DANCE!

Featured Choreographer of the Month

2011-07-10T20:46:00.002+08:00

Thank you World Dance Masters for featuring me as their Choreographer of the Month (July).

New Dance: FLY WITH ME

2011-06-29T11:36:00.004+08:00

My apologies for the delay in posting the stepsheet and video for my latest dance FLY WITH ME.

The stepsheet can be viewed below or you can go to MY CHOREOGRAPHY and download from there.

Fly With Me (Lena's Song)

Practice session with CF (1U) members

Please note that the last 7&8 counts have been revised to a Coaster Step (instead of Back-Rock-Step as danced in the video)

Danced with the ladies from Kiwanis KL

Kiwanis Charity Line Dance Marathon - 31st July 2011

2011-06-09T22:11:00.009+08:00

Come 31st July, Kiwanis Club of KL will be holding a line dance marathon as a fundraiser for KDSF-National Centre . The event will be held at LBS hall, SJK (C) Sg. Way from 9am to 7pm. Tickets are RM35 each. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact KDSF-NC at 03-7803 0179, Angie, Jennifer or Syimma or go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kiwanis-Charity-Marathon-Line-Dance-2011/190574237659312

The theme for this event is 'Come Down & Fly With Me'. A theme dance has been choreographed specially for this event and a mini workshop/teach will be held this Sunday (2pm) at the KDSF National Centre, PJ. Admission is free. Everyone is welcome :)

Wild West Babes - Splish Splash

2011-05-28T21:26:00.003+08:00

My first sojourn into the world of competitive line dancing was with the Wild West Babes at the Bangi Equatorial Line Dance Competition, 2003

We had to perform 2 dances, back to back. The first dance was SPLISH SPLASH choreographed by Jo Thompson. Our coach and dance guru, Bronya Bishorek, choreographed the second dance to Wild Wild West by Will Smith (video not posted here)

Great memories :)

WILD WEST BABES

presenting

SPLISH SPLASH

The year after, our team entered the same competition with 2 dances:

The required dance: DOCTOR, DOCTOR by Masters In Line (variations were added)

Our own piece, choreographed by Bronya Bishorek: JAM UP & JELLY TIGHT

DOCTOR DOCTOR

JAM UP & JELLY TIGHT

Dance Videos

2011-05-26T22:47:00.002+08:00

These were recorded at the recent Charity Line Dance event organised by Kiwanis Club of Kepong, 22nd May 2011.

MI AMOR

WHAT U WAITING FOR

XIANG SI HE PAN

JOGET HATI SENANG

"FLY WITH ME"

2011-05-04T16:07:00.019+08:00

I first heard this song at a wellness workshop I attended. We were told to sit back, relax and clear our mind. During that stretch of time, I heard the words clearly and they resonated deeply within me. I was able to obtain the music from the speaker who's a close friend of my husband & I.

That was 2 years ago.

I'd wanted to choreograph to it the moment I got the song but it was so beautiful that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it justice. The current dance still doesn't do it justice, BUT, at least the purpose of the dance lends itself to a good cause.

I am speaking of the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation (Msia) . Last month, a representative requested for me to create a dance for them and also to suggest any possible song. 'Fly With Me' immediately sprang to mind. I sent it over and they love it too.

After many hours of self-deliberation, I decided to keep the steps as simple and as common to line dancing as possible, so that more line dancers can participate. Perhaps simple is best so that the mind is free to reflect on the beautiful song whilst dancing.

It's not a Beginner level dance, but it's not a complicated Intermediate one either. Lots of shuffles, a point here and a point there.... :)

Dance will probably be released at KDSF's Marathon Line Dance Charity Event on the 31st of July, 2011. Meanwhile I've posted the song and lyrics below.

Lyrics:

Fly with me and take the sky
Close your eyes and feel the wind
You and I we'll live to see
When we reach the sky you will find

Fly away, take my hand
Spread your wings, reach the sky
I can make you believe
Life is rich, rich within me
So fly away, hold my hand
Feel the wind, take the sky
Love will find, find a way
I believe in you
Fly with me
Fly with me

Night will fall and stars will shine
And the moon will smile to ease your mind
Questions why life's so strange
Watch me fly
I'll take you there to see

Fly away, take my hand
Spread your wings, reach the sky
I can make you believe
Life is rich, rich within me
So fly away, hold my hand
Feel the wind, take the sky
Love will find, find a way
I believe in you
Fly with me
Fly with me

So fly away, take my hand
Spread your wings, reach the sky
I can make you believe
Life is rich, rich within me
So fly away, hold my hand
Feel the wind, take the sky
Love will find, find a way
I believe in you
Fly with me
Fly with me
Fly with me
Fly with me
Fly with me

* * * * *

New Dance: ZHANG SHENG

2011-04-15T23:38:00.002+08:00

This is my latest dance... a 32 count, 2 wall Easy Intermediate line dance choreographed to the song Zhang Sheng Xiang Qi.

The dance was previewed and taught at the Kiwanis mini workshop last Sunday to positive feedback.

A relatively stress-free dance with just one simple 4 count TAG.

Stepsheet has been submitted to Copperknob and Yipee.

Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation, PJ

2011-04-03T14:38:00.004+08:00

Line dance friends living in the Klang Valley.....there will be a line dance sharing of sorts (or mini workshop if you will) this Sunday, April 10, at 2pm at the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation, located at:

Lot 13490 Jalan Jenjarum, Off SS23/1

Taman SEA, 47400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor, Malaysia

(Click here for map)

I have been invited to share my dance JOGET HATI SENANG and I've been told that Jennifer Choo Sue Chin has also agreed to be there to share her new dances too.

No fee is charged, and Mrs Hwang says everyone is welcome. :)

Zhang Sheng Xiang Qi (Applause)

2011-03-24T13:37:00.007+08:00

Just completed a choreography to this beautiful Mandarin song. Will release it sometime in April 2011. It's Easy Intermediate, 32 counts, 2 walls. Enjoy the music!

Below is an attempt to translate the song to English. If anyone has a better translation, please do share.

APPLAUSE

Verse:

Standing alone on the stage

I hear the rise of the audience's applause

A deep feeling grows within my heart

No matter how much of my youth has passed

No matter how much I've changed

I still have your love

Just like my first time on stage,

Hearing your applause for the first time

My tears could not help but fall

After how many failures

After how much waiting

I have to tell myself to be patient

Chorus:

When the applause rings out loud

My heart then understands

Your love is with me

When the applause rings out loud

My heart then understands

the song unites your love and mine

(repeat Verse & Chorus)

JOGET HATI SENANG

2011-03-01T00:20:00.004+08:00

As mentioned in the previous post, my students/friends & I got together yesterday to record my latest dance: JOGET HATI SENANG

We did several takes.....and I was prepared to head home for some post-recording editing. But fortune was smiling on me. No editing was necessary save for adding the Title, Credits and annotations. It's not completely perfect of course. There were some missteps here and there.....but that's normal for us...lol

I haven't yet decided if I'll be submitting the stepsheet to the normal line dance search websites. Will gauge response first.

Here's the video :).......please keep an open mind when viewing it as we're not professional Joget dancers and all but one of us (Zer) have never done the Joget before. Therefore we hope you will be kind to the imperfections.

I would like to record my deepest gratitude to the following:

The dancers.... for taking time out from their leisurely Sunday to help me with the recording, and also for being game enough to dance the choreography in our Malay traditional costume, the kebaya.

Special mention & thanks go out to Zerlina, who had called me in the morning to say she thinks she's got conjunctivitis. But like a true trouper, she turned up knowing that we would not be as complete without her in the team. Thanks Zer! You don't know how relieved I was to hear you could make it! :D

To Melanie for her moral support & for manning the camera and 'directing' us ;P

And to Yoshiko, for helping me secure the hall and being there throughout the recording.

Thank you ALL! I am blessed! :)

JOGET HATI SENANG (Adibah Noor)

2011-02-26T21:00:00.004+08:00

Completed a Joget choreography to this song. I just love the Joget rhythm. Some part of me will be moving even if I don't feel like getting onto the dance floor. :D

I'm hoping to post the dance video after recording it tomorrow with a few of my students. Hopefully not too much editing is required. Meanwhile, I've posted the song here for anyone who would like to have a listen. A rough translation of the lyrics from Bahasa Malaysia to English is available below (after the video).

HAPPY HEART JOGET

(VERSE)

Young one, don't be consumed by the praises of others

Beware that pride comes before a fall

No matter what others may say

We must measure our clothes on our own body

(meaning: know ourselves, our strengths and limitations)

It could be that my smile is not as charming

My body not as shapely

But let others say what they wish

Our lot is determined by and a gift from the Almighty

(CHORUS)

Let them laugh (at me)

As long as they are happy

My heart will be light too

To see others happy (because of me)

I'm not asking for sympathy

Do not want any pity

My heart is light this way

I leave it to the Almighty

Repeat VERSE & CHORUS

I leave it to the Almighty

Come on, let's do the Joget

the Happy Heart Joget

Forget the conflict in your soul

Accept my hand

Come with me and together

Build our self-confidence

That our heart will be light and happy from now on

********

CNY 2011

2011-02-11T20:46:00.004+08:00

Some snapshots from my line dance classes. Everyone looks so festive in their CNY colours and attire :)

Taken a week before CNY week when most of the students were still around.

Many travel back to their hometown during the CNY holidays.

My students at Japan Club dressed to theme. We had a simple gathering during

class today. Those celebrating CNY brought cookies and drinks from home

to share with everyone. It was lots of fun!

Aren't they just adorable :)

It's 2011!

2011-01-01T17:36:00.010+08:00

X'MAS PARTY

2010-12-17T22:45:00.005+08:00

The Japan Club line dancers. Some were absent due to illness

We had our annual X'mas get-together cum line dance class today as we've always done for the past 5 years at Japan Club. Members brought food and drinks and decked themselves out in 'christmassy' attire. :)

Dressed to theme :)

Makan time!

Over the 2-hour party/class, we danced popular easy dances such as Come Dance With Me to songs like Winter Wonderland....etc.

I brought my 3 boys along to join in the party as well as to give them a glimpse into what Mummy does.

