Egypt's Missing Peace

Good evening!

I really have tons of different ideas to post, but priorities are priorities, and mine are and will always be human life. We are putting an end on 2012 with tragic news. Here it is:

Have you ever heard about Ahmed Meligy? Ahmed is Egyptian, he is a strong peace activist, who only fights for democracy, equality, friendship,... everything which can make the world better. He got arrested today by the Egyptian police. What the hell could be his crime? Have a look:

http://blogs.jpost.com/users/egypts-missing-peace

Yes, Ahmed wrote articles for an Israeli website. I rely on you all: I hope that there is not a single reader here who believe that he got what he deserved! Look, he is strong enough to have no prejudice and to make brotherhood his way of life and a few hours ago, he was stopped by his own country. Don't you find it silly?

Ahmed needs you! He needs us to support his proud fight, so please, don't give him up! Click on the following link to hear a sweet friend of mine from Australia talking about her Egyptian brother:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUcQagjIh5g&feature=youtu.be

You know that our voice is powerful, so use yours for people who deserve it! Support those who give their lives for a better future, who believe in mankind, who are not afraid of standing against preconceived opinions! 


























I know that I'm supposed to send you my blessings for the new year, but there is more important to do right now! Your heart will tell you what you have to do!


How good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.PSALM (133:1)

Where there is life...

... there is hope.

As says the proverb.
I knew that November was going to be extremely hard to overcome, but I must confess that I absolutely didn't expect so many difficulties! Problems, contrarieties and setbacks have been coming more and more so far, and unfortunately, it doesn't seem to reach an end!

Oh, I'm fine! I'm always fine, it's obvious! But sometimes, evenings look so-so, because I wasn't able to work as much as I wanted to, because... Well, everybody knows this kind of situation, I can cut the story short :)
So, when I feel particularly tired, I'm glad to find out good surprises, little things able to put a big smile on my face for some reasons. And lucky me has just read a encouraging quotation from the great Shams-e Tabrîzî:

Whatever happens to you, don’t fall in despair. Even if all the doors are closed, a secret path will be there for you that no one knows. You can’t see it yet but so many paradises are at the end of this path. Be grateful! It is easy to thank after obtaining what you want, thank before having what you want.

Overcoming, ©Dina Bova, http://www.bsw-art.com

I guess that this should be far enough to reassure my worries once and for all, shouldn't it? Otherwise, it doesn't matter: my optimistic / childish side must always be right, so let's say that the show must go on!

So, dear November, make me suffer as you want me to suffer, I don't mind! On the contrary, I'll be happy to salute you with a huge smile stuck on my face in a few days!

Before leaving you after this short post, followers and passers-by, I'd like to remind you that the pics used here aren't mine. I always write down the exact source when I know it, but if someday you discover a picture of yours that you don't want to appear here, let me know it: I'll be pleased to remove it for you!

All the best, and please, get a kick out November!

We are the sparks which shine so bright

Orphaned Land @ Hellfest 2011, © Nidhal Marzouk

As some people may already know, my blog's name is taken from the lyrics of an Israeli band: Orphaned Land. Today, I read that somebody launched a petition, so that these musicians could reserve the next Nobel Prize for Peace. Maybe I will write another article someday, where I could share my deepest thoughts about them, but this isn't the point here (and, by the way, sometimes, feelings just couldn't be shared or explained by words, so wait and see). Read the following statement, take a few minutes to watch the video, and if the spirit moves you, take a minute more to sign the petition.

"This is my personal request to all my friends from the Middle East, Turkey, and in general from all my Muslim friends here on my page:

We know for a long time now that we are above politic, we know that if it was in our hands, peace would have prevailed right away.

Please enter this link and sign if you find us worthy, please also spread the word and share it on your pages?

I send my endless love to all of you and all my love and best greetings for the coming holyday in a few days.

Salam/Shalom/Peace.
Kobi"

 Kobi Farhi, Orphaned Land's singer

 

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/nominate-orphaned-land-for-the-2013-nobel-peace-prize.html

Turning a new page for Peace

Yesterday, I had the great honor to see my picture appear on an amazing facebook page called Turning a new page for Peace. Read the words of the owner to discover what it is about:

Let us pave together a new way for peace!
We are not a political organization, or any kind of movement. We are just people who wish for a better future for ourselves and our children.

This is not intended right now for working out practical solutions, but in turning over awareness, building mutual trust, and creating an atmosphere that will allow peace to flourish.

Each one of us is a human being – not our state or the people. We all share the same simple wish – to live our lives peacefully, with our families, and earn a decent living.

We can't live in hostility and hatred forever. These are only taking us away from those things we want! Instead they create a cycle of bloodshed which only leads to sorrow, pain and suffering to all.

Friendship and brotherhood are not less than an existential necessity!

Until now we thought that peace is a task to be carried out by the leaders. But reality has slapped in our face. The violence, fear and hatred – broke the trust between the sides and the faith in the way of peace.

The times are changing. We live in an age of revolutions, the internet gives us, the people, power that we didn't possess in the past. We are witnessing history in the making – as the people in the middle east, after long years of depression, are taking their fates in the their own hands and fight against tyranny and corruption – for freedom and justice.

It is time that we take the future in our own hands – also for peace. Let us come together in a call for true brotherhood and friendship with our neighbors. If we all do that – maybe the individual rain drops will come together to become a river of hope!

We are coming from love. We are here – to show that this dream is possible


This may sound naive to you, but seeing the implication of so many people, people who only dream about peace and brotherhood, touches me. Everyday we read awful stories and disasters, so why not trying to turn to an shining source, for once? After all, peace begins with a smile :)

If you have a facebook page, please have a look here: http://www.facebook.com/newpage4peace

I'm ready to live in peace.
What about you?

