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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

This year, I pondered on and worried for my life and future a lot more. I feared over the competition around me, I feared that I may never find my true direction in life nor be the best that I can be, I feared that somewhere along the way I'd get tired of dreaming and wanting. I've not found the answers to my fears, but life goes on anyway, and we've just gotta keep walking and believe that things will eventually work themselves out.

This year, I learnt that you can have so much unfairness dealt to you, and even then, sometimes there's nothing you can do but just to suck it up, move on, and be more careful.

This year, I've become far more judgemental. My friends once said I see the good side of people too easily, this has probably changed. I don't know if this is good or tragic.

This year, I've come to realize how superficial people can be, and let go of people who have never made an effort to be a friend, it wasn't hard to do so when this dawned on me. At the same time, I'm once again thankful for friends who were by my side when I was down, and who loved me despite my flaws.

This year, I saw many of my friends go through breakups, and while I had some emotional downs of my own, I'm glad that I was spared from the far more heart wrenching ones.

This year, I had one of my best academic semesters in the most recent one. I had a renewed interest for Econs after taking IE(B), thanks to Ruanjai. I guess it's true, you do well when you enjoy what you're studying. I hope it gets better from here.

Finally, like every other year, I've taken away awesome memories like RAW, MSF and other random moments with friends and the dancers.

Next year, I'll be very busy at the start of the year, with Bailamos and Intersection to juggle. I thought of taking the semester off to do an internship, so that my after-work hours would be really for me to focus on dancing. But I would be very tired everyday at work, and now I wonder if it's better to have a regular semester and take 4 modules instead. Although I'll need to juggle meetings and consistent revision with a crazy frequency of trainings, at least I'll have more flexibility with my time. We'll see how it goes - that what I always say, fickle-minded me.

I hope the dance clubs will get to go overseas. I hope I'll get to go on exchange, but it's okay if I don't. I was sad over not being able to go to Mexico, I did a whole lot of thinking and came to this, exchange is after all, still just... exchange. I know you get to travel, meet new people, have a hell lot of fun and freedom, and you really really want to go on overseas exchange too when all your friends around you get to do so and they post pretty pictures on Facebook and come back with exciting stories to tell... but it's not something that I'd die without ya know? Money's going to be an issue for me - I don't want to use my parents' money, but neither am I keen to take a loan and start my working life in debt either.

Next year I'll try to blog more as well. Till then, goodnight.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Went to Bangkok again, 6 months after my last trip there. This time it was kind of like a 21st birthday holiday, because holding a party would be too much of a hassle (because it would be just after the exams, and I wouldn't really have had the time to plan for it, and I would have had to invite close to 100 people, and I wouldn't be able to properly divide my attention among the many groups of friends who would be present, hence I chose to dine with each group of friends at a later date instead). So I saved the money for this trip instead, also because the girls had made a pact to go to Bangkok together!



















At Changi Airport!


































Just alighted from the plane!




















First dinner in Bangkok was seafood at Yaowarat!




















Followed by grocery shopping at Big C! We bought a lot of stuff, but didn't finish them at the end of the trip. I bought a few toiletries for myself just because they were cheaper than in SG. Lol.


































The best Thai street snack I've tried: Prata with banana and egg, fried in a lot of oil, then generously topped with condensed milk and sugar. Damn sex. But it’s so unhealthy, eating it is like asking for a ticket to death.



















The girls just had to sleep together in one room, so we squeeze all 4 beds together. Not bad huh.




















First morning in Bangkok. The view from our room.



















Pratunum market! Layout was somewhat like Bugis Village, except that the clothes weren’t as fashionable as those in Bugis V. For clothes like that, we had to head to Platinum Mall. However, there were items that were cheaper than the same ones in Platinum, such as the basic tops and bikinis (which I bought 4 sets of! Don’t know when I’m gonna wear them, but they were really pretty and I couldn’t resist buying a few at a go!). I actually spent more time and bought more stuff from this market than from Platinum mall this time round.

