Gilded Serpent presents...
Mining for Gold in the Gilded Serpent Archives
Geo

Articles From or About Countries Outside of North America.- over 30 so far!
[Last updated 2-07]
North America coming soon
!

Algeria
Afganistan

Australia

Brazil
Canada
China
Egypt
England
France
Germany

Greece
Iceland
India
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy

Lebanon
Luxembourg
Morocco
Nepal
Norway
Russia
Scotland
Singapore

Spain
Sudan
Syria
Taiwan
Tibet
Turkey
Yemen

Algeria
Touareg7-5-06 Sheikka Rimitti, Queen of the Rai by Linda Grondahl
Unlike most of the music that we are familiar with from the Middle East that are usually unrequited love songs or patriotic love of country songs, the rai songs are about drinking, suicide, suffering, colonialism, poverty, exile, homesickness, corruption and the passion and pain of actual love making.

5-29-06 Traveling to Tizi Ouzou by Linda Grondahl
When I was in high school, I was fascinated by some of the names I read about when studying world geography.

11-17-05 Traveling with the Touareg by Linda Grondahl
This was my 5th trip to Algeria since 2000 and I have been amazed at the rapid economic development. The government is working very hard to make Algeria a very popular tourist destination once again.

Afganistan
11-15-02 Dancing again in Afghanistan By Qan-Tuppim
As I had suspected, Afghan women belly dance.

Australia
10-5-06 From the Land Down-under, Part 3: More of Our West Coast Dance Adventure by Trisnasari
"Hi, I'm Suhaila's mum; I hear you Underbelly girls are good zillers!"

9-12-06 From the Land Down-under, Part 2: Northeast and Canada by Trisnasari
What is happening in Australia, is also happening in America.

7-31-06 From the Land Down-under, Part I: The Festival by Trisnasari of Melbourne, Australia
In the wings, before we hit the festival stage, Andrea whispered to Mel and I, “Well, this is our first international performance!”

3-14-06 Hosting Australia’s Leonie and Alpen Sukan by Samiya
What was going to be another dance choreography workshop weekend turned into a weekend of dancing and drumming. It is now over year later, and people are still talking about that weekend.

9-25-04 The Ramzy Tour of 2003, photos provided by Hossam and Serena
Photos from:Brazil, Brisbane, MaryBorough, Wellington, London, Singapore and Tibet? Readers- please help us with matching names to these faces!

10-31-03 Workshop in Perth, Australia-Hossam & Serena Ramzy's International Tour August 8th - 12th, 2003 report by Ayesha
Hossam’s presentation requires the student to listen – and I mean LISTEN.

Brazil
9-25-04 The Ramzy Tour of 2003, photos provided by Hossam and Serena
Photos from:Brazil, Brisbane, MaryBorough, Wellington, London, Singapore and Tibet? Readers- please help us with matching names to these faces!

3-27-03 Belly Dance in Brazil by Thania
...they are trying to organize a Code of Ethics

2-28-02 Shahrazad and I By Thania
Anyone who wants to tell about Brazil and belly dance must refer to her.

Canada
5-18-07 A Report on the First International Bellydance Conference of Canada Part One- Lectures, Workshops, Panel Discussions by Diane Adams Photos by Lynette
April 18-22, 2007 Toronto, Ontario. Hosted by Yasmina Ramzy of Arabesque Academy in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, this International Bellydance Conference of Canada, the first ever on the Canadian dance scene, proved to be one of the top dance experiences in this reviewer’s 30-year career.

China
12-14-00 Troupe Tabu goes to China! by Nanna

.It should be noted that somewhere between passing the audition and performing, it was announced that three out of four dancers in the group (not including myself) were pregnant.

Egypt
4-14-07 Randa Kamal in Cairo The Photos of Susie Poulelis
I was fortunate to travel to Cairo on business in April '06, and managed to take some time to see a few sights and, at least, one dance performance: Randa Kamal at the Marriot Zamelek's Empress Nightclub

7-13-07 Easter in Cairo by Peppina
She is so strong and powerful and beautiful and intense. Even the not-so-stylish costumes she used to wear didn't take anything away from her.

