Wedded Bliss

Xin's wedding came and went. I decided to wear my vintage blue floral bustier dress. You can never go wrong with that. We saw lots of old friends. Some looked better, but the bulk went the opposite way. If you know what I mean. Age catches up on you. I say, run fast. You won't like it when it does.

Went to Butter Factory after the wedding with Cindy, Zenas, Steven and Qiang. There, we met up with Cindy's friends, Wei Da (birthday boy of the night), Lawrence and gang. Alot of drinking and dancing (ok, maybe mainly drinking) ensued.

Come Sunday, started teaching at 12 noon, all the way till 5pm. Then i had to head down to Raffles City to meet with the team planning the Gamelan Festival at RP in November. Tim texted me about Big Chief's performance at Chjimes that night. Serene texted me around the same time about some thing totally unrelated. I took it as a sign. We ended up meeting for dinner at Chjimes, and then heading to Insomnia where we had quite a lot fun actually, for two girls armed with glasses of vodka. Met my future guitar teacher (i hope! fingers crossed!), the guitarist of the house band, Alif.

Ok, what's a post without pics. Here you go.

At Insomnia with fabulous Seow

The tired bride at the end of the night

Our big family
My table

Me and da boys

Xiao Qiang!

With IreneYes yes, we do like taking photos...cam whores

At Butter Factory

my racks are falling!!

This week has been a most eventful week. First, we found out that my dress rack was hanging off its wall plug on one side. Stevie, bless his soul, made his way down on Monday afternoon to help with the drilling.

Then, on Wed, I found the mens rack in the same condition as the dress rack! How coincidental is that? So on Thurs, Stevie, again came down to help drill it back. We went through the rest of the racks to make sure they were all tightly screwed on. So fingers crossed! Please, no more falling racks!

I finally stepped into Fitness First after a hiatus of almost half a year. I did a 50-min Body Balance class and I felt so good! Hopefully I'm back on track...i'm already scheduling my next gym visit for next Monday night!

And i'm glad I'm finally making someone happy with the piano. Rather good condition with great hammer action, after all these years. It could do with some polishing and retuning and of course, a heater. Heh. Nothing like a free piano huh? :)

So, all in all, that's almost a week's work done. All disasters in the shop have been averted; I've paid all my designers; started going to the gym; and last but not least, got the piano issue settled. Yaay!

Brian just sent me the video that was recorded during the press preview in Edinburgh. We did the first story of the show, as it was meant to be a taster for the press.
View here: http://www.festivalpreviews.com/blog/archives/42

Tomorrow's Xin's wedding and I haven't decided what to wear. Argh!

We are the Devils

Last night was Xin's hen night. Enoch commented that its a sign of the coming era...me going to hen nights whilst he's still going to dorm and hall bashes. I've gone to three hen nights this year and I'm thinking there'll be more bombs next year.

The venue was MOS. When i arrived, they made me wear a devil headband complete with a battery pack on one side. Very visible, very eye-catching and very attention-seeking, especially with seven horn-headed women walking about together. People were touching our horns and directing comments at us.

It was strangely fun in a certain way. Its almost like there was a universal descending of barriers. Well, apart from the stingy army blokes who refused to buy Xin a drink even after she told them that she was having her hen night and to get a guy to buy her drink was one of her tasks of the night. And then we met another group of guys, having their stag night and that's when the fun really started. I shan't go much into details but lets suffice to say there was alot of carrying, kissing and feeding going around. Heh.


The tasks we set for her:

1. Stay sober till midnight (so we can have more fun instead of having to bring a drunk hen home early)
2. Get a guy to buy a drink for her
3. Get a guy to give her a kiss
4. Ask a bouncer to carry her
5. Dance with someone for an entire song

And I'm happy to report, she finished all her tasks with aplomb. Good on her! Oh did i mention i love her wedding dress! Gorgeous! Now...just to decide what to wear to the wedding dinner...

He said that he had lots of memories. Good ones. He could even remember what she had been wearing that first time and it moved her.

Takashi!!!

GA did 3 shows at Ai Tong Primary this past Friday -the last show with Barbara just before she left on Sat. In the end, due to bad organisation, we only performed a total of 55 mins for the three shows! The downside? Being stuck in the school for 6 hours. Boredom set in. We made a stupid video that's just priceless and took numerous silly photos. But it was the fun-nest school show I did this year.

The two gals who are leaving us : Barbara and Serene. Bon voyage!

Happy Teachers' Day? Riiighht..

Went to watch a volleyball tournament today. I arrived at Hougang Stadium just in time to see Mr Yong's team playing their last 2 sets to take the third place. Thereafter, International Kakis took on the Singapore Police team in the first and second placing match. It was a very exciting match, both teams closely matched in the 5 set (!!!) game.

