Ballroom Dancing

Went to watch the Ballroom Dancing Grand Prix yesterday.



Bf won the day-show tickets from MixFM!

The morning session was all standard ballroom. They performed waltz, foxtrot, quickstep and tango. All d participants look so elegant and graceful... but my photos don't do them any justice le. They were moving too fast for my digicam.





Then in the afternoon after bf left, they had the Latin part. Whoa!! The costumes alone can heat up d dance floor. The competition for the Latin dances wooed a lot more participants. So many couples dancing cha-cha, rhumba, samba as well as jive (I dunno why is jive part of Latin???) The moves were even faster.... so even worse photos. Sigh...





There was a category for the Grand Seniors (above 55). These aunties and uncles can really shake their tush! They keep their figures in such good shape that even some 20-somethings can't compete. There was one lady who can even do a split!! Just imagine, these people are my parents' age!

Personally loved the cha-cha and jive the most!! I wanna dance like them too!!!

Staying awake

Just got back from Kuantan... normally I'd fly but thought I'd try driving this time round. It wasn't too bad. Highway all the way. But the once problem I normally have driving long distance on a looooong straight boring highway is... I get incredibly sleepy. zzzzzzzzzzzz...

So this time, I took measures to make sure I stay awake and alert. And it worked! I wasn't sleepy at all throughout the whole journey. Just thought it'd be good to share my tips with all you long distance drivers out there... looking at the increasing rate of fatal accidents.

Tip #1:
Listen to JJ & Rudy on Hitz.fm if it is a morning drive. They'll crack you up. Laughing your head off is a great way to stay awake.

Tip #2:

Drink Essence of Chicken to keep you bright and alert!

Tip #3:

Have your very own in-car karaoke fest. Try to sing the back-up parts instead of the melody. The melody comes as a reflex action but singing the harmonization takes effort and keeps your brain working. Just imagine being the back-up singer for your favourite artist!

Tip #4:

Have a can of coffee drink ready in case you feel a yawn creeping up.

Tip #5:

Whenever a GX song comes on the radio try and visualize d moves. A virtual workout! Sometimes you get so engrossed it becomes not so virtual... as long as one hand is kept on the steering wheel. ;p

Drive safe!! :)

gym-MEMBER

I remember one time I attended Azyei's class kat Manulife. Told her I looked up d FF website schedule dulu before coming. Then she said "Eh? you pun pilih-pilih instructor? I tot ur bf is GXC, should be neutral?" My bf being in da instructors' circle doesn't mean I am.

I am anything BUT neutral. I luv Azyei & Leo's Bodyjam classes da most although I don't get to attend it often. Definitely more than the hazardous glamourous Kylie or Tracy's class despite getting to preview new releases.

I have my own classification of instructors:
A. Love it, love it, love it!
B. Like da class... fun.
C. Huh? Nobody else ar? Oh well, at least I get to workout.
D. Never will I attend this class again!!

***but because bf is in da instructors' circle I can't name da instructors within each classification.

Yup, I am still very much a gym member... and I like to pilih-pilih da classes by instructors I like and skip da classes by instructors I don't like. After all, I am paying to go to class, not getting paid to. :)

And just saw from Leo's blog that my 2 fav's are not going to launch this time :( Oh well, I don't like attending launches that much anyway.... quite hazardous too.

Life revamp?

Lately, I've been feeling really bored... of my life... of it staying put, exactly how it has been for the past 3 years. Personal, career, spiritual... nothing has changed. Nothing has progressed.

Most people I know have a certain comfort zone they like to stick to. Generally people do not like change.

But I am weird different. I crave change. I need change. I need progress, new developments! Routines bore me to death...

I remember 3 years ago I felt the same thing. In 2004, I had a new dog, new car, moved to a new house, in a new area, got a new bf, and accepted a new job (but only started in early 2005). Yup, that was an exciting year!!

What changes can I make this time? What kind of life-revamp can I make this time round?

Been going around surveying for a good MBA course with a friend. Perhaps start studying again is a good change?
But have not found one which is well-recognized, has a good ranking, offered locally and has a class schedule that does not clash with my church Sunday services.

Been getting calls from head-hunters lately from both Malaysia and Singapore. Perhaps a change of scene career-wise? Or a move to the neighbouring country?
But all the calls were for companies I am not the least bit interested in.

Been planning a vacation to Japan this year end with a friend from the States. Perhaps an exotic vacation is what I need?

I really don't know what is it that I need to bring that spark back into my life. 3 years ago could be a quarter-life crisis but now I am 3 years older, shouldn't I be more mature and more stable, takkan got 2nd round quarter-life crisis????

Will keep on searching for the answer...

Monday blues

My car battery died on me today... Thank God for inventing fathers and AAM. What's a girl to do without them?

First it could not start. Called AAM and they said it'll take 45 mins - 1 hour before help comes. But the AAM fella gave me a pleasant surprise and showed up about 15-20mins after I made the call. Am impressed! He jump-start my car and I was on my way.

Second time, it died on me in the middle of the road!! It was close to home so my dad came to my rescue and tried to jumpstart my car with his... tak jadi this time... my battery was completely dead! So he brought the mechanic guy with a new battery for my car.

So what else is new in my life? Nothing... total boring-ness.... zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Gym casualty

Went to Kylie's Bodyjam class in The Curve yesterday. As usual, her class is jammed packed. We had to stand about 1 feet apart from each other, hazardous!!