Having the bargaining power of 4 girls is an advantage. :)


































At Krung Thong Plaza. Bought mainly cosmetics there. They are imitations, cheap, but are surprisingly safe and good to use. Again, there were lots of pretty makeup, but I limited my purchases this time round, because how many sets of smoky eye shadow or blushers do I wanna keep, seriously? (I’ve been using a blusher I bought from Bangkok in April for about 6 months or more, but it’s nowhere near finished.)

The last time I was at Platinum Fashion Mall with Yun Fei and Krystle, we took 3 days to walk the entire mall. By walk I mean strolling through all corners and lanes of the mall and making sure we took a good look at every shop there. We only spent less than a day there this time. I realized that although the stuff are nicer, they are more expensive too, I believe most, if not all of the shops charge tourist rates. I managed to find some shirts for my brother, bought a pair of heels with Ching too. It cost $20, expensive (by my standards, anything >$10 in Bangkok is expensive), but it was of good quality and was already selling for half the price than the same shoes in Singapore. I liked the accessories there too, wanted to buy a number of bangles, but had to control my purchases again because I hardly wear bangles or other accessories out. Tried the best phad thai there (wish I had it a few more times), loved the green tea latte at Grand Canyon too! I think I didn’t have enough of the good food in Bangkok.

The flea market outside Pratunum Centre was quite a good place as well, though I think many people often miss this out. Besides buying a few tops there, I spotted a stall with dainty hair accessories, like shiny ones with crystals, but they were more expensive too. Wish I could buy the whole stall!


































Our shopping "trolley".




















This is how we dumped our stuff in our room when only half a day has passed and our shopping bag was already full.


































A&W!




















Going through our loots and trying to pack them into our luggage every night.




















The girls celebrated my belated birthday with doughnuts!


































Flea market outside Siam Square. It was packed so I didn’t bother to check out many of the stalls there. But I’m pleased with the pretty 25THB earrings we found after spending time rummaging through the huge pile of earrings at one stall.




















Chatuchak, the weekend market. Didn’t find a lot of clothes there, but there were other treasures like jewelry boxes, mugs, and furniture. We came across this shop selling mugs, Bel said the shop might be the manufacturer of Disney souvenir mugs. I got myself 3 colourful ones, and they only cost a few bucks each! Heh. Wish I could have bought more, but my luggage wouldn’t have enough space for them. I got to try the coconut ice cream (didn’t get the chance to the last time I was there) which many people have raved about. Loved the Thai iced milk tea too! Then there was the pet section which I would never give it a miss whenever I’m at Chatuchak. The animals there are so damn adorable I could spend the whole day there! Sadly, because there isn’t enough people to buy so many pets there, I think many are eventually put to sleep when they grow too big.

By now you would have realized I’m a huge sucker for pretty-looking things. Yup I have a bad habit of buying things just because they are pretty/colourful/shimmery/glittery/shiny although I have no use for them most of the time. But really, sometimes just walking in and looking at nice things in stationery or accessory shops does lighten my mood. :)

I tailored more clothes this time round, spent a total of $200 on tailored clothes. Tailored clothes are a necessity for me, because the blouses sold in SG are too short (what’s up with these manufacturers in SG man) for me as I have a long torso. And I like the fit and the workmanship of this tailor.

That's all. I want to make Taiwan, followed by Korea, my next holiday destinations in Asia!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Dancers from NRA @ the World Supremacy Battlegrounds 2009 in Australia. Polytechnic students, but they're amazing, and here's why.

Seven Crew, 2nd place.


If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands, 3rd place. Watch their musicality and control during the classical music part.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Sunday, October 11, 2009

After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t always mean security

And you begin to learn
That kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child

And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid flight

After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers

And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth

-Veronica A. Shoffstall

Thursday, July 16, 2009

RAW - The EMIX Dance Experience

I can't believe RAW has just flitted past me like that.
I wasn't ready for it to be over.
Because it was an experience that I truly loved every minute off.
Because through RAW I grew and learnt.
Because it saddens me to walk into SOE Level 7 and not be greeted by the familarity of the Emixers' presence. That was something I looked forward to every night.