Amongst the international players in International Kakis was this Japanese dude who looks a little like Alex Toh....he was freaking amazing! Oh my god! His spikes were straight on, the bulk of it undefendable and unblockable. Wooot! Xin nicknamed him Takashi, and it so suits him. Heh. Cindy took a picture of him in mid-spikeserve in the air. Now if only she sends it to me....

No Luggage

Its scary how I can feel so much with you. Extreme happiness one day and dejection the next. This is not what I want...or is it?

The Start of Another Year

I'm officially 26. Where has the time gone to? I remember I was 17 when I stepped into SRJC. 21 when i left the world of tertiary education to start my life in the world. 24 when everything came into sharp focus. And now, 26. What lies ahead?

While I'm finding out, here are the photos from last night's party at Ambrosia. Good friends, booze, shisha and great atmosphere - nothing could be better. Other than that supernatural thingy with my camera...you know how phone cameras always save your pictures? Candice took a photo of me, Eleanor and Terence and we saw our faces on the screen but when i viewed the picture later, there was only murkiness and this weird green thing on the top righthand corner of the screen.It freaked all of us, especially since Eleanor had just told us about the City of the Dead tour she took in Edinburgh that involved a poltergeist.

Photos...some are blurred coz i forgot to turn on the night mode!


My favourite drummers(top) :) and the dragons reunion (below), well, sort of..

This is so wrong.

Another blog?

I just posted my first post to my shop's blog. Another blog? Am I crazy? Maybe I am, but its good for the shop :) Go here: Suite Stuff

I just love this photo, taken by Christine from Anonymous Apparel. Old-world charm anyone?
Of course the shop doesn't look like this anymore....its a little more...er lived in? Heh.

Baggage has arrived

Yaay! My baggage, thought lost for good has arrived from London. Am looking forward to seeing my bottles of Lemon Vinegar, Raspberry Vinegar and Bramble Vinegar. Oh, not forgetting Raspberry Vodka, Blackcurrant Gin, a 10-year old Brandy, Chocolate Orange liqeur...and the list goes on. I'm salivating already.


In case you're wondering where on earth I got these. They were bought from a shop called Demijohn in Edinburgh. They only have two stores in the whole wide world - one in Edinburgh and one in Glasgow, and they specialise in making their own oils, wines, vinegar and other what-nots of alcohol. Absolute bliss¬ now who are the lucky ones who get to share in my joy. hmmm....

Go here for Demijohn...they do international deliveries! Damn.
http://www.demijohn.co.uk

Sorry, Love

I spent a pleasant day (or rather remainder of the day, seeing as we have to perform two shows every morning) watching shows today, a total of 4 in fact. The first was Joined at the Heart, a musical about the life of Victor Frankenstein. It was, in my opinion, too draggy, contained too many songs that weren't very nice to begin with, mediocre singing and acting...oh, there was one actress who was so bad, she was distracting. I made it through the whole show, only to leave five minutes to the end. I swear that was about all I could take.

The second show was The Space In Between, set literally in a jazz bar, the Jazz Bar next to our performance venue. It was a great ambience, the bar was closed for the duration of the performance and the actors used the bar space as their stage. Very philosophical, yet funny. Again, I didn't stay for the whole show as I had to go look for Su-ping and Eleanor, to watch another show.

Painting Music - The Colour of Sound was the third and the most enjoyed show of the day. Set in a church, with a very competent pianist and talented cellist and clarinetist, it showcased an artist painting on a canvas to music played by these musicians. 5 songs were played in all and I most loved the Baroque Sonata in C minor and the song about the crucification of Jesus. It was so beautiful and the acoustics in the church were just awesome. The results on canvas were at times stunning, bold and yet

I ended the day with Sorry Love, a very evocative dance piece by two dancers about domestic abuse. She moved with so much grace and lyricism..oh and her body! So tight and taut, but a little manly. The guy was abit more flamenco in style, not as graceful in movement but he provided a good balance to her style. If anything, i thought it was good he be different - providing a subtle warning of the impending rift in their relationship. I loved it.

Reviews!

So far, we've been getting positive reviews from audiences and reviewers alike. See the reviews here: http://www.itheatre.org/Edfringe07reviews.htm

And we might just be going on a UK tour, if everything turns out well. The organiser for the tour came to our shows last week, so fingers crossed everyone!!

I watched two shows today - Prodigal Daughter (about a Korean woman who returns back to Korea after being sent away when she 6 years old, and finds out why she was sent away) and The New Magic Show (set in a cafe, the audience gets to choose what's on the menu). Prodigal Daughter was rather average. Staging was rather weird in some scenes but the acting was really very competent. It was quite a sad story as the woman, Mina was sent away because she was being sexually abused by an American general during the war. The general would often bring food over for the family. Her mother, alone with four other children could do nothing but choose to send her away, hoping this would stop the abuse (which it did) but did not realise that it wouldn't stop her hurt.

