teaching, performing, low life and fish. !!

Life is busy just now... but good.

I have a guest from Scotland staying and taking lessons with me which is fun and keeps me busy in the day- and of course- work has picked up now since its the 'arab' season , which means I am dancing til either 1am or 3 am each night.

I have had a few really good shows recently too- where I have felt the audiences have been totally with me, the women especially - even the ones dressed totally in black so i can just make out from their eyes that they are smiling at me and even winking sometimes!!!!

Had my 1st case of intentionally NOT being invited to something ( a friends wedding) simply BECAUSE i am a bellydancer. Not suitable as a guest! Not as upset as I thought I would be from the act of prejudice- maybe I have lived in Egypt long enough- and met too many of the 'dancers' so I understand why this stereotype of 'the bad woman' exists. Unfortunatly the scene here really can be low- often the people involved ( at every level from dancer, to drummer, to managers to agents etc etc ) as also involved in 'other stuff' ; drugs, prostitution etc. So for the average person in the street to assume all dancers are the same, is an understandable misconception. Understandable but equally frustrating when really nothing could be further from the truth!!!! ( I know lots LOTS of 'straight' 'good' dancers, mainly foreign, who are here and in this job simply because, like me, they LOVE dance and cannot live without it!)

oh- didn't write yet about my wonderful weekend in Sharm el sheik the other week.......... the most romantic, relaxing 4 days i have spent so far in Egypt. I faced my fear and learned to snorkle- well not totally - still couldn't do it alone- scared of the fish- how silly is that?! but it really is amazing ( if I can get past the sound of my own breath underwater, which sounds like a soundtrack to a scary movie!) all those colours and different types of fish. Sharm was busy- mad nightlife with bellydancers (mostly male) in most of the restaurants and people everywhere in the streets. best memories- sitting on the beach in bikini, watching the sun go down and also sitting in a restaurant which was on a pontoon over the water, drinking rose wine, then looking down to see lots of amazing fish beneath me in the sea all light up by the restaurant lights! Photos to follow asap!