Building poetry out of the everyday

Think of 90 minutes of ear shattering energy packed drumming and percussion on the move. Think of wild, imaginative and fun. Think of Stomp!, a rousing piece of musical theatre.

On Saturday night, Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur reverberated with noise as infectious rhythms banged out on bits and pieces of janitor’s junk, syncopated by stomping feet and martial arts kicks. Sticks and people danced in seemingly artless choreography as the performers clumped into a tribe of urban warriors, street-fighting hooligans with split-second timing and an infectious sense of rhythm.

Stomp! is created by Luke Cresswell, founder member of the wild street band Pookienackenburger (sadly now defunct), formerly half of the ‘junk percussion’ duo Urban Warriors who trashed a Daimler on ‘The Tube’. In Stomp! Cresswell, fellow ex-Pookie Steve McNicholas and five other actors, dancers and musicians beat - an insanely talented cast - clap and tap out a bewildering inventive variety of sounds on anything from oil drums to brooms and Zippo lighters.

Before I saw Stomp!, I thought the idea of seven people on a stage drumming dustbins and clashing the lids together is the kind of thing which gives performance art a bad name. When I actually saw Stomp! I can see that the entire audience at Istana Budaya was mesmerised. Intoxicated is more like it. Stomp is visually arresting. Full of personality: the cast dance like warriors. Infectious rhythmic drumming.

I thought it was ingenious the way they make music out of "janitor's junk" - such as boots, bins, brushes, bags, tea towels, sand, cigarette lighters, rubbish and junk. Who would expect an empty water bottle creating one of the most impressive scenes of the evening, at once visually stunning, surprisingly delicate and rhythmically inspired.

The noise, beautifully sustained, modulated and orchestrated, won’t let your mind quit for a second: the sounds are a magical aural phantasmagoria that impinge wondrously on the ear. Quite wonderful that you forget that all they’re doing is smashing bin lids together. It’s not Mozart, but it is fun and it is disconcertingly infectious.

I thought it was wonderful the way the Stomp cast take a little something and build it into something powerful. Taking something simple and turning it into a complex experience - it is art made out of the everyday. Building poetry out of everyday life.

Truth, like surgery, may hurt

As prominent writer on modern Chinese and Asian subjects, Han Suyin, who is author of the novels, A Many-Splendoured Thing (made into the 1955 movie Love Is a Many Splendored Thing), Till Morning Comes, The Enchantress, Four Faces, and The Mountain is Young, puts it, "Truth, like surgery, may hurt, but it cures."

The truth is, expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian. But, in any case, I'll be a "vegetarian" anyways. I don't mean vegetarian by forgoing meat, but celibacy. Celibates are also called vegetarians.

I don't care if people think I'm a nerd for standing my ground on "no love and commitment, no sex". I've been told by one of my dates that I'm not "open minded" because of my "no love and commitment, no sex" principle. I find it so disgusting that some of my dates were asking me about my stand on sex and if I'm "open minded". Gosh! We haven't even begun to really get to know each other, and they pop up the sex question. Or is getting to know each other really important at all to them?

Indeed, the gentleman is a dying breed...

Is being "open minded" means you're being sexually available? Hmmmm, really?

Perhaps those who think that, are the ones who are actually "closed minded" and have a "one track mind". Do they really know what being "open minded" means?

I think being an open minded person is understanding and accepting people as they are. Being open minded means you are not jugding people based on your own values, but theirs. I don't label them for being sexually available, so don't crticise me for being sexually not available. It is my right to be or not to be, in whatever.

I think the world today is full of non-committal people who are not into romance and long term relationships. They just want to flirt around, playing the field, and then get away with murder. Be it the singles or the married ones. What do you think?

War of the Worlds

Once upon a time....hmmmm noooooo, nooooo, noooooo...that's how you begin telling a fairy tale to a 3 year old. I think most of us has outgrown fairy tales, mee too. So, here's how I begin my story, in the "star wars" and "war of the worlds" style.

In a Galaxy far far away, some light years ago, Martian's satelite radar seemed to respond very well to shorter hem and lower cleavage. Martian transmitted a "roger" signal to Venusian, asking permission to land. Venusian pretended not to understand. Overload of stimuli for a night, she thinks.

Venusian kept to intelligent conversation and witty humor, avoid ship steering off course. Mission impossible, Martian got excited by intelligent conversation and witty humor. Martians think Venusian is a kinky and sexy being. Ooops, that was a wrong tactical move on Venusian's part. Aisey!

Martian's ship went off course and was heading towards the Black Hole despite Venusian's stern warning signal to get him to recover course and go back on track. Venusian swiftly implemented emergency course recovery measures, and led both ships home safely and out of any collision course. Phew!

Lari ler tikus, lari cepat sikit!

I did it! I did it! I did it! I finished The Kuala Lumpur Rat Race 2005 within the qualifying time, which is about an hour. Most runner finished in much less time... but I don't really care. Doesn't matter if I finished in the last 100 position. What's important for me was to finish the race.

lari tikus lari! 


Thanks for the support of my team members, especially my team leader, Renee, who constantly pushed and encouraged me to finish the race, and a fellow runner, Shahrul, who was with me all the way. Thanks to the good tips of Rugby Coach who advised me on the right diet and preparations I must do, a day before the race and on the race day. Hahaha I needed all the help I can get considering I only run once in a blue moon.

Anyways, finding out that I had to run in such an elaborate outfit and carrying a tray full of nasi lemak, teh tarik and mineral water was a shocker for me at first. But I did it anyway and had fun along the way - just being a good sport and not wanting to let the team down.

bagpipers 


Doesn't matter if Renee, Shahrul and I finished last 100 positions. What's important is that we did it, and together! That's what I call teamwork. Bonus for us was that my team and Shahrul's team won top ten best dressed teams.

nasi lemak anyone? 


