I Stand With Planned Parenthood

Sometimes, it amazes me that human rights are still disagreed upon.

Right now, reproductive rights are being attacked by the Republicans and Conservatives.  They are blaming organizations like Planned Parenthood (as well as the Public Broadcasting Station and National Public Radio) for the countries financial problems.

As a social worker who cares about sexual health issues, I want to make sure that my voice is heard when it comes to this issue.

So, I sported my "Love Your Body" shirt and joined the hundreds of people at the Boston Common today for a rally in support of Planned Parenthood.

I made sure to sign petitions, hold up my sign, and make as much noise as possible, because, of course, there was also a group of Pro-Lifers making as much noise as possible as well.

Anti-Planned Parenthood Group

They brought bagpipes, would sing while the speakers were speaking, and some of them would go right up to the Bandstand and shout "Baby killer!"  One guy would oh-so-creatively choose a specific finger to show his feelings towards the speakers.

Tell us how you really feel.

At one point, one older woman walked right up to that guy in the plaid coat and said, "You're so rude! I should cut of your penis and feed it to you!"  *snicker* I told her she was kind of awesome.  Though, obviously, it doesn't help to engage those people in a conversation since they would just use it against us.

Of all the ridiculous signs that the Pro-Lifers had, though, this was the most creative/sadistic/strange.

Yikes...that's right, it's baby Jesus.

But, there was definitely more supporters present.  It was inspiring.

Pink for Planned Parenthood

Representative Mike Capuano was among one of the speakers
encouraging people to rally and contact the Senators!

So, make sure you let your voice be heard and call your Representatives and Senators!

Hearing on Sex Education at City Hall

On Tuesday, February 15th, Boston's City Council held a hearing on the state of sex education in the Boston Public Schools.

This hearing came about because the Hyde Square Task Force and their youth organizers created a documentary about the scarcity of comprehensive sex education and its consequences.

Students are asking for better, more comprehensive sex education, which includes conversations about healthy relationships, STI's, and peer pressure.  They are also asking for more availability of condoms at high schools.

In my social work experience, I've had the pleasure of being able to visit the State House quite often for various reasons, but this was the first time I had attended a hearing in City Hall.  The room was packed!  They needed to start filtering people into other rooms that had televisions so that they could still watch what was happening.

The big players were all at this event - Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Health Commission, Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice, Massachusetts Alliance on teen Pregnancy, and of course the Hyde Square Task Force and student representatives from various youth organizations.

But there were also representatives who agreed on the availability of comprehensive sex education with a strong emphasis on abstinence and disagreed about the availability of condoms for high school students.

City Councilor At-Large Ayanna Pressley was really a champion on this effort.  She asked the right questions to the various people who were testifying for and against the subject of the hearing.  It's great to see that the city is listening, especially when the strongest voices are those of the youth.

Many of those that disagreed with subject of hearing had the usual arguments.  One woman spoke about how sex education in schools undermined the testament in the Bible about honoring thy mother and thy father. But City Councilor Pressley reiterated previous testimonies that stated that while parents want to be the first resource for their kids, they don't often know how to broach the topic.

The first group who testified against the distribution of condoms was from Pure at Heart, based out of Harvard University.  They read statistics from countries around the world that showed that more condom availability means that more teens will just have sex.  They also stated that it would be wrong to recommend a product that is not 100% effective in preventing STI's.  Councilor Pressley then stated that their argument would be related to wearing a seatbelt -which is not 100% effective in preventing harm during a car accident.  The Pure at Heart representatives then started using drunk driving as an analogy to sex, which in all honesty, was pretty incorrect.

The one shocking testimony for me was from a medical doctor.  Though I couldn't hear too much of his arguments because he wasn't speaking too clearly into the microphone, he not only disagreed about the effectiveness of condoms (stating that they need to be used correctly to be the most effective, which begs the question, "How are people supposed to know how to use a condom without education?"), but also blamed the prevalence of teen sex on the lack of a strong two-parent home.

Truth be told, my eyes went wide at that comment.  I cautiously looked around at adults and kids in the room and questioned if anyone would take his comment personally.  While I agree about having positive adult male and female role models in everyone's life, it would be wrong to say that those positive adults can ONLY be parents.  How many of the people in the hearing come from single-parent households, but also have other positive adults in their lives?

Truth be told, it seemed that most of the people who disagreed with condom availability mainly spoke about how "kids don't know any better."  They talked about how having more condoms would mean that kids would want to try them out, but then not use them correctly and just pass all types of diseases to each other.