RAW wasn't anything big nor like an event of the year, but there was still something just so special about it. It's like a parent who has a child, and although that child doesn't do great things, he is still proud of his kid and cherishes it. Yes, RAW was like our baby, which we grew and nurtured over the past few months. I saw how much ownership we took over this production by doing things like giving each other feedbacks and suggestions after each rehearsal. It also warmed me to see people approaching each other and telling him/her how to improve their lines or expressions, and to see the dancers volunteering to watch a choreographer's item when they knew the choreographer had just cleaned up his steps although they weren't in his/her item.

I won't say we put up a mind-blowing performance unlike clubs like NRA - for every performance there's always room for improvement. But I felt that we really went up on stage and had fun, and danced with no regrets. Every moment I was on stage, I knew it was a time that people just had to see Emix for what it really was. With every step, I gave the biggest burst of energy the fibres of my muscles could afford. With every second that trickled by, I was subconsciously wishing so badly that RAW wouldn't come to an end.

But it did, and now I'm left lingering for more.

I'm thankful for getting to forge closer ties with the Emixers because it's truly been such a joy to be around them.

What's next for Emix? I'm sure we'll continue to grow and work towards a more self-managed club that's less dependent on external instructors too. (I think this is something that Caderas Salsa should work towards to as well because we're far too dependent on Lionel, whom I think has become complacent.) RAW was a stepping stone for us - almost all the items were student choreographed, with Ryan guiding us and molding the items during his vetting. We have our next big production in Feb 2010, which I really hope I can be part of, or I'll be severely heart-broken.

For now, some of us will be down for the Suntec Hip Hop Dance Competition, which is pretty high profile, even more so than Funkamania. I'm glad I've got the chance to compete! I don't have high expectations for us, because this competition is known for attracting very skilled teams like NRA (who are sending in more than 10 teams by the way) for instance. But at least it'll be an experience, and a chance for me to grow again! =) Then there's Vivace, Convocation and Dancetitude too. I'm down for Vivace, and I had fun learning Nic's choreography today. Glad to take on someone else's style again! =)

That's all for now. I'll be posting up photos, and hopefully videos soon!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

but I can't say so, my lips just tremble.

[RAW!] SHIWEI says:
GOOD JOB FELICIA=)

[RAW!] SHIWEI says:
am pleased with our item todae=)

[RAW!] Fel* says:
heys

[RAW!] Fel* says:
yup you too!

[RAW!] Fel* says:
and we must keep it up! =)

Believe it or not, I was so excited about going for Emix again that I had trouble sleeping the night before!

I'm so pleased with today's rehearsal! Especially for Shiwei's item, because we've worked hard to bring out this chemistry between us, and I think we've done it right because Ryan had very few comments for us (with Ryan, no news is good news). And although this is new to me, I've been enjoying portraying those emotions of love, anger, betrayal and regret too (I play a cheating girlfriend who gets her retribution).

My favourite item in RAW is the combined guys item, in particular the dance for Stuttering. It's boyband style, and people like Chin Ta and Shiwei look so good on stage it kills me to watch them dance! Chin Ta is so adorable it makes me wanna hug him. And Shiwei has this killer charisma, which together with his good looks, are gonna smother all the ladies in Butter Factory. I've watched them dance numerous times but I still squeal whenever I see that dance. The same few girls in Emix will always gather and giggle among ourselves during Stuttering. Haha.

Wow my legs are like jelly now. Gotta sleep now, for I have another long day tomorrow!

Friday, July 3, 2009

I should do this too.

