First Night of Class!
Tonight was my first Belly Dancing Class, in a couple years anyway. Way fun! And I am way tired! Here's a picture of me tonight, I was surprised the teacher had us all using such big snakes the first evening...That's me on the right with the Snake, whose name is Harry....
Or not. It might be my Teacher, Rebbecca. But that's what I felt like. You can't help feeling really good doing Belly Dancing, graceful, sultry, happy. Hurting. I am pretty sure that I have muscles I have not used in a very long time but I feel like I have a lot more space inside, if that makes any sense.
And I am sort of slinking around the house with my new moves. The Bengals slink too. Kind of a slinking party tonight, all of us slinking together, from room to room.
Here is a picture of what I actually did look like. ( KITTY!!!!! I took this photo myself OF myself using Photobooth!!!!!!!!!!!! ) That's the necklace Kitty and Malena made me for my birthday.
I thought it looked nice with my "Evil Keeps Me Young" tank top, and green harem pants.
Hmmm...That didn't quite pan out the way I had hoped. Tho I do like the shooting rays of light.
Here's another bad photo, with many shooting rays of light, just for Kitty.
I think it is me. Cameras simply fail to capture only my image. (Cue Spooky Music)
A message just popped up on my TV screen, saying the unit was overheated and I needed to move it to a cooler place. Where? The fridge??? I looked at the thermostat and saw it ws 87 here in the house. Hmm.....Might need to turn on the air.
I worked with a theater group years ago, taking improve classes and one of the things they taught us was how to work in any condition, hot, cold, you sort of slip into it and become it, so I don't notice things like "Darn, it's really bloody hot in here." Would that my cable box felt the same. I turned it off for a bit, and fanned it with my coin belt, but am not sure it appreciated the effort.
The DVD player seems to be made of sterner stuff, so I will spend the evening improving my French by watching Underworld in French again. (which I am certain will cause some Arrogant comments in French , from a certain Arrogant Frenchwomen)
Love and Belly and Heat,
Lorraine
posted by FabulousLorraine @ 6:23 PM
42 Comments
42 Comments:
You're a goddess! Can't wait to hear how doggie school goes tomorrow!
Snakes already! That's one advanced dance class ;)
I wrote up my first dance class experience here:
http://right-and-kind.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-i-started-dancing.html
What I really recommend reading is Chiara's "11 Reasons You Need to Be Bellydancing Right Now" post (linked through my blog). She is brilliant. Particularly on reason #4:
http://right-and-kind.blogspot.com/2006/12/why-you-should-be-dancing.html
now THESE are fine, my lady!
that necklace looks lovely, as do you.
xoxo
If this computer could come up with accent marks and the like, I would totally post a comment in French.
(Ik ben beter met Nederlands.)
I can hardly stand to be photographed; something always looks wrong to me. Lorraine, I have been planning on sending you a picture of me in my Lorraine a' Malena t-shirt. If I can manage not to look worse than I probably do off-camera, I will certainly do so.
YOU, on the other hand, look great. Congratulations on your belly-dancing!
~Emily
Welcome Michaela!
Michaela is the Neighbor who walks the Benglas with me that I speak of from time to time. She takes Mim and I take Venus. It's not so much a workout, but you have to be on your toes every minute while walking Bengals....
She is also taking Bellydancing with me. I dressed her up in a silk skirt and coin belt!
Amy, I am so going to check out your blog! I have so much to learn, and I think I would like to get really good at this.
Glad you like the pics, my dear Kitty!
Emily, it's all in how you hold the laptop, hee-hee...
Gods, Dog School tomorrow, like I will be able to MOVE?????
Um. You can take pictures with laptops?
I don't like to desribe myself as technologically inept, so let's just say I'm an old soul ....
~Emily
Well, old soul, you sure can if you have a MacBook. It's a thing called Photoboth and is like one of thoose fu machines that take four pics for you and print them out.
You can do some really twisted things, some night I will do a blog with some really funny ones I have.
Mim is nuts. Yes, we knew this, but she is running around like a demon with a mousie, screaming and growling if Venus gets near her.
Venus has now joined her and just brought me a T.
Life ain't dull. WHo needs the overheated Cable Box when you have overheated Bengals.
Amy, thanks for sharing those links! Reason #4 may get printed out and read every day, by me at least, Malena will love it! It is so exactly what she says....
lovely pics, and I would LOVE to see pics of you and Micheala (welcome!!!) walking bengals, now all four of you can slink on through the neighborhood. Emily, my daughter has a macbook with photobooth, it is very fun and I am seriously envious of those who have one. I keep hoping she will be very naughty and i can take it away for punishment. sigh. she's very clever and never lets me catch her tho. Have fun at dog school tomorrow, hope those muscles stay nice and loose!