"Do it big, do it right, and do it with style" ~Fred Astaire

Good afternoon, Buenas tardes, Shalom, Bonjour!


Tons of work to do, today! That's what happens when you leave home during... well, a single day?! I can't believe how my life is currently busy: when I finish something, I can't even breathe for a minute before I've got something else to do. I love this activity, my present, my future, my projects, everything!

I realized yesterday that I've been practicing bellydance for a year now. And wow! What a great journey! I've already come to a point where I couldn't be grateful (and the word is weak) to my teachers for all the happiness they brought me! This space is for them :)

Asrar

First of all: Asrar. She has been my weekly teacher from the beginning, and I'm lucky to take lessons with such an enthusiastic, joyful and humble woman! She brings sparkles to my Fridays evening!!

Khalida @ Summertime Hafla

And there comes Khalida, this amazing dancer, great instructor and sweet person from Germany. She organizes regular workshops, invites various teachers with their own styles and passions, giving the students magnificent opportunities to learn!

Illan Rivière by Peter Zanniti

 



 I couldn't forget to thank Illan Rivière, from the bottom of my heart! Such a young dancer, but first of all such a breathtaking journey! He keeps a special place to me thanks to his creativity, his feeling, and last but not least thanks to his sweetness. Meeting him was absolutely fantastic, and his tips and vision of dancing are written with gold letters.

The reason of my absence, yesterday, was my participation at two workshops by Néphélée. She didn't only gave me my very first try with my favourite props -fan veils: she confirmed a fascination, and made all the dancers present at her second unexpected workshop live a deep moment, a real experience to cherish. 


I also was lucky to meet Johanna during my very first saidi lesson. Saidi is one of my favourite styles, and living such a nice course gave me will to learn about it more and more and more! 

Néphélée

And big thanks again to Feyrouz and her unforgettable dervish workshop, as well as Sonia Saida, who reconciled me with drums solo. 

Last but not least, I'm happy to have met so many great people during my course and workshops! That's why dancing is fantastic as well! :)

And special *mmmmuuuuuuuaaaaaaaahhhhhh* for my sweeties, Betül Efeoğlu and Johanna Najla: there should be far more women like you! :)))

 I hate blogspot for destroying the layout, sorry about the ugliness 

                                                

Anti-Islam film and running blood

It has been a few days now since we heard about the scandal among the muslim countries and communities caused by an Americain movie, named "The Violence Of Muslims". To talk about it in a few words, for those who -who knows?- don't know it yet, this film openly criticizes Islam and the Prophet Mahomet. As if for the director, the name of so-called Sam Bacile (Jew? Not Jew? Doubts keep hanging over) is often mentionned, but it seems that this could simply be a pen name. Another name comes back regularly: the Christian Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. This producer is actually suspected to be the director himself. At the present time, Nakoula is told to have asked an official protection, as he fears for his life.
So much ideas, but no certitudes! So much violence for an idiocy!

It has been a few days now since we heard about the first reactions. And now, the avalanches continues. Embassies under siege, flags burnt, more and more dramas, and especially harmed, and even killed people!

• http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/09/the-innocence-of-muslims-viral-video-gone-wrong.html

• http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/13/protests-ramp-up-at-embassies-in-tehran-switzerland-cairo-yemen/

• http://internationalpoliticalforum.com/the-innocence-of-muslims-is-a-trap-we-must-overcome/
• http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/14/today-is-your-last-day-ambassador-embassies-brace-for-violence-as-anti-islam-film-protests-spread/

Talking about the trailer on youtube is useless: I've watch a few seconds only, before being amazed by the ridiculous scenes, the poor actors, the nonexistent set. To me, it only looks like a big and bad joke! But unfortunately, this bad joke turned into ugly events. We already know how an allusion to the Prophet Mahomet can cause problems: remember, for instance, the Danish caricatures, in 2005.

Look, I will never, never, never reproach somebody for his beliefs, never! As my friends already know, I'm a culture lover: I love meeting people with a different culture, language, different tastes and so on. Doesn't it make our world richer? And as an agnostic, I see religion, every single religion existing, as a philosophy, a way to find oneself, a magnificent message about love and peace. But I can't understand how such a beautiful thing turns into a devilish weapon of war. And I can't accept innocents to be killed because of convictions' defense. This is against liberty, against humanity, against respect between brothers and sisters!

Maybe this movie (but is it really a movie, or was the trailer only a provocation?) hurt some believers, who didn't see over black humor, or completely fathomed straight off, but nobody will ever be able to justify the horrible murders and hatred, nobody!

May the victims be in peace, wherever they are.

http://internationalpoliticalforum.com/the-innocence-of-muslims-is-a-trap-we-must-overcome/

The Dark Knight Rises

Good afternoon!

I hesitated before writing this article, because I absolutely do not want to ruin the surprise. But well, ok, Iwill manage to give my advice without any spoiler: promised!
I've been waiting for this movie since I saw The Dark Knight, a real masterpiece after the already awesome Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne's story and Batman's birth. Everybody knows that The Dark Night Rises was one of the most importante movie release in 2012: what an astonishing craze! Here we are: third and very last movie of Nolan's trilogy. And after the success of its  predecessor, useless to mention that it absolutely had to be equal to the task!

After watching it for the (already, I know) second time yesterday, I need to tell you that the mission is brilliantly accomplished by Christopher Nolan and his excellent crew.
To me, Nolan's strenght was to use that much the feelings of the different characters: that's how we discovered a Bruce Wayne / Batman tormented by his demons, that's how the Joker managed to be the awe-inspiring anarchist of The Dark Knight, and I could make the list longer but watch the movies so that you can make your own! We used to be attached to some figures, we used to hate the others: none of them made us feel indifferent. The Dark Knight Rises doesn't differ the rules (excepted Marion Cotillard, strangely hollow in Miranda Tate). The movies likes to play with our perceptions, our sensations, making us grind our teeth, feeling pain with some characters,... But the most amazing is when it surprises us feeling compassion, even sorrow, for someone we were expecting to hate.