The party ended with members exchanging gifts and wishing each other Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

See you all next year!

Workshop With Niels (JB) - 12-12-10

2010-12-16T21:24:00.015+08:00

Finally am able to steal some time to quickly recount the past weekend's event.....Dance for Good Health, Peace & Joy 2010, an annual event organised by the Lim sisters in Johor Baru. The event is entirely free to line dancers and fully sponsored by Dr JP Lim and her sisters, also affectionately known as Bunga Raya on FB :)

Me & the Lim Sisters

(from left: Belinda, Jit Lian, me, Jit Phong & Jit Mui)

This year, we were all treated to the presence of a tall cool Dane.....no I'm not referring to the Carlsberg beer...hahaha, but the dashing & affable choreographer from Denmark, Niels Poulsen :)

Niels Poulsen

Last year I'd driven down to JB with my husband. This year, I decided to join the gang and went by coach.....all 39 of us. People with similar objectives and passion make for great travel companions. It was FUN & laughter all the way there and back! :)

Crazy bunch! Great fun! :)

Line dancers from around the region turned up......Singapore, Australia & Indonesia.

Wanda & Linda from Perth

So did notable choreographers such as Philip Sobrielo, John Ng and Amy Christian-Sohn.

With John Ng

and Amy Christian-Sohn

Everyone burned the dance floor from 10am to 6pm, with intermittent breaks for performances.

Philip Sobrielo as MJ

After wrapping up the event, we adjourned for dinner with Niels and the Lim sisters and finally bade goodbye to all our dear line dance friends at about 8pm. We reached KL a few minutes past midnight, tired.....but happy....and already looking forward to next year's event. :)

Thank You to the LIM SISTERS & NIELS for a great event & wonderful memories!

RILASSAMENTO

2010-12-13T20:48:00.002+08:00

I am absolutely smitten with this dance Rilassamento by Anita Wittenberg.

The video below shows the dance but not using the music as stated in the stepsheet. The song used is IF WE HOLD ON TOGETHER, but I'm not sure if it's the one sung by Diana Ross as it doesn't sound like her. But no matter, it's still one of my all time favourite songs. And the gorgeous ball gowns plus beautiful dancing makes it even dreamier!

It's Christmas! - Beginner Version

2010-11-18T17:05:00.003+08:00

My beginners were a little hesitant in being recorded on video but being the good sports that they are, they eventually got into the swing of things.....and here's the video.

You will see some stepping or timing errors here and there...bear in mind that this is the first time they're being recorded and most were tense and nervous. However, I'm very pleased to say that they look pretty good, under all that 'pressure'... :D Good job, ladies! and one gentleman ;)

Here's the video for those who wish to try this dance and need a visual reference for steps and positioning.

Stepsheet has been submitted to Yipee & Copperknob

Latest release - IT'S CHRISTMAS!

2010-11-17T19:38:00.006+08:00

Christmas is just 5 weeks away! Let's get in the mood with some Christmas line dances. Here's one of mine, released today. :D

There are 2 dances written to this song. The one shown here is the Easy Intermediate version. The other is a Beginner Partner Mixer (or you can dance it as a one-wall if circle/partner dances are not your thing). I wrote it as a Mixer with the intention that it can be danced at parties to 'break the ice'. I kept it at Beginner level so that everyone can join in the fun.

Both stepsheets have been submitted to www.copperknob.co.uk

Ethan's 1st Kindie Performance

2010-10-23T23:56:00.005+08:00

Ethan had his first taste of the stage today. He and his classmates (from the nursery section: ECP) danced to a medley of 3 songs, at their kindergarten's annual concert, to an audience of eager and proud parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends.....

The youngest one is barely 2 1/2 years old (standing to Ethan's left). Poor fella was crying for his mummy. But when the music started, the little trouper did the dance like the rest of his fellow classmates. He resumed his crying when the performance was over...lol!

Awww....they're soooo cute at this age! & then they have to go and grow up. **sigh....**

WHAT U WAITING FOR (15.10.10 in KK)

2010-10-18T19:46:00.002+08:00

Mi Amor (Danced in KK - 15.10.10)

2010-10-18T08:54:00.001+08:00

Wildcats Go! (15-10-10 in KK)

2010-10-17T23:33:00.001+08:00

Trip to KK (Oct 2010) - Photo Diary

2010-10-17T18:32:00.036+08:00

My first trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah! This is a photo diary of the events over 3 days from Oct 14-16 2010.

Our arrival at the KK airport. We'd taken an AirAsia flight, promo price.

Beeda came to get us at the airport & took us to a nice seafront spot (Tanjung Aru) for a drink. We had a cooling coconut drink & chit chatted before she dropped us off at our hotel (Kingston Hotel) at KK Time Square.

After showering & resting for a bit, we were taken to dinner at a seafood restaurant called WELCOME (how apt! lol). There, Beeda introduced Allan & I to her students and friends.....Mr & Mrs Thien, Ivy, Woo, Michael & Josephine. We had such an engrossing conversation going & food was so delicious that I totally forgot to photograph the seafood dishes to share in this blog....! sigh..... It was simply delicious. I was told the price is very reasonable too.

Updated 18 Oct: This photo is courtesy of Michael & Josephine.

Look at the spread of food we had!

Deee.....leeee....cious!

The night being still young, we adjourned to the marina at Sutera Harbour Resort for drinks & more fellowship.

From L to R: Ivy, Beeda, myself, Mrs Thien, Mr Thien, Michael & Josephine

Parking for yachts.....a playground for the rich....sigh....what a lifestyle!

A view of the lounge from the marina.

Next morning, Beeda had plans for us before the big event in the evening, which was the 8th Anniversary Dinner & Dance organised by Antarabangsa Dance Group.

She took us for brunch at a famous noodle shop called Houng Kee. It's basically noodles served with a variety of condiments like the ones shown in the photo below. You select what you wish to have in the bowl. The selection included regular stuff like fish ball, fish fillet (either fried or steamed), wantan and so on. And also less regular items like fish skin, fish stomach and other fish spare parts. I stuck to the less adventurous path lolol!

Allan's vermicelli

I chose egg noodles (which looked very like the noodles used for wantan mee)

Beeda skipped the noodles & had only soup with fish fillet, wantan & fish balls.

After brunch, we walked around to let the food settle & digest a bit before the next activity on the day's itinerary..... a visit to one of many islands in Sabah.

The jetty, with the ramp in the foreground leading to the boats & speedboats

that'll ferry passengers to whichever island for which they had purchased tickets.

I've been on quite a few small boats rides but nothing prepared me for the boat ride that day! We boarded the speed boat run by Aparu Holidays, put on our life jackets and started out to the open sea. The moment we passed all the buoys and markers, the sea started getting choppy. Combined with the speed at which the little boat was going against the waves, we had a very bumpy ride!

It was the first time I've experienced anything like this.....the bottom of the boat hitting the crest, 'flying' into the air before hitting the water again with a thump! My heart was pounding! Involuntary screams could be heard from the female passengers at the back. But I kept a calm facade so that others wouldn't see how scared I was. Poor Allan, I held so hard onto his hand that it got numb from lack of circulation! :)

All in all I had to 'endure' 30 minutes of thumping & bumping as the boat first took us to Sapi island, then Mamutik, and then our destination....Manukan island. But at Manukan, the sight of the fish just below the water surface (around the jetty) made me forget the 'harrowing' trip I just had.

Front view of the boat I was on

A banana float being towed back to the beach (on the right)

& if you look closely, that's Mount Kinabalu in the background

(just slightly left of the centre of the picture)

I was fortunate to get a clear shot of Mount Kinabalu from the boat

Fortunately, the boat ride back was smooth. Perhaps it was because we were going with the current instead of against it.

Evening.....party time!

Event: ANTARABANGSA Dance Group's 8th Anniversary Line Dance party.

Line dancers doing what they do best!

The group from KL

Mr & Mrs Thien

A lion dance performance by the first all ladies troupe in KK

A welcome song by the committee & group members

With Teresa Liu & the Jester mascot

With KT Toh (front row, center)

with Emily Mah

Celebrations included the anniversary cake complete with

Disney characters!

Getting in touch with the child in me.

At one point in my childhood, I'd wanted to be a mouseketeer! lol

M - I - C...... K - E - Y......

M - O - U - S - E!

Leading one of my dances. I think it was Mi Amor.

The other 2 dances were What U Waiting For &

Misery (Let Me Be)

And this is Wildcats Go!

With Beeda & her group

Allan's new found friends in KK....Michael & Mr Thien

Will they inspire him to line dance? We'll see...... :D

After all the excitement of the night, my active brain kept me awake till 4am although my body was screaming for rest! I gave up trying very hard to fall asleep and turned on the TV instead. The movie Hot Chick was playing on Astro. After that I flipped to the Discovery Channel and some real case detective case was being analysed & re-enacted. Slowly, the drone of the commentator lulled me to sleep......

The next morning, I lazed until it was time to check-out. Then Beeda brought us to a very nice little shop for lunch. They served a special noodle from the Tuaran district and it was yummy!

After lunch, we headed to the hall for my sharing session with Beeda's students & line dance friends.

Group photo

With Mei Ching & friends

Mariana Geoffrey (extreme left)

The 2 gentlemen danced really well.

We headed back to Beeda's condo unit for a rest and shower before leaving for dinner & thereafter to the airport for our flight home.

Sunset

(taken from Beeda's 5th floor unit)

I had a great first visit to KK. Thank you everyone for making it such a memorable trip! I hope it won't be long till I see & dance with all of you again.

Born To Rock (in France)

2010-09-29T23:59:00.004+08:00

My dance Born To Rock which was released in 2008 for Hiro Suzuki's event in Tokyo, Japan sees a new lease of life in France, thanks to Davy. Check out his video below. I love the way his enjoyment of the song shows through in his dancing. :) Made me smile. I found myself unconsciously applauding at the end of the video! lol.

MISERY (Let Me Be) - Dance Teach

2010-09-27T21:32:00.005+08:00

I found an excellent teach of my latest dance MISERY today. The video is by Jenny (USA). She does a demo at the beginning followed by very clear instructional teach in both English and Mandarin after.

