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Kamloops - the hottest place on Earth...
Spent the weekend in Kamloops, BC teaching four workshops on tribal and tribal fusion. I was hosted by Bonnie (Shaherezade), and had Gen in tow as my faithful assistant and constant companion. We laughed pretty much the entire weekend, and I had a complete blast with her along. :) This is my third weekend of workshops I have taught in Canada, and I have to say that I find Canadians to be far more unaffected and open than Americans. Not that I haven't had complete blasts at every workshop I have taught (no joke--what a life I get to lead!), but the Canadians I have met and spent time with on these trips strike me as so friendly and unpretentious in a way that makes you feel like an old friend right from the start. Gen and I were made to feel at home right away. :)
We drove up, and it took 7 hours, when Mapquest said it would take 5. Somehow we must have killed those two hours at lunch, the border, and potty breaks, because the ride home was much faster at close to the 5 hours stated. Weird!
Anyway, we arrived at the church hall where the women were setting up. The weather had been around 100 degrees for most of the drive, and was hovering at 85-90 when we got into town at 7pm. They welcomed us warmly, we helped decorate the hall a little, and then head over to a nearby pub for something to eat and some refreshing ciders. It was fun to chat them all up and relax after a day on the road. Then the lovely Martina lead us caravan-style out to her place.
20 minutes into the drive I thought surely this was some ruse to take us out in the wilds and kill us! We hit dirt road and kept driving and driving and driving...Martina in her Jeep ahead driving like a maniac, spitting up dust so we couldn't see a thing in the pitch black on a sharply winding road ever traveling up a hillside, with not a peep at civilization in sight! No houses. No other cars (on a one-lane road, thank goodness!), and just the sparkling stars above. We finally arrived...and this house could be in some architecture magazine! STUNNING! On 40 acres of land, with 10 horses and a myriad of other animals and stock. Martina is this super cool, funky German woman, likely in her 40's, with blue wool woven into her braids and Melodia pants in every color and style, is a Rachel Brice devotee of the highest order, and teaches yoga and yoga dance fusion...lives on 40 acres of farmland in this architectural monument, decorated in an understated but impeccably detailed retro-Danish style.
We got the grand tour of this concrete-construction home, and just had our jaws dropped the entire time. Windows on every conceivable surface, painted concrete floors, yet with wood accents that made it feel warm despite all the glass and stone. Not a curtain in the place--sunlight welcomed in at its leisure.
After the tour, we met her two doggies--sweet and hyperactive, and then were shown to our room where we wanted so badly to collapse into sleep. But the weather was having none of it. The heat was unbearable, and this wonder-house seemed to have every detail in the universe, save for central air! Gen slept eventually, but I tossed and turned all night long, barely getting a wink, and woke up feeling sticky and groggy. Over breakfast of organic berries, we had to admit to Martina that while we appreciated her hospitality and her beautiful home so very much, we desperately needed the comfort of air conditioning the next night, in order to get a good night's sleep. She felt bad, but understood. We felt awful, as we would have loved to have spent more time in her home with her, we couldn't stand the idea of trying to pass another night hot and sleepless.
We hit the workshop and got a little bit of a late start. Seems that that elementary school where they had rented for the workshop had screwed them over--not only had they literally disconnected the lights in the gym, but also the air-conditioning! So the room we planned to be in was dark and hot. They opted to move us to another room, which was half lineoleum-over-cement, and half berber carpet. We made it work, though no air-conditioning was tough. Bonnie kept apologizing, but I felt bad for HER. How frustrating that must have been for them!
We kicked things right into gear, getting to know one another a little and then kickin' it improv style. At the break for lunch, Bonnie approached me about the hotel situation, and though I insisted I could pay for it since it was my decision to get a hotel, she refused my money and paid for it herself. We opted for the Travelodge that was practically right across the street from the hafla location, so we could head back after the workshop, clean up and rest, and walk to the venue.
The afternoon was Bhangra. Whew! The heat of the day was at its peak and we had just eaten lunch, but we worked it anyway! The women were so jazzed, and worked really hard, pushing through exhaustion and overheating, and just sweat and danced and laughed! They were jamming all over the room, laughing and smiling; and when it was all over, still wanting more! I loved them for that! As for me and Gen, we were wiped. This heat is not something we are used to, and on top of little to no sleep, we were cooked...
We head back to the blissful hotel, where the air conditioning was already on high, and it felt like walking into a refrigerator. Ahhhh. We collapsed on the bed, and were tempted to try and squeeze a nap into our 4 hour break, but we had to shower, eat something, get dressed and coiffed, and still figure out what we were doing for the hafla that night, since we hadn't figured it out yet. So that is just what we did, and then head over to the hall.
