Today's Thoughts

Shimmies for a Cure - Just 3 weeks away

Baseema — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:52:32 GMT

We've been busy planning Shimmies for a Cure. We want the event to be fun. If everybody has a good time, we'll consider it a success. But, Shimmies for a Cure is much more than having fun. And, an article from ABC News reminded me of why we started this ... In 1996, construction workers building the research center for Dana Farber Cancer Institute spray painted the names of the kids going through cancer treatment on the building's steel beams. This story touched my heart. It's a simple gesture that gives a lot of smiles. Read the full story here: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/PersonOfWeek/Story?id=7024168&page=2 Support Shimmies for a Cure: http://shimmies4cure.tripod.com/

Shimmies for a Cure - only 4 weeks away

Baseema — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:48:16 GMT

We're off to a great start! All 4 workshops are full! I am touched by the outpouring of support we've received from this talented and beautiful belly dance community. We started with a small idea three years ago and I'm overwhelmed with how much it has grown. Thank you to everybody who has supported me. http://shimmies4cure.tripod.com/

Shimmies for a Cure III - The Quilt

Baseema — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 01:05:18 GMT

(I posted this on Facebook, too.) Moondancebellydance.com donated this beautiful quilt to Shimmies for a Cure III. It's one of a kind and made with sari fabric and purple velvet. More gorgeous than my picture can show. We'll be auctioning this quilt at Shimmies for a Cure III on March 28.

Stuff that's going on

Baseema — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:00:53 GMT

I just posted a few pics from our performance at TempleCon. I posted them on facebook, too. But, I like it here, better. My car mileage is at 200,106. The transmission has been slipping. I was afraid I wasn't gonna make it to practice last Friday. So, we bought another car. We pick it up on Wednesday. The workshops for Shimmies for a Cure III are half full! Woop! We're psyched! We're so far ahead of where we were last year. I guess we're getting the word out. We live in such a wonderful belly dance community. We're lucky to have so many who want to help with such a great cause. I started training with some spin classes. I want the ice to go away, now. I'd like to ride outside. 8)

Another Way You Can Help

Baseema — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:33:10 GMT

I set up a CafePress shop. $5 from all clothing and tote bag that is sold will be donated back to the Pan Mass Challenge. There are buttons, magnets, and other cute stuff, too. But, these aren't marked up; they're just fun. Check it out: http://www.cafepress.com/ShimmiesIII Thank you to Diana for creating the logo.

Gossip

Baseema — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:27:09 GMT

Gossip – for me it started because I needed to vent. It came from a place of frustration, anger, hurt. Love ... But, somehow, over time, the gossip changed. And, I found myself caught up in it more and more. And nobody feels good about that. I gossiped. Now I have a gossip hangover and feel miserable. How many belly dancers does it take to change a light bulb? 5 1 to change the light bulb 4 more to stand around and say "I can do that. I can do that better." The belly dance joke is from somebody new in my circle who I hope to spend more time with. Like a game of telephone, venting can turn into "OMG guess what I heard!" which changes and loses pieces as it goes. Gossip is not a hobby I want to involve myself in anymore.

My husband is awesome

Baseema — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:31:58 GMT

Yesterday ... My husband and I met friends in Cambridge for fun and hanging out. I was lucky to find that parking spot on Memorial Drive. The good news was, I knew where my car keys were. The bad news was, they were in my purse that I locked inside my car. We called AAA (after having a fun-filled day). The building I had parked in front of was dark and locked. We had no choice but to wait outside in sub-freezing temperatures. It took AAA an hour and 20 minutes to arrive. And less than 2 minutes to pop the door open. The thing is, this isn't the first time I've done something like this ... In October, I met my troupmates at D's house to head to a dance gig in Rhode Island. We got back to her house late and I couldn't find my keys. We looked for a while. I had to call and wake up my husband to bring the extra set of keys. This was at 1:30-ish in the morning and our house is almost and hour away. So, we got back at about 3:30 in the morning. OH ... and when I found the keys the next day ... they were still in the door lock ... you know ... on the outside of the door ... just hanging there. I have the kindest and most patient husband EVER!!! This picture is from one of our trips to Disney World. We don't have too many pics of him - he's usually behind the camera.

