Awesome #47 thesis submission

Exactly 4 years ago on this day, I landed in Paris to start my 2 years adventure in France. Today, 4 years later, I submitted my thesis. This seems more appropriate as a landmark moment than my actual commencement day.

14 July is such an important date for me. 14 July is...


AWESOME!

Awesome #46 the freedom that comes with hip hop costume

When I make my third appearance in the Hip Hop choreography. My friends laughed at how goofy I looked in checkered shirts buttoned topped with a bow tie, kaki bermudas, round rimmed spectacles, white knee high socks and sneakers. I agree with them. But where else can you wear such goofy attire, crack stupid jokes and get away with it.

"Yes. I looked exactly like this."-cj

music makes you lose control.. Having a place where you can shed your corporate image and at goofy is...

AWESOME!

Awesome #45 front row

I was told I will be dancing in the center of first row for the finale performance of the recital. It's the number one spot on the stage; all eyes will be on you. I have to execute the routine flawlessly so that I will not let my partner down.

G, we will own the stage, cos we are...


AWESOME!

Awesome #44 when you see funny babies photos

"It's the funniest thing ever, with her pigtails and little tummy hanging out."

"fierce"-cj

This baby is...


AWESOME!

Awesome #43 when you have the whole house to yourself

I'm on leave today. By the time I woke up, the house was empty. My breakfast's on the table. A short note was scribbled on the torn edge of yesterday's paper. I have the house to myself till 5pm. I can dance in the guest room, walk around naked, follow ants back to their nest, drink and stack up beer cans to my heart's content. I can do anything I want, almost. Freedom within the confined space of my house.

"i should be laying my traps now. just in case."-cj

But I guess I shall just lie in bed and watch the Mentalist. But having the house to yourself is..

AWESOME!

Awesome #42 when you look like you are good at something

I waiting at the 7-11 convenient store for my waffle (Cool right. 7-11 now serves waffles). I was not alone, there was this other guy too. Judging by the length of time he stood looking at the collection of Durex, he's probably caught in the paradox of choice. He turned to me and asked me in his 'Ah Mat' accent, "Hey, which one do you think is the best?" I swept through the range of Durex products on the shelf. Featherlite suggests comfort and texture, whilst Strawberry and Orange probably serve a more functional role. I did a quick appraisal of him in his bright baggy attire, baseball cap worn backwards. Given this impromptu position of authority, I said without a doubt,"For you, use Extra Safe."

"Durex bunnies. because this is a family friendly blog."-cj

At that moment, I felt like an expert and it felt...

AWESOME!

Awesome #41 when your sister gets engaged

There is nothing more awesome than happiness within the family. Overnight, the whole family is thrown into a festive mood. Even though, I was told that the wedding would not be anytime soon, but at least there is something to look forward to. Out of my own anticipation for the wedding, I went to google wedding gifts for brides. Right at the top of Google's list is : Victoria's Secret's nightgown. Right, Google does not known that I'm the elder brother. Seems like G does not always have the right answers.

Guess I need to put in more thought for the gifts. Nonetheless, hearing the good news was...

AWESOME!

Awesome #40 Awesomeness Reminders

Such a simple idea, hinged on positivity, AwesomenessReminders.com gets a real person to call you or anyone every day to tell him or her how much he or she rocks. At first I could not believe that people would actually pay or subscribe to this. But they claim that the start up is profitable; Time magazine and Financial Times did a report on them. Some other blogger even came up with 7 reasons why AwesomenessReminders.com is awesome. Here's their blog. I'm amazed at the simplicity of the idea, the effectiveness of the calls, the low frills and the "low tech"-ness of the whole thing. It's like delivering flowers; it comes with sharing happiness with a personal touch.

let's not pay them to do it. pick up the phone now and let the people around you know that they are...

AWESOME!

Awesome #39 power to decide the pantry's stock

I have this habit of chatting with pantry aunties. They have the power to influence your fluid intake in the office. For the past few months, I have tried several 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 coffee and tea mixes from various brands. Despite this, I am not a big fan of caffeine. They are substitutes for Milo, my beverage of choice. Yesterday, while I was mulling if I should make myself a cup of yuan yang (鸳鸯) by mixing Nescafe coffee with Lipton milk tea; the pantry aunty walked in. After a quick exchange, she asked, "I'm going to stock up the pantry again, what do you want to drink?" I perked up and answered. And guess what I saw in the pantry today? M-I-L-O. (No. I did not even try to ask for beer in the pantry; but I know that some of you would.)

Having the power to decide what drink you want in the pantry is...


AWESOME!

Awesome #38 the leg rub

She is a good ten years older than me. Despite her overall mature disposition, I caught a glimpse of playfulness. The violin piece set the mood and hid us away from the rest of the world. There was tension in  the air. I looked into her eyes and held them; we were having our own silent conversation. I came on strong and she stood her ground; leaving me unsure of how to proceed. We are so close to each other that I can feel her breathe. Right when I was wondering if I should relax my frame and put some distance between us, I felt her leg against mine. She stroked my legs withdrawing and rubbing as the bow pushed and pulled against the violin strings.

tango class is so intense. today the girls learned how to do the leg rub. The leg rub adds so much seduction to the dance that I no longer think that tango is stiff and boring. 

