Before PCs

This has been a week of reunion with old friends, re-hashing old stories, re-affirming long-standing friendship.

At some point, our do-you-remember-when conversation turned to typewriters (yes, typewriters, not PCs and microsoft WORD). This is the tool of trade that defines our generation.

Who remembers (or even knows anything of) that marvel of a typewriter called the Selectric from Big Blue? If you admit to having worked with one, you are of the same vintage as me. Remember when your position in the office pecking order was defined by the number of different typeballs you owned?

In my mind's eye I can still see: my IBM Selectric II was olive green and had dual pitch (10 and 12 characters to the inch). The fonts I used the most was Elite (12-pitch) and Pica (10-pitch). I would switch to Courier (10 and 12) when I wanted a different look.

Back then, most of us were trained to type by touch (as opposed to hunt-and-peck). I am particularly proud that at my fighting best, I typed comfortably at a demonstration typing speed of 90 words per minute (wpm) with 98% accuracy. 60 wpm with 90% accuracy was considered the minimum employable proficiency speed.

This is all historical trivia. It is sentimental trivia for me and it feels good to be talking about it with people who lived it...

Through the Years

We were colleagues at work.

It was a very long time ago
when we were so very young.

We lived up the good times,
we saw each other through the rough times.
Collectively, we share a colourful history.

Our personal and professional lives
took us down different paths, to different countries.

I have come home. They still live abroad;
they are back only for the New Year.

It is always a special time when we
see each other on these rare occasions.

So much time had passed. So much of us have changed.
And so much of us stay unchanged.

We will remember this day for a very long time.
We will see each other again.

When we are even less young than today...

Xin Nian Kuai Le

Something Round, Something Sweet

Of all the old-fashioned foods that must appear at the Chinese New Year Dinner table, tang yuan is my absolute all-time favourite.

I make them! I can tell you it is fiddly work all the way.

But this time of the year, I find it therapeutic to roll dozens and dozens of those sweets-filled balls.

It allows me to block out the thought of all the people I HAVE to see and be nice to over the next several days.

So far I have made them with peanut/black sesame/tau sar-fillings.

And of course I also made the red-dyed no-filling ones for good measure.

I can be so traditional when the mood strikes.

Valentine's

I love it that otherwise shy and reticent lovers
openly declare their love on Valentine's Day.

I would be very flattered if that special someone
made awkward attempts at being romantic.

I admire courageous souls who willingly
make fools of themselves to woo the object of their love.

And I am just as happy to hear him tell me yet again,
"I love you".

Hafla by Serene

Madgy El-Leisy (L), Elias Nachef (R), Claribel (Front)

The dance workshops ended.

But we were not ready to end the weekend - not just yet.

We wanted more time together - share a meal, have some drinks, more bellydancing.

This was made possible by Serene who so graciously arranged a hafla for us.

It was a farewell party we will remember for a long time...

How can like dat?

It was raining cats and dogs.
I left my very wet umbrella outside the dance studio.
When I came out, my umbrella was GONE!

It was still raining cats and dogs.

What kind of low-life mingle among us?
(Got people so bad like dat meh?)

Bellydance Week

This is the week we bellydancers have been waiting for.

Elias Nachef is in town this weekend and is available for private/group percussion lessons. Contact him directly on +61418907113.

The first of this year's master-teacher workshops conducted by Claribel happens next weekend. Details of Magdy El-Leisy's workshops are at www.claribelstudio.com.

Magdy is a highly regarded master-teacher, dancer and choreographer of middle-eastern dance. His classes are always fun, instructive and has a feel of good energy.

To finish off this exciting week, there will be a hafla with special guests Magdy and Elias at Sanobar on the evening of Sunday 11 February. Party starts at 8pm. Do come down and celebrate this evening with us.

I look forward to seeing many of you this whole week.

Forever Tiffany

...with your hand resting in mine...

She has an infectious vivaciousness and practical sensibility. She is a successful career woman in the highly competitive corporate world.

But there is also the little princess in her who dreams of the day her prince will come into her life. This fairy tale love story came true in the form of a tiffany ring.