As someone who is a believer in youth empowerment, it was frustrating and disheartening to hear those arguments.  While the adults are ultimately the ones passing the laws, I really believe that the youth have the ability to make informed, educated opinions about very difficult topics.  They have to maneuver the murky waters of relationships, friendships, waking up to get to school on time, homework, work, and so many other things.  The fact that so many of them are able to do this is an achievement in an of itself, and the adults have to remember that.

I definitely agree that comprehensive sex education includes not only a conversation about anatomy and STI's, but about all prevention methods including abstinence, about healthy relationships and peer pressure, and about the ability to make a choice.

I connected with the Boston Public School representatives, and will hopefully get involved in a task force to further work on the creation of a comprehensive curriculum.

I really feel extremely passionate about this field, and am really feeling that this is where my path is leading me.  But, I don't want to wait around for an opportunity.  I really want to seize it.  I'm ready and willing, good, giving, and game.

Teaching a Sex Ed Course

In the beginning of the year, I had the amazing opportunity to work with Partners in Sex Education to teach a class at a Greater Boston high school.

I had the option of teaching to a class of 9th graders or to upperclassmen, and being that I've had a lot of experience in working with middle school students in my previous day job I chose to go with the youngest group.

While I was extremely excited for this opportunity, was extremely nervous in the beginning.  It had been many months since I had done work with kids.  Would I do well in the class?  What if they have attitude?  Will I be able to reach them?

Sure, I had a lot of experience in working with youth.  Sure, I had a lot of experience in speaking about sex and sexual health.  But I had never combined the two worlds before.

Once I got started, though, I have to say I'm extremely proud of myself for having done a weeks worth of education with those students.

What I felt so naive about, however, was the fact that kids will find a way to get information, even if that information is incorrect.  Throughout the week, I had to repeat several times that porn was not only for ADULT pleasure, but it is also the worst place to seek correct information.

Most of the class consisted of boys, with about 5 girls among them.  It was clear that some of the terminology they were using when they asked anonymous questions was generated from things they saw or heard in porn. For example, "cumshot" is definitely not something used in every day language.

I felt silly for being a bit shocked, especially considering that even I looked at porns when I was younger to get information!  And with the availability of information that is more prevalent these days, I really shouldn't have been as shocked as I was.

Nonetheless, I had a great time working with that class.  They had a lot of great questions, and were engaged.  I wish I could have had a month with them!!  There's so much to cover and so little time to do it - much like how parties are.

My only hope is that they were able to retain some of the information, and that they seek help with trusted adults if need be.

Working on Defenses

Do you prefer someone who is being more direct?  Or would you prefer that someone is more subtle and polite?

Perhaps it depends on the situation?

Well, last night, I was at a friend's housewarming party after having finished working at a party earlier that evening.  At some point, I was asked what I did.

Being that I didn't have time to switch purses, I brought out the product binder to show them what I was talking about.

Photo by Najmat

At one point, I overheard someone make a comment about the fact that I was talking about penis rings.  So, I turned around and said, "Oh, Hi.  My name is Cecilia, and I sell sex toys."

Not a bad introduction, if I do say so myself.

Well, one person turned around and said that she's skeptical about sex toys because she's allergic to latex.  I told her that we have tons of toys that are great for those with a latex allergy, specifically some that are medical-grade silicone.

She said she still couldn't be sure, but her posture and body language just exuded the fact that she was extremely uncomfortable.

I felt really awkward, all of a sudden, like my good advice was not good enough.  Even though I had tried to  be really professional with her, she just seemed extremely resistant to anything I had to say.  I knew it wasn't the time to ask her anything more.

Luckily, some of the other people in her group were a bit more open minded, and we had a conversation about the state of sex education for youth and adults.  One of them even asked for my business card.

While I don't expect that everyone would be as comfortable as I am with talking about sex, I guess I was just not ready to come across someone like that at this particular house party.  It's silly, really, that I would assume that.  But I did.

I think this is something I'd like to improve on:  When someone puts up that kind of wall, how can I get them to peek over the top of it even for a second?

Newest Vagina "Fix"

It seems that every new year, right before the advent of Valentine's Day, a new "trend" is being thrown in our face.  And I'm not talking fashion trend.  I'm talking anti-vagina trend.

Well, maybe I'm taking it a bit far.  But I don't know why everyone's always trying to improve the vagina!

