I think I must have been under a rock all these years.

So I was skimming through my f-page and saw that orangepaisley had used this awesome-cool icon. Tracked it down the the original Discovery Channel commercial, and loved it to bits.

The Discovery Channel commercial that started it all


I showed it to my parents too. They totally didn't get it. Why do they not get it? They just looked at me, and were like, "You're in a different league, daughter." Ummm.

Anyway, this is the lj-icon that I first saw. Not in this format, obviously, but I thought I'd share the youtube version since I found a decent one.

( youtube video embedded below, to avoid overly-spamming everyone )

renrui's post just reminded me that I'll be missing the Formula 1 night race in Singapore! The world's first ever Formula 1 race to be held at night, no less!

Ahhhhhhhhh!!! *horror*

Actually, I'm not a car nut in any sense of the word. In fact, I'm quite indifferent to cars in general. Except it's Formula 1! THE Formula 1! Even I have to respect that.

Plus, there is something about the idea of watching racing cars zoom down Raffles Boulevard at 308 km/h that is very, very attractive. That's near where my future workplace currently is, by the way. I have an active imagination, so every time I go for lunch near Raffles Boulevard, I'll probably have an image of cars flashing by at 308 km/h in a country that strictly enforces its speed limits. Awesome.

Except I won't be around to watch it. You know, when I first booked my flight for the 21st, I actually remembered about the F1 race, and was pretty pleased that I would be in town to watch it. But then, months passed, the email from the school came, I'd forgotten all about F1 by then, and I pushed back my flight to the 30th with nary a second thought.

But now, I've realised that I don't get to watch the F1 race! Dang.

P.S. As in, I know that the whole "First Formula 1 Night Race In The World!" thing is terribly gimmicky, but come on, if I don't support my own country, who else is going to?

There are a lot of things I need to talk about. The absolutely AWESOME experience in Japan Tent, for one thing, which included Wajima's Kiriko Festival and the best and most expensive red wine I've ever had in my entire life. Oh, and the three days with my Korean friend who came to visit. Plus the email from the school. Among other things. But I am lazy, and maybe I will end up writing about those things one day, but for now, dance clips!!!

Good things have been coming out of the International Lindy Hop Championships (ILHC).

I confess, I was ever-so-slightly skeptical when I first heard about the idea, because I thought that no dance competition could possibly top the ULHS. But I am blown away. The ULHS is still kick-ass, but from the Youtube clips that I have seen so far, some really creative things came out of the ILHC that left my jaw hanging.

( Read more... )

This is very random, but I have a sudden craving for toast. Not the lightly toasted kind, but the kind that's a crispy golden-brown, just shy of charring. With a thin layer of butter. No, butter AND kaya.

Except I have no toaster. *mourn* And I am not going to buy a toaster when I have only one month left in Japan. And there is no Ya Kun here. So. I think I will have toast when I get back home. And I think I will try to make a pie when I get back to Singapore, because I have no oven now and I think it will be fun to play around with the oven. Maybe cottage pie or shepherd's pie or meatloaf, I think. Yes, meatloaf sounds good.

I will also inflict couscous on my parents, because I am quite sure that they haven't had it before, so there's my excuse to buy couscous. (see, i always need to rationalise everything...)

P.S. If I become confident enough with working the oven, maybe we can have a Pie Party! I don't know why, but I've always wanted to have a Pie Party. Pancake Parties and Waffle Parties are probably more common, but while I still have a sweet tooth, I seem to have outgrown much of it.

Also, I really miss Thanksgiving dinners. They're really bad for the waistline, I know, but there is something very wonderful about the huge mound of turkey stuffing, the endless exhortations to take leftover turkey home, the liberal lashings of raspberry sauce, and random remarks like "Oh, but you haven't had the pecan pie yet! And have another slice of pumpkin pie! With whipped cream?" when you're stuffed to the gills with gloriously, deliciously rich and probably unhealthy, but watevaaaaar food.

All the recent stress finally broke me, I think, because I went for some much-needed retail therapy today, and spent far too much money. A truly terrifying amount, in fact. *winces* Still, considering that the last time I went shopping was in March, of which I only bought one T-shirt, one blouse, and one skirt, maybe I was long-overdue for some shopping anyway?

Excuses, excuses.

Anyway, the haul consists of three dresses (yes, dresses!!), one skirt, two pairs of tights, and a hat. I don't know whether my tastes have have changed recently or what, but I found myself buying stuff that I never would have bought before. My mother will be pleased, I think, because I seem to have outgrown my penchant for black clothing?

See, this is the thing about Tokyo. Everyone is so darned fashionable, and people wear so many weird things, that just from looking at the people around me, I've been able to pick out people whose dressing I like, and use them as inspiration. It was hard to be inspired in Singapore, because I hate wearing pants/jeans (like, really really hate), I look terrible in spaghetti/strappy/sleeveless tops, and while I like blouses and skirts, I don't want to wear stuff that's blatantly 'office wear'-ish even when I'm not at work, you know?

