Her class also included learning how to make hummus and Turkish coffee. She ordered falafel and gyros from her favorite restaurant and even had the baklava flown in from a bakery in Michigan that is owned by the same bakery she frequents when in Beirut.
As an extra bonus, she also arranged for some Arabic music and bellydancing.
Now picture this. Small college classroom. Six participants - 5 women and my SP. We've had no alcohol. And a woman dressed just as these women are performs two feet from us. One song, we could take it. There was really no place to put your eyes, so I was trying to watch her feet. The second song? She was dancing with a very long scarf, which she tossed to the side. Then? She had on long gloves, one of which was taken off and again thrown to the side. Those tassels on the bra? Circles. I now know where this woman has moles, and this is not knowledge I care to have. The discomfort in the room? Unbelievable. We weren't sure when the clothes shedding was going to stop! I think my SP was just moments from rifling through my purse for the $1's. Just when we thought the pain was over, she proceeds to dance to one more song! Both the woman next to me and my husband were trying to hide behind my chair. The creepiness factor was unbelievable!
At the end of her dancing, she proceeded to tell us the history of bellydancing. Apparently, this woman even went to Egypt to perfect her art. Of course, she then proceeds to tell us that the Egyptians would consider the dances she just performed to be a lot like pole dancing. Go figure.I'm going to venture to guess, if this professor holds the class again next year, she will either ditch the dancer, or she will serve alcohol!
9 comments:
When we were in Egypt last year we got to see first hand how darn sexy these belly dancers were - wow is all I can say!!!
I would have had a hard time containing my laughter at the dancing. It's SO not my thing...
ooh. the lebanese. quite a sexy lot.
no worries. i can practically guarantee you won't see the likes of that in your daily life. eek.
Cocktails might have helped or maybe just a short video would have been sufficient.
I was uncomfortable just READING this. I would have died. My husband, on the other hand, would have packed our bags and moved us to Lebanon.
This professor somehow thought eating falafels and watching a belly dancer was going to help you live in an arab culture? Wow, is all I can say. That's certainly not any information that will be helpful.
I don't if drinking would help. Depending on where in the arab world you are, alcohol is not permitted. My cousin was under contract to the American military and in order to get a beer he would have to pay a black marketeer and drive out into the desert. There in the middle of nowhere stood a refrigerator (not plugged into anything) filled with the beer he had "ordered".
I'm sure there are some readers who could help you better with tips on living abroad in an arab culture.
- Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife
OH MY - that is crazy! Awkward experience, but at least a very funny story!
a friend of mine took belly dancing lessons... she said it was great exercise!
LOL that is classic! Poor you.
Wait until you go shopping in Cairo and see the 'peep-show' attire that they sell in every mall - it is tradition to buy sexy underwear for the bride as a wedding gift.. weird when you notice all the women in the shop are head to toe covered..
Sounds like your instructor was preparing you for Cairo! Egyptians are good people. Very proud hosts, very friendly. Many professional belly dancers are foreigners. Some are good at the art - some are the pole dancer variety. The Jordanians I have met have struck me as very similar, although I have not yet been to Jordan. Hopefully one day. Can't wait to read about your adventures there.
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