Let's talk about the casting. We already know astonishing Christan Bale in Batman, and the excellent actors Gary Oldman (Inspector Jim Gordon), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth) and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox); now time has come to welcome awesome surprises. First of all, Tom Hardy, interpreting the villain, the muscular terrorist Bane. I sincerely feared not to like him at all, but his charisma purely amazed me! Ignominous, apalling and... human, he won't leave you unmoved. Then we have Anne Hathaway in Selina Kyle / Catwoman. I knew that the challenge was great, especially after Michelle Pfeiffer's performance in Batman Returns, realized by Tim Burton. Nevertheless Anne... how can I say? Nolan's Selina Kyle is thoughful, sexy-but-not-bitchy, wild and fierce. Bravo, bravo, bravo! No need to talk about the big disappointment Marion Cotillard, please! I mean... no, really. From lacking in character to bluntly mediocre, we regret not to have known a worth seeing Miranda Tate. The only mistake in the casting. Anyway I needed to had some words about Michael Caine: his performance touched me so much that I can't just mention it without adding more. Alfred had never been that deeply moving! Oh, I almost forgot to mention Joseph Gordon Lewitt in John Blake, a policeman more significant and helpful that we can believe at the beginning.

The longest movie of the trilogy really represents the long-awaited magnificent final.
Once again, Nolan managed to catch the eye, from A to Z, thanks to his aesthetics, the numerous new turns, some breathtaking scenes, the great work on every single character's personnality. Clichés always menace when we talk about superheros, but fortunately none has its place in this movie. After a very convincing Batman Begins and an outstanding The Dark Knight, the last episode had to set the bar high, very high! And it did.

The legend rised, and definitely left us with the best movies of its kind, nothing less!

Shay Aaron & the yummiest art ever

Good evening!

I must confess that inspiration isn't easy to find everyday... Or yes, actually it is, but I try to keep silent on some subject or you would have a post per day about belly dance ;-) Let's try to change a bit.
I've just discovered one of the most incredible work seen for ages: obviously I had to share it with my friends, readers and random people who want to see awesome pieces of art.

Shay Aaron is an awesome artist from Tel Aviv, Israel. Have a look at what he does and you will easily realize that he is probably the most breathtaking miniaturist ever known!

Words are useless: open your eyes and enjoy these yummmiiiiii creations

http://funnyneel.com/blogs/35-mind-blowing-miniature-food-sculpture-shay-aaron

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Passover Seder, www.flickr.com/photos/shay-aaron/

Making a Leek Cane, www.flickr.com/photos/shay-aaron/

Miniature Banana, www.flickr.com/photos/shay-aaron

Fresh Salmon, www.flickr.com/photos/shay-aaron

http://www.shayaaron.etsy.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shay-aaron/

http://www.facebook.com/ShayAaronMiniatures

https://twitter.com/shayaaron

Flawless floorwork

Good morning everybody!

July is coming, schoolyear is over and my belly dancing course as well. I will miss this weekly meeting, but fortunately I planned to attend several workshops during the two months of holidays, plus I won't stop practising at my place, that's obvious! I am not the girl who will pretend that she 'learned everything thanks to dvd's': nothing could replace a real teacher, able to correct you and to make you focuse on personal weaknesses. Anyway instructional dvd's can be useful as well: I like them to learn new techniques, to broaden my sphere of action, to have an approach on something I didn't know, etc. For keeping July and August busy (or rather even more busy that they already are), I purchased "Flawless Floorwork" by Ruby.

I have always loved floorwork and I thought that it was a good opportunity to discover more about this pure art. As the cover says, it seems that floorwork tends to be considered 'inappropriate' by... wow, more dancers than I expected! I even read some accounts telling how this way of dancing was 'disgusting'. Why? I have no idea. Especially when we realize that floorwork is used in many fields, as the raks al shemodan -dance with a candelabrum which traditionally appears during weddings- or the zaar, this religious custom practiced in Ethiopia, Iran and all around the Middle East. See: floorwork is an integral part of (belly) dance, and nevertheless underestimated. For instance, knowing about its ban in Egypt (among other restrictions) sounds both sad and interesting to me. Here comes my main criticism about Ruby's dvd: I would have loved to hear more about the traditional aspect, when using floorwork is particularly beneficial and, on the contrary, when avoiding it is better or even required, etc. Ruby decided not to linger on this part. That's fine: I do not worry, I will find :)

This small lack of information appart, I must confess that I love this "Flawless Floorwork"! First of all, Ruby really is a great instructor: her explanations are simple and clear. She is conscious of the common mistakes and tries to tell us how to avoid them. We begin with a strengthening routine absolutely necessary before thinking about beginning the exercises themselves (but maybe a little bit too short: I don't think that every muscle required is trained. But well, we all know that a dvd won't work for you and is far from being self-sufficient).
The technical part with its descends and ascends is particularly well done! Once again, Ruby takes her time to explain the different moves properly, talking about the precautions, giving you safety tips (, avoiding the incredible -but dangerous!- Turkish drop, thanks heaven!),... I also appreciated a lot the fact that Ruby doesn't hesitate to give alternatives when a movement can be to difficult. Definitely, 'security' is the main word! Take your time to discover this chapter: sure it will give you new ideas to include to your performances!
 

After a traditional combinations' part (accessible to various levels), we benefit from a nice extras section where Ruby offers us a nice full body warm up, designed to be done with your stage outfit, with the precautions involved. We also have a costume tutorial to avoid wardrobe malfunctions. Nothing is worst than a dancer doing floorwork with an inappropriate costume, I think that everybody is aware of that! Now we know how to prevent this kind of problems!
Finally we watch Ruby in a lovely performance, where she includes a great floorwork part, of course!

