2010 was the year that things panned out evenly.  

A year of peace and achievement as I managed to keep things relatively balanced. In contrast, last year’s review post rang loud and clear with my frustration, bitterness and in the end, relief. The highlight of the year has to be the people. Whether you are a new friend, colleague or part of the old guard, you’ve brightened by life immensely. 

Work-wise, I feel more fulfilled; getting opportunities that I would never have gotten back at the old place. I learnt to be a more patient person who looks at the overall picture and not just at the small pieces. I am now more independent and organized but at the same time, a stronger team player. Most of all, I opened myself to learning new things and taking on new challenges. At times the road was fraught with frustration, but at the end of the day, I realized that there are people who appreciate the effort that was put in. Not just criticize everything. Thankfully, I have great colleagues who will weather all the strangeness with me so that makes the road a lot smoother.

Fun at Peiling's wedding

Brunch in London, near Corrin's. Brilliant!

New Perthy friends on a mini road trip

Dance Unlimited performance team

Its the night of the Singapore International Film Festival, where three girls decided to be part of set and show up in similar outfits.

Excitement ran high as the three stepped into the Hard Rock Cafe. The staff, were very amused. Singaporeans at large, were oblivious. Not many double takes or sniggers. Sigh. In evil response, the triplets decided to take as many annoying shots as possible. All over the place. Check out the photos in the Flickr link :p

Hilarity aside, it took nothing away from the night's movie, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name, I have to say that the critics got this Swedish movie right on the money. Although the movie started slow, the moment it kicked into gear, it grips the audience and hardly lets up, right up till the end.

Its only April, but thus far, this movie has the most complete and succinct storyline and pacing I've seen in a long time. The pauses are few but when the shocks and violence comes, it wallops you in the gut. At the end of the movie, we walked out feeling like we've been on a really intense roller coaster ride, nerves jumping all over the place. But why just hear it from me? Go catch it and be your own judge.

Sometimes, you go to concerts to enjoy the music, the atmosphere, the sound... and sometimes you go to simply ROCK OUT! Or in the highly learned words of the Curse-dog, it is 'rock out with your balls out!' Which is exactly how me and almost 5,000 other concert go-ers did at Fort Canning hill on 7 April at the Kaiser Chiefs maiden performance in Singapore. Who could predict that they had more than three fans here? Ok ok, I will quit being snarky but that said. It was great...well, not as good as Coldplay who dropped by a few weeks ago, but still...

Bloody hot and humid weather notwithstanding, the crowd spent the night, singing off key with intermitted pogo-ing :o)



And to the powers-that-be...since Kaiser has such a huge fanbase here, how about bringing in Bloc Party, Interpol or even The Killers next? Please?

Being on leave has its merits and on Friday, DL and I finally decided to take our craving for good paella to the next level. Hence we headed out to the Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant in Lorong Kilat.

For those who are directionally challenged (like moi), this quaint little restaurant is located in Jalan Jurong Kechil. This is in the Beauty World vicinity, off Bukit Timah. I'll post the address at the end of this post so you can check it out for yourself and please call to make reservations! The restaurant is especially busy on the weekends.

It has been many years since I've had good paella and DL and I have tried out a few places which were alright but not great. Until we heard abiout this little place. Firstly, we had no idea where it is all that we knew came from HungryGoWhere.com, then we had no idea exacly how far out this was. But at the end end of the day...it was worth it!

The service was warm and friendly, and even thought he restaurant was almost filled to capacity at 8pm, they still managed to get us some seats outside. Since it was a Spanish restaurant, we naturally had to order a Sangria. Our very friendly waitress (whose name I regret not asking) recommended the Sparkling Sangria, which is made with sparkling De Cava wine. Made with oranges, lemons, red and green apples, this is one heck of a refreshing drink. Especially after one hell of a painful workout. It had the right amount of zest and wine, making it a great companion to the food we later had.

First up, we had asparagus wrapped with bacon. This was alright. Nothing to crow about but the good thing was that the bacon was nice and crisp and the asparagus was not overdone.

