To Whom it may concern.........

Tribal Reflections busted ambushing Wichita, KS!!

salome — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:44:46 GMT

As mentioned in the interview on my last blog, Tribal Reflections has been doing something called Ambush Bellydance. Its like busking..only the weather sucks so we decided to move it inside. We get together, dress up in our latest new costume and hit up cool local hangouts on a weekend night. We contact the owners and let them know we are coming around. But the customers have no idea we are coming..so we show up in our finery and the music gets put on and we dance all around the place. We have had great reactions..and a bit more publicity...which is always good. See pics below.. http://wichitanightlife.com/PhotoGallery/ViewGalleryAlbumPhotos?id=58

Tribal Relections in an article!!!!

salome — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:13:24 GMT

Here it is...enjoy!! Tribal Bellydance in Wichita!! http://www.ncbeat.com/culture50.html

Whoa..Our performance on Youtube got nailed as ruining two cultures..

salome — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:50:01 GMT

Really?? See for yourself.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce3B-gNuIKk&feature=email keep in mind it is a recording from a digital camera in the audiance. We have added two additional people to Naxi and I's duet troupe Tribal Reflections. Naxi and I teach ITS classes and we have a student troupe Filles de la Lune that performs ITS. As a duet we have always tried to keep ourselves a more fusion style of tribal so we can incorporate many different styles and dances that we have learned from all the teachers and workshops we study from. So that being said, one of our new Tribal Reflections members has studied Tango. So to take advantage of Tanyas Tango dance knowledge we incorporated Tango with Tribal and this is what the result is....our first performance for the four of us as Tribal Reflections. We are going to continue to fuse Tango with Tribal..both dances are very empowering for women and when fused together create something that is beautiful and fresh. I guess some people just don't get the word "FUSION".

Leaving for NEW ORLEANS!!!

salome — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:39:36 GMT

Naxi and I will be gone from August 1sth - August 8th. There will be no classes at the studio during that time. Were going to New Orleans to take 4 days of Private Intensives from Ali with N.O.madic Tribal. So cool! So we will be bringing a lot of that style back to Wichita to teach and perform it. We took from them At 3rd Coast a few years back and really liked them. Of course this is a great excuse to visit a city we have never been to before..and eat and drink and shop and sight see. I love being a tourist. Plus, I needed a reason to harass Brian in person since he REFUSES to send me my long overdue tagback package in the mail, I just have to go get it in person :0P

Thank you all that came to the workshop, and we are heading to TF08 tomorrow morning!!!!!!!!

salome — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:52:22 GMT

Thank you to everyone that came to our first workshop last saturday. It was good to be able to offer something to everyone, and the positive vibe was priceless!!! if anyone has any comments, we are open to suggestions that can help us in the future! Thank you M'chelle, Xira and the awesome Bella that came all the way from KC to offer us their amazing creations!! love and shimmies, Naxi I wanted to also let everyone know that there will be no classes this wend. or Sat. We will be in California!!! The workshop went great. Tanya did a great job warming everyone up with the yoga. She will be starting classes soon at the studio. And one right before the beginner Tribal class on Wend.!! Perfect timing. Keep an eye on Amira's website for times and days. We are retiring the choreography locally so anyone is more then welcome (and encouraged) to perform it. Please let us know if you need help with it. It was a lot to teach in 3 hours. We will help you with it if you need it. We were so proud of all the girls at the workshop, everyone did so good. I am so freaking sore ...still on monday. I am getting old :0( We will be having other workshops to infuse more of the Burlesque feeling into tribal and make it available to the community without having to commit to an ongoing class. Its a fun way to step out of your element, if only for a wweekend. Hugs to all our KC girls for coming out and supporting us. They are just freaking awesome!! Can't wait to see them all again.

Blog lifted from Swan....interested in viewpoints on this writers claim that Americans shouldn't bellydance..taken from another webblog

