Friday, September 25, 2009

stick throwing and basket passing!

Stick dancing can be a dangerous business!!!

tonight i did my show and during the saaidi number I do as I often do with tourists and I held out the stick towards an saudi guy so that he might get up and dance a little too - he took the stick with one hand, so i assumed that meant he was happy to dance..... then threw it hard, with 2 hands, directly at me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank god I jumped back quick enough and wasn't hit by it ( I use a heavy wooden asaya- not a light flimsy one!!!)

I was shocked and stunned by his behaviour (drunk and showing off to his friends, who at least had the decency to look embarrassed on his behalf!). I finished off my show fairly rapidly after that...... who wants to dance for people who throw things at you?!!!

Thank god the rest of the night had gone well up to that point, despite my singer being ill and not being able to make it to the 1st sail of the night. hmmm...well, the audience was good at least- oh and i was playing with some lovely circle and camel combinations layered with shimmys too- that was fun and very Raqia Hassan Style- she always was a great one for interesting combinations!

what else was I going to write? oh yes- FABULOUS news.......

........ a friend from Scotland has managed to persuade her husband that they really should move from Scotland and live in Cairo- and they have been staying in my flat throughout ramadan while he was job hunting and flat hunting etc etc ... He got a job- And they got a fantastic flat- in the building directly opposite mine, on my street! Am so happy i am going to have a real neighbour. Not had that really since I was a child!!!! We've been joking about linking the 2 balconies with rope so we can send a basket across with whatever either of us should need- Egyptian stylie !!!! Have another friend moving over here within the next few months too- wonder if I can persuade her to get a flat in this street too?!!!!!!! 'Lorna- bringing the whole UK to mohandiseen'- I should get a discount on my rent, or something!

oh and on a deeper level...... started reading a little book called 'women in Islam' by Dr. Sherif adbel azeem. It's a discussion of how women are treated within Quran in comparison to both the Torah and the Bible. Very interesting so far.... jews and christians believe it was eve that persuaded adam to bite that apple and in so doing she doomed the world for ever...and especially womens place within it.... the Quran gives them both EQUAL blame... saying the devil tempted 'them' and 'they' bite the apple etc etc .... interesting- and something I didn't know before today......... i'll report back more when i've read more- its a tiny book- but big ideas- so giving time for them to sink in!

2 comments:

A Daft Scots Lass said...

I love your idea about putting a rope between you and your friend's balcony and delivering your wee basket of stuff to each other...

Bassem said...

Interesting post.. In the two years I lived in Mohandeseen (being from Alexandria) I was annoyed that foreigners drove the rent rates way up, but now I understand the economic benefits outweighed that downside.
There's also another major difference in the Adam and Eve story that always amazes my American friends.
In the Old Testament, God is furious with what Adam and Eve did and he sends them to earth as a punishment (gives Eve the pain during labor as a punishment too). In the Quran, God planned to place Adam and Eve on earth even before he created them. He knew they haven't experienced the devil's temptation before and expected them to fall for that the first time. The Original Sin was just a planned demo. Adam repented and God told him no sweat, now that you have learned your lesson, I'll put you on earth as planned just be sure not to listen to the devil again.