Too Many Hobbies! 趣味が多すぎる

In September I participated in my belly dancing school’s annual performance. Now, I bet you’re wondering how many hobbies I actually have. Let me tell you, too many! I’m seriously never home! Many Japanese people find it strange that I have so many hobbies. Starting from a young age when students only participate in one club activity at school, Japanese people tend to have only one main hobby. They are often very good at this hobby, thanks to their concentrated approach. On the other hand, I tend to spread myself too thin and never be truly good at anything. I can see the advantages of both, but I like the multi-hobby approach personally. It suits me. Plus I get to do cool things like belly dancing!

シルバーウィークにベリーダンスの発表会にはじめて参加した。「っていうか、ジャッキーはいくつ趣味があるの」って思うでしょう。多すぎるよ！家にほぼいないもん。趣味がこんなにあるのがちょっと可笑しいと思う日本人が多い。日本人は学校の部活からはじまって、一つのことに集中する傾向がある。この集中的なやり方のおかげでその趣味においては非常に上手になる。一方、私はいろいろな趣味を持って、なかなか上達するのが難しい。両方ともそれなりに良い点があるけど、やっぱりいろいろな趣味に挑戦したい。ベリーダンスみたいに。

I first took up belly dancing 3 years ago after seeing a team of belly dancers performing in the Erekocha Festival Parade and thinking it looked like fun. I searched online and convinced my friend B to join me. It was fun, but the class was on a Sunday, so B and I often had schedule conflicts that prevented us from attending. Eventually we both quit because we were finding it hard to keep up with the routines because of missing so many lessons. We lasted about six months. I often wonder about how good I could have been by now if I had continued to practice.

３年前、えれこちゃ祭りで踊ってたベリーダンサーを見て、楽しそうだと思ったから、ベリーダンスを始めた。インターネットで教室を見つけて、Bという友達と２人で行った。楽しかったけど、クラスは日曜日だったから、Bと私は予定が入ってクラスに参加できない時がよくあった。たくさん休みすぎて、振り付けが覚えられないから、結局半年でやめた。もしそのままレッスンを続けていたら、どれだけ上達しただろうかとたまに考える。

B and I at our first Belly Dance Performance 2012

Two and a half years later, I was hanging out with a friend, Honami, when the topic of dance came up. During university, she was into flamenco dance, but since graduating and returning to Miyazaki, she hadn’t found a class that she liked enough to join yet. I told her about my brief belly dancing experience, and how much I had enjoyed it. After reminiscing for a while, we decided that we should try out my former class. We even managed to convince another friend, Haruna, to join us. So the three of us went along to a trial lesson, and before long were regulars.

２年半後、友達のほなみちゃんと話していた時、ダンスの話になった。ほなみちゃんは大学時代フラメンコダンスにはまっていたけど、宮崎に戻ってから、入りたい教室を見つけることが出来なかった。私のベリーダンス経験について懐かしい思い出話をした時、またダンスを始めようと決めた。もう一人の友達、はるなも連れて、前と同じ教室に入って、すぐにレギュラーになった。

Erekocha Festival, where I saw Belly Dancers for the first time

I am a truly terrible dancer. My previous history of sports, which includes netball, karate, swimming, sailing, hockey, golf and snowboarding has ensured that while I am not hopeless at sports, I am in no way graceful or flexible, two of the fundamentals of belly dance. However, that is exactly what appeals to me about belly dancing. It allows me the opportunity to grow and experience things that I have never tried before, work on my weaknesses and hopefully to find a fitter, more confident version of myself. I want to be someone who is not afraid to stand in front of a crowd with a muffin top hanging over my skirt and a stomach that looks as if it has never seen the sun. I think I am getting there slowly. It certainly helps that my friend has incredible make-up skills that practically transform me into a different person every time I stand up on the stage. It also helps that the ladies I dance with are super encouraging, and just in general, amazing people.

私は本当に下手クソなダンサー。スポーツの自分史、ネットボール、空手、水泳、ヨット、ホッケー、ゴルフ、スノーボードをしたから、運動神経がないわけじゃないけど、ベリーダンスの基礎になる柔らかさと優雅さがまったくない。しかし、それはベリーダンスが好きな理由の一つだ。経験したことがないことを通じて、自分の弱点を克服し、自信を付け、もっと健康的な自分を見つけるチャンスになると思う。日陰で暮らしているようで、お腹に贅肉がついていても沢山の人の前で立ってダンスをするのは怖くない人になりたい。徐々に慣れていく。別人になるぐらいメークがすごく上手な友達がいてよかった。さらに、励ましてくれるいい先輩たちがいてよかった。

Is this even me? Honami has amazing make-up skills!

On the night of the performance, I was nervous but ready. Unfortunately, Haruna broke her foot the day before the big performance. After months of practice, to have to sit in the audience and watch must have been heartbreaking, but she put on a brave face. The whole performance was over in what felt like mere minutes. I guess time flies when you’re having fun, and when you’re trying to costume change between songs.

発表会の時、緊張したけど、やる気120％だった。気の毒なことに、はるなさんはその前日、足を骨折して発表会に出られなくなった。半年ぐらい頑張ってたのに、観客席から見ることしかできないって本当に辛かっただろう。２時間の発表会があっという間に終わった。曲と曲の間に着替えないといけないのは慌しいよね。

After the performance... so tired! Poor Haruna :(

A big thank you to Nao, Heyne and Chris for coming to watch my performance! Also, thank you to Honami for the wonderful make-up. Haruna, I hope you have a speedy recovery, and are back in the classroom with us soon!  

なお、へイン、クリス、見に来てくれてありがとう！

そして、ほなみ、素敵なメークありがとう！

はるな、お大事に。

次の発表のために、がんばろうね。