salome — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:47:51 GMT

Belly Dance post from another belly dance blog on livejournal Mon, December 3, 2007 - 5:39 AM Hello all, found this article on a livejournal belly dance blog. I'm not sure how I feel about it... Any thoughts? Swan So You Think You Can (Belly) Dance? by Racialicious special correspondent Fatemeh Fakhraie, originally published at Muslimah Media Watch It’s time to set the record straight, everyone. So here it is: belly dancing is not a significant facet of Middle Eastern culture. It’s a dance, not a lifestyle (not according to most Middle Eastern people, anyway). I’ve had one too many people ask me if I belly dance when they hear about my religion or ethnicity. Belly dancing is something that is present in some form of another in most Middle Eastern cultures, but is not really a part of our identity. And I assure you, nowhere in the Holy Qur’an does it say, “Thou shalt belly dance.” But because of Hollywood’s old Orientalist glamour, images of belly dancing have become almost synonymous with the Middle East. I can’t help but get irritated when someone assumes that s/he and I automatically have something in common because s/he belly dances. The truth of a real-live Middle Eastern woman belly dancing seems to validate all those silly images that come into one’s head about spangly costumes and the Dance of the Seven Veils. Belly dancing has a host of sexualized and savage images attached to it, and if Middle Eastern/Muslim women confess to belly dancing (for exercise, as a career, for fun, or whatever), those images get attached to us, and we no longer have individual thoughts or lifestyles. We don’t take care of our parents or our children, we don’t have jobs or have opinions about health care reform, we just belly dance. Like it’s all we do, all day. This is why it’s insulting when someone thinks s/he knows what it’s like to be a Middle Eastern/Muslim woman because s/he’s taken a belly dancing class or read a book about it. The image of a Middle Eastern woman belly dancing seems to take away from our identity: it erases who we really are, our different nationalities and ethnicities, our emotions, our day-to-day existence. Now, let me assure you: my problem isn’t with the dance itself. Belly dancing is a great way to connect with one’s sensuality, to exercise, and to appreciate the body that God gave you. Nor is my problem with non-Middle Eastern women (or men) belly dancing (or with Middle Eastern people dancing). What bothers me is the adoption of a caricatured Middle Eastern identity through coin-bedazzled bras and Middle Eastern stage names like “Amina” or “Vashti.” If you’re a non-Middle Eastern performer, why give yourself a Middle Eastern stage name? What’s wrong with a name that reflects your own ethnicity or interests? Is it not “ethnic” or “exotic” enough? Besides, how would you feel if someone else used the name your parents gave you (that perhaps also belonged to your grandmother or aunt) as a stage name for an act that most people in your culture consider shameful if done publicly? (Cultural lesson: in most parts of the Middle East, belly dancing is often a cover for illicit activities.) Similarly, dance troupe names like “Desert Queens” or “Daughters of Scheherazade” serve the same exoticizing purpose when these troupes are full of non-Middle Eastern women set in a non-Middle Eastern setting (like Austin, Texas, for example, which hosted a Belly Dancing Convention last July). I take offense at the presentation of Middle Eastern “culture” through things like transparent veils, coin necklaces, and henna tattoos because reducing the Middle Eastern experience to some jingly coins and a scimitar takes the humanity right out of us. Elements of Middle Eastern/Muslim stereotypes are irreparably attached to the use of swords, snakes, and veils. These props serve to reinforce the idea of Muslim/Middle Eastern women as dangerous, sexually arousing, sexually submissive, and just plain different from women in the West. Performers (Middle Eastern or non-Middle Eastern) highlight these images when they balance swords on their heads and give themselves henna tattoos. The inclusion of these props is often used to authenticate a Middle Eastern experience, making the performance or venue more like the “Mysterious Orient,” in which Middle Eastern women are acquiescing sexual props and Middle Eastern men are brutal and dangerous. Why is this acceptable? These practices (other than henna for holidays and weddings) aren’t even Middle Eastern: Egyptian performers borrowed the ideas for these spangly suits from Hollywood in the early twentieth century. And no Middle Easterner just walks around all day with a sword perched atop her head. Belly dancing doesn’t even traditionally show off the stomach: a scarf is tied around one’s hips (over regular, concealing clothing) to emphasize the movements. So how did we get to sparkly bras and coin jewelry?! Because sex sells! Early colonial performers knew what their (often Western or male) audiences wanted to see: sexuality. A pretty girl dancing sensually for the male gaze. Using veils in performances reiterates this: sashaying a veil under one’s heavily-painted eyes is done to entice and enchant, and is associated with the traditional face veils that upper-class (and thus inaccessible) Turkish, Egyptian, and Iranian women used to wear before (or during) colonization. The problem is that belly dancing is permeated will all of these negative Orientalist dancing harem girl images. Can one belly dance without the coins, the henna, and/or swords? I think so. A long time ago, it was all about the scarf tied around the hips. It’s not flashy, but it’s sincere.

Stolen from Zareen...Ren. Faire Quiz...