In some Los Angeles (which has a large Korean population) spa's and one Manhattan spa, they are offering vaginal steam baths.  The idea is that herbal steams directed toward the vagina help to "reduce stress, fight infections, clear hemorrhoids, regulate menstrual cycles and aid infertility, among many other health benefits." (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/20/health/la-he-v-steam-20101220)

Chai-yok, as it is called, is presumably a traditional Korean health remedy and many women in Korea go for a steam after their periods.

C'mon...I had to use this picture.

The article linked above states that there isn't any actual research to back up the actual health benefits.

To me, it's just too similar to vaginal douching, which is proven not to have any real health benefits.

Firstly, I'm a fan of steam baths and going to the spa.  Big fan of spas!  Naturally, it makes sense for a spa experience to reduce stress.  Also, I understand the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice of putting heat on certain areas to help circulation of energy.

But that reduction and relief of stress in and of itself is a major health benefit that can actually lead to more health benefits (such as regulating the menstrual cycle AND fighting infections).  So, I'm not necessarily surprising that people would assume that targeting the steam to the vagina would them target specific vagina-related health issues.

Not only that, but when will we learn that the vagina is its own self-cleaning oven?  You don't need to douche, you don't need to scrub internally, you definitely don't need a targeted steam bath.

If you're feeling "unclean," I would personally suggest finding out whether the "unclean" feeling is physical or psychological.  There's so many hang-ups related to the vagina, that I'm not surprised that people would see this as a viable health treatment.

Now, I'm all for keeping the vagina area clean.  While the vagina (internal) cleans itself, you can't always rely on tissue paper to keep the external parts clean.  There's nothing wrong with getting a pH balanced feminine wash (preferably gently scented - I used to use Summer's Eve, but the smell is too purfumey!), like Athena's Splash.

I love this product!
Great for every day use in the shower.

Honestly, if you want to spend $50-75 on a spa treatment, you really don't need a vaginal steam.  I highly recommend a body scrub or a milk bath or anything that involves a massage.  You just might find yourself more relaxed, allowing your vagina to do its own thing.

Starting the New Year Awesome!

In this final day of 2010, I can honestly say I'm excited to move on to bigger and better things.

I've been pushing myself to do better at my own business, just by doing more outreach and doing more of the teleconference trainings.  Because of the dedication I felt to my own business, I feel like things have gone quite well.

I gained 2 new team members, and I officially have a Siren and a Satyr.  I've increased my number of average parties.  I've had several parties from friends' recommendations.  And the other day, I had someone email the Home Office requesting me specifically.

I feel like things are just going to get better and better!

To add to the success that I'm seeing in my business, I'm going to have the opportunity to volunteer as a sex educator at a local high school through a sex education nonprofit.  I'm extremely excited about this opportunity!

Though, I will admit that I'm a bit nervous.  But when I was meeting with the founder of the organization and going over the lesson plan, I suddenly realize, "Dude, I know this stuff."  I will do some brushing up on my sex ed facts, but the one thing that I do know extremely well is how to be with teenagers.

It will be interesting to have this mash-up of my two worlds, especially considering that I will dive in head first in the first week of January - which will then lead to Athena's January Sales Meeting and Holiday Party Weekend.

I do think it's going to be a fabulous 2011, if this first week has anything to say about it.

Ask and You Shall Receive

It's time for me to start answering some questions.

So send them in!

Check out my Sea Goddess Says page above for more information!

Belly Basics from a Baby Belly

On Friday, October 15th, I was invited to do an Athena's Party at Girl Power Fitness in Hyde Park, MA.  The Hostess and owner of Girl Power Fitness is a friend of one of my close friends who teaches Zumba, and soon got word that I am also a belly dancer.  Since the night was also going to feature a strip tease lesson, she asked if I would be able to teach a short belly dance lesson.

Truth be told, I don't think I'm necessarily qualified for the job.  Though I've been studying for about 8 years, I've only taken my commitment further in the past 3 years.  I don't necessarily plan on becoming as professional as some of my friends who are dancing at restaurants, but I absolutely love this dance.

Luckily, I had seen a fellow dancer, Ma'isah, the night before and told her about my upcoming lesson.  At that point, I had no idea what my lesson plan was, and I was too nervous to really think about it.  I am extremely lucky that she had a clearer head than I did, and she helped me break it down and feel more prepared.

I knew I had to start with the basic history and background of belly dance, starting with the term raqs sharqi.  I explained to the room full of women that the dance was more about dancing for other women and less about dancing for a man.  I stressed the importance of why it should be more about enjoying the dance, rather than just performing.

