Funniest Thing for January

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the US, Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.) The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is BRUCE PALMER of Pullman, Washington:

During my last evening in Athens several years ago, I was walking around the Acropolis and noticed a fairly large number of people drifting into the ancient theater. I followed them in, where they seated themselves. I assumed they were visitors to Athens, like myself, there to enjoy a rehearsal of the Monaco Symphony and opera company.

After half an hour of watching the energetic interchanges between the conductor and stage manager in several different languages while the orchestra and singers performed beautifully, the entire group of “tourists” around me got up and transferred themselves to the stage. It was the opera chorus!

I was left alone, wondering if some “opera police” might escort me out of the theater. Momentarily, I considered going up on stage with the group to avoid the embarrassment. However, rationality set in and I just sat back to enjoy this most unusual experience.