Recent newspaper clippings...

So I have been interviewed by Scottish Sun and Sunday Post. So far only Sunday post and Scottish
Herald have published ( and the Herald didn't even speak to me??!)

Herald- http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/egypt-is-battleground-as-mubarak-regime-on-edge-1.1082501

Sunday Post- (click on photo to make it readable!)



Sunday post did say they were doing another feature on me yesterday- but it didn't go in... ah well.... I was A-list for a little while !!! (Come on Sun... where's your article or is Egypt 'old' news now?  )

Egypts revolution from my balcony... but not in my words...

... as written up by Dominique, a house guest (Canadian but lives in Holland) who stayed with  me throughout the majority of the 18 days. I am only sad she wasn't here with me to see the end and party with me! Since she has written up out joint experiences through these days so well... please please read her blog... since through her eyes you'll see what both she and I, and many others went through during this time!

 here's an extract;


Inside , the smell of ordinary Egyptian cooking fills the air, a fragrant symbol of Egypt’s simple people and extraordinary hospitality.


Outside the smoke rising on the eve of an extraordinary Egyptian revolution reminding us of Egypt’s complicated politics and ordinary people’s frustrations.



There is never smoke without a fire .

 “ Mafeesh mushkilla “ “ No problem “


You will not hear on the streets today from the mouths of the normally extremely polite cairenes .

 There is a problem and people want to be heard .



CNN announces that the police has been asked to withdraw from the streets .. From our vantage point on the balcony of our building on a quiet street in Mohandiseen street we still hear the sound of the crowd. Gunshots have subsided.



Mubarak has now appeared on TV and as his speech finishes we hear the crowd almost instantly roaring its disapproval. The volume is up again.



To read on- and Dominique did a wonderful job writing every day as things progressed to you get a good sense of the progression of it all... plus many photos.... some of which got us into some trouble!!!.... check her blog...

http://www.ladybellyd.com/

party...

the party will go on all night no doubt here in Egypt... its an amazing sight. I've been speaking with friends who went down to tahrir and are just full of the love there. This photo is from Egypts Daily News. sums it up really.....

all round Egypt now people who are not out celebrating the 1st time the country is to have democracy in 8000 years... are at home wondering how it will actually work. It's so hard for people to imagine how it could and might and will (inshallah) be... they have never experienced this before! Many are worried about the army. They have never had to govern and guide people before and the fear of some is that they may be heavy handed.

however, most people are leaving tomorrow, til tomorrow. When asked about what next they just answer- now the people will decide...

Even the news reporter on local Nile TV just now can't keep the big grin off her face as she announces what is going on around Egypt now...

party on Egypt- you've earned it!

The sounds of gunfire...

I was on msn to a friend and writing an email (to a journalist in UK actually) when all the gunshot started...

at 1st i wrote 'I can hear gunfire... the people are not happy'...

 then my computer started going crazy with incoming emails....
checking facebook- he's gone.... no surely? running to the computer.... he's resigned..... its real!!!
Mubarak has left. The people won.

The streets of Mohandiseen (the area I live) is resounding with gunfire... from shotguns to machine guns!!!. But thank god they are celebrating... not out to harm! So much for this being a 'pro-mubarak area' thats not what the street sounds i am hearing say at all!!!!

Everyone keeps calling or writing and saying 'go party'.... i wish I could... i already cried when i hear the speech saying he resigned.... but I am home alone.... and not brave enough to risk the streets alone. It would just be horrific to have this much love and pride in the Egyptian people and be groped in the street or something.... or worse to feel so overwhelmed that the people had finally been heard... and then get shot in celebratory fire.... nope- i am a coward- i'm staying in.....

I can't believe it has finally happened... and i have no idea what this will mean for the future of Egypt- but surely it cant be worse... ?!! I can only imagine how proud people in Tahrir now must feel... they took a huge risk, they gambled their lives , maybe unfortunaly lost theirs... but that risk has paid off for the majority, they were listened too, their demands were met. God be with those who died in this 2 week revolution......... if they hadn't stood their ground none of this would have happened..... RIP.

I only pray that this newly found voice of Egypt can now be wise and continue to be strong in what are going to be interesting and trying times ahead......

Mabrook ya Masr!

Coming home from home...

soon....

Edinburgh is my home... and Cairo is my home. I love them both and have many things and people that i love in both places.

Very soon I'l be returning to UK for a holiday... it was planned a long time ago and was only intended to be a couple of weeks... but considering the current Cairo climate workwise (ie cufew every night means my work is closed indefinatly) I will be extending my stay. Not because i dont want to be in Cairo- but becuase I do...!! The main reason is that i need to earn some money! Somehow I have to be able to continue to pay rent in Cairo, mortgage in Edinburgh and eat (not to mention pay for the latest Eman Zaki creations!!!).

This is where you guys come in-

-calling all UK dancers.... I am home from 23rd feb (maybe earlier passport depending- ie i need to get one- mine is stuck in Cairos goverment offices!!) and as yet haven't booked my return flight.... but guessing around 15th march....maybe later Cairo politics depending....

 So i am planning a big Edinburgh show on the 3rd March (details below) and also workshops on 5th and 6th of March in Edinburgh and in Fife.

However, if you would like me to teach a workshop in your area end feb/ beginning of march please do get in touch!!!


I also plan to be teaching private classes over those weeks form my home in Portobello, Edinburgh... will send out a message re dates times to anyone who emials interest to me (bellylorna @hotmail.com).

Hope to see you all on the 3rd! Very excited to have 2 fabulous dancers also performing alongside, Dawn (of Scottish and Australian fame) and Eshta from London (of Saqarah fame!). Also the fantastic Rhythmic Ginger is warming up his rolls to keep up with my shimmys!!!! I will also be talking about my life in Cairo here over the years and specifically now over the last few weeks- living the revolution! I recommend booking your tickets NOW!!!

