Dancing in Singapore

[Ste]

I will be back soon.Next few weeks.

Yes Andreas, there are a lot of models here. I think that it is because there are a lot of fashion shops and houses here and I assume various fashion shows (I once had a girlfriend who I think had been trained in catwalk in Singapore!). I know a very tall girl who looks like a model but she is a business development executive in the industry.

At Zoukout there was a whole load of models. The latter were mainly Caucasian but there were a couple of oriental men. I thought one of these guys was not actually very good looking but he had a look that could be in a magazine. Kind of rough, Ghengis Khanny, " I live in a tent and survive on goat's milk and tomorrow i will plunder Poland with my hordes" type of thing. He was built like a Turkish wrestler and I think he might have been Korean or Mongolian or Uzebekhistani or something. Possibly one of the Khan's several million descendants.He had big muscles but not in a aesthetically pleasing way. His girlfriend looked like a supermodel. Probably one of the most beautiful women in the world but with a face that looked like it had been marinated in tom yum sauce. Maybe she was "tired".

What was funny was that some of these beautiful girls were carrying things for their boyfriends...shirts whatever. lucky guys. With me it's the other way round..........

I also saw this Chinese looking guy who was about 5 foot tall and possibly in his mid fifties and he had his arm around one or two of these beautiful models (female variety).

Honestly, it was an unbelievable experience, particularly when the sun was coming up and people were busy taking photos to capture this magical moment. But like I said, I do not have a digital camera.

One of my friends here (a ballet trained chidlren's choreographer!) told me that you can do this type of thing in Bali and Thailand. But I don't think it is particularly safe in these places.

I forgot to mention that there were these weird creatures which were about 10 foot tall. They were shiny and had things sticking out of them. Horns. Everything. Some were green with long yellow hair and others had skin in the colours of the USA flag. They were revelling too and walking aorund, chasing and teasing girls. They were quite skinny.

One of the low points was that I was defrauded at the Singtel tent. A handsome announcer asked me to play a computer game and promised that participants would get free drinks vouchers. So I played and got very tired because of my eyes. I also hardly scored any hits. I was terrible. I didn't understand the controls. I came last. They wouldn't give me any drinks vouchers because I wasn't in the top two and I complained to the announcer. He said that he hadn't known the qualifications for the vouchers (so why is he saying that all palyers get vouchers???? ). I said that only the top two got drinks vouchers. I then asked if I could get vouchers for being "First of the worst". I got him laughing but still didn't get my vouchers. Breach of contract if there ever was one.

My dance training continues tomorrow at Sunny Low's (waltz) I decided not to do the technical waltz class on Sunday.

Here's a trick for the lads.

At the dance class there is a bloke called Dalglish (that is not his real name). He helped me a lot with my patterns and so he is in my good books. There are a lot of twenty something girls that come on their own and I noticed that he would dance with each of the three girls that every week wait for him to practise with. In a way he is quite smart! I am not sure which one he likes but I have a feeling that it is one particualr girl. We all left together and he offered the three girls a lift home but added that there were only three seats!!! Also he was going in the opposite direction to me. I said I didn't want a lift anyway.

(This has been done to me several times now...."Pretty lady, I am going to a film premier [ I would invite Steve too ] but there is only ticket to this film premier" type of thing. Do I have the word "Soft!" indelibly stamped on my forehead or something? Dont worry, I can make money out of this when I write my book/article/expose!)

How subtle can you get? But the girls didn't like it and they declined his rather exclusive offer and helped show me to my next destination (Clarke Quay)! I honestly didn't want a lift because I wasn't going home and it wouldn't have been fair. Public transport here is very good.

But I still like Mr Dalglish and expect him to help me with the whisk and chassis tomorrow...............I hope he wasn't too offended. I didn't mean to take his prey out of his reach.

Do you think I should say to him in my best Singlish:

"Aya, Mr Dog leash! Not interested in girl, lah! Go back UK, leh. Take take girl, lor! Sayang sayang, can! I gone already!"

[Andreas]

But the girls didn't like it and they declined his rather exclusive offer and helped show me to my next destination (Clarke Quay)!

So what is wrong with having stamps SOFT all over your face?

"Aya, Mr Dog leash! Not interested in girl, lah! Go back UK, leh. Take take girl, lor! Sayang sayang, can! I gone already!"

