February was a Good Month!

Kajira’s end o’ February 2008 blog

What a great month! This past winter was not a good one; for illness, pain and depression reigned. So thank you February, for being my light at the end of the darkness, just like your holiday of Candlemas, Brigid’s Day or Imbolc symbolizes! (A couple weeks ago I was too ill to have even made that connection, but am glad I did just now.)

Yup, I would’ve cancelled Tribal Fest if it weren’t for Chuck when in my darkest depths. As you all know, he carried the entire online work load for the event from November on. *Thank you, my darling!* I was literally unable to deal, but I’m back now, if a bit slower... I hope to stay this way, as it’s a definite improvement to my previously seemingly-always-manic state...

On that note, I also need to thank all of *you* who’ve been waiting to hear about this year’s performance application or your mailed-in classes for TF8 for your patience. Even though the site does say I will get to the schedule in “March or April” and am not late, many of you remember things moving faster in previous years and have started calling and emailing. No worries, only one more trip out of the country in early March to Quebec, Canada and then I’m home ‘til The Fest and all yours! (So don’t cancel your checks! = :-O)

Enough o’ that whiny crap, though! Yes, things’re better. And, going to Gothla and seeing and dancing with Seba at BDUC have a lot to do with it! I’ll start with Gothla, as it happened first. I got to use frequent flyer miles for my airline tix for this jaunt for my first time ever, so that was a Good Thing right off the bat. How could the trip be bad when it was essentially free to get there? Yay!

I arrived at LAX at about 11 p.m. on Thursday 2/7 and picked up my rental car. I’m so grateful for GPS when driving in the LA area. It’s always one freeway to the next, and since the speed limit is 65 mph, at night when there’s a chance of acceleration, people really fly! And some off ramps are on the left, others on the right, with many freeways and cloverleafs coming on and off at all times, so one needs to know which lane to be in at any given moment. And, they’re getting better all the time. Last year’s GPS didn’t know about lane closures and even made a one-way-street boo-boo. This one was much more intelligent!

I arrived safely in my hotel about 11:40 p.m. after standing in queue and then checking out the car and finally driving there. I stayed at the Wyndham Hill Anaheim hotel - it was right on the border of Fullerton and Anaheim, near Disneyland (I realized how close I was after the Gothla weekend). After asking for a room up as high in The Tower as available, I settled in for sleep.

The next day I was on a mission for Gothy or Stompy or Gothy-Stompy boots! Long before arrival I’d written down the address and phone number of Ipso Facto, a clothing store in Fullerton right ‘round the corner from Gothla. I saw Ispo first in Gothic Beauty magazine, and later they were linked to the Gothla web site and vice versa. I met many Gothla participants there, and I was there 3x! Each time so was someone from Gothla - hee hee!

Yes, my search was fruitful. I scored some great new Demonias for only $53! Since they’re pleather they’ll be easier to wipe the mold off here in Haiku. I didn’t want leather ones for that reason, and these were all they had in the style I wanted, so - groovy! I got the newer model, “Gothika” - I’d seen ‘em on web sites and was happy they had ‘em as their site was completely outdated as far as shoes and boots went, just know that if you take a look. Their site said they only had Pleasers, but no! Lotsa other brands and lots o’ Demonias. Too bad they were out of my size of some really cute Demonia shoes, or I’d-a bought ‘em, too. I had a couple more bucks budgeted for Goth stuff since I got such a deal on the boots; so got a cute, comfy skirt with lines of bad poetry on it and a new bondage belt (too bad we sold all that stuff before we moved! It’s not cheap these days to replace).

That night was the Gothla meet-and-greet. Gee, if there was more of me, that’s something Chuck and I’ve talked about wishing we could organize for TF. But it’s one of those things that we think of but cannot do for lack of energy and time. Heck, this year we were even offered a place to hold it. If anyone reading this who attends Tribal Fest wants to be the meet-and-greet coordinator, Tribe Chuck and tell him. (Don’t Tribe me - I may get on here once every couple months or three! Sorry. But I’ll pop on every now and again and write a blog so you all know was’sup. And I know I can count on Chuck to keep ya informed. = ;-)

