You want to walk like an Egyptian? Then you have to dress the part. Dress-up parties are always fun and we had a wonderful opportunity to attend a Galabia evening onboard our ship in Egypt.
In my previous blog post, A snake in the market, I mentioned that we were Galabia hunting. A Galabia is a long Egyptian dress that is worn by men and woman. You wear this with a head piece and some bling-bling.
The more fun you have, the greater your value to yourself and to your society. The more fun you share with others, the more fun you have.
The galabias are so beautiful and I couldn´t decide between a white or turquoise one so I did what all women do and I bought them both. I decided to wear the turquoise one because I loved the detail on it – all glitter and gold.
The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one. ~Erma Bombeck
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| I loved the detail on the galabia that I have chosen! |
I must admit I was a little nervous to go down to the lobby all dressed up. I have been invited to dress-up parties before where half of the guests arrived in their ´normal´ clothes!
When I walked down the stairs I saw cameras flashing and it was almost like walking on the red carpet. The lobby was transformed into a glamour affair and people were being photographed by the local cruise photographer.
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| A South African family that I have met on the boat |
My three South African friends were there and we were admiring each others clothes and even showing some leg! We were looking forward to the festivities that were planned for the evening.
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| The 3 South African women I spoke about in my snake episode |
After the photos we each ordered a cocktail. I chose one that was the same colour as my dress. That was the perfect way to kick-start our party.
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So what happens at a Galabia party?
I lost all my photos that were taken by the cruise photographer but I have included a video clip of a Galabia party that I found on the Internet. That will give you a very good idea of what the party was like.
The master of ceremonies divide the people into 2 groups. You have to do some silly things which include walking like an Egyptian, dressing up as a mummy and doing belly dancing. Points are allocated and a winner is chosen.
Our group was fantastic and most of the people, including the men, did their part in dressing up. I remember one man very well. We had to choose a man in the group who would perform a belly dance for us. This guy had a huge stomach and he was perfect for the part. I had a very nice sequinned evening top in my room and we asked him to wear it. He did an amazing job and had us all in stitches. Only problem was he stretched my top and it never looked the same afterwards.
I cannot remember if our group won the competition or not. Sometimes life is about more than just winning. We all had an amazing time and we rocked the boat until the wee hours of the morning.
Date: 25 April 2005
Where: Luxor, Egypt
The life you lead and the fun you have is incredible. Thank you for sharing it with us….
Lovely to see you here Jorie! I had fun writing the blog but this was way back in 2005.
the egyptians are famous for their blue lapis lazuli ornaments..well, its good that you're having fun..
Thank you Corinne! Between all the fun I also cry my tears. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful weekend.
I loved that blue Syed! I wish I wish I can buy some fabric in that colour! Maybe I will just have to go back to Egypt. It was a fun evening and I treasure the memories fondly.
You're having so much fun and I'm so jealous….:) Hehe…
Lovely, by Jove. The colours, beads, your smile – all have an ethereal quality. And, I like that sone from the Bangles. After reading the title, I voluntarily made a hand movement like that in that song,"Walk like an Egyptian."Thanks.Joy and love on a Sunday,SusanP.S: I need some tips from you. I see that even you are on Blogspot, how do I get those side bars of stumble on, facebook, etc.
Nelieta, you didn't only walk like an Egyptian. You worked it! Cleopatra much? 🙂
Hi Susan, thank you for your lovely comment! You always make me feel good when I read your comments 🙂 I love that song too..such a catchy song! Yes I have been with Blogger from the beginning and don´t see the benefits of changing over to WordPress unless I want to pay for all the extra goodies. Blogger works for me but after I customized it a lot. I will email you the widget with instructions. Have a super Sunday!
Thank you AJ! I loved it! Cleopatra was out of action for the evening. Apparently she had some camel problems on her way to the party 🙂
Maybe you sabotaged Cleopatra's camels? Hahaha! But really, you're very Liz Taylor in the photo.
Fun post love the headdress…The video showed how much fun you were having lol I have had days after when I can't remember either lololhttp://jpweddingphotograpy.blogspot.com/2011/09/photographing-color-bluemagnificent.html
Thank you Jim! We had so much fun 🙂 Luckily I can still remember everything..lol! I guess that blue cocktail was not potent enough 🙁
Thank you AJ…you are very kind! Liz Taylor was the best Cleopatra! I have heard they want to do a remake and Angelina Jolie is in line…I think she would make an awesome Cleopatra!
Sounds like so much fun!! Even though this took place many years ago you still have many vivid memories that will last a lifetime. Bet it was incredible dressing up in elaborate authentic garb. Nice pics!! Take care my friend 🙂
It was so much fun to write this post David because I have such vivid memories of this evening. It is funny how other memories fade but some stand out so clearly. I wish I had a better camera but hey at least I have some photos 🙂 Dressing up is fun :)))) Thanks for visiting my friend and have a great week!
Oh, that looked like real fun! Most of the Egyptians I met were a bit serious. I wish they could've told me of this Galabaya party :P…Oh and you look really lovely with the dress on! I was hoping I could see you in full dress :P….
It was a lot of fun Melissa! This party was organised by the boat that we stayed on and was part of my tour package. It is very popular. Unfortunately I lost my photos that were taken by the cruise photographer when I moved to Argentina. You would have seen how I looked in full dress 🙂
You look resplendent in that Galabia outfit, now I learned something new again 🙂
Thank you so much Claire! A fun evening that I will never forget!