salome — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:08:59 GMT

I saw this on one of Zareen's blogs and since we just got done with Ren. Faire I thought I would start a blog for the local gals. Please feel free to copy and paste and add your own answers. 1.Tankard, Goblet, or Plastic Cup? Actually I am always carrying my stainless steel thermal Starbucks Coffee sleeve. Just wouldn't be cool walking around with a Starbucks cup. 2. Did you dress your 1st time at Faire? No, I started going when I was a kid and was not aware of bellydancing then. 3. Big Faire, Dam Faire, or Southern? uh...midwest? 4. Do you regularly smuggle alcohol into Faire? nah..just makes me want to go to sleep 5.What was the last thing you bought - other than food and drink? Last thing I bought was a bunch of bindi's, but Naxi bought me a corset for my birthday. 6. Do you regularly pirate pictures? I take hundreds of pictures and pose for a hundred more. 7. Ever followed the parade all the way through Faire? I've been IN the parade the whole way through the faire. 8. Have you seen every show? Unfortunately not, usually I am dancing, shopping or eating 9.What does your favorite pin say? Uh, a pin is period how??? 10. MUST your costume be period? Must it be faire approvable? Not "legally" period I am sure, but VERY faire appropriate 11. Where was your last out-of state Faire? Never been out of town to one...pout 12. Do you know the words to a Poxy Boggards' song? no 13. How many costumes do you have? a 780 sq ft building full of costumes so with mixes and matches I would say at least 100. 14. Do you carry a blade? Yep, right on my hip and a big sword to dance with 15. Have you been flogged? Only when I attempted to pinch a pirates butt 16. When was your virgin year? had to be in the 80's, oh you mean first time going to the faire...same decade. 17. Who originally introduced you to Faire? My mom 18. Have you been drunk at ale stand zero before ever entering Faire? No. have to much dancing to do 19. Ever gotten a henna tat? Yes. 20. Had your hair braided? No. its already always up before I go 21. Do you use a tankard cover? No...see Starbucks coffee answer above 22. Do you have pockets? Nope, pouches and ethnic purses is all I need. 23. After seeing what happened to TruBBle, will you tell anyone it's your birthday? huh? 24. Do you carry a cell phone where it can be seen? Never. but I do carry it on my pouch attached to my belt. It did start vibrating and ringing non-stop during a solo performance once. And I do use it often at the faire to hunt down the kids and my dance partner 25. Will you shed part of your costume if it's hot? Never, its all about the costuming 26. Do you want an article off of someone else costume? Yes, and often I will ask permission to grope it if I can. 27. Ever had a run-in with security? uh, no...well, ok once when I refused to park at the end of the lot and have to carry crap into the faire when there was a perfectly good space up close. 28. Do you bother with Faire-speak? No, but I love to curtsy and have my hands kissed. 29. Have you been on either end of the blue ribbon? Don't think so. 30. What do you carry on you, that most other people probably do not? Starbucks 31. Is sunscreen a normal part of your costume? SPF 50, sweatproof, waterproof....and as much costuming covering skin as I can handle. Did burn my stomach once so bad it blistered 32. What color is your shirt? Which year and which day, I never wear the same costume twice (so far)

Beginning Tribal classes start tonight!!!!!

salome — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:22:46 GMT

Hey all, Just to let everyone know that Beginning Tribal Classes will start on Wend. April 23rd at 7:30 - 8:30 at Amira's Dance Productions. Anyone interested in performing tribal must take at least 8 weeks of this class before moving into the saturday technique classes. Tribal Class Schedule and Class Descriptions Wed (7:30 - 8:30) Basic Tribal Technique For all students new to Tribal Style Bellydance and those wishing to refine their basic skills. This is an ongoing class that will focus on posture, body awareness, history and the fundamentals of Tribal Style Bellydance movements. *Prerequisite: anyone that has not been thru this class will be required to be in this class 8 weeks before continuing to other levels. ***The Tribal class had a blast this weekend at Renaissance Faire!! Most of our students were new dancers who have only taken class since late Oct., some just since Jan. And so far they have performed 20 minutes of various choreographies in a large studio show and now 1 HOUR of improv each day!!!! I was so proud of them :0) We are now going to prepare our classes for Fall Renaissance Faire and various performances scheduled this summer. We will also be returning from Tribal Fest '08 in May and New Orleans in August with lots of fresh idea's to play with and introduce to Wichita. Hope to see you in class!!

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW UP!!!!!!

salome — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:03:36 GMT

http://www.amiradanceproductions.com/BTFWor_reg.htm also on the website you can link to it.. www.amiradanceproductions.com you can also mail in registration as well. We can't wait for our first workshop!! We have out of town vendors as well as some fluffy feathery stuff we are working on to sell. Don't forget your feathered boa's to bring on the sassy attititude (though they are not required for the routine - and we will also be selling some at the event). CANT WAIT TO SEE EVERYONE THERE!!!!!!!! We want to show the midwest that Tribal can be sexy as well :0)

GREAT show this weekend..and eerie pictures..

salome — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:39:42 GMT

This is a non retouched photo taken this weekend at the Orpheum theatre. This was during our basket/ sword section of our performance. My hubby took this with his camera. There were two taken back to back and both had the same light shining on my head. I know it is the combo between the sword, a big ass M'chelle bindi and a mirrored necklace on my forehead catching a reflection of a stage light. But for some reason it gave me a chill to see the same reflection on my head in multiple pictures.....rumors of the theatre being haunted comes to mind.... Our girls did AWESOME!! I was so proud of them..we pulled off the whole 20+ minute routine smooth. In that time we had 6 different routines and the same amount of costume changes/additions as people are switiching on and off stage. 13 girls total...and 4 months ago all Naxi and I ever did was choreograph for ourselves..the two of us. Its been a huge learning process, we only had 4 months, no teaching experience and new students. At least half joined in Jan., and have never stepped foot on a stage as a dancer. Sure there were tears and frustrations and laughs as well, costume debates and basket weaving parties. Naxi and I secured ourselves in our roles as teachers....good cop, bad cop...with me wanting to beat people with canes ....guess who bad cop is :0) But in the end it came together and remarkably well for a class with so little previous dance experience. We worked them hard and they came through for us. I feel like a proud mama. The whole studio put on one heck of a great show..I was really proud of how it turned out. I felt proud to be on stage during the teachers dance for the very first time..what an honor. And the cast party...wow, do bellydancers know how to party :0) whoo-hoo...good times.