AWESOME!

Awesome #37 when you comfortably squeeze back into a pants that was too tight

The first measurable result of dancing on a regular basis is your waist size. After dancing for 2 months, I manage to fit comfortably into a pants that was 2 sizes smaller than my original pair. A trimmer waistline is only the first step. Next, I want to tight perky ass.

"not a problem for me no more"-cj

To be able to fit comfortably into a smaller pair of pants is..

AWESOME!

Awesome #36 when you dance jazz and hip hop to zouk music

I have always thought that I have no affinity with music; but I thought wrongly. I just did not have the exposure. Playing an instrument, reading musical scores and picking out the notes are technical skills that come with practice. Through dance, I picked up the feeling aspect of music; recognizing the rhythm, the beat and the expression.  Now, I can dance hip hop to zouk music, zouk lambada to salsa music and salsa to pop music. It's all about the feeeling. Wonder how would it be like to dance waltz to bollywood music.. hmm..

"zouk lambada"-cj

To be able to combine different dances to music is...

AWESOME!

Awesome #35 when you are part of something big

I was there at the bell ceremony of Singapore's biggest IPO - Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Trust! Most people probably would not see it as awesome, but it is my awesome list. It is awesome for another reason, I am with the exchange's Listing Department. What's better than watching a blockbuster? It is to be a small actor in the blockbuster.

"i am some awe out there"-cj

To have the chance to grace this landmark ceremony is simply..

AWESOME!

Awesome #34 when you hit a blood sucking mosquito

It was hard to see it in the dark. The mosquito was bugging me for the whole night. All i have to nail the hit was just a sense of itch. To make things worse, I started to hear this in my head.

Flee. Flee Fly.

Flee Fly Mosquito.
Calamine, Calamine, Calamine Lotion
Oh, no more calamine lotion
Itchy, Itchy, Scratchy, Scratchy
Got one down my backy backy
EEK! Goes the bugs when you get 'em with the bug spray!
SHHHHH!!!

(That reminded me of the long bus rides to
the police academy from Kallang Bahru).

I didn't have a bug spray. But I was fast and precise. PIAK!

The feeling of hitting the bug that keeps you awake all night is...

AWESOME!

Awesome #33 when you wake up feeling awesome just like that

I am not sure if it is last night's dance or something else (like it's Friday). But I woke up this morning feeling awesome. It is a good feeling to start the day with. It feels like everything is going to turn out just right.

I'm just feeling...

AWESOME!

Awesome #32 when you get free breakfast in the office

I usually do not take breakfast before I go to work. For a few reasons. Firstly, I tend to sleep in till the last minute. Secondly, I have time for breakfast at work. Thirdly, I have an auntie from the next cubicle who keeps feeding me. The nature of our work sees many C- level executives come in for breakfast meetings. There's usually more than enough food to go around. Knowing that I eat a considerable amount, she will bring the leftover sandwiches to me. These are quality sandwiches from The Sandwich Shop. The frequency of these meetings conditioned me to skip breakfast at home. But I do not mind.

"yea. they look something like this."-cj

These free sandwiches are..

AWESOME!

Awesome #31 when you see kids dance

Today a 7 year old kid joined my jazz dance class. She is pretty small, her arms and legs are still a little chubby. She stands out as the only kid in the class full of adults as much as I stand out as the only guy in the class full of girls. Even at basic level, jazz required a certain amount of coordination and muscular control. It was pretty amusing as she stands in font of the class trying to mimic the moves of the instructor. What she lacks in techniques, she made up for it in enthusiasm. It looks something like this, maybe slightly better.



Seeing kids dance and their uninhibited display of enthusiasm is really..

AWESOME!

Awesome #30 when the rain stops at 1759hr

You are about to knock off soon and it is raining cats and dogs outside. Should you hang around in the office for a little longer and wait for the rain to stop or should you brave the rain and head back home? Unless I have somewhere that I have to rush off to, I would usually choose the former. I hate to be outside when it is raining. Today there was no need to even decide, the rain stopped and the sky cleared at 1759hr. Once this happens, there is only logical one course of action to take -  It takes approximately 1 minute for my computer to shut down. I did a little body wave to celebrate how the weather sometimes help to simplify you decision making process.

when the rain stops at 1759hr, it's really knock off...

AWESOME!

Awesome #29 when you realized you were talking to a millionaire

That guy that I offered to pay for his lunch (because I thought he had not money) was a freaking millionaire. Our conversations evolved mainly around our common dancing interest; which was why we never got about to talking about our jobs. He had no airs around him and he looked like your friendly neighborhood uncle. It was only after a few weeks had passed before someone who saw the two of us together came up to me and asked me,"Do you know he is a millionaire and he stays in Sentosa?" My jaw dropped.

It is not so much about talking to a millionaire that is awesome, but knowing that there are such humble people around that is ...

AWESOME!

Awesome #28 when you walk around barefoot outside the house

Some people have a problem with getting their feet dirty, others might worry about stepping on sharp objects; but not me. I'm just dirty and reckless. I like the feel of the floor against the sole of my feet. The floor can be cold and hard, rough and dry or smooth and lacquered; and I will still take my shoes off for them anytime.

it is almost therapeutic for me that it's... 


AWESOME!