Greece, Day 3

After two days of museums - the country is essentially one big excavation site - we went on an all-day island-hopping cruise to Poros, Aegina, and Hydra. We were joined by three other groups: Japanese, Chinese, and some middle-aged Greek men.

As we boarded, a man and woman in folk dress flanked us for the souvenir photo, and an electronic keyboardist began churning out syncopated tunes - Bee Gees, dance hits, etc - all at 8:30AM, while this character circled the dance floor.
He later turned up at the final show dressed as a woman, lip-syncing to some hit, then returned as Mick Jagger, Elvis, etc. Interspersed with the commercial lowbrow schtick came Greek dance routines, a la My Big Fat Greek Wedding. One of the Japanese hostesses, whose job it was to get her countrymen far from home to loosen up, challenged opposite sides of the room in a "OOP-PAH" yelling contest, with only moderate success.

It was a weird and surreal floating hell, but loosely informative. It seemed to be a Japanese operation, including the main staff, such as this woman in front of the pricey souvenir shop, who, in her husky voice, crassly motivated her guests to bring back expensive gifts ("400 euros would buy something that won't be put away and forgotten").
I certainly won't be forgetting her anytime soon. Nothing prepared me for what came next though: this couple's rendering of "Sukiyaki," the 1963 hit by Kyu Sakamoto; the only Japanese song to make it to #1 in America.

Back in grad school - another kind of hell - I'd go for a cheap cut at an old-fashioned barbershop in Ithaca (ITHACA, mind you!) NY - a popular business worked by 3 or 4 guys who'd cut jokes all day, talk about the weather, and shave your neck. One Saturday morning, the moment I sat down in the cracked, red leather chair, "Sukiyaki" came on the radio; all conversation in the shop ceased for a full 30 seconds.

Back on the Giorgis, the Greek dancing couple were pulling people out of their seats, marching single file around the room perimeter for the finale, having staged a wedding. A minute later, I saw the female dancer back in her street clothes, wiping down tables, stacking chairs.

Due to arrive in Athens soon.