The New Magic Show was funny! I laughed throughout the whole show. The magician, Simon Evans announced at the start of the show that the Fringe office was not happy with the less-than-satisfiable applause at all of the Fringe shows and that he'd be commissioned to solve the problem. Which he promptly did by telling the audience that there were four steps to be taken each time he did a trick successfully:

1.looked shocked (put both hands up to your face)
2.turn to the person next to you, look doubtful and shake your head, he couldn't have possibly done that trick
3. dawning look of recognition that yes! He'd actually done the trick!
4. Applaud and scream.

Another twist to the oft-done illusion trick of putting a person in a box and sticking blades through the box consisted of a cardboard box and plastic poles. Why? Safety regulations prohibiting the use of knives (too dangerous), wooden planks (too dangerous, they might splinter and get into the skin) forks (the restaurant needs to use them) etc etc...

So yes, he gets his assistant to climb into the cardboard box, and then proceeds to stick 6 plastic poles into the box and out the opposite ends. Meanwhile, the assistant is dutifully screaming his lungs out. At the end, all is quiet and then suddenly, the assistant pops up, but only he's in a glittery black dress, revealing his bountiful chest hair in all its glory. yup. not your run of the mill magic show.

The weather's damn cold today! Argh. I walked home in the rain, under an umbrella, and (quite) warmly clothed but the wind still chilled me to the bone. Was thinking of going out to catch a few shows at night but with this weather....i guess I'll be staying at home, catching up on my blogging, emails, reading and shop work.

I just made some strawberry jelly and its cooling in the refrigerator now even as I type. Oh, and here are a few more funny shop names, just for your viewing pleasure....enjoy!

Free and Easy

I took this picture as I was walking along a road on the way to The Pleasance Courtyard to catch Chanbara. Seems so whimsical yet so apt for an easy afternoon. I imagine the person who put this there must have sat on the chair, smoked and watched the world go by, while maybe reading a paper or a book.

I myself have been doing a lot of reading of late and its been really satisfying. Back home, my reading is oft done when i'm on the move, most often in trains, or on buses. It feels so good to be able sit on a couch and really read, without having interruptions! One of life's simplest pleasures. Another one of life's simplest pleasures? Having cocoa pops with a bowl of milk. Mmmmm. What's yours?

So what have I been reading? Nothing serious i'm afraid. Heh. I've been reading a trilogy of books by Nora Roberts, set in Ireland. The geography and culture is somewhat similar to that of Scotland. I'm able to visualise in my mind when she describes the topography of the area. The cliffs, rolling hils and its gentle slopes, faerie-like cottages and more. Its great! I took a drive along the south-eastern coast, out of Edinburgh and up towards Saint Andrews. The drive was awesome. The scenery took my breath away - there were bales of hay resting in the fields, golden carpets of wheat, cows and sheep grazing on the green hills, abandoned cottages, quaint cottages, contemporary houses with their beautifully landscaped gardens and lawns and more! I could go on all the day. There was one part of the drive where hills rose high to our left and to our right, downward sloping hills leading to the sea. That was awesome, and a sight that will leave an indelible mark in my memory.

This time around, I haven't done much shopping. Alot of the clothes here can be found back home and at cheaper prices too. Eleanor was commenting that it could also be a testament to the fact that Singapore's fashion market has opened up so much in the past three years. Although i've been stocking up on skin and bodycare products. They've got Boots here! It has such a wonderful range of labels! Charles Worthington is big here, and Watsons only just brought them in.

I just bought Benefit's Hollywood Glo and eye cream and night cream from Boot's in-house label, Time Delay. Heh. Will let you guys know how good it is in 7 days. It promises firmer and younger looking skin in 7 days. Look out for the review at http://theboudoir-at-thechicsuite.blogspot.com/

More Updates

Yes, decided to do away with the oft-confusing blog template. No more "where do i click to get to your posts ah?" and no more "oh, so is that all there is to your blog?". But do be patient. I still have some editing to do, html-wise.

Very satisfied with myself today. I vowed to watch at least one show everyday before I came over to Edinburgh and today, I watched not one, but two great shows! One, a breakdancing show from a company from Korea (cute guys!!!) and two, "Just So" - a musical cum play about how the crab became its humble size as it is now. Great singing and acting! I was blown away.

Gotta go now. I've got to let the owner of this computer use it...catch ya guys later!

Edinburgh Part 2

Finally managed to get a computer with a working internet connection. Its no joke not having a computer on hand whenever you need it. Here's your updates, well some of them. More photos coming soon! Fug, just realised that my chatterbox is down. Grrrr...

Went to watch Puppetry of the Penis last night. Nothing great. Just some full frontal nudity and two guys manipulating their genitals, stretching this way and that to create what they call "installations". Hot dogs will never be the same again, neither will KFC's chicken.


The Scots sure have a sense of humour. I was walking along Rose Street, parallel to the shopping mall, Princes Street and this is what I found.