Johor Bahru Trip to dance with Niels Poulsen!

2010-09-27T16:07:00.002+08:00

Just a quick note that Jennifer Choo and I are organising a trip to JB from 11-13 Dec 2010 for the Dance for Good Health, Peace and Joy event organised by the Lim Sisters.

Guest of Honour, Niels Poulsen, from Denmark will be at the event to teach us his brand new dances. It's going to be lots of FUN! So, if you are interested to be part of our bus group, please contact either of us for more info & make a decision quick. Seats are filling up fast!

New Dance: MISERY (Let Me Be) - Sept 2010

2010-09-21T15:36:00.012+08:00

Taught my new dance MISERY (Let Me Be) to the class this morning & got it recorded. It's an easy intermediate, 32 counts, 4 walls with an easy Tag done after every wall for the first 4 walls.

Stepsheet is available on Yipee & Copperknob. Will be sending out to other sites soon & also to those on my email list.

Hangzhou - 10th Sept 2010 (Departure)

2010-09-20T18:11:00.000+08:00

Our final day in Hangzhou. Well....half day actually, as our flight home is at 2:30pm so we planned to be on our way to the airport by 11:30am. Journey from hotel to airport is approximately 50mins to an hour depending on traffic.

We woke up early, had a leisurely breakfast & then decided to go for a stroll. No concrete plans as to what we wanted to see. We walked out the hotel entrance, took two right turns to get onto the main road & followed the road from there. It was a long street flanked by offices, upmarket boutiques, pubs, eateries, car showrooms (Maserati, BMW, Porsche.....etc) and budget hotels on both sides. The West Lake is located just behind the row of buildings on the left of the road.

The street along which we strolled.

A happening & busy pub at night.

Bicycles for rent.

The kiosk from which to get your prepaid bicycle rental card.

Instructions

Card dispenser machine

Place card on card reader & bicycle will be released from lock.

The frontage of an art academy along the street

Luxury car showrooms

West Lake is just beyond the road (on the left of the photo)

We took a right turn here & that put us on a road

with a couple of 4 star hotels on the right side

After the hotels were rows of smaller shops.

A view of the temple (don't know exactly what this building is) from the street.

We kept walking & walking....most shops weren't opened yet so we peeped into their display windows. Finally some shops began to open for business at 10am. To our good luck, we came upon a 2 yuan & a 10 yuan shop. That would be RM1 & RM5 shops to us Malaysians.

2 Yuan shop (in the back)

10 Yuan shop (in the foreground)

I browsed the 2 yuan shop but they had mostly household utensils and some small trinkets. I bought several handphone tags featuring the Expo2010 mascot. It was at the 10 yuan shop that my husband & I lingered. I might have ended up buying most of what was in the shop if we weren't running out of time to get to the airport.

They had hair accessories.....the type with stones & 'crystal's on. They had brooches, belts, keychains.......I can't recall now......my eyes & mind were in a blur.....but I recall I liked what I saw. If only I had more time! :) ( and also more space in my luggage).

My favourite shop on the entire trip! hehehehe

After satiating my hunger for shopping at the 10yuan shop, we headed back to the hotel. Just another 5-8 mins walk.

Back in our room, we repacked our luggage to accommodate the new items we had purchased. Then it was time to say goodbye. I said goodbye to my little fighting fish named Peter. They have one in every room and also a rubik's cube sitting next to the mini aquarium. These I gathered from the accompanying note beside the fish, were to entertain those who brought kids with them.

Peter & the Rubik's Cube

Peter, up close.

'Hey there, young fella. My name is Peter. I don't feel lonely anymore now that you're here.

Are you good at Rubik's cube? If you can figure out 3 sides, I'll buy you a cup of coffee at the Cafe.

(Sadly, I'm hopeless at Rubik's cube. The best I can manage is one side. Wish my eldest son was

with me on the trip. I could then have had one free cuppa haha)

Almost forgot to tell you. I'm on a diet and a nutritionist is taking care of me.

Please don't feed me anything; I have a problem controlling my appetite. You know us fish..... :)

If I don't look well please dial '9' and call for a doctor, thanks.

Well then, do you want to chat first or play the Rubik's cube?'

We arrived at the airport and proceeded to the check-in counter. After having completed that we decided to go to the old wing of the airport for lunch. Allan wanted to try China's very own fast food outlet chain: Kung Fu....something. :)

It was quite tasty really.

But the meat was too hard for my liking. I remembered the veg, rice & soup were nice though.

At the airport, waiting to board the plane, which was 1/2 hour delayed.

Goodbye Hangzhou! Goodbye China! I had a wonderful time in Shanghai & Hangzhou. Especially fond memories of the time spent with the other line dancers and of course, it goes without saying, the time I spent with my husband. Allan says he wants to visit again and the next time it would be with the children. :)

Till we land on your shores again China,

'Zàijiàn!' 再见!

Hangzhou - 9th Sept 2010 (Day 2 Part 2 )

2010-09-20T15:43:00.029+08:00

After West Lake, we went to Yan'an Rd for some shopping. Window shopping mostly, but along the way we came across a shop that was holding a sale. From afar, it looked like the shop was selling the Crocodile brand of apparel. But on closer inspection it was spelt CLIO CODDLE. Hahahaha!

The quality wasn't too bad though. Allan got himself a pair of slacks, Soo a wallet for her husband & I got a leather belt for Dad & a pair of nice comfy leather sandals for Mum (she loves sandals & shoes!).

We got caught in a brief shower and took shelter in a shop selling fashion shoes. Would have ended up buying a pair of shoes, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how one looks at it...grin..) they didn't have my size in stock.

We ended our shopping early and took a taxi back to the hotel for a rest and also for Soo to do some last minute packing as she was departing Hangzhou on a late night flight tonight. Allan & I had purchased tickets for the Impressions of West Lake show by Zhang Yi Mou. Friends told us not to miss this one, so while we were at West Lake we bought tickets for the second performance at 9pm. Tickets were RMB200 a piece.

At 7pm, we still had an hour before Soo takes the taxi to the airport. She said she'd like to go back to the square where we found the line dancers last night & hopefully that they would be dancing tonight as well.

We headed there & yes, they were there, dancing! Soo & I joined in without much hesitation (although we did stay a little ways from the last line of the dancers). They were doing a basic cha-cha routine, just one wall, so it was pretty easy to follow. We did only one dance as the next song didn't quite appeal to us and also because Soo wanted to move on to the shops at He Fang Jie for one final browse.

Soo & I line dancing at the square

Just the silhoutte of Soo & I :)

At He Fang Jie, we said our goodbyes & parted ways with Soo. Allan & I went on to get our dinner...at McDonald's...before taking a taxi to West Lake.

At West Lake, while mingling with the crowd that had gathered to wait for the 1st show to end, we came across 2 friends from the WOW event who had joined the post event tour. What a coincidence! We knew that the group would be in Hangzhou on this date but to actually meet up, what are the chances of that! (They or we, could just as easily have decided to go for the earlier show & would not have bumped into each other).

With Nancy & Cameron

When I finally met up with the rest of the group, you can just imagine the look of surprise on their faces....lol. I was glad to see my friends again. It felt nice to be watching the show together although we weren't seated at the same area with the group.

The show was awesome. Lovely visuals created by the play of lights, great costumes, hauntingly moving music...beautiful! And all these were done on the lake itself. A stage was built just 3cm below the water surface for the actors and dancers to perform on.

The story is loosely based on the Legend of the White Snake. At the beginning, they had a projector introducing the storyline and the various acts/scenes (there were 5 in all as I recall) but everything was in chinese. I got the impression that it was 'boy meets girl', 'boy courts girl', boy marries girl then looses girl on the wedding night' (tsk tsk....just his luck), but can't quite figure out if it was a happy ending or not. Didn't sound like it though.... the music sounded sad throughout.

The scholar who meets the girl

Dancers (this is the only part of the stage that's above water)

Scholar looses his bride on their wedding night

Bride (in red) with her captors

(who seem to be playing with water rather than keeping an eye on her.....LOL!)

They meet but separate again soon after

Bride says her final farewell (sob sob!)

After the show, we caught a cab back to the hotel, happy to have spent a fruitful day drinking in the sights of West Lake, doing some shopping & ending it all with a lovely show.

Hangzhou - 9th Sept 2010 (Day 2 Part 1 )

2010-09-18T21:20:00.021+08:00

Second day in Hangzhou!

Our destination this morning is the famous West Lake. I didn't know what to expect but I'd heard & read that it's beautiful and a 'must see'.

We decided to get there on foot, it being so close by......just about 10 mins from our hotel.

"Rippling water shimmering on sunny day,

Misty mountains shrouded the rain;

Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi;

West Lake is always alluring."

These are the words composed by the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) when he compared the West Lake to Xi Zi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China.

copied from www.travelchinaguide.com: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/zhejiang/hangzhou/west_lake.htm

I found the above site by chance while researching for my trip to Shanghai & Hangzhou and it has proven to be very informative and helpful. I even used this site to book my hotel in Hangzhou.

Photos from our visit to West Lake:

Entrance to LeiFeng Pagoda

In the background behind us is the escalator

taking visitors up to the base of the pagoda

Excerpt from Wikipedia on LeiFeng Pagoda:

The original pagoda was built in 975 AD, during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, at the order of King Qian Chu (born Qian Hongchu) ofWuyue. It was built to celebrate the birth of Qian Chu's son, born to his Huang Fei. The Leifeng Pagoda was an octagonal, five-story structure built of brick and wood and with a base built out of bricks.

During the Ming dynasty, Japanese pirates attacked Hangzhou. Suspecting the pagoda contained weapons, they burned its wooden elements, leaving only the brick skeleton, as can be seen from Ming paintings of the West Lake.

Leifeng Pagoda was one of the ten sights of the West Lake because of the Legend of the White Snake.

Later, due to a superstition that bricks from the tower could repel illness or prevent miscarriage, many people stole bricks from the tower to grind into powder. On the afternoon of September 25, 1924, the pagoda finally collapsed due to disrepair.