My team dressed up as stall operators at PLUS Highway's R & R, complete with apron and kitchen hat. Shahrul's team dressed up as superheros, Cement Men.

dream team 2 


To tell you the truth, actually, just finishing the race within qualifying time without much training, would be something I would think as unbelieveable a few days ago. I only have my "Just Do It" attitude, and 3 days of training when I volunteered to replace one of our runners who was injured at the last minute.

Did you know that I survived polio when I was a child, so my legs are not of the same length, it's just that it's not noticeable because it's very very slight. As a child, I also survived a fall from the first floor balcony and was limping for a couple of years. Theoretically, I can't actually run. But I guess, nothing is impossible, and impossible is nothing, eh? Hey, I scaled six mountains, including Mount Kinabalu, which is the highest mountain in South East Asia two years ago, didn't I?

Hehehe my best achievement in life, so far, is that I over exceeded my mom's gynae and O & B's expectation. Because, I'm still alive at least 34 years after he told my mom, after delivering me, because I was so small and sickly, that I would be lucky if I could live past my first birthday.

cheer team 


Now that I have discovered my new height of achievement and ability, discovering what's next would be an adventure in itself.

The Kuala Lumpur Rat Race®

Bad air day no more, time to run! I am glad the haze is long gone. Because that means, I can put on my running shoes and start training once again for one of KL's "to watch out for" events, The Kuala Lumpur Rat Race®. Yes, I'm running for my company and for charity 4.5km around Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle, along with 500 other "corporate rats", mostly in corporate attire and carrying laptops and briefcases.

dream team 


Including 29 other runners who are running for our group of companies.

For the benefit of your knowledge, The Kuala Lumpur Rat Race is an annual event that is now in its sixth year. The run for charity, originally scheduled for Aug 9, was postponed due to the thick smog that shrouded the Klang Valley recently. The event Corporate Malaysia looks forward to annually will be back on Sept 6.

The Kuala Lumpur Rat Race is organised by The Edge and Bursa Malaysia, and supported by Yayasan Bursa Malaysia, the foundation arm of Bursa Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur Rat Race will benefit ten charitable organisations around the country.

Last year, 75 teams took time out to run for charity and helped raise RM667,500. This year, a record number of 97 teams from 55 companies have come together to raise RM811,000. In addition, 30 captains of industry will be sweating it out in the CEO Race, including one of our Group companies' CEOs.

Friends and bloggers, wish me all the best!

Why Men Love Bitches

Bumper-To-Bumper suggested that I need to read Sherry Argov's "Why Men Love Bitches" and lent me the book. Hmmm she thinks I'm way too nice for my own good if I were to hold on my own in my future relationships. I need to learn to be a BITCH, Babe In Total Control of Herself, that is and not a "yes" woman to my man.

There’s a difference between a bitch and a real bitch. The author is talking about a strong woman who knows what she’s doing in life. Someone who will share the load but who will stand her ground. For the bitch, if the choice is between her dignity and having a relationship, the bitch will prioritize her dignity above all else. So yes, I will proudly turn myself into a dignified bitch :)

"Why Men Love Bitches" delivers a unique perspective as to why men are attracted to a strong woman who stands up for herself. With saucy examples on every page, this book delivers a compelling message as to why a woman with a backbone is much more desirable to a man than a "yes" woman who routinely sacrifices herself. This book is not only packed with powerful advice for women, it is seasoned by secret admissions coming directly from men.

The book promises this: "Once you've discovered why men think a feisty attitude is so attractive, you'll not only increase the romantic chemistry in the relationship, you'll also gain your man's love and respect with far less effort."

In fact I discovered a lot of things just after reading some pages last night. Hmmm interesting, especially the attraction principles that the author laid out in her book. For example, do you know that anything a person chases in life runs away?

Do you know that the women who have the men climbing the walls for them aren't always exceptional? Often, they are the ones who don't appear to care much.

Do you know that a woman is perceived as offering a mental challenge to the degree that a man doesn't feel he has 100 percent hold on her.

Do you know that sometimes a man deliberately won't call, just to see the woman will respond.

Do you know that if you a woman starts out dependent, it turns a man off. But if it is something he can't have, it becomes more of a challenge for him to get it. When a woman doesn't give in easily and doesn't appear docile or submissive, it becomes more stimulating to obtain her. More than anything else, a man watches to see if you'll be too emotionally dependent on him. He must feel that the woman chooses to be with him, not that she needs to be with him. Only then will he perceive a woman as an equal partner.

And this classic one: If a man has to wait before he sleeps with a woman, he'll not only perceive her as more beautiful, he'll also take time to appreciate who she is. Hahaha so yes, I'll remain celibate. Because sex and "spark" are not one and the same. Before sex, a man isn't thinking clearly and a woman is thinking clearly. After sex, it reverses. The man is thinking clearly and the woman isn't.

Do you know that it is the woman's attitude about herself that a man will adopt. When a man falls in love, it's about your attitude. It's about whether you can hold your own. Which is all about how you hold yourself.

Do you know that you have to act like a prize and you'll turn him into a believer. Because, boys, being boys, being right on the verge of getting something generates a desire that has to be satisfied.

Do you know that the biggest variable between a bitch and a woman who is too nice is fear. The bitch shows that she's not afraid to be without him. A man knows which woman will give in to last-minute requests.

After reading more than half of the book, I think I would rather be The Bitch than The Doormat. I had been a doormat to my ex-hubby and I think I have allowed him to take me for granted because I was "too nice" and trying too hard to be the perfect wife that he expected me to be. I loved him too much, and I was doing it all wrong. I should have been a bitch, not a sweetie pie.

As former American First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt said: " No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I totally agree with her.