Edinburgh

I've reached Edinburgh safe and sound, after a 16-hour flight. Security was tight and some mixups meant that I had to throw away my canned food. Sob! No tuna, or curry!! :(

The time difference here is 7 hours behind Singapore. Suffering a little from jetlag. On the first night, we had a tech run for the 2 shows at 12 midnight, all the way till 5am (1pm Singapore time). I was falling asleep every time I looked down at my instruments. I think the greatest torture on earth is not being able to sleep when you most want to.

Anyways, the place that I'm staying in is called Roseburn Terrace. Hatta says it sounds like its something out of horror movie. You should check out our entranceway into the building. A dark corridor with cobwebs on the ceiling leading to an uneven spiral staircase. Me and Seri are sharing a super small bedroom. Its so cold here that I'm thankful for the small space. Small spaces are more cosy and trap heat easily.

We've had great meals! Pasta and macaroni and we had chili con carne yesterday for lunch, courtesy of Su-ping! Yum!

Today's the beginning of our 18-day run. Press coming in for our shows. Hope nothing goes wrong...especially my handling of the jellyfish. Heh. Looking forward to watching all the free shows , and of course the ones where we have to pay too, especially The Magnets and Puppetry of the Penis. Yuup. Later...

4 more days to EDINBURGH!

Argh! Where has all the time flown to?! I've been busy making up lessons for August and finishing up what's left of July. Poor me has been working till 10pm everynight. Thought I could have a little R&R and watch a movie, but someone decided that work was too important. Yep. I mean I understand but i'm pissed that I'm not a priority. Okay, that's princess speaking.

Anyways, Sunday was the Heritage Festival gig at Suntec City. Highlight of the day: an 84-year old uncle playing the drums with loads of attitude. Heh. Damn funny. Shall upload pics soon!

I've got a wedding gig tomorrow at the Sheraton. The client had to give me a last minute list. Sigh. Gotta go cram songs soon. Like now. Oh, and tomorrow night's my last night at Keppel Club! Yaay! I mean :( Heh. Its too far! Only makes sense for people who are driving to go there.

Okay. Updates ended. There WILL be more to come.

Bangkok Bangkok

This time round, Bangkok was great. Lots of shopping. Lots of eating and drinking. Coupled with a great night at Route 66 in RCA, with a bottle of Black Label, and the best salted popcorn ever. Mmmm.

Serene with her haul after our first day of shopping.

Yes, thats my humongous rainbow china bag in the background. Heh.

I saw this sign outside another club. Heh. Top 10 reasons for no entry?

At Route 66. Drunk but desperately trying not to look the part.

Vintage heaven. I found so many great dresses!

Queue in the toilet. If anything, it makes queuing more fun hah! Follow the arrows and the numbers.

At Suan Lum night market. Coke never tasted so good.

How does one keep the faith?

How do you keep trusting in friendships when time after time one more flaw reveals itself? How does one make herself understood, instead of being misunderstood, misinterpreted all the time? The key is open-ness and honesty. If you've got something against me, come right out and say it. But whatever you do, do not hide behind that cloak of friendship. Don't ever hide behind the facade of smiles and hugs. I detest you for it.

I'm so tired of doing so much. Game over. No more.

The First Suite Stuff Swap

This is what I'll be busy with in the coming week. Although I should have done this a long time ago, like last year when I'd thought of it. Anyways, do RSVP to suitestuff@gmail.com.

See you there!

Hustle and Bustle

The days of hustle and bustle have hit me once again. Not that I'm complaining. Its good to always have something to do. It lessens the chance of me thinking overly much, not to mention saving me from being too clingy.

Was at Feri's wedding on Saturday, and had the wedding bouquet thrown at my feet not once, but twice. Damn embarrassing.

Radical Context's gig at the Orchard Library went well. We got to know the guys from Peepshow, another local band. They liked our brand of jazz and funk. I guess the library people did as well, coz they offered as a monthly slot as their resident band.

I'll be starting my alternate Thursday gig at the Keppel Club this Thursday, so come on down if you're free.

Rehearsals for Dragon Moon and Rainbow Fish have started. Went for choreography session on Monday. It all seems very fun. Its the first time i'm doing puppeteering. Heh.

Anyways, its late, I'm tired and I think I'm suffering from PMS. I'll leave you with this...

I've just gotten the rehearsal dates for Rainbow Fish and Under the Dragon Moon, turning my already packed schedule upside down. Now I must go determine which student to reschedule or which rehearsal to skip. Damn. All because of freaking Edinburgh. Am already regretting my decision to go. But then again, knowing me, I'll be elated to be there when I'm there inhaling the smell of the cobbled pavements. I mean I've been comparing practically every country's smell with that of Edinburgh's. This time, I really must visit London. Really.

I've been in the shop the whole day. No sales. Just some random people coming in, trying and leaving. Oh yes! I got some shoes today that I'm sure Elizabeth will want to get :) heh. Will not tell her. I'll let her read it herself on this blog or see it on me. The best thing about it? It only cost me 8 bucks! And a customer just asked me if it was for sale. Heh.

