Busy Back.

The tourists are here...

well, they always are in Cairo really, but recently we have started getting more and more coach loads of them coming to the Pharoahs boats for lunch cruises... so I have been performing a lot in the mornings too, not just at night!

Sorry to say it, and i don't mean to offend anyone, but I have to admit... I dread it when those buses are full of Russians. I am sure they are lovely people... but they tend to make for a very cold audience. Even the children often give me an icy glare when i smile at them. I find it amazing that people film my dance on their camerass and mobile's and then don't give anything back, good enough to film, but not to applaud? There have been lots of Italians too.... they love it when you pull someone from the group up on stage. The Americans usually make the most receptive audiences.... lots of loud applause at the end of each song- lovely. The Japanese of course give you lots of lens contact.... and the Brits are the ones who fully get my sense of humour.

Anyway... lots of work- thats a good thing right?

.... right.... when i am in full fitness. Which i was on friday. I'd been good- I'd had a class during the day, then done lots of stretching before going to work..... then on my 1st tummy pop in my 1st number... I popped my back instead of my tummy. I did the move right... but I think I must have been slightly twisted or something... anyway- my back felt like I had snapped something inside. However... i still have to complete that show, and do another 3 as well, that night!!!!!!!!!!!! 800mg ibuprofen didn't even take the edge off it..... It was NOT a good night. Especiallty since the last show was a massive crowd of Egyptian all celebrating a wedding.. and in party mood.. and i could only dance like a stick (or thats what it felt like to me) i was so disappointed with myself.

In the morning... no change......... still sore to walk, sit stand.... and of course hellish to sneeze (which i have been doing since i also have a cold- occupational hazard when you dance and sweat in a AC'd room each night). However, I had to go to work becuase I had an 11am sail in addition to my normal evening sail. Problem was, when I got there i go the news that it wasn't one sail... but 3 morning sails ( so that means 4 sails total in the day with the number of shows anywhere between 4 and 8).

I cried. Literally- when i heard what i was going to have to put my back through- I cried, and took more paracetomal!

In the end i did 6 shows...... and did a clenched teeth smile through them all........ I love my job , i really really do... but not when I am in pain! It hurt esp to do anything with any kind of forward back pelvic tilt.... so if you are a dancer, you can imagine that rules out a LOT of moves....

The positive slant on all of this? I played about with different angles to do moves and different moves to accent certain parts in the music where normally i would have done a camel, or twist or pelic tilt! In fact, it may, bizarrely enough have been a good thing long term for my dance since it forced me to explore alternatives... rather than choosing the move i would have gone for 1st.

Today I am still in pain. Still no rest (2 sails tonight).... although doing nothing all day and having a massage before work too, so fingers crossed that all helps.

I just have to say though, that i am not writing this blog to receive get well wishes or anything like that...or even to moan abotu what happened.... but because i wanted to tell you the Egyptian take on what happened.......

the 'fact'- I pulled a muscle/pinched a nerve- something like that- something physical- directly related to a movement i did and i felt it at the time!

the 'Egyptian fact'- you have a cold in your back.... what the....?

or...


the 'Egyptian fact no. 2'- the more popular one- wait for it............ Someone watching me dance had a bad eye. ie the evil eye, or envious eye. So many Egyptians will say it for anything that goes wrong; a shoe heel snaps, you trip on a paving stone, you pull a muscle in your back.... that it happened because someone is jealous of you!!!!! Hence all the wearing of turquiose, and the 'hand of fatima' or 'hamsa hamisa' and holding your hand infront of you with the fingers sprea- 5 - the magic number to confront all evil with?!!!!!!

hmmm...

fingers crossed, or maybe spread!!!!, that tonights shows go well, without any jealous feelings attached from any audience member who might wish me harm!