Wednesday, July 25, 2007

mixed feelings- a day in the life of...

last night I got a call at 2am asking me to work 12.30 lunch shift on the boat the next day.... great- I had had 3 days off- so sounded like a good idea...

BUT the customers (just one deck worth unfortunatly) were from I don't know where- some Eastern European country I think... and they had obviously had quite a day of it , probably walking about in the 40 deg plus heat around the pyramids.... but they looked knackered and fed up. I had a hard time getting even the children to smile.

so I decided to cheer myslef up with a lunch from pizza hut- I fancied their salad bar- until I saw it... tomato, and cucumber- but other than that almost all pickles.... not exactly what I was hoping for. But it was cool and calm and I had a window seat watching the world go by- so still all good.

then I tried to get a taxi. No **** would stop for me! thats a lie- they would stop - but when they heard I only wanted to go a short distance then just sped off- its so demoralising.... or tried to charge 10le for a 2le journey! so I walked- in the intense heat, for about 25mins. And so of course attracted tooooooo much attention (did still have all performance make up on!) so was in a royal bad mood when I got home.

However the AC in my bedroom is good and I took my laptop and a DVD to my room and chilled for a couple of hours- very nice. Happy again.... Couldn't sleep though- my bowabs daughter is getting married- so all friends and family are gathered in essentially my driveway to celebrate........... much Zaghreeting goes on all day long...

Then i stand in my changing room getting ready to go on stage with the singer and my dresser discussing how I was looking fatter- I had out on weight....... ok , so its true- but WHAT woman wants to hear it just before a dance? After my performance ( not my best- obviously) I discovered that they meant it as a huge compliment- that I was looking more 'moza' (sexy). cultural differences eh?!

the rest of the night was wonderful-4 shows- fantastic audiences- lots of women and children , enough Egyptians to make up for the gulfies... and my band were on form..... a few women even got up to dance with me (one I discovered used to be a dancer when she was young and before she took to the veil- so her compliments meant lots too!) I got to hold a new born baby (still red and wrinkly!!!) and lots of mothers seemed to want photos of their sons alongside me- ah well. One young lad even got up to dance with me and was great- so cute when he came up later to shake my hand and say thank you!

Get home and find my bowab in an incrediably good mood and he even carried my bag for me (doesn't normally!!!) maybe of course (the cynic comes out here) he was expecting the 'wedding gift' he got from me, for his daughter, on the way to the lift!

.........and so to a cold shower- and a huge bowl of pasta (gotta keep that 'moza' thing going!!!!!)

so a good end to a mood swing of a day in the life of Lorna..................... don't worry- I won't do this full diary except everyday- just wanted to give you a flavour of my life here!

oh- and something from yesterday too......... I was leaving a pool and in the hotel lobby a group of gulfies walked past (huge family 2 men, about 6 women and god knows how many kids) then they sent back a small girl who was with them, to ask- 'are you the dancer we saw on the boat?' my first sign of being famous!!!!!!!( small steps but hey!!)!!!!!!!! (unfortuantly I was too stunned to think of the arabic to reply so I just nodded and smiled... not sure what she asked next!!!)

and so to bed........

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