A Kid's Eye-View

KOSMAS PAPANDONIOU, 12, lives with his parents in Loutraki, a town about 50 miles south of Athens, Greece. His friends call him Makis. Like most other kids around the world, Makis enjoys summer! Though he spends part of his time working with his dad, who is a sanitation worker, and his mom at home, he also makes room for fun and games. After all, he dreams of being a pro soccer player someday!

Read about a typical summer day for Makis in his own words below.

6:00-6:30 a.m.
Work calls! I wake up without any delay. I go to the kitchen for some honey, cornflakes and milk. Then my dad follows. We start collecting the gear and we hop into the truck for our first appointment. Sometimes my dad lets me change gears. He says it may be useful to know just in case of an emergency.

7:00-9:00 a.m.
We reach the first appointment, usually a private house that needs its sewage system fixed. I help my dad carry pumps and water. Once that's done we head off to a station to fill up the truck and the water reservoir. My dad buys a cup of coffee. And I buy a carton of chocolate milk and sometimes a comic book, too. When the break is over, off we go again.

10:30-11:00 a.m.
Finally, a dip in the sea! This is my favorite break. My dad usually stays in the shade but I love diving and playing in the sea.

1:00 p.m.
If we're in the neighborhood, we'll pop in and have lunch at home with mom. If not, we'll just grab toast or a sandwich. Sometimes I carry on with my dad at work until late in the afternoon. But now during the summer I like to head out to play soccer and video games with my best friend Vangelis.

4:30 -7:30 p.m.
Depending on the day, and if the workload isn't demanding, I'll rush to the local gym to practice tae kwon do. I took up the sport only recently and I love it. I've already moved to a yellow belt level!

8:00-10:00 p.m.
Back to the house and back to work, this time at my uncle's souvlaki shop. Sometimes at the end of the day my dad gives me 6.000 drachmas for helping him out. I don't really like television, just some movies. So once I return back home after work, I just fall asleep.

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