She smiles ever so shyly every time she glances at the ring. Her eyes light up whenever she talks about the ring. She so obviously adores the ring which holds the promise of a lifetime of love.

In this world of change and uncertainty, this couple reminds me that some constants still hold true.

I know that theirs is a love that will grow, mature and deepen.

COMP UNPLUGGED

The computer went down right after I published Come to the Kazbar. Life without the internet felt so ... unplugged.

There was little difference in how we spent the evening hours. We saw friends for dinner. We watched some TV. We had our day's-end chat. We read in bed. Life went on. But there was a sense of disquiet that one was not quite plugged in.

After four days of internet-less living, I know this: I want internet access at all times...

COME TO THE KAZBAR

It was the sort of night bellydancers LOVE.

Food. Drinks. Friends.

Bellydancing through the night.


It happened at Kazbar last weekend. The pictures tell the story.

Kazbar is at:

25 Church Street

#01-03 Capital Square 3

Tel: 6438 2975

Bellydance show on Wed, Thurs, Fri

ALL THINGS BELLYDANCE

The year is starting out with many exciting events for bellydance enthusiasts.

Gaia is the only bellydance team in the Channel 5 dance competition The Dance Floor which premiers on Sunday 21 January at 8pm. Watch out for Gaia fans in the audience and cheer along with them. Gaia consists of long time friends Belinda and Angelina.

Bellydance classes are resuming after the month-long break in December. I will be at Claribel's, and I look forward to her new and exciting choreography for this term.

I am happy to learn that Ghram has decided to start teaching again. Her class starts in early February. Email ghramg.mok@hotmail.com for more information.

Egyptian tabla player and singer Elias Nachef will be performing at Cafe le Caire from 2 February. This will be a great time for bellydancers to jam at their favourite chill-out joint.

There will be a series of bellydance workshops taught by the much loved master-teacher Magdy El-Leisy (also affectionately known as Mr Bean) on the weekend of 9 to 11 February. See Claribel's website for schedule and registration detail.

And a last reminder that Hafla@Kazbar is on Saturday 20 January.

I will be happy to see you at these events!

HAFLA @ KAZBAR

You are invited to:

Hafla @ Kazbar

hosted by Ghram and Angelina
on Saturday 20 January 2007
from 8:30pm

RSVP ghramg.mok@hotmail.com by January 11.

A deposit of $15.00 per person (fully refundable at the door) is required to register your reservation.

Grab that hipscarf
Dress middle-eastern
Come bellydance the night away

2006/2007

Our elaborate party plans for New Year's Eve started to run into trouble a whole week earlier. There were just too many changes about who does what, where and when. We tried to accommodate everybody by juggling guests and venue but in the end, nothing was going to work out satisfactorily.

We settled on having just family over for dinner. When they left to make their rounds ringing in the New Year, it was one hour before the magic stroke of midnight.

It was an hour of intimate quiet reflection of our life together - a life so emotionally, physically and intellectually intertwined that we could not remember a time when we were not together.

At 0000 hrs, he leaned over, kissed me and said, "This has been a good year. There will be many more."

And I believe him...

REMEMBERING YOU

It has been a weekend of dinners and lunches. There were the sit-down ones, the stand-and-drink-your-dinner ones, the lovingly home-cooked ones, the show-off-in-restaurant ones.

Yet it was not a blur of frenetic festive celebration.

I remember every story of happiness, every shared joke, every expectation for the new year. I was with friends and family. These are people who matter to me - with whom I share joy and disappointment, hope and fear, history and the future.

I miss the ones who were not here yet am confident that they too share my celebratory mood of the season.

It was truly a weekend of friendship and love.

FOR MAY

Thank you for making today perfect.

Now tell our mahjong friends in the kampong of Bakersfield I miss them, and it would make me very happy if they visit me here.

Happy HAPPY HoLiDaYs to all you special people!!

CHRISTMAS CHEER

Three days to Christmas. Two Days to Christmas Eve. One day left to do that little bit of last minute grocery shopping.

I am not frazzled. I am actually having a good time thanks to what is scornfully referred to as the "commercialization of Christmas".