Clothes in Tokyo, on the other hand, are so very very bad for my wallet. Because they have dresses! They have dresses that are cute, even! In short, they have so many different types of dresses available, that even though I'm very picky when it comes to clothes, I managed to find some dresses that I liked. (don't know whether the clothes are formal enough to be worn to work, though. they're not casual, for sure, but they're sort of smart casual, so depending on how everyone else dresses, it may or may not qualify. shall have to wait and see. or seek sartorial advice from the parents. *gasp*)

So. I have discovered the joy of shopping at last. When shall my next shopping trip be, I wonder? Hmmm.

Note to Self: Do not empty bank account. Do NOT empty bank account!

NAFA City Chinese Orchestra will be putting on the <<十大华乐世纪金曲>> concert at the Esplanade on September 21. I can't play in it T_T, and I can't even watch it, because my plane home is scheduled to land when the concert ends O.o;; but if anyone's interested, 是非是非聴きに行って下さいね♥

Title: Top Ten Chinese Classics <<十大华乐世纪金曲>>
Date: 21 September 2008 (Sunday)
Time: 5pm
Venue: Esplanade

Prices (excluding booking fee):
$18, $23, $28
($12, $16, $20 for senior citizens, NSFs and students)

The ten classics in question:
1) 春江花月夜
2) 梁祝　　　<= 大好き！much love ♥♥
3) 二泉映月　　　<= いつも聴くと感動する...
4) 龙腾虎跃
5) 茉莉花
6) 西北组曲（第一乐章）
7) 瑶族舞曲　　　<= 綺麗！much prettiness...
8) 月儿高
9）十面埋伏　　　<= カッコイイ！much coolness...
10）花好月圆　　　<= 新年快乐！じゃなくて...

More information here on the Esplanade website, and you can buy tickets on the SISTIC website here.

Here endeth the gratuitous concert pimpage. *scuttles away*

Okay, now I REALLY regret not going for Balboa Rendezvous in San Diego while I was still resident in the US. Because it was Spring Break and it was there, but yet I didn't go! *aghast* Now I'm 24 hours away by plane, which serves as a huge deterrent in and of itself, cost notwithstanding.

This is Mickey and Kelly at All Balboa Weekend 2008, and they clinched First Place. I watch them, and I'm totally in worship. They're smooth and they're subtle, but they still manage to keep this wonderful energy going, and Kelly does little dazzling footwork things, and my jaw hits the floor.



( one more video behind the cut )

Some days, I look at the way that dance has eaten up my life, and I don't know whether to shake my head at myself or not. It's not that I dance too much; after all, I generally only attend one dance per week, much as I would like to go dancing more often.

The problem is that I think about dance even when I'm not dancing. ESPECIALLY when I'm not dancing, in fact. To the point of what some might even call obsession.

( Read more... )

When all this madness is over, I am going to sit by some water and read a good book while sipping iced tea. I'll play the piano, waggle my butt around to good music, and attempt to write something pretty, just to check whether I can still do it.

Write a few letters, make a few cards to send to people, maybe.

Then I am going to hit one of the milongas. I will dance the night away, and then catch the last train back, or perhaps just stay out some more.

People have asked me to teach them how to dance. I don't see why not.

I'll cycle around Odaiba, just for the heck of it. Play some badminton, if anyone's up for it. Check out Oedo Onsen Monogatari. Watch some DVDs and dramas.

Go for coffee with some friends and talk about anything and everything.

In short, chill. Just chill and READ A BOOK AT LAST. <=== number one priority

All the stress over this thesis thing must have driven me insane. Because in a departure from sanity and rationality, I have volunteered to play the erhu and the piano during the upcoming TIEC Festival.

Everyone seems excited by the erhu, and I am apparently one of only two people who can play the piano. Which is not good, because I haven't touched either instrument in more than half a year. And I should be working on my thesis, not rehearsing for performances.

But even as I castigate myself for diverting my attention to non-thesis related stuff, part of me is secretly very happy that I volunteered and that they seem to have a use for my so-called "skills", rusty as they are. Because it has been a very long time since I participated in this wondrous activity that is making music, and I miss it muchly. School is important, but at the same time, life is full of so many other splendid things that I am loath to give up.

Ah, the life of the reluctant student. *sigh* Sometimes, I think I have too many interesting hobbies. With Lindy Hop, Argentine Tango, piano, Chinese Orchestra and books all vying for my attention, school doesn't hold much charm in comparison most of the time.

The performance will consist of people from various countries (China, Korea, England, Philippines and Japan, at last count) singing representative/traditional songs to live accompaniment. Since I consider myself a terrible singer, I of course hope to be part of the accompaniment, if the band will have me. Incidentally, the festival will be taking place on August 9, which is Singapore's National Day, so logically speaking, I should sing something as well to commemorate the occasion.

Except even if you don't take into account the fact that I CAN'T SING, there also remains the teensy little problem of deciding what song can possibly be used to represent Singapore. Because I tried to think of one, but failed horribly. For Korea, there's Arirang. I've heard people sing 茉莉花 for China, and there are evergreens like Sakura and 千の風になって for Japan.

What is a song that you would consider to be "representative" of Singapore?

If you can think of one, please let me know, okay? Because this is one question that I really would like an answer to. It's too late to work it into the item, and I have no intention to inflict my voice on anybody anyway, but who knows, it may come in handy in the future.