The Bouzoukia Ballet

We went to the lady's house and had it out with her again about the fact that we didn't like the hostessing part. But it was too late as they were already depending on us. We got all dressed up and went to the club around 11pm. We had a quick rehearsal on stage and then the club was opened to the public. For the 2 hours we just sat at a front table with the rest of the girls and watched the endless stream of singers performing. We eventually went on at 1.30am and the dance went well. It was pretty simple stuff. The other dancers we an Irish girl who said she liked the job because of all the free whiskey, and a Canadian girl living in Athens with her Greek boyfriend, 2 other English girls and the choreographer. After the "ballet" we all trouped out and sat at a table together until slowly we were farmed out to sit with members of the audience. Paz was seated first and 10 minutes after that I was escorted to the same table to join her. We changed tables about 3 times during the evening. Each time Paz got stuck with someone who spoke English and I was next to guys who didn't speak a word of it. So she had to keep talking and I just smiled and nodded. One guy sitting with Paz had actually lived on the same street as one of Paz's friends, so she worried that word would not get back to her neighbourhood of her latest employment! No one tried any funny business. At one point I spotted Paz totally disconnected from the chatting guy next to her, gazing at a fur coat behind her and reaching back to feel if it was real. The greatest thing of all this experience was seeing the real way Greeks throw plates. They took piles of about 20 plates at a time and through them at the feet of the performers. The floor was covered with ceramics. Apparently the audience called a waiter over and pays for a pile of plates, then they are thrown. We had to wait until the club closed. Eventually at 5am the lights went on, we were paid and we left. We walked home 5000 Drachma($50) richer. We bought our selves a sausage and cheese sandwich and a chocolate, guzzled it down and then fell into bed to sleep for the rest of the day.
Photo by Elysegb