As for whether there was a mausoleum below, this was debated for years until finally radar was used to investigate. On March 11, 2001 the mausoleum was excavated and many treasures were found, most notably a gold and silver coated hair of the Buddha.

What's left of the old pagoda. Beneath this, a secret chamber was discovered.

A silver & gold container housing the Buddha's relics (his hair) was found.

A picture of the old pagoda & the special container housing Buddha's relics (on the left)

Bricks from the old pagoda.

The local superstition/belief at that time was that these bricks could ward of illness & protect pregnant women from miscarriages. Because of this, most of the stones were carted away by the locals. Only a few rare pieces are left.

Ceiling decorations at the base of the Pagoda

(the dark spots at the centre of the motif are cctv cameras)

View of the entrance from the top of the Pagoda

View of Hangzhou city skyline from the Pagoda

Ceiling decor on the topmost floor

Close up of the motif on the ceiling

One of several wall plaques with very intricate wood carving

depicting scenes from Sakyamuni Buddha's life

Another floor had various scenes from the legend of The White Snake carved out in 3D.

Check out the fine detail & delicate workmanship of the carvings.

For more about the legend, visit this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_White_Snake

Descending to ground level after the pagoda

The building where the small pagoda containing Buddha's relics is displayed

The silver & gold 'pagoda' housing some of Buddha's relics

Touring the entire circumference of the lake on a buggy.

The driver explained the sights along the way, but it was entirely in Mandarin... :(

The buggy similar to the one we were on

Views of the lake & its surroundings from different locations along the buggy ride

A quaintly designed boat ferrying tourists to the islands on the lake

One of many bridges we crossed

Lotus pond, but not many lotus flowers in sight

According to our buggy driver, the building in the background

was where Soong May-Ling & her husband Chiang Kai Shek stayed

during their honeymoon (as translated by my husband)

I love looking at the willows all along the drive around West Lake

The famous Lou Wai Lou restaurant in the background

This is where Impressions of West Lake is performed every night.

A stage has been built 3cm below the surface on which actors dance & move about

By the time we completed the tour, we were famished. Allan had earlier spotted a restaurant offering buffet lunch when we first entered the West Lake area. So when the buggy drove by the restaurant again, he signaled to the driver to stop for us to alight.

Buffet lunch was RMB64 per head. We hesitated at first, but eventually made the decision to try and we weren't disappointed.

The dessert section with the main buffet line in the background

Noodles, rice & much more.....

Only tiny plates & bowls were provided. Good way to avoid wastage.

Allan & Soo digging in

Close up of some dishes we tried

We really liked this one & went back several times for more

I loved this tea! The famous loong jeng tea I think

Drank so many glasses of it.

Enjoying the ambience & the tea :)

On the verandah outside the restaurant

View of the lake from the restaurant

A few last pics before we headed back to the hotel

My hero :)

Hangzhou - 8th Sept 2010 (Day 1 Part 2 )

2010-09-16T18:39:00.035+08:00

"Above is heaven, below is Hangzhou" goes a famous Chinese saying that pretty well describes the glamorous city of Hangzhou! With its amazing scenery and fascinating cultural attractions, Hangzhou is indeed heaven on earth!

The brimming waves delight the eye on sunny days.
The dimming hills give a rare view in rainy haze.
The West Lake looks like the fair lady at her best.
Whether she is richly adorned or plainly dressed.
By Su Dongpo (Song Dynasty)

Marco Polo once called Hangzhou, “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”.

---***---

Above are just some of the glowing descriptions you will find on the web when one Googles for Hangzhou.

---***---

We arrived in Hangzhou during the peak after office hour rush. The first taxi we hailed didn't want to take us to where our hotel was located stating traffic congestion in that area.

You cannot imagine the number of people and vehicles on the street outside the railway station. With the engine smog, vehicles zooming past, people rushing by & the sun beating down on us, we finally found a taxi that would take us......for a hefty sum of RMB60! We later found out that our hotel wasn't that far away.....so I guess we've been had.....but at that time, we were willing to pay the sum just to get away from the chaos & the stifling heat!

During the taxi ride, the driver asked us why we chose to put up at Crystal Orange Hotel? He said it was way out of the areas of interest in Hangzhou. He made it sound as though we had booked ourselves into a hotel wayyyyyy out of the tourist path. Again, we found out later that our hotel was just as strategic as any other, depending on what one wanted to see of course. And our aim was to visit the West Lake. This was just 5-10 mins walking distance from where we lived. I shouldn't have doubted my choice as I'd done considerable research online before booking our accommodations.

Allan asked him how much he would charge us for when we needed to get to the airport the day after. He replied: RMB150. The hotel ordered a cab for us on the day of our departure. The cab fare to the airport came to only RMB94!

Crystal Orange Hotel (that's Soo walking towards the entrance)

View from Soo's balcony.

Aaahhhh.....this is the life! lol :)

By the time we had checked in, it was past 6pm. We agreed to meet up again at 8. Meantime, I took a shower & rested. The room was clean, comfortably spacious & the bathroom had both a shower & a long bath. A glass wall separated the bathroom from the sleeping area so one could watch television while chilling in the long bath. Or one could choose to pull down the shades for some privacy to complete one's toilette. ;)

View of the bathroom through the glass window, from the sleeping area

I read through my print out of places to visit in Hangzhou under subtitles like Dining.... Shopping..... Sight-seeing.... etc and focused on Shopping!, what else? haha

There's a night market along Yan'an Rd opened every night and a good place to get local stuff. The write-up warned that the prices there are marked up, up to 3 times for foreigners & 2 times even if you have a local Hangzhou friend with you.

We planned to pay the street a visit after dinner. The hotel concierge told us that we could get some local cuisine at He Fang Jie, and he gave us directions how to get there. It was close enough to get there on our own bipeds, so we walked & took in the night scene along the way.

Upon approaching our destination, we heard music and saw lights that hinted at an exciting treat up ahead. Our interest piqued, we quickened our pace.

We rounded a corner & right ahead of us was a square (from where the music was coming) & people dancing!..... line dancing! How fabulous! They weren't doing any line dances that we knew but the steps were familiar.....shuffles, back rock, forward rock, coaster steps.....it was line dancing! And there were at least 300 people in that square.

Line Dancing in Hangzhou. The 'toot toot' you hear at the end of the clip

is a motorcyclist signaling me to move out of her way :)

Name of the square I think.

Stalls along the street leading to He Fang Jie

Beyond the square was He Fang Jie (河坊街), a popular tourist spot. The entire stretch of road has old chinese architecture on both sides, housing various shops selling souvenirs, silk apparels, loong jeng tea (dragon well tea), snacks, etc. We were so taken in by the cultural atmosphere & promise of discoveries that we totally gave up on going to the Yan'an night market.

This street is also well-known for it's local snacks, so we headed to a food court in search of our dinner.

Entrance to the food court

This young lady was outside the foodcourt promoting the place

Stalls along the perimeter & in the centre selling their snacks.

It was very stuffy in the food court. Some local men had their T-shirts

rolled all the way to their chests exposing their big bellies :)

Samples of what we ate

---***---

an artisan at work, sugar sculpting

his creations

In old China, there being no clocks, people were told the time by a man such as this one.

He walks through the dark streets, holding a lantern for light,

clanging on his 'cymbal' and shouts out the time, every hour, on the hour.

How does he know what time it is? You'll have to ask him :)

Another artisan at work, weaving leaves into beautiful creations

Animals & mythical creatures woven from leaves

A typical chinese medical hall

A shop selling 'dragon beard' candy

A man hammering on part of the ingredient that goes into the candy

A side street

Another type of candy. Very sweet & hard.

Glass blower

Lovely facade of a restaurant

Some typical local snacks.

They even have a dish consisting of nothing but the goose's head.

Nice gazebo

A tea house

Get one's photo taken, in costume!

What an interesting evening we've had. So glad to have 'accidentally' discovered this place. I think we'll be back for more before we leave Hangzhou.

Hangzhou - 8th Sept 2010 (Day 1 Part 1 )

2010-09-16T17:40:00.037+08:00

At 7am, Jo & John Kinser knocked on our door to say goodbye. They would be leaving with the rest of the WOW participants (those who signed up) for the tour to several major cities in China, ending in Beijing. We had spent close to 7 days in the same quarters with them & now consider them our friends. I hate goodbyes.... BUT! thank goodness for the world wide web. We'll be able to stay in touch :)

At about 10am Soo arrived and after depositing her luggage in the apartment, we headed to our favourite restaurant for brunch.

The front of the restaurant

Delicious meats beckoning passers-by to step-in for a meal

The interior. There's a staircase on the right leading to the upper floor.

Hmmm....what should we try today? Choices, choices, choices.....

We wrapped up lunch at about eleven-ish. Went back to the apartment unit to collect our luggage & then came downstairs to arrange our checkout. It had been a pleasant stay. Allan asked the person at the counter how much they usually rented out the place, but was told they do not normally rent it on a daily basis. All units are for monthly rental only. We had thought to stay here again should we return for a visit to Shanghai. Looks like we'd have to look elsewhere for lodgings.

At the entrance, the security guard helped order us a taxi via his wireless. He has seen us going in and out for the past few days but we never had a chance to chat. While waiting for the taxi to arrive, Allan chatted with him and found that he had taken on many jobs before this, one of them being a baker. His goal is to earn enough money to take back to his village (I forget where now) to start his own business selling motorised bicycles (they're very common here). A man with a goal. Good for him & we wish him every success.

Me & Wu Yuet Tong (the guard)

The 3 of us had decided earlier to experience the speed train from Shanghai to Hangzhou. We got a taxi to Shanghai South Railway Station. The entire station is round in shape, not the usual square or rectangle. It looked very modern & very much like the interior of an airport terminal. There were lots & lots of people. My husband once remarked that in Shanghai you're never ever alone. At any one time, there are at least 5 to 10 people around you....lol.

Busy, busy, busy....

Ticket counters. Long queue for each & every counter.

It was 12:30pm and the next available train to Hangzhou was at slightly past 3pm. All seats between 12 and 3pm were sold out. We had about 3hours to kill. We browsed through the shops, bought some snacks and drinks & chit-chatted till it was time to board the train.