Back to the Gothla meet-n-greet: it was fun gettin’ dolled up in my new and old finery, as I don’t bother often here on Maui. In the elevator I met the first of several new acquaintances, as they spoke to me. The woman said, “Are you going to the meet-n-greet?” Startled, I told ‘em “yes!” they’d said see ya there and I said let’s meet right now, so we introduced ourselves. They’re from Kansas and their names are Rachel and Colin. They weren’t dressed Goth but Rachel had some light blue wash-out streaks in her short, feathered hair. I could tell that’d be a stretch back home for ‘em. (I just saw that Rachel is on Tribe as Jadzia - no “Dax”, just Jadzia. = ;-D)

We parted at the courtyard and I took my car to the Commonwealth Lounge. But I went into the wrong bar at first! Hee hee! I had a coke in the bar next door which shared a wall and the sign. Not seeing any other Goths, I asked the bartender if that was the place to meet and indeed, it was not. So I went next door, lol! There I was escorted to the “Goth area” and was warmly greeted by Sashi, who is the most gorgeous and gracious hostess ever! She was soooo sweet to me and made me feel so very welcomed when she told me she was “honored” I came. She introduced me to a large table full of folks, two of whom were there from Sweden! The one is Sweden’s first Dark Fusion Belly Dance teacher and the other, her friend and student. Others were from many states ranging from MA to IL and more. I was very happy to see global support for my friends’s first event. I really wanted to support it was well, as I do feel a strong kinship to Tempest, Anaar and Sashi and admire Ariellah.

I sat by Anaar and Steve at another table and ordered wine and hors de’rves, which were on sale as it was Happy Hours. Ariellah didn’t make it that night, but Tempest joined us in a bit. We all shared the food and talked. I saw old friends from Vegas and elsewhere that I rarely get to talk to, as I see ‘em in passing at Tribal Fest, and that’s not the place to find me in a chill conversation. I cringe to think that’s the only place many people know me from! Crap! Anyway, I wish I was better with names, but oh well, I’m not. You know who you are, and it was great to hang with you! = :-)

The main thing I noticed was how genuinely nice everyone was at the meet-n-greet. It’s so refreshing to be so accepted for who you are, and it’s esp. nice when who you are is not always considered conventionally pretty or proper every moment. It’s self-affirming to purposely not do your makeup to your “best advantage” and instead to play with the eyeliner and non-flattering lipstick if you feel like it one day - and yet still get compliments. It was very much like being with my friends from young adulthood in the punk lifestyle, only the goth folk are more mellow, sometimes dress better, and seem to have at least a little more cash in general. I know there are always exceptions, of course! But this crowd was my-kine-o-peeps. I’d hang with any of ‘em any day! I gave Rachel and Colin a ride back to our hotel once they said they’d shuttled it over.

The next day was the festival itself. I arrived early with stage makeup on already to enjoy the show and do some shopping before transforming for my show later in the program. I only brought a certain amount of cash as I was under the impression there’d be more shopping opportunities during the weekend, but found later to my disappointment only a couple vendors could be found after that day. Shoot! Shouldda brought more cash on Sat. Oh well! LOL! (Probably a Good Thing!)

My only other disappointment was that Gothla was the first festival I’ve ever attended that didn’t have food on site. Luckily I brought a food bar as the only food I saw within walking distance of the venue were a sushi bar (only in HI for me, I’m spoiled now) and a pizza joint (lactose and gluten intolerant does in the notion of pizza)! I wish that had been advertised though, as one does assume certain things. There wasn’t even water for sale. They couldda made a killing on water at least. Hopefully someone on the Gothla staff will read this and take note. The other problem was lack of parking - at night we got the last parking spot we could find, including valet parking! If it’s in the same location next year, I’d take the hotel shuttle to avoid parking and recommend that to everyone.

Now on to the great stuff: fantastic shopping, fantastic show and fantastic crowd! Just like at the meet-n-greet, everyone there made this the nicest crowd I’ve ever had the pleasure of immersing into for a long time. Just super-sweet people! It was kinda like almost all of my favorite people from all the events I attend all in one place that’s not as big or crazy as The Fest is, and of course not having any of the headache that goes with production was incredibly wonderful. I met a super-nice person in the audience who shared some laughs with me and helped me adjust a gifted scarf with a new Gothla tank top and - something else - into a “punk sweater” as they said. Yes, gifts... people were giving away things; vendors little items and fetsival-goers creative home-made stickers, origami business cards and stuff. It was just part of the dolce vida feeling there.

