The day before I scouted out the place - Chania is not the easiest city to navigate (roads bend and curve and their names change every block), so I've generally found a scouting mission to be invaluable for such things. I felt like a genius when I found the cafe on my first try, and then immediately was unsure if my elation was warranted when it became clear the place was in a strange location, not very big, and without much to recommend it from the exterior. At least, however, I knew where it was.
Monday evening rolled around, and off we went! John (a bit hobbly with a bad back), myself, Rylee and her friend Yannis (one of the prolific Yannis' we have met here) all made the journey to this solitary spot. I hadn't gone in when I had found it before - I wasn't really sure what to expect. I remained unsure even as we opened the door to go inside that this was the right place/night for the movie. The first thing I noticed as I stepped inside was the hazy air of stale and stagnant cigarette smoke. "Ah," I thought, "Of course. This is to be expected. Time to buck up and be a man about it. A MARLBORO man." The second thing I noticed was the projector screen, which at the moment was showing Billy Madison subtitled in arabic, thanks to the power of a small laptop hooked up to the projection system. Third thing - lots and lots of English being spoken all around me, most in a non-American accent. At that point I realized - we had found an EXPAT BAR.
It wasn't huge - there was room for about 5 tables, two couches and the bar itself. There were about 20 people milling about, seemingly between the ages of 40-60, some with young kids running in and out. Many spoke with loud, bawdy Australian-ish accents. We bought cheap beers and cheap wine and asked the bartender if the movie had Greek subtitles. He cheerily apologized for the lack of them (our pal Yannis was then forced to utilize his burgeoning English skills for the film) and then we staked out a couch. I picked up the Learn to Draw book and taught myself to draw a minotaur and house elf (turns out I'm great at drawing). The movie was a bit late starting - there was a brief interlude in which the lights were dimmed and the entire bar broke out in a round of Happy Birthday as a cake alit with candles was brought out from the back. Everyone got a slice. It was delicious.
The movie began. It became apparent it was not, exactly, an entirely LEGAL copy (though why I ever thought a free showing of a movie not yet out of the theaters would ever be acquired legally is beyond me), but still an excellent time nonetheless. As Jamal and Salim and Latika entwined their destinies I was treated to the catcalls of the bar mistress to the screen as she kept up her pack-a-movie habit, the screams of the children outside on the porch and my own endearing clumsiness as I bumped into some sort of pole and sent it crashing to the floor.
The credits rolled. I had laughed, I had cried (or maybe that was just the smoke irritating my eyes?). I went up to the bar and asked what was on NEXT week. The friendly guy at the bar gave me not only THAT information, but signed me up for their newsletter so I could get the full weekly schedule of events in my inbox (rugby games! football games! trivia night!!!). They also happened to have a full bookshelf of English language novels - a SWAP shelf, which meant I could give 'em and take 'em at whim. I'll never go without again! I left that night slightly weirded out and oddly comforted.
And oh, next week they're showing Twilight. I just might be there.
* Rylee, by the way, is the newest addition to our little Team Chania troupe. She was a fellow traveler here in Hotel Nostos who Farmer John hired after a week of friendly dinners and adventures with us (along with her friend Elise, who is now back to her life in Iowa). We met up with her in Venice and brought her back with us. FUN!!