OUR FIRST WORKSHOP!!!!!

salome — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:54:28 GMT

So here we go...help send us to San Francisco to Tribal Fest where we are performing and taking MANY MANY classes to bring great Tribal styles back to Wichita...including some more burlesque fusion ;0) as taught by Princess Farhana. We are really excited about the choreography we put together for our duet at Amira's yearly Studio Show. We wanted to perform a new style that really hasn't been introduced yet to Wichita. Its a fun lively flirty number (so outside our norm) only about 3-4 minutes long to a song many of you may know already. So come see the debut of the performance at Amira's "Dance Magic" at the Orpheum this Sat. Show starts @7pm. And in less than two months you will be able to perform it yourselves after attending the workshop. Come to the workshop with lots of attitude and a feathered boa to make you feel sexier and to get in the mood.. Boa not required - neither are tassled pasties....no clothing will ever be removed....

What would you do with $6000 and why the Medical Field and Insurance Company's Sucks Ass!!!

salome — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:02:56 GMT

Well..I could go on vacation somewhere exotic...at least for a week, and take the whole family. Maybe see a beach for the first time Or I could put new flooring in the kitchen, dining room, hallway, including the 3 sets of stairs I have in my house.. I could remodel the bathroom, or kitchen with all new appliances. Or...I could buy another used vehicle...we always need another vehicle in the house. We just took out a $6000 loan for one in Oct. Or I could of had a new set of teeth drilled into my jaw (as I have been wanting for awhile - or that eye surgery, so I never need to wear glasses or contact again. Six thousand dollars is A LOT of MONEY.... But instead I am sitting here writing out checks from a six thousand dollar loan I had to take out.... And where is this money going to............ FUCKING DR. BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, I am pissed as I write out a $1600 check to my Orthopedic Dr. In the months of Sept. and Oct. I put myself and my family in debt for $10,000. I was being treated for problems in my back. Have actually been working on it for about 3 years now. Went to the Chiropractor the first year. They made me come back until my insurance was used up and dropped me. Never helped anyways...just paralyzed me for a week after getting adjusted. Went to my family Dr. Had a series of X-rays..still couldn't find out the problem..kept me on real weak muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory. A year of that changed nothing. She sent me to get an MRI done, called insurance..yes it is covered under the insurance. Set my appointment for the end of the week. Went and got my MRI and then to see an Orthopedic Specialist. Orthopedic Specialist retakes x-rays that I had already taken at my Dr's office..gggrrr...starts focusing on an area of my shoulder..even though I am not having trouble with it. I suspected nerve damage in my spine. The x-rays show nothing. Dr didn't even look at the MRI I brought in. Wants me to take an EKG test in my neck..I told them the pain is coming from my upper spine. They think it is coming from the neck and tests it anyways...guess what, the results came back showing nothing. Come back into the Dr's office, they put me in Physical Therapy. Massages on the spine were great, and once she had to rotate my C-4 & C-5 back into place after they rotated out. Gave me a bunch of "exercises" to do to strengthen my ligaments by my spine. They were the same warm-ups we did in class!!!!!!!! Says I need to work on strengthening my core...uh hello!!! What the hell do you think Belly dance does, I cannot possibly strengthen it any more. So a month of that and I am still in the same spot I was 3 years ago..in constant daily pain in my spine... So back to the Orthopedic specialist I go for a follow up. He asks me what is wrong and if I have taken Physical Therapy and Chiropractors. Wanted to know if I had an MRI and x-rays done...UH HELLO SPAZ!!! You are the one that sent me there!!!! They never check their charts. Just a one in a million faces is all I am. So he sets me up with a TENZ unit...didn't want to have to pay for it..Medical salesperson (in her diamonds, frosted hair, tanned skin and yellow Hummer in the parking lot) said it is covered. Used it for a week and it didn't work, actually aggravated the situation. Went to turn it in and found out the insurance didn't pay for it. They only approved it was a medical necessity, not approving payment. So now I owe a few hundred for that. Went back into the Dr. to get pain management pills, something has got to be done....he gives me weak Lortabs. I may be a small person but I have a huge immune system to pain pills. Pills do nothing. He wants me to get Cortisone shots in my spine at $3000 a pop. I ask "So if you guys don't know where the problem is, and every place you tested came out negative, where are you going to place the injection?" Dr looks at me and says "Well that's a good question, I guess we could start on one side and move down until it works." WHAT!!!???? At $3000 a shot, you want to maybe hope to stick it in the right place??????? SO I then find out that I have to come in EVERY time I need a refill for my prescriptions. Like once a month. He does nothing but calls in another prescription. I have to pay a $35 co-pay to even walk in the door, much less the cost of the prescription. So then I come to find out in Nov. that my insurance had dropped me in AUGUST, because I had already exceeded my "allowable" coverage for the insured year. They didn't bother to let me know. So all those MRI's, X-rays, Dr. visits, EKG tests, Physical Therapy (at $85 per 15 minutes - appointments were an hour each 2x's a week for a month) were all not covered after the fact. Last week I went to get a prescription refilled, pleaded with the Dr. to do something else or find out something since I am now over $10,000 in debt. He says.."Well, even in this day and age, not every medical mystery is solved. You may have this chronic pain the rest of your life. There may be nothing we can do about it but continue to test until we can pinpoint the problem...we think it may be Spinal Arthritis..but not for sure. Have you tried Physical Therapy yet? We can try more testing" WTF!!! You were the Dr that sent me there in your same building...these people NEVER read their charts. I got new insurance in Oct. through my company....I am already using half my "allowable" appointments for the year just getting my perscriptions refilled. I am heartbroken, deceived, frustrated and angry...I hate to say it but I can completely understand when someone "Loses it" because of a situation. I am so tempted to go postal on the Medical Industry and the Insurance Industry. But I don't know where to start so it would be pointless.. And so 2 months and $10,000 in debt later I sit here and write out checks from a $6000 loan to pay these assholes for ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOTHING. I hope they can smell the salt from my tears I used to seal the envelopes. Son of a Bitches....

