Finnish Disco Dancing

This is the video I watched to get some moves before the job began. SO HOT!!!

Saturday Night Fever Singapore Style...Grrrroooovy!

Now, as an actor I have done many strange gigs but the one I did yesterday definitely rivals the performing Shakespeare on a moving train. So, last month this girl, Kate, from my Praxis and Performance Theory class told me that her boss needed a white guy for a gig. Me, being always desperate for a dollar said yes. Now, as I said, I have done many a strange gig. Have I ever dressed up as John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever and walked around three different offices of Merrill Lynch calling all the local girls "Hot Stuff" while shaking my "groove thing" and "doin' the hustle?" Certainly not...until yesterday.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this tale is a tale like no other really. I mean, it's the type of thing that you may see in an ad campaign. My intention and requirements here were to walk around handing out flyers to all the staff in the office's many floors. Singapore is after all the 4th largest financial sector in the world so imagine how many floors of Merrill Lynch there really were.
The flyer was for registration into a dance contest that will be held at the office party on 1st December. Let's just say that Singaporeans could be described as shy and giggly if I am speaking in generalizations...the women specifically. Although a couple of them were wondering if I could be there partner. (tisk tisk) If I could enter I would. I think I would have a shot at the $1,500 top prize. Moooooove over HR and Training room B...here comes the Canadian. I was, after all, born in the 70's. Maybe there is still some left over grooviness in me.
Let's see what my tag lines were shall we?
"You got moves hot stuff?"
"Let it all hang out!"
"Shagadelic" (means groovy)
"Get down tonight"
To name only a few.

Needless to say, for the day I was referred to as Tony; the protagonist from Saturday Night Fever. Along with Kate, (AKA Stephanie) we wandered around with a cd player blaring ABBA and other disco sensations grooving for a cool 4 hours. Now, ordinarily I wouldn't shake a stick at some cash but...$50.00SGD?? It was a very meagre payout for an insane amount of energy spent. I did have a bit of fun though. The big black fro that I sported for some of the day really made me look handsome and the specs..so bogus!!!
Now, I will add this to the list of strange things I have done and hope that you can all imagine what I may have looked like. I have no pic as of yet..but soon!!

Keep on Keepin' On Dudes
Michael

Who's Been Bad??

Well well well,

I realize it has been quite some time since I put finger to keys..but I am doing it now. A lot has happened since my last post..post Kuala Lumpur. I recently received a school break from my exhausting three day school week. I am not about to begin to say that I am not busy though. Chinese language class alone is enough to fill me with anxiety make me want to crawl into a crib and whine for attention. SO HARD!!! Where do I begin?

Bangkok Thailand.

If you ever want to have a crazy, dirty, sleazy, sultry, strange and swindling good time...Bangkok is your destination of choice. I mean ping pong really does not mean two sweet Thai girls playing a lightning fast round of table tennis. I knew this to be true but I had never imagined what it would really be like. PATPONG. This sector of Thailand is a college jock with no morals dream come true. I will spare details for some of the readership but let's just say...WOWZA!!!

So...TOP FIVE BANGKOK EXPERIENCES:

1. Seeing all the craziness of Khao San Road filled with cheap eats, cooler treats and many, many backpackers

2. An amazing one hour Thai massage in which I was walked on and twisted and stretched and cracked all for a bargain price of $5.00CAD

3. Thai Boxing at Lumpini Stadium. This was quite cool really. 15 year old boxers who do a ritual at the top of each bout and proceed to kick and punch each other...crazy

4. The yummy yummy food. One can imagine and relate to how delicious real, Thai food is.

5. A motorcycle taxi. Being situated on the back of a motorcycle travelling 80km/h through bustling Bangkok traffic..weaving, dodging, and inhaling copious amounts of smog all at the same time....Now that's something to write home to mama about!!!

NEXT STOP - PATTAYA & COUCH SURFING!

Me and my friend Kristen from San Diego met up with Francois in Pattaya and stayed at his 19th floor, ocean front condo for...free. Thank you Couch Surfing. This service is a database of people who believe that travelling should not be expensive. Francois and the thousands of other couch surfing members open their doors to people who happen to be travelling in their areas becasue they love to meet new people and want to show people around. We saw Pattaya, were fed free booze, I was "dragged" up on stage in a local watering hole to sing with a band...FUN!!! Pattaya, much like Bangkok, is a bit sad in that the main source of tourism is the sex trade. I did not partake in this but to see it, is a combination of awe and just...well..depressing.

I could have eaten a cockroach in Pattaya but didn't. I mean, it was there, in front of me, on a grill, begging to be chewed by me, masticated by my jaws of fury...I could not bring myself to do it.

ANYWAYS
After Thailand; a trip including a badly made suit, a lot of beer, a bunch of bargaining, and a lot of smog, I headed back to Singapore and to my Best Friend Caitlin waiting for me at Changi Airport with a bag and a smile!!!

SO FUN to have a home and native lander here, in Singapore. We saw many things, had some drinks, saw little India saw the campus and we awaited the arrival of Christine..another home and native lander.

OFF WE WENT TO MALAYSIA!!!

Now, let me just say that we chose a destination that was random, cheap, low season, and so great.

Pulau Pangkor is an island on the west coast of Malaysia. There are apx. 25,000 people living there and the main source of income is fishing. The beaches were great and even greater because we were the only people on them. We saw three beaches; Coral Bay Beach 1, Coral Bay Beach 2, and the random name that I forget beach that we had to trek fifteen minutes through jungle to get to...WORTH IT!

To be the only three people on a beach with white sand and blue water and coral and intense sun.....AMAZING!


The highlight of my trip to Pangkor Island was seeing a Kampong Village. A Kampong is a house that is on stilts essentially. This village was entirely these homes, roosters and many people fishing and awaiting the day. I was enthralled with just looking and was tempted to speak to some locals about the lifestyle there. Next time I'll have to. This is the norm here. Of course to you or I it looks so poor and unkempt but this is life, this is the way it's done..my first real glimpse of an Asian town..was truly wonderful.



Well..I am now back in Singapore and have a Chinese midterm tomorrow. I anticipate a medium to okay grade. I still wish that all the local kids weren't allowed to take an intro to Chinese class but alas, they are and they will continue to. God, Chinese 2 next semester...EEEEeeeeK!!!



Since I have been here I have now:

- eaten chili crab

- had a Singapore sling at Raffle's Hotel

- gone to the Botanical Gardens

- gone to the man made Sentosa Island beach - (I'll write a post about it)

- travelled a fair bit

- had take away juice in a bag with strings...no take away cups here folks

- realized that recycling is hard to come by

- illegally chewed gum..twice

- met some great locals and other internationals



AND A LOT MORE!!!!



I did miss Thanksgiving though...so sad. I also missed the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show in my home town. I have gone every year and this was the first year in 27 that I have not...no Laur's Taffy or Tiny Tom's Doughnuts this year.



I leave you now with this thought....

Yeah, that's right...the one in your head right now.



XOX

Michael