Shimmies for a Cure III

Baseema — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:25:04 GMT

The logo was designed by my friend and troupe-mate, Diana. Isn't she talented? I just wanted everybody to know that the web-site is updated. There's still some missing information: we're waiting on a workshop description. We're also waiting to hear back from our fourth instructor. We'll keep you posted. Check out the web-site for more informaton: http://shimmies4cure.tripod.com/

The Shimmy Fund

Baseema — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:05:46 GMT

Well it’s that time, again. I started training for the Pan Mass Challenge (which takes place the first weekend of August). For those who don’t know, the Pan Mass Challenge is an annual bike ride that crosses Massachusetts. Last year, 100% of the $35 million dollars raised during PMC weekend was donated to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. This year, I’ll be riding two days (110 miles from Sturbridge to Bourne on the first day and 70 miles from Bourne to Wellesley on the second). A little different from my two previous challenges. My minimum pledge for this ride is $3400. But, I have a personal goal of $5000. I know … But, despite the faltering economy that will make it difficult for people to donate to me, I still have a positive outlook. My belly dance friends know what the Pan Mass Challenge means … it means that *Samantha* and I have started planning our next fundraiser it means Shimmies for a Cure III – The Shimmy Fund it means we’ll be getting together with old friends and new The Shimmy Fund March 28 at the Somerville City Club in Somerville, MA Workshops include STEEL STYLINGS with Lilya SHIMMIES SHORTCAKE with Najmat GRECO-TURKISH COMBINATIONS with ZILLS for the BRAVE with Melina More information will be coming with workshop descriptions and possibly a fourth workshop! And if you can’t participate in a workshop, we hope you’ll be able to come and enjoy the show. We’re very lucky to have Melina from the Daughters of Rhea as our headliner. Other confirmed performers are: Aepril Schaile Badriya Dobersheik Dames Karina Kahn Lilya Moirae Najmat Nepenthe Odalisque Peridata Pheraea Sabrina Samantha Sisters in Dance Vadalna Zahara Zemirah We really hope you’ll be able to join us.

We got power!!!

Baseema — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:49:01 GMT

The power came back on almost 2 hours ago. It's still cold in the house, but we're home. So, I don't care. Erzulie - yes, a generator is the next project for my husband. His most recent project was getting our pellet stove, which I love, by the way. But, it needs electricity to run the pellet feeder and blower. The good news: because it was declared a state of emergency, we'll get reimbursed for our hotel stay.

Update

Baseema — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:51:57 GMT

We still don’t have power. We got about 3 inches of snow this morning, on top of the mess the ice storm left. I see the crews working when I leave in the morning. And, they’re still out there when I come back at night. I would bake them some cookies … if I had power. Today is my husband’s birthday.

Glow Sticks!

Baseema — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 02:39:49 GMT

We were slammed by that ice storm that came through on Thursday night. It’s still a mess. The news reports say that it will be 2 days to 2 weeks before power is fully restored to everybody. I hope we’re closer to the 2 days … We’re staying in a hotel because it’s too cold in the house. Also, since we have a well, which runs on an electric pump, we’re out of water anyway. I’m already known as the weird girl at work, I don’t want the reputation of being the stinky girl, too. When we got to the hotel on Friday, they only had emergency power - one elevator, dim lights in the halls, heat and hot water. But, I’m not complaining! When I first got to the hotel, I walked back & forth in front of the power doors, before I remembered that I had to actually pull the doors apart to go through. They gave us glow sticks to see in the darkness of our rooms. Glow sticks!

Inspiration

Baseema — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:09:59 GMT

We went to Vadalna's Menagerie last night. Congratulations to Naraya, her troupe, and Incus for a successful night. I heard they sold out. If you don't have plans for tonight and you're near the Cambridge area, you should check it out: Tickets available through: www. vadalna. com www. myspace. com/narayadance www. cmacusa. org I am inspired after seeing this performance. (from Menagerie's program) "7 Tarot 7 Human Qualities 7 Creatures seated before you ... Which one are you?" I got the Inspiration card. (big smile) Seems fitting! PLUS ... I got to meet Naraya (as well as some other interesting people)! We'll cross paths again, I'm sure. It's a small belly dance community.