From Edinburgh to Cairo and back again:
An Evening of Bellydance featuring Lorna of Cairo


Location- EH15, Edinburgh ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=113086788706897&sk=permissions#!/pages/Eh15-Restaurant-Bar/118547788218604 )

19.30-22.30pm
As part of the Middle Eastern Peace and Spirituality Festival 2011, an evening of food, drink, bellydance and cultural understanding.
Lorna has been working as a Bellydancer in Cairo since 1996. Join us for beautiful performances, and over dinner we'll be discussing Lorna's experiences of life in Egypt and how dance reflects the culture and traditions there.

Tickets £32 includes 3-course meal. Please send cheques, payable to E Alexandra, to 32 Claremont Road, Edinburgh EH6 7NH.
Contact Elspeth SwishandHips on 07748 183171 or swishandhips@hotmail.co.uk
 
facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=113086788706897&sk=permissions#!/event.php?eid=185487681474401

Photos by the amazing Michèle Dillon

Mubarak to hand over power?

I just got a call from my singer to turn on the news...because he knows i am really worried about Egypt current economic situation and he wanted to tell me that all is going to be well and we will be working soon....

what inspired this hope from my band that we will be back working the Nile before too long?

... it seems there will be an announcement tonight to the people by Mubarak, to announce his handing over power to his vice president. His is in a meeting with Omar Soliman seemingly as I type this according to Nile TV.

I can barely dare to hope. I am so excited for the people if Egypt. So downtrodden for so long. All their lives in fact. The idea that if you want something enough and stand up for your rights then you will actually be listened to is a new idea to the people and can only mean progress. It is something I have always taken for granted in my own life. In UK we are in the envious position politically that it is rarely a matter of life or death which party is in power, just a matter of quality of life. Here in Egypt those my political eyes have really been opened... and I feel lucky i have never had to personally fight for basic human rights the way some have been fighting over the past few weeks. In faact, on a personal note... just to be able to type the Current (but maybe not for long) presidents name on my blog shows how Egypt has changed already. Before now i have always been too scared to write anything polical knowing that bloggers have been imprisoned wihtin recent years just for writing their views. Now i write without that fear. Too many people are proving in Tahrir Square that they also share them.

On the local news now they talk of the people in Port Said protesting and burning things by the police station there, because no one can afford to buy a flat... and 2500 apartments have just been made available to the people. Their demands are being met.

Currently also many new laws are being drawn up including laws that will mean that the parliment will be able to oust future presidents if the people demand or if they don't stick to their job remit, so that the current situation will never recurr.

It's an exciting night............

I wonder what will be the response from the people in Tahrir square when the announcement is made.....

and

I wonder what will happen to Mubaraks $70 billion?

Tourists please come.... The sun is out...

the sky is blue,

and there are only a few clouds, and there are also still protesters in Tahrir square.

Some people are saying ' but its only the muslim brotherhood that are there now'... others, people i know, who have been there in the last couple of days say 'no... its everyone, doctors, lawyers, you name it'. i wouldn't know- i promised the people who worry about me that I would stay out of danger... so that means I am still avoiding tahrir......

although I did go to Khan el Khalili yesterday. The traffic there and back, with so many roads blocked off, was horrific, but once there it was so quiet.. and the vast majority of the shops were open. The really sad bit for me was seeing all the gold shops, open, but with not one gram of gold in the windows. It was all stolen that 1st friday.... and no customers.....

The only other foreigners we saw in the Khan, were a turkish film crew who interviewed me. Unfortunatly, non PR efficient Lorna managed to mourn the loss of the tourists without plugging the fact that i was a bellydancer here!!!

As we walked through the market, all i could hear was
 'Zaboon, Zaboon, fe Zaboon!'
customers, customers- there are customers!....

...you could taste the hope in their voices. While the recent events have no doubt made a very important, and neccesary impact on Egyptian politics, they have unfortunatly also made a massive negative impact on tourism. Most hotels now are completely empty. I spoke to a manager of the el hussain hotel in the khan who was telling me how his guests were saying 'no no, we'll stay...' but when the khan was raided and they heard gunshots, they packed and left the next day. Understandable... but probably more upsetting to local businesses than the looting in the first place. The police are back protecting the streets and things have really quietened down. 80% of Egypts income is from Tourism. Sharm and Luxor have been totally unaffected by the 'revolution' and are praying for visitors.... Now is probably the best time to go to Luxor if you want to see the temples without hoards of people in front of them, getting into your photos!!!

If you love Egypt and like me are impressed by the peoples strength in expressing their need  and right for a voice.... then please do what you can for those same people now... and book your holiday for this year..... i admit i wouldn't recommend this week,.... since we still have a curfew in place and Cairo really is a fabulous place to be at night.... but as soon as that becomes all clear again... come! Please.

Our jobs depend on you....

......and I have 3 spare rooms to rent out to any dancers wanting to come!!! even through the worst of the last 2 weeks, i have had dancers, from all over the world, staying with me in my house and we have managed to do a lot of private classes here in my studio... and I have had 4 other teachers come to the house to teach my guests too. For anyone want to do intensive dance training... there is nothing better than an imposed curfew that means your teacher can't leave the house!!!!

Funnily enough- with my last house guest leaving today...despite everything,  everyone of them said what a memorable, and enjoyable holiday they had had.....and that they would be back.... despite being indoors the majority of the time through a revolution! The friendships made through these events are friendships which will last.....Cairo still charms even in its most volitile moments...

Egyptian flag

facebook profile pages these days...... 

peaceful protests

Very pleased to be watching the images on TV of tahrir square today- what a massive difference from wednesday! I am with the rest of the world praying for a continued peaceful day.............

many people are asking me if I am coming home? NO.... not yet... I am due to return to UK on 23rd Feb anyway on holiday.... and since i have not felt my personal safety threatened, I am staying home for now. I currently have a house full of guests too- so we are keeping each other entertained and well fed. Thank you to all the lovely messages i have been getting since the internet came back up 2 days ago...please don't worry if you wrote and i haven't sent a personal reply yet... we have limited computers in the house and everyone wants online... i have to take my turn!