I loved seeing the creative acts and the not-so-creative ones. It was funny to hear people who enjoyed a particular act I’d missed (but had seen the Matrix-inspired trio of which they spoke earlier in the hall and felt their charisma) as, “did you see the group in black?” It struck me as hilarious because that really was pretty much every act.

I loved performing as well. It was wonderful not adhering to stage makeup rules and wearing what I knew was not the most conventionally flattering green lipstick and eye shadow, with asymmetrical liquid liner on eyes and cheeks. It was totally appropriate for my “character,” Black. So many people told me over and over how they “didn’t know I was gonna be there” and the like, as I asked to be listed only as Black on the program. It was totally enjoyable to go incognito, even if everyone knew me once there.

While onstage I had another treat: sitting on the stairs to stage right was my dear friend Princess Farhana, and on the stairs to stage left, like living bookends, was my dear friend Lee Ali! It was the only time I saw Lee that weekend - while onstage - and so pleased was I, I exclaimed our pet name to her while dancing, “Pookie!” and blew her a kiss (which was returned promptly). At some point I remember thinking I shouldda practiced more, at another I thought I was going too fast. The chatter in one’s head is funny to note the longer one does this stuff. It’ll be good to see the DVD once it arrives. Should be soon, I’d think.

That night, yes, after parking hell, Rachel, Colin and I arrived fashionably late-on time. By then the seats had all been taken and no one set any more up in the hall, so it was SRO. The hall had been transformed from bustling, daytime commerce and festival show to sultry, low-lit evening cabaret. I sat for a few at the wall, then realized my neck would cramp so moved to a standing position at the back of the seats, where I could see perfectly and could stand and stretch and stay loose. That was nice and I left my purse with Rachel and Colin for the duration.

Each performer was well-prepared and very different, which I loved. All were definitely Gothic (or alternative) Bellydancers, and none were traditional-anything. I particularly enjoyed Romka’s duet and a certain down-up thing they did while turning that was mesmerizing, Princess Farhana’s giant feather fan act and the part where she looked like she was inside a clam shell, Sashi’s power and Tempest’s grace and Anaar’s lunacy while interpreting a work by another lunatic-genius. But my favorite was the one act that was so utterly, effectively disturbing to me that at first I couldn’t tell if I was repulsed, or if I “should” be repelled from my voyeurism, or if I thought it was “good.” That does not happen to me often, folks! In fact I cannot remember the last time it did in all honesty. I was happily taken for a ride, thrown for a loop and left dazed and definitely, joyously, rapturously confused by the entire feeling that was Laura Rose.

It took me about 4 hours to realize - or make the decision, perhaps - that I loved her performance! Now *that’s* Art. To me, anyway. Even if I had never decided I loved it, nor assigned any value judgement to it at all, I still would’ve said immediately that it was Powerful Art. Wow. It helped that I hadn’t seen her all day (though was told she was there) and that it had been years since we’d met last. It also helped that she stood in the far back during the first part of the show in costume, complete with an incredible headdress she’d made herself, in platforms (and she’s already tall) and did the dance that way. Between the boots and the headdress, they added at least another foot and a half to her stature! At any rate, she bewitched me as soon as she began to move forward (or was it that she bewitched me at first glance?) and held me captive the rest of that weekend. I loved and feared everything about her piece: her sensuality and raw sexuality, the music which seemed made for her, and the way her costume showed only the tops of her thighs and no other part of her legs, the slits of the skirt outlined in lovely golden trim accentuating the lovely golden color of her skin - yet allowing not even a glance at more, was sinfully delicious! Her perfect use of fake blood and anatomical parts while drawing in myths and archetypes of bloodthirsty Egyptian Goddesses was like icing on an already incredible cake.


The next day I was ready for classes. I missed Sashi’s class as I was performing during it. I hope to take one of her classes at TF8 (fingers crossed)! But on Sunday I took another class from Anaar, from whom I always learn something new and resurrect old ideas I’ve left fallow. This workshop was no exception. Everyone seemed very “on” by then, as the event had gone well and any first-time anxieties had been put to rest on the producers’ parts. (BTW, Anaar was not a producer of Gothla, but is a close personal friend of Tempest’s. The producers were Ariellah, Tempest and Sashi.)