And then came the Quijote Special Paella. Please note that it will take 20-30mins for the paella to be prepared, so you may need to sample some appetisers first. Or have the warm bread with herb butter...Yum! Done el dente with fresh mussles, clams, prawns, squid and chicken...Food orgasm! I thnk was groaning in despair when I was telling the owner about that particualr tidbit. The rice was fragrant and very well flavoured, the seafood fresh and succulent.

Every bite was really heaven...and then our intrpid waitress was like...would you like some chili with that? Let's just say that if you like it spicy, then the chili is a fantastic accompaniment to the paella. This is strictly not for pussies as the chili really gave the dish a good spicy kick. Hello tastebuds!

We were being a little greedy thereafter and also had the roasted beef. Done kebab style with thick cubes of meat, finely sliced chorizos, onions and capsicum, this is a meat lovers dream. The chorizos' natual saltiness gave teh meat an additional boost and it was just well seasoned without being overwelming. The only downside was that the meat was a little tough. The wedges were a real winner though - thickly cut and seasoned with sea salt. I was happily eating up the entire bunch :P

Sadly, by the time we had the beef, we had no more space for dessert! Dang it! But no worries, there is always the second visit, where I hear the squid ink pasta is waiting for me...along with another jug of sangria :o)

Overall rating: 4/5 for excellent food, great ambience and warm with plenty of smiles.

Don Quijote Spanish Rsetaurant
17 Lorong Kilat #01-09
Singapore 598139
Tel: 6465 1811

Thanks to the ever excitable Alice and our long-time sidekick Owen, I finally made it to Coldplay's Viva La Vida concert at the Indoor Stadium on 23 Mar 2009.

This is only concert No.2 this year and I'm blown away again. Now, I've seen a few of their concerts on DVDs but I have to agree with Owen. They kick ass live! So much better and fluid as well as musically tight. At this point, I have to totally disagree with my lousy boss - no, they do not sound like the CD. It was worth all the $250 that I forked out! Well, except the part where Chris Martin forgot to sit on my lap to sing to me. It's ok ah, I forgive you ;o)

The most enjoyable bits have to be with the entire crowd singing with the band. The best moments for me were definitely (1) everyone singing to Yellow with as giant yellow balloons drop on the crowd (2) When Chris Martin performed Fix You. My all time favorite Coldplay song which means so much to me

(3) Lovers in Japan with massive confetti showers! (4) The entire band bounding into the crowd to do this cheeky cover of The Monkees' I'm a Believer.It was worth filming, even though, my arm felt like it was crumbling after a while ;P



And finally...the encore with The Scientist which brought about this strange little nugget of conversation:

Owen: I KNEW they would end it like this!
BW: Now, now is your chance to yell, I love you Chris! It's so quiet! Do it!
Owen: I love you! I wanna have your baby!
BW: (bewildered) WTF!
Owen: It's old skool, man!
BW: Well...(looks around randomly) do deee doo dee doo

With such great bands being brought into Singapore. Who knows, I may actually be ready for Radiohead one day? Relax ah, baby steps, I can actually hear some people go OMFG.

After waiting for an eternity, through Paul Greengrass, Darren Aronofsky et al, screenwriters, casting choices, the bloody court case and of course, salivating over the trailer of the 10 billionth time, DC, me and a whole bunch of geeks plus some innocent bystanders got to watch the preview of Watchmen.

And and and, you urge…

Well, well, well, I say…directed by 300’s Zack Synder, Watchmen a faithful adaptation of the classic graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Down to how each scene is blocked. The sets are sumptuous and each detail lovingly etched. For the fan boy, there is trivia by the fistful. Whether you get the reference to Snyder’s previous movie or hear Tears for Fears in the background, each scene works. The characters are still relevant today but what makes Watchmen a classic story is not simply a straightforward case of good versus evil. It looks at the superhero psyche and then dissects it with an unflinching knife. Who are these masked men? Are they really heroes? Do heroes even exist today, given the wars, the circumstance, the decisions that they have to make? Or superhero/vigilante – where is the line?

