s overjoyed about landing a waitressing job at a crowded cafe that will help her save money to get by from day-to-day when she returns to the Greek capital in the fall.

Times were so tough for her in Athens, living on a budget of 50 euros ($60) a week, that she sometimes forgot the taste of meat. Now Athina is finding that Europe’s devastating financial crisis has hit the idyllic Greek islands as well.

“We have half the tourists … than we had last year,” she says. “We hope we can manage, we hope we can work things out.”

Athina has had some time to think about her future: She has revised her plans to focus all her energies on a hunt for full-time work when she goes back to Athens.

With the job outlook so weak, she figures she’ll have a better chance picking up freelance work as an English tutor.

“But at the same time I will try to look for other jobs, because I have no idea what’s going to happen.”

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Next up … Lucy

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