We will take pics of the Bengals soon, on their walks in little purple harnesses!!!!
I am fearing Dog School Agility tomorrow (AKA Bootcamp for Dog Owners, I will get fit!!!)
Mim has managed in the last ten minutes, to get her claw trapped and stuck IN my DVD player, underneath it. HOW she could have managed this I do not know, I thought at first the screams were more Mousie Must Die...
Sigh.
Jamais un moment d'ennui avec des bengales...
Ou avec la danse du ventre.
Overheated bengals darting here, there and about might just function like a ventilator. Or not.
Hi Belly dancing Lovelies!
Glad your first night of class was good. More glad that you want to keep going! Even more glad there's all kinds of support here in this community for the belly dancing. So many like-minded people here! Most cool!
Would write more, but alas, dawn is creeping already, and I have a date with Crown Vetch and Dandelion at First Light. More when I am home from the fight, draped in valor (aka dandelion root and vetch stems).
Love,
Liza
Vous êtes déjà vers le haut ? What is it, like 5:00am????? Arrogant French, hee-hee! And yes, never a dull moment with Bengals...
Dancing Liza, you inspired me to get into this, take some more classes!!!!
(Dancing Liza was a dancer in a troupe I played violin for)
Now she gardens and is Very Wise in the ways of plants....
Nathilie, enjoy your day as we enjoy our night!
tee hee. I love this real-time commenting thing.
I shall repost what I just poosted on the last thread, which is this...
You honor me by saying I was your inspiration...now I really will have to get back into it...to honor your honoring me...
p.s. I've never poosted in all my life.
just so we're clear on that.
You are posting just fine!!!! We are just us, and saying whatever, and ALL of us feel like dorks every so often. More often than not...
It doesn't much mater if you have something earth shattering to say...Say whatever, Heck, we do.
The LaM Castle is open to everyone, and we welcome you, if you have a kind heart, truly.
If you are reading and not posting, hop on and say " I am really shy, but love reading this" and I am pretty sure, you will be in the family soon.
I love it that this is such a cool place to hang out.
Thank you all for making it so.
Je me réveille vers les 04:00 et me lève vers les 05:15.
Pas raisonnable du tout... J'en profite pour écrire (et blogger).
Ce matin, j'ai été réveillée à 02:30 par un de mes chats...
Maintenat je dors sur mon ordinateur.
Et il faut travailler.
Grumble.
(hey, that's a genuine French rant)
Femmes françaises folles. Je vais au sleeo.
Bonne nuit!
Slinkster-keen! Quiche is the ur-Bat.
I want to see pictures of these Bengals on leashes, being walked. I'm picturing them looking back at you with that face that says, "This leash demeans us both." Or possibly, "We shall see just who is walking whom when the Bengal-Wasp-Bee Alliance is triumphant!!"
Fablo, those pictures are *wonderful*. I love the slanting light -- it's like the sun through the clouds after a storm. Beautiful! I am curious why the print on the t-shirt came out mirrored (I know nothing 'bout no picture taking, or technology for that matter! I just want to hit the 'on' button and have it work, please.).
Thank you ALL for your kind support, and yes, Sue, you're right: my orientation is for teaching. I am, please God, going to be teaching special ed at a local high school (can't sign the contract until the fingerprinting and background check comes back in) and I am so so so very excited about this. (Am also taking grad classes myself, starting in two weeks, so this should be an interesting year, shouldn't it?) I'm just really nervous right now because I so want to do a good job, a really really good job. I love teenagers, I love helping and explaining, but I don't have much teaching experience despite my, ahem, age. I have lots of *other* experience and I'm a good quick learner. But still. I want to do the best possible job; these kids who struggle, for all kinds of reasons, deserve that. So my heart is beating a little bit fast today...
Okay, see, the lighting in these is kinda cool and interesting. Not like the Photos That Shall Not Be Seen where you were in danger of being devoured by wraiths.
Aglaia, when you get nervous, just plant your feet so you can feel the soles of your feet, breathe in deeply, and rub your belly. Silly, I know, but give it a shot.
Amy, thanks for posting those links! I agree, #4 is the best one. Bellydance reminds me that my worth as a person is not inversely proportionate to thecircumference of my hips. Otherwise, ye gods, I'd be about as worthy as a speck of lint. Which is just not possible for one of Cabal's Cabal.
