Sunday, November 21, 2004

In spite of my body's protestations at extreme fatigue after wakeboarding yesterday, I ended up going clubbing, thanks to my friend/potential romantic interest who wanted to introduce me to his friend who's one of the distributors of alcohol to the clubs in Singapore.

So much for having a quiet weekend in.

So far, that makes four consecutive weekends of clubbing or seven times in the last 24 days. That's once every 3.43 days.

I take comfort in the fact that out of those seven times, I've only been binge drinking for three of those occasions - the Juice 6th Anniversary Party on Oct 29th, Armin van Buuren on Nov 12th and Ben Lost (Liquid Room) yesterday. If you count the Forbidden City soft launch (not a club, just an opening party), then fine, I've been rather tipsy four times in the last 24 days.

I've been looking at my clubbing and drinking behaviour ever since September and I'm starting to wonder if I'm going slightly out of control. I'm not an alcoholic, despite my having answered 'YES' to five out of 20 of the Alcoholics Anonymous questionnaire, and I do know that my so-called wild behaviour after having imbibed one too many wouldn't be considered all that wild by my friends, in that I don't go around snogging people and all that (only that one time, and I seriously regretted it the day after). Hell, I don't even kiss anyone and while I may dance with people, there hasn't been a point where I'm comfortable with their attempting to grope me, no matter how potentially far gone I am.

Yes, I am worried. Nevertheless, as a friend put it, we recognise the risks and regret that come along with what we've been doing, but as we're not doing anything bad in our own eyes (maybe in our parents'), we're not going to stop. And quite frankly, I'm worried, but yet I don't care. It's strange to put it that way, but until something seriously bad happens, I don't think I'll put change my drinking habits.
Blogthings - You Are From the Sun:



You Are From the Sun



Of all your friends, you're the shining star.
You're dramatic - loving attention and the spotlight.
You're a totally entertainer and the life of the party.
Watch out! The Sun can be stubborn, demanding, and flirty.
Overall, you're a great leader and great friend. The very best!



Saturday, November 20, 2004

I went wakeboarding today, courtesy of a massive subsidy from my company's recreational club. As with all activities I've indulged in recently, I had a tremendous amount of fun and want to do it again, preferably real soon.

I suppose it helps that out of the five people in my boat, I was the only one able to stand up and ride the wake, despite this being my maiden attempt. I'm not sure how or why I found it easy because everything I was doing was just instinctive. I'm told that my balance is incredibly good, which I, for once, will admit, because we bounced over several waves but I still manage to hang on and not fall over.

For those of you in my part of the world, you can find out more information about the local scene at Wakeboard Singapore!
Quick reviews on the movies watched over the past two months:

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was gorgeously retro. I'm sure you all know about how it was entirely shot against a blue screen and that the colour was washed out and then digitally filled in to give it that wonderously old classic feel, so I won't go on about that, other than to say, whoa - elegant! The acting was good, with all of the actors giving off that, yes, we do indeed know how absurd this film is, and therefore giving the lines the correct amount of cheesiness and sobriety in order to set the perfect tone for the movie. Jude Law, in particular, looked hotter than usual (which, until the movie, wasn't something I thought was possible). All in all, a fun sci-fi romantic flick.

Sepet, a Malaysian movie about a Chinese VCD seller who falls in love with a Malay girl, was sweet. I decided to watch it after reading the reviews in the paper about how it was brought back by popular demand after having been screened in a local cinema for a week as part of the Malaysian film festival. I haven't watched a local (or should I say regional?) movie before (no, not even the acclaimed Singapore films, I Not Stupid or Money No Enough) and was pleasantly surprised by the professional feel of the movie. In addition to being a love story, one which acknowledges their racial differences at the beginning and then proceeds to completely dismiss it (a nice touch, as that's how I feel about inter-racial relationships - there's really nothing much for you to be angsty over, at least not when you're young), Yasmin, the director, also shows us parts of Malaysian life, going from schools to coffeeshops to triads to married life (where the girl's parents are having fun in the living room just wearing their sarongs). I'll admit that I don't entirely get the ending and that did detract from my enjoyment somewhat, but still, for a local/regional film, it's quite nice.

Watching Bride & Prejudice, one could almost come to the conclusion that Indians must lead rather uncomplicated lives in that you know you've met the love of yourlife when everyone comes bursting out of their doors into the streets anddoing a spectacular song and dance. If that doesn't happen, then move on to the next one and quickly! The lead actor, Martin Henderson (Will Darcy), is rather hot. ;) I mean, seriously. He's like Olivier Martinez but way better looking. What is it with all these hot Darcys?

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Amusing anecdote from Armin van Buuren on Friday, 12 November 2004. There was a guy I met, N.. at Danny Tenaglia who was dancing alongside me until 8 am and then couldn't take it and went home who I saw again at Armin on Friday.