Land of the Leftovers...and why I am having no more children....

salome — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:59:53 GMT

And so I have always had a tradition of going to Thanksgiving dinner at whatever families house it is required. And then on Friday, I always made my own Thanksgiving dinner at the house just so we can have leftovers. I am talking the whole thing, turkey, pies, sides, breads..etc..etc... Last year we were in the mist of moving and were not able to make one of our own on friday. My youngest son reminds me of it this year and proceeds to tell me he thought it was the holiday tradition to have your own on friday. I guess I had done it for so long he expected it. He guilt tripped me on the lacking of leftovers afterwards. And so I felt bad and decided to continue the tradition this year.... New Roaster Oven...........$45 5 grocery store trips in 3 days........$200 Middle of the night wal-mart run for eggs......$2 ..all the other shit I had to have but didn't need if I didn't go to the store...................$35 gas and Starbucks during grocery shopping..............$45 HAVING SAME SON CALL ME ON SATURDAY AFTER LOOKING IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND ASKING>>>>>>>>>>>> "Mom, can we go to CiCi's Pizza for dinner?" And reminding me why I tied my tubes in the first place....PRICELESS.!!!!!!! Little shit was lucky he was talking to me on the phone and not in person.

FINALLY!!!!! Our new logo and duet name!!

salome — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:51:08 GMT

TRIBAL REFLECTIONS I think this was harder than naming my children....geesh... But as usual we always do things backwards, like having a costume designed before a choreography started. So we went back and forth, threw out suggestions to others.....all blah! So as luck would have it, I have a co-worker who is a designer. And who also designed our last logo, needed rides to work and back. As he tried to hand me the money for gas I said nope, I need a new logo for our duet. I need that more than gas money. So he shows up the next day with this in black and white, so I started coloring it in with the colors we wear the most. And instantly it came to mind "Tribal Reflections". And there you go. No longer are we Sisters of Salome. I have very much enjoyed going by that name. The Sisters of Salami jokes never got old :0) But a new path has started for us now that we are teaching, we have different standards and responsabilities now. So with every change there is an end to something else. Wish us luck! Hugs, Naxi and Salome

My new statue...

salome — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:14:51 GMT

I have been using my bellydance income....from restaurant pay and tips and selling costume stuff, to save for a statue for my front yard. I want to place it underneath our blue spruce tree in our Lava Rock Garden. I am so excited to get it...and the fact that I have been saving for it since early summer. I just ordered it 15 minutes ago. I love statues and artwork, and hope that in about 10 years my yard, front and back, will be filled with cool statues in different places. Now i have to search for another statue to start saving for :0)

New Duet Name???!!!

salome — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:27:53 GMT

So with the changes that are happening with us now becoming teachers. I have some what convinced Naxi that we should also take this opportunity to change our duet name as well. Sisters of Salome was choosen by our third dancer Sadiah many years ago when we decided to form a troupe. At the time it made sense since there were three of us, we searched the web and no one had used it yet. Well Sadiah had to leave us for other adventures :0( and it became the two of us.....Naxi and Salome...so I always felt weird having my name in it anyways..seemed kinda self appreciating? And if it was only the two of us, how could it be sisters of me? And on top of that , we have came to realize that after we started using the name a cabaret troupe in New Orleans was also using it and they got a jump on getting the website first, etc.... So before Naxi changes her mind...I would love to have suggestions and input on idea's. So far I have come fond of "Ouled Hips" What do you think? Any suggestions???

WE ARE NOW TEACHING!!!!!!!

salome — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:51:55 GMT

And so the announcement comes..... Starting this saturday we will be teaching Tribal classes at Amira's studio. Our teacher and mentor Soseneda is taking a much needed break for awhile and Naxi and I have been asked to step in and take over the classes. We will be teaching a unique style of our own showcasing the influences of Tribal fusion, American Tribal Style and expanding into the art of Improvisational Tribal Style. The beginning class will be an introduction to the foundation of tribal style belly dance which is FCBD ATS (Fat Chance Belly Dance - American Tribal Style). Improvisational Tribal Styles and other influential dance styles will also be explored in this class. Because of the unique nature of Tribal Style Costuming, some of the classes will focus on the knowledge and application of performance attire. This class is open to all students with a focus on stage and public performances. Because of the intense study and group improvisation skills required of this class it is recommended for students who plan on studying the Tribal Style for an extended period of time. Eventually students will be expected to perform since performing improvisational style is part of the learning process. Beginning students have an opportunity to join the ITS performing troupe Barakat Badriya after proving they have mastered the knowledge of improvisational style dancing, performing and costuming. Students interested in becoming part of the troupe will be required to attend and assist the dancers at events Barakat Badriya are performing at. We will also hold a once a month "get-together" for the students outside of class to work on new costumes, watch videos of performances and performance discussions and of course to eat :0) Please keep in mind this will be the first time for us teaching a class...it will be a growing process for us as well as the students. Classes will be held on Sat. mornings: Beginning class is 10:00 to 11:ish Barakat Badriya Troupe class is 11:ish to 12:30...ish :0)