8-16-06 What Middle Eastern Audiences Expect from a Belly Dancer by Leila
Audiences in the Middle East, especially Egyptians, see bellydancing as something to be participated in, critiqued, and loved (or hated) with gusto.

12-30-06 I Dance; You Follow by Leila
As Westerners interested in an Eastern dance form, we might want to ask ourselves if we are missing certain critical aspects of Raqs Sharki because we are not open to Eastern teaching methods.

12-26-06 Teaching at the 2006 Ahlan Wa Sahlan Cairo Festival by Leyla Lanty
Performing on teachers' night is a good way for new teachers to attract more students to their classes.

11-17-06 Interview with Safaa Farid by Leila
These days there are times I feel I've seen everything an Egyptian dancer can do in the first five minutes of her show. She doesn't change. But foreigners study the dance very hard and they put much time into their show so that is it interesting for a whole hour.

10-18-06 “The Bellydancers of Cairo” An interview with filmmaker Natasha Senkovich by Betsey Flood
As a maid you can find yourself in compromising positions—not good situations for a woman to be in—but in Egypt, it is considered so much better than being a dancer

8-9-06 A Meeting with Hallah Moustafa, Haute Couture Costume Designer in Cairo by Milena Miklos
I’d heard there was an American costume-maker living in Cairo, but her clients prefer to keep her name a secret.

6-27-06 Om Kalthoum, The Voice of Egypt by Yasmin
She was without contest the most well-known singer of the Arab world. She was also the most influential woman of her time in the Middle East.

5-2-06 Cairo '05, How to Eat, Drink, Sleep, and Breathe Raqs Sharqi, Part 4of 4 The End of the Trip by Andrea
We were hooted and hollered at countless times, passed an angry bunch of men arguing about Allah-knows-what, women with large bundles balanced on their heads, people in the stores and on the street trying to sell us stuff, but we were safe! 

3-23-06 Cairo '05, How to Eat, Drink, Sleep, and Breathe Raqs Sharqi, Part 3 of 4-Current Cairo Happenings
by Andrea,
You could say that Aleya and I are burning the candle at both ends and enjoying every moment! Our priorities are three: take lessons, buy costumes, and watch shows.

3-5-06 Cairo 2005 How to Eat, Drink, Sleep, and Breathe Raqs Sharqi, Part 2 of Four-Dance Lessons by Andrea
In Egypt, if a woman is only going to wear one item of make-up, it will be black eyeliner.

2-14-06 Cairo 2005 How to Eat, Drink, Sleep, and Breathe Raqs Sharqi, Part 1 of Four, by Andrea
Today is an historical day in Egypt! The first “real” election with actual opposition candidates is taking place. I’m trying to stay abreast of this important event from TV news, but the American and British news sources barely talk about it.

9-28-04 A Subjective View of Raqia's Cash Cow The AWS Festival 2004, Part 1 by Andrea
First, she came out as a snake, then entered wearing a melaya, next, as a caged lion.  Her performance was very entertaining.

3-7-06 Streets of Cairo- Egyptian Rhythm, Language and Dance by Keti Sharif
Cairo's streets are much like its dance – streams of freestyle movement guided by intuition rather than rules. There are no 'principles' as such in both circumstances – it’s the organic-ness of Egyptian life that creates order in chaos.

9-16-05 Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2005, Cairo a review and diary by Leyla Lanty
On Monday night, the opening gala was a great success in all senses of the word! It was one of the best large scale events I've attended.

9-14-05 Behind The Nile Group Workshops in Cairo by Zeina
How absurd it sounds! How could we, in a small country that a lot of people couldn’t even locate on a world map, compete with her enormous festival in Cairo?