"Someone asked me, what is the goal I have in life.
How much money do I want to target to make per month/per annum and so on.
I replied, I have no set target.
And its not because I have no ambition.
But to me, setting a mark, a figure.
Is placing a cap on my ambition.
I'm placing a limitation as to what I can do, and will do.
What I can achieve and will achieve.
To me, I do not believe in settings targets.
Because I believe in making as much money as possible.
Regardless, my age, time and place."

-taken from Belinda's blog

Sunday, June 28, 2009

I used to tell people that I would quit Emix by the end of Year 3 to free up time for myself, and also because I've already been doing hip hop for a while and I wanted to learn the latin ballroom dance instead. I take back my word now, because through preparing for RAW, I've grown more and more attached to this club. RAW trainings have been so joyful for me and I don't want RAW to be over.

It's not just that, I love the familarity of walking into Level 7 and seeing the Emixers. Now that Ryan has taken a step back and given us more control over the reigns, we've bonded well through giving each other ideas, feedbacks and helping each other out. Not to mention the talent I see through the student choreographies make me feel so proud of Emix.

I don't deny there are times where I dread Emix trainings, especially when Ryan teaches us popping and locking. But one of the reasons why I've stayed on is because I'm still attracted to the freedom to express that hip hop gives. It's unlike Salsa - we smile, be cheeky, be sexy, and I love being/acting sexy, but that's about it. In hip hop we can be cheeky/sexy and more - we can take on many personas like gangsters, diva, pop star, geeks, robots, a person in love or broken-hearted, etc. And I love taking on different personas... maybe because being myself means I scrutinize my own shortcomings too much... and escaping into another persona helps me to ignore to discontentment I feel toward myself for a while.

I guess learning Latin Ballroom will just have to wait.

Right now I hope that RAW will go ahead as planned, and not be affected by the threat of H1N1. Emix has grown since Dance Garage, and people need to see this.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

what it means to have goosebumps.

I love the first video a lot because I can relate to chemistry and emotions which SW and I are suppose to have for our dance. Although today's vetting didn't please Ryan, I'm glad I managed to pull off a decent act of broken-heartedness and depression, given it was my first time doing something like that! =)

SYTYCD Phillip & Jeanine Hip Hop - MAD by Ne-Yo



SYTYCD Allison & Ivan - Sexy Love by Ne-Yo

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

beautiful.

Perhaps some day the sun will shine again,
And I shall see that still the skies are blue,
And feel once more I do not live in vain,
Although bereft of You.

Perhaps the golden meadows at my feet
Will make the sunny hours of spring seem gay,
And I shall find the white May-blossoms sweet,
Though You have passed away.

Perhaps the summer woods will shimmer bright,
And crimson roses once again be fair,
And autumn harvest fields a rich delight,
Although You are not there.

But though kind Time may many joys renew,
There is one greatest joy I shall not know
Again, because my heart for loss of You
Was broken, long ago.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

"Is it truly better to have loved and lost, to feel that morbid emptiness eating you up everytime you think of that other person the last words you've exchanged prior to losing whatever you've had forever, would you really want that? Or would you rather be completely ignorant of the absolute bliss you experience, that high when you're stupidly smiling to yourself as you read his text messages and imagining him doing the silly things he's telling you about or just looking at him singing in the most absurd way, whilst he's thinking he's the most fantastic singer alive, chuckling to yourself. Would you rather not ever experience that and stay in your safe bubble, never feeling the stabbing pain that goes along with it as it withers away?"

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Although I have not been dancing for only 3 days, I'm already missing it!
I had fun learning Shi Wei's choreography today.
It's the familiarity of school, the studio, and the dancers that makes it very comforting for me after a day a work. That's why I still look forward to trainings at night although I'm exhausted.

Even after complaining so much, most of the time, I still love hip hop. It's like, it dies off, but rekindles itself again.
Plus the EMixers, I guess that's why I can't bring myself to quit the club yet.
=)

Monday, April 13, 2009

"My friend came out of his exam and told me he finally understood why all the windows on the 10th floor are sealed."

LOL.

Monday, March 9, 2009

It's you who hurt the most when you can't forgive.