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vkioulaphides
Feb-07-2004, 12:11pm
OK, mando-brothers/sisters:

Baby nephew born on Jan. 29 (4:25 a.m. — a true Athenian, still perambulating the alleys in the wee, pre-dawn hours http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Proud uncle flying to meet and greet, Thursday, Feb. 12; returning happy, jet-lagged and barely on time for his next rehearsal, Monday evening, Feb. 16.

Anything I can get for you? (No, NOT some "authentic" piece of the Parthenon —honestly!— at a friendly price http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif You know what I mean...

Jim Garber
Feb-07-2004, 4:01pm
As usual, keep your eagle out out for interesting mandolin sheet music.

On the other hand, enjoy yourself and your unclehood and the warmth of your family. And good food.... enjoy a glass of good Greek wine and think of us.

Jim

jeffshuniak
Feb-10-2004, 10:27am
but stay away from the ouzo

you and I have comminicated on this subject, but again anyway, I hope you have a great time.

vkioulaphides
Feb-10-2004, 10:41am
I sure will, Jeff #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif #Curiously (or *gulp* unpatriotically), I never liked ouzo; the aroma is simply too strong. Yes, the sensorial experience of any beverage is more smell than taste but, in the case of ouzo, the smell totally overwhelms any other sensation. Not my cup of tea, I suppose. To confess, however, to even greater personal flaws, the same effect has never bothered me with sambuca or some other anisettes. Hmmm...

Perhaps it is a matter of timing: One usually drinks ouzo before a meal; I, however, cannot see passing anything THAT high-alcohol-content over my tastebuds before eating. Somehow, I would expect it to negatively affect the pleasure of eating— my bias, entirely. On the contrary, sweet anisettes (e.g. sambuca) or, for that matter, muscats (e.g. the Greek Samiotiko), or sweet ports (e.g. Mavrodáphni) are after-dinner drinks, and will complement the aftertaste of any (good) wine just fine. De gustibus...

On mando-content: Got your e-mail; will gladly seek folk songbooks on your behalf.

Plamen Ivanov
Feb-11-2004, 5:12am
Congratulations, uncle Victor!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Looking at your schedule, you won`t be able (again) to visit me in Bulgaria. Well, let us hope... You and everyone is always welcome! Enjoy your trip, Victor!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

vkioulaphides
Feb-11-2004, 8:49am
Thank you, Plamen. As you see, with my kind of schedule, a side-trip visit, even to nearby Bulgaria is quite impossible http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif With a concert Thursday afternoon, I will barely make it to the airport on Thursday evening; and, coming back Monday night, I will barely have time to rest before I go into rehearsals Tuesday morning. Ugh!

But (I keep telling myself) some day, some day I will step out of the rat-race. As of my current calculations, however, that is not projected until the end of the 2020-2021 season— if, that is, I LIVE that long http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

*squeak, squeak* (voice of rat running frantically to make the most of the last few hours before the trip)

P.S. You know, "the Uncle from America" is a standard character in Greek, popular comedy; I have now come to BE one. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

John Zimm
Feb-11-2004, 1:58pm
but stay away from the ouzo
I second that, although ouzo made my wedding reception a fine event. Right after the ceremony, which was outside at a cabin in northern Wisconsin, everyone had a shot of ouzo, after a fine toast delivered by my wife's Pouli. Well, that ouzo on an empty stomach put everybody in such a fine mood, the celebration lasted long into the next day.

Oh, maybe you want to stay away from the hemlock too.

-John.

vkioulaphides
Feb-12-2004, 2:30pm
OK, friends: Concert just over, airplane warming up the turbines— gotta run! Talk to you all, deo volente, Tuesday, 2/17.

Until then, please keep up the scintillating mando-dialectic!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

vkioulaphides
Feb-15-2004, 11:30am
Dear friends,

greetings from COLD, SNOWY Athens! While I left New York on Thursday night, I only got into the fair city of Pericles today, SUNDAY morning! Spent over 40 hours stranded at London' s Heathrow Airport, as the Athens Airport was under 30, incredible, inconceivable, flabbergasting #*&^#^%$#$%&(@#%$(&#%^$ centimeters of SNOW!!!!!!!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif Simply incredible...

All bets are off as to my no-more-feasible offer. Let's revisit this on my next trip, March or April. Talk to you from New York tomorrow, Monday... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

jeffshuniak
Feb-16-2004, 11:59am
wow!

sorry about your delay. that must have been very frustrating.

I think of the man, I think its in France, there is this man who is stuck living in an airport... some kind of legal mess, he's paranoid and crazy now... maybe he will have some neighbors for a while..

vkioulaphides
Feb-17-2004, 9:51am
Well, folks, I'm back— safe and sound; baby good, family good, all good. As for being [QUOTE]"paranoid and crazy now"... whad'ya mean "NOW"?!?!?!? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Suffice it to say that Sunday night, already sleep-deprived by some 50-or-so hours, I stayed up for an extra hour, playing my in loco mandolin for myself, deep into the night. Crazy, indeed...

Glad to be back amongst you.

jeffshuniak
Feb-17-2004, 12:19pm
where's my sheet music?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif just kidding.

vkioulaphides
Feb-17-2004, 1:51pm
Perhaps next time, Jeff. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

I am told that this was the worst, most vehement blizzard to hit Greece since 1897, as an enormous mass of moisture, crossing from Italy and the Dalmatian Alps (and initially raining cats and dogs over northwestern Greece), was met by a horrifically cold stream starting from the Ukraine and puncturing the (usually) warmer air-masses hovering above the southern Balkans. Imagine: Crete, an island that is virtually paddling-distance from LIBYA, buried under feet of snow! Major weather-madness... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif