So two weekends ago was the jiu jitsu national competitions for the style in which I train, Seishin Mizu Ryu Tataki Jutsu.  I was really nervous in the period leading up to the Nationals.  That’s a slight understatment, acutally–I’ve struggled with anxiety for nearly ten years.  Normally it doesn’t affect my daily life, but sometimes it … Continue reading →

The time has come once again to blog about burning barrels of tar.  In Britain, November the 5th is Guy Fawkes Day, where we commemorate the fact that Guy Fawkes failed to burn down the Parliament Buildings in the infamous Gunpowder Plot.  All over Britain people celebrate this with fireworks displays and bonfires upon which … Continue reading →

In my last blog, I devoted a considerable amount of space to figuring out whether or not I should wear a belly dance costume for Halloween.  (Main arguments against: I actually am a belly dancer in real life–hobbyist, not professional; dancers would probably say that dressing up AS a belly dancer is not empowering to the individual nor … Continue reading →

This is what comes of being a graduate student: I analyze EVERYTHING.  In fairness, the costume I want to wear for Halloween is particularly related to my PhD, being a belly dance costume. I’ve gone as a belly dancer for Halloween for the past four or five years, ironically apart from the year I was actually in Cairo because … Continue reading →

Last Wednesday I had to go drink a barium smoothie.  Barium is a silvery metal that gets used for contrast material when doing X-rays of soft tissue, in this case my throat.   I’ve been having this intermittent problem where I feel like there’s something stuck in there when actually there isn’t.   I already … Continue reading →

Apologies for yet another extended absence, my dear Skirtistas, but I have spent the last couple of weeks frantically searching for a new home.  Again. I had a revelation recently: I finally came to the understanding that I feel my home is an extension of myself.  My home isn’t just a place to eat and … Continue reading →

I was at a conference a week ago and I met this woman who works as a policymaker for the Commonwealth Secretariat.  In our conversation my lack of post-graduation plans came up.  She seemed intrigued and excited by my research, something I’ve frankly learned not to expect from people who work in politics (or maybe it’s … Continue reading →

I just posted some new videos from the Saqarah hafla on 12 September over on my YouTube channel.  They are a mix of solo performances (including one by my friend and research participant Lorna, who I’ve mentioned before, and one by Eshta, one of the Saqarah organziers) and group performances.  As I mention every time … Continue reading →

Okay so there are other things to do in London besides staging a belly dance flash mob on Southbank.  The friends I went to visit last week actually work, so on Friday I had to amuse myself during the day.  Headed into the city on the Tube in the morning, idly musing that I tend to … Continue reading →

On Sunday I belly danced on London’s Southbank.  The plan was to have a belly dance flash mob–a flash mob is a group of people who have prearranged to arrive at a place at a certain time and do something (have a pillow fight, lip synch to “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music, play dead…) without … Continue reading →