1-9-06 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 9 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

12-3-05 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 8 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

9-5-05 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 7 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

7-5-05 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 6 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

9-12-04 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 5 of 9 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

9-12-04 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 4 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

8-8-04 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 3 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

5-16-04 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 2 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

2-11-04 Sirat Al-Ghawazi, Part 1 by Edwina Nearing
Begun in the mid-1970's , the early sections of "Sirat Al-Ghawazi" were first published under the title "The Mystery of the Ghawazi." We are happy to be able to respond to the continued demand for these articles by making them available to our readers worldwide.

7-21-04 Leila, An American Dancer in Cairo by Catherine Barros,
She would walk into these huge ballrooms filled with thousands of people with a huge stage in the middle of the room while television cameras on cranes are taking note of everything.

6- 8-04 Nagwa Sultan: Cairo Soul by Edwina Nearing
Like a number of other Egyptian dancers who retired in the early ‘90s, Nagwa couldn't turn her back on the dance world entirely, however tarnished the glitter had become.

1-3-04 Khairiyya Mazin Struggles to Preserve Authentic Ghawazi Dance Tradition by Edwina Nearing
But when Khairiyya Mazin retires, one of the most distinctive traditions of Ghawazi dance may come to an end.

12-16-03 Egypt 2003 by Zahraa
The winner was also the worst dressed dancer. Her name is Ronda and she has the reputation of being too cheap to invest in a quality costume.

6-29-03 Photos from the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival, The Opening Night Gala by Tahseen Alkoudsi and Shira
held at the Mena House Oberoi Hotel on June 10-17, Cairo, Egypt. More promised!

6-16-03 Breaking News from the Ahlan wa Sahlan 2003 in Cairo reported by Shira
The flavor of the instruction and dancing are very different from that offered by the U.S. festivals, and it offers an exciting opportunity for immersion in the Egyptian dance arts.

4-18-02 Egyptian Travels after 9/11 by Scheherezade
I feel safer there on the streets than any place in the U.S.

9-22-01 Raqia Hassan's Dance Festival (Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2000) By Latifa
Then my dance idol, Suhair Zaki, walked in, creating eddies of excitement that ran through the crowd.

9-24-00 Cairo's Costume Disasters by Leyla Lanty
Tacky, Bizarre, and Surprising Costumes Worn by Cairo's Stars of Oriental Dance

10-18-01 My Taxi Ride in Egypt after 9-11 by Fred Glick
And as we reach my destination, he asks me to tell America that he is sorry, that Egyptians, they are sorry.

3-20-01 Eating in Cairo (Part 2) by Fred Glick
You splash da'a on your koshary like a real Egyptian. Perhaps you've even learned how to pronounce da'a. You've had fuul for breakfast and laughed in the face of many an expensive buffet. But all the feelings of superiority aside, you're beginning to feel the need for something, well, different.

12-23-00 FLASH FROM CAIRO- RAIN! by Fred Glick
The pre-dawn call to prayer, bustling souqs and the constant reminders that everything, from the continuing supply of water to the arrival of the taxi at my destination, is at the pleasure of Allah.

3-22-00 Dining in Cairo by Fred Glick
One of the wonderful things about Egyptian food is that there is something for everyone.

12-2-04 My Vision of the Desert Archidance by Piper Reid Hunt, Ph.D.
I had heard about trance dancing before, but had never seen it in an authentic context.

12-30-99 Rhea's Adventures -continues "Egyptian Dance Festival--Intrigue & Chaos" Part 2
"Strike!" I cried, and we all stood up and marched to the bus!

10-6-99-Rhea's Adventures-Egyptian Dance Festival--Intrigue & Chaos
I was intrigued when an envelope from Cairo, Egypt, arrived at my studio in Athens, Greece

8-20-99 Rhea's Adventures!- Mt. Sinai by Rhea Likouri of Athens
...we donned tablecloths after dinner to dance to whatever they had on hand that could be blown into or beat upon...

