Confessions of a City Slicker

There I was in Body Combat class the other day, fully charged, kicking and punching and shouting, pushing myself to give my all when it started. That slow rumbling down the pit of my stomach like a volcano waiting to erupt.

At first, it was easy to ignore but then it started to become really uncomfortable. I thought it was because of the 100Plus I had before class, so I pushed on, ignoring the discomfort and instead concentrated on finishing the class, whatever it takes.

Half an hour later I was running out of there before the dizziness, nausea and pain consumes me. By the time I got my ass to the bathroom, I was starting to see the black dots in front of my eyes.

Well, the volcano did erupt. Don’t mess with Mother Nature!

So this gets me wondering. Does all that punching, kicking and shouting somehow stimulate the bowels as well? Are there other benefits to Body Combat besides a good cardio workout that we haven’t realized yet?

Considering that this is probably like the fourth time this has happened to me, it’s worth looking into. I mean, I don’t experience this during Body Step, no matter how tough it is.

Hmmm…

Butterfly by Mariah Carey

I’m not such a big fan of Mimi but with this song I made my wish for her and she came to me. That’s why this song will stay forever in my heart as her song.

If Tomorrow Never Comes by Ronan Keating

I wondered if I loved her enough in her life. Did I do everything to make sure that she never feels sad or rejected?

And yeah, sometimes late at night I’ll just sit and watch her sleeping peacefully next to me. It gives me a sense of peace and happiness just knowing she’s there.

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Andy Williams

This one doesn’t need any explanations.

I love you BABY
And if it’s quite alright I need you BABY
Through all my lonely nights I love you BABY

To Where You Are by Josh Groban

I still get weepy when I hear this song. Although Josh sang this song for his mother in Ally McBeal, I can’t help but feel his loss and longing for that loved one to still be there.

I dedicate these songs for you, Baby. Thanks for being a part of my life.

Dad asked me the strangest question today.

Apparently he had heard what he thought was me retching in the bathroom the other morning and thought that I might be, erm, knocked up, so to speak.

Well, let me put your mind to rest, Dad. No, you’re not gonna be a grandpa any time soon. I’m not baking an apple pie, although I might try my hand at it, literally and serve it with ice cream, not serve ice cream TO it. Aunt Flo’s still gonna make her monthly visits as scheduled, which is a comfort, annoying as they might be.

As for the sounds, it’s just me doing the stuff most people do as part of their morning bathroom routines but are too embarassed to admit it. Sometimes, I overdo it because it feels so good, thus the retching sound.

So, all’s well.

Here’s something I learned recently about why some women (especially those from certain regions) let their lalang grow out of control while the rest of us keep up a strict regiment of waxing, shaving, tweezing, threading and whatever other methods available out there to get rid of the fuzz.

I’m referring to anywhere that lalang should be trimmed, not just down South lah.

The first reason is because they live in a cold climate and the lalang helps to keep them warm. The second reason, I find peculiar. It’s a sign of their sexual prowess.

OK, their guys find that the more dense their lalang, the sexier they are or have the potential to be?

Is that why the starlets from that region let their weeds grow wild and free?

Is that why Tang Wei kept herself au naturel for Lust Caution?

Because I know if a lot of me are gonna be seen, I’ll wanna make sure I get myself perfectly waxed, shaved and tweezed before that, know what I mean?

Well, I’ve heard of other more erm…unconventional, to put it politely, tastes. Guess this is just one of them.

So I’ve been here at Park Royal for 3 days now. Spices are very critical to their ambience. Heck, even their meeting rooms are named after spices. There is Halia Room, Serai Room and the one I’m in is Pandan Room.

However, that doesn’t mean that the room smells like it’s name. Pandan Room smells distinctively of lemongrass. There is also a very strong aroma of mixed spices in the lobby area.

This has given me a very strong craving. I’m hungry all the time. It’s a good thing we have teabreaks. Of course, I decided on the food to be served. Park Royal’s choices of snacks are extensive. However, to make things easier for me, I just concentrated on the finger food.

Their cinnamon danish is absolutely heavenly!!!!!!

You can guess that I have been eating like a vacuum cleaner these few days hehehe…

Oh yeah, coming out of the elevator in front of Tiffins Restaurant, I always get a whiff of sesame seed oil and ginger which leads to a craving for pork cooked with sesame seed oil and fried ginger. This is a form of confinement food that Mom occassionally cooks.

Hmm…is this some sort of strategy to make people hungry so they can make more from their restaurants?

Gonna bug Mom to cook the pork dish for me today since she hasn’t planned what to cook yet. Hopefully it’ll be there waiting for me when I get home ^_^

Well, how ’bout that, eh? One of our local beauties actually got to appear in a top rated show from the USA.

We all know her, this sweet redhead, her luxurious hair, succulent white, dewy flesh that gleams in the light. Sometimes she gets a little crazy and her hair becomes green and yellow.

For her first TV appearance, she gets to be seen alongside supermodel Adriana Lima.

Gorgeous girls, aren’t they?

