Ouzo 2.0

I don't know if you've ever been in a play.

I have been fortunate over the years to do a goodly number of plays by Shakespeare. When I was a child it was required that we recite poems by the Bard, most memorably "the Seven Ages of Man" from "As You Like It".

It made quite an impression. I kept returning to Shakespeare over the years, both as an actor, definitely as a composer and as a (gentle)man - Sonnet 116 ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments") has served me well on a couple of occasions....

Still, as an actor - not a professionally trained, Equity-level actor, but as a competent amateur I am aware of the idea of doing "a clean show". We have the same concept in drum and bugle corps as well - hitting every mark, note, move, line, accent and emotion - then clearly making them come alive for the audience.

Today I had much the same experience at the Orchard. Several lessons were tossed to me, some activations had to be talked out with service reps - now I consider it the day was actually quite complex.

Still, it went well. There were no drops, no fracks, no corpse-ing, no going up, no falling down. It was a clean day.

Which made going to this year's Greek Food Festival even more interesting.

The weather for the last week has been a morose study in watercolor - rain, clammy clouds and wind. The damp finally broke this evening and a lovely sunset - an even lovelier twilight - claimed the sky.

After getting home and checking email I donned a classy vest, grabbed my camera and set out. It's a deliciously temperate evening, the threat of fog only being found in the generous pouring of ouzo into plastic, iced tumblers.

A taste of loukamathes, spannikopita and rice - persuaded down with a generous glass of crystal ouzo (at least until the ice chilled and turned it milky white - these were my reward for having such a great day.

The crowd was breaking into dancing - the wonderful, pulsing odd time signatures of Greek, Eastern Mediterranean music. I'd first become aware of it when on tour of Romania when I was just out of high school and it still catches my heart and possesses my feet.

Rich, weaving, pulsing circles of people, young, old, men, women - all caught up in the graceful and primal steps of the dances.

I sat and watched. The energy was palpable and old spirits of joy and community walked between the tables, danced in the circles.

Perhaps I was ready to see them, feel them - a rich feeling of comfort, grace, happiness, has been with me since work ended. Tomorrow is another day, I know, but tonight ...?

... tonight I'm where I should be.