At the end of yesterday's post, I mentioned in passing that we'd be doing veil work at belly dancing. Not having a real veil, and not really knowing what they look like, I brought along a veil-like scarf I have.
It was not even close to what real veils look like. My pathetic excuse for a veil is about 30cm wide by about a meter long, while the veils we use in class are about a meter (or more) wide by 2.5-3 meters long. Holy cow! The instructor loaned me one of hers, which was nice of her.
The overall effect of a group of (mostly) middle-aged women in our brightly coloured coin belts and sweat pants and t-shirts isn't always the picture you'd imagine when someone asks you to describe what a belly dancer looks like. But, give us veils and have us twirl around to the music, and it's a whole other story. We're no match for Salome and her sisters, and we may never do the Dance of the Seven Veils, but the overall effect is rather stunning.
In a new record last evening, I managed to loose three coins from my belt, mostly from getting them caught in the veil. I found all of them, and will sew them back on once I get the right colour thread. I have two belts - one is white, and has coin-and-bead chevrons, while the other is a red ten-line (four double-rows of coins, plus a row on the bottom and rows on the edge of the belt). It's the red one I keep loosing the coins from. I just need to get some red crochet thread, and I can tie them back on. Better yet, I can just reinforce all the other coins while I'm at it.
Wait... what.... did I... what... am I... nucking futs? There has got to be over 200 coins on that thing! When the hell am I going to have time in the next month to do that?!? And since the workshop is next weekend, I'm going to have no time to do important things like sleep, eat, or practice personal hygiene between now and then!
(Speaking of short on time, I need to go finish a birthday present, write a thank-you card, and have something to eat before 6:45. It is now 5:30. GO!)
