Here’s the good news:
I had a great time with my mom this past week. She found a huge white lily just growing in the yard behind the mint plants, and brought it into the apartment, and that just set the tone for the rest of the week, somehow. We had a great time going to the Ballard Locks and watching the salmon go up the salmon ladder, going to breakfast, watching movies together. I made a fantastic rice pudding with rhubarb and raspberries that I’m making again tonight. She helped me finish this skirt I had been trying to make for like three months, and even sewed a ruffle on it for me and everything. I think it looks slightly like a skirt a four year old (well, a really tall four year old with boobies) would wear, as it has a pretty flamboyant daisy pattern on it. I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought the fabric. Anyway, Mom said I looked pretty in it.
Sunday was the long-awaited bellydance thing at Med Fest. The day before (Mom was at home sewing the ruffle on the skirt) we’d had this long rehearsal. Not at the studio where we usually have it, but at the park across the street from the studio because Ruby couldn’t get it for us. It was hysterical…we marked out a stage underneath a big tree, and brought snacks and everything (one girl brought cream puffs!) and started up our music and away we went. We were pretty picky about it…there were all these serious conversations like, “Should we put the arm up on the seven or on the eight? Because I think putting the arm up on seven looks more finished, but if other people like the eight, that’s fine too.” All these little girls playing at the park came over to us and wanted to know why we were wearing belts with money on them, and if they could dance with us. Pretty soon the whole park came over and sat themselves down to watch us go through it a couple of times. Two little girls tried to copy us, and as we were having another should-we-put-the-arm-up-on-seven-or-eight discussions, one of them yelled “Hurry uuuuuuuuuuuupp!” It was nice to have a responsive audience, I guess. At least until the ice cream truck showed up…but the guy driving itwas nice enough to turn off his little music thing while we were dancing. At the end of the rehearsal a woman came up to Ruby and asked if we would dance at some event she’s having…I haven’t heard yet if we’re really going to, but it would be pretty funny if we did!
Med Fest itself was much smaller than I thought it would be. I guess the bellydance community is really not all that big, so it makes sense, but I was imagining it to be this really huge festival, with like, strolling gypsy musicians or something, and it was just on the west field of a community center in West Seattle. Right past the tennis courts but before you get to the kiddie pool. There were lots of vendors there, and I saw some beautiful sari-cloth harem pants I wanted a whole lot, but I ended up not buying anything at all. I didn’t even get to see much dancing because by the time we got there I was so nervous that I just wanted to go to the dressing room and cry. When I got to the dressing room I pretty much wanted to cry as well because I thought everyone’s costumes were prettier than mine. I think I’m giving up neutrals. Did I tell you guys this? Yeah. I went to Target with Mom while she was here and in a fit of decorating craziness I bought a turquoise bath mat, orange washcloths, and purple hand towels. To match my PowerPuff Girls shower curtain, you see. And my bellydance costume was a severe black, silver, and red theme, and I felt very plain when I saw all the crazy stuff everyone else was wearing. So, yeah, maybe no more neutrals for me.
The dance itself was surprisingly short. We ended up putting the arm up on the eight, and it looked really good, but then it was just…over. All the time we spent rehearsing and getting into it and planning, just over, just like that. Our troupe name was Ruby’s Precious Jewels, isn’t that cute? We got some good pictures, though, so I hope those will come out and I’ll be able to post them here.
And guess who was in the audience? My boyfriend! Carl! Remember him? Well, he made it off the plane on time and came just in time to see our performance. He sneaked backstage and found me before we went on and I was so happy to see him. He had a hard time recognizing me with makeup on…and not just any makeup, but crazy bellydance makeup!..but he managed to find me and give me a hug. It was so weird…like completely ordinary to see him, right, in some sense. But just strange in that context, like, dude, where’s your fringe belt? Some other friends came, and of course Mom was there…as predicted, she told us all that we were the best in the entire show. We all went out to dinner and a good time was had by all.