February 26, 2010

Snowpocalypse hit eastern PA again, and this meant no school and no trip to Penn State main campus. The model United Nations club was going to take a trip there, I was representing UN security coucil BRAZIL, so my spot is vacant, and the $1000 we spent on the trip has dissolved in thin air. Well, it's dissappointing, but what can you do?

The upside of this is that I really, really needed this time to get caught up and ahead with my schoolwork. I don't want to have ANYTHING to do the week the Navajo students come to our school so that I can spend as much time with them as possible. Better yet, I could get ahead with my schoolwork so far that the week I come back after spring break I have nothing to do, that would be wonderful!

My weight has fluctuated up, which is no surprise since I have too many things going on which demand my attention, like studying, clubs, volunteering, transferring to the next school, bills, life basically. I have gained 4 pounds and my goal this coming week is to drink 4 glasses of water per day, ya hurd?? :)

okbye

Beledi & Saidi rhythm

Belly dancing is my new favorite thing ever. I'm learning to 'open up' my hips, and the result is a soreness in the very tip-top of my thighs and tightening in my core. I am very excited about the new moves I've picked up. It's very addicting, and I wanted to share two of the dance rhythms I've learned about.

Belly dancing isn't the same for all region in the Middle East. There is an Egyptian style, a Persian style, a Turkish style, etc. and all of those countries have different rhythms, kind of like in Latin dance you have the Bachata, Cumbia, Salsa, Merengue, Conga, Tango.. among many others.

When starting belly dancing, usually the songs will be broken down into 4/4 beats. It's simple and flexible. In my last blog I mentioned the Beledi rhythm, which is from Egypt. Beledi sounds like the word belly dance, but it means folk style or country style. It's a very free beat, and you can be creative with it, which is great for beginners who aren't ready for complex moves and choreography.

Saidi is from Egypt too, but the word Saidi is used to describe people from Upper Egypt. The towns are a lot smaller and the culture is quite different, and Saidi rhythm is good for beginners too. Saidi dancing is done with a cane, which to me adds that Egyptian charm to the dance, because Americans picture the Ancient Egyptian Kings and Queens holding canes crossed on their chests, and it's iconic for the Egyptian culture.

This is Saidi:


Orit is from Israel, but here she dances Saidi: