Masai Tribe Videos

Masai Tribal Videos

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When Bad Things Happen at Good Times

While 200 dancers performed this "spontaneous" dance routine in Antwerp, 459 pockets were picked, 79 Japanese tourists were arrested for illegally taking flash photos during a theatrical performance, and 200 people were arrested impersonating dancers, obviously a serious offense in Belgium. Let the good times roll...

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Bangarra Dance Theater

Last night, we went to see the Bangarra Dance Troupe, an Aboriginal dance company from Australia performing in the Budapest Spring Festival. This was the first time we had been to the Festival Theater at the Performing Arts Center. There was a bit of a mix-up with seating. Our tickets were for the 2nd row, seats 7 and 8; however, the usherette told us row five. Scrutinizing our tickets, we could not find a five anywhere, but went obediently to row five and seats 7 and 8...until someone else claimed our seats. As it turns out, the first three rows are A, B, C and then row 1 begins. We were not the only confused ones, because there were Hungarians in our seats, and others that were in their assigned seats should have been in a box in the upper part of the theater. At least they speak the language, so they should have understood. Staging was simple, yet effective. There was what reminded me of a giant mammoth's rib cage. Smoke was pumped in from the rear of the stage, causing a haunting effect. The first dance was called "Very Old Things" aptly named as it portrayed the traditional culture of the Torres Strait Island people's customs for hunting, fishing, celebrating the rain, and the power of desire and excitement. More than half of the dancers looked as indigenous as I do, but this did not detract from the power of their performance. Every movement was breathtaking. While watching, I was wishing I had this on a DVD that I could watch at least fifty times before tiring of it. Their body movements were incredible, incorporating traditional dance with ballet type movements. Just imagining their muscle contortions as they danced has made as sore this morning as days of rehearsal. After the intermission, their next offering was more somber, a piece called X300. Australia had an agreement with the UK in the 1950s to allow atomic explosion testing on Maralinga Tjarutja traditional lands, assuming they were uninhabited. The code name for the testing was X300. Symbolizing the joy prior, the dance starts out with jubilance, but the captivating lighting alters the mood conveying the bomb has gone off. As the dance progresses, we witness the islanders as they struggle for survival. Beyond the upsetting theme, the movements and costumes of the performers enrapture the audience to feel their pain, while at the same time celebrating the power of the body to espouse such depth of emotion. The choreographer, Elma Kris, is a Torres Strait Islander herself. The works were amazing.

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Happy New Year

Only hours are left to this year, but we slept in as long as possible, which turned out to be 9:00 am. Big whoop!! We needed to make reservations for a place in Vietnam, so Blue Pumpkin to the rescue. Just as we walked up, someone took the patio table by the electric outlet, but there was one on the first floor, so I grabbed it. The store next door has a great selection of unique gifts, so I made my fifth trip in there and made one last purchase.

Dropping off the computer, we took off walking in the opposite direction of the market area. We have passed this area a number of times going and coming from Angkor, but have not stopped here. We walked quite a distance looking for a store that Ron had read about in the travel guide, but we could not find it. Street signs or any identification is nil. We never did find the store, but we did find a café that serves good coffee.

On the way back, we stopped at some food vendors and looked at strange fruits. We had tasted dragon fruit in Kuala Lumpur, but we never tasted this fruit that looks like a red tennis ball with porcupine syndrome. The woman peeled one for us and we tasted its juicy sweet yet tangy flesh. Then she peeled these little brown marbles and popped out a slimy ball with a dark pit in the center, making it look like an eyeball staring at me, with the pit as a pupil. It felt like what I imagine an eyeball would feel like or at least what my eyeball feels like when I put in contact lens. We bought some of each just as thanks for introducing us to these new tastes. We will give them to the hotel staff as we leave on a bus tomorrow.

The rest of the afternoon was spent writing, working with photos, and just kicking back. Ron wanted to go to the Blue Pumpkin sale. After 7:00 pm, all of their left over baked goods is 50% off and we would have them for snacks on the bus. We started speaking to a tuk-tuk driver who was telling us that although tourism has been up this year, it still has been a bad year for the tuk-tuk drivers. The increase in tourism is due to the Koreans; however, there are Korean businesses here that cater to them. The Korean travel agencies here draw them, then Korean bus services drive them around and they eat at Korean restaurants. Then the profits are sent back to Korea, not contributing to the local economy. Sounds like Wal-Mart. He also said that many of the tuk-tuk drivers are from the provinces where their family has sold a cow or ox in order to buy a tuk-tuk for their son to come to Siem Reap to make money and send it back home. Unfortunately, these drivers have to rent a room and survive here in the city when they are not driving or trying to convince someone to ride with them. Add to this the increasing price of gasoline and he has us in tears for these poor guys.

As we were talking, he asked where we were going for dinner. We had not decided yet, so he suggested a hotel that has a buffet dinner and a dance show. Wary of such suggestions, he offered to drive us to the hotel to make a decision when we arrived. It was indeed one of the larger hotels and it is packed with who else, but Koreans. We were able to get a table right near the stage, very lucky since it was so full of bus tour groups and we did not have a reservation. The show was excellent dances of Cambodian culture. The buffet was extensive with Cambodian dishes and it was all you can eat sans drinks. Dinner was $12.00 each, a bargain by far.

Our tuk-tuk friend returned to get us and return us to the hotel where I will work on pictures and Ron will nap for the fourth time today. When we arrived, we asked our driver how much we owed, bearing in mind the sob story he gave us. He said whatever we wanted to give him, making it difficult since the ride was only 10 minutes and easily walkable. However, being a special day, the end of the year, we should prosper others and I gave him $7.00. He about did somersaults and it was not an act. I believe he thought we were more generous than he anticipated.

We hung around the hotel room until 11:00 and then went to the block party. There were about six blocks cut off from traffic, but only one block was a party area. Beers were $1.00 and the street was mobbed. No fabulous fireworks or other fun things, but hundreds of people having a good time dancing in the street to loud music making merry. The Cambodians do not celebrate New Years at this time, so they all wished us a happy one. I think theirs falls in April.

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Fringe With the Nieces

We had a dance performance today called "Danceforms: The 37th International Choreographers' Showcase". We paid 9 pounds each on a 2 for 1, but went last year and loved it. The show was 2 hours. There were about 12 different performers, solos and small groups. There were a couple of excellent pieces, one in particular was the Black Eagle, a solo woman in tons of black chiffon or netting.

Ron and I went down to the 1/2 price ticket office to see what was offered. I spotted a guy giving away free tickets and sent Ron over. He returned with four, but we needed to buy another. I strolled around and then honed in on the guy and requested a ticket. He said "Aren't you with that guy over there?" Without looking at where he pointed, I said "No, I am with someone else." He was so confused, he gave me a free ticket.

When we went to round up the girls, like herding cats, Nicole was not feeling well and begged off. I lied for a free ticket for nothing, but I would have been really upset if we have paid for it. The show was "Just So!" based on Kipling's book of the same name. I was a little concerned that these college graduates would think it was lame, but they loved it and told Nicole what a good show she missed out on.

We went to grab something to eat and then decided we all wanted to see "Puppetry of the Penis". It is amazing that these guys have been doing this show for seven years and are still packing them in. They are earning money for things that most boys experiment with during their youthful years. Wow!

The show ended after 11:30 pm, so we headed home to catch the last bus. They stayed for another show.

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Rosslyn Chapel

We took a day off to see Rosslyn Chapel, famous before The Da Vinci Code, but more famous since. We were able to take a local bus from Edinburgh. We initially took bus 5, but realized it was wrong, we needed the 15.We got off of the bus at a little village called Morningside. It was a lovely mistake and we had a coffee and walk around the town. Waiting for the 15 was a hassle though, it
took 45 minutes to arrive.

Rosslyn Chapel has increased tourism from 35,000 a year to 170,000 a year after the book. It was built in 1446 by William St. Clair, the last Prince of Orkney. It holds many mysteries long before Dan Brown.

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Fringe Day 5

Monday, August 6, 2007

1:00 pm The Man Who Planted Trees – Paid 3.75 each on a 2 for 1 sale. This was a puppet show, but excellent. The puppetry was superb and the story was heartwarming. The adults loved it as much as the children, or more so.

2:30 pm Faith Brown and Her Boys in the Buff – Paid 5.50 each for these as we heard so many good reviews. Faith Brown is a well know comic in England. The show was a comedy musical and hysterical. YES, boys were all in the buff by the end. Worth seeing and paying for.

7:00 pm Flamenco con Fusion – 4.50 each on a 2 for 1 sale. We arrived late having gone to the wrong place. Flamenco dancing, music and interesting costumes. Good memories of Argentina.

10:30 Amsterdam Comedy Collective – Paid 4.25 each on a 2 for 1 sale. These Dutch guys are funny, but they are learning the cultural differences of humor. What works at home doesn’t always work abroad just because you translate it. A couple commented "This would have gotten more laughs in Holland." No, these are not the guys that were actually in the show. They had a multitude of different and outrageous flyers.

