High Summer, High Jinks

 

There is a persistent belief among foreigners here in this little Aegean village that if there’s anything you can’t or won’t do, Simon will do it for you. Most of the time I don’t mind, indeed if it’s something like mending a motorbike or a violin I enjoy it, provided people keep to a few simple rules. (If I’m listening to or playing music, I’m not ‘Not doing anything’, and no callers before 11 a.m.) But at this time of year it can get a bit much and I’m trying to learn to say ‘No’ (I’ve always found it difficult) to the more boring people with the more boring demands.

A jollier reason for my not having had time to write in the blog is that I’m involved one way or another in the two events whose posters appear below:
 

 

Fortunately or unfortunately the tastefully designed poster in subtle pastel shades for ‘Alonissos has got talent’ doesn’t tell us what sort of talents will be on display, so I should tell you that a likely high point will be Phillipa’s ‘Lysistrata for Beginners’: a hilarious five-minute version of Aristophanes’ classic celebration of the power of united women. An absolutely certain low point will be the audience sing-along to Cliff Richards’s ‘We’re all going on a summer holiday’. (See what I mean about learning to say ‘No’)?

Higher culture comes to Alonnisos a couple of days later at the bookshop. If you know who Cavafy was you will want to be there, and if you don’t this is your chance to find out.