I'm looking forward to performing in Edinburgh on the 3rd March too. I also be talking a little there about my expereinces here, ( including ones i can't write about online) during this monumental political time in Egypt. To buy tickets or for more information contact Elspeth on swishandhips@hotmail.co.uk. and you can chekc out the facebook events page on http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=496110965924#!/event.php?eid=185487681474401


I am safe, well, staying home almost all the time and very far from Tahrir Square, where the majority of the violence has been. Occasionally I have even been able to dance... although often i have been too concerned for the fate of those protesting to be able to be in the right frame of mind for dance.

Heres hoping for more dance days in the near future!

news from the ground... well... from the balcony....

i still haven't written up the last days........

and from my balcony you can hear the sounds of cheers and chants in support of Mubarak. It's loud. However, I am not near Tahrir....

.....and currently Egypt is more under stress than it has been all week.

Right now as I type, there are two seperate groups of people in medan tahrir... for and against mubarak... and they are fighting each other. The military have pulled back rather than fight their own people (ie both sides!).

I am very scared for the people fighting for their rights and their lives, right now, and over the next few days....

many people who originally protested for a govermental change last friday are now happy with Mubarak's speech last night... saying we've made our mark, change will come.... but others, especially families and friends of those who died in the protests... feel its not enough. There is also a massive fear that the people who have spoken out against Mubarak and who's faces have been captured by TV cameras, who's names have been lifted from facebook etc... the fear is that they will be punished somehow...... as they always have over the past 28years...

I hope the internet will stay up... and I will try to tell my experiences of it all as and when I can.

Tonight... we will be staying home, the curfew has been relax a little today- yesterday we had to be home by 2pm... today it is 5pm. And I have a couple of friends staying over, in addition to my four house guests, in order to celebrate the Chinese New Year... which is tonight... (since we have 3 chinese dancers in the house!)...

..... lets hope and pray that the fighting breaking out now, calms quickly..... with as few casualties as possible.

Internet access resumes in Cairo.

I have a house full of people ... and we just found up the internet is back up... and instead of chatting we are all sitting typing!!! Internet access was cut from friday 28th until today 2nd while Egypt has been exploring new grounds politically.

I will write up more stories of the last few days soon..... and photos to follow soon too....

In the meantime thank you for the support- i know I have been in the thoughts of many friends and readers around the world this last week.... and what a week!

Revolution in Cairo. My previously unpublished blog from friday 28th jan...

By the time I can publish this I am sure it will all be old news, but basically I need to write as a form of therapy for myself!

I have stayed at home most of today, ‘Friday of wrath’ as they are naming it on CNN.

I thought I would spend a lovely day dancing with my house guests here from Holland and China... keeping myself and them far from the riots and protests and potential dangers.

But the Chinese decided they wanted to risk and have a wander round the area, since it was their 1st day in Egypt. I warned them the areas to avoid and they left. From then on, Dominique (Holland) and I sat wondering what was happening and eventually decided to go for a look too.

We just walked to Medan Mustapha Mahmud and saw very little (this was about 1.30pm), then up Syria street. Walking into Berts Cafe we discovered they had al Aljazeera on and we sat to see the news. Then we realised the sounds of protests were coming from outside, not form the TV. It was a very small group of about 10 young men- shouting for freedom for Egypt. Obviously marching towards the town centre and trying to gather a crowd with them as they went.

When we got home (all safe and sound) we switched on CNN and began to realised the full extent of what was going on downtown. Then I discovered that I was still able to make landline calls, although unfortunately I know now only one landline number in Cairo. It’s shown me how much I rely on internet and mobile phone to contact everyone I know!

So, via a friend in Sharm I was able to pass on messages to my family that I was safe and avoiding the volatile areas.

Just now from my balcony I can smell and see smoke- I don’t know what is on fire, but I suspect it is something in the main street of gameat al-dowal al-arabiya.

I can also hear many gunshots.

I don’t know from who and if they are live shots or not, and since the internet is down then there is no news coverage from my area at all... and my bowab quite rightly refused to let me go to the main street to see. That makes it sound like I intended to- I didn’t! I went downstairs to ask him if he had heard what was happening two streets down from us. He said there were demonstrators and police and shots fired and that is was very dangerous, but that even he hadn’t gone there to look... and he thought this might last up to a week.

Watching CNN is my only link to the outside world just now... I will post this as soon as internet comes up again..... whenever that will be.

On a dance note- I have NO IDEA if the Nile group dance festival will go ahead from Monday as was planned. I have 4 house guests will me who were planning on attending and we have no idea what will happen.... so we might be dancing at home for a few days! I also have no idea if my boat, the Pharaohs will be working or not. From the TV footage today they were NOT working today- since the whole of the Nile seemed to have been covered by tear gas for most of the day. I guess tomorrow is another day... and we will just have to sit and wait and see. We did buy in enough food to survive a few days if need be!

How do I feel now? Well- my nails are bitten to the quick. I feel extreme sympathy for the protesters. I really hope it does somehow end in a fairer society. But from hour to hour things seem to change so it is so hard to guess. Especially when Mubarak hasn’t spoken to the press or people yet.

The people of Egypt just want basic human rights. I hope they get them....... without too many casualties in the process!

up or down? on or off?

Facebook....

and Twitter

both down again in Egypt tonight.

Which is understandable, with the biggest protests planned for tomorrow, but frustrating for me! Especially when i am sat at home not going anywhere in order to avoid the protests and wouldn't mind keeping abreast of the news. the local news has to come from places like facebook, since the local media seems to be very one sided and limited. The rumours i heard today was that Al Azhar has advised mosques to close tomorrow in the 'problem' areas... and given out a statement that demonstrating is wrong! I don't know that source of this info... but does seem strange if true. I suspect it means that people who just want to perform their friday prayers may get even more upset and protest, when in fact they maybe hadn't been planning to anyway. I guess it may also act as a catalyst for fundimentalists to be more prominant in their involvement. Which may, or may not be the intention!