I am not disappointed by my purchase: sure that it will complete my holidays with even more belly dance and challenges, happy news! So if you do not know how to begin with floorwork, this dvd is for you too: there you will have good advice enough to practice without harming you!




Lot of work to do today, and once again, I've been too talkative! Do not hesitate to share your opinion on floorwork, your good / bad experiences with dvd's, whatever you want: I am always interested in widenning my knowledges and experience :))
And, oh yes, sorry about the last picture: I don't use to put pics of myself on my blog, but I love this one (despite the crappy background), me practising and happy to do so! :))

Wish you a bright day!!

An Eznak Ya Maalem

Good afternoon!

I won't be long today: just want to put some words before passing my daily exam. God knows how I hate this period, and the awful year I have spent doesn't help to hold on until the end. But projects do! Mainly of mine are about belly dance, does it sound surprising?
Workshops, festivals, galas, great artists and discoveries: that is exactly what I like! Plus I have something else in mind: two lessons left and the year is over for belly dance as well, so I have to keep projects in mind to train again, again and again. This year, we learned a lot of techniques, and three different choregraphies. I am not used to improvisation, and I have never try to let my creativity speak. So I feel that time has come to do so.

Rola Saad

I have found a lovely song to help me: "An Eznak Ya Maalem" by the Lebanese pop star Rola Saad. I know that it isn't judicious to talk about ideas before it is done, but you know, it really doesn't matter: it isn't original, as many dancers gave their own interpretation so far, plus all I wish is to be able to prepare about 3 minutes of dancing, nothing else :) And only if I am satisfied with the result I will post it, but not sure yet.
Whatever. I love this song for the kinky mood. According to the lyrics, the girl singing is someone proud and confident, who knows how attractive she is and likes to use her charm, but doesn't want to lose her independence and freedom. Everything that I am not, actually! That is why I need to dance on this one!

I won't tell you more about my love life, but trust me: I am not as self-assured as a lot of people believe, and I often regret my kindness. Well, I try to take good care on myself anyway ;-) Reaching my new goal will be a way to laugh at myself and my naïvety, and then I will eventually be able to make fun of the few who tried to bring me down. Oh, I am not into vengeance: derision is far better, and at least I won't use my energy for something which isn't worth it.

I have plenty of different ideas in mind! I can't wait to have more time to gather them! Sure I will have a lot of fun!! :))

Have an aaaaawesoooome day!!! xoxos!

Fiza

Good evening :)

Wow, this blog had never had so much visits previously: thank you so much!! Dears, I hope you enjoyed the reading! A priori I do not have time to write a new article today -student life and examinations- but as I need a break, I take advantage of these few minutes to talk about the latest movie I saw: Fiza.

Starring the famous Karisma Kapoor and the handsome Hritik Roshan, Fiza is a heartbreaking family drama. Here is the synopsis:

The film is about Fiza (Karisma Kapoor), whose brother, Aman (Hrithik Roshan), disappears during the 1993 Bombay Riots. Fiza and her mother Nishatbi (Jaya Bachchan) desperately hold on to the hope that one day he will return. However, six years after his disappearance, Fiza, fed up with living with uncertainty, resolves to go in search of her brother. Driven by her mother Nishatbi's fervent hope and her own determination, Fiza decides to use whatever means she can—the law, media, even politicians—to find her brother, which brings her into contact with various characters and situations.

I cut the story short not to reveal the whole intrigue.
I love Bollywood movies, even if I must confess that I mainly watched colourful, joyful films, which made me dream, even without happy endings. If you do not understand what I mean, don't you suddenly desire to become a courtesan if you are sure to be as classy as Madhuri Dixit in Devdas, with her brilliant interpretation of Chandramukhi? Well, Fiza could not be more different.
We follow the story of a muslim family suddenly destroyed after sanguinolent confrontations between Muslims and Hindus. When you believe that it couldn't be more difficult to live without a son and brother, without even knowing if he is alive, you reach the part of the movie where everything turns even worse. It is difficult to me not to divulgue more, but I really don't want to ruin the surprise.

Fiza is a very emotional realization, part thanks to the incredible actors: touching, strong, heartbreaking, determinated,... the characters are moving and particularly credible. Remember that it isn't always the case when you live in cloud-cuckoo land, in other words when you decide to relax with Bollywood.
Honestly, I watched Fiza with eyes filled with tears... at best! At worst, I just couldn't stop crying: when people are not able to recognize their own family, when a mother's hope is ruined, when you realize that the fiction is certainly very close to the reality,...

To summarize: if you like Bollywood cute and naive, get off on your way ; if you are searching for a movie with a real substance, check this out as soon as possible! Personally, I am delighted by the powerful discovery.

Talk to you soon! :)

Bellyladies Night

Good morniiiiiiinnnggg!!!

Remember, several weeks ago, I wrote an enthusiastic article about an event, Le Week-End de la Danse Orientale: http://gloomy-san.blogspot.com/2012/03/le-week-end-de-la-danse-orientale.html (in French only, I know: my apologies! I will try to avoid French as much as possible but as it is my mother tongue, you won't escape it).

This event took place this weekend. At first I really wanted to attend some workshops (saidi, Bellywood, chaabi,... God, I no longer knew where to look), but unfortunately, I finally had no time enough to lose a whole day, because of my student's life and the future examinations. That's why I decided to attend the show: Bellyladies Night. I will not talk about every single performances; I hope you will content yourselves with those which made a deep impression on me.