After Anaar’s class I headed out for lunch and another stop at Ipso Facto. Afterwards I took in the last class of Gothla, Laura Rose’s. Earlier I’d seen her outside and told her how disturbing and wonderful her show was the night before. She laughed and said, “that’s good!” and shared some wonderful hints for body jewelry with me. I was eager for her class and was not disappointed! I’ve had many amazing and life-changing classes, weeklongs and workshops with her Mom, Delilah, and knew Laura Rose would be great. She taught one of the single most useful tools for dark fusion solo performances I’ve had the chance to learn, revisited great techniques I’d learned from her Mom but with her own twist, and taught her way of learning sideways belly rolls - not easy! It takes practice.

The weekend was all I’d hoped and more. I wish I could plan on being at Gothla every year... that is one of the things that moving back to Cali would make easier, since it’d be cheaper to drive than fly. We’re still torn...

On Tuesday my GPS and I found the next hotel in Long Beach. This one was SOOO much nicer than the one in Fullerton! Yay! On Wednesday I met Stefanie Masters and her husband Dave from WI and we began our Level One Teacher Certification in my hotel room.

It is such an honor to be chosen by lovely dancers like Stefanie to teach them! She did much research and decided there was no one better suited to her then myself for her foray into ATS. Wow! Yay! The people who “get” me really do understand the things that are so important and that go beyond technique to make ATS what it can truly be and is meant to be. Stefanie “gets” it. She completed her training the next day, as for her there was not a lot of work to do on the moves because she’s an advanced dancer already with her own program called The Masters’ Method, and has many other teaching, health and wellness certifications under her belt. She teaches many classes weekly in American Cabaret and has done so for years.

I know Stefanie will do a great job with ATS and has already started teaching concurrently with her other classes. She’s looking forward to building community together as well as continuing her many other subjects. Her goal for learning and incorporating ATS into he regular schedule has begun, and now more dancers will be exposed to this life-changing art form in the manner in which I teach it. More people who will become more caring, more aware of others, have greater self-esteem not at the expense of another’s (non-competitively, which she appreciates about this form, as she knows it is by nature competitive to do solo forms) and simply bring more love and joy into the world!

On Friday afternoon my dear Seba arrived at the hotel. She’s so innocent in some ways she cracks me up! She couldn’t get the room key to work (it did) and also “took a cab for her first time from an airport” and that was such a big thing for her she had to call Dano to tell him she arrived OK. LOLOL! Isn’t that just the cutest thing? I told her, “it’s just like taking a cab form anywhere else, huh?”

We had a great time eating Thai food and catching up. We’ve been lucky to be able to avail ourselves of the opportunity to hang almost monthly this winter - in Dec. Was Tribal Fusion Faire, then Feb. for the Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition and Show, and in March in Quebec, Canada! Yay!

The next morning at 6-something a.m. our alarm went off and it was time to have breakfast, tea or coffee and head to BDUC to teach my first workshop of that weekend. This workshop was interesting - it was a different topic, a discussion about what is Tribal, Tribal Fusion and what is bellydance... lots of food for thought! We did some compare-and-contrast steps with various style’s move hallmarks to feel the differences.

Then I checked in to judge. I love judging competitions, but don’t like it when people find me later to ask either how they can improve, or what was wrong with their dance and was everyone else really bellydancers and stuff like that. I would love to give everyone an award as I don’t enjoy ruining people’s days, LOL! And just to make it to the stage is an accomplishment.

Of course, some acts were definitely easier than others (a-hem) to decide scores on. It cracks me up when certain things are required to enter a category and yet people don’t do them. Very strange. Some costumes were totally out of the blue, some looked like practice attire and yet another had at least 4 costume changes in 5 minutes - all onstage. Wow.

I got to judge the solo fusion, the solo tribal fusion and the tribal group categories on Saturday. Seba and I performed in the evening show as well, along with other judges and special guests. It was super to hang out with Princess Farhana and Lee Ali again there! Also with Shelly and two other gals from Unmata (Amy had the flu and had to go home). Shelly stood in for her as judge and taught her workshop the next day. What sweet kids! In particular Seba and I were impressed with Prince Andrew’s set - such energy and so entertaining! He’s great!