Merlin's gonna come in tomorrow to get her 40's skirt! Argh. I can't bear to part with it. Its so gorgeous! And what a conversation piece it is! I just had this conversation with the door bitch from Velvet about the skirt. I'm so regretting my decision to put it on the mannequin now! Sighhhh...

A great start to a great week

Went to Harry's at Boat Quay last night with Shaun, Sherry and Soap. OMG, just realised that our names all start with S! Haha. Anyways, we were there to watch ChromaZone, a jazz quintet comprising of Christy Smith, Rick Smith, Eddie Layman and Nicholas Lee, together with singer Denise Mininfield. It was great music. Powerhouse vocals from Denise. Soap kept saying she scared him. Heh. You scare too easily Soap!



Halfway through the night, I got a call from Freddie, saying that we've got alternate Thursday slots at the Keppel Club, starting next Thursday. So come on down to the Keppel Club if you can! I think we've got three sets starting at 8.30pm.

Am listening to Joss Stone's album right now. I just love her voice. And her new image. :)

Check out "Treat Me Right" and "Under Pressure" on the album.

Sat was my hottest gig ever. We played one set at 3.50pm and another at 6.50pm. In between, I played beach volleyball with some guys. Heh. Yup, in my dress :) luckily it stayed up. But my right hand seems to be in some kind of muscle pain now. Can't seem to do any trills or fast passages with my fourth and fifth finger.

Went for an audition with a pub band yesterday. My hands, thank God, didn't let me down. So, yes I'm in. But it might be a six night gigging thing. Stanley's not pleased about it. I'm quite excited about it but six nights seem to be very very tiring. Plus, i'll need to look for replacements everytime I leave the country. Which might prove to be a big big problem, seeing I'm leaving for Edinburgh on the 29th and then Australia in Oct.

More good news....Now Playing got into the next round of the J-rock Omasturi. We stuck out like a sore thumb. Me in my bright green dress amongst all the monotone cosplayer types. Heh. Our music too. Nothing of the screamo stuff. I could see question mark bubbles in the crowd when we went on stage to setup.

Marcus was infallible this time around. Which has been sorely missed in the past performances. I hope he keeps this up. Oh, and one more highlight of the day! Huimin in a skirt, well sort of. And makeup! Pics will be up soon!

GIGS

RADICAL CONTEXT

When: 30th June 2007, Saturday. First set starts at 2.15pm

Where: Sentosa, Siloso Beach


NOW PLAYING

When: 1st July 2007, 3.30pm

Where: Cineleisure


RADICAL CONTEXT

When: 7th July 2007, Saturday. 3pm

Where: Orchard Library

I'm going for an audition with a pub band this Sunday in which I'll be playing keys and singing harmony and maybe the odd song. I have to prepare 18 songs. Should be easy, I've already done the chords for 6-7 of the songs. Am also going to audition with another guitarist for a duo gig. Plus I'll be jamming with Freddie's band this coming Friday.

You'll probably going, "is she mad?!" I don't know if I am. Its this inexplicable push for me to play music every single waking moment of my life. If I had my way, I'd do nothing but practice and perform every day. Sometimes I get so frustrated. When is my big break going to happen? I told Jenson today, I don't even mind rehearsing everyday.

But I know all this has a downside. All this busy-ness has pulled me far apart from my friends. I was just thinking to myself the other day. If I were to disappear one day, how long would it take for my friends to find out I was gone.

Easy Sunday: David Tao's Rehearsal and Hot Fuzz

Yesterday was a good day. I managed to get three hours of practice on the piano, watched David Tao's rehearsal for his upcoming concert tour, AND watched Hot Fuzz with a very good friend.

The rehearsal was an eye-opener. I loved the arrangements and everyone looked so happy to be there. I wish I had the chance to tour too. I need my big break!

School has started. And I'm back to teaching at the schools. Sigh. I don't know why I started in the first place. Money's good but the atmosphere is so, bleah.
It drains all the life force out of me I swear.

Drama

The early morning calm was pierced by frantic sirens. Minutes later, the sounds of whirring helicopter rotors could be heard....if you think this is part of a movie, you're wrong. It was one of my real-life dramas in Melbourne. This was the day of the shooting - when a solicitor was killed and a backpacker wounded, all in their bid to save a woman being attacked by another man. I wasn't there, but the drama was real all the same, Stanley's house being just one block away from the crime scene. An hour later, police patrols sounded sirens and advised the residents in that area not to leave their houses. Me and Stanley stayed home till after 1, and even then, we were quite paranoid while we were out. I hope they catch the killer.