Anyway- I just want to keep reassuring everyone who sends me messages on here, on twitter and on facebook, that I am safe and well and staying well clear of the problem areas, even if i seem to be offline for periods of time!

Hunshuf...

Yesterday i pretty much stayed home all day... an arabic class from a new school ( U-can) I am attending (well- the teacher actually comes to the house!) .... and then taught a private class.

I needed the restful day to recover from the last week... too many late nights and partying. I was actually in bed last night before midnight! Unheard of , as those of you who know me well will know!

This morning i woke up with an idea about the small room, which was always filled with junk (suitcases, old carpets, cleaning stuff- you know...) and which I recently cleared out with the help of my friend Eshta in order to turn it into a walk in costume wardrobe. For the time being the costumes will continue to be spread around the house since that small room is now a single bedroom! It looks good too. No AC, but otherwise pretty comfortable!!!

Re the 'revolution'... first a big thank you to everyones messages worrying about me and urging me to stay safe...

I am staying away from the whole downtown area... therefore pretty safe. i suspect that the larger scale protests predicted for friday may well start from mohandiseen again- as they did on tuesday, but otherwise I am pretty far from all the action.

Facebook is up and running again (was only down for about 3 hours) although its running incrediably slow (although that could just be an internet provider thing since for sure everyone is online more these days than is usual... if just because they are staying home rather than face the streets!).

I had a chat with one of the girls who cleans for me... I was asking her view on it all. She said people were upset because everything has become so expensive. If you only get paid 400le per month, and a kilo of peas costs 10le... how can you live? (her example not mine!) Especially if that wage is for you, your wife, and your however many children! She guessed that in the last ten years, the price of basic food stuffs has increased 6x whereas the wages have maybe doubled at the most. So many young people are scared they will never be able to marry because they can't afford to get a flat and live. When i asked whether she thought after all these protests things would change, she said no. She was scared things might actually get worse. She also voiced the opinion that many of her family and friends thought the goverment would refuse to give in to any of the demands , because if they did, the people might realise that actually do have some power and actually start to use it in an organised way! I suspect she may have a point!

Others I spoke to feel that although nothing big will come of this... the catalyst is all that was needed. So, now that Egypts goverment is in the international limelight, then maybe things will begin to improve, people will start to listen. Bit by bit.

Hanshuf....  (we'll see...)

isolation

I am spending all day at home- due to the protesters in the street- seemingly another march is scheduled for 6pm today....

Unfortunatly i won't be able to keep my friends and family up top date with events or with my life since now both Twitter and Facebook have both been blocked.

Thankfully the blog is up for now.

I understand why they have blocked facebook , since the main organisation of the gathering of protesters was formed through it.... but I am not sure if it is the right thing to do.. hmm- we can't sit at home and follow the news- so hey- why not go out on the streets instead?

don't worry- thats not my plan (although a good friend of mine who's British is saying she will do it...)

My plan is to stay home, do arabic and dance classes and catch up with emials for as long as hotmail stays up anyway!!!!

Riots in Cairo

It's been an eventful day in Cairo. Today was a public holiday for the police, so in order to insure the police did not get their day off, there were demonstrations all around the city. From my bedroom window we could hear clearly the roar of the crowd who gathered in mohandiseen before marching into medan tahrir to make their protests heard.

At 3 am, when getting ready to leave the club we were in, after dancing the night away, in Maadi, the bar owners switched on the live TV reports and we heard of the cars being burnt out in the streets, and shots had been fired (not sure who or why) and 3 dead. Our fabulous singer (Ahmed Harfoush) took the mic and warned everyone to pay heed before heading home. The images from the square really are very impressive, on TV- I avoided going near.The evenings news gathered the crowd together as people went round everyone in the bar to check how we were all getting home and working out safest routes for us all. Amazing how horrific things often being people together in a way that great things seldom do. Thankfully the streets the entire way home were completely empty.

sorry my blogging on the subject is not more insightful politically... to be honest... i've been dancing all day, avoiding it. I am lucky. For the people who really believe this is the only way to get a brighter future for themselves and their families it is a very stressful time. I hope something positive comes out of it all. More riots are predicted for tomorrow. I am guessing it will be a stay at home day for me! will share more news as it comes in.

All change at the Pharaoh

Don't you just love how information gets passed on? or doesn't... not until the last minute anyway!


Tonight I had completed my first sail, a nice show with one of my students from japan here to see me, and i relaxed between sails.

Just before I go on stage i am informed that as from today, all late sails on the Golden, and on the Nile Pharoah boats will be an extra half hour longer. 2.5 hours instead of 2. This means I am on stage longer (although, obviously, this being Cairo- not paid extra!). This is a good thing for those of you wanting to see me dance! I get time to do an extra song in my show, on the late sail. The cost to the customer goes up though. Early sail costs 220le and now late sail costs 275e.

Tonight, among others, I danced to Lissa faker and also to Mawood- and the guests went mad for them. Was lovely to have such an appreciative audience... singing along with the songs. When Egyptians are in a party mood they really are the best audiences in the world (unsurprisingly) for this dance!!!

Tomorrow I have a photoshoot with another dancer friend of mine, Marte , from Norway. We decided if we had to turn up at an address in full make up and false lashes, in the middle of the day, then it was best to go together!!

I have a massively busy month ahead of me. Lorna's bellydance hotel will be full to bursting! I have Eshta from London coming, Dominique from Canada, Judit from Hungary , and Popo and her 3 dance friends from Hong Kong and then Christina from Denmark. It will be a multi-cultural month at my place! We're going to have fun!!! Just in case you are interested- there is now NO ROOM AT THE INN until after 8th feb! The next crazy time at my place will probably be around April when the Nile Group festival happens again- so if you are hoping to stay with me then- get it confirmed asap!!!

