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Welcome to WOW!, my shamless page about the best night in my life!

Please notice: there are a lot of pictures combined with the text. If you don't fill like reading my babbling about how great it was to meet the AMAZING dancers, just ignore the writing and scroll to find the pictures... :)

I think it was THE shock of my life. After wishing to meet any one from LOTD's awesome dancers for SO long (hope that was only increased enormously after my VERY short and weird "talk" with Daire) seeing Damien O'kane only 2 meters from me dressed in shorts and short simple T-shirt, no shoes on and holding an ice-cream... Well, AHHH!
It was only the second time in my life I was totally speechless... The second greater shock in my life came right after that - hearing Elvira calling: "Hi, Damien! Over here!" and seeing Damien actually coming to meet us...
it took me a whole long minute to catch my breath and find my tongue again :).
Meantime, Elvira was talking with Damien, asking him to call Bernadette so we can give her the Birthday cake she bought and decorated (with lollipops instead of candles ;). "Of course", he said, "I'll call her right when they finish rehearsing - in 10 minutes or so..." HE will call HER for US?! was the thought nagging in my head. WOW! wow wow wow!

This time I forced my tongue to stay in its place so I won't loose it (that was harder then you think! those who heard me talking about Daire know why ;), and I could talk with him from more then just a minute... and guess what?
HE REMEMBERED ME!!!!!!!!
Well, not by seeing me only, of course, but after Elvira said "she is the girl that told you she's from the Celtic Cafe, in Caesaria", he remembered me and the whole story!!!
Next thing to happen was even more surprising... Jimmy (Elvira's child, remember?), asked Daire to take a picture with him. Daire was kind enough to agree (kind enough... LOL... "of course! I'd love to!" was his reaction ;), and that reminded me I have a camera for that very purpose also... (wait, the surprising stuff is about to come!). Searching in my bag, I've found the camera - but not before finding my little tape-recorder, and remembering the conversation I had with a friend just before leaving the hotel in London to go to Bournemouth:

ok? WOW!!!

Beside of that AWESOME record, I also got a picture with him - with my smile SO big that the first thing my brother (Vincent) said when he saw the picture was not 'Oh my god, it's Daire Nolan!' but "Oh my god, look at your smile!" :) Shamles as I am, I'll put the picture AGAIN:

After Daire apologized that he has to leave and get ready for the show (APOLOGIZED!!!), I had a few minutes to leap around singing (well, I COULDN'T sit :), before Bernadette (yes, Flynn ;) came in, with Damien... she was SO surprised by the presents and the cake!
"You don't know how much I appreciate this! I wish I had something to give to you in return..." The sweat girl... Bruce had the right answer for her wish: "You already did!".

And here is the picture of her surprised face when she opened the main gift - a pillow with a picture of her and Damien, "so you can have something to sleep on in busses" :)

In this opportunity, I had also have a great picture with Damien and Thomas Cunnigman!

Oh, yeh, and got Bernadette's aughtograph... :)
Meanwhile, Elvira spotted two other line dancers that I can't remember their names (well, after what happened, I don't think I can be blamed on this ;), and took their pictures and details for the T1 fan club's
site...
they were VERY nice, and also very surprised from us recognizing them and wishing to talk with them :)
The time was almost 19:30 when they left and we started thinking about taking our places, when the gorgeous Ann Buckley went into the venue!

She was lovely and kind just like her voice ;), so another birthday wish was recorded on my tape: "Happy birthday Nomi, from Ann"!!!!
'I wished to meet one or maybe even two dancers' I though when she left, 'and now I've met 7 - 5 of them lead dancers - in less then one hour!!!!"
At 7:40 we caught our places - mine in the very middle of the hall, and the others' closer to the stage but much more to the left. The hall was quit small, comparing to the places in which I've seen LOTD the other 2 times, so I sat there, not far from the stage, staring with awe at the BEAUTIFUL new stage design... when I heard Elvira shouting and saw her waving to somebody with GREAT enthusiasm. Immediately I got up from my seat and get as fast as I could to their sits, to see who were she calling - and I was shocked to see Des Bailey and Kelly Hendry walking up the stairs to meet us!!!!

We talked for some minutes, and they had said that they were coming back to perform with the troupe two days after... what a great news!!!
Des was quite happy to hear that I've seen him in his last show, back in Caesaria, and even more happy, I think, when I've answered to his "How was I?" question: "Oh, brilliant, just brilliant... I think you were a bit loosen up because of its being your last show, and it looked really really great!!" I was so happy I could say it to him... I wished I could do so since that show, but never dreamt I will - since we all know it was supposed to be his last show :) And I was even happier when I had two more birthday wishes on my tape! "Happy birthday Nomi, from Des" and "Happy birthday Nomi, Love Kelly"! WOW!!!!!!!!!!

The stage was BEAUTIFUL, the new entrances very interesting, and - how unbelievable it may sound - the new lightening made Siamsa look even better!!! The colors were lovelier, and the energy... the energy from the stage was incredible!!! I don't know what the reason to it was, but I have a guess: the lord of the evening, the AMAZING Tony Lundon!!!! Now, that left me with a great dilemma... Until than, my very favorite dancer was, unquestionable, DAIRE. But after seeing Tony as a main lead... I just can't decide!!! He was SO amazing!!!
Poor Elvira, she must have had a headache from my telling her again and again how GREAT I though Tony is... ;) Except from Tony, the leads was Gillian Norris, sexier then ever, as Morrighan, Bernadette, smiling bigger then ever - maybe because of her Birthday?, as Saiorse, Daire, frightening but graceful, as Dorcha, and the two obvious leads - Helen, magical then ever, as The Little Spirit and Ann, singing lovelier then ever, as Erin the Goddess :)