There is no queue system in China. It is every man/woman for himself. When the gates opened for the passengers to take the stairs or elevator down to the railway line one floor below, everyone rushed forward. We didn't understand why since our ticket has got seat numbers printed on it so we were assured of a seat. A little later on, we found out the reason for the mad rush.

The train has many carriages to cater for the huge number of passengers (so it is quite a distance from one end to the other), but only so much waiting/boarding time before it must depart punctually & on the dot. Our carriage (No. 6) was right at the front. The elevator had deposited us at around the teens. We dragged our luggages along looking for our number all the time wondering why people were hurrying past us. Then we heard the whistle & the conductor waving for us to hurry. It was a universal language....no translation was needed to tell us that the train was closing its doors soon & leaving! I was still at carriage 10, and there were two carriages to each number! I must have broken my own record for the 100 metre sprint (with my luggage in tow) LOL!

Soo & Allan were behind me but I didn't look back. I just concentrated on pushing ahead & getting into my carriage before the doors closed on me. I managed to get into No. 6 and only then did I look back for them. Panic gripped me when they were nowhere in sight. Calm down I told myself, they must have gotten into one of the carriages before No. 6 and they're making their way through the carriages right now.

I looked for my seat & waited for them, all the while panting due to the recent exertion & adrenalin surge. True enough, and to my relief, they appeared as the train was pulling out of the station. Phew! what an experience! Quite funny now on hindsight.

View from the train

The interior. Seats were comfortable & clean

The highest recorded speed of the train

The drama over, we could now sit back & doze for a bit until we arrive at Hangzhou Station in approximately 1 hour & 45 minutes.

Part 2: Arrival in Hangzhou

WOW Shanghai 2010 - 7th Sept (Final day in Shanghai)

2010-09-15T10:18:00.030+08:00

One last complete day in Shanghai....

While I was teaching at & attending the workshops, Allan had done a bit of exploring around the areas near where we lived. He visited IKEA which was just down the street and round a corner. He also located some small shops (the kind we like) behind IKEA. So this morning, he was going to take us (with the Kinsers) there for one last bit of shopping.

We took a stroll down to the end of the street & crossed the main road. This requires some skill & focus as there will be one or two vehicles that do not stop even though the light is red & the pedestrian light is green! To top that, we're confused as to the direction of the oncoming vehicles as they drive on the right while we hail from a country that drives on the left of the road. We each grabbed our spouses & charged across the road when it was clear to go. :)

Across the street was a pharmacy & we dropped in there for a while as the Kinsers needed to get some 'headache pills' & I needed cough syrup (I was coughing terribly through the night).

Everything in the pharmacy was in Chinese! Fortunately we had Allan with us. He spoke with the pharmacist & assistants there, told them what we needed & then we made our selection from their recommendations (quite a variety they have). I bought some lozenges made from 'sai kua siong'.... watermelon powder....which is good for the throat. We only have them in powder form back home but here they have it made into lozenges to suck and soothe the throat. Cool!

We made a few other side purchases.....I bought some honey to go with tea later on....again to soothe the throat. Jo came across a set of suction cups...the ones that chinese doctors use on the back of a patient to release 'heat' or 'wind' build up. She & I bought a set each. My mom goes to a chinese sinseh for this kind of treatment. Now she can DIY. :)

Only RMB20

We moved on & finally came to the little shops Allan discovered a few days earlier. The guys paired up to go shopping for men's stuff while Jo & I headed for the ladies' section.

The shops are really small, just like the ones we went to with Judy to get the 'branded' bags. The ones that sell clothes do not have space for even one proper changing room. We would go to a small corner (just standing room space) where they had put up a curtain and try on the top or pants. Most of the shop assistants were pretty friendly. Although there was one that got really mad & vocal at some local shoppers who had messed up her neatly stacked t-shirts, bargained for lower prices & ended up deciding not to make any purchase. Can't blame her. I would be fuming too.

After having been in Shanghai for a week now, I seem to have picked up a workable vocabulary of mandarin (I rarely speak the language back home & was never schooled in it) and managed to carry a decent enough exchange with the shop assistants to get what we wanted (giving myself a pat on the back...lol) :D.

I bought a nice tee for RMB25, Jo got a couple of tops & a nice pair of casual 3/4 pants. They only had one piece per item or I would've bought a set myself. When we finally met up with the guys at the appointed time, they'd each bought a pair of khakis & Allan purchased an electronic gadget (a teaching aid) for Ethan, my 3 year old. A similar gadget would cost around RM700-900 in Malaysia. Allan bought it for RMB600.

The final purchase was a duffel bag on rollers by the Kinsers....as carry-on luggage to use for the remainder of their stay in China (they would be going to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Xi'an & Beijing with the rest of those who signed up for the tour). Would have loved to be able to join them, especially to dance on the Great Wall of China, but I'd already taken too many days away from the kids & work.

For lunch, we went to Ikea to have our first non-chinese meal since our arrival in Shanghai. The Ikea cafeteria was packed! We managed to get ourselves seats after a short wait. The guys had eaten a little earlier so they sat while Jo & I went to order our lunch. She had chicken & I ordered the steak. Wrong decision for me.....it was tough & not very tasty. I gave up on it after a while. But the fruit juices were deliciously fresh & the dessert I had..umm...yummy!

Walking back to the apartment after lunch at IKEA

The high-rise in the background is about where our serviced apartment is located.

Signboard at the entrance to our accommodations

As the day was still early, Jo wanted to visit the spa located just outside the apartment, for a massage & facial. So we headed there & after having looked at their list of services, Jo decided on a full body massage (no facial I think). She insisted I got one too.....her treat. Thanks Jo! That was so sweet of you.

By this time the men had gone downstairs to the massage parlour for a little pampering of their own.

The spa assistant recommended that I take a special treatment (lasting 45 mins) to clear away the congestion in my chest. My massage started off well. I got a treat because the 'master' herself (who is also a chinese sinseh) decided to give me the massage & she was good! But it was during the heat treatment that I started feeling dizzy. They quickly called the lady doctor & she came in to check on me and massaged my head. Then she asked me to stick out my tongue and immediately told Amy (the translator) that my body was weakened by the cough & slight cold I've been nursing since day one in Shanghai.

Since I would be leaving the next morning, there wasn't much treatment she could give me. The only thing she could provide was to place tiny seeds on the acu-points on my left ear for me to massage everyday for the next 7 days. This would activate the various organs & areas in my body for better circulation & detoxification. After placing the seeds on the acu-points, she applied pressure to each....several times. I did feel better after a time.

She told me which point was for which part of the body, but there were too many, so that by the time she got to the last point, I'd forgotten the ones before .... :(

The lady doctor said she wouldn't charge me for it but Allan decided to pay the RMB50 when he came to meet us. After that, whenever anyone would ask me what's that I had on my ear, I'd jokingly say..."oh this? It's the latest ear fashion accessory from Shanghai!" ...hahahahaha! After savouring their incredulous look, I would then tell them the actual story. :)

After a shower & rest, we got ready for the final dinner with Judy & WOW participants who had stayed back till now, for a duck dinner at Nan Ling Restaurant.

(Note: Will have to wait for photos from the others, then will post here).

Another day comes to a close. Tomorrow, Allan & I together with Soo M Wong will be heading to Hangzhou. A new adventure...& more shopping! :)

WOW Shanghai 2010 - 6th Sept (Shopping!)

2010-09-14T13:01:00.022+08:00

Shopping day!

We woke bright & early in anticipation of our shopping spree. Judy was taking us to a local 'market' (a small building filled with tiny shops, 3 levels I think...) to get some 'branded' bags ;)

The place: SHANGHAI HONGQIAO DA TONG YANG MARKET along Jin Hui Road.

Upon arriving at the shop, our big group consisting of all the big name choreographers & little ol' me (plus hubby) were quickly hurried inside and to the back of the shop. Judy said our large group milling outside the shop was too conspicuous. Since the shop was selling fake goods, we had to be discreet in case we attracted the attention of the authorities. Whoooo....hooo....it was all so 'undercover' like :)

We were whisked into the first section, whereupon the owner opened a thick door and we went through that to a larger second section where more bags were neatly displayed. And then he opened another thick door & that led to the 3rd section where there were more bags. In the 2nd room, he opened a side door & brought out bags upon bags from his stockpile. We had SO many to choose from.....Coach, Louis Vuitton....you get the picture. Everything was heaped on the floor for us to choose.

Midways through our shopping, the owner suddenly started throwing the bags very very quickly back into his stockpile room. I was told they got wind that the authorities were making their rounds so they closed the shop & we waited inside. What an experience..haha....

After all the brouhaha, Allan ended up buying an LV wallet; I got myself an LV ladies' wallet & a Prada handbag. Total: RMB270.

Allan's wallet

My 'Prada'. It comes with a detachable sling

so I can interchange between short & long

My wallet

While browsing through the other shops, I got myself a small backpack (RMB50). Very handy, small but fits quite a lot of my stuff. It served me well throughout the remainder of my stay in Shanghai & Hangzhou.

By this time, we were running out of renminbi. Good thing to note here for when you travel to China: all the vendors we crossed path with did not accept credit card. We had to pay with cash. Luckily for us there was a bank down the road. We hailed a local 'toot toot' vehicle, paid him RMB10 to ferry us down to the bank, wait for us & then ferry us back.

View from the ride

Waiting for Allan at the bank

Lunch was across the street with Judy & the instructors. I was so busy shopping & eating I totally forgot to take photos of the shops, lunch & lunch mates. :(

Next stop after lunch was SHANGHAI HONG QIAO INTERNATIONAL PEARL CITY on Hong Mei Road, Chang Ning area.

The vendors here speak English quite fluently and it was a lot easier to bargain & purchase stuff.

I bought another bag! (roll eyes) I'd been looking for a bag like this since I saw it back home but couldn't find one. So when I saw it here, and the price was within what I intended to pay, I snapped it up. Bargained it down to slightly below a third of the opening price.

Beneath the network of weaves is a sequined layer.

So the 'bling' shines through & gives an interesting effect.