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Fringe Day 4

Sunday's shows were:

1:00 pm State of Matter – Paid 4 pounds each on a 2 for 1 sale. Eight young men do break dancing, acrobatics, and ballet to all different types of music. Excellent performances and amazing coordination and movements.

9:15 pm The Naked Comedy Showcase – Paid 4.50 pounds each for these on a 2 for 1 sale, but wish we hadn’t. Though we expected the comics to be naked, we also expected them to be funny. We were disappointed. Some members of the audience were taken aback. Duh! What did you think from the title of the show?

10:30 pm The Sound of Music Drag Show – Paid 4.75 on a 2 for 1 after speaking to the performers. They have been playing for 7 years on Melbourne and were invited to come here to perform. We loved the show. They were hilarious, clever, and terrific.

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Ropes to the Sky

We again had the pleasure of seeing the performance Frenák Pál Társulat: FIÚK - Les hommes cachés at the Trafo Theater. This theater is all about experimental dance. We went to this show last year when they performed for the Spring Festival and were in awe at the dexterity and strength these young men displayed.

Lynn and my student/guardian angel Balazs went with us.

Three ropes to the sky, 4 men. Beyond being a beautiful work about the masculine body and the use of spaces and falls as tools of a choreographic expression, “Fiúk” is an immersion in the unconsciousness of men and boys. A research into the very foundations of the common inheritance that feeds the construction of man as a social animal. By calling up alternately male chauvinist violence, stupid pretentiousness, the balance of power that structures our exchanges with others, both men and women, Pal Frenak, offers us a radical vision, somehow desperate, of human relationships. Once again, Pal Frenak presents a show whose theatrical dimensions, almost cinematographic in conception, is the expression of his intuitive knowledge of human functions, a kind of direct access to the unconscious as well as a social vision without concession.

http://www.ciefrenak.org

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Village Culture Walk

The cacophony of birds woke us up in the morning long before the alarm clock. It was like a switch had been flipped on and the orchestra started. We had to dodge wasps in the shower so early morning and late at night were the best times. They seem otherwise occupied from dusk to dawn.

There are three Ridgeback dogs in the camp; they are extremely friendly and want lots of attention. They nearly knock you down begging to be petted. As much as I would have loved to love them, their flea problem was out of control and kept me at arm’s length.

This morning, as soon as I came to sit outside our cottage, the male and female both had their heads in my lap. Minutes later, a puppy appeared from under the bushes, but the male adult kept him in place. When I tried coaxing him out, he just scrambled farther into the shrub.

The one thing we all appreciate about this lodge is the food. It is excellent. Breakfast was again wonderful with eggs, sausage, and toast made from some great bread. This was an excellent preparation for our trip into the town to meet the locals.

We were to drive into town on the truck that brought us from the airstrip, but as luck would have it, it had a flat tire or a puncture as the Brits say. Bruce told us that if we walked, the truck would be available to pick us up and it was ‘only’ 2 km. We should have known better about his ‘only’ messages, but we set our walking with a guide leading the way.

Omo and Jean are speed walkers and I kept up the pace. I was hoping this would work out the problem in my leg. This put us far ahead of the group and eventually as far ahead of the guide. When we reached a fork in the road, we turned to yell back which way and then kept going. The first stop for our ‘tour’ was the police station. The village is called Seronga and is said to be a typical village in Botswana. Residents live in typical housing, similar to our cottages in the camp. Up to forty ‘houses’ share a communal tap for water and there is no electricity. There are less than 2,000 people in this village, making the large police station seem redundant.

We walked down to the small pier where we would depart from tomorrow via speed boats. Then we went to the inner village stopping at the school on the way. They have a large sign proclaiming their mission statement with the slogan “Knowledge is Power”. This was very affirming, indeed.

Further, into the village, we stopped at a grocery store, which was surprisingly well stocked, though there were no fresh meats or vegetables available. On the same road, there was a little tin hut where a barber applied his trade while also being the CD music store as well. The beauty of the people was astonishing. Many of the younger women had model quality faces. The children were equally as handsome, but none would allow their picture to be taken when asked.

When we stopped at a “take away” restaurant, a woman had blankets set out selling clothes and shoes. Her English was excellent and some of us spoke to her for a while. She told the others that most of the village was Christians. I am not certain how it came up, but she mentioned that they did not have to wear black any longer when someone died due to this. The locals seemed to be entertained by our group, huddling to gossip and laugh as they stared in our direction.

One of our walk stops was at the clinic. Three doctors come there a couple of times a week to treat people. They have an infirmary with some beds; the guide thought it was six. Serious matters are transported to Maun for treatment.

