Winter Hearts

In Which Siana Catches Up

"What have you been up to, Dad?"

"Oh, the usual. It was busy over the summer. You know, Greece is cheap and tourists love to come here. But they're rowdier and younger and less respectful of their surroundings. I had to forfeit some deposits you know. Some of the units had to be upgraded because of damage."

"Seriously?"

"Nothing major, just some fighting and drunkenness."

Siana felt alarmed.

"Was anyone hurt? Did you get hurt? What would you do if someone got violent towards you?"

"I have your uncle Stratos, and all your cousins. Don't worry about me, I have all the backup I need."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Itea is still a little town, but now everyone has a tablet or device and are a little wiser than they used to be."

"Oh I can't wait to see Itea! Has it been cold?"

"Raining and cold and dreary."

"Just how I like it! And how is everyone?"

They chatted about Stratos, her dad's brother, whose own in laws now populated the township with all her male cousins. She couldn't wait to see them.

There was Panos, her cousin closest in age, who was the youngest of them all, and his older brother George, who was away at military service now. They were Uncle Stratos' boys and were the closest to them all. Uncle Stratos had welcomed her mother into the family straightaway when the rest of the family were a little distant. Her dad's only other sibling was her Aunt Maria, whose three boys Yianni, Dimitri and Costas were a little older, one or two close to marriage.

Whenever she was in Greece when she was younger, she would play catch with them in the streets and they would go biking in the afternoons when the town was deserted during the afternoon siesta. There were vast plains of olive groves between the township and the Parnassos mountain range, and she exhausted her holidays exploring the tiny inroads with them. Adventure and physical activity made her a happy, bright and active child. It was no wonder she took up dancing, her body always needed to move and feel alive.

"So is Uncle Stratos still doing the tsifteteli in the bar  for Christmas?"

Her dad laughed out loud.

"You still remember that?"

"He taught me all the moves, everything I need to know!"

They both laughed heartily. Tsifteteli was the greek version of belly dancing, and like middle eastern and turkish belly dancing, could be sensual - but it was also danced by families and communities as a form of expression of the music. Although the moves involved hip popping, gyrating and waves, the ultimate intention was to feel the music, which was oriental, arabic, turkish, sentimental, sensual and had a hint of drama. She really did learn to dance it from watching all members of her family.

Like Latin Hispanics, her people's particular brand of sensual dancing also crossed over into cultural dancing and was a part of their social and historical tradition - and so families and friends could be dancing quite sexy moves, but it would not be considered a come-on or a seduction.

It was a celebration of the self and of the body, and she felt free to be as expressive as she wanted to be, without fear of being seen as too sexy or lewd.

Though she knew that if the company or the atmosphere was slightly different, the dance could become intensely erotic. It always depended what the situation was, and how you acted within that situation.

Circumstances and context - they always made a difference.