Pity I will not be able to go to this weekend's show, because then I could have Bat Cookies with Jameson, and practice my taxeems and mayas while Lorraine and Paul play. (Scotch, the magic dance improving potion!) Hrmpf.
I'm glad you all liked the links! In my "If I ever owned a dance studio" fantasy I sometimes think I'd have #4 inscribed on the walls.
Lorraine - i meant to tell you i love that tank! I need one! I have a t that says "Come to the dark side, we have cookies", but its not as cool as Evil Keeps Me Young. Dog agility - fun, and a good workout - specially with Cabal - he is a big boy! Grace, you will do well, your first year is a bit nervewracking, and all you can do is dive in. A seasoned instructor told me when I was first beginning teaching to overplan lessons, plan more than you think you will need, and to be flexible within them,and his advice served me well. The weirdest aspect of teaching for me initially was the timing and pacing - i thought something would take 2 hrs, and it would take 30 minutes, and vice versa. Good luck, and congratulations, you are a compassionate woman and I know you will be an asset to the school!
Snakes, no problem. Now dancing with Bengals, that would be a challenge!
Yay for dancing! I really wish someone in my area taught dancing with snakes. I have my own snake baby at home and would LOVE to incorporate him into my routines.
I will try for Bengals on Purple leashes tonight, after Dog Schhol.
Long day this.
Agaila, that is so cool, you are in such a great position to really help kids who may not otherwise be getting the help they need, and you will make such a difference! I know you will do really well! One teacher can change a life. Being there, caring and listening is half of it, and I know you can do it!
I don't know why photobooth takes mirrored pics. Anyone? Regular camera don't, do they? I know nothing,,,
Not sure where I got the tank, but a quick google would probably find you one.
I wish you could come to my show too, Panatagruel, but HELLO!!! You live in LA, GO TO MALENA'S SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dancing with Bengals???ACK! Bengals SLINK. Hi Heather! That's so cool you have a snake, I wonder if there is a trick to dancing with them, anyone? Amy?
Wow. So much going on here these days. Cool. Hi everyone I have never said hi to.
So,Pantagruel -- Bat Cookies with Jameson. I tend to be a Gin and Tonic or beer person in the summertime but I may have to change that up a bit this weekend because there is something wonderfully decident about the idea of purple frosted bat cookies with Jameson. I'll have to give it a try.
Speaking of bats... had one in the house last night. Bats are very cool animals but not so much a good thing inside the house. Not really a good thing for the bat or the person or the cat. We called in a professional who captured the bat and took it somewhere more bat friendly to live.
The Bat Man was carrying the bat around for awhile and we looked at its cool sharp, sharp teeth. It hide its little face behind a wing when he shined a light on it and it was very cute. That said I am very glad the little guy is gone. There have been rabies scares lately and I did not want to worry about with either the cat or myself.
Bat cookies on the other hand do not seem to involve rabies shots -- just shots of Jameson. Yay!
I have two young Ladies working on the Bat Cookies as we speak. I am buried in work.....So if they don't turn out well, it's not MY fault! (But hey, frosting, I'll bring them to the gig anyway)
Is The Bat Man a person or a Cat? Kitty has a cat named Batman.....You should have called me, I kind of specialize in Bat Services and Removal. All round Wild Kingdom Here!
The Bat Man was a man. A very nice man who also gave my landlady great advise on the upcoming roof work she needs to do.
Maybe we will call you next time! But I do hope there is no next time!
Bulfinch's Aglaia!
My mother was a special ed teacher. It is the most important job in the world. As important as being the president (plus you get to influence the future with your kindness!)
I have a kid who lives on my block who's in high school special ed . He's a bright kid. What books could I get him? He's on a 6th grade reading level. (intuitive as all heaven too)
Anyway, I could go on forever, so...
Welcome to our blog and we need more people like you in the world.
Yeah for bellydancing!
Dude, on Saturdays, I'm supposed to be painting in the studio where I've apprenticed myself, until, like 10:30 at night. There are characters and creatures to be designed! Models to be painted! Color theory to be… uh, theorized.
That Bat Cookies/Jameson pairing was Paul's idea, I think. I'm game. I am the Designated Drinker, after all, and must face the challenges my duties bring. No matter how onerous. But there will be no Bat Cookies for me. *sniffle*
So very sad...If I could send you all cookies, I would. But it is simply not a practical idea. I do have some really cute pics of the girls making them today tho, that I will post later tonight...
