Fun with Languages I Don't Speak, Part 2
A tidbit I forgot in discussing linguistic souvenirs of our Greco-Turkish trip:
One night when we were docked in Greece, the cruise ship arranged for locals to come aboard in traditional costume and dance traditional Greek dances. Yes, this was kind of cheesy, as you'd expect, especially when the dancers invited the audience to join them. But the bazouki player was amazing, and the dancers were fun to watch.
I think it was the very next night that we were now docked in Turkish waters, and ended up having Turkish dancers on board to dance traditional dances in traditional costumes. No live music this time, only a boombox, so the cheesiness was increased, especially when the belly dancer invited middle-aged men to dance with her. But, again, it was entertaining, and I can hope that in both of these performances, something genuine from the local cultures was captured, can't I?
Anyway, I bring this up because, to my surprise, both troupes uttered the cry "Opa!" multiple times. I'd always thought this was just a Greek exclamation, but evidently the Turks say it, too. I guess it's just another part of the general Levantine culture, like baklava or kebabs.
One night when we were docked in Greece, the cruise ship arranged for locals to come aboard in traditional costume and dance traditional Greek dances. Yes, this was kind of cheesy, as you'd expect, especially when the dancers invited the audience to join them. But the bazouki player was amazing, and the dancers were fun to watch.
I think it was the very next night that we were now docked in Turkish waters, and ended up having Turkish dancers on board to dance traditional dances in traditional costumes. No live music this time, only a boombox, so the cheesiness was increased, especially when the belly dancer invited middle-aged men to dance with her. But, again, it was entertaining, and I can hope that in both of these performances, something genuine from the local cultures was captured, can't I?
Anyway, I bring this up because, to my surprise, both troupes uttered the cry "Opa!" multiple times. I'd always thought this was just a Greek exclamation, but evidently the Turks say it, too. I guess it's just another part of the general Levantine culture, like baklava or kebabs.