TV GUIDE, April 10th.

I AM FLYING WITH SAKIS

The artist was on tour in Greece. We traveled with him and were
surprised with what we heard and saw.

The time is 9:30 in the morning and we are already in the plane. We
smell eau d' avion and dentyne on ice, there is teeth whitened
smiles everywhere as well as Zan Pol make up for men and died hair.
The artist is not on board yet.

With a little good will we manage to sit in front. That's seat 18A,
a little too close to the toilets. Sakis is about a mile away.

We spot Nicki Kartsona (Greek celebrity) who is traveling incognito
wearing huge it's – not – me eyeglasses. I am eating a ouzo flavored
toffees 9yes it's still morning) offered to us by the air –
hostesses. A little behind I can see Themis Georgantas (famous Greek
music producer and TV show presenter who is a close friend of Sakis.
He has 2 shows; Megalicious Chart Live in Mega Channel and OK in MAD
Channel. Sakis was a guest in both). They discuss various subjects.
Peggy Zina's dress and Anna Vissi who was not present …

Sakis didn't even say hi. He was tired – we've been told by his
close associates. It's natural, so many awards, so little time.
Tired or not he went straight to the cockpit. The captain said that
Mr. Rouvas will say when and if we are going to take off. I was a
little bit anxious – I had just seen "Cast away" – so I tried to pay
attention to the instructions, something hard to do because "S'eho
eroteftei" was on the speakers covering the voices of the flight
attendants.

The soundtrack of the flight was the song "S'eho eroteftei" and the
compliments that the half – famous passengers were exchanging: "Oh
Nicki you look faboulous" Themis kept saying. Sakis finally left the
cockpit. He was wearing his sunglasses. I am thinking "This is one
of the advantages of being Sakis. We all wanted to visit the cockpit
but only he did it".

The flight goes on. The wannabe celebrities are talking to other
wannabe celebrities. And real celebrities only talk to other real
celebrities. And we are left out. The star system has its own codes
and its own groups and its own sunglasses and they wear them all the
times.

In Corfu the crowd had gathered in front of the Community Theatre.
When I got there Sakis hadn't arrived yet. I crossed the catwalk in
order to go to the stage of the "privileged" ones and they went mad.
I waved at them in my confusion and thought "What's up? Did they
mistake me for Katia Zigouli?" But no such luck. Themis Georgantas
was right behind me. Imagine that, people cheering Themis! I put on
my sunglasses when you are traveling with a star, you become a star
yourself.

In Iraklio the girls were trying to snatch away my pass. In Corfu
they were asking me how to get in the Theatre unnoticed. When I was
their age, I wasn't that naughty. I was a cretin that's why they
called me Tina*. I didn't see what happened in Thessalonica. I went
to buy "tsourekia Terkenlis" (a local delicacy) instead and I want
to thank the artist and his group for flying me to Thessalonica to
get them. And I don't bear a grudge to the cameraman what's – his –
name who ate half of them.

In Thessalonica I met the three "lucky girls" who won the
competition of a local radio station. They were given tickets for
seats right next to Sakis. They were living a tragedy. They were
looking for Sakis and couldn't find him. They had dumped them in the
back seats.

I was told a few things that I absolutely have to know. The name
Sakis is a nickname for Anastasios. He was born in 5/1/1972. They
couldn't agree whether he was straight or gay. Once again there's
more than one opinion.

It's 11:30. I am living a tragedy. I am in Athens, I have a headache
and the artist is not signing any more autographs. The night seems
darker than ever. Oh, it's my fault. I am still wearing my
sunglasses. I put them away along with the fame I had aquired for
the day.




Mag. TV GUIDE, April 10th.


P.S. Sakis, the kiddies are grateful for the autographs you send to
them.



*Translator's note: The reporter Tina Kouloufakou is playing a word
game with her name