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Déjà vu for Taylor on Middle East Show Tour
 Mike Taylor with his new transportation in the Middle East. |
By Matthew Bergamin
Mike Taylor, CFPSA National Physical Fitness Manager, has recently returned from a show tour in the Middle East.
For Mike, the tour’s Escort Officer, it was like déjà vu.
“When I walked into the venue, it was like I had gone back in time,” says Mike.
Flashback twenty years. Mike, a member of the CF infantry, sits in the front row of a makeshift auditorium somewhere in Cyprus. The Commanding Officer has promised the soldiers a night of entertainment and that’s exactly what they’re going to get.
“Having been on the receiving end of a show tour made the trip that much more enjoyable,” says Mike.
The show tour’s first stop was Egypt, the morning of December 10. A stop at the pyramids was cancelled due to delays en route. The group was forced to start preparing right away.
“It was definitely a challenge to stay on top of everything,” says Mike. “I couldn’t have done it without the co-operation of the troupe and the help of Assistant Escort Officer, Isobel Hughes.”
Mike says that if it wasn’t for Isobel’s “stalwart effort”, things would have been much more difficult.
That night (after only seven hours of set-up and rehearsal), the entertainers performed for a crowd of about 300 people. The Canadians, of course, were given first pick of the front row seats.
“Throughout the tour, I was impressed by the professionalism of the entertainers,” says Mike. “They weren’t used to the pace and regulation of military life, but they all seemed happy to comply.”
The following morning, the troupe departed for Israel. Their 12-hour bus ride was stopped long enough to take a dip in the Dead Sea.
“It was great for the entertainers to get out and see things they’d never seen before,” says Mike. “For most, just being in the desert was a thrill.”
Just over 100 people attended each of the three shows in Israel. From there it was back to Tel Aviv for a flight to North America.
The entertainers caught their flights back to their hometowns and that was it. With a few hugs and handshakes, their journey was over.
“It’s not often you see people develop that kind of relationship in a few weeks,” says Mike. “These professionals not only learned to work with people they’d never met but actually became good friends.”
And for Mike, his déjà vu was over too.