Christmas Survey

Baseema — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 01:10:03 GMT

OK. Now that we have Thanksgiving two days behind us, how about a little Christmas Survey? _________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love-love-love wrapping presents. I make a big deal out of ribbon and bows. 2. Real tree or Artificial? I have an artifical forest of trees - tall, skinny trees. Right now, I have 6. It might still be growing. 3. When do you put up the tree? After Thanksgiving. When I have time. I put up my mother-in-law's and my mom's trees first. 4. When do you take the tree down? Again, when I think about it. Sometime in January. Hopefully. 5. Do you like eggnog? Not really. 6. Favorite gift received as a child? A camera 7. Hardest person to buy for? Mom 8. Easiest person to buy for? The child on the giving tree at work. 9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. 10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Ummm ... Christmas cards? Never tried the e-mail thing. It could work! 11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I've always been happy with my Christmas gifts. 12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Right now, it's The Santa Clause. But, it's always changing. 13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December sometime. 14. When do you wrap your gifts? Right after I buy them. 15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No! 16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies! 17. Lights on the tree? The small multi-color lights. 18. Favorite Christmas carol or song? Carol of the Bells by the Trans-siberian Orchastra. It makes me cry. 19. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Staying home this year. Well ... going to my parents' house. Only about an hour away. I consider getting on a plane "traveling". 20. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes - but, I have to sing the song. 21. Angel on the tree top or a star? Bows 22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both 23. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds! 24. Favorite ornament theme or color? It's always changing - right now, it's carved animals. 25. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Not a fan of Christmas dinner - too much heavy food. I like to nibble on the little snacks my mom puts out on Christmas Eve - little sandwiches, deviled eggs, pastries, cookies! 26. What do you want for Christmas this year? Don't know! Everybody keeps asking! 27. Attend Christmas Eve service? Probably not ... 28. Who is most likely to respond to this? Don't know ... will it be you? _________________________________________________________________________________________ The picture is my nephew, Jack, from last Christmas. I got him one of those Odyssey learning globes.

Feeling Great!

Baseema — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:54:22 GMT

Considering ... Right after the surgery, it hurt to breath deep. The pain was sort of familiar. It took me a little to place it: Did you ever have one of those colds where you coughed so much? Then, it hurt your ribs and stomach to take a deep breath? That's what it felt like. And, that pain is gone, today. Yah! I took all the gauze off. But, the "steri strip" things are still there. I have discoloration around all the sites. My belly button is the worst - big purple bruises all around. They're still sensitive to the touch, but feeling loads better than what they did on Tuesday. I've been able to eat without pain. A novelty! I've been able to drink Diet Coke without problems, too! 8) This was a concern of mine when a friend told me that she still can't drink Diet Coke after having her gall bladder removed. PHEW! Load off my mind. I tried a little bit of dancing last night. I over did it, a little. So, I'll go slower, today. Happy Day!

It's over

Baseema — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:56:42 GMT

I'm home. Slept most of the day. I guess that's why I'm awake, now. The smiling picture of me is from the "Dancing on the Ceiling" hafla sponsored by the Southern Massachusetts NBDA chapter. Loads of fun. Check out our youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpJjnQgrD8E Picture by "Ernie", video by Diana's mom.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Baseema — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 01:21:37 GMT

I’m having my gall bladder removed tomorrow morning. Then, we’re going to Florida for Thanksgiving. I was gonna post a picture of a gall bladder, instead … but, it’s an ugly organ.

PURE in Salem

Baseema — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:59:01 GMT

We guirella bellydanced in Salem on October 12. I know ... this was almost 3 weeks ago. But, October was kind of busy. Salem was great fun. The people were very welcoming. The weather couldn't have been better. Salem is such a great place to walk around. We had 7 dancers to perform the PURE choreography. We also had enough dancers to pull out some tribal improv. We processed until we found a nice area. Started our music. Danced. Left. I think we surprised some people. Many asked to take our picture. I felt like a rock star. It took about 2 hours as we performed at 4 different locations. We also visited some shops along Pickering Wharf. It was a long day, but so worth it. This is one of my favorite pictures outside the pirate museum. The guys who worked there (dressed as pirates) seemed a little envious of the statues. It was kind of funny, but honestly, I didn't even see them. The statues looked nicer than the guys did, anyway. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Big thank yous to Beth's husband (who took this picture) and my husband who took other pictures and carried the CD player. I don't know what we would have done without them.

Yeah, but is it "real belly dance"?

Baseema — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:37:35 GMT

About a month ago, a few of us from Phoenix's class went out to Saharah in Worcester for dinner. And dancing. Always dancing. There was a nice ME band and we did our tribal thing. It was a nice surprise to see one of the popular belly dancers from our wondeful state of Massachusetts there, as well. She was hanging with friends, enjoying herself, dancing the line dances, too. There was a guy taking pictures. Weird, but we thought he was harmless. Until he asked Phoenix if we were "trying to belly dance". He was at StART on the Street, yesterday, too. Taking pictures. He remembered us. He told us that the "popular belly dancer" gave him a history lesson on belly dance that night from a month ago. He said that she told him that what we were doing was called tribal and that it originated in California. This "popular Boston belly dancer" also said that tribal was not "real belly dance". The picture is of me DANCING TRIBAL STYLE with Caitlin.