I knew I had to go quickly through various moves, but that I wanted to touch on a lot of the basics.  After my brief history lesson, I talked about the importance of posture and demonstrated the "right" and "wrong" ways to stand.

In My Goddess and Belly Dance wear

I started with hip and rib circles, moving slowly then a bit quicker.  I made sure to give the room ample time to practice, while also being aware of the time.  I touched on horizontal figure 8's and vertical figure 8's.

Then I moved on to undulations, starting with the hip then the ribcage.  In the theme of undulations, I moved on to snake arms and noted how difficult it was for many in the room to grasp.  I tried various ways of explaining it, though I knew that the time allotted would not be enough for everyone to really hone it in.

Then we moved onto the faster movements, namely shoulder and hip accents and shimmies.  The shoulder accents gave way to shoulder shimmies, and the ladies really seemed to enjoy that.  I then moved to hip hits going up and hip hits going down, focusing on one side at a time.  I also introduced them to the Egyptian Hip Hit and the Drop Release movements.

I had index cards with notes, just like when I had my very first party as a Goddess :)

Finally, we moved on to the shimmies.  I started with the basic knee shimmy, then the hip shimmy, and finally the 3/4 shimmy.  After going through the basic moves, I put on Betwanes Beek and I led them through the various movements I taught them throughout the song.

Afterward, I thought of all the various things I didn't get to tell them.  I touched on layering, but I didn't really show them an example of it.  I talked a bit about placing your arms in a way that frames your body, but I forgot to end the final song with a pose.  I got so nervous, that I didn't even suggest that I could dance a bit for them while we were waiting for the next portion of the evening.  I didn't get to talk about level changes, smiling and facial expressions, or using the movements to move across the room.  I know it's silly, considering that I really only had enough time to go through the basics.  But I just like being thorough.

Nonetheless, the women seemed thoroughly excited and happy with my quickie lesson.  They said that they were surprised at how hard some of the movements were and how much they were sweating during the lesson.

I had created a list of teachers in the area to hand out to the girls, encouraging them to seek out lessons with some of the top performers and teachers in the area.  It felt encouraging to hear that some of them enjoyed my lesson and would have also enjoyed continuing lessons with me.

Again, while I don't think I'm necessarily qualified to teach beyond a beginner level, experiencing being a teacher was incredibly insightful.  If anything, it helps me to be a better student.

The "Doctors"

I've caught several glimpses of this afternoon show while at nail salons.  But today, I just needed to take a look at an episode.

Doctor Actors

After watching this episode, I've decided that I really dislike the lot of them.  I'm sure they have medical degrees based on the fact that they're wearing scrubs and lab coats, and I wouldn't be surprised if they are just the figureheads for the actual less-attractive doctors who provide the real information.

So, today's show was mainly a recap show about laughter and how good it is for you.  I'll agree with that statement.  But the majority of clips from previous shows were about sexual health and body image issues.

They showed several clips with Dr. Ruth, who I think is pretty awesome.  She brought a couple of toys to show them, and they all had a good laugh.  They also brought up that there are some foods that would boost your sex drive and  would help give you orgasms.

One recipe was an "Orgasm Smoothie" which is a blend of blueberries, bananas, peaches, milk, flaxseed, ginger, honey, and nutmeg.  If you know anything about food, you know that these ingredients are generally great for anyone's diet since they're full of antioxidants and vitamins.  The other food item was some "Viagra-like" ice cream.  Dr. Ruth then pipes in, "You don't need ice cream!  You need to feel attraction to your partner and know what feels good!"

Amen Dr. Ruth.  Amen.

Then the clips turned to "trimming the hedges," as they called it.  They shared their own opinions about how much hair should be "down there," also sharing that trained professionals should handle any waxing action.  I do wish, however, that they addressed manscaping!  Taking care of yourself or doing personal maintenance is mainly a personal preference.  Nonetheless, I think it's also not something that should be focused on any specific gender!

After this segment, I was ready to start throwing things at the television.  The conversation about pubic hair removal then "naturally" moved on to the one thing I really hate right now...vajazzling.  It worried me that the only female doctor seemed to be somewhat approving of vajazzling.  But it made me feel almost less angry that the men were just quite skeptical of glittery vaginas.

I have to admit that the entire show is extremely frustrating.  It's hard to take any of them seriously.

