ishtar

Hurrah, hurrah, it’s that time of year again, for the kitsch-fest that is the Eurovision Song Contest. I have to say I only really got into this some 5 years ago, and have been wondering ever since how I managed to live without before.

The contest is best experienced with a bunch of friends from as many European countries as possible (non-Europeans are allowed wild shifting alliances). I remember clearly the year when I was gunning for Ruslana and her Ukranian wild dancers. The suspense (and serious block-voting) was enough to reduce a normally cool and collected Ukranian friend to reassure me feverishly, ‘The Poles like us, they’ll vote for us!’

This year there are so many countries participating (soon Malaysia will be eligible to join the way Europe’s borders are expanding) that there are two semi-finals. My favourite from the first on Tuesday was Belgium’s Ishtar, with a kooky tune in a language that does not exist, a huge red-and-white puffy and swingy skirt, and a lead singer who was hamming it up to fabulous effect. Sadly they did not get through (why? why?) though Norway did, with a song that was not quite as desperately mediocre as its detractors claim.

Second round of semis tonight, before the grand finale on Saturday night. Don’t call me till after, I’ll be busy!