Our local beauty is of course, Rambutan. In this episode of Ugly Betty she plays Tico Berry, Adriana Lima’s beauty secret. Adriana’s father grows Tico Berries in their farm in Praia do Forte where she was born.

“Tico means life”, Adriana says.

Really? Funny, I love Rambutans too but eating lots of them always gives me a bad case of breakout and constipation.

Oh her more in your face cousin, Durian also had a cameo.

It’s launch week at Fitness Studio. The theme is Street Fighter and I sure got an eyeful.

Let see…

C as Chun Li complete with that little blue outfit and mini buns covered with ribbons on each side of her head. Oh so cute ^_^

G in a blonde wig and red kung fu outfit as Ken.

O in a white cap and white mandarin shirt, could be Ryu, I think.

Y is Guile, I think, in army pants and tank top. Unlike G, he colored his hair blonde.

A few girls came to class with those little buns on their heads as well. Uh uh not me. Ain’t no way I’m walking around with that do, yuck! :p

I really enjoyed myself during Body Combat. Maybe because for the first time, I understand what people tell me about rave parties and how people kinda absorb energy from each other. There was energy in the room and it helped me give 110% during the class, even when I felt that my legs were about to give.

It’s too bad I had to take off after that. I would really love to stay back for Body Pump. Unfortunately, I had a date with Brennan and Booth with the rest of the team from the Smithsonian.

I’ll be going for the Body Step launch next, probably as Cammy. I have the army pants ^_^ But I draw the line at pig tails :p

Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, come watch as this loving mommy climbs up on top of her car to rescue her beloved Mee from the roof of her apartment building.

It’s gonna be a thrilling display of balance and agility.

If that is not enough, then watch as the daring Sei Lou climbs down the first floor balcony onto the very same roof to grab the curious kitty then squeeze through a small window that opens to the ground floor lobby area.

No circus act can beat this one, so make a date with Sei Lou and Mee soon before tickets are sold out!

I’ve just finished watching “The Little Nyonya” on DVD. Phew! It’s a 34 episode epic that spans 70 years from before WWII to the present day.

Read more about the serial here.

Our neighbor down South sure makes better quality films compared to us. I think they can easily rival the Hong Kong serials and I know why.

They just tell the story. That’s it.

They don’t try to be preachy and inject elements of moral or patriotism or any of that crap that our local film makers overdo with their productions. They tell the story the way it is and make no apologies for it.

See, that’s why I don’t bother watching our local films. I can’t take the OTT dose of moral elements that they had to put in. Like, is there a rule or something out there that dictates every film must to include these “nilai-nilai murni”? I want to watch a good story, not something that says, “So kids, the moral of the story is…” at the end of it.

So, anyway, back to the serial, I think the lead actress, Jeanette Aw did a stellar job playing Juxiang and Yueniang. Juxiang is a deaf mute. Imagine how difficult it must be to project the feelings and emotions of a character on film, especially when one has only facial expression and body language to rely on. Some people just go flat even when they do have lines. Her facial expression conveys her emotions the way words can’t ever do.

She potrays Juxiang’s daughter, Yueniang with equal measure of spunk and elegance.

Watching the serial really opened up my eyes to some aspects of the Peranakan culture, customs and tradition, particularly food (my favorite topic ^_^) and bead work.

I must admit I don’t know much about Peranakan cuisine. I didn’t know that lor bak is from them. Then there is the oft mentioned “babi ponteh” in the serial, which later I found out is pig trotters cooked with fermented bean paste.

Looking at the lovely food served during the Tok Panjang or Long Table (a feast during special occassions that consists of a 12 course meal) sure makes me wanna go out and hunt for Nyonya food. Too bad these few weekends are tied up with work commitments.

Beaded shoes is another signature art of the Nyonyas. I’ve wanted to make my own pair for the longest time but can’t find a nice design. I’m not too keen on floral or birds designs or anything else that looks like it belongs in a bridal trousseau :p

Oh, check out this beautiful beadwork table cloth here. What a masterpiece!

So go watch the series if you have the time. Lose yourself in the colorful tapestry of Pernakan culture and get your dose of drama from the scheming, bitching and back stabbing Nyonyas.

Like I said, they don’t make apologies for their actions. It’s not that these people are evil by nature, but they have to ensure their survival and interests. They don’t win by playing nice, not when the entire household is up in arms to get their own.

It’s just the way things are.

Hey folks, this is just a short note to let you know that I made it in! I got selected to be in the opening dance troupe for the coming World Belly Dance Day charity event.

There will be practice sessions every Saturday evening from now on. Guess that’s gonna really cut into my siesta time but it will be worth it.

We haven’t talked about costumes yet, but I’m hoping Conny will leave it up to us. I’m thinking of recycling from my old costumes. Got a pair of harem pants from eBay that I haven’t got the chance to wear yet. Plus, I’m not really keen to go another 2 months of sewing up till 2 in the morning.

It’s a shame because I have so much shining materials left from making my last costume.

We’ll see how it goes.

I haven’t completed the promotional videos yet and it’s making me panic a little now. Footage selection is taking longer than I thought :p

Keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll get it done soon.