I'm sure there have been studies that show that people are more inclined to trust or listen to someone when that person is considered "attractive."  But this makes me trust them less.  The fact that the "Doctors" all look like they're also actors makes me feel worried and nervous.  The fact that the majority of the show is really an hour long commercial for a variety of products makes me feel like there are hundreds of thousands of people being duped.

I guess in the scheme of things, it's better that some of the information is getting out to the masses rather than people living ignorantly.  I just hope that the information is more correct than anything else.

Giving Zumba a Try

Recently, a friend of mine has lost a lot of weight and looks amazing after getting heavily involved in Zumba.  I was thoroughly impressed by her efforts, and I had heard a lot about the classes.

Basically, Zumba is a high-energy dance-based class.  Though most of the elements are from Latin dances like salsa, cumbia, and merengue, there is also hip-hop, samba, and a little "belly dance" (I'll get to this in a second).

I had a Groupon coupon for the Oak Square YMCA in Brighton, and there were several Zumba classes to choose from.  So, I tried one out, and I must admit that I had a lot of fun.

It really is just like dancing around.  While some of the transitions need your concentration and it probably helps if you have rhythm (or if you don't care whether or not you have rhythm), it's really what you make of it, and it can be really quite fun.  I find myself smiling through most of it.

You can definitely work up quite a sweat from all the dancing around, and I can see how someone can lose quite a bit of weight if they dedicate several workouts a week to this cardio class.

Now, while there isn't a lot of Middle Eastern-style dancing in the classes, there are definitely incorporations of it.  I feel bad whenever this part of the class comes up, mainly because I get a bit critical about the moves.

I, of all people, understand and value the fusion of belly dance with other styles of dance.  I'm not forgetting that I still want to somehow fuse traditional Filipino dance with belly dance.  But I think that the fusion is more impressive when parts of the different dances are still visible, recognizable, and respecting of the different styles.  That's just my personal style and take on the whole thing.

So, when the Zumba instructor says that we're incorporating belly dance into the moves and it reminds me more of bangara or doesn't feel like belly dance, I find myself really struggling with understanding what is happening and really struggling with the specific moves themselves.

On some level, I feel proud to be able to distinguish different versions of the dance.  But on another level, I feel like a jerk because I know I'm being too critical of an already-fusion style of working out.

I should just not care, and go with the flow.  I should just not think about it too much.

But then I become really aware that a lot of the other folks in the class are not necessarily as educated about belly dance.  The little bit of exposure they have in Zumba class isn't enough for them to really understand what raqs sharqi really is.  With all the misconceptions there are about Middle Eastern dance, I personally feel wary whenever something is called "belly dance" and it doesn't feel "right" to me.

This isn't to say that Zumba instructors are in the wrong.  I do think that more education needs to be done about Middle Eastern music and dance before people just go around identifying snake arms or hip hits as the "belly dance."  Perhaps there is just a line between fusion and...not fusion?  Here is an example on youtube of a Zumba/belly dance routine.

I don't know if I'm explaining it well enough.  I don't want to come off as really snobby about it.  Hopefully the fact that I keep going to Zumba classes will mean something.

I do think it's important to be aware of your biases before you go into a Zumba class or any other dance class, for that matter.  Otherwise, just have fun with it!

Meiver's Intense Intensive Repertoire Classes

For the past month, I have participated in an intense set of classes that have pushed my skill level and my bank account.  But it's been completely worth it.

Meiver, one of the top teachers/performers sent out the word in late April about a set of intensive repertoire classes in which we would learn 4 different choreographies, with the possibility of performing them in different events.  I knew I needed to participate.  While I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by my schedule, I wanted to push myself to try new styles and teachers.

The 4 choreographies we were learning were Saiidi, Khaleegy, Modern Oriental, and Fan Veil.  I want to talk about my personal challenges and strengths in these choreographies, and hope that I will improve by the time we will be performing.

Saiidi
Challenges:  With the Saiidi, I have to really practice my can twirling skills.  Though I've learned a little bit about how to use the cane, I haven't tried to do an entire dance with it.  In the tiny space we were practicing in, it was somewhat difficult to feel confident about twirling, and there were definitely a few bumps that happened along the way.  I've also needed to work on perfecting the details in the dance.

Strenghts:  I feel fairly confident about this choreography.  I've manged to pick up the steps relatively quickly.  I even bought my first ever Saidi dress!