The next day started the same way: too early! At breakfast we had lots of coffee but later realized it had no caffeine in it, as we were still really tired (and I don’t drink coffee usually, so it was weird). That day’s workshop was a bust - only one person showed up and she’s so cool she suggested I go ahead and cancel, which I did. She’s taken classes with me before and said she’d catch me at the next place - I appreciated her courtesy. But in retrospect I wish I had taught she and Seba for a shorter length of time. Too late now!

That day I got to judge the incredible Universal preliminary and finals categories. I love the Universal! They must dance properly to a 4/4 or 8/4, a 9/8 and a 6/8 in their 5 minute routine. Properly, that is - so they must know what kind of 9 or 6 they’ve chosen and whether to dance Turkish, Greek, Armenian or what-have-you as well as whether their 6 is Persian, Gulf, Latin or North African and then depict appropriate nuances in their expressions. The finals are all done to the same live music set, and I love seeing the different personal expressions for each individual! I really admire anyone ready to enter this category and fully understand why it is the most heralded of all.

While judging, it’s interesting to note how others feel about the same person. Judging (or entering) a competition really proves to oneself just how *subjective* art really is! Even though there are criteria for each category, all the rest is subjective including whether they stuck to the criteria or not, except in obvious cases such as with the rhythms, above. One thing really subjective is the costume section of judging. That seems to be personal taste for the most part. I love seeing who wins and places, as well as who takes the People’s Choice and Congeniality Awards. They are sometimes out of order from what I’d chosen, and sometimes I’m truly sorry for a dancer who I loved but others didn’t as much (or vice versa).

I do recommend entering or going to and watching the BDUC. It’s quite a learning experience and I wish Seba could’ve afforded to stay to take in the Universal category - maybe another time.

OK, off to get to work on Tribal Fest!

I love you ALL!

Kajira Djoumahna - 808.891.8891

Cool video and sound clip from MI3!

This footage is courtesy of Frank of DreamTyme Productions and Maui Today.tv - it features clips of performers as well as short interviews with Heather, Jill and yours truly.

Enjoy!

mauitoday.tv/index.php

Who the f*%k is BLACK?

Ok, first off, I cannot believe I'm blogging at all. Please do refer to my Q-n-A thingee-bob sent to my husband, Chuck from Kaleah, who didn't know he'd pass it on to me. Hee hee!

But it got me started. No one get your hopes up too high, though, as this will not become a habit! I got TF work to do, dammit!

I wish to introduce this "Black" chick who has been appearing as a form of Kajira D. - as my Goth persona.

Why a Goth name? Because Kajira is a joyful person (usually) and I can't have a cheese-eatin' grin on 100% of the time. It's just not how I feel. It is usually how I feel while dancing, however.

So now I'm dancing Gothic Fusion BellyDance. Kajira Djoumahna is not who I am then. Another aspect of MySelf appears, and Her Name is Black.

The below is from my Q-n-A about names throughout my life.

Q: If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

A. Already have and I continue to do so. I've had many names.. since about age 4 or 5 I began asking my parents to call me by various names and friends, too.

Then came my career as a writer for punk rock zines, when I could really play with psuedonyms. My most common one I wrote under in those days was Pandora S. Box.

Then came my first husband, whose last mundane name was better than my "given" one, so I still have that for the mundanes.

Then came my involvement with the B&D/S/M scene (no, I've never had a "regular" job I am proud to say!)... As Anne Rice writing as A. Roquelare (or something like that) said in her Beauty series, an excellent Dominatrix can only become so by starting out as an excellent submissive.

So, during my training in The Club and through Chuck's and my early-in-our-relationship involvement with the Society of Janus of SF, I had 3 names over several years. First was Dina, the sub. Next came the "Switch" names: Rayne for sub, Reyna for Dom.

Finally a full-fledged professional Dominatrix with my own dungeon (lighting and industrial hooks, swings, spotlights, black visqueen plastic and many toys comstructed by my dearest one, Chuck) and my name was Mistress Ann.

During this time I discovered bellydance - more later, but as a baby bellydancer, I was also a member of a Vampire Theatrical Co. called "Children of the Damned."

We put on big theatre shows in the old Sonoma Mission Plaza Theatre at Midnight for 3 days or so near Hallowe'en (in The Valley of the Moon, of course!) as well as in the Luther Burbank Center for Performing Arts in downtown Santa Rosa (not the newer one on the outskirts).