My other drama was with a stupid travel agent, who happens to have the same name as me. I was almost stuck in Melboune without a return ticket all because of the travel agent, who helped me rebook another flight but failed to advise the airline on the ticket number. So, they cancelled my new flight booking. Luckily I checked the day before I was to leave. When I called her, she was very defensive. I mean, it was obviously her fault. Who else would have my ticket number?! What made me even more fuming mad was when she said, "Hey, I'm doing you a favour. I didn't even charge you for it." At the end of my tether, I called Emirates in Singapore and this very nice lady was so patient and understanding. When she helped me revalidate the ticket, I almost cried. I'm still mad. What an attitude! When I lodge a complaint with CASE, lets see who has the last laugh.

Grrrr...

Melbourne Ver 2

Stanley finally got his internet set up. Boy, Australians are so efficient. And so hardworking. Wait a min, do you detect a faint hint of sarcasm? You are right. I hate the way they do things here.

I just got back from Camberwell Market. Lots of good buys today! I'm excited. I've got an awesome gold bangle from the 70's, two cheongsams from the 70's and this pretty little hand mirror with ornate detailing in silver, from the 50's. One of the sellers was this 85 year old lady who remembered me from the last time I came down in Jan. She sets up and packs up the stall all on her own every week. 85 years of age! Imagine!

Am going to check out the St Kilda Arts Market in a while. Updates later! Ciao..

Ear Candy.

Nice.

Okay, so far, i've been watching alot of CSI. Too much, in fact. I've finished watching the latest season of CSI Las Vegas and am currently midway through the latest season of CSI New York. Its depressing. Most of the time. And I'm becoming a little paranoid. Like there could be danger lurking around every corner. And then my over active brain goes into overdrive.

Okay, so that's how I spent my first week in Melbourne. Loads of sleeping involved too. Not to mention shopping. I've got my boots, my shoes, dresses, and some earrings. The DFO here is really cheap. But then everything is about the same. Pinafore dresses are big here. So are tights, stockings and boots. Not to mention skin tight jeans and long winter coats. But the asians? Different story. All Jap fashion. So boring...and not to mention ugly!!

Okay, its back to CSI now...internet should be up from tomorrow so i'll have more to do. You'll never imagine how bad life is without internet.

Back in Melbourne

I'm in Melbourne now. The smell of the city is still the same. That's good. Heh. My flight was a breeze. I had the window seat and the next two seats were empty. Food was great and service was excellent. I'm definitely flying Emirates again. Bad thing is, my flight was delayed by an hour...meaning that I got to Mel at about 1.40a.m. and then had to wait till 2.25am for the Skybus into town. Taking a cab would have cost me bloody $50. No way.

While waiting for the bus, I chatted with this Aussie woman from Burnley. She just got back from Dubai. As it turned out, she was supposed to go on a five and a half week tour around Russia and the Baltic States. But when she arrived in Dubai, she was told that her Russian visa was not valid. She stayed for a night in Dubai trying to get the visa settled but to no avail...the next day she got on a plane headed for Melbourne. What a bummer! And then she started crying while she was talking to me. OMG, here am I, freezing my butt off in the queue and this woman is crying. What am I supposed to say?! So I hastily changed the topic. Argh. Shouldn't have sat there in the first place.

Watched Pirates, again with Stanley. It's still funny. Especially the pirate lord with the high-pitched voice. Haha. Oh and I keep telling my friends about that episode from Family Guy with Peter and Robert Losure (is that how you spell it?). Yes, it still hasn't lost its charm. Yet. But Stanley can't stand it already.

Anyways, I miss hanging out at the shop and at Pitch Black. By association, that means I miss hanging out with Shu and Elizabeth. Sigh.

On the upside, I've managed to borrow a keyboard from Saturday onwards, so that means I can go practice.

Now, if only that stupid landlord of mine were to get the electricity sorted out, life would be a breeze. Dammit.

I'm pissed....

"You got in his skin, and you know alot about a person when that happens."

"I hope we'll always be friends as well as lovers and we never have need to apologize for anything."

Fufilling Friday

I made a major boo-boo today. Was supposed to wake up at 10am to get ready for an 11.30am class at Haig Girls. Was told that some NAC people were coming to observe my class. So at 10.30am, a teacher calls me, "Hi are you in the school already?" A blur me says "no, i'll be there by 11.15am to set up" And you know what? She says that the class was supposed to be at 10am! By the time I frantically showered, changed and got there, it was 11am. Class over. Luckily for me, Joyce was there and she taught the class for me. But I feel so bad! Damn. I wish I wasn't so blur at times.

But things got better from then on. Jane from LCube called to say she was sick and could I reschedule my practice time to another day. I effectively had like 5 hours to kill before my piano lesson. So I set my priorities right. Did what I had to do like send the shop's logo to make a rubber stamp. And then I went shopping! Okay, so it was more like shop shop shop, oh yes! gotta go make the stamp for Suite Stuff. Then back to shop shop shop. Now, I'm the proud owner of a pair of fire engine red slip-0ns, a grey vest and my best buy of the day - a blue tube dress rather like what they used to wear in the 60s. Slingback sandals are making quite the comeback I must say. Saw a few pairs that I'd like to own in the Pretty Fit store. Hehe.