The movie on its entirety though, will probably take some getting used to, especially if you are watching it for the very first time. While the graphic novel cuts much closer to the bone in examining its issues and providing a fuller picture to the interweaving storylines, the movie works well on an action and intellectual level. It’s not just a campy superhero action movie with no depth. If you are looking for something chop socky and quick, look elsewhere for this is a movie that takes time to breathe and tell its story.

The cast is near perfect, turning in performances that make you wince, yet feel for them at the same time. Even the ever blue Dr Manhattan. Most of the classic lines are intact and hearing them said for the first time, really blew me away. The violence is fast and hard-hitting, bringing to mind the fighting in 300 but on a more brutal level, bearing in mind, these guys are superheros.

If there was one thing that was a disappointment…it was the soundtrack. What happened to the music in the graphic novel? Why are we now stuck with the 99 Red Balloons song? The only song that remains from the novel is Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are A-Changin' which is powerful, yet oh so relevant.

The other concern that I had was – how will this fit with the people who have not read the graphic novel? DC was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that was tossed out. While fanboys may delight in the details and mull over one part of the story which was dropped, even I felt that what came up onscreen was the best they could do.The rest, I say, should be saved for the DVD.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

Last week was all that I predicted and more. It was horrendous and almost like a Tim Burton movie brought to life. Complete with a cast of pale characters whose moods swung from moderately normal to screaming banshee as the minutes crawled.

On Saturday, I decided that I should make my annual foray to the Singapore International Salsa Festival (SiSF) at Downtown East. Held from October 24 – 26, the festival brings in the top global salsa instructors, regional performers, a renowned salsa band and top DJs. Maybe it’s the economy, the sheer distance to bloody Downtown East or just plain ol’ salsa fatigue or just me being tired but somehow, this year’s festival seemed lacking. Usually the night parties are totally rocking with many instructors and dancers just cutting loose and enjoying themselves but this time, there was a general sense of something missing.

I was speaking to two French girls who was coming to the festival for the first time and their grouse, was similar to mine. That is, local salseros were generally too shy to approach strangers to dance. Instead, they waste lots of time by standing around or dancing with their friends most of the time. Little does she know that this annoying thing happens all year round and at all salsa parties. This year, I didn’t manage to dance with many of the instructors and didn’t catch any of the performances but that’s ok. It’s been too tiring a week. I do have some other grouses that I hope the organizers will take note of:

1. Venue. How about a change of venue next year? Pasir Ris is way too far for people living in the West and even tourists who would love to pop by to enjoy the night festivities …how about looking at Sentosa or the East Coast and have a beach party instead?
2. Tickets. Please standardize those ticket prices…year one and two’s Sat night party cost $45 at the door and this year it’s $60? Hello, organizers…
3. Short workshops. How about having one or two instructors do a short workshop at the night parties? The crowds are so much bigger and there is potential to teach more fun dances like reggeton, basic cha cha or even merengue. At this year’s party, I noticed that lots of people were hardly able to cha cha but, doing it en masse to the band was great fun
4. Rueda. I think organizers should re-introduce rueda to the night parties – this is the fastest way of getting to know other dancers and of having the most fun on the dance floor with everybody participating.

The one big thing that the organizers got right was the band. I am a big fan of live music and I thoroughly enjoyed The Bronx Horns. Fronted by Mitch Frohman, the band played a tribute to Hector Lavoe for their first set and later on, came back with salsa classics from the likes of Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto and Tito Puente the really got the crowd up on their feet. We saw the return of sonero, Frankie Vazquez whose English is much improved since we last saw him a year ago.