Saidi habibi

Khaleegy
Challenges:  The Khaleegy is probably going to be a bit challenging for me overall.  Though I was able to purchase a thobe, it's not one of the best qualities and I'm finding myself tripping a bit on the beads.  But the most challenging part is the spinning.  Oh my goodness...the spinning.  I know that I need to practice my spotting, and then I really need to understand the mechanics of head spinning.

Strengths:  I really want to do well at this dance, or at least survive the spinning, mainly because then I know that I've reached a higher level. Also, the dance is so fun!  Regardless of the spinning, the dance with the thobes is beautiful!  It's really fun just to watch the costume move.

Modern Oriental
Challenges:  I need to work on the transitions between sections. I know that I've focused so much on the choreography and less on the little details, like pointing my toes or how my hands are.  I'm also working on getting a costume for this dance as well.

Strengths:  The high-paced Modern Oriental is another beautiful dance.  With so many of us in the room at times, I still feel that I'm able to appreciate the look of it while we're practicing.  Again, this is another dance where I feel like I've been able to grasp the choreography.

Fan Veil
Challenges:  In general, we need to really work on the actual choreography.  I definitely need to practice using them, as it's a completely new tool for me.  Specifically, I need to work on my left arm.

Strengths:  It's so PRETTY!  I mean, I can't get over how amazingly gorgeous the fan veils themselves are.  But then you make them move along with the dancers, and it just blows my mind!  It took me a while to get a hold of my own personal fan veils from Fairy Cove Silks, as there was some problem getting a hold of my information.  But, I love them!

Prettyyyy!

Though the month has gone by, we haven't finished learning all of the choreography, since we're all comprised of different levels and need to work a bit on the finer details.  Luckily, we all want to work on perfecting the dances as this is such a great opportunity.  Groups of us are working together, with lots of help from one of the students, and are hopeful that we will be ready to learn more when practice sessions with Meiver resume.

The whole month, I've felt like I'm learning so much about myself as a dancer.  I know I have so much more to learn, but I'm feeling very proud of myself for stretching out of my comfort zone and getting more involved in the dance.  I will hopefully be doing more with this group and performing at larger shows as a troupe.

Rambling Thoughts about Sexual Health and an MSW

I've posted a little bit about this before.  But, now I feel like I've done quite a bit more research about what I can do.

Earlier this month, I attended a panel hosted by Harvard University on Sexual Health Careers.  I admit that I felt like a college student, especially once I realized that the target audience was students who were looking into careers.

Well, shoot, I've got a career.  In fact, I've got two careers.  Now, I'm trying to figure out how to expand and blend my careers!

It was great to hear from the different panelists, who ranged from HIV Researchers, to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, to Sexologist Megan Andelloux.  While it was great to hear about all the exciting things that were happening in the world of sexual health, I hadn't gotten what I wanted necessarily.

After the panel, I spoke with Megan, asking her about the possibilities of getting a sex ed certificate and she pointed me in the direction of the Executive Director of Partners in Sex Education.  Partners in Sex Education is another small non profit that works specifically with adolescents about sexual health and healthy relationships.  I was super excited to meet the ED of this organization!  I'm definitely planning on nurturing this contact.

Otherwise, I think I might try to attend a certification program through Planned Parenthood just to further my education.

Then, there are times when I think about sexual health in the Philippines and Filipino American communities.  I know that there's lack of education in all arenas, but perhaps especially in such a Christian-based country like the Philippines.

I've dreamed of providing educational opportunities at the sari-sari stores that dot the neighborhoods in the Philippines.  I've even done a bit of research to find organizations that might already be doing the work.  Not an easy thing to find, necessarily.

Considering that the Philippine government has taken an anti-contraception stance AND anti-abortion stance, and they've removed sex ed from schools, what if parents were being taught how to speak with their kids about sexual health?  But not just that, also about healthy relationships and healthy bodies?

It's fun to dream of doing that kind of work in the Philippines.  It's something I would definitely consider.  If I could just spread some of that knowledge to others, it would feel really quite satisfying.

"Advanced Technology" from xkcd.com

 

Diana Tarkhan Workshop - Hosted by Najmat

On Saturday, April 3rd, Najmat hosted Diana Tarkhan at the Green Street Studios in Central Square, Cambridge, Mass.

Diana Tarkhan is one of the premiere Egyptian-style dancers, teachers, and choreographers.  She came all the way from Cairo, Egypt, to teach a class of 27 eager and excited New England dancers.

