It's Paniyiri* this weekend. I've been known to trot along to this annual shindig for a souvlaki and galaktoboureko in years gone by, so thought I might stroll through for a brief look and a bite of lunch tomorrow. But my breath will remain sweet and garlic-free this year, because.... they're now charging an entry fee!! It's a damned outrage! I have to pay for the privilege of spending money?!? Because that's the thing: people go to these events with the aim of emptying their wallets with abandon, so why not just let them do so unhindered? Why the fiscal disincentive? What happened to the all-inclusive West End eth(n)ic? Hey? Hey?!
[steps off awkwardly off soapbox]
For my part, I think I'll just be making do with visiting Coffee Guy on Monday for a kataifi, an espresso and an amusingly animated description of the weekend's events -- assuming he goes along, of course -- and save myself the distress of being trampled under the frenzied feet of the world's longest Zorba dance... to say nothing of the distress of witnessing it.
In other Brisbane Greek news, during my absence the zaxaroplasteion on Gladstone Road has pulled in its shingle. Any advice on procuring Hellenic sweets in this town will be most welcome.
*Paniyiri has become known as the "Paniyiri Fesitval", literally "Festival Festival".
** This kind of looks like the result of that kids' game where you draw a head on a strip of paper then fold it down, and then the next person draws a torso, and so on. "Ha ha, Brian drew Dr Robert Winston's head, Carmel did a biker's chest and on the bottom half Mike put his little sister going to ballet!"
2 comments:
Yeesh! You have pinpointed one of my pet peeves. I steadfastly refuse to pay an entry fee to any craft fair, flea market, food festival, or fun fair for the same reason.
Ohhhhhhhh, yesssss! It's one of mine too, sister. Am I charged to step into any other establishment to whom I wish to exchange my hard-earned for goods or services? Well why the fork would I consent to such a practice in a public park full of salmonella peddlars? Where the hell do they get off?
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