Hey, if the tired SiSF gets a fresh breath of air, me and other salseros would be signing up for full-day passes instead of just dropping by for the night party. C’mon, organizers revamp the festival and you will definitely draw in bigger and better crowds. And we won’t have to sign that petition again…

The week in music brings much needed new aural inspiration and stimulation indeed, especially for me It is also a welcome return to form for some of my musical favorites :o)

There is something distinctly evocative about ex-Suede frontman Brett Anderson. Whether he is the voice of a new generation singing about youth getting high on diesel and gasoline or declaring that love is dead, when you hear his voice, all you want to do is stop and listen. It is that voice that drew me back to his sophomore release, Wilderness. That sad, haunting voice that is showcased to perfection in this album, accompanied by only a guitar and piano. This is a much tighter album than 2007’s Brett Anderson, with songs such as Clowns where he describes broken relationships “We're like clowns/Tumbled into town now/Love is on its way down now/It's such a lonely sound.” As always, the lyrics are simple, they are emotive, hitting the heart squarely. Rating: 3.5/5

This second album, Enjoy by Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra is introduced by a friend and wow, it blew me away. Bjork's music can be really hard to relate to, lyrically and her sound is rather sinister but the musical arrangements on this album are pretty phenomenal. That and the vocals by the talented Becca Stevens made the listening experience sublime, especially for a jazz novice like yours truly. Rating: 4/5

Now, on to a different soundscape. Bloc Party's third album, Intimacy, which will be released this October. Thus far, these guys have been pretty unstoppable. Commercially, they have not been too well-received but their music is made for a more discerning audience than simply the radio fans. Picture an arena with lots of fans screaming and dancing - that's the size of the audience and the atmosphere. This album reminds me of their debut, Silent Alarm and speeds along at a more frenetic pace than 2007's breezy A Weekend in the City. Another definite winner. Rating: 4/5

I'm still previewing The Verve's Forth...and will let it sit for now, my head is bursting with happiness.

Located at 39C Harding Road, The White Rabbit is the latest addition to Singapore’s dining scene. Opened by the guys who also own Loof, this is certainly one of the more interesting dining experiences that I’ve had in recent memory.

What’s good: Its location and ambience. What used to be the old Ebenezer Chapel, has now been wonderfully restored. While, the wide hall and spacious seating areas gives diners a sense of space, the little dining alcoves on the side provide intimacy for groups or even couples.

What’s great: Oh, definitely the food. From presentation to taste, everything was prepared with much flourish and love. And it shows, especially after the first bite. What comes highly recommended is the foie gras as a starter as well as the prawn bisque which is reminiscent of the hearty soups that you’d have after a long day at work. The lamb chops that I had were very nicely cooked and tender. For those who are not too fond of the gamey smell of lamb, this version comes with breadcrumbs of mint with a hint of wasabi. Very tasty. But the winner of the night was definitely the Mac & Cheese. It reminded one of a sense of home and a very old-school Americana feeling. Simply de-lish. The desserts were another thing entirely, from the Dark Chocolate Mousse to the Mars Bar Soufflé and the Baked Alaskan was a delight to the senses. Very well presented and not too sweet to the palate, it is safe to say that everything was polished off the plates regardless of how full we were to start of with.

What could be improved: At the risk of being overly picky, I’d say, the lighting. While striving for intimacy in such a big space, it would be great if you guys could add a wee bit more light at the table so that we can see our food better. Note: I sincerely apologize at my supremely horrendous photography skill, which had nothing to do with the lighting.

Overall, we had a fantastic experience which was supplemented by The White Rabbit’s very experienced and friendly service staff. Kudos, guys!

I love visiting new restaurants and doing food reviews. It's something about going to a new place and discovering great food and drinks that appeals to the innate foodie in me.

That's not to say that I'm a food snob but once in a while, I come across really great places. Take for example House @ Dempsey. Located at 8D Dempsey Hill, House is a little hard to find but man, what a discovery.

What was good: Definitely, the food. Everything is made ala minute and came to our table well-presented. The ingredients are all fresh and very well prepared so nothing came too overcooked or dried or tasteless. What we loved was the Lamb Shank, which was simply divine and melt-in-your-mouth with every bite. The big boon was the seasoning and the mashed potatoes - no puny powdered crap, but real, chunky mashed potatoes flavored lightly with garlic. Oh and, and...little globs of marrow that just explodes with flavor.