Armin was packed like hell so we only went down to dance at around 3.45 am whereupon I was doing my usual bouncing off the walls, ceilings, etc. kind of dancing that only comes out really late in the morning and is very obvious because barely anyone else still has that kind of energy.
N. said, "Ah... The Animal returns. (To Z., someone I had met that day) That's the girl who
stayed till the end of DT."

Z. (looking at me in awe): You!!!! I've heard about you!!!
Me: What?
Z.: DT! You were dancing all the way till 8.30 am!!
Me: That was only last week. That's just one week ago. How... ?
Z.: Yes, but I've heard about you!

My brother remarked that it was a good thing I didn't go clubbing on Sunday night because if there was anyone foolish enough to try keeping up with me, I would have put them into the hospital.

On another note, currently very drunk from the free flow of alcohol provided at the opening of Indochine's new outlet. Nice thing is that friend, A., came to pick me up because he wanted to make sure I was all right as I was intent on getting drunk owing to the amount of work which was given to me today. Merci beaucoup, A. I'm not worthy.

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Armin van Buuren's set last night was abso-f***ing-ly magnificent. Danny Tenaglia's set last week was fantastic, but Armin - one of the great masters of Trance, the only music capable of getting me high - he was awesome. Yesterday night, he showed us all why he's more than worthy of the no. 3 position in DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ Poll 2004; in fact, he ought to be no. 1!

And it would seem as if the entire clubbing population of Singapore agreed last night. Armin came on at 1 am and played till 5.25 am, and the floor was packed throughout. In fact, it was so crowded that for once, Zouk didn't offer their usual one-for-one drinks specials on the grounds that the club had too many people in it!

Last night made me realise how truly grateful I am to have met the guy who graciously allows me to steal into the Members' Area to join him and his friends every single time I go clubbing; had I been stuck on the dance floor, I would definitely not have had as good a time as I did yesterday. So, to you - D., Jedi Master of all things musical - thanks a lot!

Tunes spotted during the night: Armin van Buuren - Communication, Sasha - Wavy Gravy, Delerium - Silence, Binary Finary - 1998 (Ronski Speed Remix), Marco V - Automanual and Iio - Rapture, and to cap it off, he ended the night with Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (Armin's Universal Religion Mix). All incredible tunes, all made me go mental.

Having had difficulty sleeping the night before, I wasn't entirely sure I was up for clubbing. I was tired and work stress had returned, as I'd been given a project to take over from a colleague who'll be returning to her office overseas. The truth about my job is... I hate the hours, I'm not too certain about the prospects, I definitely despise the hourly pay but... I enjoy what I'm doing as I get to analyse and write, two of my favourite intellectual activities. But that's neither here nor there, and it's a topic for another post some other time.

But the truth is... I was reluctant to go as I knew I would run into CO. In fact, he had SMS'd me that same night asking if I was going, but I refused to respond simply because I was - and still am - mad at him. That, and the fact that seeing his name caused a brief stab of pain, which made me wonder what I would do if I saw him in person. But in the end, sod it, I thought. No man alive is going to keep me from doing anything I want to do.

And I'm glad I went. Not just because the music was fantastic, but because after all the baggage had been left... well, not at the door, but more like on the floor after I spoke to him and told him, "by the way, I'm still mad at you, but I'm too nice to remain mad this night," which was true, because, hey, trance music unites all, right? Anyway, after all that had been dealt with, we embarked on a drinking spree, and later on, some good ol' UK-style club dancing.

And he's still nice. He does still make me laugh very easily, and he was chivalrous, protecting me from itinerant waiters and drunken people. Plus, he can dance. I recall at one point during the night just thinking, "Can you just not be so nice? It's hard enough on me as it is!"

What am I feeling now? To be honest, I don't know. Not anger, not affection, not anything. I'm just too exhausted to feel.

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

"I wanted every kind of love that was available, but I could never find them in the same person, or the same sex." - Cole Porter

I watched De-Lovely on a whim on Friday since the local paper gave it five stars out of five. I don't particularly trust this paper's reviews, but decided to give this movie a shot. After all, if the movie has jazz songs, it's quite likely that I'll fall in love with it regardless of anything else.

De-Lovely, in case you don't know what the movie's about, is an biography of Cole Porter's (played by Kevin Kline) life. The movie takes its title from one of Porter's many songs, and seeks to present a more balanced view of his life than a previous movie, Night and Day did, showcasing Porter's promiscuous behavour - with men no less - and yet, always returning to his wife, Linda Lee Porter (Ashley Judd), his soulmate and muse.