I told myself that I must get a custom-made qi pao (cheongsam) from Shanghai. I'd missed the first trip to Judy's tailor where the others had their measurements taken. This was before I arrived.

And later when I was introduced to the tailor again at the closing dance, she didn't have the cheongsam fabric with her and I didn't know when I would have time to visit her shop. So when I happened upon a whole floor of tailors offering their services I quickly made a beeline for one.

The shop assistant offered very friendly & efficient service.

Allan's suit (& pants under the coat)

My qipao

(lighting is not so good when photo was taken)

Allan made a full business suit for RMB500 & my qipao was RM380 (with silk lining). Our measurements were taken & recorded around mid afternoon. By 10pm the next day, we received our orders. That's what I call quick service. They delivered directly to our serviced apartment. The qipao fit perfectly! Allan's suit fit him perfectly too.

And the good news is, whenever we want any suit or dress done by them, we just have to email them with the photo of the dress/suit & they will tailor it to our recorded measurements. The finished product will be mailed to us. Should we gain weight or vice versa, we'll just email them our new measurements. :)

Our shopping completed, we headed back to the apartment for some rest & freshen up. Then it was dinner with the Kinsers at our favourite restaurant down the road.

After dinner we took a taxi to a nearby shopping mall called Metro City. It's totally like our shopping malls back home so it didn't hold much interest for us. The prices were higher than back home!

One more day of shopping tomorrow before we leave for Hangzhou on the 8th of September.

WOW Shanghai 2010 - 5th Sept (Workshop DAY 3)

2010-09-14T01:18:00.019+08:00

Day 3!

I woke up feeling much better than I felt last night although my voice was almost completely non-existent.

I was set for a review of Wildcats Go! this morning as all those who taught in the afternoon session the day before had to do a review the next morning.

Thankfully Jennifer helped me out. She was my 'voice' for the review. Thanks Jennifer!

Kate Sala had also lost her voice (this heat is getting to everybody!) and Cynthia helped her out by being her 'voice'.

Reviewing Wildcats Go!

Note to self: Never EVER wear this ensemble again!

Jennifer was my 'voice' as mine kept breaking.

Thanks Jen!

During the review, many showed interest in the dance & some mentioned that had there been a preview, they would have taken the class yesterday.... (big grin).....good enough for me :)

After review, I went straight back to rest as I had my final teach in the afternoon. Two dances: Walking On Fire (by Rep Ghazali) & What U Waiting For. The ladies were all smiles after What U Waiting For.....so I'm taking that as a thumbs up for the dance :)

Several people came to tell me they thought Mi Amor a lovely dance too after watching it at the review. (Broad grin)

Thankfully my voice returned to a decent enough level for me to complete my workshop. I stayed back a bit to learn the Kinsers' Dancing In The Moonlight but left before the end of their teach so that I could get ready for the night's event, as well as free up the bathroom for the Kinsers when they're done with the workshop.

Dinner was at Sports Hotel and then straight to the hall, one floor down, for dancing.

If you had 4 lovely ladies, two on each side, you'd be grinning like Allan too! :D

'Charlie' & his nyonya 'angel's ;)

As you can see, the colour on my face has returned :)

All the M'sian line dancers had agreed to wear our national costume.....the kebaya top.....for this final workshop dinner. And I must say, we looked good! ;) The other line dancers commented on how lovely our kebaya tops were.....Niels included :D :D

The rest I had during the day, and the 70% return of my voice had put me in a good mood. And I had enough energy to enjoy the night dancing away. Ahhhh.....I was so happy!

Oh! and I learnt how to do the West Coast swing! :D Or rather I learnt how to follow as John Kinser led. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was dancing! and it was pretty darn neat! John's an excellent lead!

Now I'm hooked but will have no one to dance with back home :( Might have to consider relocating to the UK where Jo & John are....hehehehe.... But seriously, I thoroughly enjoyed the West Coast swing with John Kinser.

with Wildman DJ Louie

A great end to the 3-day workshop! Everyone had FUN! I had FUN! Must save up for the next one at San Francisco next year. Keeping my fingers' crossed.

WOW Shanghai 2010 - 4th Sept (Workshop DAY 2)

2010-09-13T23:42:00.030+08:00

Day 2!

I wasn't scheduled to teach till after lunch so I slept in a bit. My cough had kept me up for most of the night and my voice hadn't quite returned yet. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to teach since I had no voice. Fortunately, by afternoon, my voice was audible enough (with the help of a mic thanks to Lina Choi) to pull through.

I taught Wildcats Go! which Judy Chen had personally requested. She was there, so was Cynthia & several others & they had great fun learning to execute the moves & styling.....especially Cynthia :) She's such fun! She told the others......'look, look, if you don't know how to do the waist to shoulder bodyroll, just think of throwing up!'.... and then everyone got it! LOLOL!

--**--

Tonight's event is a dinner followed by a cruise on the Shanghai Bund.

Again, the dinner table was spilling over with food! By the time the rice came, most of us had surrendered! LOL. The last dish was buns. We had them packed 'to go' and ate them for breakfast the next morning. Deeee-licious!!

Part of the M'sian group

One of the many dishes

After dinner, waiting for the bus to take us to the cruise

I could still muster a smile for the camera, before the migraine hit full blast

The strain of trying to speak although I'd lost my voice had brought on a splitting migraine by the end of dinner. So by the time we boarded the cruise (after a long wait and an even longer queue......I've never seen THAT many bodies packed in close proximity, trying to get on board the cruise ship, before!) I was having both a migraine & motion sickness! Not the best combination to have :(

Someone give me back my sea legs!!

(Spontaneous shot captured by Jennifer Choo.

Thank goodness I didn't look too bad hahaha!)

(I had the best of time during the Ho Chi Minh river cruise during my trip to Vietnam earlier this year.....eating, dancing....so I'm not so prone to motion sickness as this episode might suggest).

I tried to enjoy as best I could, took some photos, but was really quiet and kept to myself the whole time. Those who were there and reading this post, I hope you understand now why I wasn't that chatty & sociable that night. I wasn't being unfriendly. Far from it......I was trying really hard not to puke. :(

Lovely Shanghai skyline at night

Allan recorded this short clip

Trying very hard to managed a smile under Allan's coaxing.

But I'm glad I took some photos

The bus journey home seemed to go on forever. By the time we reached Courtyard by Marriott, I had to visit the ladies' room to throw up.

Then we took a cab back to the apartment & it was straight to bed for me.

Hoping for a better day tomorrow :/

WOW Shanghai 2010 - 3rd Sept (Workshop DAY 1)

2010-09-13T20:58:00.035+08:00

The day started off at 8:30am with a morning Zumba workout conducted by Rosie.

Before workout began, Rosie & the Malaysian girls (Janice, Jennifer, Wendee & myself) donned neon-coloured bob wigs to spice up the morning :D Rosie was so kind to loan me her pink wig which she had brought all the way from US just for me. Thank you Rosie!!

We spiced up the morning alright. Everyone was snapping away and posing with us....the Gaga Girls!....lol!

L to R: Wendee, Janice, me, Jennifer & Rosie Multari

One piece of advice though.....never do a workout with a wig in the sweltering Shanghai heat, in a room without air-conditioning or fan! Phew! we were all melting....but we persevered almost to the end. Rosie kept asking whose great idea it was...LOL! It was yours Rosie! ;)

The venue for the workshops was at SNJ Sports centre, located just next to where we stayed. We had 3 rooms allocated for the workshops: Ballroom (air-conditioned), Badminton room (no fan or air-cond) & Ping Pong room (air conditioned) where Jennifer & I taught all our dances. Some of the other instructors had to use the Badminton room for their teach (because it was the largest and the instructors had many followers). The heat & humidity in that room definitely did not present a comfortable platform for learning & dancing, but all the instructors who had to teach in there were very professional about it.

After Zumba, Jennifer was the first to teach in the Ping Pong room. She taught Cuban Yeah, her new dance. Next up was Sue & Kathy who taught Peek A Boo & Monday Morning. Then it was my turn. I was prepared for a bleak turnout as Jo Thompson & Kate Sala were teaching the same slot in the other 2 rooms. But I was pleasantly surprised. Kathy & Sue stayed for my teach, and quite a number of ladies from HK, Taiwan & Canada came too. I was slightly nervous, forgot one particular TAG to my embarrassment but Kathy & Sue saved the day by reminding me (as they'd taught my dance MI AMOR to their students in San Francisco). Everyone was very nice & forgiving about my memory lapse & that put me at ease. I'm so grateful....Thanks ladies!

Here's a brief video or my class :)

Dance : MI AMOR

After the morning session, all the instructors who had taught had to do a review of their dances. Then it was time for lunch. Allan & I recommended the restaurant down the street & all the Malaysians headed there for some delicious food. The duck was especially delicious & I went back for several days after for the same dish...heheh.

I had developed a cough by afternoon & wasn't feeling too good....partly due to the heat as well so I went back for a shower & rest. Then headed back to SNJ Sports for Lina Choi's workshop & learnt her dance NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE. I've always liked that song. And now I've learnt a nice dance to it. :)

After the workshops were all done, everyone went back to their hotels to freshen up for the evening event. Dinner & circus show! By this time, I had almost completely lost my voice :(

Dinner companions at our table

Standing (L to R) : Richard Waiton, Sue Hsu, Kathy Chang & Christina Chui

Seated (L to R) : myself, Allan, Anne & Cynthia

Back home in Malaysia, we're used to chinese dinners with about 8 or 10 courses (dishes). But in Shanghai, we had nothing less than 18 dishes everytime! We ate till we could eat no more :)

Entrance to the Circus show

The Circus show was wonderfully entertaining & heart-stopping at times! There were chinese acrobatics, juggling & balancing acts. The heart-stopping sections were the ones where the acrobats walked on a HUGE vertically rotating wheel. The highest point of the wheel is easily 20 feet from the floor. There was a point where the 3 acrobats walked with black hoods on (so they're completely 'blind') and one of them was beginning to lose his balance. He quickly pulled his hood off and managed to grab one of the steel bars in time for balance. Don't know if it was part of the act but I was clenching my seat's arm rests. Would've screamed had I had my voice! As is it, I could only managed a barely audible hoarse screech.