6-30-05 Ahlan wa Sahlan 2005 Begins by Shira
Shira is back at Raqia's Cairo festival again this year. Many improvements noted!

6-16-04 Egypt Travel Health Checklist by Shira
Here is a packing checklist that may help you anticipate your own needs.

6-28+ -04 Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival 2004-Intro Travel Journal by Shira
Middle Eastern dance artists and students from throughout the world attend this event to immerse themselves in instruction by leading Egyptian instructors, shop for costumes and other supplies offered by Egyptian vendors, and enjoy the gala shows featuring top Egyptian dancers. Check back for regular updates!
First Two Days
Day 3: First Look at Egyptian History
Day 4: More Egyptian Monuments and First Dance Show
Day 5: Shop-portunities and Whirling Dervishes POSTED 7-9-04
Day 6: The Festival Begins POSTED 7-17-04
Day 7: Classes and Free Time POSTED 7-17-04
Day 8: Side Trips, Part 1: Gayer Anderson Museum POSTED 7-25-04
Day 8: Side Trips, Part 2: The Parisiana 7-26-04

Day 9: The Evening Show posted 11-12-04
Day 10: Classes and the Sphinx Speaks posted 11-22-04
Day 11: Camels, Class, & Competitions posted 12-15-04

5-3-02 Uschi and Akhram's Villa on the Red Sea, Interviewed by GS Staff
Uschi also shares her pictures from the June 2001 Cairo Festival

 

England
4-3-05 The London Belly Beat! by Alexandria
They have nothing against tribal or fusion styles and seem to enjoy all belly dance.

2-3-05 From Rags to Rhinestones by Dolores
I am most proud of having taken up dance later in life and having become an acclaimed professional-level performer.

9-25-04 The Ramzy Tour of 2003, photos provided by Hossam and Serena
Photos from:Brazil, Brisbane, MaryBorough, Wellington, London, Singapore and Tibet? Readers- please help us with matching names to these faces!

12-27-03 Getting Shagged on Virgin Atlantic by Kayla Summers
This is about a trip that took two days but never went anywhere.

6-16-03 Rainy Night in London Town by Justine Merrill
That’s how after a day at the Tower of London, I found myself navigating the Edgware district after dark, in the fog and light rain, looking for dinner. Christina trailed behind me, feet dragging, whiney and hungry, but hanging on after a full day or of walking.

France
5-10-05 Making New Musical Inroads in France and Ireland by Mark and Ling Shien Bell
Helm takes Rhythm Diatribes Workshops to Europe, series continues...

7-14-99 Leila Haddad's Dance Mission by the Gilded Serpent staff
...But Leila never has considered moving to a place where the social climate might be more open. As she puts it, "my story is France."

Germany
10-17-06 Judging in Germany, The Summer Festival and the International Raks Sharqi Contest 2006 by Dondi S. Dahlin.
photos by Klaus Rabien, Berlin, Germany. "It is also an easy out for judges who need to find a reason to drop a dancer’s score…especially if the competition is tough."

Greece
5-19-00 An Interview of Rhea of Athens, Greece, by Phaedra Ameerah
(This interview has been edited and reprinted with permission.)

Iceland
5-27-06 Bellydance in Iceland by Sabah
Recently, I was able to witness first hand how truly global the world of bellydance has become. Dances of the Middle East and North Africa are no longer a mystery and unknown “exotic” style of dance.

India
3-8-04 Hindu Extremists Riot at Belly Dance Show by Michelle
At the time, I was beginning to understand that this was a potentially dangerous and explosive situation. But I had no way of knowing how much danger I was really in.

1-13-05 The Grand International Bellydance Tour or How We Fled India at Midnight, Eluding Our Captors and Evading our Go-Go-Dance Responsibilities. or What Would Fifi Do? by Michelle and Sandra
It may not have been such a problem for us had the prostitutes not been posing as bellydancers!