We also had lots of fun posing for pics in graveyards, doing Full Moon rituals and generally running around the streets of Sonoma County with our custom-made fangs and vintage bridal gowns (our token guy was the one in black who we were supposed to have been sired by) scaring old people and babies. That was fun! I forgot - gasp! - my Vampire name. That's weird. Maybe my character was too old to remember. LOL!

Then came bellydance - with a couple "starter" names. Then my "real" name, Kajira Djoumahna developed.

Now I have other names as well for various aspects of my personality, the most common new one being Black for my Goth Self. (I think of it as yin-yang, dark and light now.)

It never entered my mind that I "couldn't" change my name. In those early years at age 4 asking my folks to call me "Bluebird" and later, "Pony" after a horse movie I saw, they told me I could change my name whenever I wanted, esp. after I was 18, even legally.

So I guess that was never an issue with me, thanks to my open-minded parents and my own extremely vivid imagination.

I just had to get that out.

Now, about being Goth. This did not come out of the blue (or the black), this has been a part of me all of my life. It may surprise some ppl. who've only known "Kajira" to know more about my "past life" as an extremely active member of the early SF Punk Rock Scene from the late 70s to early 80s.

I even helped get thousands of signtaures to get Jello Biafra's (of the Dead Kennedys) name on the ballot for Mayor of SF. We had great campaign buttons, like: "Jello's record speaks for himself" and others I wish I could remember.

I was always heading for SF (until I moved there, living in either SF or Berkeley/Oakland/Emeryville for over 13 years as a young adult), first to go to Winterland with college boyfriends (I always dated older guys back then) to see late hippie bands like A Beautiful Day and 10 Years After, later on seeing Montrose, The Who, The Stones (many many times, love me Keef!), Queen, Bowie - then punk.

The Mutants, The Police, The Ramones, The B-52s, Blondie, The Tools, The Replacements, The Avengers, The Dead Kennedys (of course), No Alternative (Jeff Rees, Paulette's husband, was the bassist!), Regime, X, Siousie and The Banshees, Black Flag, DOA, The Nuns, Lou Reed with and without The Velvet Underground, The NY Dolls, Pink Section - so many I can see in my mind but cannot remember their names right this sec.

My hair's been dyed for about 3/4 of my life. My lifestyle has always been "alternative." I recently was able to break out my 30-year-old striped socks to wear since they're oh-so-fashionable again now.

So, Black is not out of the blue. It's just a part of me that I ignored while getting straight (yes, I had the downfalls of a life led full-speed-ahead - but I lived past 30 which wasn't supposed to happen - I thought then) and especially while working for a decade getting my Kajira Djoumahna/BlackSheep BellyDance Fomat for ATS BD developed.

Now it is up and running and is built-in to be open to some evolution. I have teachers around the world and I am grateful and happy about my contribution to the world of dance that brings so much light into the world through this vehicle.

But now that it's in the good hands of my Acting Director and Apprentice, Seba, I felt the old super-alternative feelings needing attention again.

The closest thing to the feeling I got back in the Punk heydey that I have found today is in the Gothic subculture. Children of Punk, actually. They think Siouxsie is Goth! It's just so cute, I could just squish 'em!

So I identify with the Gothic lifestyle and manner of dress and the elegance Punk never had. The same DIY stuff prevades in both subcultures, not that *I* think Punk still exists in today's world because it died in the early to mid 80s IMO.

Chuck and I picked a "punky-new-wave" song 16 years ago as our wedding song. It was Love Song by The Cure. We also made a point of chooosing Friday the 13th as our wedding day, of course!

Guess once an old Punk, now a new Goth. They are really the same - just a bit more fun being Goth I think. Things are not as serious.

We're not fighting to stop skinheads with razor blades in their boots from entering our Punk club where only pogoing was previously allowed. Pogoing was friendly. If someone fell, they would be helped up by many around them. Shoot, I'd find money all the time by looking down at my ruby slippers on the pogo floor.

But if I'd stooped to pick it up when that slamming /moshing crap started happening I'd have been killed. That's when Punk died and Metal took over.

Part of Siouxsie's "master scheme?" I don't think so. Just mean-spirited assholes with shaved heads and swastikas, ruining it for the rest of us kids who "want to have fu-un, o-oh, grrrls just wanna have fun!" (Cyndi Lauper)...