Piano lesson was great. I almost wished I could have a longer lesson. Sigh. Now I feel like practicing so much...but am stuck in the shop. Grrr. Which reminds me, I need to get the keyboard amp. Like real soon.
Did i mention that i'm a proud owner of an out-of-production Boss Digital Delay/Reverb pedal? Its awesome. Gone are the eternal problems of bad pa systems of jamming studios. I'll have my own personally EQ-ed reverb. Can't wait to use it at the session tonight!

Ciaoz for nowz!

Street Smarts

I'm bored shitless in the shop! So, thought i'd blog. Heh. Not that I need an excuse to. These are some of my favourite photos taken by The Sartorialist's photographer Scott Schuman in Stockholm. Gee, I wonder what kinda photos he'll take of Singaporeans...

I like her pixie-ish kinda charm. And that bag! I want!

The epitome of cool.

I like the hoodie idea..hehz

Okay, so this is so Lohan and gang but I like the look anyways.


Armani anyone?

Update!

Okay, I'm officially not MIA-ing anymore. Heh.

Did a fusion gig in Catholic High today. Considering the amount of rehearsals and the fact that most of the guys are not seasoned gamelan performers, i say we did pretty good. Gambang and Suwe rocked!

I finally had the chance to really practice on the piano tonight. All 2 hours of it :) I'm glad. Its been such a long time.

Oh and I'm getting a delay/reverb guitar pedal that Marc assures me, is out of production. Can't wait to use it!

Okay, thats like a mini mini update. Gotta wake up at 6am tomorrow to do a workshop at Haig Girls'. Argh!

Creatures of Comfort Sale!

Creatures of Comfort are having a 15% discount their entire online inventory! My want list:

I'm loving this United Bamboo white eyelet dress. Perfect for our weather!

Octopi's Puff Sleeve Dress is simply the cutest. Yumz!

Eley Kishimoto's off-shoulder dress. Simply luscious!

Alexandre Herchcovitch Silk Tank - I love the colours!

Click this way: http://www.shop.creaturesofcomfort.us/

My first drum lesson today was freaking awesome. Banging away can be so addictive. And Patrick, my teacher was younger than I'd expected. Er, I was imagining a round-bellied uncle, but when I got there I saw a goateed, tattoo-ed young man. Hur hur hur. The really creepy thing is, we both live on the same street. Sigh, my life is full of coincidences. I really don't need another.

I had dinner with my family. Its been a really long while. My bro mentioned that its funny how we all have to have family dinner when I'm free. I know I've been really busy and today I jumped at the chance to spend time with them when one of my students cancelled their lesson. Sometimes its frustrating how they don't understand that i'm trying to prove that I can make it in this world. Is this called existence? Trying to make your life something?

No surprise then that i've been feeling depressed lately. I must pull myself out of the doldrums but I don't know how. Luckily, the people at Pitch Black have been real buddies. Its amazing how you meet friends when you don't expect it. I feel blessed.

Its been four days since I've MIA-ed. Wed's post was written on Tues, so sorry if i've confused anyone. Not that it matters. I'm just a stickler for details. When it matters. Haha. Shit. Ain't making any sense now am I? I'll just head off to bed and try to sleep through the night without having to wake up and scratch my rashes. Urgh.

I'm starting my first drum lesson tomorrow. Some people might say I'm crazy for adding yet another aspect to my very busy life. I was thinking about it the other day. Surprisingly, I don't feel like i'm busy. I guess its because all the things that I'm doing are the things I love. Also, the more busy one gets, the less time you have to think about certain things or certain people. Ok, i admit some days it gets too much for me. Then when I take a break, I find my mind wandering....of all things, back to the work that lies ahead for me when I finish taking my break. Ironic isn't it. Me thinks i'm a workaholic.

Today was my first Tuesday practising in Republic Poly. The room's big and clean. Though i hope they put in the carpets soon. I was rehearsing earlier with the fusion group too. Damn fun. Gambang Suling and Suwe Ora Jamu shows alot of potential. Oh yeah.

Today too is my second day of MIA-ing. I hope it lasts. The flesh is willing but the heart is oft weak. I hate myself for that. Spineless girl.

When you think of me,
remember how I yearned,
remember how I ached.
Know how I longed
to be
a bright blue sky

PowerHouse!

Breakbeat Theory did their thang for Get Off Ya Thang at Esplanade's Powerhouse stage tonight after KoFlow's set. It was freaking hot, even with one measly fan blowing at me. And to think that I'll have to be on the same freaking stage in June! Argh, the thought just kills me. How to look glam?!?!

Ok ok, back to the gig. Goldhill sounded nice. So was Snare. But after that, it went downhill. Sigh. We need to arrange. Absolutely.

KoFlow mentioned that he wanted to study in Lasalle. He says its time for him to study. Hmm. A brave decision. If he ever gets down to it. Few would take up the challenge of a further education at this age, especially if one is active and successful in his/her field. I mean, would we have enough time to study and perform at the same time?