1-11-06 Return to India – This Time it’s Personal! by Michelle and Sandra
We thought that the misfortunes associated with our previous performance tours of India were simply anomalies in the blissful and glamorous world of dancing overseas.

9-23-99 Living in India- "Beggars" by Fred Glick
There's a new group of pavement dwellers living on the median near the market.

8-20-99 Living in India- "I Wake from a Dream ..." by Fred Glick
No road trip would be complete without hourly sightings of horrible accidents or their remains.

7-3-99
Living in India- "Indian Demolition" by Fred Glick
Carrying 8-12 bricks on your head up three flights of stairs while wearing a sari ...


5-27-99 Living in India #1-"Bureaucracy" by Fred Glick
The bureaucracy here is amazing......

Iran
7-28-00 The Persian Soul of the Music of Sima Bina by Yasmela
So there she was, a beautiful Iranian woman with an all-woman band!

Iraq
12-26-04 Undercover Belly Dancer in Iraq- “THAAWUMPFF” by Meena
The women who work in the Ministry are brave women. At first they looked at me with suspicion, not sure of my ethnicity. I sometimes get thanked when they realize that I share the Arab blood.

10-14-04 Undercover Belly Dancer in Iraq by Meena
My name is Meena. Until a month ago, I was a professional belly dancer in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ireland
5-10-05 Making New Musical Inroads in France and Ireland by Mark and Ling Shien Bell
Helm takes Rhythm Diatribes Workshops to Europe, series continues...

Israel
9-5-06 Eilat Oriental Dance Festival, January 2006 - Report by Sophie,
Photos by Gali Tibon
As my friends' car was making its way through the desert, the sense of anticipation, mixed with excitement, was growing inside me.

6-20-05 The 2005 Eilat Festival, My Fete in Israel by Orit
This was the first professional festival of its kind in Israel. Despite its being overwhelmingly exhausting and loaded with material, the celebrating continued in the lobby, well into the night, with endless conversations and the exchange of tales.

5-4-04 Belly Dance in Israel by Orit Maftsir
Belly dancers are the hottest trend at the moment, unlike the totally frozen attitudes towards the Arab culture in Israel.

Italy
10-1-05 Interview with Maya Gaorry of Italy, Talks about Size, Fat, and American dancers, by Lucy Lipschitz
Before there was no rule on how big dancers should be, and now it’s changing. Changing everywhere.

9-30-99 I was driving home early Monday morning…By Tanja Waadi, Italy
I had had an arrangement to meet my man, my beloved whom, for a number of reasons, I cannot see often.

12-14-00 My Visit to Dancers of the South by Tanja
It is a place with no address...

Lebanon
9-7-06 Amani's Oriental Festival 2006: June 20-25, 2006 by Beverley Joffe
Delving into Oriental Culture, Dance and Surviving Israeli Military Attack.

9-30-05 My Experience With Amani’s Oriental Festival by Beverley Joffe
Lebanon, June 14-19, 2005.
Amani placed strong emphasis on the folklore and identity of Oriental Dance when compiling the program and offered touring to assist in blending technique with emotion.

3-26-05 “My Aim in Organizing a World-inclusive Oriental Dance Festival” by Amani
Dancer Amani of Lebanon Comments, "Oriental dancing has become a widespread art; it is now found all over the world, and among all levels of society in all the five continents! "

Luxembourg
5-17-06 Making New Musical Inroads in Luxembourg 2005 by Mark and Ling Shien Bell
Helm takes Rhythm Diatribes Workshops to Europe. It was extremely educational for us to watch the learning process in three very diverse regions.

Morocco
3-9-02 Images of Morocco by Susie Poulelis
pictures from a trip in January '02...

12-14-00 Curly Black Hair, Eyes Like Black Pearls by Tanja
At a certain point a fake horse was brought out...

Nepal
8-28-03 Dance Journey to Nepal, Part 2 by Daleela
The music had suddenly changed pitch from regular speed to very fast speed.