As a musical, De-Lovely is fantastic. As a movie, not so much. It dragged on a little too long and it felt as if there were far too many songs, one springing up after another. Kevin Kline's and Ashley Judd's acting are both superb, although there are times as though Kline's Porter is entirely too satisfied with himself.

With regards to the music, the way the songs were worked into the movie is ingenious, while the performances, although always above average, varied from not quite jazz (Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love), while a great song, doesn't sound quite like jazz thanks to Alanis Morissette's slightly whiny vocals) to fantastic (John Barrowman's Night and Day is breathtakingly passionate - and the scene which inspires it is just as good - and Vivian Green's Love For Sale is sweetly sad). Kevin Kline can sing rather well, which was quite a surprise; among my favourites were Well, Did You Evah! (showcasing Porter's remarkable wit) which sadly, does not appear on the official soundtrack.

I felt rather sorry for Linda during the movie, for it appeared to me as if she got stuck with a very bad deal. Not only was she stuck in a sexless marriage (regardless of whether she wanted sex), but she was saddled with a husband who couldn't see anything beyond having fun with the various men in his life. She clearly loved him, pushing him beyond his limits, ensuring he and his music got the fame they so deserved. When his legs were crushed in a riding accident, it was she who pushed him on to walk again, even when doctors were preparing to amputate his legs. And in his own way, Cole loved him. She inspired quite a few of his songs (or so, according to the movie) and when she passed away, it became clear he lost quite a sizeable part of himself.

As Roger Ebert wrote in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, "they were a good fit not because they were a great love story, but because they were able to provide each other consolation in its absence."

References:
Cole Wide Web - the Cole Porter Resource Site
The Cole Porter Reference Guide

Recommended Listening:
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook
Frank Sinatra Sings Cole Porter
Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter


Sunday, November 07, 2004

Danny Tenaglia is my new clubbing god.

A ten hour set from 10.15 pm to 8.30 am (including the encores).

I got there at 1 am and stayed till the very end, breaking my previous all-time dancing record of five hours.

Danny's set was brilliant. It was consistent throughout with never a dull moment. Even at 8 am, when my feet were exhausted, I was still jumping around the dance floor powered on by the greatness of the music. I was thoroughly impressed by the range of his set, from tech to tribal to dark to electro. I can't remember many of the tunes he played but among them were Rui da Silva - Touch Me, Laid Back - White Horse (Daft Punk remix), Jon Secada - Just Another Day, Whitney Houston - I'm Every Woman and his famous 1994 remix of Michael Jackson - Thriller.

Danny's great with the crowd as well. He came down to dance with us at 8 am and got a photo with the survivors of his set to be put on his website. I even got a (rather blurred) photo with him and an autograph!

It was the first time in a long time that I walked out a club to find the sun shining brightly. Even the bouncers of Zouk walked out of the entrance with their hands extended in the shape of a cross in a gesture to ward off the sunlight. Ha ha!

Thank you, Zouk. You're the best club in the world.

Danny, come back soon!

P.S. After his set, I went home, showered, changed and went straight to church. I almost collapsed a couple of times, having fallen asleep while standing up. Fortunately, I was always hanging on to the pew in front of me, preventing any embarrassing incidents. Following that, I went straight home, collapsed into bed and slept for six hours straight.

Saturday, November 06, 2004

Finley Quaye - Dice (feat. Beth Orton and William Orbit) is a great song, with Quaye channelling Johnny Cash in Hurt before turning into Bono (almost). Beth Orton's ethereal vocals add a great touch to the song.

Dice
Finley Quaye

I was crying over you
I am smiling I think of you
Where your garden have no walls
Breathe in the air if you care, you compare, don't say farewell
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and you swear that your love's for me
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and you swear that your love's for me
I was crying over you
I am smiling I think of you
Misty morning and water falls
Breathe in the air if you care, you compare, don't say farewell
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and you swear your love's for me
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and you swear your love's for me
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and you swear your love's for me
Virtuous sensibility
Escape velocity
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and you swear your love's for me
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and you swear your love's for me
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and you swear your love's for me
Breathe in the air if you care, you compare, don't say farewell
Nothing
Another site by a person with way too much time on her hands and yet make me go, "whoa!"

If only I had the time and passion for such a hobby.

Thursday, November 04, 2004

I guess Blogger was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people wanting to blog yesterday, as I wasn't able to post anything.

I'm not a supporter of either Kerry or Bush, but I do have issues regarding stupidity and incompetence, so you can guess that I'm sorry that Kerry lost. I just have one thing to say regarding this. If your opponent's proven time and again that he's incapable of making a proper point (I will never forget the "fool me once, shame on... shame on..." moment), and yet, you are still unable to get a clear advantage over him, much less beat him, then what the hell kind of candidate does that make Kerry?