There are no sidewalks in this village, no paved roads, and a significant absence of vehicles. We saw donkeys and ox pulling carts. We went to a bakery that had a sign claiming fresh bread and donuts, but when we entered, there were empty shelves. They would have to bake it while we waited if we wanted anything.

After doing a thorough tour of this small village, we were ready to return to the camp. The guide was walking us in that direction, but we were waiting for the truck to come into view. When we questioned it, he said that he had been trying to call, but no one was picking up the phone. As it turned out, we had to hike back again, hot and cranky.

We had an hour and a half rest time before lunch was ready. I had had an idea of making a sign on a plastic bag stating “WE MISS YOU RASMUSSONS” and have a picture taken with the group. Then a second sign would say “WE MISS YOU DIRK AND HARM” and again get a picture. Ron had spotted a blackboard at the lodge, so when I mentioned it to others, Vicky found some chalk and she made the sign.

We appreciated the diversion of meals more than needing them from hunger. Our down time was not too restful due to the heat and wasps that were in all of the cottages. In the main lodge dining room, there were four sofas, but they were cheaply made and not the most comfortable seats for resting.

At 3:30, there was a visit to the “Basket Lady”, a local woman who weaves baskets in the traditional way. Ron and I bowed out of going, and continued to try to find some relaxing position where flies and wasps dared to fly.

Some of the group had planned a fishing trip and would continue on after the “Basket Lady” and the rest would return. Dinner was served at 7:30, but the fishing group still had not returned making Bruce a little concerned. For being summer, it does get dark by 8:00 pm and dinner is by candlelight. The group finally arrived after we had finished dinner, not having caught anything, but they did have an enjoyable time.

After dinner, the local woman wanted to treat us to singing and dancing. After they did two songs, both of which and all that followed sounded identical to all of our untrained ears, they insisted that the group sing to them. While we were trying to decide on a song that all of us would know regardless of our language, Rob came up with singing “Happy Birthday” to me since my birthday is tomorrow. They did so, but then the head dancer dragged me up and put a dancing costume on me and cajoled me into dancing with them. The skirt was similar to a Hawaiian hula skirt, but instead of straw, it was long threaded seed pods, making it rather heavy. This photo is from Germine and that is me on the left. When she finally released me, she then dragged each and every member of our group up to dance.

Her next idea was to have each group sing a song from their own country in their native language. It was quite a festive time, but in reality, we entertained them and ourselves more than they provided entertainment for us. Perhaps this is how they make their lives more bearable, but getting the tourists to make fools of themselves.

Ron and I went to bed, but Omo and Jean arrived later with a staff member in tow. He was the great rat hunter who was supposed to rid their room of rats and other creatures that they did not want to share the room with this night. Being a local, he was used to the creatures of the area and was totally ineffectual, but most likely came just to make them happy knowing he would do nothing once he arrived.

It was an exhausting day, but we will be more than excited about leaving here.

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Ron's Brainstorm

Ron had a clever idea. Gosh, my vocabulary is becoming so British. He decided we should call the previous owner of the flat. He does after all have a contracting business and therefore should know a plumber. Though the gentlemen in question does not speak English, Ron called his son-in-law, Gabor, who does with some fluency. Gabor was quick to say he would call Ron back with some information and we were prepared to wait a week for this to happen. Shockingly, Gabor called back in 30 minutes with the information that the plumber was outside our door. It was like a magic act; it happens before your eyes, so you think it must be real, but you are never really sure of how it happened. There in front of us was Istvan and he spoke English. Two miracles at once, could our hearts take the excitement? Istvan looked over the bathroom, then went down to look at the neighbor's bathroom ceiling. When he returned upstairs with us, he said there were three possibilities off of the top of his head. This was two ideas more than the other plumbers had, so we took an immediate liking to him. He said he would return tomorrow to test each idea and see which one panned out, arranging to be here at 2:00 in the afternoon. This was convenient with the neighbor's wife, so all were in agreement. Personally, I wanted to chain him and stuff him into a closet until the appointed time. I know how these little leprechauns can lie their way out and you never see them again. When I dragged out the chains, Ron caught on to my motives and stopped me. Fingers are crossed for tomorrow. In the meantime, we had tickets tonight to a dance performance at the Trafo Theater with Kate, Philip, and Nicole, another Fulbrighter. It was a modern dance and other than the movements of their bodies, it was not interesting at all. Kate hated it and she is a choreographer. The two men were good-looking and the fact that they had their bodies almost completely exposed did lend something to the evening, but the woman rolling in 'blood' all over a canvas at the end did shock most of us.

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