7-8-03 Dance Journey to Nepal by Daleela
I will never forget Nepal and the dance adventures we encountered. They will remain etched in my mind forever. What I found most amazing is how much I learned about Middle Eastern dance going to Asia.

Norway
7-24-03 1001 Nights Oslo Belly Dance Festival, The Show May 2 - 4, 2003 by Lunacia
The festival began with a show at Oslo Concert Hall, and this year's guest star was Lulu Sabongi from Brazil, who opened this year's show.

Russia
11-6-03 Nour: A Biography by Ekaterina
This dance, having its own rules, was like the flight of a soul, especially for one who sees dance as art and not just personal exhibitionism.

Scotland
12-27-00 Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2000 with Troupe Dhyanis
by Dhyanis
The rough and ready Scots do love a party! No coincidence then that they host the world’s
largest performing arts festival in their capitol city of Edinburgh each August.

Singapore
9-25-04 The Ramzy Tour of 2003, photos provided by Hossam and Serena
Photos from:Brazil, Brisbane, MaryBorough, Wellington, London, Singapore and Tibet? Readers- please help us with matching names to these faces!

10-25-03 Hossam & Serena Ramzy's International Tour, Photos from the Workshop in Singapore held on July 4-7, 2003
This was both a challenge and a great learning experience, clearly illustrating the differences between prerecorded and live music for amateur and professional dancers alike.

Spain
3-14-07 Morgana's Animal Magnetism, Interview with Morgana of Madrid by Surreyya
After seeing Morgana’s Serpent Dance, where she embodies the personality of the serpent, I was hooked. Any snake lovers or snake dancers will have a special appreciation for this piece.

10-12-06The Soltice Festival, Belly Dance in Spain- Part 2, Photos by Lynette
held June 23-26, 2006. Part Two- The Evening Show, Event organized by Maria Cresswell of Tribal Girona at Sanctuari Els Arcs, Girona, Spain. A medieval hostelry with a chapel, set in the beautiful volcanic natural park of La Garrotxa near the picturesque village of Santa Pau.

10-11-06 The Soltice Festival, Belly Dance in Spain- Part 1, Photos by Lynette
held June 23-26, 2006. Part One- Workshops and Setting, Event organized by Maria Cresswell of Tribal Girona at Sanctuari Els Arcs, Girona, Spain. A medieval hostelry with a chapel, set in the beautiful volcanic natural park of La Garrotxa near the picturesque village of Santa Pau.

9-6-05 Making New Musical Inroads in Spain by Mark and Ling Shien Bell
Helm takes Rhythm Diatribes Workshops to Europe, series continues...

7-31-00 The Dancers of the Infidel Emperor by Kirk Templeton
Did you know that Belly Dancers played a significant role in the life and destiny of a great European monarch?

Sudan
11-03-01 Adventures by the Nile, Part 2, by Rhea
Return to a Changed Sudan

10-15-01 Rhea's Adventures by the Nile, part 1
I guess every belly dancer's dream is to dance in a five star hotel in the Middle East.

Syria
8-1-06 Rhea’s Travel to Syria, Part 5 –Sex and the Single Girl by Rhea of Athens
The Trials and Travails of a Lone Female Traveler

5-10-06 Rhea’s Travel to Syria …PART 4 – Damascus
If you try to show what basically decent people Americans are, you will be run over like a wild coyote. Leave your manners at home and take on theirs.

12-4-04 Rhea’s Travel to Syria … Part 3– Surrounded by Men in the Airport
Clever girl, eh? You think it’s the first time I’ve traveled alone in the Middle East?

10-1-04 Rhea’s Travel to Syria … Part 2 – The Airport Nightmare
Too bad they didn’t have any friends in America.

8-25-04 Rhea's Travels to Syria, Part 1, The Delusion is Shattered
It looked like a Middle Eastern attempt at Las Vegas and Disneyland, upscale discotheques where attractive Moldavian that aforementioned familiar tributary, than go on to another one.

