My Dance Performances

Dec 2007 Merengue by Andy Suarez


May 2009 Broadway Jazz - A Medly from Chicago, West Side Story and Chorus Line By Bill Calhoun

On Locks and Bobs

And so, I keep thinking about the bob that I never had. The bob that I'd first aspired to mould the mess of quasi-hay that grows at the top of my head into something I once seen on this gorgeous, confident girl grooving to Pet Shop Boys at a Fire tea dance in 1994 - the days when baby doll dresses + doc mart's combo actually worked.

So yes, I have been deliberating about the said bob for more than a decade and even though I have been known to go into short bouts of analysis about things that matter to me, the bob is one that has withstood the tests of time.

The reasons are simple. I am a creature of habit and wearing a bob may suit me for a couple of days but at the end, I weigh the inconvenience of not having tresses to tie back into a neat ponytail when I am working out, when I am doing my dance routine. I think about the lack of length to curls my fingers around and play with whilst I ponder over an issue, or having the option of sweeping my crowning glory back into a neat little bun when the testosterones take charge and command that I dress to feel sleek and professional.

The boring black-brown locks that I own may have stuck with me for more than half my life but they epitomise me - they curl in all directions when I am stressed at work, they tame to perfection when I am in cold climate and they bounce into happy curls of anticipation whenever I am all dolled up for a big do.

My locks define me. The bob, is still a distant acquaintance.

Fun and Spontaneity

Overhead, also kept in mind:-

Fun is Adventure, Not Binges. Real fun, is found in spontaneous adventures, not just staring at the TV or getting hammered. Unfortunately it is a lot easier to get drunk than to have a genuinely fun time.

A Mental Note

Overheard, kept in mind: When it comes to overcoming life's obstacles, one needs to make a commitment. Sometimes, there is an advantage to burning one’s bridges. If there is no turning back, if you have no other way but forward, then you are left with no other choice but to take the first step, and then the second and the third until you reach the finish line.

Now and Then

Youth... new skin, wide smiles, clear eyes... the future's so bright. If only we could bottle it, sip it now and again, and stay forever twenty-one, forever ten, forever five.

I liked being 21 but I like myself much better now :)

Nougatine

Everytime I return from Melbourne, the land where I'd first learnt to have positive dreams, I have to tear myself away. I fell into a deep, long, dreamless sleep right after I returned home.

So much has changed. Federation Square was ground zero when I was a student. Docklands never existed. Melbourne Central looked totally different. Fun Factory, Legends and Charltons (all now defunct) were the coolest places to play pool in my day and Asian nights were commonplace. Today, the city is plagued by violence and most of my friends whom I used to hang out with are married with families.



Armed with a copy of Cosmopolitan and Madison on the plane ride home, It sparked me to think that perhaps I was never meant to play Happy Families. The movies that made me tick are still in the same league - vague, with bitter-sweet after-taste. I watched Love Connected, Eat a Cup of Tea, Wolverine the Origin, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past on the plane. Bliss...

In another ten years, all would be different again. Perhaps, it is time I grew up too...

Lessons From MJ (From My Corner of the World)

If Helen of Troy was the face that launched a thousand ships, then the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson must be the face that touched millions of hearts. Born in Gary, Indiana, Michael was part of the Jackson Five where he sang alongside his brothers in small gigs. He went solo at the age of 13. Many have spoken about the presumably defining factors which charted his success in the entertainment world, factors such as his versatility, his stage presence and his father, who had influenced Jackson, since young to perform.

Jackson’s fame was attributed to the simple fact that he dared to be different, and stood out in an era where black American artistes were not as common yet. The gloved one had first mover advantage – simply by not conforming, he’d positioned himself away from others. Like the concept derived from the Blue Ocean Strategy, Jackson competed in an uncontested space where there were no precedence or rules. He thus created a path for other music artistes to follow.

The Guinness Book of World Records listed Jackson as the King of Charities, with donations made to 39 international charitable organizations. He was not a campaigner of causes but he led by example and made headlines unknowingly.

Even though the magnitude of his fame was unprecedented, he was someone with a vision. A year after the release of chart-topping hit, Thriller, Michael signed a groundbreaking deal with PepsiCo. The choice of a new generation was unveiled and the visionary in Jackson ensured that he was involved in every step of the campaign – from jingles, location to choreography on set. PepsiCo’s integrated marketing campaign was such a roaring success that it set the benchmark for such agreements that followed for other artistes. Jackson was a clear leader and a visionary and that, turned him into an entertainment luminary.

My Lessons From MJ

Build A Very Loyal Audience - No one had a more loyal following and audience than the King of Pop. Across the world Michael Jackson built a following that never went away no matter what happened – even during his highly publicized trials.