The dancing evening began with Maëlle, who immediatly seduced everybody with her smile -and with her magnificent white outfit too, yes. Her dynamic performance was ideal to get into the swim of things. Nevertheless a weakness, only in my opinion: I appreciate raks el asaya with saidi, but the cane isn't a prop that I appreciate that much when it is included to a raks al sharki performance.

Annamma @ Spectacle Magic Orient

Who talks about Bellywood workshop insinuates the presence of a show in the colours of India. God knows how I love this country, its various dances, music and so on. So I of course waited for this moment with a growing impatience. And it didn't disappointed me! Raised in a masterly fashion by Annamma, the duet Uma & Annamma flung us in this Asian country with their interpretation of the famous song "Kannodu Kanbathellam", taken from the movie "Jeans" and originally played by Aishwarya Rai. These ladies were the first to fill my eyes with tears, but I couldn't tell you if it was out of melancholy or happiness. Both, I guess.

And suddenly happened the disappointment: I couldn't wait to see the gorgeous Belgian dancer Artemisia, but her passage was purely and simply cancelled. If I understood well, I think that she suffers from a knee pain. Shame on me, but health above all! It is only a question of time.

The next huge surprise was Jamila and her wild saidi on "El Baston". Saidi is one of my favourite styles, and I keep telling that I absolutely need to try! You know what? I've just found my teacher! No kidding, Jamila was absolutely impressive, and she spread as much cheerfulness as saidi asks. Wow, I wanted this moment to last longer!

The first part ended with Fatima and her students. With the girls, we dived in the depths of the Moroccan folklore. While watching them, I remembered some people who told me how chaabi was boring, in their opinion. Personally, I just wanted to slip a kaftan on to rejoin the circle. Amazing Fatima!

Fatima and her students @ Prague

The star of our evening, Farah, introduced the second part, catching every single heart in the audience. What could I say? This heightened feminity, this precision, this touching interpretation, not counting this formidable stage presence and the particular contact with the public, every good elements were gathered together to make the best of these -short- seven minutes. Farah is what we call a GREAT dancer!

Farah Bakkali

To watch her performance, just click on the following symbol: *

The show needed another belly dancer to continue, and we all knew how the challenge was major.
But Asrar brilliantly accomplished the mission! Firstly, she decided not to present another classic act, but favoured a gypsy atmosphere, very different from everything else in the Night. No need to say that it was to her advantage! I was glad to see her for another obvious reason: a student is always delighted to support her teacher, right? According to our lessons, I was sure that this moment would be filled with joie de vivre, and you know what? I was right!
Here is the link to her performance: *

After that, the lovely Johanna seduces her and the Wicked Mystic offered us our tribal fusion time, but my next true favourite was the Cie Zellidjah and their saidi -yes, another one- which gave us the will of jumping at the opportunity to stand up and dance! Once again, I realized how Jamila is excellent! I'll try to attend her workshop in July, if I find the favour of time :)

Asrar @ Bellydancer of the World 2011
© Ayman Shoala

To conclude, this event was absolutely worth coming, even without the wonderful Artemisia: great dancers, various performances enough, nice place (fortunately easy to find) and friendly atmosphere.
Congratulations to Zahra & the artists, teachers, everyone who made it possible!

As Zahra said: "See you next year, inchallah!"

Please notice that the pictures are neither mine, nor taken from the Bellyladies Night. If you are the author and you want me to remove your work, let me know: it will please me to follow your requierements.

Thinking about...

Today, I was skimming through the internet when my eyes met one of my favourite quotations:

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean ; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
~ Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 1869 - 1948

I grew up in a Christan family, where I was baptized, where I celebrated two communions and a faith confirmation: everything was purely traditional for my family, and as I was young, I did not have the opportunity to choose if I wanted to live these events or not. Living in such an environment, I never really thought about my own faith: everything appeared obvious to me. Until the age of thirteen, when time had come to celebrate the latest event: the confirmation.

There you are suppose to "confirm" the blessing you received during your baptism - the symbol of the Christian's new life - as it happens at an early age in various cases (for more details: *). I remember how I wasn't convinced by the idea: I thought it was too important to be just a "matter of principles", and since I began to have doubts about Catholicism and religion in general, I disagreed. But I was young and I eventually didn't have the choice.

©Anke Merzbach, http://www.bsw-art.com

After that, I quickly stopped believing. It wasn't a case of thoughtful rejection: it was only because everything I learned had lost its meaning. The child I was was sure; the teenager I was becoming distrusted. So I just gave up thinking about religion for a few years: I didn't feel concerned at all. From time to time I tried to remember how I felt previously, but I finally considered that it didn't come from me: as I told you, my family follows most of the Catholic traditions and when I was a little girl, it only seemed normal to me to do so. 

This refusal lasted several years.
But there I slowly left adolescence to enter adulthood. It made me become more conscious about our world and, thank heavens, less and less focused on myself. Opening the eyes wasn't as great as expected: no need to give more explanation, just read the newspaper, watch television news, stay open to the world you live in and sure you will understand! And for the first time, I felt like wanting to believe. Not by principles anymore, but by true faith: I wanted to find the strength to believe in something else / someone else, because more I was discovering (I especially had a real shock in 2009 which drives me on the way I am currently talking about), more I refused to see human being as the greatest strength existing. How could it be, considering how evil it can be?

And someday I read this quote, the one written at the beginning of the article. It lightened my day, and I am still able to see myself distinctly smiling, suddenly full of real happiness, smiling and saying aloud: "That is the answer I needed!". After all, "Every cloud has a silver lining", and I realized that there was no need to have the blues for once: nobody said that life was easy, and we all know that it is far from perfect.  But beside this fact, while beautiful things like friendship, laughter, hope and great minds exist, I deeply believe that it is worth living here. Great people exist, and they will ever exist, with their courage, their battles and very often their discretion.