All that showering felt for naught when we got there. The hall wasn't air conditioned either, and the ceiling fans seemed to be moving the air around up at the ceiling, and not anywhere else. We were fully made up and dressed...and the last act of about a dozen in the lineup. We sat sweating and delirious at the back, trying to appreciate all the performances, but eventually I couldn't even bring myself to clap! so we head to the basement, where the dressing room was, and sat on the cool cool linoleum floor for the rest of the show. When we hit the stage, the room was packed to standing room only, adding to the heat. And then the stage lights. We were litterly bleary! We struggled through our performance, but smiling across at Gen and throwing her sassy glances and getting them in return made my night! it was rough, but I for one had a complete blast dancing with her. :)
Bonnie came onstage at the end and gave me flowers (so sweet! I don't remember the last time someone gave me flowers for a performance!), and then her students gave her flowers. I wanted to tear some off and hand them to Gen, but they were dripping water all over--I had to cup my hands under the stems to keep them from slathering the stage--so I just considered it accepting them on behalf of both of us. :)
After the show, the ladies invited us to the pub for a celebratory drink. We had already planned to grab a bottle of wine and some food at the store and go back to the hotel room to cool off and rest, but said we would come by for one drink. But once we got back to the cool room, and the adrenaline was wearing off, we were crashing hard. With the prospect of another energetic day on Sunday, and a long drive home directly after, we had to beg off. We texted our regrets to Martina, and sat on our beds eating Cheesy Poofs and sandwiches, and drinking wine (and water) while watching Gladiator on TV. We crashed out at midnight, and I know I slept blissfully well!
Woke up refreshed and ready for the day. The wall of heat once we walked out of the hotel was a reminder of the work yet ahead, but we were ready! More tribal improv in the morning, then Spanish improv stylings in the afternoon. The women were incredibly enthusiastic yet again, and though the second day of workshops was smaller (lots of people could only do one day or the other, due to family obligations), it worked out because the skirtwork needs more room, and it could've been overcrowded. My foot issue returned with a vengeance, but I tried to ignore it and just jam. At the end we took all kinds of photos and answered questions and then packed up to head home.
Quick stop for gas and snacks, and we hit the road. We ran into some issues of feeling lost, thanks to being redirected off the highway due to a motorcycle accident on the Trans-Canadian Highway. We tooled around trying to find another way SW, but everything was a dead-end. At the exact moment we exhausted all of our options...the cops started direction traffic back onto the freeway! HOORAY! Even with the delays, we made it home in quick time, and I was home before 10pm. Got to have sushi with my hubby, drink some beer on the deck, watch Stargate SG-1, and get my hands massaged while we watched a Muppets Episode in the air-conditioned bedroom. Ahhhh...
The weekend was really fun and very successful. Bonnie was an excellent hostess, and her support crew (like WARREN!) were also just completely kind and accomodating. Got a lot of inquiries for future workshops in other cities, and felt relaly good about the entire weekend. Gen was awesome in every way, and I had a ton of fun with her. Our talks there and back made the trip seem shorter and so enjoyable. The dancers were just incredibly nice and excited--they have the tribal fire now!! Go go go my super Canadian dance sisters!
Good times...
We drove up, and it took 7 hours, when Mapquest said it would take 5. Somehow we must have killed those two hours at lunch, the border, and potty breaks, because the ride home was much faster at close to the 5 hours stated. Weird!
Anyway, we arrived at the church hall where the women were setting up. The weather had been around 100 degrees for most of the drive, and was hovering at 85-90 when we got into town at 7pm. They welcomed us warmly, we helped decorate the hall a little, and then head over to a nearby pub for something to eat and some refreshing ciders. It was fun to chat them all up and relax after a day on the road. Then the lovely Martina lead us caravan-style out to her place.
20 minutes into the drive I thought surely this was some ruse to take us out in the wilds and kill us! We hit dirt road and kept driving and driving and driving...Martina in her Jeep ahead driving like a maniac, spitting up dust so we couldn't see a thing in the pitch black on a sharply winding road ever traveling up a hillside, with not a peep at civilization in sight! No houses. No other cars (on a one-lane road, thank goodness!), and just the sparkling stars above. We finally arrived...and this house could be in some architecture magazine! STUNNING! On 40 acres of land, with 10 horses and a myriad of other animals and stock. Martina is this super cool, funky German woman, likely in her 40's, with blue wool woven into her braids and Melodia pants in every color and style, is a Rachel Brice devotee of the highest order, and teaches yoga and yoga dance fusion...lives on 40 acres of farmland in this architectural monument, decorated in an understated but impeccably detailed retro-Danish style.
We got the grand tour of this concrete-construction home, and just had our jaws dropped the entire time. Windows on every conceivable surface, painted concrete floors, yet with wood accents that made it feel warm despite all the glass and stone. Not a curtain in the place--sunlight welcomed in at its leisure.
After the tour, we met her two doggies--sweet and hyperactive, and then were shown to our room where we wanted so badly to collapse into sleep. But the weather was having none of it. The heat was unbearable, and this wonder-house seemed to have every detail in the universe, save for central air! Gen slept eventually, but I tossed and turned all night long, barely getting a wink, and woke up feeling sticky and groggy. Over breakfast of organic berries, we had to admit to Martina that while we appreciated her hospitality and her beautiful home so very much, we desperately needed the comfort of air conditioning the next night, in order to get a good night's sleep. She felt bad, but understood. We felt awful, as we would have loved to have spent more time in her home with her, we couldn't stand the idea of trying to pass another night hot and sleepless.
