Connor's First Month in Abu Dhabi Comes to a Close
Prologue: In which I am sick.
Three nights ago I sensed a suspicious tickle on my uvula, which evolved overnight into a coat of barbed wire wrapped around my entire throat. It's been difficult to sleep the past three nights, or even take a nap during the day, constantly waking up with my mouth hanging open and snot migrating through my nasal passages. The worst of the illness seems to have gone away today though, possibly due in part to the two apples, one box of fruit juice, and three bottles of water I've been consuming every day since I got here. Yay, immune system!
Chapter One: Russian Seasons
Last night the Russian Seasons Ballet performed at Emirates Palace, and
I got to see it! I had never been to a ballet performance before, so I had not much of an idea of what to expect. I am pleased to say that the show was beautiful beyond anything I could have expected!
So, it was basically split into four "acts", I guess I could call them. The first was your traditional ballet routine-- rows of tall, brunettes spinning and kicking and floating in white tutus and tights, vaguely familiar classical music playing in the background, and one central male character over whom the two main women were dance-fighting. BUT, that was just Act I.
Act II started in total darkness and drawn curtains, following the bows from Act I's performers and a brief announcement about the White and Black Pearl Queens. From my side of the stage I saw a human shape carrying a large hoop through the side door onto center stage. The audience erupted in applause as soon as most of us noticed its arrival, but the theater quickly silenced once lights dimly illuminated the figure: A woman, covered
entirely in glossy, white spandex standing in the middle of the stage. Her tight outfit flared vastly outward at the bottom like a lone stalagmite trying to imitate a dress. And by
entirely covered, I mean
entirely. Not an inch of skin was visible. Her skull was fitted with two shiny, black ovals where her eyes should have been, and in each hand she carried a colorless, paper-fan-esque, webbed...thing. Sort of like a duck foot. This outfit, worn by who was quite obviously the White Pearl Queen, would put Lady Gaga to shame. She danced to the thunderous music with animal fluidity, crouching low around the wide base of her pearl dress, shaking her fins like a dilophosaurus, and standing straight and rigid to give the appearance of a deadly spike sticking out of the ground. But, of course, that was only one of the Pearl Queens. After she finished her dance to raucous applause, it was the Black Pearl Queen's turn.
The Black Pearl Queen arrived on stage the same way that the White Pearl Queen had, and when the lights came on dimly once more, we laid eyes on a more sinister version of the uncanny queen we had just witnessed. She was wearing a glossy black dress identical to her counterpart's, and in each hand she held two large, coal-black pearls reflecting an ominous purple light. Her skull was of a similar sheen, and, most mysterious of all, a fifth pearl protruded from her navel, such that when she held one hand on her chest and the other hand on top of her head, she appeared to be only a string of six pearls flying around of their own accord. Her dance included all manner of alien undulations and powerful hand thrusts, concluding to greater applause than even the White Pearl Queen.
Despite the sheer fantasy and beauty of Act II, Act III was my favorite of the night. If Act I was old, classical ballet, and Act II was futuristic, post-modern ballet, then Acts III and IV were the fusion of both the previous plus a little bit extra. Their themes were very Middle-eastern and central-Asian, with costumes reminiscent of the sort of garb you would see in
Aladdin, but in many cases updated with modern colors like lime greens and deep pinks, as well as stripes of silver rhinestones. The dances in III were all solos and duets involving a more-than-beautiful male and female pair dressed in sky blue. Like, seriously, I don't think I've ever seen better looking humans, and they were made ten times more beautiful by their elegant outfits and floating dance style. Act IV finished off the night with crazy large group numbers, more elegant costumes and plenty of high-jumping dances.
Epilogue: Films
I guess I should probably explain at some point what the title of this post means. It's a quote from Alfred Hitchcock's
The Birds! And I just thought it was funny...
Speaking of movies, I will be volunteering at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival next month! The only reason I haven't chosen my shifts yet is that I have been putting off making a CV, which is required for most of the cooool positions where you get to help organize things and make sure the important people get to where they need to be. The other positions are mostly dealing with the masses-- handing out fliers, seating people and whatnot. But as Anna Rosa told me, those jobs are probably a lot better for getting to know the REAL people of Abu Dhabi, not just the visitors and wealthy people and Film Festival staff.
Anyway, Abu Dhabi has a lot of nice things that I love, but what it doesn't have is snow, rain, clouds, rainbows, butterflies, my family, Lady Gaga, or Amy Winehouse. I still have a lot to discover.
This is real. It is located right outside my dorm. So yes, you can get your hair cut while listening to crazy drunk people singing '80's love songs. Maybe I'll see you there one day. However, I'll be the one singing, and Condor will be getting his hair cut. Not sure how you fit into this picture.
