Seattle, Mid to late August

[ozma]

In what has become my yearly return to the homeland/American Culture shock, I will be in Seattle from August 15th to the 26th staying with friends.

I will bump this thread up closer to the actual dates, but I have officially started to plan my 10 days of regular English use! Wheeeeee! This involves figuring out what I want/need to buy, want/need to eat (MEXICAN FOOD! AMERICAN BREAKFAST FOOD! No sushi! Nooooo sushi!) which of my friends are going to be in town...and how many Morrocan restaurants they are willing to eat at and...of course... the rest of the bellydance stuff.

So, workshops/performances I should know about? Fabric/supply stores? Costumes I can take off your hands? Drinks?

[Lucinia]

Ummmmmmm drinks?

[ozma]

Originally Posted by Lucinia

Ummmmmmm drinks?

Uuuuuuuum, opportunities to imbibe adult beverages while engaging in conversation with Bhuzards local to Seattle?...that sort of drinks.

[Mirabai]

Ozma,
I'd love to meet up with you to imbibe or quaff a few ... or a whole slew ... of ... best stop while I'm ahead ... only the great late Dr. Seuss could pull that one off!

Anyway. I will be out of town and away from Bhuz beginning the first of August, darn that wedding stuff, and honeymoons! I'll shrivel up and die without Bhuz! I'll be back on the 15th, though, and jumping right back into the swing with performances at local restaurants the 16, 17 & 18. There is a Hafla up north on the 18th ... I'm currently planning to be there, but may have overbooked, so may cancel. If you'd like me to get you more info on that, I can. The hafla lineup is full, but if you get yourself on the waiting list, something might open ;) The lovely Dahlia (Belly Dancer of the Universe 2007) will be teaching the workshop that day.

That's all I have listed in my personal calendar, but good sites to check out for b-dance events are www.nwbellydance.com and saqra's website is helpful too - http://freecal.brownbearsw.com/BDC

Let's make plans!

M

[ozma]

Originally Posted by Mirabai

Ozma,
I'd love to meet up with you to imbibe or quaff a few ... or a whole slew ... of ... best stop while I'm ahead ... only the great late Dr. Seuss could pull that one off!

Anyway. I will be out of town and away from Bhuz beginning the first of August, darn that wedding stuff, and honeymoons! I'll shrivel up and die without Bhuz! I'll be back on the 15th, though, and jumping right back into the swing with performances at local restaurants the 16, 17 & 18. There is a Hafla up north on the 18th ... I'm currently planning to be there, but may have overbooked, so may cancel. If you'd like me to get you more info on that, I can. The hafla lineup is full, but if you get yourself on the waiting list, something might open ;) The lovely Dahlia (Belly Dancer of the Universe 2007) will be teaching the workshop that day.

That's all I have listed in my personal calendar, but good sites to check out for b-dance events are www.nwbellydance.com and saqra's website is helpful too - http://freecal.brownbearsw.com/BDC

Let's make plans!

M

I'd very much like to meet up with you, get you drunk, get invited back to your place, and take advantage of your costumes....

Or coffee, with no nefarious costume "liberation" missions.

PLease give me information on the hafla. I won't have a car (my licence has expired due to me not getting back to Wisconsin this year) so I'm probably staying local. I'm torn on the idea of dancing in a halfa because my idea of a vacation is seeing OTHERS dance....and American halfas have the potential to give me freaky culture shock issues. Reverse culture shock can be a bit jarring.

And I'll check your restaurant schedule when it's closer to the day so I can figure out which friends want to take me out!

[Mirabai]

[quote=ozma;32753]I'd very much like to meet up with you, get you drunk, get invited back to your place, and take advantage of your costumes....

You are a riot! See you soon!

[ozma]

Looking forward to it!

[cindy_]

mirabai, are you talking about the 'hula hafla' at ottoman trading company in country village? that's where i take my classes and have some of my stuff i sew! i'll be at that one too! and ozma, for mexican food, i know a place in seattle with great food, (but terrible atmosphere) the burrito grande is the size of a newborn baby! lol!

[Lucinia]

Originally Posted by ozma

Uuuuuuuum, opportunities to imbibe adult beverages while engaging in conversation with Bhuzards local to Seattle?...that sort of drinks.

Well I'm not local to Seattle but a road trip up from Portland may be possible with the right motivation

[maliam]

We should do a dancer's night out to celebrate your arrival! I live three miles from downtown and know some great places for food and for drink. Just depends on what atmosphere you're looking for.

Also, tourist season will be in full swing so there should be some local festivities going on. Pick up either the Seattle Weekly or the Stranger when you arrive. They'll list various goings-ons throughout Seattle.

Lots of opportunities to see dancers, as I'm sure Mirabai can attest too. Yay for visitors!!!

[ozma]

Originally Posted by maliam

We should do a dancer's night out to celebrate your arrival! I live three miles from downtown and know some great places for food and for drink. Just depends on what atmosphere you're looking for.

You should! You should! My schedule is flexible.

This will be my...mmm...4th or 5th time in Seattle...maybe more. The friends I stay with live in Ballard, one is closer to downtown, and I am familiar with the busses and taxis. I've tried to manage once a year since my move to Japan.

What atmosphere I'm looking for? Well this is my once a year trip to my homeland where I get to speak ENGLISH all day long. Tourist stuff doesn't really appeal to me. Just being in the country does the trick and veg friendly food...and mexican food...and being able to communicate. I talk a lot when I get back.

I also experience random reverse culture shock. When I arrive, my friends do enjoy taking me directly to a supermarket or this one dinner with 6 or 12 egg omelets just for the joy of watching my brain melt.

[ozma]

Originally Posted by cindy_

mirabai, are you talking about the 'hula hafla' at ottoman trading company in country village? that's where i take my classes and have some of my stuff i sew! i'll be at that one too! and ozma, for mexican food, i know a place in seattle with great food, (but terrible atmosphere) the burrito grande is the size of a newborn baby! lol!

I'm familiar with the location, went to a halfa and workshop (Nadira) there last year.

[maliam]

[quote=ozma;38412]You should! You should! My schedule is flexible.

This will be my...mmm...4th or 5th time in Seattle...maybe more. The friends I stay with live in Ballard


Have you eaten at La Carta de Oaxaca? It's on the old Ballard stretch and is the best Mexican I've found in Seattle. I love the little hole-in-the-wall-that-everyone-seems-to-know-about places

[Lucinia]

I love mexican food... guys are cute tooo. lol

[hasani]

Rats, you're going to miss my Hafla on Aug 11 by just a few days! I've got about 60 or 70 costumes in stock, a hall full of the Northwest bellydance crowd, and I could have given you a dance spot this time, hehehe.

I would love to meet up with you, but I'm on a little medical sabbatical right after Hafla and I'll be incommunicado for a week or two. I'll have to wait until next time you need another Ballard fix.

[Lucinia]

Hi Hasani,

Yeah, I'm going to miss it too. I have a competition that day. Would love to check out the next one. Tacoma is my home town, it would be interesting to see the happenens there....

Ozma, maliam I'll PM you my phone number... give me a call when you want to get together. my best days are Wed, Thurs, Fridays...

[maliam]

Lucinia, I replied to your message. Most any days will work for me since I'm currently on maternity leave. Ozma, just let us know when you want to meet up and we'll try to arrange an outing. Mirabai. you still interested? If so, when are you dancing and where?

[ozma]

I have an amazingly free schedule between the 15th-26th. I have next to nothing actually scheduled so anytime folks want to meet up I am fine hoping in a taxi or bus. PM me for my contact info, but I'll also probably be hooked up with a cell phone while there.

[hasani]

Originally Posted by Lucinia

Hi Hasani,

Yeah, I'm going to miss it too. I have a competition that day. Would love to check out the next one. Tacoma is my home town, it would be interesting to see the happenens there....

I know. Someone who booked herself weeks ago for a Hafla dance spot just called at the last minute to say she's ditching her Hafla performance and going to the contest in OR instead. <shakes head>

[ozma]

Well, I've emailed for more information on the workshop/hula hafla on the 18th. I'd love to meet up with some folks then because last year killing time for 2 hours alone at lunch sort of sucked. Although I remember the audience viewing area as being bloody hot.

[ozma]

I am officially counting down to greasy American breakfast foods!

I arrive on Wednesday morning! Wheeee!

The bad news is that the friends I am staying with, the ones I go to Seattle each year to see, will not actually be in Seattle for the first few days because there has been a death in the family. I'll be staying in their place in Ballard but I'll be mostly alone. My transportation means are taxi, busses, and teh kindness of friends (having been to my homestate for a few years, license has expired)

I would love to meet up with any available bhuzers for socializing as early as Wednesday or Thursday (Yeah, I'll be disoriented due to jet lag, but that may last a week or so if I'm not lucky).

I have exchanged contact information for Mirabai and Lucindia, if anyone else wishes to get my information you can pm me or email me at ozmaofjapan at gmail dot com.

[ozma]

P.s. I'm registering for the Hula Hafla/Hot Hips Workshop out in Bothell, WA on the 18th. If anyone is going from Seattle I was wondering if I could hitch a ride. I'd planned to have my friends drive me, but it is still unclear when they'll be back in Seattle....and it's nicer to have someone to be social with.

[ozma]

Thanks to everyone who suggested the Hula/Hafla. I managed to snag a last-minute spot in the hafla line-up.

Japan doesn't actually have halfas, so this should be interesting. As I've only ever performed in Japan I suspect that I'll be in for some culture shock.