Memorable moments.....

It seems my beloved blog has been used mainly as a marketing tool as of late. Hmm- that's not what it was set up for....!!!

so here's some waffle!

So far i have danced my way around England.... London (with live band), Leeds (with live drummer) and Birmingham (with live.... IPOD player!).

Its been fun and exhausting. I always get super nervous every time I come back to UK in case i don't live up to people expectations of me. I guess maybe there are some cases where i don't- but thankfully in the vast majority of cases, everyone seems to be wow'd and happy. Phew... not really sure what I am doing right... but something anyway it would seem. You'd think after dancing professionally for 13 years, not to mention in Cairo for the last 4 and half, all this stupid nerves stuff would just stop- well, it hasn't. I guess the higher I climb, then further there is to fall!

Highlights for me of my UK trip so far (in the order i think of them, not in order of preference!):

- Landing in Edinburgh to sunshine (it didn't last long- but it lifted my spirits after flying in from Hot and sunny Cairo)

- That drum solo in Leeds- where Rhythmic Ginger and i had such a laugh and really connected well on stage... as if we had rehearsed it all- but actually i had told him we'll start with a roll and just play from then on... poor boy- he did comment on my 'Egyptian' attitude to it all and compare to his more British one of wanting a little planning. Anyway- It was so much fun i did encore after encore....

- Talking of Leeds- the Enta Omri- where, mid dance, i found tears running down my cheeks! I wasn't the only sap in the crowd... and I got hugged by a few tearful women that night... It was incrediably powerful, all that emotion!

- A day spent with my little nephew (now 4 and a half!) born just a couple of weeks before i moved to Cairo I hardly get any quality time with him... that whole day: seeing shrek, going to soft play, reading stories..a special day in my life. just fabulous.

- Shopping in Primark in Birmingham. Why oh why do i love that place so much???? fab stuff dirt cheap!

- and on the shopping topic- Buying a new hair piece, also in Birmingham.... i sweat so much when i dance that although my hair is long enough without anything added... i tend to look like I have just stepped out the shower after a couple of songs unless i use extensions to bulk up the volume!

- fasting for Ramadan... ok so it was only 2 days... but I made the effort. Going without water all those hours was VERY difficult- i cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like in Cairo just now in 45 deg temperatures!!! Breaking the fast with muslims in UK, for the 1st time in my life... felt strange listening to the call to prayer played over the TV, in Birmingham!

- A bottle of Crabbies ginger ale in the sunshine in clapham common. Followed by a chicken shawerma from local kebab place!!!

- Missing the London flight (not a highlight of the trip!) but then getting out the bad mood by driving around the lovely countryside with fabulous tunes pumping out loud (including 'Mr Bombastic' and' i like to move it move it! )!!!!!!

- A comedy show in the fringe, with a good friend, where we saw 7, i think it was, stand up comedians in an hour.

- salsa with old friends... even it is have bruises and cuts on my feet to prove it!

- long phone calls with old friends- normally it's too expensive to catch up properly from Egypt!

- The feeling of power on stage in London... not for every song- but by the end it was feeling really good. I felt like I was really in 'my place' !!

- walking along portobello beach, in the sunshine!

- being the cause of burnt chickpeas..then being thanked for it!!!...... the chef was trying on costumes at the time!

- driving in my car , with my music blarring...

- time with good friends, and their families.... so many children growing up so fast!

...................... I think this is going to be a long list... I'll save some for another blog!