Not to say I didn't enjoy metal - I was a total Metallica fan at least for their 1st three albums, and also LOVE/D Danzig and The Misfits (though were they hard rock or metal?) I'd say "Hard Thearical Rock" - after all, that big skull onstage was just so funnny yet effective. It always reminded me of the little Stonehenges in Spinal Tap - like what if Danzig's skull was made way too small? LOL!

So yeah, I qualify to be Goth. Been one all my life, just didn't know it until recently. Glad I found out before I died!

LNOL,LNOL! (yes, you can ask me what that means!)

OK, "blogland", cya laytah!

aloha, namaste`, peace, love, dope,

KD a.k.a. Black

Fun Stuff...

Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Herbed Extra Virgin Olive Oil w/ Balsamic Vinger - um, or just lemons.

Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. None, but if I HAD to pick I could choke down some crap from Taco Bell.

Q. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
A. Hana Hou! YUM!

Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. 20%

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A. Thai Food

Q. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. none, no pizza - blecchh! allegric to most of it (cheese, crust, you-name-it).

Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A. Jam, Brown Sugar w/ Pure Mexican Vanilla, Cinnamon & Nutmeg

TECHNOLOGY

Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A. Whatever Chuck puts there

Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A. 1

Q. What color is your iPod?
A. Don't have one. Don't want one. I guess I'm just not a Pod Person.

BIOLOGY

Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right (mostly, except for hand percssion instruments.)

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. yes..... a few things, actually.

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. 3 years ago... about...... tend to block that stuff out I guess.

Q. What is the last heavy item you lifted?
A. A box of Tribal Bibles, the book I wrote. Or was it my suitcase aafter Taiwan? Hhhmmm..... whenever I travel they're overweight these days. I mean, c'mon 50 lb. limiit for overseas, too??? Gee!

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. yes. It's not fun.

RANDOMOLOGY, pt 1

Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. No - I try to live each as if it could be last and I wouldn't want *anyting* to change my zeal.

Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
A. Already have and I continue to do so. I've had many names.. since about age 4 or 5 I began asking my parents to call me by various names and friends, too. Then came my career as a writer for punk rock zines, when I could really play with psuedonyms. My most common one I wrote under in those days was Pandora S. Box. Then came my first husband, whose last mundane name was better than my "given" one, so I still have that for the mundanes. Then came bellydance - with a couple "starter" names. Then my "real" name, Kajira Djoumahna developed. Now I have other names as well for various aspects of my personality, the most common new one being Black for my Goth Self. (I think of it as yin-yang, dark and light now.)
It never entered my mind that I "couldn't" change my name. In those early years at age 4 asking my folks to call me "Bluebird" and later, "Pony" after a horse movie I saw, they told me I could change my name whenever I wanted, esp. after I was 18, even legally.
So I guess that was never an issue with me, thanks to my open-minded parents and my own extremely vivid imagination.

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Black

Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
A. yes.... as a little kid I ate banana slugs and flies. I put everything in my mouth. That my parents were not happy with and had to teach me to be less "Renfield-like." = ;-)<
Oh, but it wasn't by mistake - sorry!

Q. Have you ever saved someone's life?
A. I'm sure that I have had a hand in some people's, they tell me so - but it is really the other person who has to do it, though I love teahcing them how to and giving them tools. After all, my own life was saved by several things that happened at once that made huge differences to me: becoming a caregiver for my parents while they were in Hospice care, going on methadone maintenance and moving out of SF and back to Sonoma Co., meeting Chuck shortly thereafter who is straight as an arrow (almost) and then finding Jazzersize which led me to BellyDance, all of contributed to saving y life. So I have tools I pass on to others who wish them, maybe not directly like this, but through my workshops and Teacher Trainings.
I also helped a panicky lady in from the ocean awhile back while swimming. Guess that counts!

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. Yes, Chuck and Bellydance and everything above.

DAREOLOGY

Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. I'd kiss them for free, but the $100.00 wouldn't hurt. = :-)

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?
A. Fu*k yeah! Is that before taxes?

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A.I'm so clueless I don't know that I am blogging now!... But yes I would take the money and leave this to Chuck gladly!

Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
A. YEAH!!! Absofrickinlutly!!

Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
A. Yes - I love a good endorphin rush and buy the hottest stuff I can find already. Where's the contest?

Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?
A. No! ( I wouldn't do it for "God and country" either.) The ONLY exception to this would be to *save my own life.* Like, duh.


DUMBOLOGY

Q: What is in your left pocket?
A: I avoid pockets, I carry a purse or some sort of bag.

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A. No!!! It sucks! It's sooooooooo stoooopid I cannot imagine what ppl see in it. Talk about boring!

Q: Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A: Both

Q: Do you sit or stand in the shower?
A: Stand. Unless I'm washing the Maui Red Dirt off my feet, then I sit daintily on our marble shower ledge to scrub dem doggies!

Q: Could you live with roommates?
A: Yes - but only one at a time. Currently it is Chuck.
Though there could be leeway depending upon the size of the mansion and if they had their own bathroom, kitchen and door.

Q: How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
A: 5... I think. Maybe less. You know, it's Hawai`i. BTW, we call 'em "slippahs."

Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A: 2 years ago, I didn't get a ticket! but i did just get the most horrendous parking ticket ever last week. Cop must not have liked my bumper stickers!

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: The culmination of my life experiences.

Q: Who is number 1 on your top 8?
A: Chuck!! Like, duh.......


LASTOLOGY

Q: Friend you talked to?
A: Sarala

Q: Last person to call you?
A: Someone about a workshop.

Q: Person you hugged?
A: Leela of Salome Jihad of LA... but maybe it was Chuck!

FAVORITOLOGY

Q: Number?
A: It's a tie between 5, 7, 9 and 13 um, and 11 is good too.

Q: Season?
A: Winter, because that is when the whales are here. If in CA still, definitely fall.

Q: Book?
A: That's really hard, there are so many good books! Anything by Anne Rice, Stephen King, all 3 Conversations With God and Voltaire (the living guy, not the dead one).

Q. Website?
A. www.blacksheepbellydance.com kinda self serving isn't it? LOL - but you know I don't look at it or anyone else's if I can help it.

Q. Month?
A. Oct 15 - Nov 15th... :-) and Feb. 'cause of whales! Gee, I'm a baaad questionnaire answerer! But entertaining!

Q. Alcohol?
A. I far prefer the kind that I smoke. = ;-) But if that is not available, a glass of red wine or one of Chuck's soon-to-be-famous coconut rum-lilikoi shooters!

CURRENTOLOGY

Q: Missing someone?
A: Always, where the hell did they go?

Q: Mood?
A: Manic or depressed, very little lingering in between. In case you think I'm kidding, I have the medical records to prove it.

Q: Listening to?
A: In current playlist: Siouxsie & The Banshees, Blondie, Ramones, The Cure, Jill Tracy, Collide (but not Vortex- yuk!) and that Solace one w/ Melo and Sa'Elayssa on the cover. Oh, and strangely, perhaps to some, Fathiem's latest World Fusion CD she gave me on the Arabian Nights at Sea Cruise. It's pretty cool - she's more multi-talented than many give her credit for.

Q: Watching?
A. The computer screen & the ocean.... OK and I have a stack of DVDs I have to watch of bellydancers. I have DVDs for years with shrink wrap still on 'em. Oh well. I also watch mind-numbing TV starting at 6 p.m. most nights unless travelling or gigging. By then all I wanna do is watch stuff that doesn't matter if I remember it or not. Faves are: Bones, any CSI, NCIS (love the sorrta perky Goth chick played by Paulie Perrette or something like that), anything "spooky", Heroes, the 4400, things where ppl get "abilities." Abilities are cool. Oh, cannot forget South Park.

Q: Worrying about?
A: Nothing, all is as it should be... OK I lied like a rug. Nothing and everything as usual.

RANDOMOLOGY, pt 2

Q: First place you went this morning?
A: bathroom

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A. To perform Odissi tonight with my teacher Sarala and Vishnu Tattva Das & to attend Gothla US.

Q: What's the last movie you saw?
A: Blacksheep: The Revenge.. I think it was called... mutant sheep running amok!

Q: Do you smile often?
A: Yes - unless I'm in Black mode.

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: Generally, unless you're an asshole.

Q: Someone you wish you never met?
A. No, I'm glad I met them so I now know to stay away! And, I hit my head on that tree more than once, too. What an idiot!