Shameful behaviour

I am embarrassed and apologise. All my ranting and raving about things being stolen from my suitcase and there are people losing much more than a few things. They are losing their lives.

The bombings in Alexandria on New Years Day are the topic of most conversations around Egypt. My excuse for not writing about it sooner; i’ve been home ill for 4 days (a poor excuse).

21 people killed, 79 injured.

Today i was talking about it with one of my costume designers and she told me the plans for Christmas. You see the Coptic Christians haven’t had their Christmas day yet- that is still to come this weekend, and after the horrific attacks in churches there is fear that that might well be a target.
Seemingly many Muslims are planning to attend Christian churches and pray with them, this coming Christmas to help protect each church from further attacks. Their argument being we are all Egyptian and should stand together whatever name we give our God, it is still the same God.

I think its fabulous people are sticking together like this and I really hope it works. There are enough problems in Egypt without further disputes between Christians and Muslims.

The following images are profile pictures many of my Egyptians friends, Christian and Muslim and using now on facebook.

Here’s hoping for a peaceful 2011.

Airport trauma!

I am so upset!

As i mentioned in my previous blog, on my recent trip to UK my suitcase was only with me for 36 hours before I checked it back in to come home.... but it arrived in one piece!

The saga in Cairo has been even more eventful, yes, it is possible!

When my bag hadn’t arrived in Cairo, surprise surprise, i filled out all the relevant forms etc on the 29th. They informed me that because there was a lock on the case that I couldn’t have it delivered since customs would not be able to check it. I was furious, but agreed to collect it.

They didn’t call. I left it 2 days and called them on the 31st, to be told that it had arrived and would be delivered before 11pm. That was a relief that i didn’t have to go all the way there again.

It didn’t arrive.

I called the next day, 1st, to be told that it couldn’t be sent because they didn’t have a photocopy of my passport! I was mad, but faxed a copy through and was told it would be delivered that day.

It didn’t arrive.

I called 2nd. It would be delivered today, thank god.

It didn’t arrive.

I called (later 2nd) to be told that the fax hadn’t arrived so they still couldn’t send it without that. Very agitated by now, I re-faxed my copy of passport (which involves going out down the street since i don’t have a fax at home). I was told that it would be sent out that night. I kept calling and calling, by 8pm it ‘cleared’ customs and was with the delivery firm and would be with me within 5 hours. Relief!

Too soon...

it didn’t arrive.

I called on the 3rd (3am) to be told it hadn’t cleared customs at all, and that they would keep trying to get it cleared.

It arrived this morning (3rd- 5 days late). Happy? Yes- i was.............. until i saw the state the case was in and check the contents.

3 small bottles of perfume and a brand new, never used yet, epilator which I had bought with my Christmas money had been stolen from my case. So about £118 worth of theft.

Gutted.

Very angry , teary call to the baggage reclaim people AGAIN and now have to go to airport to fill in forms tonight. Really really annoyed. I felt violated when all my underwear etc was spread around my case... that was bad enough, but to have things stolen too. The thing is- If I had just gone to collect it on the 31st, i would have had all my things and had them 3 days ago. When will I learn not to trust?

Whoever uses my new epilator- i hope it hurts!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

oh what a night!

I performed on the Nile Pharoah boat last night, 4 shows and then the 'temple' as they call it; the area between the 2 boats. I really really enjoyed myself. Especially when i got my singer to memorise the words for Laylet Eid ( a Fayrouz song to the tune of jingle bells!!!) and came out on stage in my santa costume! They look on everyones faces was priceless! lets just say- it was a massive hit, with the band, the staff and the customers. Although perhaps especailly with the phototgraphers since EVERYONE , including the staff (!) wanted there photo taken with santa Lorna!!!

great fun, and for a change i didn't have to run off to do other jobs after the shows since we finished so late. Which was a relief since I have a horrible chest infection, i suspect due to 3 days spent in airports over the last 10 days!!

i went home for christmas, and was stuck in amsterdam airport for 2 days due to the snow, then on my return, i got stuck in glasgow and then again in heathrow due to fog! My suitcase, containing the new costumes I had specially made for the show in glasgow on the 28th were in the case... which eventually arrived on the 27th! one day before I was due to leave again. So I had one day to unpack and repack! needless to say, with the fog effects, my suitcase has not managed to arrived here to cairo either. in fact, in the 13 days since I started my journey home and back, the case has only been in my custody for 2 of them!

Despite all that christmas was lovely. Snowy, cold (-17deg!) but lovely. I spent a lot of quality time with my family and with a few friends. Next time hopefully I'll get to party more!

It's good to start a new year and still be a bellydancer on the Nile!
Sometimes I really can't believe how a girl form scotland can end up here doing this job, but I am so happy and grateful that I am! Long may it continue!

I have a massively busy house over the next 6 weeks with total of 8 house guests due over that time, .. 6 of those due in the same week (not sure how this will work, but we'll squeeze together somehow!) we are going to have fun!

 If anyone is in Cairo and wants to come see me dance I am performing on the Golden pharoah 9-12th Jan and the Nile pharoah 13-15th Jan.

off to track down that missing suitcase now.......

happy new year to the sharks and crocodiles...

today is New Year's day- well it is if you follow the islamic calender. In fact today, Ras as-Sana al-Hijreya, is the 1st day of the year 1432AH.

However, the majority of muslims i asked what year it was couldn't answer me... unless they read the newspapers here often, since it is written on the top on the page, alongside the 'western date'.

In reality all that seems to happen is a public holiday for schools and offices... which at least means the traffic is quite for a change!

Oh- on a completely different note. Those of you reading this who have staying with me over the last year will know i was most upset that my bourganvilla wouldn't flower.... well... it has now! Lovely orangey blooms... not many of them but I was beginning to wonder if ii had been sold a dud!!!

