27 Jan 2007 Hafla - St Petersburg Nights

St. Petersburg Nights : 

St. Petersburg Nights Photos and Presentation property of Sayson-Fraser Illustrations. For use of the photos or presentation, please contact drmommy@sayson.net. Click to advance at your own pace…

St. Petersburg Nights : 

St. Petersburg Nights A great restaurant that specializes in Russian cuisine and entertainment 6800 Sunset Way, St. Pete Beach, FL

Slide 3: 

This lady’s a great- grandma who was performing live for the first time in front of an audience. She actually did quite well, we thought…

Xenobia : 

Xenobia This girl’s been dancing for a long time….Loved her beautiful long hair and her joyful attitude….

‘Xenobia’ (actually Johanna) : 

‘Xenobia’ (actually Johanna) A Hip Expressions partner, dancer and instructor

Slide 6: 

Xenobia’s Hip Expressions partner…a dancer and instructor herself… Karen

Slide 7: 

There was one gentleman who was so excited, ….

Slide 8: 

… and so enamored with the dancers…

Slide 9: 

….he just kept on going out on the dance floor to join the dancers.

Xenobia : 

Xenobia Actually didn't mind that---

Slide 11: 

---he actually added so much to the fun.

Xenobia : 

Xenobia He started to shower money over the girls dancing….

Xenobia : 

Xenobia …with the traditional Middle Eastern show of his appreciation for the dancers’ art…

Slide 14: 

… as they so often do in Middle East cultures, I’m told….

Slide 15: 

…and joined in the dancing out of sheer joy…

Slide 16: 

…tucking signs of his appreciation into the dancers’ sashes…

Slide 17: 

…that just really got to me….!

Slide 18: 

The dancers showed us they were just that: DANCERS who were wonderful entertainers…

Slide 19: 

They were classy artists who enjoyed performing, much to our vast entertainment…

Whirlygigs : 

Whirlygigs ---They were joyful celebrants of an ancient art…

Triplets : 

Triplets …who could stimulate…

Slide 22: 

…and encourage the audience to join in …

Triplets : 

Triplets as they apparently do in Middle Eastern countries…

Slide 24: 

…where it’s expected the audience indicate their appreciation with tips showered on the dancers…

Slide 25: 

Or tucked into the dancers’ hip-belts…!

Slide 26: 

I got so enthused and excited myself while watching him have so much fun along with the dancers…

I was bouncing up and down, and dancing in my own seat… : 

I was bouncing up and down, and dancing in my own seat…

Slide 28: 

Finally I stood and started dancing towards him myself…

Whirlygigs : 

Whirlygigs …and when he turned to face me…

Slide 30: 

I tossed a dollar at him myself….!

Slide 31: 

…then turned ‘American’ again, realizing what I was doing, and slunk around to go back to my seat…

Xenobia : 

Xenobia I’m told my move was taken as a sign of my own appreciation, though I hadn’t known that….

Slide 33: 

…but I did hear the roar of approval that my move got from all the ladies…

Slide 34: 

…(and some of the guys, too, including my hubby) in the restaurant…

Slide 35: 

…(who may have been too preoccupied having fun to really notice, anyway….)! with Kimara

Slide 36: 

Kinda felt slightly embarrassed after another one of my rather impulsive moves, once again….

Jacob, as he was named, : 

was an old Armenian friend of the dancers, after all…. Jacob, as he was named,

Slide 38: 

Who knew many of the dancers from often supporting their many shows and activities….

Slide 39: 

… and apparently knew well a lot of the ‘moves’…

Slide 40: 

…expected of an audience when Middle Eastern belly dancers perform…

Whereas I am new to Middle Eastern culture; and therefore unfamiliar with traditions … : 

Whereas I am new to Middle Eastern culture; and therefore unfamiliar with traditions …

Slide 42: 

But still hadn’t been able to contain my own excitement enough to stop myself from jumping up to dance and throwing money, myself….

Slide 43: 

Later, I went up and shook Jacob’s hand, saying “That was fun, wasn’t it?”

Slide 44: 

Although the lady beside him snorted, he said gently “ Yes, it was fun…”

Slide 45: 

Apparently, I wasn’t going to be ostracized, after all….

Slide 46: 

So I guess for an old Armenian, that’s how he knows how to have fun….

Slide 47: 

I actually didn’t know he was not being offensive by throwing money at the dancers…

Slide 48: 

…I thought the dancers were just being too professional to let on their irritation….

Slide 49: 

… having likely experienced this type of behavior in men many times before, whereas I hadn’t…

Slide 50: 

(Or rather, I likely wouldn’t have allowed it, being steeped in my own ideas of ‘feminism’ …

Slide 51: 

… and would likely have beat him with my cane, myself….

Slide 52: 

…or hit him with a karate chop where it counted)….

Slide 53: 

So I thought the dancers just likely blew off that type of behavior, offensive as it was to me, for their sakes…

Slide 54: 

But the guy had seemed so appreciative of the dancers’ art, …

Slide 55: 

….as I felt just as appreciative while watching the dancers, I ended up jumping out of my seat to join him….

Slide 56: 

And that was that…!

Slide 57: 

Whirlygigs …Over-all, it was a fantastic night…

Slide 58: 

…with good food, good entertainment, good service, good company and good fun…

St. Petersburg Nights : 

St. Petersburg Nights I'd never been to a Russian restaurant before ---we totally enjoyed the Russian cuisine.

Slide 60: 

So if you’re ever in the Tampa, Florida area….

Slide 61: 

…allow me to recommend you think about stopping by St. Petersburg Nights, a great restaurant for Russian cuisine…. St. Petersburg Nights Kimara

Slide 62: 

I recommend you pick an evening that Hip Expressions, the belly dancing group, is performing…

Slide 63: 

Before you make a reservation, you can call (727) 363-3832 or check www.stpetersburgnights.com to see if there’s a performance scheduled.

St. Petersburg Nights + Hip Expressions : 

I guarantee you’ll have a great time! St. Petersburg Nights + Hip Expressions

Isn’t that right? : 

Isn’t that right?

Slide 66: 

See you there sometime!

Buh-bye for now! : 

Buh-bye for now!

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If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this PowerPoint presentation or any included photos. Photos and Presentation property of Sayson-Fraser Illustrations. If any person wishes to copy, use or refer to any of the photos or this presentation in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity or arrangement, then they should initially make arrangements to request permission to do so. For further use of the photos or this presentation, please contact drmommy@sayson.net.

If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this PowerPoint presentation or any included photos. : 

If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this PowerPoint presentation or any included photos. Photos and Presentation property of Sayson-Fraser Illustrations. If any person wishes to copy, use or refer to any of the photos or this presentation in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity or arrangement, then they should initially make arrangements to request permission to do so. For further use of the photos or this presentation, please contact drmommy@sayson.net.