StART on the Street

Baseema — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:24:32 GMT

We performed at StART on the Street in Worcester, today. I felt like a rock star. We were walking around and people were asking if they could take pics of us. LOL It was great fun. We do get a lot of attention in our costumes. It was a beautiful day, but it was HOT. I sweated off my make-up and lost a bindi. Thanks to Paul, Beth's husband, for the picture.

Diva Pageant

Baseema — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:55:20 GMT

Hours practicing. Discussions on how our costumes should look. Hours spent decorating our coin bras and making our tassel belts. It paid off. We danced well! The audience seemed to enjoy it. We got a lot of nice compliments – Phoenix, Lilya, Jennifer, Sabrina L … thank you. We were nervous … We started watching the other contestants before we danced, but it was too nerve wracking. We waited outside the room, butterflies in our bellies waiting our turn. Then we heard our music – West Naima from Housam Ramzy. Lilya and Nepenthe were dancing a duet to the same music we were dancing to! After the initial “Oh.My.God” wide-eyed stares at each other, I peaked in to watch for about 30 seconds (stomach in knots). Diana and Caitlin told me not to watch, it would just make me more nervous. There wasn’t anything we could do about it, anyway. Then somebody said that we should practice. And, we did. Diana and I practiced the last ½ of the dance facing each other. It really helped our nerves. We laughed and had a great time. We also convinced ourselves it was going to be OK because we’re dressed different and there was another troupe between them and us. I think it was Nepenthe who told me that the audience wouldn’t remember we had the same music. And, when they hear that music again, it will make them feel good. I was nervous when we first started. Then, I saw Phoenix and saw smiling faces. I caught Diana’s eye and we smiled and laughed. We had a fun time dancing. Big congratulations and hugs (and shimmies, of course) go to Phoenix for winning 1st runner up for this choreography. It was a great song and a fun choreography. Plus, everybody got a little Aladin’s Lamp trophy to bring home. LOL We never got pictures of the “booty-booty-booty”! ;)

Belly Dance Weekends

Baseema — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:51:22 GMT

These last 2 weekends have been jam-packed with belly dance. Last Saturday (August 23), it was a sad final farewell to Phoenix’s Dancing Ember Studios in Worcester. There were Goth workshops offered by Phoenix and Aepril Schaile. I got to hang out with my gal-pals, Samantha and Kat. Got to dance with Kat, too, and that hadn’t happened since the ren faire in June. I danced (well, sort of stalked) my way through a dark piece of music I found. It was my interpretation Atropos. She is one of the Moirae – the Greek goddesses of fate and destiny. Atropos chose the mechanism of death and ended the life of each mortal by cutting their thread (of life) with her "abhorred shears." She is the oldest of the 3 Moirae, which seems quite fitting since I am the oldest of troupe Moirae. Looking at some of the pictures that my husband took scared me a little. I didn’t think I could ever look that intense or scary. My husband joked, that’s the look I give him if he mistakenly puts my favorite Geisha Moth dance pants in the dryer. Last Sunday (the 24th), we took workshops with Onca of Baraka Mundi in Gloucester. Caitlin, Diana, and I drove up together. It was so much fun. Though it was a long ride, we had a great time chatting. The weather was beautiful and when we smelled the ocean air, we thought we joked that we should move there with each other. LOL Onca is an awesome teacher. The first workshop was tribal drills. The muscles in my arms were sore! Wow. Great workout. I ignore my arms sometimes; I have to remember to drill like this. The second workshop was a really cute choreography. Onca was aware that after a while, the choreography just wasn’t sinking in anymore. (Smart lady.) So, she had us pair up and work on parts of the choreography that we had learned. Diana and I used part of the choreography to come up with an improv skirt combo for tribal improv calss. Yeah! The performances following the workshops were fun to watch. We got to see and meet a few dancers new to belly dance. Phoenix rocked her solo! Katie, Neylan, and Sisters of Dancer were fun to watch. Finally, Onca is a fabulous entertainer! Not only is Onca smart, but she was funny, personable, a great teacher, and awesome performer (did I say that already). I can’t wait to see her, again. ---------------------------------- The picture is of me and Caitlin dancing tribal improv after Onca's workshops in Gloucester.