Oh and thanks for all the responses to my blog about the shark attacks in sharm. seems they closed the beach wed-fri, reopened it on sat, and a german woman was attacked on sunday. Hmm. You would think they might check these things a bit better... Here's what Egypts News has to say about it; http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/environment/expert-blames-sharm-attack-on-illegal-shark-feeding.html

and another piece of breaking news... one of my dressers saw on the news that 4 people had been eaten by crocodiles in the Nile!!!! Seemingly with various food shortages further up the nile the crocs are having to swim further north to find food... and they found it in human form!Fishermen seemingly who were complaining becuase they were losing fish to these smiling competitors!! we are talking about the very south of Egypt here... but still, it makes one think of pharonic times when these were the monsters of the Nile, along with hippos- wonder if they will make a reappearence too?

so sharks and crocodiles in Egypt... eating people. It's all very excting, and a bit scary. Especially as all incidences are due to an ecological imbalance in nature!

Breaking news- Shark attack in Sharm- yesterday.

I have it on 1st hand knowledge that 2  Russian woman were attacked in Sharm el-sheikh snorkling yesterday. The one I know about lost an arm and a leg. She was arms reach from the jetty, ie not in deep water. The man who pulled her out the water spent the evening in hospital in shock (a sales rep, not even a lifeguard). The sea all round Sharm is closed today to swimmers and divers. Both women are now in Cairo hospital, seemingly in stable condition, according to the news.

There a very few fatal attacks in this area usually... a french woman was attacked in January this year, but not in the Sharm area, further south near Marsa Alam. The last Sharm shark attack was in 2004.

The attack has been reported today in arabic, but as yet no-where in English. I worried about writing it up becuase i hate to think of the effects it might have. But I also reasoned- that if google translate can work it out, then it won't be long before the rest of the world media does too.

http://gate.ahram.org.eg/News/18312.aspx


I worry.

I worry that this will have a bad effect on Egypts economy since a lot of this countries income comes from the red sea resorts.
Please come to Egypt- it is a fabulous country! (I admit I won't be swimming in the sea, but there are still lots of lovely hotels with great swimming pools and the weather is good for tanning all year round!). And of course... Cairo is no-where near the red sea- so come here and see the sights!!!

incentives...

i shouldn't have been surprised... but when i was talking to my dresser this evening, we mentioned todays elections in Cairo. I ask if she had voted... she said of course not. Although then she added that she should have because she would have got 50le. I didn't understand, she explained.

Seemingly, according to her, and to other band members, various candidates were handing out incentives for people to vote for them. Targetting the least well off areas of the city and offering everything from money to bags of meat! I was shocked. It seems so blatent. I guess I am still fairly naive to certain Egyptian political going- ons...!

When i asked if she had any preference who should get in, she did mention a name (which i have 'forgotten') saying that he was 'straight', ie  not dodgy. But when i asked if he too was being generous today, yes, of course he was handing out the money too... he had to , to get people to vote for him, even though he was a 'good' man! She didn't understand the irony of what she had said.

well, there you go. I dont really know what else to say.

no surprise there..

on MSN today there is an article about the 10 most dangerous countries to drive in. Anyone who has been to Cairo has commented on the traffic and won't be shocked to know that Egypt is deemed the 3rd most dangerous in the world!

The stats they give are;

Population (2007): 75,497,913- hmm 3 years may have made a difference in this figure too..


Number of registered vehicles: 4,300,000 (I'd like to know when this info was gathered, cos bound to be more now!- plus- how many UNREGISTERED cars???)

Number of on-road fatalities: 15,983

Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 41.6

http://cars.uk.msn.com/features/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=155280154&page=8

So, I guess no one else is going to ask me why i don't drive in Cairo now!!!

A man’s role in life....

So after a while at the competition last night we decided to do something different . A group of six of us all walked round the the Stilleto nightclub on the Nile, just opposite the Cairo Sheraton hotel, so we could have a dance. So, we were 6 women and 1 man in the group (although not quite like the "ragel wi set settat" -a man and 6 women- a TV soap opera that was seemingly very funny and ran for 5 seasons here in Cairo!) Anyway, I really didn’t think any club in Cairo would have a problem letting so many (beautiful) foreign women in to a club where there is ALWAYs much much more men to women. Anyway, we couldn’t get in. Not at first anyway.
The bouncer pulled my friend (male) aside and explained why.

They were scared to let us in, because if any of the men inside hit on us, or stared any problem, how could our ‘1’ man protect us all....?

This statement just confused and annoyed all the girls in the group when i explained to them the reason. I totally understood it and actually felt grateful to the bouncers for thinking about our safety. I guess shows how much I have internalised Egyptian ways to some extent!

We decided to risk it, all feeling quite confident we could handle ourselves, but then didn’t stay since the minimum charge turned out to be 130le if we sat at a table (no minimum if we stood by the bar). But feet were hurting and the idea of standing all night didn’t appeal so we headed over to cairo Jazz club, were we ended up standing all night anyway, but the music was better and the men were less threatening, or at least the clientele in there are used to seeing foreign women and therefore knew how to behave!

So I live in a city where it is assumed that women cannot protect themselves. That in my opinion is because there is very little respect for women taught. Respect your mother, your sister, your aunt, but any non-relative is fair game, unfortunately.

This ends total verbal diarrhoea on the male/female issues that hit me from my experiences yesterday. One day creating 3 blog entries- all about men!

A man’s role in dance.

