Monday, August 06, 2007 . 9:15 PM
I had a really busy weekends. Sat, i had driving lesson. And then i went down to Clarke Quay to Safra Town Club. I had signed up with Albert, my colleague, Bernice and her bf, her bf's sister n bf...for a wine appreciation course. It was really quite interesting. We had a white wine and two red wines to taste. All three were of good grade wine. Everyone kinda got tipsy. Not to say my face was the 1st to go red. I didn't even drink all 3 glasses. I drank the white wine only and tasted alittle on the two red ones. The white wine is the best i ever had. Two uncles sharing the same table with me were joking and laffing about my face, so paiseh.
After that, a short early dinner and i had to make my way down to EXPO mrt. I think i haven't been this hardworking for a long time. I took public transport all the way the whole day!!!
We were actually invited to perform for a national day dinner. Altho the name of the restaurant sounds alittle tacky, the area is huge. There were almost at least 80 to 100 tables. A little raised up stage in front. The whole place's floor is carpeted with the kind of thick,spongy carpet that you see in hotels, including the stage. That is the start of one problem for me.
Let's just say that by the time i reached Expo etc, i was kinda dead tired. I had gone thru 4 days of dancing to prepare for the Bachata dance segment. Every part of my body aches from exhaustion. We reached the restaurant at around 7pm, and the whole place wasn't even half full. I was told our Bachata performance would be at 9.30pm and followed by belly dancing pple..then us again for Salsa, which is the last item for the night.
SO i was thinking, argh...so late blah blah blah..wish i could juz finish up and go home. Derrick and i went for some drinks, before we head back to the restaurant by the side door which leads to the dressing rooms. And i spent the next 45 mins dressing myself up and all the make up. Had a very rushed practice before our turn. Need to at least warm up before really dancing if not it's hard to balance...
One major problem was that the stage is carpeted, and some parts are not at the same level. I was kinda afraid i'll just trip and fall. Some of our salsa moves needed me to actually slide on the floor..two moves in fact. So with the carpet, can't possibly do it, so we last minute kinda changed the moves alittle,instead of sliding, i 'walked' thru...hard to describe. Anyway was more difficult than sliding through.
WE passed the camera to one lady asking her to take video for us before the Bachata performance. I set my camera to video mode already. I was so anxious to see my Bachata, how i flared in the performing....but this lady....i don't know if i shd even scold her..she thought we wanted photos. And she clicked n clicked the button, end up i had LOTS of short clips of my performance, instead of one long video. Everytime she pressed the button, the recording starts, everytime she pressed again, the recording stopped. How could anyone be so........'smart' sighz...
So thanks to her. I have many short clips which aren't helpful. But if i had one long clip, i won't b uploading to youtube for you guys to see. I have learnt that pple do copy pple's cheorography. SO this is a bloody short clip, of one part of my Bachata ....-_- ..enjoy....
In case ur wondering where are the 80-100 tables, the layout was more of a rectangular shape, with tables all spreading out to both the sides of the stage.
ANother thing was, the hi-fi room where the music was supposed to b controlled also had some problems. They somehow pre-scheduled the whole thing like it's karaoke. So when it's our turn, our front music is cut off. SO much was cut off, that we couldn't possible dance. We had to not carry on with our Bachata, and stood there like idiots on stage, trying to rectify the problem while the hi-fi room was quite faraway. In teh end, they still didn't rectify the problem. I juz skipped the whole front slow music part. Just had to listen to the beats n music myself to know what i had to do.
WHen it came to Salsa, the same problem happened. And this time Derrick was really fed up. He ran to the hi-fi room, leaving me alone on stage. And there i was trying to maintain a pleasant composure while he was away. SEriously, i must have stonned there for at least 3 minutes. There were 2 huge projector screen attached to the each ends of the room, and i could see myself on stage, so enlarged. The amazing thing was, i didn't even feel awkward standing on the stage alone. I'm really sometimes amazed by my own behavior. The crowd wasnt very happy that the hi-fi room pple kept screwing our performance up. Some of them laughed, while the rest booed...and me? Still standing there, smiling along with them while they looked at me and smiled. Thanks for all their empathy.
In the end the song oso wasn't really fixed, i also went ahead n start. I muz say i did improve, but i was too tired on the day itself to give my best already. Every move that i made, seemed so heavy. So my muscles were too tired. But in terms of handling audience and stage fright etc, i'm proud to say that i'm taking them well. NO stage fright.
Derrick asked if i enjoy performing. That was quite a weird question.I did't know how to answer. I gez i kinda enjoy it to a certain degree...
After that, we got our payment for the performance, which aint alot. And i gave most to Derrick cos he always paid for my things etc. Then we took the train home. I was so tired, that i couldnt' even sat up straight. Can't believe i'm so hardworking to take the train home. Lucky i had the seat, if not i would be really dead.
WHen i reached home, my bones hurt. I just wanted to sleep but i had to bathe and get rid of all the makeup. Had to of cos take care of my baby Angel 1st, then even tho i really really really want to sleep, i had to prepare for the next day's cell group leading.
I'm supposed to lead with Albert, each taking one chapter of the study material. It's not that i didnt' wan to prepare earlier. We stopped cell group for 2 weeks. I had already prepared the thing 2 weeks ago. But 2 weeks ago is a long time. I Had to revise, go thru the things before i can lead tomorrow.I was too tired everyday of the week to prepare..that's how tired i was..
Sometimes, being an asst leader to me feels like a responsibility that i have to fulfill. I know that this is a very wrong thing to feel/think. Serving God and my fellow church mates should be a joy, not done out of duty or responsibility. I have to keep checking my attitude on that. It just especially feels like a duty that i have to do when i'm really tired. I'm practically the one in charge of everything bcos the leader is busy with his other church commitments, that he had to leave me to take care of everything.Not like i'm so proud of doing everything myself. God took care of it most of the time. I'm glad that i could be of help to the leader as well, that he can trust me to take care of the group.
After these few months of being an asst leader, i really feel that i'm beginning to change. I'm a born follower. I'm not the leader sort and i don't aspire to be a leader. BUt after going thru these few months, i really came to understand how GOd can mould a un-leader character into a leader. Slowly, i beginning to see how i've changed. Now i take alot of initiative in doing many things. Not just in cell group. In my life and in work etc. I have no intention to overpower anyone/anything, or prove that i'm gd or anything. But i'm motivated to initiate. I didn't realise this until i went for the Mental Health course. I found myself actually speaking out, bothered to help the group write, discuss etc...when in the past, i'll be the most quietest one. Not cos i'm shy, ok i'm shy too...but oso cos i can't really b bothered to care much.
My mom is happier with my initiative to offer help in the house etc. And i'm also very happy to help out. So i gez i'm serving joyfully =)Serving my mom joyfully now hahaa
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