A Little Night Music
This past week I was trying to figure out what I was going to write about this week because it was been somewhat routine. Nothing really out of the ordinary. Since I don't have work on Fridays I was able to go out and about and found a great little bookshop that if I am not careful, I will spend too much money in.
After returning home because of some rain, I spent time with my host family talking and watching TV (my favorite is an Indian Soap Opera...don't judge). Once their whole family got home, I was about to head out to grab some dinner as the rain died down when they decided to take me to one of their favorite restaurants.
When I waked in this restaurant, I felt severely under dressed. My denims, t-shirt, and fleece jacket found themselves next to sequined mini dresses, ties, and pumps. Aside from the dress of the people my first paradigm about the restaurant came from my sense of hearing. I cannot recall a time when I have been treated to live music while I was eating (unless it was some dinner theater...which this was not). Many fast food restaurants in the city still play American music but the performers on this night were authentic Albanian musicians (who also played a lot of Greek music). In fact, little to my knowledge upon entrance, the lady who sang (no I do not remember her name) is quite popular here and has an incredible voice.
The fancy dress, fancy tablecloths, and fancy dishes filled with gourmet pizza did not prepare me for what came next.
As if some cue were given from the musicians, a growing groan and applause filled the room as the table behind me filled with women (presumably a drunken ladies night) stood up and began dancing at their own table. It was not long until a couple of ladies from the other side of the room stepped into the center of the room waving white napkins, holding hands, and stepping together in rhythm. A line quickly formed into a circle...and then two circles...then tree circles until I somehow found myself as a part of one of these circles. Yes, that is right, I leaned how to dance a traditional Albanian dance.
Once the song was done, everyone went back to their tables, sat and resumed eating while the music continued. Believing it to be a nice break from the monotony of the meal, I did not expect more than to finish the meal and return home with a nice cultural experience under my belt.
No.
It happened again. The groan. The applause. The three girls on the dance floor. Then everybody. This happened a few more times over the course of the next hour where a dance would break out until finally, no one was leaving the dance floor between songs.
What began as a nice, fancy, gourmet meal soon turned into a three hour dancing marathon with all sorts of Albanian and Greek tunes (and the random addition of Cotton Eyed Joe and Mamba #5) that left everybody tired, sweaty, and dehydrated, but with an amazing night on the town under their belt. It was a lot of fun and even better was the promise of doing it again soon. Rumor has it they do that every Friday and Saturday night.
After returning home because of some rain, I spent time with my host family talking and watching TV (my favorite is an Indian Soap Opera...don't judge). Once their whole family got home, I was about to head out to grab some dinner as the rain died down when they decided to take me to one of their favorite restaurants.
When I waked in this restaurant, I felt severely under dressed. My denims, t-shirt, and fleece jacket found themselves next to sequined mini dresses, ties, and pumps. Aside from the dress of the people my first paradigm about the restaurant came from my sense of hearing. I cannot recall a time when I have been treated to live music while I was eating (unless it was some dinner theater...which this was not). Many fast food restaurants in the city still play American music but the performers on this night were authentic Albanian musicians (who also played a lot of Greek music). In fact, little to my knowledge upon entrance, the lady who sang (no I do not remember her name) is quite popular here and has an incredible voice.
The fancy dress, fancy tablecloths, and fancy dishes filled with gourmet pizza did not prepare me for what came next.
As if some cue were given from the musicians, a growing groan and applause filled the room as the table behind me filled with women (presumably a drunken ladies night) stood up and began dancing at their own table. It was not long until a couple of ladies from the other side of the room stepped into the center of the room waving white napkins, holding hands, and stepping together in rhythm. A line quickly formed into a circle...and then two circles...then tree circles until I somehow found myself as a part of one of these circles. Yes, that is right, I leaned how to dance a traditional Albanian dance.
Once the song was done, everyone went back to their tables, sat and resumed eating while the music continued. Believing it to be a nice break from the monotony of the meal, I did not expect more than to finish the meal and return home with a nice cultural experience under my belt.
No.
It happened again. The groan. The applause. The three girls on the dance floor. Then everybody. This happened a few more times over the course of the next hour where a dance would break out until finally, no one was leaving the dance floor between songs.
What began as a nice, fancy, gourmet meal soon turned into a three hour dancing marathon with all sorts of Albanian and Greek tunes (and the random addition of Cotton Eyed Joe and Mamba #5) that left everybody tired, sweaty, and dehydrated, but with an amazing night on the town under their belt. It was a lot of fun and even better was the promise of doing it again soon. Rumor has it they do that every Friday and Saturday night.
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