The dress was generally informal except for the Catholic and Orthodox priests who wore their clerical robes all the time.  In mid week a meeting was scheduled with the Archbishop of Cyprus and as an organizer of the event I was invited.  We left during morning break while the consultation continued.  Off came the sport shirt and slacks and on went the shirt, tie and suit.  Calvin was standing by the elevator as I emerged and commented on my corporate attire. The Archbishop meeting was formal and it was clear that dressing up was the right thing to do.

A gathering of such a diversity of people from cultures and denominations with long-standing historical tensions was a wonderful landmark experience but could get a bit tense at times.  Since the consultation lasted from early morning into the evening we always scheduled a two hour break after lunch so people could get a breather during the heat of the day.  I usually took my books and planning material to the pool.

After lunch I got off the elevator wearing a black tee shirt with brightly (almost neon) colored fish from Hawaii on the front and a swim suit with my books tucked under my arm.  Calvin was in the hallway and said "hey what happened, you looked so good with a tie".  I smiled, retorted and moved on to the pool.  When I got settled I discovered I'd forgotten one important notebook so left things there and headed back to my room.  As I headed back into the elevator I noticed that Calvin was engaged in an animated conversation with two Orthodox priests.

As I was about to leave the room with my notebook a thought struck me and I grabbed my tie on my way out the door. When I emerged from the elevator the tie looked spectacular (my opinion) over the neon fish on my tee shirt.  The two Orthodox priests had their backs to me but Calvin had a clear view and stopped dead in the middle of his theological discourse when he saw me.  I just smiled and took care not to let the priests see the front of me as Calvin tried to regain his composure and keep from laughing out loud in the middle of a serious dialogue.

Sometimes when opportunities present themselves I just can't resist.

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