I went to part of the Nile group competition night last night. Of the dancers I saw (and we only stayed a couple of hours) there were three performances that really stood out for me personally. Athena, from Greece. An elegant graceful dancer who looked stunning in a beautiful Hallah costume and carried herself with a lovely calm confidence which did create to her simple and effective choreography. I like it when a dancer’s personality comes across on stage. When i look and think, yes, i’d like to be her as a friend! Too many dancers can put on a personality for dance. Pretend to be something that they think a dancer’s should be. If it’s not you though, it just doesn’t work. All it does is create a barrier and show the audience that you don’t want them to know the real you.
A group, i think from Korea who looked absolutely amazing. Full glitter drag queen eye make-up, stunning , matching, black and white costumes and multi coloured fans. It wasn’t bellydance by any stretch of the imagination... but it was by far the slickest, tightest, most beautiful group dance performance I have ever seen on that stage. I was speaking to Aleya about it, and she promised to upload the film she took of it onto youtube soon, so watch this space.

The third performance that really captured me, also surprised me. I have to admit that i personally, do not enjoy watching men perform bellydance. Sorry. I know i may upset people by saying that. I am all for male teachers. Often a man does totally know what a woman should do to make the most of herself. And I like watching a man dance folk, or even oriental, when he is dancing as a man. Not as a man trying to be a woman. When a man starts dressing like a woman, and doing hair flicks and cute hand covering the mouth coquettish moves etc, I just switch off. I can learn from it, yes. I can appreciate the technique, yes, but for me the mood is ruined because I feel they are trying to be something they are not.

So, with that in mind, Hassan (i think his name was- I will get confirmation of this an add asap!) performance I expected I wouldn’t enjoy. He wore a turquoise catsuit, with pharaonic style gold belt and shoulder piece. His hair was in a pony tail and most bizarrely he carried his fairly ‘cuddly’ body in a strange manner which gave him a sway back, really thrusting his chest forward and his bum out. You couldn’t get more man trying to be woman. In fact, seeing a waiters shocked face I called him over to ask what he thought and he answered my question with a question, it that a man or a woman?

So with all my prejudices in mind, i should have hated him yes. No. He was amazing! His movements were soft, elegant, with the most amazing spins i have EVER seen on a dancer. His gentle shimmying figures of eight travelling across the stage were something that quite frankly samia gamal would have been proud of, and probably inspired. It was very golden era-esque and the timing and feel of the moves was just perfect with the music. I kept want to hate it, but i couldn’t. In fact, when i just persuaded myself not to look at his face I could kid myself that it really was a woman and possibly one of the most impressive dancers I have seen on that stage. Big statement eh?

When he came back to do a second dance wearing a black galabeya that was fitted on top but with a full circulur skirt and hip scarf, he lost me though. Physically he did everything right. However, in a song like ana fintizarek i wanted to connect with the soul of the dancer, and well, I just couldn’t. There was something about his facial expressions that pushed me away rather than drawing me in. A little too much effort there. Trying too hard. All in all. I’d love to watch him again, and I’d love to learn from him.

I know this blog entry will probably create some heated opposition, since it’s not very ‘pc’ to say outright that I don’t usually like watching male bellydancers. I have no issue at all with any man dancing...... like a man, Thats great!



But the truth is i don’t like any dancer who looks like he , or she, is trying to be something they are not.

I have no issue at all with any man dancing... like a man.

How the men are taught...

I went to visit a friend in Maadi yesterday and decided to ride the metro home. I have been on the Cairo metro many times, and love the fact that there is a female only carriage and that, wherever you go, it only costs 1le. However, I haven’t ridden the metro on my own, only with others, always opting for the more expensive, but more comfortable taxi ride home instead. I decided I should stop being lazy, and face my fears. It’s very easy, I have found, to slip into the ‘easier things’ but by doing so I often miss out on more interesting events and observations to be found in Cairo.

So, in the women only carriage yesterday we were just about to leave Maadi when 3 young boys (about 12 years old) all jumped in through the doors. My initial reaction was oops, they made a mistake, they’ll jump out straight away.

How naive of me.

As soon as the train pulled away from the station it became apparent that they wanted to break the rules, and started clapping and singing about the ‘hareem’. I was very interested to see how the women would react, because my biggest urge was to physically push them out the door at the next stop. I waited to see what the rest of the passengers would ‘punish’ these boys. Instead, to my disdain, the young girls all giggled at the boy’s jokes, and even made comments back. Even though the train was full to bursting these boys had space around them since none of us wanted to be brushing up against them. In the mixed carriage they would be squished along with everyone else. I guess that is what added to the attraction for them. That and the girls giggles.

Only at the end of their journey, after maybe 5 stops, did the boys leave, but the problem was the platform was now at the other side of the carriage, so although so far they had been up against the door the alighted by so far, now they had to cross through the middle of the sardine can of ‘sittet’ (Arabic for women) to get off the train. Finally, at this point, one girl made protest. Her argument was that they got on, so they could wait until there was space to get off, even if that meant missing their stop. I admired her spunk. Her voice though was strange, very rural with a strange squeak which the boys used to make fun of her rather than listen to her. Unfortunately the giggling girls stood up for the boys and helped them push through. One of the boys did get a slap round the head by the complaining girl’s mother though... and I really thought he was going to hit her back.... he stood in the doorway for a long time with a look of hatred on his face staring at her, but i guess he decided the odds were against him and finally left!

So the moral of the story is... boys will be boys... but only it seems because the women let them and actually in many cases, actively encourage them!

Oh for the day where my Arabic is good enough to chastise them myself without being afraid that my poor grammar would be used as a way of ridiculing me in return!

i just want to dance!!.. but where?

so, in a city of 20 million... you would expect there to be a wealth of places to go clubbing. I wish! I am hoping people reading this will be able to recommend some new places to me, because quite frankly, i am fed up with 'bars' being called clubs just cos people dance in them... in the tiny space where they might be able to move.

Cairo 'clubs';

After Eight (downtown)- a bar with live music most nights, really nice, but small and smoky. min charge 80-100le.

Cairo Jazz Club (Agouza)- a bar with live music most nights, also very nice, but small and no dance floor. No min charge.