I still do not know if I am a believer or not, but nevermind: I realized that there were tons of reasons on earth to smile and to fight for. It seems maybe obvious, but it has been an important step of my reconstruction. Coming across this quote today reminded me a lot of memories, that's why I decided to devote a space on this blog.

Good evening, Guten Abend, Bonne soirée, ערב טוב! :)

Battle Royale

Hi everybody!

I don't know if it is the same everywhere, but in my town, people are totally excited about "Hunger Games", currently in our cinemas. So excited that I needed to know more, curious as I am. This is what I read: in this dystopia which takes place in an destroyed America, the Capitol, an inquisitorial government, organizes every year a game, "Hunger Games", where teenagers between 12 and 18 years old are in confrontation until only one of them is left.

I won't go further: it doesn't interest me, and the reason is simple. If I pronounce the name "Battle Royale", does it evoke something?

Battle Royale is a 2000 Japanese action-drama-thriller film based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Koushun Takami. [...] The film tells the story of Shuya Nanahara, a high-school student struggling with the death of his father who is forced by the government to compete in a deadly game, where the students must kill each other in order to win. The film aroused both domestic and international controversy, and was either banned or excluded from distribution in several countries. *

I won't lie to you: you are talking to a huge fan of both the book and the movie.

I discovered this movie when I was 14, and I was immediatly amazed by the foolishness of this "game", organized by a government which fears its teens. How could you imagine your friends and acquaintances fighting to death during three days?

Every student receives a bag with some food and water plus a weapon (from the knife to the submachine gun). And then begins the violence: cruelty, trick, fear, suicides, but also kindness, friendship, love and some kind of innocence, because of the few people who hope to God to find a better solution, for better or for worse. This movie could actually be worth watching only for the fantastic performance of Takeshi Kitano as the cynical and desperate teacher. But there is more to discover beside him, so do not hesitate if you do not know it yet!
Oh, I just want to add something, ladies and gentlemen: as a French-speaking person, I beg my French-speaking readers to watch the movie in Japanese with the French (or whatever) subtitles. Trust me, the French dubbing is a pain in the neck, too far -even sometimes opposite to- the original dialogs.

Souma Mitsuko, interpreted by Shibasaki Kou

And if I already loved the movie, what could I say about the book? A pleasure! We sink into the darkness of the game itself, with the inhuman bets of its investigators about the potential winner, the circumstances which motivated them to set up the "battle royale", the image of a devastated country, and a criticism about the way of thinking: "every man for himself". We also discover deeper characters (in
the movie, I regretted that the main character was seen as a "saint" while almost all the others were becoming madder and madder) -even if they still are big clichés, as Kiriyama Kasuo, the brilliant young man but whose indifference makes him particularly cruel and awfully dangerous-, their thoughts and reactions which are suddenly easier to understand, but nevertheless disconcerting. And of course, if the violence of the images were already alarming, there is nothing compared to the violence of the words!

Masanobu Ando as Kiriyama Kasuo

But what I loved the most in the book was the black humour. Even in the worst situation, when for instance a student is in danger of death, Koushun Takami uses the right words, the special phrases which makes you bursting out laughing at the moment you didn't expected at all!

Let me remind you once again that "Battle Royale", the book, was released in 1999, the movie in 2000, and both of them had an international success, a decade before "Hunger Games".

By the way if you want a detailed advice about the differences between "Battle Royale" and "Hunger Games", please follow this link: http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/165895-the-hunger-games-vs-battle-royale-similarities-and-differences As I told you, I didn't see the movie, and I don't know the books, so I wouldn't be able to give my opinion.

Have a nice Sunday!

The land of milk and honey

Coming back to Belgium is always difficult, especially after living in such a powerful country. I went to Israel only for a week, but this was far enough to catch a part of me, this part which didn't accept to leave, lucky it! Now, I feel like it has been ages since I was there; but the stings on my arms remind me the marvellous day I had under the big sun of the magnificent Jaffa's old city, two days ago.

Jaffa (יפו), Wednesday 10th April 2012

This place, oh, this place! Israel is as warm as Belgium is cold, and I am not (only) talking about the weather.

Actually, I don't want to talk about my travel in details, with the towns I visited and so on. Going there was first of all important to me to know if, yes or no, I liked the country enough to be able to live there more than three months, for my next year internship abroad. See how my student life follows me everywhere!

Finally, I found out that I do not like the Holy Land: I simply love it!

Right now, I could name so many things I miss:

•  this sun, which warms or even inflames the heart as much the skin ;
•  the heterogeneous mix of the three main monotheist religions ;
•  the kipot (כיפות), pe'ot (פאות), shtreimlech (שטריימלעך), veils, etc. ;
•  the flags in the colours of Israel floating to the wind ;
•  hummus and falafels ;
•  Jaffa's orange juice ;
•  the practice of Hebrew with taxi drivers ("הו! את מדברת עברית!") ;
•  my precious gift ;
•  the predominant mutual assistance ;
•  the exciting, rich, endless discussions with Israeli people ;
•  the attempts of reading in front of every poster ;
•  discoveries and novelties which mark the face with childish enjoyment ;
•  "Well, where am I?" / "Ok, how am I supposed to do, now?": the changes of plan, the uncertainties, the time spent with huge question marks in the eyes ;
•  all the rest.

Jerusalem of Gold, ירושלים של זהב

 Only a week and a soul deeply touched.

Fortunately, I know perfectly that it is just a goodbye: I will be back soon.There I'll have new challenges to overcome. I feel glad and proud of having this luck: trust me, I won't miss it.

Until then, my friends, work is waiting for me. But it is worth it, it will be as well, and next time I'll leave this awesome land, I'll be stronger than I am right now.

ארץ ישראל, להתראות

ארץ ישראל

Leaving tomorrow for the Land of Israel ( ארץ ישראל ).