The lobster linguine was al-dente and served with a slightly spicy Harissa sauce which just refreshes the palate. What's great is that it's served with chunks of fresh lobster as well as the lobster shell for those who love to chew on it for the extra flavor. And the we had the Ratatouille stuffed eggplant which was light, and refreshing to the palate and is highly recommended for those looking for something light, yet substantial. And, no, I did not spot any rats preparing this. And did I mention the dessert?

Just look at the looks of ecstasy that my dinner companions had! If you are a dessert junkie and your dinner companions have a separate stomach for dessert or love chocolate, you are in for a treat! I'd suggest that you try the Moby Dessert box where you can select any three of their mouthwatering desserts at 10% off. Yippee! The clear winner of the night in this round was the warm chocolate coffee cake...it's warm, it's got lots and lots of toffee fudge and it's divine-ness in a uh, metal lunch box. The Strawberry Shortcake was surprisingly delightful though not terribly sweet as some places but the one that was the most surprising was the Green Tea Tiramisu. It's took a little getting used to having tofu in my dessert but generally, it helped give a clean finish to a great meal.

What was quirky: The drinks. Which I love, love. Good restaurants usually come with their signature wines and beer but. What was great about House was its inventive drinks menu. Recently overhauled, the drinks is served in House's quirky style where you get Long Island Iced Tea in a set set. If you cannot hold your alcohol, I would suggest that you ask for something lighter, because despite looking so cute, this drink can really pack a punch. Oh, and the little jug that comes together with the drink is coke. Not guilin-gao...yes, I am a plebeian at times.

The other drink that we had was the refreshing Tiffin Punch. It's orange, lychee and ginger with a healthy douse of Bombay sapphire, lychee liqueur and champagne. To add that extra kick to the drink, try the lychee and ginger together - guaranteed to awaken your full but otherwise happy belly.

Things that improved: I know that House used to be knocked for its lackluster service and under-informed staff but its recent overhaul has done the restaurant a world of good as its cheery the staff are very prompt and great with suggestions, even when faced with silly questions. Kudos to Jaclyn Chan and Eric who had our meal a thoroughly enjoyable one.

The result. Three very happy campers indeed who would probably return to revisit the cocktail and dessert menu!

This past weekend, a bunch of us went to check out a new Latin club in Clarke Quay.

Azzucar! (yeap, just like in the song!), is located in Blk D, #02-03 and plays a mix of live Latin music, Latin pop, reggeton and salsa almost every night. Sunday is salsa night so for salseros who need their salsa fix to kick start the week, head on down.

What's good: The band is exciting and keeps you on your feet throughout their sets. The music is hot. There is no cover charge - yes, you read it right. From now till about May, it's free entry for all. And, for all you alcoholics out there, there is a 1-for-1 promo till 10pm. Beers are priced at $12 a pop.

What can be improved: People should respect the dance floor. If this place is going to be anything like Union Square, then patrons should not be allowed to carry their drinks onto the dance floor! How irresponsible is that? The floor in Azzucar is great for dancing and hopefully more salseros will be patronizing the place.

There were some familiar faces but it seems to be a largely expatriate crowd for now. Hopefully, the club will draw in more visiting salseros and not go down the road of being a small Movida. Movida plays a lot of great music and packs out the place every weekend but it's too commercialized and no one lets serious dancers on the floor - which can be annoying, especially when there is a great song on.

What more, with Union Square closing for renovations in the middle of March, local salseros need to find a new hangout and Azzucar has the potential to be a great alternative venue.

While I'd like to post photos from our night out, I have to report that due to human error (read: idiocy) I accidentally deleted the photos before downloading them into my comp.

My genius simply astounds me.

My weekend of crime was fairly interesting.

It made me wonder, just what is it with directors and their muses?

While I admit that some of these combinations work, I think that sometimes directors and actors have to break out of their comfort zones to work on other projects instead of sticking together. The much-hyped American Gangster reteams Ridley Scott with Russell Crowe and delivers a strong story with engaging character studies of its two protagonists. Character study aside, it's a story that we've seen before far superior movies like Infernal Affairs and Heat. American Gangster plays up the 'being bad is good' card but loses steam in the midway, which sucks. It would've been better if it was trimmed down.