Dr Paul would pair Jameson with ANYTHING...
Dr. Paul needs to be schooled in the ways of Bowmore and other fine Islay whiskies, like Oban, Scapa, and Ardhbeg. There is life beyond Jameson, Paul! ;)
Personally, I prefer Glen Livet. I don't think I've ever had Jameson. for vodka, I prefer Stolichnaya. Though I really think Captain Morgan's would go better with purple frosted bat cookies.
Nothing like having inexpensive tastes. ;)
Ms. Fabulous, I meant for you to catch one of Tara's performances sometime. I'll see if I can't find a website for her. :)
I'll also see if I can't post the website with the list of "You Know You're a Bellydancer When..." I know I have been guilty of shimmying done the grocery store aisle. And thinking, "You know, you can play zills to 'Brick House' and 'Play that Funky Music, White Boy'." ::sigh:: Yeah, I got it bad.
Oh, Dr Paul tuens away no whiskey, and has a fine palate....
I think one could bellydance to just about anything.
Back from Boot Camp. I mean Dog School.
Now I want some cookies for dessert. HUGE hugs to all of you, y'all made tears come to my eyes with your sweetness and support. And Malena, pass some hugs on to your mom; she is a true hero! To the young man in your neighborhood, it is amazing to me how many kids that need some extra help academically have such wonderful other gifts to share with us. The books I would recommend are: Odd And The Frost Giants, by one Mr. Neil Gaiman (and I bought three copies from the UK and would joyfully, happily send you a copy to give him) -- this is an especially good story as the boy hero, Odd, struggles with some difficulties in his home life and a disability, and yet is in fact still the deserving hero. Another is A Wizard Of Earthsea by the amazing Ursula K. LeGuin, which is a wonderful, engaging story and also has a young hero who must struggle. Diana Wynne Jones's Chronicles of Crestomanci are very, very good -- start with Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant, as the rest build on those two. (I love Summerland by Michael Chabon, but that one is pretty long and above 6th grade level, but it might something to aspire to.) In all of these, the young people who are called on to do good and great things all have obstacles and problems -- some pretty darned serious and heartbreaking -- and learn to triumph anyway. I hope that's a help (and seriously, I would be more than happy to send any of these to you if necessary -- I am gmariemonk at gmail dot com). Again, thank you and y'all made my day so much brighter!!
Oh Aglaia, vous parlez vrai. Tous que vous avez mentionnés sonts des excellents livres. Je me demande si "Holes" de Louis Sachar ne convenait pas bien aussi? Ma mère est prof d'Anglais et l'a choisi pour une de ses classes. Une histoire simple mais pas du tout simplistique.
OK... you know, it's a very bad idea to encourage me to speak French at half-past two in the morning.
I've never danced with snakes, though I know some people who do. It seems a lot of it is good handling, getting the snakes used to being handled that way, the music, crowds, etc. I know there is at least one snake dancing DVD out there.
I have enough trouble keeping my curious cats away when I'm practicing with my sword. No Kitty Kabobs please!
Which reminds me - Lorraine, we danced at Balticon's opening ceremony this year!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debbieohi/2528006672/
hello my little chatterboxes,
i am home for a moment then BACK TO WORK.
no rest for the wicked.
as for miss Michaela, she was the one that posed for me in January, looking lovely, i am happy that Quiche has a great neighbor like her. I wonder, did you ever decide on a photo? because I never heard back---
as for mirrored photos, if you think about your SLR and the little teeny fairy-size mirror inside, viola! you will understand why you are getting backward image writing...take a look!
how come birdchick never comments here?
what UP, birdy?
xoxox
I love all those books, dearly! Nice French , K!
How cool you danced at Baltic con! That Con gets the coolest people...We had SO much fun, even with Malena sick like death.
Mirrors. Got it.
The Birdchick is Birding. If we were Birds, she would be here. Perhaps if we start commenting on how we found some Ivory Billed Woodpeckers, she would be here like a SHOT!
We shot the Bengals tonight. Of to post pictures.
Well the crows on my rooftop sure are wierd these days, maybe Birdchick could shed some light on that. I think they are sad because my other tree is gone. When I moved in here I lived under the tallest tree on the block.. then they cut that down last November... now they cut down the other tree, spawn of the first one... they couldn't legally get a permit to cut it down but apparently the law allows them to mutilate it (cutting it to be a 12 foot stump where once it was a 40 foot tree) and then apply for the permit next November and chop up the rest. sigh.. I know how the birds feel.
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