I'd have this paragraph tattoo'd to my ass if it was big enough........

salome — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:41:04 GMT

Written by Elizabeth Gilbert From the book "Eat, Love, Pray" I look at the Augusteum, and I think that perhaps my life has not actually been so chaotic, after all. It is merely this world that is chaotic, bringing changes to us all that nobody could have anticipated. The Augusteum warns me not to get attached to any obsolete ideas about who I am, what I represent, whom I belong to, or what function I may once have intended to serve. Yesterday I might have been a glorious monument to somebody, true enough - tomorrow I could be the fireworks depository. Even in the Eternal City, says the silent Augusteum, one must be prepared for riotous and endless waves of transformation.. A-freaking-men!!!

Whoever said that animals dont have souls or feelings is so wrong.....

salome — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:56:47 GMT

(If only human could show the same unconditional love as animals do...) The abandoned monkey who has found love with a pigeon Last updated at 18:39pm on 13th September 2007 They're an odd couple in every sense but a monkey and a pigeon have become inseparable at an animal sanctuary in China. The 12-week-old macaque - who was abandoned by his mother - was close to death when it was rescued on Neilingding Island, in Goangdong Province. After being taken to an animal hospital his health began to improve but he seemed spiritless - until he developed a friendship with a white pigeon. The blossoming relationship helped to revive the macaque who has developed a new lease of life, say staff at the sanctuary. Now the unlikely duo are never far from each other's side, but they aren't the only ones to strike up an unusual friendship. Earlier this year a pig adopted a tiger cub and raised him along with her piglets because his mother couldn't feed him. And in 2005 a baby dear named Mi-Lu befriended lurcher Geoffrey at the Knowsley Animal Park in Merseyside after she was rejected by her mother.

GLORY GLORY HALLELUIAH!!! Study says COFFEE is good during a workout!!!!!!!

salome — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:51:53 GMT

WhooHoo!!!!!!! SO THERE, to all them girls making fun of my beloved silver cup sleeve with the cappuchino paper cup snuggled inside of it that I CONSTANTLY carry around with me to performances, classes and Renn Faires. See I have been doing good this whole time :0) Doing the happy dance. I think I need to go out and get a Latte at lunch....just because its good for me and all....have to stay healthy. A java jolt may boost, not wreck, your workout Contrary to widespread belief, caffeine doesn't drastically dehydrate By Jacqueline Stenson Contributing editor Updated: 5:42 a.m. CT Aug 21, 2007 Good news for java junkies: You don't have to skip your caffeine fix to get in a good workout — even in the hot summer months when coffee's widely believed to promote dehydration. What's more, a caffeinated beverage may actually help you exercise longer. "For years, people have believed that consuming caffeine would dehydrate the body or result in an electrolyte imbalance or that it might affect body temperature and have a negative impact on heat tolerance during exercise," says Lawrence Armstrong, a professor of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. "Our research indicates that none of these concerns is valid," he says. Fitness experts and dietitians have long advised that exercisers drink up before and during physical activity — but avoid caffeine. Turns out, though, there's no convincing evidence to support this recommendation, says Armstrong, who published an article on the subject in the July issue of Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, a journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Armstrong and his colleagues reviewed more than a dozen studies and concluded that moderate caffeine consumption — up to about 500 milligrams a day — did not adversely impact exercise. A typical 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 150 milligrams of caffeine while a 12-ounce regular soda has 30 to 50 milligrams. While caffeine is a mild diuretic — meaning it briefly increases urine production — moderate amounts are not enough to interfere with a workout, Armstrong says. "It doesn't mean that one is dehydrated," he explains. "Dehydration is about the balance of fluid intake and fluid loss." Little is known about the exercise impact of consuming more than 500 milligrams of caffeine. The new study is the latest good news about caffeine and exercise. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a combo of the two helped fight skin cancer in mice. Fatigue fighter? Previous studies also suggest that a java jolt may even boost performance during activities lasting longer than 30 minutes by enabling exercisers to work out longer. In fact, caffeine was once outlawed at the Olympics because of its performance-enhancing effects. It's not exactly clear why caffeine helps, but Armstrong and others believe the same mental pick-me-up that helps you get your day started or make it through a boring afternoon at work also may help exercisers fight fatigue and thus go longer. Another theory is that caffeine helps the body turn fat into fuel for longer workouts. Tara Gidus, a sports dietitian in Orlando, Fla., agrees that caffeine doesn't live up to its reputation as a workout wrecker, at least when it's consumed in moderation. And she notes that exercisers tend to build up a tolerance to caffeine's effects. "An athlete who is used to consuming caffeine regularly may not experience the same diuretic effect as an athlete who doesn't consume caffeine often," she says. Larry Kenney, a professor of physiology at Penn State University in University Park and a spokesperson for the ACSM, emphasizes that all exercisers — caffeine addicts or not — need to make sure they stay properly hydrated by replacing lost fluids, especially when it's sizzling outside. How much to drink varies from one person to another. "Athletes should customize their fluid intake based on their individual sweating rate," Kenney says. To find out how much you need to drink, weigh yourself before and after exercise a few times, Kenney advises. This will tell you how much water you're losing so you can determine how much fluid you need to compensate for the loss. For every kilogram (2.2 pounds) you lose through sweating, you'll need to drink 1 liter (33.8 ounces) to make up for it. If you're engaging in endurance races or other activities that last an hour or more, consider a sports drink with sodium that replaces lost electrolytes and provides carbohydrates for fuel, he says. And after your workout, don't feel guilty about hitting the local coffee bar and indulging in your favorite drink — so long as it's not loaded with sugar and topped with whipped cream. © 2007 MSNBC Interactive URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18043833/

