Sunday – What A Day!

Busy busy weekend, with Sunday being the busiest for me.

The Italian Club (no, this is not a place to go and shake your boo-tay with the Godfather!), which was founded over a century ago, uniting together the Italian community of Tampa to overcome many of the social and economic challenges that confronted those “turn-of-the-century” immigrants from Italy, held an Italian festival.   Think singing, wine…….and FOOD!  There were easily over 100 booths selling food.

Sis and I went to go try it out.  When you get there you buy tickets and then exchange tickets for food at the various booths.  Well.  We started out with some yummy lamb (with risotto) as soon as we bought our tickets.  From there we proceeded to have – what else but – PASTA!  Herbed pasta, buttered pasta, pasta in red sauce, clam sauce, cream sauce, marinara sauce.  Beef…or no beef.  Chunky and smooth. Yummy for my tummy – al dente pasta.  Bow ties, linguini, spaghetti, ziti, angel hair, rotini, manicotti, shells, vermicelli, penne and rigatoni.  Hungry yet?  No?  Well then….. how about pizza, Eggplant fries, cookies, fried dough and strawberries dipped in chocolate.  Mango italian ices and fresh squeezed lemonade?  Ok.  Ribs?  paella?  Bruschetta?  Warm fresh mozzarella served over tomatoes and sprinkled with herb?  If NONE of THAT got your taste buds going  – you’re just not human!!

Fully stuffed, fat and happy….Sis and I headed for the car.  We passed an unusual store that I had never been in before.  Sis was dead tired and was all for passing it by and coming back another time – but I wanted to do a quick walk through.  It was ENORMOUS.  The store’s wares seemed to be divided by country:  China over there, Indonesia here, Israel just to the right…. So MUCH to look at!  Just as I was trying to decide which country was calling to me…….I got called to the Middle East by the sound of finger cymbals and drumming.  I headed for the back of the store since this is where the music was coming from.  I noticed what seemed to be a diaphanous curtain. partitioning off a piece of the store.  I followed the curtain around, and around again – to find the front of a stage!  On the stage were a group of women practicing belly dancing.

Sis was ready to sit down anyway, and I wanted to watch (because I have always wanted to belly dance), so we sat down and settled in.  There were very young girls – about the age of 10 – and much more mature women – around the age of 50 – and everything in between.  Some of them were garbed in traditional costumes with flowing sheer fabric, scarves edged with coins, balloon pants, beaded tops and finger cymbals.  Some were in sweat pants and a t-shirt.  Each one took a turn to practice her individual routine.  It was interesting to watch all the different styles and to see what each one excelled at.  There were a couple of woman that REALLY had the long snake-like body undulation down pat!  And some could REALLY work those hips!  And some could mesmerize with the twirling and finger cymbols.  Each dancer was as individual as a snowflake.

The next “exercise” in their class (for this was a class, I found out) was to dance in pairs.  One dancer started.  After dancing solo for a few moments, she would beckon to one of the others who would then join her.  They would dance together for a few moments and then dancer #1 would sit while the other dancer continued solo.  They she, in turn would beckon to another dancer….and the process began again.  The idea was to teach the dancers to communicate with each other and the musician(s).

The younger dancers were technically proficient, but they didn’t communicate with each other.  They didn’t even look at each other.   Still, they were cute and young and slim….and the performance was enjoyable.  But when the more mature women danced – it was really something special. 

They were not young and they did not have those young “hardbodies”.  Their hair was touched with grey and their technical skills wer a little sloppy.  But they looked each other directly in the eyes.  They danced WITH each other.  No…they danced TO each other.  Their bodies moved together, even when they went in different directions.  They were not so much sexy as sensual.  They had genuine smiles – not pasted on performer smiles.They moved freely and flowed.  I was totally transfixed. 

I always knew that belly dancing performances were greatly enjoyed by men.  I enjoy watching a belly dancing performance as well – I enjoy all types of dance.  But I must convess – I was captured.  It was so beautiful to watch.  Anyone who thinks that only the young “beautiful people” can be……..well …….beautiful – is mistaken.  That was gorgeous, heartfelt and really showed off the Mother Earth side of women.

Yes. I liked it.  (In case you didn’t understand what I said up there^)  So yes……..maybe Ms. Wolf IS a freak!

However, I was quickly brought back down to earth when I had to come home and spray the weeds in my lawn with my dad.  We had a system.  I walked through the yard pointing out weeds – he sprayed my toes.  It seemed to work well for him.  For me………not so much.

Well – gotta go figure out what to do with my little freak-niks tomorrow…..so I guess I’ll close here.  But before I get to my freak-niks – I’m getting out that belly dancing instruction tape in my closet………