This week will be my very first time in this country, and I could hardly explain you how happy I am! Discovering new places is always such an enthralling experience, you know. And landing in this country, so small but so rich and complex, fills me with joy!

The next seven days are going to be short, but first of all full of experiences and happiness.

Back to you soon with tons of pictures!

שלום :)

© Nachman Hellman for israel365.co.il

Swiss Coach Crash, Wednesday 14 March 2012

My highest thoughts fly to you, sweethearts!

"Belgium has been plunged into mourning and two small Flemish communities devastated after a school skiing trip ended in tragedy when 22 children were killed in a coach crash in an Alpine tunnel.
Parents had been expected at the school gates in the Belgian towns of Heverlee and Lommel to collect their 11- and 12-year-olds on return from their holiday. Instead, they waited in grief, confusion and disbelief to learn if their children had died or were injured.
Of the 52 people on the coach that left the resort of Val D'Anniviers, in the Swiss canton of Valais near the Italian border, on Tuesday night, 28 were killed, the vast majority children. Two drivers and four teachers completed the death toll. Of the injured, three children are in a coma, Laurette Onkelinx, the Belgian health minister said.
The tragedy was the worst road accident involving Belgians since 1972 and was believed to be the worst in Switzerland. Driving through a 2.5km (1.5 mile) tunnel near the town of Sierre, in south-west Switzerland, around 9pm, the coach hit the kerb, spun out of control and veered head-first into the concrete cladding of an emergency layby. Pictures of the accident showed a tangled crushed mass of metal.
One girl who survived and spoke to her parents, according to the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, said she was pinned between seats and emerged with two broken legs and a broken arm.
At the St Lambert school in Heverlee, just outside the university town of Leuven east of Brussels, parents and relatives congregated desperate to learn of the fate of the children. Slowly it became clear that 16 had survived.
"You see tears of happiness in the parents learning that their children are still alive," said Dirk De Gendt, a priest waiting at the school. In Lommel, north of Leuven, parents learned that at least 14 of the primary school pupils on the bus had perished.
The reasons for the crash were unclear. No other vehicle was involved. The coach was said to be ultra-modern with various safety devices. It passed the Belgian equivalent of its MOT last October.
Didier Reynders, the Belgian foreign minister, said there was no other vehicle in the tunnel.Parents of the bereaved and injured flew to Geneva en route to the scene of the disaster and to the mortuaries and hospitals. Teams of psychologists and police disaster victim identification experts also travelled from Belgium to Switzerland.
Elio Di Rupo, the Belgian prime minister, called for a day of national mourning. "It's a black day for our country. All Belgians share our immense sadness," he said. "There are no words to describe how we feel."
Herman Van Rompuy, president of the council of the EU and a former Belgian prime minister, said: "What should have been a nice reunion for all these families has turned into a true tragedy."
If the catastrophe left Belgium in a state of stunned disbelief, the teams of Swiss rescue workers dealing with the aftermath of the crash were also said to have been severely shocked by what they encountered.
"I've got a 12-year-old daughter myself," said Claude Peter, head of the regional rescue service and one of the first people on the scene of the accident. "I was deeply affected to see injured and dead children of the same age.
"The children were no longer crying," he told the Flemish paper, De Standaard. "There was complete silence. They were all in shock. Everything was in ruins. For the rescue workers, too. Many of them burst out crying." "

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/14/swiss-coach-crash-belgium-mourns-22-children

סוף טוב הכול טוב

Hello folk,

Hebrew phrase as a title when the article has no link with the language nor the country. Whatever, I just like how it sounds, and the meaning ("All is well that ends well") is of course is relation with the subject. I am not used to this, but for once, I really need to write my thoughts publicly.

Well... Someday, you wake up with a weird feeling, quite unpleasant. Then you suddenly decide to glance at your past, and what you see seems horrible to you. That is what happened to me this morning.

What did I see in my past? Disillusionment, sadness, hurt flesh and broken heart, but above all a tragic waste of time. These last years, I learned that I really was the perfect "third person", the girl who is there when you need her, but you immediatly abandon as soon as you do not need her anymore. I learned that my dreams were unattainable; that people are always lovely when you share their advice, but leave angrily when your opinion diverges. Now, I realize that I used to live a life which wasn't mine, with a circle which didn't correspond to my own tastes. But I think that the worst to me is that I lost upright, precious friendships, what a foolishness! I made so many mistakes that when I think about them, I can do nothing but being ashamed, or even sincerely disgusted by myself. I wish I could definitly erase the last five years, so that I'll never hear about them anymore!

But okay, past owns to the past.  When I consider the present, I see a life, my life! And you know what? I love this life! Several months ago, I decided not to dream anymore, and the result is that I am finally proud of who I am. My future is exciting, because of the studies I am taking, the numerous projects I have, my next travel(s), my passions, etc. Plus I know at last who are the friends I can rely on, and I won't lose them, promised! Everything helps me to heal my mind and my heart, still painful, but in the process of recovery. It is long, it is difficult, but nevermind: it's worth it!

I wish you all people happiness and faith! Always remember what used to tell an awesome dream maker: "If you can dream it, you can do it!". Own your life and believe in you, everything's going to be allright! :)

“You need talent, luck, and persistence. Pick any two.”

Orit Maftsir

It seems like belly dance is becoming more and more popular, and guys, I am delighted about it! The problem comes when people -mainly girls- believe that this art is limited by shaking your bottom and wearing beautiful outfits. I recently had an “argument” (actually I still don’t understand why this chick became so upset, I don’t think I was rude) with someone, who calls herself an amateur, but holds on to perform on stage with professionals (with the awesome band Myrath from Tunisia, clandestine advertising, “Helloooooo”). When you have nothing to do on the stage, don’t go on the stage, that’s all. There is a time for everything, but first, you have to practice, practice and practice again. Normal, no?
I totally agree when people keep telling that belly dance is about feelings. Actually I confess that I tend to prefer dancers less experimented technically and who are able to give me a fright rather than the contrary. But focusing on feelings absolutely doesn’t mean that the technical aspect is forgotten.