Truth be told, I had minimal exposure to her.  I had seen a video here and there on You Tube, but I didn't know much else.  After seeing that Najmat was offering a workshop from her, I knew that I needed to sign up.  The way I see it, you want to get as much exposure and experiences from different teachers if you want to continue evolving your technique as a dancer.  And if you can learn from Masters, even better!

Saturday was a gorgeous day!  It was the warmest it had been in a long time here in Boston.  So, all the dancers present were pretty much predisposed to enjoy themselves.  But being taught by the delightful Diana Tarkhan just heightened the feeling.

Room full o'bellies

Diana led us through some techniques that were characteristic of Egyptian-style "Oriental" dance.  She focused on the "in's" and "out's" of the hip, which came more from knee movements than from the hip.  We moved around a lot, practicing the "in's" and "out's" with different variations.

In's and outs!

She also led us through some variations on entrance movements, and taught us a combination of moves.  Overall, it was pretty exhausting (not to mention that I went to pilates in the morning!)!  It was nice and warm in the room, and all us ladies were sweating quite a bit.  But Diana's energy and smiley disposition kept us all excited and motivated.

Personally, I felt super energized to be around so many wonderful dancers and teachers.  Though I've been taking classes for so many years, I know I have so much more to learn from the professionals around me.  I always feel very encouraged and new after I'm around the raqs sharqi community.

Diana Tarkhan and me!
Photo courtesy of Najmat

Beautiful (and tired) dancers!
Photo courtesy of Najmat

Shimmies for a Cure Quatro - Workshops and Hafli

I feel like I've gone through a long hiatus of belly dancing.  Though it's mainly been a time and money issue, I knew that I needed to push through some of the stress and continue dancing.  So, I've been continuing classes with Amira Jamal on Mondays, as well as with Najmat on Tuesdays.

But this past weekend, on March 27th, I was able to participate in the Shimmies for a Cure Quatro workshops and hafli.

Shimmies!

Baseema Moirae and *Samantha* are an organizing super team!  It was truly an eventful and awesome day, and really a great way to get more fully involved in the art form.  All of the funds went toward one of the organizer's involvement in the PanMass Challenge, which is a cycling event that benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

I had the pleasure to take part in 4 fabulous workshops from 4 master teachers.

Lots of ladies taking workshops!

Bolly Bellies with Jesi
Jesi is awesome!  Super high energy and funny, she lead us through an intro course in Bollywood style dance. It was a great way to warm up in a somewhat chilly room.  We all sported our flounciest skirts and tried to keep up with her fast-paced choreography.  Though we were only given an hour with her, Jesi was able to teach us all of the steps.  Granted, it was difficult to get every step perfect, but she really helped us feel the energy and drama that's associated with the popular Bollywood movies.

Raq Like and Egyptian with Najmat
Oh, Najmat.  I love this woman!  As one of my current belly dance teachers, she really knows how to help you hone in your technique.  We worked on a set of moves that really worked on our posture and muscle control, as Egyptian style is generally more controlled.  We worked on large hip circles, figure 8's, and pops.  And just when your body is starting to feel pain from all the repetition, she switches to the other side.  And then she puts a shimmy on top of it!  She really proves that practice makes perfect.

Balkan Beat Box à la Melina with Melina
Melina, from the Daughters of Rhea, got us to be silly and have fun with her choreography.  A mix of Turkish, Greek, and plain old good times, the choreography had us all laughing and enjoying ourselves.  Though we weren't able to get through all of the choreography she had planned for us, she seemed to mainly focus on feeling ownership over our bodies and our style, no matter how silly it may look to others.  I must admit that I had a really fun time during her workshop, and finished the workshop with a little bounce in my step.

Techniques for Stage Presence and Performance with Ela Rogers
Ela is one of the premiere tribal performers in New England.  She asked us to stand in a circle, and for each of us to walk around the inside and make eye contact with every other person.  Then, we were to stand in the middle, turn our head to look at one person then follow with turning our bodies.  Eye contact is so important in performance.  So it was interesting to see who really made eye contact with every single person, who skipped people, who took really quick glances, and who was able to linger.  We also worked on a short combination that helped us use what we learned about eye contact.

Goodness!   I would most definitely love to take a class or workshop with all of those fabulous ladies again!  Four hours worth of workshops later, I'm feeling pumped to do some shopping (which I did...a LOT of!) and watch some of my favorites light up the dance floor.

