(no subject)
Eek, my last update was nearly a month ago! I will see how much I can remember about recent events in my life, so I can inform you all of them.
My mum and dad were away Monday til Monday and Josh's from last Frday until this Friday, so I have been very independent at the moment! We have been eating really well actually, lots of salad to balance out the ice cream. I was away from my house from Friday until Sunday afternoon so I started stressing about it, worrying that it had been broken into or burnt down, and of course it was absolutely fine when we got there. Special thanks go to my next door neighbour from heaven, who pushed the kitchen wimdow closed from outside after we had foolishly left it open. Mum brought me back some strangely coloured pasta, a bottle of limoncello, some chilli chocolate and an apron with all different kinds of pasta on it for when I leave.
A couple of weeks ago, I performed with my group at an old people's home in Keighley and it was a great success! We were meant to be dancing outside but it was slightly too cold for the residents so unfortunately we ended up doing it in their stiflingly hot living room. I had quite a lot of pressure on me as I did 2 group dances, the trio Shik Shak Shok one and then a solo to Kan Mali all in a row! I was absolutely exhausted and shouldn't have worn my velvet top because I nearly suffocated and had to go get changed after that. Most of the residents seemed to really enjoy watching us and it was nice to give them a bit of sparkle, even if a lot of them weren't able to clap along and show their enthusiasm, you could see them smiling. This is the beginning of our Shakira dance, when we all have our backs to the audience and look mysterious:
We are doing loads of cool stuff at dancing at the moment! I am learning a stick dance with loads of new techniques (I mastered a new swinging one tonight, thank goodness!) and developing our finger cymbals skills as well. Jeanette has a new veil dance lined up too but I don't expect I will be here for it. Most annoyingly she is going to start doing some tribal style classes on a Sunday, which I have been pestering her about for MONTHS and am going to miss out on, unless I am here on a weekend and can make it. but that would only be ocassional. I have been in love with tribal style for ages and it was strengthened even more by seeing Rachel Brice doing it properly (ie not with pompoms all over her outfit) so I may have to start teaching myself very soon.
Another fantastic thing that has happened is a visit from Heidi and Lily from Russia! Heidi is my next door neighbour from heaven's daughter, and Lily is her little girl. She just turned 2 and is absolutely amazing. She is always really happy, even if she falls over she doesn't cry- she just goes "oh dear" and gets back up! Another of her favourite phrases is "nermid" (never mind) which further demostrates her laid-back attitude to life. Josh and I have taken her on a few walks around my street and she has fallen in love with us (especially him, because he carries her or her pram, depending on what she wants) and cries when we try to go back to my house. She has a doll that we take out with us, but she isn;t allowed to sit in the pram and has to be carried everywhere. She also has a little trampoline that she wouldn't go on for a couple of days but soon went mad for, boucing away for ages! She has a little bit of a Russian accent that just ads to her cuteness, and garbles on to herself sometimes in Russian, sometimes in English. I love her so much and never want her to go home to St Petersburg, she should stay here forever.
Results Day is 1 week tomorrow, the 18th, and I am scared already.