I have been down the home-made, home-baked, DIY-gifts road. I am proud to say I did that very well. But I was exhausted before the holidays even began, and over the years, it got to where I dreaded Christmas.

These days, I know better. I BUY the prezzies. It leaves me in a much better frame of mind to enjoy the holidays with friends and family.

Happy Holidays!

THE COLOUR ORANGE

Your Blog Should Be Orange

Your writing has a star quality - it's charming, bold, and flamboyant. You write what's on your mind, without fear of embarrassment later. You are one of the most honest bloggers around, and people appreciate your daring persona.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

My blog should be orange? I identify with charming, but bold and flamboyant? daring persona?

Maybe I should do a 'VB' and take this test several times just to see what other results show up.

My choice of dark blue background was made after several days of really deep thinking - it lets me use all the funky colours for my text. HaHa

By the way we are all relieved and happy that Suzie Wong's blog is finally unlocked.

HAFLA

I love parties. Any kind of party. I especially love haflas. So when I got an invite to a hafla last weekend, I was all anticipatory for many reasons.

I have not seen the hostess for a couple of years. The major changes in her life are: she's moved twice and she's a mother.

The other ladies I rarely get to see because we circulate in different professional and social circles. It was therefore a treat to get together at all, never mind at a hafla.

There was the food, the drinks, the sweets and most special at haflas, there was the middle eastern music. And there were the dancers, every one of us. There is something indescribably intimate when bellydancers dance for the enjoyment of each other. There is the luxury of freedom to express that is not accorded in a public performance.

Then, there is the inevitable newsy girl-talk. There was so much to get to: scandals to examine, gossip to analyse, sources to verify, rumours to dispel, intentions to dissect, friends to defend, foes to villify.

By night's end, truth and trust were restored. There was a collective sense of triumph...

I love parties. I especially love haflas.

UPGRADE AND CHANGE

I am in the process of upgrading my blog. I am aware the changes make some earlier posts difficult to read because of incompatible colour choices. Bear with me. Things will get better.

MY STRIPPER SONG IS

Your Stripper Song Is

She Wants to Move by N.E.R.D. "Her off beat dance makes me fantasize (Her curves) She's sexy!!" You are 100% sex appeal. As simple as that.

What Song Should You Strip To?

My bellydance/stripper friend took the quiz. She wonders what song I should strip to. The verdict is in. I am flattered that I am "100% sex appeal". I relate to that.

However, I do not relate to the song. Here is the video:



Now we wait for our very glam showgirl friend to take the quiz. Over to you Suzie Wong!

GHRAM ROCKS THE KAZBAR

Kazbar has always occupied a special place in our mind. We love the morrocan look and feel of the place complete with cosy alcoves and mosiac glass moorish lamps.

When we learnt that our friend Ghram is now the resident bellydancer, it was time to revisit our once-favourite haunt.

The impossibly long lustrous hair framing an elfin face, the ever-present sparkle in her eyes, the mega-watt smile she flashes in your direction - she is a vision of beauty, charm and grace.


She plays to the crowd; they respond with enthusiasm and good cheer.

And all the time, you know she is really enjoying the music, the dance, the audience.


No wonder she is our all-time most loved bellydance performer.

Kazbar is at:
25 Church Street #01-03
Capital Square 3
Tel: 64382975

Bellydance show on Wed, Thurs, Fri

THE FANCY FAIRE - ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH

I admit going to the Fancy Faire two days in a row seems like overdoing a good thing. But I really really cannot help myself.

The experience is simply irresistable. There is the floral scent from lit candles, the glitter of bling bling, the rich varied touch of fabric. It is a treasure trove of unique and unusual gifts.

I buy for myself on Day 1. I buy with my friends in mind on Day 2. I come away truly happy.

RENDEZVOUS WITH THE BODYTALKS

Oh yes, it's ladies night, And the feeling's right
Oh yes, it's ladies night, Oh what a night
- Kool and the Gang

It was party night by the bodytalks.
The place was Gotham Penthouse.

The decor was decadent and sensual.
The stage was set.
The lights were low
The music was right.

The show girls were drop dead gorgeous.
The action was non-stop. The audience was pumped.
It was party night. Oh what a night.