Yes, I came acrossthis ominous 'la' in KL, too. Makes it kind of hard to lear the language because first you have to find out when this is the correct ending of the word and when it is just slang.

[Ste]

Well, today I am knackered. I am in my "Uncle's" office in North Bridge road dealing with my emails etc.

I have just been to the gym and ran 3.3 km in the gym (too hot to run outside) and did weights etc. But what I am most pleased with was that I managed 300m front crawl. Before this holiday I don't think I had ever swam 50m front crawl before. Mind you it is really slow...like someone's breast stroke. I think what inspired me to swim was when I was on a boat, I was wondering how far I could swim if the boat went down. The answer is still "Not very far" but am trying to rectify this.

Tonight is my waltz night. I hope Mr Dalglish will help me with the moves. I hope that I don't get a frosty response from him. I might show the girls Ceroc tonight. THey were quite interested. They have done salsa up to Intermediate level 1.

I used to hate SIngliash but it is actaully incredible powerful. Makes a lot of English sentences seem labored and wasteful. Why use more words than you need!!

1.
Singlish: " Careful the car!"

Mandarin " Kan Che"

English " Be careful. THere is a car behind you and it potentially could run into you thereby causing you a personal injury...."[SPLAT]

2. Roughly based on an article in the New Paper, an aco**** of a recalcitrant 15 year old girl with learning difficulties who assaulted her mother and attacked with such ferocity that it took four adults to drag her off. Her mother tried to instill discipline by caning her:

Singlish: " Cane, cane lor. Pain gone already."

English: "Go on then Keep caning me for what it's worth. In fact your attempts are so weak, futile and redundant that I am not indeed experiencing any pain at all despite your best efforts.I amy have experienced pain earlier but that has now dissippated"

I hope you can see the power of the "lor".

"Leh" is also an important word. It increases the emphasis of what you have already stated.

E.g.

"Pain gone already,leh "

This means. "May i just reiterate, given your present state of disbelief, that the pain has indeed dissipated despite all signs to the contrary".

I think Singlish words should therefore be imported into the English language.

Especially the words "Ang mo". WOrk that one out.

[Ste]

Yeah, I went to the waltz class and learnt a new move…the “Open Impetus: or something. I was dancing with a girl called Stephanie and I kept asking her “Is he saying “Open Pittas”?” I can’t remember the move. I don’t know why we needed it. I was quite pleased that I had nailed the whisk and chassis ( he teaches it a funny way) and the hesitation step but then President Low had to upset the apple cart.

President Low has quite big intense eyes. He can appear really scary. He always has a stick in his hand and he usually uses it to beat his drum. (Yes he has a drum). He plays the CD and then beats the beat 1-2-3 on the drum. Everyone knows to go on the second set of three. No one dare disobey.

He also draws a cross in a circle near the front and everyone has to dance the pattern around the room in full view. Fortunately there were few couples last night. I think the rest might be going to the style class on Sunday.

I felt like calling him “Sensei” or something and then getting into a combat position. It is more like a karate class than a dance class.

One girl was getting a step wrong and he approached her with his stick. I think people must have thought that he would beat her, but he didn’t.

He is actually a lovely, generous man. But he commands respect.

Yes, I met Mr Dalglish again. He didn’t say much to me so I was a bit worried. He certainly didn’t go through the whisk and chassis again. He just left (with a girl I think). Anyway that may have been because we weren’t allowed our usual practice because President Low had to go somewhere.

I have been watching some American dance on TV and trying to copy the moves but they are too hard. To keep my fitness up I am thinking of asking the lad two doors away for a “spar”. He is constantly on his punch bag but he is only about 20 (doing National Service I think) and I am scared that he might blow me away.

[Ste]

Well tonight is Mr Low night. It is my last lesson ( series of four) but I might get a few more.

I found out today that there is another Siloso party on Sentosa Island next weekend! Yippee!

So I hopefully I will be going!

Mind you, it has been really rainy here...lots of flooding (and even people fishing from the overfows from the long kangs (canal drains) here. My trainers are wet and still haven;t dried and my feet are aching. On Monday I met some young people from Holland and we were dancing in the torrential rain. Jumping up and down ...going crazy. One even dived into the water (on the pavement). It was outside the Paragon shopping mall.

My clothes were so wet that you could wring my singlet and water came out of it.