Some guy, a friend of Kin Ho's came down with 6-litres of home-brewed beer. Very fruity, a girl's beer. 8 guys polished it all off before our gig even started. Drinkers to the core! I didn't know that home-brewing of beer was done in Singapore! Imagine if you could sell beer out of your home! Damn cool...


I'm not gonna upload any pictures tonight coz i look damn disgusting and sweaty. On second thought, maybe I will..when i'm in the mood.

Oh and did i mention? I hate gamblers. I know this is off-tangent but i really needed to say it out. Now that i've said it, in the words of KoFlow, "Peace, out"

Gig Alert!

Come join Radical Context this Saturday, 21st April 2007 at the Earshot Cafe, Arts House at 8pm. Admission is free. Do get yourselves a beer, sit back and enjoy. See you there!

the men of 300

Okay, so the movie sucked big time. But it more than made up for it with all the visuals of gleaming hard bods. Mmmm. I especially liked Tom Wisdom. So he looks like a model, but really, he's not. A stage and television actor in Britain. Thankfully not some himbo. But you know who took the cake? Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes. As the credits flashed on screen at the end of the movie, his name came up. I kept wondering why I found that name familiar. Went home, googled him. He's the hottie in Charlie's Angels and Love Actually! The wonders of makeup. He so looked like a drag queen. Don't believe? See for yourself.

From this....

And this....

To this......

Yes, that huge, golden, drag queen creature is the Rodrigo Santoro! Will wonders ever cease. Hahaha.

He bought me a little something from Canada and I'm unbelievably happy. Guess you can say I'm easily satisfied.

Recap of the Month

This month has been pretty productive, not to mention way out busy. But busy is good. Busy means more moolah.

So here's a recap of the month of March in Stan's life.

Did a two-week run of Under The Dragon Moon at Alliance Francaise. Good crowds, with many sold out shows. A lot of bloopers (as usual) with one actor falling off stage, Jon's ghostly tickling, my big fat red mole. Yup. The usual.

Watched Take 6! Okay, i have to admit. They ARE better than The Magnets. In fact, I could have sworn some of the acts are rather familiar. Hmm....some borrowing going on? Talking about The Magnets, Colin has left to sing backups for some singer of whose name eludes me at the moment. That's one less for the band. Wonder what they're up to now. Hmm.

Watched Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. My sexy trombonist and bass saxophonist. So full of life, vibrance and energy! And the glow-in-the-dark sticks and bangles were added fun - read: a meteor-like shower of those aforementioned thingies in the concert hall at the Esplanade. Yes, THE concert hall.

My gig with Now Playing at the concourse in the Esplanade. Went alright. But as usual, we could have played better, tighter, yadda yadda. The usual regrets after each performance. But! I'm glad we did not lose the crowd. They stayed. Oh yes they did.

My Telok Kurau Angklung group is getting better. Another thing to be thankful for, considering they're going for SYF in less than three weeks. These kids are real fun to teach. Gonna miss seeing them that often after April 26th. But that also means more time for myself and the shop which i most definitely welcome.

Its March the 31st. Phew. 31 days of almost non-stop working. Nothing feels better.

"The feeling of happiness exceeds the pain"

I miss you..............

The Eagle Has Flown the Coop

Chiao Lee left for Japan today. Guess she'll have lots of fun there. And hopefully she'll get to see Namie in action!! Most importantly, she could get some Tokyo Jihen stuff for me!! Muahaha~

When I walked into the ladies at the airport, I was startled to find that the toilet cleaner was crying. Really crying, like just sitting there with her face red and her eyes all teary. I wanted to ask her if there was anything wrong, but when I came out of the cubicle, she walked into her little storeroom. I don't know why this affects me. Somehow, I really feel for her. Sitting there all alone with no one to comfort and ease her pain. I wish I'd just went ahead and asked her. Sigh...

Just This Once

And it was best that way, she knew. But it was also awkward. Not to mention difficult. Always having to guard her tongue and her heart. Always having to pretend that it meant nothing to her when he touched her, or looked at her, or spoke to her in public in that warm, interested way of his. Because none of it was real, she reminded herself. And if she forgot that for more than a moment, she as nothing but a fool.

Mosaic Festival

14th March 2007 - the day Now Playing performed some Japanese funk and jazz to the Singaporean public via the concourse of Esplanade. Oh it was a scintillating experience - one which I hope to reprise again. Someday.

The New Year

I don't what's becoming of the new year. Its supposed to be a promise of something new and exciting coming along the way. A whisper of hope that someday, that resolution of yours will finally be fulfilled.

I don't know what's happening. Too many things. Getting bogged down till sometimes I just want to give all up. Hide away and forget all. Maybe that would be better. But at these times, I remind myself that I'm a fighter, not a hider. That yes, I fought to get my dreams fulfilled. Why should all come to naught?