Well, I assumed it's the end of the evening, and thought to myself that it was definitely one of the BEST evenings in my life, and that it's so great it was on the day before my birthday (actually, than it was alredy 2 hours before my birthday ;), when Elvira and the gang sat down again on the desk we were sitting before the show, telling me that now is the best time to meet the dancers... now? didn't we do it earlier?
apparently not....
We had really good mood - obviously, after such a GREAT show - and Andreas bought me my very first Guinness! (In Israel, it's illegal for kids under 18 to drink). So we sat there, enjoying our bear, waiting for the dancers to change cloths, when Elvira and Andreas spotted someone that looked familiar... "Isn't it John Carey?" asked Elvira. "It seems so" Answered Andreas, "I'll go and check". Being unable to sit down, I have joined him... and yes, it was really John Carey!
Andreas managed to bring him to meet Elvira (who were talking with Des and Kelly that got to our table when we were going to see John), and it was the first time I've seen her almost as enthusiastic as I was the entire evening! ;)
Now, Elvira can't let John Carey leave without taking a picture with him, right? right. And she needs someone to take the picture, right? right. And that somebody will be the friend that is standing the closest to her, right? right. Well, now comes one of the best pictures I have ever seen: DES BAILEY taking a picture of Elvira with John Carey!!!!! LOL :)

John left after talking with us (well, mainly with Elvira ;) for a few minutes, and Elvira also left - to the toilets. Why am I telling you that?
Because she was back 10 minutes later - with TONY LUNDON!!!!!!!!!!! In the short time she spoke with him before they appeared together, she managed to tell him about me- that I came from Israel, that I have a birthday in one hour, and that I'm a great fan of him... thank you Elvira, thank you thank you thank you!!!

He was SO nice and lovely! Although he had to run to the bus, he took the time to talk with us, specially with me ;)))), take some pictures - he liked the picture with little Jimmy so much he asked for another one for himself!!!, sign some autographs, and even record me a birthday wish!!!!!! "Hallo, my name is Tony Lundon and....... wait a minute, hold on, I've forgotten your name!" -- "Hehe, hi, hallo, this is Tony again, just here to wish a VERY happy birthday to Nomi!"
Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!!! And that's not the last "Aaaaahhhh" because of Tony!!!!
When he apologized, after 15 minutes(!), that he got to run (APOLOGIZED!!!), I was wondering if it will be too silly of me to offer my hand to shake. Appearently, he didn't think so: HE took MY hand to shake!!!! and if THAT is not enough to surprise me, imagine my face when he didn't only shook my hand but also GOT CLOSER AND KISSED ME ON THE CHEEK!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

We were seated again next to the table (actually, THEY were seated... I couldn't ;), when another lovely figure had arrived: Gillian Norris! she was in a great rush, and only had the time to take some photos and exchange some words before she ran ;)

Damien, the next to come, was also in a rush, but I had already had his picture - so instead, I re-told (like I did all the evening) the story about the bet, and got his birthday wish also!!! "I just want to wish a happy birthday to Nomi, it's her birthday tomorrow, so happy birthday from the entire Lord of the Dance troupe" !!!! I think you know what I'm about to write: WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, apparently, Damien was the last one there as he was the first, and after a quarter of hour the security officer asked us politely to leave, saying there are no more dancers inside... he also told us, after we asked him, that there is probably no other place still open now...
But he was mistaken! Half an hour later (Why half an hour? because Elvira and Bruce were telling all the wonderful news, from the returning of Des and Kelly to the meeting with John Carey, to people who can post it in the Cafe! ;),   we found ourselves (Elvira, Jimmy, Andreas and me) in KFC, waiting for some chicken meals to be ready...
But we were not the only people to be waiting there! First we've met there another male line dancers named Eamond O'maily, that didn't have time for pics - he already got his meal - but did have the time to record me a birthday wish :) and then, for a brief time, we could talk with the wonderful fiddler: Mairead Nesbitt! I searched for my camera that unfortunately I couldn't find fast enough, but my tape was with me in order to record the countdown to my birthday! another "Happy Birthday!!" !!!!

Waiting with us the whole time and complaining with us about out food being late was another NICE dancer named Chelsea, that chatted with us for quit a long time… And beside of telling me "Happy Birthday", took a picture with me!

A little later, still waiting in KFC, I've noticed that the hour is 10 minutes to midnight... and the countdown began!!! 7 minutes... 5 minutes... 1 minute! 45 seconds... 30... 25... 15... 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!
I'M 18!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "She can order beers now, she can order beers now!" (Elvira) "Happy Birthday!" (Everybody) "Wooooohooooo!" (me!)
And the day was not over yet... back in the gang's room, we had a little celebration of our own, with Elvira's white wine and the grrrrrreat gift and card they gave me!!! I remember it by heart:
Now, that you are 18, it's a good time to:
-Kick your teddy bear out of your bed to make room for someone... else
-TRY and look at your parents as human beings
-Start behaving like an adult (and no, that doesn't mean you can't "do whatever you want"!)
Isn't it sweet? And the gift was even sweeter - the CUTEST teddy bear... so I'll have what to kick out of my bed ;) we named the bear "Damien" - he just had the face ;)
Well, I didn't thought I can fall asleep, but I did... and the next morning I woke up as an adult... NOT! but as an adult by age ;)
Bruce drove Elvira and me to the couch station, and then we said our good-bye... and the best day in my life came to its end - but the day of my birthday began :)

So THANK YOU Elvira, Thank you Bruce, and Thank you Andreas, Paul, Morin, Jimmy, Rory and the entire LOTD T1!!!!!!!!!!!!
For the best day in my life... :)
Wishing everybody will have such a great day, and than come and tell about it ;)

AstroNomi

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