We were not allowed to take photos during the show so no photos here :(

There was another beautiful segment featuring a male & female lead soaring through the air balanced on a long stretch of cloth.

The finale was also very adrenalin-charged. I call it the Wheels of Death. One 'cage' shaped like a globe, and one motorcycle going around and around in it. Horizontally, vertically, diagonally....every which way you can think of. Add another rider & you have two doing the same thing. Not very exciting you say? Add another, and another, and another....until at the end there were 8 in total! 6 riders riding behind each other, horizontally along the midspan of the globe and another 3 below doing the same. Just imagine.....firstly the riders have to go at a certain minimum speed (for momentum) to maintain the horizontal path (otherwise they would fall due to gravity). Then, the top 6 were so close to each other that they must maintain a consistent speed constantly to avoid collision. Just one mistake......

And if that happens, they would come crashing down on the 3 below..... I could hardly breathe!

They got a standing ovation from me & several others in the audience.

Some of the riders from 'Wheels of Death'

I wanted to take a photo with the riders, but had to delete the pix as they charged RMB100 if your face is in the photo :(

After the show

On our way home

The first eventful day over. Looking forward to more tomorrow!

WOW Shanghai 2010 - 2nd Sept (Meeting the others)

2010-09-12T17:29:00.027+08:00

We had already met the Kinsers last night. Today, we were going to meet the others putting up at the apartment. The first ones we met were Cynthia Skublak & Anne (both from Toronto). They helped organise us into groups of 4 to fit into taxis which would then take us to (1) a shop selling dance shoes & dance wear & (2) the Old Temple for a spot of shopping & lunch for some.

As the other instructors appeared from their apartment units, I finally got to meet them in person: Jo Thompson, Rachael McEnaney, Kate Sala, Scott Blevins & Niels Poulsen.

Niels, Anne, Allan (my husband) & I got into one cab. During the journey to the shoe shop, we began chatting with Niels & told him that we were looking forward to his trip to JB this December at the Lim sisters' Dance 4 Peace event. Again, we found this choreographer to be nice & friendly :)

At the shoe shop, everyone got down to the business of selecting dance shoes. It was a tiny shop, & we packed it full of people...lol. You can just imagine how stuffy it was in there, with the intense Shanghai heat outside. I met Evelyn & Linda from Penang, both busy looking for shoes of course.....especially Evelyn :) Everyone bought more than one pair as the price was much much lower than what we would pay back home.

After more than an hour in the shop, Allan & I together with the Kinsers, took the elevator downstairs. While waiting for the others to complete their shopping, Allan & I had a local packed economy rice lunch, while Jo got her coffee.

When everyone had gathered, we again took taxis to our next destination.

Picturesque view outside the Old Temple

A looooong queue for dumplings.

Street scene outside the temple area

Those who hadn't had lunch went to a restaurant while we & the Kinsers decided to browse & shop. I couldn't shop much in the sweltering heat so after having purchased one pair of pants, Allan & I decided to call it a day and headed home to shower, rest & recharge for the night event: Open Dancing!

Jo Kinser looking pretty for Open Dancing at Sports Hotel

We had a quick dinner and then it was Open Dancing at Sports Hotel, just a few blocks down from where we were. The cab fare was RMB12 (RMB1.00=MYR0.46), which is the base rate one pays the moment you hop into one.

The gathering at Sports Hotel was like a reunion of sorts. Friends meeting each other again after a long while, like Yuki & I. Online friends meeting each other for the first time in person......oooh! the room was fully charged with excitement & anticipation of FUN, FUN, FUN!

I was thrilled to meet Hiro & Yuki again after such a long break. The last I saw them was in Japan 2008 when Hiro invited me to Tokyo for his event.

So happy to see you Yuki!

Group pix with Jo Thompson (L to R: Hiro, Jo, Evelyn, myself & Yuki)

The 'twins' from San Francisco: Sue & Kathy

Pix of the WOW Shanghai instructors:

Back row (L to R): Lina Choi, myself, Marilyn McNeal, Kate Sala, Niels Poulsen, Jo Kinser, Rosie Multari & Scott Blevins.

Front row (L to R): Judy Chen, Kathy Chang & Sue Hsu, Rachael McEnaney, Jo Thompson & John Kinser.

Missing in the pix: Jennifer Choo (she was at dinner)

Groovin' time!

With Lilly Lee from Taiwan

Rosie Multari & her husband Bruno

The gang from Malaysia with Marilyn McNeal & her husband

Happily posing for a shot with Scott Blevins

Lilian Lo, Jo & I

Judy Chen, the organiser

Patty Wu. An excellent dancer with an equally excellent memory.

Janice strutting her stuff with Kathy Chang to her left & John Kinser in the background.

I had a great time all in all. Met lots of people, made new friends, connected with old friends. A great start!

WOW Shanghai 2010 - 1st Sept (Arrival)

2010-09-12T16:14:00.024+08:00

Our AirAsia flight to Hangzhou was at 8:10am, so both my husband & I were up by 5am and ready for the taxi when it came to pick us up at 5:30am. We had bought our tickets in December last year, and now 9 months later, we're finally going!

I'd like to record my thanks to the following people:

Margaret Lee, for the FunStompers event where I met the Lim sisters and got to know about WOW Shanghai
The Lim sisters for the platform to show Judy my dances & for introducing us.
Judy Chen, for inviting me to her prestigious & FUN event
and last, but never the least, to my husband for his full support & encouragement on taking up Judy's invite..... & for footing the bill :)

.....and to everyone who has encouraged me towards this moment. Thank you!

The trip to LCCT (low cost carrier terminal) took about 45-50 mins and as we had earlier checked-in online, we only needed to deposit our check-in baggage. The plane took off as scheduled and we were on our way!

The flight was as comfortable as it could possibly get on AirAsia. Those who have flown AirAsia would know by now that the seats do not recline. The bottom slides forward just a little....and I suppose AirAsia figures that that's mighty comfortable already. Thank goodness it was just a 5-hour flight. I can't imagine flying to the UK on AirAsia X. It would be a torturous 13 hours! Having said that, I would still fly AirAsia to nearby destinations as it has the cheapest fare available (when booked early of course).

We arrived Hangzhou as scheduled and upon collecting our luggage, quickly went to the AirAsia bus shuttle counter to purchase our tickets to Shanghai. The tickets cost RMB100 per person and is a 3-hour journey.

Hangzhou International Airport, arrival hall.

Collected our luggage & headed straight for the bus shuttle counter (below)

A long queue but thank goodness we managed to get ourselves seats.

Carpark outside Hangzhou International Airport

At a stopover for toilet break & snacks

Hmmmm.....should I get some??

Shanghai skyline

We passed Ikea, which is just around the corner from our service apartment, but the bus doesn't do individual stops, so we had to double back in a cab from the bus terminal.

Entrance to the serviced apartment

The view from our balcony (right side)

The view from our balcony (left side)

Our 'home' for the next 7 days :)

We arrived at the serviced apartment that Judy Chen had arranged for us at around 6:30-7pm. The apartment is located along East Tianlin Rd. I liked the place as we could find a cafe, a spa, a massage place, 2 convenient stores, Ikea, a pharmacy & shopping areas nearby. There is a restaurant (Hong Kong styled food) that my husband & I frequented almost every time we needed lunch or dinner. We recommended it to the other Malaysians and they liked the food too, as we saw them there more than once! :)

There were 2 rooms in our apartment unit & we had no idea who our apartment mates were as they had gone out for a Japanese dinner arranged by Judy. We had not signed up for that as we knew we'd be late arriving in Shanghai. True enough, we were, & we were dead beat too.

Just before we retired for the night, we heard our apartment mates come in & I went out to say 'Hi'. To my surprise & delight, we were sharing the unit with.......the Kinsers! Over the next few days, we got to know them better & I must say I would share a unit with them again anytime! They're really nice. :)

Sept 1-10 2010: In Shanghai

2010-09-01T00:27:00.002+08:00

I will be heading to Shanghai on the 1st of September for Judy Chen's WOW line dance event. Will try to post updates if possible and also hopefully have time to upload photos to share. If not, then will have to wait until I'm back......

Gonna go dancing! :D

New Beginner Line Dance: 3 SIMPLE WORDS

2010-08-03T16:41:00.000+08:00

Photo diary of attended events (June 27th - July 31st 2010)

2010-08-03T15:46:00.017+08:00

Date: 27.6.2010

Teresa's Annual Line Dance Party

The Roaring 20s

Back row L to R: Teresa, May, Christina, (?), Rita

Seated L to R: Amberley, Christine, myself

Date: 10.7.2010

Kiwanis Charity Line Dance

L to R: Wendee, myself, Sue Chin, Cindy

Date: 23.7.2010

Bron's birthday gathering at Ivee's home, Klang.

Date: 25.7.2010

Tracy's Charity Line Dance Party

(Panel of Judges for 'Best Dressed')

Date: 31.7.2010

Line Dance Judges receiving their Certs of Appreciation.

From left: Evonne, Chris Ng & myself

Event: Pertandingan Terbuka Poco-Poco & Line Dance 1Malaysia

by Biro Sosial & Kebudayaan KASIH

What U Waiting For (May 2010)

2010-05-18T23:23:00.000+08:00

This the video for WHAT U WAITING FOR. They had learnt the dance last Friday and had probably forgotten the steps over the weekend LOL! Anyway, we ran through the steps again today and I recorded the video immediately after.

They look like they're having fun don't they... I know I did! ;-)

MI AMOR

2010-05-11T15:54:00.001+08:00

Just recorded the video for MI AMOR this morning. A big thank you to all those who participated in the session. Some of you appear in the video and some don't, but THANK YOU everyone.

A brief walk-through showing the 48 counts, the 8 count TAG, 4 count TAG and the Ending is available at the end after the credits.

MI AMOR (Audrey Landers & Camilo Sesto)

2010-05-10T18:03:00.000+08:00

"What You Waiting For" Official Music Video

2010-05-10T17:58:00.000+08:00

2 NEW DANCES FOR MAY 2010

2010-05-09T16:20:00.024+08:00

I've finally completed my dances MI AMOR and WHAT U WAITING FOR after a somewhat quiet period. Friends had been asking what had happened....well, nothing happened save that I was occupied with the kids' school and extra curricular activities. I still am.....