Villa 55 (Maadi)- a bar/restaurant with occasional live music but definitely a bar not a club. min charge 150le

Floor10, Kempenski hotel (Garden city)- a hotel bar which seemingly is jumping (but was totally empty last night!) still not witnessed it in full flow.

Hard Rock Cafe (Garden city)- restaurant by day, sharia haram by night. mainly arab men with a few working girls dancing on the chairs and tables. lots of khaleegy music played. usually high entrance fee- but last night was free cos all Cairo was empty due to Eid.

Stilleto (Dokki)- lovely location club on the Nile, with great salsa night on a sunday night, but sound levels always low cos near police club. Can't really club wiith quiet music!

Blues (Giza)- bar where people sometimes dance,which stays open til 6am with mixed music, but also mixed clientele.

Deals (Mohandiseen)- Bar where people sometimes dance and has fairly steep min charge

Dice (Royal king boat, Agouza)- club playing mainly house music, dubious clientele.

Morocco (Blue Nile boat, Zamalak)- restaurant by day, club by night. expensive min charge. but good mix music usually.

Purple (Zamalek)- only been once, was nice club, with mix music but difficult to get past doormen.

Africana (Haram)- great music, wild night, not very safe for women unless with bodyguards!

Club 35 (Giza)- not been yet. no one I suggest it to every recommends it- but can't say from experience why!

Ritmo (Downtown)- hotel bar where people go to dance but only ever seen people drinking, not dancing!

Swiss Club (Imbaba)- a lovely old villa but mainly organised party nights rather than reg weekly club nights.

Cafe Bian (mohandiseen)- cafe (no alcohol) which has organised dance nights. salsa on tues and thurs, oriental on wed.



what else.....?

really struggling now... ok- so it looks like there are a lot of places to go... but actually, to go and dance and not get hassle or mistaken for a working girl, there are few. very few. I want to dance! and specifically, i want to go to dance to R&B music... but I can't find any.

Please have any suggestions pass them on....

parties parties parties...

apologies to my blog readers...

Facebook has seriously taken over....

now whenever something happens in my life in Cairo - instead of tunring it into a blog article, with lots of relevent (well, sometimes relevent) info and stories, it becomes a one line status update. NOT good... especially as this blog is supposed to be my memory aid for when i am old and grey and come to write up the whole bellydancer in Cairo experience into a book... (that is , once I no longer live in Cairo and can actually dish the dirt hehe!!!)

anyway- whats been happening? 3 parties in 2 days... and all very diffferent!

I performed at a birthday party on Eid at a friends house... it was great. I danced to Enta Omri, which when i had 1st put it onto the cd had thought maybe this is too heavy for a party... but then I thought- why not, i love it and want to dance it. So i did... and the atmosphere in the room became electric once it started... at one point i started to sing outloud (it was an instrumental version of the song) and about 15 people, mainly egyptian women , all joined in the song... and i swear I nearly cried. I felt i had really, finally made it- I belonged. I fitted. I hope i never forget that feeling, it was so emotionally overwhelming!

after the party i went along to catch the end of the opening gala for the Nile Group festival. I had missed all the dancers, but the Saaidi band were still playing and my houseguests were all there dancing away as was my friend Aleya. So we all had a boogie together and Magdy el-Leisy dragged me up on stage to dance with him. We had a fabulous time! Just wish I could have been there for the whole thing... was nice to see and chat with Camelia at the end, but wish i could have seen her show too, not to mention Asmahan and Nour! ah well, next time!

Yesterday I went to another party, but not to watch or perform dance, for a change.  Through my writer friend Linda, I have met some swiss artists who are here in Cairo on a residency and they invited us to their studio for a party. The strange thing was that this studio is on an island, in the Nile, in the middle of Cairo (just near the pharonic village) and you have to access it via boat (which cost 25p each way, Egyptian piestres not pence that is !!). There are no roads on the island, and its all fields and palm trees. I really felt I was out of the city in the middle of the countryside. It was lovely and peaceful. Linda performed her poetry with 2 friends who are musicians backing her up. They performed in a 'cage' on the roof- a space designed to keep away mossies... and which was well lit so made a bizarre, but fabulous stage! at one point, to take a call, after the show, i wandered over to another place on the roof and found myself looking over the fields and trees and Nile, with complete silence around me, and started to dance, just for myself, no music, but I felt so free... I can see why they chose that spot for the residency studio- it was really inspiring!

Here's Linda in her cage stage' !!

comments

Folk sometimes say the strangest things...

an American man recently after a performance on the golden pharoah decided he had to come to tell me how good he thought i was , saying- "you are really good you know, you should go to Las Vegas and dance there, really you are good enough" .......  i pointed out to him that i really didn't want to go America to perform on a stage in a hotel which has been made to look like its in Egypt, full of pyrmaids and pharoahs, when i actually currently dance on a boat, on the actual Nile, with my own Egyptian band and Egyptian audiences. He didn't get it... "but no- you'd be really good there.. you should try it." i replied "thank you , but I am really happy here". Then he tried to encourage me to enter in some Amercian talent show, when i said "no, it wasn't really my thing", he kept telling me how good the prize money was... and couldn't understand at all when i said I wasn't into dance for money.

Some people just don't get it at all.........


others do;

The manager of TGI Fridays in Giza welcomed me at the door of the restaurant one afternoon when i had popped in for a bowl of soup inbetween sails at work. " I saw your show last week on the Pharoah. You're very good. Thank you so much for your performance my friends and I really enjoyed it, and if i can do anything for you at all please just say". Then he walked away... no sleeze or horrible comments, just genuine appreciation and respect. It was lovely.

Then, I was in a club in Cairo last night, and in the queue for the bathrooms, a girl came up to me all excited..." i know you, i know you- I'm from Morocco and i've have seen your show on the Nile Pharoah... you were so so good, really talented, and classy and funny too. We all really enjoyed it so much. Thank you, Thank you."

That was nice.