RETURN TO FANCY FAIRE

My loot from previous visit to Fancy Faire:




Darling earrings by Simone of Blingalicious









Funky bags by Louise of Snatch

The Christmas Fancy Faire is back:

Orchard Hotel, Level 3
Tuesday, 5th December 10am - 8pm
Wednesday 6th December 9.30am - 5pm

My heart is restless; I cannot wait to find more treasures at this Christmas wonderland...

THE ULTIMATE TEASE

The lights are low. The music is seductive. She gives in to the temptation of the mood.

She looks him in the eye, smiles a knowing smile. She caresses herself, runs both hands down her body. Eyes closed, she tosses her head backwards, tresses tumbling free.The pleasure she feels is unmistakable.

She struts on killer heels showing off lithe long legs, sensual body, eyes teasing all the way. Every studied move to make him desire her madly - the fluid body undulation, suggestive hip rotation,sensual cat crawl and the in-your-face pelvic pump.

The music ends. The lights come on. I look around me.

There are twenty women in various stages of undress, bits and pieces of lingerie cover the dance floor, every one of us looking flushed from two hours of dance. We just finished the Ultimate Tease Workshop conducted by the bodytalks.

I find dance liberating; I find exotic dance to be particularly so because it frees the sensuality in me.

THE WINE COMPANY@EVANS

She had always wanted to have a place where the experience of enjoying wine is complemented with in-house dining. That wish became reality yesterday.

At the Official Launch Party of The Wine Company@ Evans, I was met by a very tired but very elated Belinda.

I knew of the obstacles she encountered at every turn. I remembered the time of self-doubt she went through. I have heard the relentless criticism of nay-sayers.

She has overcome all. She has survived. The Wine Company is her triumph.

...really cool place to chill out...

HENG HWA NIGHTS ENCORE

We wanted to go back to Pu Tien Restaurant for several weeks now. We finally found a reason to do so (yeah, right, since when did we need a reason).

It really was a good reason. The pair of them has November birthdays. Never mind that he, then she, already had their birthday celebrations. WE wanted to be in on it.

We started so daintily with blanched pork slices (L) and piggy intestines(R).

Then we lost control and ordered all our favourites *burp*.

Now we are looking at friends with December birthdays...

SEEING KETI AGAIN

She has the most dazzling smile and winsome personality. I first met her at a bellydance workshop for beginners in Singapore. I was drawn into the world of bellydance ever since.

So when Keti came through Singapore one recent afternoon, I could not pass up the chance to see her again. She is as captivating as I remembered her - the delight in her voice, the enthusiasm in her work, the optimism in her future.

We caught up on news about each other.

I am a little saddened to hear Keti say she no longer dances. Nowadays, she is busy with organising cultural and bellydance tours of Egypt . The rest of her time is taken up with dvd/cd production.

I had only ever known Keti as a dancer - a most beautiful and elegant bellydancer. But the look of contentment, certainty, and confidence on her face tells me she has moved on from bellydance to something that is more meaningful to her now.

I am happy for her.

(See Keti Sharif's Egyptian desert dance video clip here.)

HOR FUN, ANYONE?

Beef Hor Fun. It brings back fond memories: after-school lunches, family dinners, dating days, quick pick-me-up on rushed days.

The dish is so obvious. Slices of beef fried with Hor Fun in a robust gravy of stock and slightly scrambled egg for added smoothness.

So when a childhood friend visited from abroad, Beef Hor Fun was the immediate choice for home dinner. She was delighted; she had not had Beef Hor Fun since whenever.

We settled to a long night of girl-chat - husband, children, old friends, new friends, fashion, theatre. The conversation went everywhere, just like the old days.

At the end of the evening, she gave me a big farewell hug, looked me in the eye and said with all sincerity, "I so enjoyed your evocative Hor Fun".

Evocative Hor Fun? Example of usage : "Those bell-bottomed pants are evocative of bad 70s fashion". Evocative Hor Fun? Can Hor Fun be, of all things, evocative?

I looked at my childhood friend. I don't know when I will next see her. I recall shared memories. And I thought, "It's all alright." I knew what she meant...