Pan Mass Challenge '08

Baseema — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:57:06 GMT

My second PMC adventure was very different from my first … The day started at the cruel hour of 4:00 in the morning. It was overwhelming – so many people. We got split up and some missed the team picture. 8( These last few months, I trained with my friend, Kathryn. We rode together, this weekend. We kept up a great pace - about 13-15 miles/hour. Kathryn needed a little extra time to recover at the rest stops. So, we stayed as long as we needed. After all, this is a ride not a race. It started out as a beautiful day - sunny, clear, but, a little warm. I had a tough time before lunch. (The lunch stop was 70 miles into the ride.) I think I didn’t eat enough at the rest stop before lunch; plus, it was 1:00 by the time we got there. I was hungry, headachy, and feeling a little nauseous. I started to feel better once I ate something. We sat next to this very friendly woman at lunch; she helped us out with nutrition. She had us eat: Pickles - for the salt. Honestly, I’m not a fan of pickles, but they were the best tasting pickles I had ever had. I think that was a sign that I needed sodium. Cantaloup – again, not a fan of cantaloupe, but it’s high in Potassium (like bananas) and can help with a muscle cramp. Pretzels – for the salt. OK, I like pretzels. We had other stuff, too. But, when I first picked my food, I didn’t have these things on my plate. Our lunch-time angel was Elizabeth Puopolo. She is the best. Her profile is here: http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?Section=story&eGiftID=EP0056 She can use some donations to make her pledge amount, too. My husband met us at lunch, too. Last year, the thing I missed most was the Diet Coke. I know, I know - caffeine is bad when you’re trying to stay hydrated. But, I just wanted a little. Plus, I drank a ton of water and gaterade, too. I only drank ½ a can of Diet Coke – I just needed a taste. I was a little concerned about Kathryn, though. She was in worse shape than me. She was emotional, too. She felt nauseous for a long time and couldn’t eat right away. She kept saying that this was the most tired she had ever been. She admitted if I wasn’t there, she would have called it quits. 8( We probably should have rested a while longer at lunch. Kathryn still wasn’t looking great, but she said she had to finish. So, we peddled on. We took a rest on the side of the road after another 10 miles. She ate some peanut butter and crackers and that seemed to perk her up. We were about 25 miles from the finish in Bourne and it started to rain. Not hard - just sprinkling. And, actually it felt kind of nice - it cooled me off, it dropped to a comfortable temperature. For about 10 miles. Then, it started to rain really hard. And, it got kind of miserable. Then, there was thunder. Then, the lighting. It lit up the sky twice, then while we were riding this long stretch of road near a huge field, it looked like the lighting struck the ground far away in the field. And, we got scared. One of the PMC support vehicles stopped and asked if we wanted to get in. YES! We waited on the side of the road for a while - they offered us the choice of waiting out the rain. I didn't realize that was an option! While we waited, the rain actually got worse - like a sheet that you couldn't see through. I was so glad that we had shelter. Then, the worst of it passed. And, the thunder and lighting passed. Then, a few other riders passed ... We were about 12 miles from the first day finish, so we had to try. We were one of the last groups of riders - there were 2 other girls riding together, a guy with a gray beard by himself, a group of 4 guys, and us. That was it! Out of about 5300 riders, we were less than 10 left on the roads in the rain! We were soaked! My fingers were even prune-y. I hadn't brought rain gear because the day started beautiful. I was OK for a short time. Then, I got really cold. Shivering. Teeth chattering. But, I just had to finish. And, we did. I cried when I crossed the finish in Bourne. But, I caught a chill and it wouldn't go away. Even after I took a hot shower. Which felt like the best shower I had ever taken, by the way! I tossed and turned most of the night - shivering of sweating. And, I just felt punky on Sunday morning. Being mentally tough will help in a lot of situations, especially on those tough hills. But sometimes you just have to listen to your body. And, that’s what I did. I decided to sleep in and I didn’t ride to the finish in Provincetown … but, I’ll do it next year! The picture is of me and Kathryn in Bourne. Soaked!

Pan Mass Challenge

Baseema — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:13:51 GMT

The Pan Mass Challenge is this weekend! Finally, it is here. All the planning. All the training. All the sweat … Right now the forecast looks perfect. It looks like 80s and partially sunny all day. It’ll get cooler the closer I ride to Provincetown. Let’s hope it stays this way! “The Little Engine That Could”? That’s me going UP hills. I really do talk to myself: “You can do it” “You’re almost there” “You got it” “Don’t look at the top” Ha-ha! I’m still nervous, but I’m excited. I have all this energy … nervous energy!

A radio for my bike

Baseema — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:17:58 GMT

On longer training rides when I'm by myself, it gets a little lonely and boring. I thought music would be great, but I'm not about to put ear phones in my ear and not be able to hear cars coming. So, I got a radio that sits on my handlebars. It doesn't have the best reception, but it's something. By the way, this picture is NOT of my radio ... it's just funnier.