Arranged marrage at freaking 16???????????

salome — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:09:11 GMT

Uh yeah, didn’t realized they still existed in the United States…especially if you’re a small town farm family….. So on Sunday we got to meet our new daughter Brittany’s boyfriends family. We already knew that they have been dating for about 2 years/ And that she is close with the family…but we were not expecting what we got. First, we were introduced to them and Brittany introduced them to us as her “in-laws” and her boyfriends little cousin was calling her Aunt Brittany. The mother of her boyfriend kept referring to her as her “daughter-in-law”. Keep in mind this child turned 16 just a week or two ago. They talked about the future as if they were getting married tomorrow and it is definate!!!!! This was the first time we have seen her around her boyfriend. Who is text book farm boy. Already had 10 surgeries for falling into farm equipment or something. Already talking about quitting school to run the family farm. Wears a trucker hat from some tractor company and those weird tasseled cowboy work boots that the farm boys wear. Really nice kid..honestly we liked him and the family…. However, 16 is way to young to be already “married” off to some hick town farm kid. They would rather have her as a barefoot and pregnant farm wife tending to the vegetables somewhere. I am really surprised stuff like this existed in small towns. It gave us the creeps..really bad listening to them talk to her as if she was his wife or something. And when they were together they act like a damn married couple. Way to intimate for a couple of 16 year olds to be interacting. Were scared, scared that she is going to be sucked into this “domestic bliss” and throw away the opportunities she is able to have in a bigger city. Also afraid that she will be pressured into this situation by his family because she has a need to feel like she belongs. If this child (she is NOT a woman yet) were to decide to start dating someone from her new school, its going to be the equivalent to her having to get a freaking divorce from his family. That is just to much to put on a 16 year old child. If it ends up working in the long run and they get married and live happily ever after then it was meant to be….but were hoping that she will take advantage of being the new girl in a new school and meeting so many different new people that she will move on from the “farm aspect” of her life. Not that we want her to date around and all by any means…but she should have to be “married off” already to the only boyfriend she ever had. Something is just plain creepy there…Oh my, having a teenage daughter who is sexually budding is really a new one for us…nothing like dealing with the boys. Her and my son skylar who are the same age are completely different in means of sexual maturity. She acts like a married couple with her boyfriend. My son is still in the passing notes, and giggling on the phone phase with his first girlfriend of 3 months. Whoa, way not ready to be marrying off one of the children so soon. We are so thankful that he lives an hour away. But it makes it so much harder to monitor what is going on if he comes to visit or if she goes out there to visit. So how would you manage a situation like this without having it backfire??????

I want to trash my wedding dress too....

salome — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:40:02 GMT

Maybe...how scary...and fun! This is the new "in thing" to do now after getting married. I guess the point is to have a professional photographer take pictures in situations totally trashing the wedding dress. The pictures are georgous! Especially the underwater ones Click on the link below to see all the pics of people Trashing their wedding dresses. http://trashthedress.wordpress.com It would be a great thing to do after getting a divorce too.

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!

salome — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:52 GMT

Uh..we walked out of the courthouse with a 16 year old girl today....holy crap!!!! I will post more about the story tomorrow. Now my husband went to take her to get her stuff. We have driven over 7 hours today back and forth doing this.. I have so freaking much to do...switch around rooms, enroll in school, which starts the 15th.. Wow..this time a year ago I would have NO IDEA I would be the mother of a 16 year old girl... We did have a great tea party for her 16th birthday last sat......ahh all the benefits of having a young girl..I haven't been around long enough to have issues. (I HATED my mom at that age). So I am like the fun cool mom. Holy crap...lots to do and lots to write about...but.. everybody was great enough to listen to me growling and whining ...it deserves a happy ending...