A FANCY FAIRE AFFAIR

I look forward to the Fancy Faires. It is retail therapy in an atmosphere that is cosy, friendly, unrushed. It is about caressing the merchandise, about the intimate knowledge the vendor has of her wares, about the inspiration behind each piece of handicraft.

There is always something special waiting for me at the Faire - the most adorable ear-rings by bling girl Simone, the most versatile bag in the world by snatch girl Louise. Both are ingenious artists. Both are very dear friends of mine.

The Christmas Fancy Faires are held at:

Orchard Hotel
3rd Floor Orchard Ballroom & Lavender Room
Tues 14 November 1000-2000hrs
Wed 15 November 0930-1700hrs

Tues 05 December 1000-2000hrs
Wed 06 December 0930-1700hrs

HONEYMOON KRABI

Krabi was inevitable. We love short 3-day get-aways that take under two hours to get to. We've been to Bangkok 10 times last year. We were in Bali four times in three months. We had to go somewhere else.

Tiger Airways advertised impossibly, irresistably low fares to Krabi. We figured Krabi was IT.

We stayed at Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort which sits on 8-hectare of beautifully landscaped grounds with 500-metre of pristine white-sand beach.

We checked out Krabi Town. It was utilitarian. We checked out Ao Nang. It was deserted. There were no shopping, great eats, happening clubs. Eco-tours, rock climbing, canoeing rule. Unfortunately, these are not our idea of a great time.

We beat a hasty retreat to our hotel. We passed our time like honeymooners. Namely we ate at the hotel (a first for us), sat out by the pool, strolled along the beach, enjoyed and entertained each other. We lived in splendid isolation.

...walking hand in hand with the one I love...

It is a self-evident truth that honeymooners are the happiest people anywhere...

HENG HWA NIGHTS

Pu Tien is a coastal city in Fujian Province with a dominant Heng Hwa population, a minority dialect group within Fujian. It is also the name of a restaurant on KitchenerRoad that serves authentic Heng Hwa food. What is outstanding about Pu Tien (the restaurant) is that the food here is ordinary chinese food prepared with great skill and presented with loving care.

Here is the scrumptious dinner we had. From top clockwise:

1. Thinly sliced bottle gourd fried in sticky rice flour with egg batter (a la Orh Luak).

2. Home made braised tofu with the most delicate aroma and texture.

3. Fried taro that has a caramelised crispy outside and fluffy inside. Just heavenly.

4. Heng Hwa Fried Beehoom - not soggy, not dry, just perfect textured with the right balance of prawn, belly-pork, vegetables, peanut, mushroom and topped with crispy fried seaweed.

5. Tender shoots of Kai Lan topped with delicate beancurd skin.

6. Neatly sliced rings of squid which was first roasted then braised in stock resulting in a delicious combination of flavours.

A closer look at the squid dish - notice the evenly sliced rings...

... the supreme dish of the evening - the fried beehoon!

Pu Tien Restaurant is at 127 Kitchener Road, S. 208515. Tel 62956358

A DATE WITH ROMANZA ESPANOLA

I was at Romanza Espanola because of Rose Borromeo and Chang Hsiao Min. One is a long time friend; the other is a fellow bellydancer. Both are dedicated Flamenco artistes. Romanza Espanola is the expression of their love for the dance form in their own way.

... with long time friend Rose Borromeo,

Artistic Director of The Rose Borromeo Spanish Dance Company

Romanza Espanola is a two act Spanish dance-drama-theatre produced by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Rose Borromeo Spanish Dance Company.

Act One - Viva Flamenco - is a series of dance that showcases Flamenco rhythms.

Act Two - Romanza Espanola - tells the universal story of young love through dance, music comedy and drama.

My knowledge of Spanish culture and dance is regrettably limited. But for one short evening, I was transported to a magical place where arrogant elegance meets forkloric charm, where fiery temperament meets romantic naivete. I saw the beauty in the proud that is the Spanish character.

The Hsiao Min Fan Club. From L ...

Kyoko, Namiko, Li Hoon, Serene, Rani, Agnes, me
It was a night for catching up with fellow dancer friends too :)