The movie that won me over was David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises. Gripping, gory and dripping with malice throughout, it got me caught up from the start. The one thing that I forgot about watching Cronenberg movies is the gore...If you cannot stomach sudden spurts of violence and blood, then it's best to give this movie a pass. What worked was the hints of violence as well as the use of the victim as a narrator, it's such nuances that chills the blood. Although the characters in this movie and their mob ties can be a little confusing at times, you never lose sight of its purpose or plot. Very good.

Now to wait for No Country for Old Men...woo hoo!

Movie musicals are often a hard nut to crack. While there were box-office winners like Chicago and Moulin Rouge. Some, like the highly acclaimed Rent and the cult favourite Hedwig and the Angry Inch, barely made headlines and money at the box-office despite their iconic songs, storylines and well-loved cast.

All that said, the one movie musical that seriously impressed me at the start of this year was Across the Universe.

If your're a movie nut like me and have watched any of Julie Taymore's previous work like the Oscar-winning Frida or the super chilling Titus, you know that you're be in for something different.

The storyline's pretty straightforward but what made the movie brilliant was it's excellent use of music (in this case, a whole lot of great Beatles songs) and visuals that are weaved almost seamlessly into the story. The director's choice of using mostly new or indie actors is great as the audience then focuses more on the story rather then on how well they sang.

Soundtrack-wise, the deluxe edition is brilliant (*hint, hint*). For the aficionados, the deluxe edition comes with all the songs in the movie. The songs are sung by the cast which gives the them a fresh, new appeal and will probably change the way you listen to these tunes now.

Verdict: You'll either love the movie or hate it. But you'll definately remember the songes long after the movie's done.

While I enjoy keeping busy, being buried under a ton of work, dance, helping out with wedding plans and doing team building can really take its toll on a girl.

The best time to go would be Tuesdays and Saturdays, which is when their fresh fish arrives. Reservations are a must as the restautant can pack in quite a dinner crowd, especially nearing the weekend. Ah, to more gastronomic adventures!

It's Tuesday. You're tired, you're cranky, work sucks, so you decide to cut out and head for dinner with some friends.

I learnt a few important things this weekend:

1. Yeo wishes that he was a super hero. Which is a scary thought, until you see the costume - pengsan! We went to a vendor event at St James on Friday where there was a booth that allowed guests to dress up as film characters. I have polaroids and have not stopped laughing since.
2. The no alchohol rule works. No hangover, no dehydration, no problem :o). What I still need to work on, is the no staying out late rule. Damn you, Yeo.
   I should never eat before rehearsals. One would think that I'd be wiser after the last time but...
3. I 'heart' YouTube. Not only can we see how to improve or performances, we can also try to minimize those wardrobe malfunctions. Haha... I lost my glasses halfway through the performance and went blind thereafter, Jwo got 'un-suspended' but still, we continued on...
4. Performance jitters suck. No matter how many times you perform or are put in the spotlight, you still get it. Sigh. But, post-performance bouquets rock. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Gup!
5. Many, many thanks to all! To Salsa Singapore for inviting us to a perform at a great party - may you have lots more to come! To Stella who put up with all my calls, to Marco who has endless patience and tenacity, to the Dragones Latinos and LADC for being such a great performance team and supporters and of course, to Fuzz, who inspires me endlessly!

Here's the video, people. Enjoy!

I am rather proud of myself. Well, usually, I'm not too much of a gloater, but this weekend was just wonderful. Epiphanies abound!

One. I attended the two nights of the Singapore International Salsa Festival which took place at Downtown East. It featured a great mix of international and local instructors, different performances from the various studios and the legendary Johnny Polanco Y Conjunto Amistad band. The atmosphere was electric, there were familiar faces to dance with and the music...oh, the music...!

Two. Yet another first ; I took myself to the festival. I figured that most of the people I knew would have already gotten their tickets and I'd see them there anyways, so I just bought the night passes and went. I realized that going stag has its advantages because you spend less time standing around and more time on the floor which is a fantastic way to improve your skills.