And I have the injury to prove just how hazardous...


Ouch!!

The gal on my right tertendang me. Not by any fault of hers but the fault of the class being too full. There's just not enough space.

Thank God it wasn't a Bodycombat class!! Or it wouldn't be just a small bruise...

DIY: Taking shower without a towel

After working out at Menara Axis today, I realized I forgot to bring my towel. I had to go and attend an MBA program preview after that, takkan la I show up all sweaty and smelly there kan? So, I improvized learnt something I'd like to share with everyone... taking a shower sans towel.

Pre-shower preparation:
Bring lots and lots of tissue paper with you into the shower stall.

Step 1:
Take your shower as usual.

Step 2:
Wring your hair as you would a wet cloth.

Step 3:
Make like a dog and shake-shake-shake!


Step 4:
Use lotsa tissue paper to dab yourself dry.


Step 5:
Step out of the shower stall and head for the hairdryer. Then blow dry yourself.

Ta-da!! Clean and dry... all ready for your next appointment!

Swiss Capital

In Interlaken, when we were torn between para-gliding and going to Bern we asked the girl at the para-gliding counter if we hadn't enough time to do both, which should we choose??? I am very pleasantly surprised that the girl, not at all kiasu or desperate for a sale, told us that Bern is their beautiful capital where there are cute underground shops and many more things to see. She told us to choose to go to Bern.

Wow! If she was an Asian, she'd definitely grab the business first... who cares about showing off your country's capital eh???

When we arrived in Bern, it was a much busier place than Geneva. Full of people, shops and plenty of construction going on. Not construction of new modern tall buildings, but renovations to preserve the beauty of old buildings.


Shopping area


A bridge with a view


Me on da bridge


Some more shopping area...

The shops here in Bern closes much later than in Geneva.


...and more


Beautiful gardens even in the city


Me breathing in the cool Swiss air

We got back to Geneva late that day due to the long train ride. But it was a wonderful day out, no rain... as if the skies are on our side. It had been raining almost daily prior to that. Still, I wish I had more time to do all the things I wanted to do there. What is going to Switzerland without going to the snowy mountains for a ski excursion eh??? Maybe next time.

Out of Geneva

Decided to skip blogging about the rest of my time in Geneva because it was just more churches, museums and archeological sites... *yawn*. So I've fast forwarded to the interesting bit about my Swiss experience... my adventures out of Geneva.

Thankfully had some free time before we left for home, so one of the Malaysian doctors, my Marketing Director from Singapore and myself went on an adventure of our own out of Geneva. We took the train Geneva-Montreux-Zweisimmen-Interlaken-Bern-Geneva.

Our adventures began when we stopped over at Montreux. What a beautiful little town... Wish we could've stayed for the Jazz Festival. Apparently Jazz music's best has performed there before including one of my all-time favourite, Ella Fitzgerald!

Postcard??


Picture perfect scenery, can you imagine waking up everyday to this?


Pretty pretty flowers by the water

From Montreux, we took the Panoramic train to Zweisimmen... admiring the view all the way.

Happy with my window seat!


Enchanting little train stations all the way... too bad about the reflection.


The hills are alive... with the sound of music.

There was a blind man sitting next to me, with his very clever helper doggie; a black labrador. So cute!! And so obedient... I wish my Melodie can be half that obedient.

Man's best friend

We passed the Lake Thun on the way to Interlaken. The name means in between lakes. The other lake is Brienz.

Lake Thun

We also had lunch in Interlaken. I had the Schweizer Rosti. The waitress taught me to say it properly, it's pronounced as Shvait-zer Ros-ti. It's grated potato with lots and lots of cheeeeese. Yum yum!!

My Schweizer Rosti


Snow-capped mountains!!

Wish we had the time to go up there. But since we all brought along summer clothing, we were not well-equipped for the cold. Dr Jam and I wanted to go Para-gliding but we did not have the time to. :(

We did the next best thing... shopping. Hehe! Not that there was much to buy, everything was super expensive anyway. We walked around alot.


Who's d horsey??


Houses by the mountains

What a beautiful sight to wake up to everyday eh? Majestic mountains and fresh cool air. The weather that day was perfect, sunny yet not even half as hot as KL.

Stay tuned for the final episode of my Swiss adventure!!

Time (piece) after time (piece)

One of the afternoons, I tagged along with my Singaporean colleague to go around Geneva... with a few of the Singaporean doctors.


Just took this because the bicycle lights look so cute

We went to visit the Patek Philippe watch museum because we had the free tickets from our conference registration booklet.


Couldn't take any pics inside :(

The museum was filled with super expensive time pieces. But in my opinion, they were quite ugly and old fashioned. Perhaps I do not know how to appreciate it. I only saw one pendant watch with was really beautiful, gold with crawling flower plants. I wish I can find a less expensive replica of that watch. It would be perfect for people like me who do not like wearing anything on the wrist.

This time piece we can take pics of!!


The flower clock

Later that night we went to a very popular Swiss restaurant called Edelweiss. Had fondue again! Yum! But this one was with alcohol... I preferred the one I had with Peter which was alcohol free. No bitter after taste.


Me and a bunch of Singaporean doctors... and cheese!

There was a performance held on stage.





How does this benefit my job? Networking with Singaporean doctors? ... perhaps I can get the opportunity to work in Singapore someday? Some time in the near future???