Fraud Fraud Fraud……..

salome — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:38:42 GMT

But I have no desire to become the next Erin Brockovich by any means. I don’t have the time, motivation, effort, focus or money to take on the system. Plus I have so many other issues with them I would like to fight first like INSURANCE…of all kinds..not picky… government approved extortion…but that’s another blog…. So we meet with the SRS/Foster system..we wanted answers. Got lies…. *None of our visits were ever recorded…going way back to Feb. Judge thinks that last week was the second time we have seen her. Not the 20th as actual. *Visits were supposed to be court approved. No one asked for approval. They just let her go with us that’s why its not recorded. *We will have to pay foster support to the system until she is in our home, there is no way around it…were screwed. AND after she is in our home we have to continue to pay foster support to make up the back debt since she was placed in the system in Nov ’06. So we will be paying foster support and having her live with us at the same time. *She will still remain a ward in the state for 1 year after entering our house. Will not be allowed to move in with us until Dec. so that way she would have been in the system for 1 year. Allowing more government funds to be set aside for her and the system to benefit from.. She’ll be well past 18 by the time this is even over with. *And once she is placed into our house WE have to take the natural mother to court to sue for custody and if we want any money WE have to sue her for that as well. Next we meet with the Family therapist..she is completely on our side. Furious at what the system has done…she is writing letters to the Judge on our behalf. What we find out from her through conversation. *Misty (foster mom) is the one that initiated that Brittany be removed from her mothers home. Was already acquainted with Brittany through the foster girls she already has in the house. They all go to the same school, all are best friends. Brittany couldn’t be placed with the numerous grandparents (both sets), aunts and uncles that live in the same town as her because by “Misty’s evaluation” (remember she works for the system) it was not a safe environment. But its ok for her to spend nights during the week with her extended family and go out of town for 2 weeks with them? She found it was in Brittanys best interest to be placed in her own home. Isn’t that a freaking conflict of interest, to have the same person that removes a child from the home, evaluate and deny the extended family for placement, places in her own home AND already have personal previous relationship with the child? Oh here is the kicker that about made me fall out of my chair. Brittany let it slip that……(try to wrap your mind around this one)….one of the boyfriends of one of the other foster girls that is living in Misty’s house with Brittany is now living at Misty’s mothers house who is a “new approved” foster family and he is a new foster kid. Uhhh…last week we got a call from Brittany FROM Misty’s mothers house and she was spending a few nights over there?????? WTF??????? CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!!!!!!!! So what we realized all this boils down to is…..we got embroiled into a small town fraud that includes the system and the local teenagers. What is happening is the “foster family’s” are preying on the local teenagers with problems and pushing them through the system to generate money for the Foster Family and the town in government funds. The teenagers have figured out the system. It’s a scam they have taken advantage of to fulfill their desire to live together under one roof with a family (as the therapist said…are like teenagers themselves) and party and do as they please. Cant anyone else there see that these teenagers are all friends, are all dating each other, and were all placed in the system at around the same time? And encouraged to “escape” from their homes by Misty. Brittany has 2 younger siblings in the home that were never removed because “they do not have the same complaints”. Granted I do believe that Brittany is best removed from her mom, but not run through the system when she has SO MUCH family local to her. She also let it slip that one of the foster girls told her that the best way to find her natural dad was to be placed in the system…………… Yep, we got scammed…by a group of teenagers and the foster system… cant fight them, that county is too small and EVERONE is connected. We were even hushed at the SRS meeting because we were getting ready to say what we were unhappy with at her foster home. And the lady told us to be quiet because “the walls have ears”. We have a court date on August 13th. To find out just what we already know and to initiate child support. We got a letter in the mail yesterday. They want over $400 a month plus $3500 in back for her being in the system since Nov. And they want US to pay for the Paternity tests. Oh and to top this all off, we have her at our house for this rest of this week and weekend. How are we suppose to afford to take care of her and the other kids????

I LOVE MY FRONT PORCH... A commercial break from the war on foster system drama.

salome — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 03:13:43 GMT

So we have realized that when there is a flash flood our street in the front of our house ALWAYS floods. All the way over the gold course across the street. This time it actually had rapids running through it. Its amazing because our house sits high enough and far enough away from the road (which I forgot to mention is a busy road), that it doesn't effect the house. So we sit out on the porch with a cup of coffee and watch as people drive through and get stuck. Its amazing how many people we have seen just trash their cars trying to get through the water, instead of going around the block. We usually spend time at each end of the street warning people and help push their vehicles out. This last time it was lightening so we just sat on the porch and watched all the cars get stuck and float around in the street. I wasn't about to get electrocuted because they were stupid. Cops that come to "supervise" never get out and help push..they just sit there and watch us..jerks. At the time pictured here we went over to the golf course/rapid river and rescued water logged animals and reptiles. It was a blast. We helped push a rabbit out of the water, a chipmunk looking thing, field mouse, and a few various snakes. We saw MANY float on by. But I wasn't about to get bit. I was able to touch a few just because they were in shock. From now on were gonna put a sign out on the driveway offering car pushing for $10 each. Might as well make some money off of it. Were also going to place chairs on the edge and sit with fishing poles next to a sign that says "fishing for cars". Hee-hee. After a while the cops block each end and stops the cars and takes away all the entertainment :0( Were gonna see if we can float around in the street on rafts when the cops block the street for us next time. Its our own river front property. At least for a little while. The best thing is it always disappears within an hour. Sometimes the best entertainment can be right off your fromt porch.