Position Thyself - Elvis was already the King. Thus Michael assumed the position of King of Pop

Dare To Be Different - In addition to his signature, crotch-grabbing move, Michael was also known for other simple but unique stunts. When Jackson first performed the moon walk, he electrified the world. The move later became the talk of the world for a long time and was taught in dance studios to new generations of dancers even decades after. Do not be afraid to stand out from the crowd.

Ownership - It's important to own something that is truly, only yours. Jackson owned the famous moonwalk, the robot, The crotch-grab and Neverland. These, will forever remain his signatures.

Pushing the Envelope - Jackson was never trained as a dancer but he pushed the envelope and kept improving his craft. Till this day (and I am assuming many decades after), trained dancers are paying to learn his moves in class.

Constantly Reinvent and Innovate - Keep your brand image fresh with new ideas. Michael Jackson did that with his music and videos. He was constantly changing his image and set the trend with little signature details – such as his single gloved hand, gravity boots and military inspired jacket. Take the lead when no one else dares.

As the whole world mourns his death, I will always remember the lessons I'd learnt from the greatest pop star (of all time) that's gone too soon.



The below... is one of my personal favourites

R.I.P

I have feeling that other than the folks in communist china and myself, everyone grew up with Michael Jackson. But I was glad to have caught glimpses of him when I was a teenager and if there's anything that I can identify about him, it's the concept of the Peter Pan Syndrome

I first heard his daughter's heartbreaking spiel on the radio this morning and later in the evening I saw this and have decided to dedicated this post to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.


It's a pity that a star is gone but a million hearts must have shone when he was born.

RIP, MJ

Don't Malign Us

I was on my way to my fitness class at Somerset this evening when I spotted a tudung-clad lady walking into a wall. I later realised that she was feeling her way about with a walking stick. She was blind. I approached her and asked her where she was headed for and she told me that she was trying to get to the train station. I offered to walk her there even though I was going the opposite direction.

What really surprised me was when she asked if I was headed for the station. She was very considerate. I told her that I wasn’t but was happy to walk her there – it’s just across the road anyway. Unbeknownst to us, someone else lurking in the crowd was actually keeping an eye out for her as well. A young, bespectacled lady who couldn’t be more than 20 spoke up and said, “I am going towards that direction. Let me guide her there”. I felt an immense sense of pride then - the spirit of universal sisterhood. But it's more than that.

When we read the forum pages, when we hear our own countrymen and countrywomen speak about Singaporeans, they keep coining us as “ugly”. What’s so ugly about kindness that sprouts up when one least expects it? Case in point, in the middle of the ever-crowded streets of Orchard, there were two souls who readily came forward to help another fellow Singaporean – regardless of race or religion (we speak the same language). Yes, we don’t (I don’t at least) smile very much, but that doesn’t mean that there is no joy in our lives. I smile with my eyes, I enjoy feasting on the sights that I see when I take the bus, I spot specks and flashes of happy colours in the concrete jungle that I live in. And I am Singaporean.

I once heard a Caucasian lady in my dance class repeat after a fellow classmate, “On the fan la. That is so Singaporean”. I turned around to correct her by telling her that the said classmate’s Malaysian. My point being, I am Singaporean, I am proud of my education and the way that I was brought up to speak properly, in complete sentences.

Years ago, I worked under a Singaporean lady boss who used to wrinkle up her nose in mock disgust whilst telling our Aussie (Caucasian) client, “Singaporeans always drink warm water”. I promptly asked for a glass of warm water for myself at the F&B outlet. I see nothing wrong in drinking warm water. It soothes me.

The point I am trying to make is, we are all ambassadors of our firms, our alma maters, our associations. What’s wrong in making the effort to be ambassadors of our own country? I am not extremely patriotic but I refuse to let others brand us (brand me) unjustly.

Altruism does exist. Therefore, don’t malign (us) me!

Quotes

I love a good story. But I love good stories with learnings that touch the heart even more.

Here are some quotes to share from my favourite book, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

With reference to August's pink house in the Secret Life of Bees...
"You know, some things don't matter that much. Like the colour of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart - now, that matters"

With reference to Zachary's angst after being arrested along with the rest of the coloured boys...
"Those boys that made me wear the fish - they were angry like that too. Angry at the world and it made them mean."

With reference to Lily's lack of maternal guidance and love...
"I go back to that one moment when I stood in the driveway with small rocks and clumps of dirt around my feet and looked back at the porch. And there they were, All these mothers, I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are moons shining over me"

With reference to bees and having them within your proximity...

"Send them love..."

~ The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd

I think there hasn't been a book that has touched me the way that this one has. In one novel, I had been made to think about my (lack of) maternal instincts, how I'd always been trying to stay the way I am, not wanting to leave my nest and start my own. I seldom say this but I do love this book.