Arabian Night

tecno_fairy is here! I feel I have officially established myself as a Crazy Internet Person through various things ("my feng shui practitioner said...", getting lost in a city I theoretically know, grumbling about my breakup). We have been visiting fabric stores, eating gelato, and getting to know each other.

Yesterday we went to the Maori Market art show in the company of sazabhadri, who I was glad to see after my trip. This was fascinating. They had some of the best Maori carving I'd ever seen, including a feather-box that I yearned for. Poets and singers performed. Artists of all kinds were working on site and willing to answer our questions. There was even an area where you could pay to receive, in public, a tattoo from a prominent tattoo artist. By the time I go again in two years, I'll have saved up money to buy a piece at the show.

Last night, we were invited to an Arabian Feast held by the local SCA. Tecno_fairy was stunning in my green "elf gown." I put together a vaguely Middle Eastern outfit based on an abaya and a lot of eye makeup. The feast itself was amazing, even magical. We arrived to a room transformed by candlelight, rose petals, and carpets. Everyone was sitting on the floor around a very low platform covered in tableclothes, rose petals, and delicious food. Lamb with couscous. Spicy meat patties. Peach and date pastries. Almond biscuits with almond cream. Turkish delight. Fruit platters sprinkled with cinnamon. Warm pita bread. Cucumber-yogurt, eggplant-yogurt, onion relishes. When we could tear our eyes away from the food, we noted that everyone else was dressed to the nines, as well. I had a delightful conversation with some people about sedimentary geology. Then, a quarter of the guests took up drums, and another quarter of the guests began to belly dance. Those of us who neither drummed nor danced were encouraged to learn. I tried a bit of both, excelling at neither, but having a fantastic time and gaining a new respect for bellydancers.