When i got onto the tube, my seat got wet. It was embarrassing. But hey, I love to do crazy things!

So my next big dance thing is the Siloso beach party hopefully! I don't think htat it will be as goood as Zouk Out but hey........

[Lory]

I had nailed the whisk and chassis and the hesitation step

I like the Whisk and chassis, the subtle tempo change feels great and the hesitation always makes me feel as though I should a huge deep breath and hold it, until we set off again!

I'm not sure I'd like the atmosphere of the class you describe though

[Ste]

It''s a good atmosphere Lory.

Just that Uncle Sunny does things in a way that can be interpreted as being strict...but he isn't at all. He was really easy with me on the fee structure because he knew I was going back to the UK. He is actually very very funny.

And people like his product which is why they keep coming back!

[Ste]

By the way, I may have mentioned it before but there is a series starting on Sinpgaorean television called "The Dance Floor' in late January when I will have left for the UK.

The ads have shown judges doing a bit of dancing themselves. And they are phenomenal. I wonder why the judges in the UK on Strictly Dance Fever or the ballroom one don't show us what they can do?

[Ste]

Well, the Siloso Beach party is on Sunday. I think I shall go.

I am really looking forward to it although I am a bit concerned about the weather (it has been raining here almost non stop and there has been severe flooding in Thomson!).

I am getting back into my dance CD's and find that I can hear more things in it, having been to Zouk Out. I used to really like some dance music but now I really really like it. Not stuff that is too heavy though!

I still haven't got over Zouk Out. It really was a beautiful experience and I don't think this thing will be as good.

At Zouk Out there were lockers and so I could come and go as I pleased, get my stuff etc. Beleive it or not there were also showers and so I had a shower at about 5 in the morning. It was great!

Last night I went to Uncle Sunny's for waltz but he wasn't there. Another guy took us. He was a brilliant dancer. All the guys had to dance with him. Ken did the open impetus and then it was my turn. I thought Ken was the best one in the class but for some reason the teacher said mine was better!!!!! Some old bloke then danced with him and the teacher thought his was the best.

I was quite miffed because one of the girls there kept bossing me aorund "You must hold this arm up like dis"....etc. OK so just cos she goes to the style class on Sunday.....

[Ste]

Here is a link to what I think are photos from Zouk Out ( ie not mine!)


http://www.bangkokrecorder.com/fotos...astup&cat=-277

[Andreas]

Yeah, I just decided I really need to move to Singapore.

I was quite miffed because one of the girls there kept bossing me aorund "You must hold this arm up like dis"....etc. OK so just cos she goes to the style class on Sunday.....

Only because somebody must straighten these girls out, obviously.

[Ste]

Wel I went on New Years Eve to Sentosa again, this time for the Silosa beach party.

I had been thinking of going to the Vivo City pop concert as well but it was getting late.

I had to pass throu Vivo City and walked to the cable car area. I then got cable car over to the island again. I am not sure why but it wasn't as enjoyable as the first time. I think that this was because I was too busy tring to get photos on my disposable camera. I really must get my camera fixed but it will probly cost a bomb and the camera was only about 80 squids....I bought it in Spore 18 years ago and it is a brilliant camera when working.

It was near midnight when I got to the island. I got the bus to the venue, at the beach.

I usually like to be alone at midnight as we go from one year to the next. I say a little prayer to put the Creator first in my life for the new year and then I feel settled. If there is a Creator then surely this is the least I can do. So I went to a carpark to contemplate.

Thei fireworks told me that it was the start of the new year. These fireworks came form Vivo City. Maybe i should have gone to a higher point to look but I didn't really think that far. It was more a case of "It's midnight, I have to be alone". Anywhere private will do and even the most beautiful fireworks are not a priority.

Then I joined the party.

To be honest I was disappointed. THis time, there were no lockers that I could use. I couldn't see the permanent toilets. You had to deposit your bags at a tent and I would be charged if I wanted to open my bag.

There weren,t three stages like at Zouk Out and there wasn't as much food. There was no computer games centre and no things like mini bungee and stuff. There were only 2 stilted people. And to cap it all there was only one main area which you had to queue to get into.

It was weird. A fenced off area where there were two overhead foam machines which blew foam onto the revellers.For the girls, there were a lot of lads with six packs. I think a lot of these chaps were indonesian. They didn't look CHinese or Malaysian Malay.