Taiwan
6-6-06 The Bellydance Scene in Taiwan Toss Hair Dance by Eugenia
The women were much more skillful than I expected: just 3 years ago, nobody in Taiwan really knew anything about Bellydance.

Tibet
9-25-04 The Ramzy Tour of 2003, photos provided by Hossam and Serena
Photos from:Brazil, Brisbane, MaryBorough, Wellington, London, Singapore and Tibet? Readers- please help us with matching names to these faces!

Turkey
10-24-06 Adventures in Turkey 2006 by Michelle Joyce, photos by Michael Baxter
I am not exaggerating when I say that Sandra actually threw herself into Bella's arms and wept when she first laid eyes on her.

4-29-05 Bargaining for Injeers by Kayla Summers
Bargaining is not just about the money, although that is a qualifier. Bargaining is a medium in which two strangers can have a conversation. Turks love to bargain, and it may be how they get to know you...

9-17-04 A Rug Story by Justine
Rug stores are interesting, the salesman know an amazing information about rugs. Rug men tend to be well educated and full of interesting conversation.

2-16-04 Turkish Shop 'til you Drop by Justine Merrill
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is the Mother of all shopping malls and covers over fifteen acres.

2-12-04 Hamam 5 by Kayla Summers
"Take me to a hamam," I begged. She took me to the Besiktas Hamam.

11-6-03 Of Hamams and Bathing by Justine Merrill
The attendants giggle while dumping scalding hot water on the screaming, howling clients.

10-11-03 Orient House Istanbul by Justine Merrill
Despite fears about our security from friends, everywhere we went in Turkey, we met with nothing but perfect friendliness and assistance.

9-29-03 Azad's Mother's Kitchen by Kayla Summers
I could see her mom doing the mental calculations of where to put everyone while she discussed with Azad the doubtful wisdom of this impromptu rendezvous.

8-5-03 Kayla’s Travel Journal, The Prince Islands, Istanbul by Kayla Summers
One picture that caught my eye was that of a dark virgin, named Mirtidiotissa

5-9-03 Kayla's Travel Journal Continues--Hamam III by Kayla Summers
At that point the steward says "now" and you jump off.

2-1-03 How I came to Turkey by Kayla Summers
There are few people more cynical than I, but I maintain that I saw what I saw. Dada will not confirm or deny the incident; he just laughs.

12-20-02 “Kayla, the Beach Girl, Tree Dweller”, Kalbak Beach by Kayla Summers
...picture yourself on a guru orange air mattress, ever so gently floating atop a crystal clear turquoise ocean ...

10-14-02 Kayla's Travel Journal- "The Turkish Flim-Flam Man" by Kayla Summers
...foodstuffs still glued on, --no black marks from any recent explosion,--I believed it to be “working”...

10-3-02 Kayla;s Travel Journal- Turkish Bath/Hamam 2 by Kayla Summers
Some of the men joked: …if I really wanted to... but I opted out.

8-14-02 Kayla’s Travel Journal -Ferry to Kadikoy; Kayla’s Furniture Safari by Kayla Summers
Muslim women in full dress (but no mask) were “high fiving” each oth
er,

7-19-02 Kayla in Turkey, (A Daily Journal) Turkish Bath House (Hamam 1) April 22, 2002
All my Turkish girl friends, had of course been to Hamams, but only in their youth,

5-25-02 A New Series! Kayla’s Travel Journal-Turkey
Episode#1 The Honey Hunt by Kayla Summers
“He may not have it”, since it was rare and very expensive.  Off I went. 

Yemen
10-5-01 DANCING IN YEMEN by Jalilah Part 2 - EL AROUS
I had been to many Middle Eastern weddings before, but none were as visually
impressive as the ones I attended in Sanaa, Yemen.
Jalilah's recommend reading list just added-10-24-01

3-20-01 Living in Yemen, Part I - Tafruta by Jalilah (Lorraine Zamora Chamas)
A simple question was all they needed to get them into motion!


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