When students first begin to learn belly dance, teachers often focus on technique: the correct way to do a hip lift, the correct way to do a shimmy, the correct way to isolate a hip circle, the best way to produce a fluid undulation, the correct way to layer a shimmy on top of other moves. Of course, technique is important. Bad technique can look sloppy or even cause injury. But technique alone is not enough. Dance is an art form, and art is all about expression, emotion, soul, and spirit.  © Shira

 There is too much to discover, too much to learn from belly dance (its history included) that it deeply saddened me to notice how some maniacs (duh, it sounds less rude in French, sorry!) take it easy. Art should be respected, and focusing on a beautiful outfit doesn’t make you a dancer. Remember that Isis wings never look fabulous if you can’t handle them!
You don’t need to become the next Samia Gamal, the next Dina, the next Orit Maftsir (the fabulous dancer on the pic, isn’t she gorgeous?), Rachel Brice or whatever: just respect.

Please note that I am not myself a professional:I practice and do my best. But belly dance has always been my favourite style, with all its varieties, its history, its evolution, everything! And I feel quite sad when neophytes has an erroneous vision of belly dance just because of negligence.

( פּוּרִים) Purim

Good evening!

Never too late to learn!
Tonight, thanks to my Hebrew course and its interesting newsletter, I received some information about a Jewish holiday called Purim (פּוּרִים). As you maybe already know, in my opinion, it could not be possible to learn a new language properly without being informed about the culture. So let's talk about Purim!

http://rebmottle.com/2011/03/purim-going-beyond-knowing/

Purim is celebrated during the Jewish month Adar (אֲדָר) ,told to be the happiest month in the Hebrew calendar. Why? The reason is obvious: it marks the frontier between the winter and the spring! As if to Purim itself, it commemorates a story told in the Book of Esther: the deliverance of the Jews from their destruction by the Persian Empire and King Haman, who ordered to get rid by the blood of all the Jewish people in the kingdom. The pretendous submissive queen, Esther, managed to change Haman's mind; last mentioned gave them more rights, but ended hung on a tree with his sons.
The day he passed away is now considered as the waited salvation, a day full of joy and happiness.

Purim Masquerade

 Since then, Purim is celebrated in a festive air, with gifts sent to friends, charity given to poor people, festive meal, and other traditions added over the years, as masquerading (probably brought by the Italian Jews), making noise with Ra'ashan (רַעֲשַׁן) * when Haman is mentioned while reading the book of Esther, or even eating a pastry called Hamantash  (אָזְנֵי הָמָן, ozney haman) *, which is supposed, by its three-cornered shape, to remind Haman's hat.









Purim appart, I liked the article I received for another reason:
you inevitably know that languages are often very different from one to another, words and meanings included. You maybe know that, for instance, Finnish people use several words to mention "snow" (lumi, lumentulo, sataneed lumen määrä,...). In Hebrew, it is the case for talking about happiness! Eight phrases! But such a beautiful state of mind does not deserve less, does it? I guess that I like this language even more now hehe!

Have a good night, and "Chag Same'ach" to all my Jewish friends, of course!

Le Week-End de la Danse Orientale

http://www.worldbellydanceday.be/

Moi qui croisais les doigts autant que possible pour avoir l'occasion d'assister à ce genre d'évènement, j'ai eu une excellente surprise pas plus tard qu'hier soir! Je sais, c'est scandaleux, mais je connais tellement peu mon propre pays que j'en oublie ce qu'il s'y passe. Enfin, par chance, ce fameux week-end consacré à la danse oriental n'est pas terminé: j'ai encore le temps de tout prévoir! Je suis tellement, tellement, tellement heureuse!!!!

Qui dit week-end oriental dit prestations et concours, naturellement, mais aussi -et surtout, de mon point de vue personnel- stages. Et les stages proposés ici sont suffisamment variés pour que chaque amateur et amoureux y trouve son compte! Du baladi au tribal, en passant par le chaabi ou encore par le bellywood, difficile de se mettre en tête qu'il faut se résoudre à faire des choix!

http://www.worldbellydanceday.be/

Comme j'ai décidé de me limiter impérativement à 3 stages, il ne me reste plus qu'à faire mes choix. Seule certitude: le stage Bellywood. Depuis que j'ai découvert la magie de Bollywood, avec ses couleurs, ses danses extraordinaires et ses morceaux merveilleux, il me tarde d'y goûter moi-même! Alors un mélange entre la danse orientale, si chère à mon coeur, et le fabuleux Bollywood? Il n'est même pas question un instant de même imaginer laisser passer cette occasion!

Bellywood mis à part, a priori, je me dirigeais vers le Raks el Assaya (duquel je suis tombée amoureuse en regardant danser la prodigieuse Orit Maftsir *) et le Chaabi. Sauf que... à mon avis, ça me ferait trop de nouveaux styles à peine effleurés en peu de temps, et ça serait dommage de perdre ce qui aura été appris ces jours-là. Donc plutôt que le Chaabi, je pensais privilégier les sagattes, cette fameuse tradition qui tend doucement à se perdre. Wait and see, comme disent les anglophones :)

En attendant, la perspective suffit à me combler de bonheur! 2012 promet d'être une année exceptionnelle, j'en suis tellement heureuse! Sur ce, bonne soirée à tous, et à bientôt!

Ah oui, et si naturellement quelqu'un parmi les lecteurs est également intéressé par le week-end en question, qu'il me fasse signe! :) Cheers!