We hit the workshop and got a little bit of a late start. Seems that that elementary school where they had rented for the workshop had screwed them over--not only had they literally disconnected the lights in the gym, but also the air-conditioning! So the room we planned to be in was dark and hot. They opted to move us to another room, which was half lineoleum-over-cement, and half berber carpet. We made it work, though no air-conditioning was tough. Bonnie kept apologizing, but I felt bad for HER. How frustrating that must have been for them!
We kicked things right into gear, getting to know one another a little and then kickin' it improv style. At the break for lunch, Bonnie approached me about the hotel situation, and though I insisted I could pay for it since it was my decision to get a hotel, she refused my money and paid for it herself. We opted for the Travelodge that was practically right across the street from the hafla location, so we could head back after the workshop, clean up and rest, and walk to the venue.
The afternoon was Bhangra. Whew! The heat of the day was at its peak and we had just eaten lunch, but we worked it anyway! The women were so jazzed, and worked really hard, pushing through exhaustion and overheating, and just sweat and danced and laughed! They were jamming all over the room, laughing and smiling; and when it was all over, still wanting more! I loved them for that! As for me and Gen, we were wiped. This heat is not something we are used to, and on top of little to no sleep, we were cooked...
We head back to the blissful hotel, where the air conditioning was already on high, and it felt like walking into a refrigerator. Ahhhh. We collapsed on the bed, and were tempted to try and squeeze a nap into our 4 hour break, but we had to shower, eat something, get dressed and coiffed, and still figure out what we were doing for the hafla that night, since we hadn't figured it out yet. So that is just what we did, and then head over to the hall.
All that showering felt for naught when we got there. The hall wasn't air conditioned either, and the ceiling fans seemed to be moving the air around up at the ceiling, and not anywhere else. We were fully made up and dressed...and the last act of about a dozen in the lineup. We sat sweating and delirious at the back, trying to appreciate all the performances, but eventually I couldn't even bring myself to clap! so we head to the basement, where the dressing room was, and sat on the cool cool linoleum floor for the rest of the show. When we hit the stage, the room was packed to standing room only, adding to the heat. And then the stage lights. We were litterly bleary! We struggled through our performance, but smiling across at Gen and throwing her sassy glances and getting them in return made my night! it was rough, but I for one had a complete blast dancing with her. :)
Bonnie came onstage at the end and gave me flowers (so sweet! I don't remember the last time someone gave me flowers for a performance!), and then her students gave her flowers. I wanted to tear some off and hand them to Gen, but they were dripping water all over--I had to cup my hands under the stems to keep them from slathering the stage--so I just considered it accepting them on behalf of both of us. :)
After the show, the ladies invited us to the pub for a celebratory drink. We had already planned to grab a bottle of wine and some food at the store and go back to the hotel room to cool off and rest, but said we would come by for one drink. But once we got back to the cool room, and the adrenaline was wearing off, we were crashing hard. With the prospect of another energetic day on Sunday, and a long drive home directly after, we had to beg off. We texted our regrets to Martina, and sat on our beds eating Cheesy Poofs and sandwiches, and drinking wine (and water) while watching Gladiator on TV. We crashed out at midnight, and I know I slept blissfully well!
Woke up refreshed and ready for the day. The wall of heat once we walked out of the hotel was a reminder of the work yet ahead, but we were ready! More tribal improv in the morning, then Spanish improv stylings in the afternoon. The women were incredibly enthusiastic yet again, and though the second day of workshops was smaller (lots of people could only do one day or the other, due to family obligations), it worked out because the skirtwork needs more room, and it could've been overcrowded. My foot issue returned with a vengeance, but I tried to ignore it and just jam. At the end we took all kinds of photos and answered questions and then packed up to head home.
Quick stop for gas and snacks, and we hit the road. We ran into some issues of feeling lost, thanks to being redirected off the highway due to a motorcycle accident on the Trans-Canadian Highway. We tooled around trying to find another way SW, but everything was a dead-end. At the exact moment we exhausted all of our options...the cops started direction traffic back onto the freeway! HOORAY! Even with the delays, we made it home in quick time, and I was home before 10pm. Got to have sushi with my hubby, drink some beer on the deck, watch Stargate SG-1, and get my hands massaged while we watched a Muppets Episode in the air-conditioned bedroom. Ahhhh...
The weekend was really fun and very successful. Bonnie was an excellent hostess, and her support crew (like WARREN!) were also just completely kind and accomodating. Got a lot of inquiries for future workshops in other cities, and felt relaly good about the entire weekend. Gen was awesome in every way, and I had a ton of fun with her. Our talks there and back made the trip seem shorter and so enjoyable. The dancers were just incredibly nice and excited--they have the tribal fire now!! Go go go my super Canadian dance sisters!
Good times...
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