My eldest boy is gearing up for the bi-annual Boys Brigade festival and competition in Penang this June. His BB company will be participating and every weekend is taken up with band practices. The 2nd son is also in the same company and had just completed his part in the Juniors Drill competition last month. The youngest started pre-kindie this year and I'm the chauffeur :D Fortunately for me, my Mom & Dad help out whenever I'm unable to ferry him to and/or from kindie.

Is it just coincidental that I should happen to complete the dances in time to be released on MOTHERS DAY? It definitely wasn't pre-planned. Hmmm.....perhaps a higher force is involved... :D So....., I dedicate these dances to the mothers out there who work tirelessly and selflessly everyday to keep the family together, the household from turning into a dumpsite and the children on the straight and narrow and at the same time holding down many other different 'hats'.

Back to the dances...

MI AMOR is an Intermediate level line dance done to a SLOW, QUICK, QUICK rhythm. It's 48 counts, 4-walls with 2 TAGS and 2 RESTARTS. Before you go 'Oh No!.....' let me just quickly add that they're easy tags and restarts and can be clearly heard in the music. So I hope you'll give it a try.

WHAT U WAITING FOR is done with my Beginners and seasoned Beginners in mind. Therefore I've made the steps as simple as possible. Experienced intermediate dancers will also be able to enjoy the dance and have plenty of 'room' to add in their own style and flair. The song is 4 mins long so I decided to make it a 64 count dance in order that the routine wouldn't have to be repeated too many times. There is one RESTART.

The first time I heard the song played over the radio, I liked the beat. It was interesting enough to hold my attention for the entire song. What's more interesting is that the female vocalist, MizzNina, is a Malaysian. Yay!

I hope to get the videos recorded as soon as possible and have them uploaded to the regular channels, and the stepsheets posted as well. Meanwhile, you can view the scripts here, and hopefully give the dance(s) a try. Do email me if you should detect any error....thanks. :)

Email me if you need anything further pertaining to the dances. :D

CHEERS, AND HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!!!!

YEAR-END LINE DANCE GETAWAY

2010-04-02T13:01:00.002+08:00

I posted the message below on Facebook yesterday to get some feedback on my annual line dance party. I'm re-posting it here so that my friends and students who are not Facebook-ers can also share their 2-cents' worth :)

"I'm toying with the idea of a linedance party with a difference end of this year. A 2D1N getaway to a friend's back-to-nature resort in Gopeng. As she is always fully booked end of the year due to popular demand, I need to book early. Anyone interested? If your kids want to go too, I can arrange for a kids camp to happen simultaneously, at the same location, with our ladies' getaway :D Your feedback is welcome."

I would love to hear from you too. :-D

EARTH HOUR 2010

2010-03-28T08:10:00.002+08:00

Ethan & Justin observing Earth Hour with the family.

28 March 2010, 8:30pm

Dance Floor Etiquette

2010-02-22T23:08:00.004+08:00

With so many line dance parties going on in Malaysia these days, it is always good to remind ourselves every now and then of what we should and shouldn't do while on the dance floor. Following good dance floor etiquette will allow each dancer to enjoy herself/himself without denying others of their enjoyment too.

Gary Lafferty (UK) came up with this latest list, which he has posted on his website and also in WLDN, and I thought I'd help to spread his good advice by posting it here too :)

Click on image to enlarge

HAPPY DANCING! :D

WOW Line Dance Spectacular 2010 (Shanghai)

2010-02-14T23:30:00.008+08:00

click on picture to go to website

I am thrilled & honoured to be invited as Guest Instructor for the WOW Line Dance Spectacular 2010 in Shanghai, together with fellow Malaysian Jennifer Choo Sue Chin. Thanks Judy! :D

Main instructors include renown choreographers like JO THOMPSON, RACHAEL McENANEY, KATE SALA, SCOTT BLEVINS & NIELS POULSEN. Roy Verdonk was initially in the line-up but is unable to attend due to health reasons.

Quite a number of us from Malaysia will be heading to Shanghai this September for Judy Chen's annual line dance event. And some will be staying for the post-event tour to Beijing, arranged by Judy.

Those Malaysians who've attended her event before attest to her organisation skills and have only good things to say of the event. So......, if you haven't signed up but are keen to know more.....visit her website for more information.

See you there! :DD

GONG XI FA CAI!

2010-02-13T18:04:00.003+08:00

GONG XI FA CAI!

WISHING EVERYONE A P'ROAR'SPEROUS NEW YEAR.

XIN NIAN KUAI LER! WAN SHI RU YI!

My New Year Resolution/Contribution

2010-01-19T23:35:00.004+08:00

An article in The Star paper on Sunday (17 Jan 2010) prompted me to finally put into action what I had wished to do but never got around to it: to sponsor a child under the World Vision Sponsor A Child programme.

So last Sunday, I finally sat myself down in front of my computer, typed in the web address for the Malaysian chapter of World Vision (WV) and keyed in my details for the programme. On Monday, I faxed the application over to WV's office and today I received their confirmation email.

The simple gift of RM50 a month goes towards helping the child have access to health care, education, food, etc. The money doesn't go directly to the child, but is pooled together with that of other sponsors to implement long-term, community-wide changes that help break the vicious cycle of poverty. To find out more, check out www.worldvision.org or for Malaysians, go to www.worldvision.org.my

In two weeks' time, I should be receiving a photo of the child I sponsored. Can't wait... :D

惜福 (XiFu) - Beginner CNY line dance

2010-01-13T00:59:00.007+08:00

Stepsheet & demo video for said dance:

Click on stepsheet to enlarge

My first CNY line dance choreography

2010-01-09T19:34:00.009+08:00

Just completed my first Chinese New Year (CNY) line dance choreography!

An avid line dancer and acquaintance, KT Toh from Sabah, sent me the piece of new year music. Thanks KT!

I did a 32-count, 4-wall dance to it. Kept it simple as it being a new year dance, the idea is to have everyone (even Beginners) join in and be able to execute the steps.

The demo video has not been recorded yet. I'm hoping that'll happen sometime next week after which I shall post it here and on Youtube. The stepsheet will be posted at the same time too. However, if you wish to obtain it before then, send me an email at linedanz@gmail.com.

Gong Xi Gong Xi!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-01T00:01:00.002+08:00

Song: Happy New Year (ABBA)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

AULD LANG SYNE 2009

2009-12-31T01:15:00.000+08:00

Father Time 2009 is saying his last goodbyes.... Baby 2010 is due soon....

HERE'S WISHING EVERYONE A GREAT YEAR AHEAD

Dancing In The Street (Orchard Road, 25 Dec 2009)

2009-12-27T16:53:00.001+08:00

Wildcats Go! (Orchard Road Dec 2009)

2009-12-27T16:34:00.001+08:00

Photo Collage - S'pore Trip (Dec 09)

2009-12-27T15:44:00.005+08:00

Merry Christmas from us! :D

2009-12-20T17:57:00.005+08:00

Wishing you and yours

a Christmas filled with PEACE & JOY

a New Year filled with LOVE, HOPE, CHEER & ABUNDANCE!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

From: The CHEN family

(Allan Chen, Mei Ling, Brandon, Justin & Ethan)

Amazing Grace - truly lovely!

2009-12-19T10:54:00.005+08:00

Beautiful christmas lights display.

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

Christmas Mass Line Dance - Orchard Rd

2009-12-18T21:51:00.007+08:00

Come Christmas evening, most (if not all) line dancers in Singapore will be heading to Orchard Road for the CHRISTMAS MASS LINE DANCE PARTY. And so will I! :D My family and I timed our holiday to Singapore during this time of the year to see the famed Christmas lights and decoration on Orchard Road. And since I got to know of the mass street line dance event, all the more reason to be there! lol!

If you happen to be in Singapore during that time, and you're a line dancer (or even if you're not but just wanna see what we crazy line dancers do), pop over to Orchard Road on the 25th.

Details are as below:

Christmas Mass Line Dancing @ Orchard Road

Date: 25 Dec 2009 (Fri) Christmas Day

Time: 5:30pm - 10pm
Venue: Orchard Road
Fee: FOC
Theme: "Christmas"

DANCE LIST

DANCING IN THE STREET (Teach Video)

2009-12-08T13:18:00.002+08:00

This is a recording of my teach of DANCING IN THE STREET at the Lim sisters' event in JB last Sunday (6 Dec 09). It has been edited down from 15 mins to a shorter version of 8 plus minutes. My video editing skills are limited so please pardon the 'chop-a-block' feel of the final cut :D

I made the steps as simple as possible so that we can enjoy the music without having to concentrate too much on the steps. The whole idea is to have FUN while dancing to the lovely upbeat track by Atomic Kitten.

DANCING IN THE STREET Stepsheet

2009-12-06T22:17:00.007+08:00

I am sooooo exhausted from today's dancing, but sooooooo happy at the same time. I met up with old friends, made new ones and had a jolly good time overall! Oh, by the way, I'm referring to the Lim's sisters' event, Dance 4 Peace held at Wisma Tiong Hua, JB, today.

The teach of my latest dance, DANCING IN THE STREET, went without a hitch. So here it is, the official release of the stepsheet.

Dancing In The Street

2009-12-02T09:55:00.003+08:00

I've finally completed my latest dance titled DANCING IN THE STREET. I had so many versions going that I was a little hard put in deciding which I liked the best :D. I finally settled for one which isn't too difficult, yet still interesting to dance. The pace is quick so I kept the steps quite basic in order that the dancer can enjoy the music without too much stress.

I'm looking forward to teaching this dance at the Lim sisters' event in JB this weekend, if their schedule permits. And if all works out well (meaning to say the video-recording of the teach and dance looks alright) then it will be released sometime next week.

2009-11-25T01:24:00.005+08:00

Dear line dance friends

Please note that the Intro for XIANG SI HE PAN should be 32+4 counts instead of 32 (which was printed in the original script). The erroneous script has since been replaced with the correct one.