There were a lot of girls onstage in bikinos, posing and pouting. I actually found them quite amusing rather than sexy! Some must have been trainee dancers or something.. They were pro's I think because they all trooped off together at one point. I dont think they were normal punters.

The music was fantastic though. I really enjoyed the mixes.

There is a local celebrity called Denise Keller here. She is Eurasian and Eurasians are chased like mad by the CHinese. European blood is seen as something fantastic here and Eurasians are seen as being Chinesey but with superior white genes. THey are (or were) the ubermensch here.

Denise is a very beautiful girl.(Strangely, I actually find her a bit nauseating to look at...don't know why. Andreas would love her.). She has a habit on TV of showing off her neck and high cheek bones by tilting her head at a funny angle. She reminds me of the beautiful looking Malaysian Eurasians at Uni who were tall (tallness was seen as something incredible then for a CHinese) and very vain. The sort that used to wear shades at the Union disco.But yes they did look cool and yes I did envy them!

Anyway Denise was supposed to be here. But I didn't see her.

It all finished at 6 am.

One positive was that I really enjoyed the dance music.I have had an itnerest in this style before because it reminds me of classical (as oposed to baroque) music. But now I have seen it kind of open up like a flower in the environment where this style is most comfortable. Beaches, warm evenings, open spaces, beautiful people. This style of music really works for me and is highly evocative. Particualry the dreamy folky stuff butressed with a solid beat.

So that was that!

It was OK. Yes there was a bit of violence. Funny how if a place is a bit darker, and less aesthetically pleasing (Zouk Out was beautifully presented) then people may behave less beautifully. I saw some small Indian chaps being carted off. Funny how the bouncers seemd to pick on the little Indian guys. I would have liked to have seen then tackle bigger fish.....oops I mean if they had reason to for safety issues.

Crumbs....I mean if the guy is a midget, with no martial arts training, why drag him into a headlock for goodness sake to show how hard you are

Yesterday, I went to visit Xenbar again. They let me in free ! It was near clsoing time or something.

Anyway I met the owner Justin. He introduced me to someone he regards as Asia's top salsa female dancer and I showed her some MJ. She followed everything I threw at her perfectly. I just said " Dance on the four and just go left right left right. It's easy. You''l get it. That's Modern Jive" or words to that effect. Her name is Yan something or other. He calls it Jazz Rock and he was trying to introduce it here a couple of years ago.

He said he wants to film me doing it with Yan.

Justin has askd me to go to Thumper ( A salsa class) tomorrow to demo Modern Jive with Yan...

I took some photos and I will try to get them up here when I get back to Blighty ( how do i do that? I mean get them up here from a CD).
\My time here is drawing to a close.

I haven't done much MJ dancing but I have seen a lot of stuff on TV and VCD/DVD (including Chinese Latin American) that has helped me to understand more about dancing and I have improved a bit on waltz. I also understand line dancing a bit better and feel that if I can learn the component steps, then I will be halfway there.

[Ste]

Well tonight is my walz night but I don't feel like going. I have a very slight cold after going to Thumper last night. I think someone gave it to me and I was a bit annoyed about it so i have decided that I shouldn't give it to someone else although I don't feel too bad.

As I say, I met up with Justin and Yan,who Justin said was Aisia's top salsa female. I didn't beleive him.

When i went to Thumper she was teaching advanced techniques that I have never seen before to BEGINNER level dances. Suddenly I got very very interested. And the beginners were coping!

Later they went to another room and Yan taught them basic hip hop! It was really good although not so "street". To the same "beginners".

I also tried some MJ with Maria a girl who had been to 5 salsa lessons. I was amazed that she followed me almost perfectly.

Subsequently I watched 2 beginners do aerials that are kind of Janine and Clayton, Phil and Yuko, Simon and Nicole, Wll and Kate standard.

Then I found out that Yan has only been dancing salsa for 2 years.

Then I saw a video of Yan. She is the best femle salsa dancer I have ever ever seen I think. iNCREDIBLE.

Suddenly I feel humbled and ashmed of my own abilities. Truly.

It is like playing the guitar for 20 years and then having a jam with Eddie Van Halen who has only been playing for 2 years but is obviously world class. It is like when I did karate and then discovered Lau Gar.

It was one of those moments.