It's Monday again - shops are open!
Kasandra and I meet late in the afternoon, as shopping has two time slots here -morning and then evening, and both of us work at home in the morning right now.
We meet at one of the most central and therefore poplular flamenco accesories stores.
You have no idea what an incredible fix it is for women to mix the highly misunderstood and emotional female ritual of shopping with our flamenco habit.
Both activities involve the volatile and intoxicating subjects of questing, longing, passion, temptation, sensuality, compulsion, creativity, searching, inspiration, disappointment, grief, tragedy, and if you are lucky... accomplishment, satisfaction , euphoria and triumph!
Tamara is crammed with racks and racks of flamenco dresses. A sea of ruffles in every color you can imagine. Walls of big brightly colored earings, combs, fans, shoes, shawls, flowers... it's like one of those dreams you can have, that you are in a room full of money or yummy food, and you can just scoop it up by the bucket load (you KNOW the kind I mean!)
New stock arrives each day because the festival is on, and dancers from all over the world crowd into the shop along with the locals. If you are lucky you will be treated to sharing the fitting rooms with the tiniest most beautiful nina flamenco dancers, or young "brides of Christ" as little ones are fitted with dresses for their conformation, easter, and the fair that happens later in May..
Anyway, I wait for Kasandra, telling myself I am doing market research for the store, while I elbow and shove my way alongside my fellow hunters and gatherers, searching for items that match the dresses I already have...or that elusive great FIND!
She arrives, does a quick efficient inventory of the room, and we are off to wander for a couple of hours before the first show. Kasandra helps me buy a cheap cell phone, as it has dawned on me that if I am going to wander the streets alone at 2 am in morning, I should have emergency contact capabilities.
We next pick up Kasandras' dance shoes at a repair shop... which happens to be next door to a fancy dress store... that has a gorgeous dress in the window that Kasandra has been passing by every day ...trying not to buy. I talk her into trying it on, and I see her transform from a fleece and lululemon Vancouver casual girl... into a sex goddess - holy crap! (as she would say) SHE LOOKED AMAZING IN THIS DRESS! Luckily for her wallet, and unluckily for the rest of us... it was too big.
We press on fearlessly to the next waterhole - which is a jewelry shop where we want to find out what is with the orange and gold jewelry that women wear here. Turns out it is mediterranean coral set in gold. Beautiful... and the price of a whole flamenco outfit and accessories. Sigh... It was fun looking.
It's sunny today, and in the streets we meet other flamencos that we know, from all over the world, hunting and gathering as well. Some have grocery bags, some are picking up things between classes. We exchange greetings, share information, and press on. Lot's of people are doing the shopping they've planned for a year or more...some are old hands at this...others are overwhelmed as to what to do about the choice ...whether they can sell stuff at home to make funds available!
Much support is given if someone is feeling guilty about spending too much...or advice on how to manage the impulse, or get a better deal if that's what's needed...
I meet a man from Paris named Kristoff (he in the orange hat and fabulous green suit above) Susan has found a great bag for the price of Tapas....
We hit as many shoe stores as possible, because the sales are on ...and the prices for good Spanish shoes are UNBELEIVEABLE.
Dancers arrive at class laden with their latest purchases.... and if having scored, looking as flushed as if they had just had an affair...
Now think about this ...shopping doesn't hurt anybody...and you get to keep the object of your desire for yourself afterwards!
Hmmnnnn...there you go - another way to help husbands and boyfreinds feel comfortable with the bill....
beats hiding it under the bed and saying " OH that....I've had it for ages, haven't you seen that before?"
We meet at one of the most central and therefore poplular flamenco accesories stores.
You have no idea what an incredible fix it is for women to mix the highly misunderstood and emotional female ritual of shopping with our flamenco habit.
Both activities involve the volatile and intoxicating subjects of questing, longing, passion, temptation, sensuality, compulsion, creativity, searching, inspiration, disappointment, grief, tragedy, and if you are lucky... accomplishment, satisfaction , euphoria and triumph!
Tamara is crammed with racks and racks of flamenco dresses. A sea of ruffles in every color you can imagine. Walls of big brightly colored earings, combs, fans, shoes, shawls, flowers... it's like one of those dreams you can have, that you are in a room full of money or yummy food, and you can just scoop it up by the bucket load (you KNOW the kind I mean!)
New stock arrives each day because the festival is on, and dancers from all over the world crowd into the shop along with the locals. If you are lucky you will be treated to sharing the fitting rooms with the tiniest most beautiful nina flamenco dancers, or young "brides of Christ" as little ones are fitted with dresses for their conformation, easter, and the fair that happens later in May..
Anyway, I wait for Kasandra, telling myself I am doing market research for the store, while I elbow and shove my way alongside my fellow hunters and gatherers, searching for items that match the dresses I already have...or that elusive great FIND!
She arrives, does a quick efficient inventory of the room, and we are off to wander for a couple of hours before the first show. Kasandra helps me buy a cheap cell phone, as it has dawned on me that if I am going to wander the streets alone at 2 am in morning, I should have emergency contact capabilities.
We next pick up Kasandras' dance shoes at a repair shop... which happens to be next door to a fancy dress store... that has a gorgeous dress in the window that Kasandra has been passing by every day ...trying not to buy. I talk her into trying it on, and I see her transform from a fleece and lululemon Vancouver casual girl... into a sex goddess - holy crap! (as she would say) SHE LOOKED AMAZING IN THIS DRESS! Luckily for her wallet, and unluckily for the rest of us... it was too big.
We press on fearlessly to the next waterhole - which is a jewelry shop where we want to find out what is with the orange and gold jewelry that women wear here. Turns out it is mediterranean coral set in gold. Beautiful... and the price of a whole flamenco outfit and accessories. Sigh... It was fun looking.
It's sunny today, and in the streets we meet other flamencos that we know, from all over the world, hunting and gathering as well. Some have grocery bags, some are picking up things between classes. We exchange greetings, share information, and press on. Lot's of people are doing the shopping they've planned for a year or more...some are old hands at this...others are overwhelmed as to what to do about the choice ...whether they can sell stuff at home to make funds available!
Much support is given if someone is feeling guilty about spending too much...or advice on how to manage the impulse, or get a better deal if that's what's needed...
I meet a man from Paris named Kristoff (he in the orange hat and fabulous green suit above) Susan has found a great bag for the price of Tapas....
We hit as many shoe stores as possible, because the sales are on ...and the prices for good Spanish shoes are UNBELEIVEABLE.
Dancers arrive at class laden with their latest purchases.... and if having scored, looking as flushed as if they had just had an affair...
Now think about this ...shopping doesn't hurt anybody...and you get to keep the object of your desire for yourself afterwards!
Hmmnnnn...there you go - another way to help husbands and boyfreinds feel comfortable with the bill....
beats hiding it under the bed and saying " OH that....I've had it for ages, haven't you seen that before?"
posted by Edie at 12:26 AM
1 Comments:
That's pretty cool Edie! it is fun to see you and read about your adventures. Enjoy!
LOLuv Cia
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