Sidebar:  Oh, the shopping!  But the one item I do want to highlight is the new Sassy Sparkles Eye Kandy color created in honor of this event.  With a name created by one of the dancers and voted on by the guests, "I Dream of Gaia" (gold, green, and brown) premiered at the Shimmies for a Cure Quatro.

I Dream of Gaia

Below are the "good" shots that I got of the performances.  It was difficult, I must say, without a fancy schmancy camera.  I tried not to use my flash so as not to blind the dancers, but I unfortunately didn't get the best pictures possible nor was I able to get decent pictures of all the performances.

Nepenthe, dancing to Mashaal

*Samantha*, tribal hip-hop fusion

Jemileh Nour, my gorgeous friend dancing for the first time in 2 years

Jesi, bringing down the house with her bhangra

Badriya al-Badi'a, an ode to the OG Egyptian dancers

Najmat, her moves and beautiful costume speaks for itself

Nikki, one of Boston's Best balancing a sword

Troupe Moirae, jazzy fusion

Melina, balancing a sword on a dagger in her mouth, yo!

Aepril Schaile, the Snow Queen graces us with her presence

Ela Rogers, closing the evening with a memorable performance

I feel absolutely blessed to have been a part of the Shimmies for a Cure day.  I'm feeling inspired not only by the wonderful talent I was surrounded by, but by the amazing community that was able to raise close to $4000 for the PanMass Challenge!

Congratulations to Baseema and *Samantha* for another top notch Shimmies for a Cure!

Taking V-day On Another Level

I'm not really sure what it is, but there seems to be a lot of vagina's out there right now.

Wait...let me rephrase that...

There seems to be a lot of strange things happening to vagina's out there right now.
Let's discuss, shall we?

A week ago, this was in my blog list:

G Point Mouse

So, I really truly thought this was a real item, but I didn't read the article on Unplggd.com very well due to being blinded by confusion and slight outrage.  This G Point Mouse is apparently a prototype that a designer is using to build up his graphic designing resume.  Clever, I'm sure.

Though I was among the first to comment about the ridiculousness of this prototype, it was interesting to see so many thoughts and feelings ABOUT the vagina and G spot that honestly didn't surprise me.

One commenter says, "This is disgusting looking, and bright red to boot!"  Another states, "Distasteful and absolutely gross...not something that fits AT [Apartment Therapy.com]...pls don't post such! YUK!"  And of course, "No guy will ever figure out how to work this thing."

It's unfortunate that so many people still feel so negative about the vagina, but I honestly don't think that, if this mouse were to become a real product, anyone would learn anything new.  It isn't teaching the fact that sensations are different for everyone, nor is it really teaching the correct anatomy.  Not to mention the fact that there's something strange about the idea of mass marketing and selling vaginas.

Nonetheless, it is just a prototype, and would probably never make it in the public market.

But then, there's this:

Bedazzling Your Mons

Vajazzling.

Goodness, where do I even start?

I guess I'll be honest to begin with.  This is the most RIDICULOUS thing I've ever seen in my ENTIRE LIFE.

What's part of the ridiculousness is that someone is actually taking this seriously as an option.  So now, not only can woman rip their hair off to impress a man, they can also pay MORE! to "feel like a princess" before their man penetrates them.

I apologize for being somewhat vulgar about this, but c'mon!  This is more evidence that your vagina is "bad," "disgusting," "not easy to understand or please," and "not beautiful the way it is."

Okay, let me backtrack.  I'm about to get a little TMI, here.  I like waxing.  For me, who naturally has a lot of hair, I feel like I can keep cleaner throughout the day.  But I don't remove every single hair.  In fact, my boyfriend prefers me not to wax, but I do it for me.

But this whole vajazzling thing is really just asking for someone to get a yeast infection or urinary tract infection from getting a plastic jewel and glue into the vagina.  In fact, with this beauty spa in New York City only "guarantee[ing] their Vajazzles for 5 days," it's pretty much guaranteed to happen.  But perhaps because they use Swarovski crystals and not plastic jewels, the infections will just be more expensive.

In the end, if you want to spend your money to make you feel better about yourself, then go for it.  But remember that that sparkley, "new woman" feeling is only guaranteed to last for 5 days.  You will then be left to your own un-sparkley devices.

I guess what I'd like to end with is this:  the negative messages we get about our bodies are so prevalent that they're now being outwardly used against us.  I hope that this vajazzling trend doesn't last, and I feel bad for the first person who will discover whatever negative side-effects there are to this.

In the meantime, ladies, be good to your vagina.  Love it for what it is, and what it is is beautiful.