Three. I got to meet and hug Johnny Polanco!!! ...and did a short dance too...He's like a big, teddy bear :o) If you ever get a chance to see this band in action, do it. This is one of the best, salsa bands in the world...listening to CDs are great and all, but you can never beat a live perofrmance where the band is tight, its beats and its rythms are solid and the members have chemistry...at times I was torn between dancing and watching the band.

Four. The foreign artists and instructors...I got to see them in action and was blown away. Our local guys are good but these instructors have something our local guys lack. And that is: love of the dance. Technically, we have all the moves and the speed but what is lacking is the total package. Salsa is sensual dance which incorporates the sexy and the technical and these guys have it in spades. So you get to see some moves that they pioneered, something new and get totally inspired yet again. What completely took the cake is that they are obliging to boot. I had to shut my usual shyness away and got to dance with some of the instructors from the US, India and even South America. Did it matter that I am an amateur who got some of the steps wrong? Hell no...what I got in return was a chance to hotfoot with some of the best...

And when not dancing...I fall back into observation mode. Well, it could be a people + comfort zone thing but I noticed that most of the students from the local studios tend to congregate on one side of the hall while the foreigners and more gung ho people dominated the other side. So, yes people tend to go where they find familiar faces, and even I do it too but it was a little strange to see this division. I mean, yah, some of these guys are devastatingly great on the dancefloor but why come to an international fest if you are only there to dance with your friends? It's weird...

Another thing that was interesting, yet a little sad was that almost all of the studios were represented at the fest. Except for the one I'm with. Only the guys and a handful of the ladies that I dance with showed up. But not a single instructor from the studio came. I'm sure that there are a myriad of reasons for this absence...but, well...I know that they are scheduled to perform ont he final night but it would've been wonderful to see at least some representation.

The heads from several other studios were there at least on one night...What you can see clearly from the other instructors who were present was that some of them taught a distinctive style and flair that is carried by their students. What I would've liked to see was my own instructors coming down to mix and mingle with everyone else. It would've been great to see them take a turn with other instructors...Yes, so there's competition. So what? It seems a little unsporting to only show up when you are scheduled to perform - maybe it's just me, but I've always liked to check out the competition.

Were there showoffs? Of course! But it was definately bigger than a night out at Union, that's for sure :o)

Overall, it was a fabulous experience. I'm exhausted and my feet hurt like a mother...but glad that I got out of my comfort zone to do this. While, it's reassuring to show up with friends and all, at the end of the day, salsa is a social dance which helps you improve when you get out there and learn from other people. Sure, you can look and learn but, then again, the fun really starts when you dance... :o)

This is the week of sophomore releases, or what I like to call appreciating-good-American-music week. Well, almost...the last album's not American ;o)
First up....Largely unknown in their native United States and received with wild acclaimin the UK, the Scissor Sister's second album Ta Dah shows that the band still has much to offer. The album's like a breath of fresh air in a music indsutry that is getting increasingly crowded with hip-hop poseurs. It's Abba-meets- Elton John. If you're thinking big bell bottoms, groovy long hair and cool disco fused wtih electronica, you're on the right path. I dare anyone not to dance to this one.

And thennn... This album's somewhat of a revelation. Funnily enough, for a moment I actually thought I left the Scissor Sisters on when I was previewing this. The Killers second effort, Sam's Town veers almost completely away from their debut album. It's an album that's a mish mash of experimental sounds which borrows from the 80s' New Romantic era to the crazy 70s glam rock. I kid you not. Parts of it channels The Cure...But is it any good? Yes. It's experimental and while it may take the rest of the world to catch up with them, I'll say good effort, lads. I like :o)


The last post on the bugle goes to Australia's Jet. Shine On, they say. It reminds me of the first album, I say...While their debut, Get Born caught the music and fashion world by storm, the follow-up trods on the well worn formula of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. New stuff, guys, new stuff! Actually, they kind of remind me of Oasis...the force of the Beatles is strong here... The track Put Your Money Where your Mouth Is reminds one of Are You Gonna Be My Girl without the killer intro. Sigh.