on my way

25 November 2007

Sentosa isn't what it used to be now... Got myself mildly sunburnt, the first time after three and a half years rowing boats in the sun (i.e. kayaking). We attempted to play volleyball, and by some odd manner of coincidence they were having a volleyball tournament just a short walk down the road. So we were surrounded by the best you can find in Sentosa, watching us in astonishment as we tried to serve from outside the court... and failed.

I'm embarking on a thinking trip once again. After surfing through some Friendster profiles and looking at photos of blahblahblah with blahblahblah and blahblahblah, it piqued the appetite of my mind. It's nothing provocative. Well, it might be, but not directly. Just some philosophical matters. It's ironic that hip hop is so much about personal philosophy, yet it's being twisted into a cash cow the world over, and people are making rules out of it. The original guidelines are appreciated and should be respected, but we don't need those rules you came up with yourself. That's your personal philosophy, so don't force it on others and blaspheme their hard work and effort. I was just thinking about Felix's last workshop session, which I freeloaded, and the words he said then, and this came to my mind.

When I first stepped into this world, I didn't care about the frills and clauses and conditions. For me, hip hop dance, funk dance, modern dance, whatever... the only word that mattered to me was 'dance'. 'Hip hop', 'funk', 'modern', who cares, right? You can dance hip hop to classical music, pop to house and whatnot. I'm not so sure now.

There are those pioneers who adamantly disregard all forms of innovation. Their intent is good; they mean to respect the roots of the dances. Then there are those who are always experimenting; to them, stagnation will be the death of things. Who is right? Is there even a right or a wrong? Maybe it is up to us to decide. People criticise us hip hop dancers as pansies being spoonfed in studios. I don't really care, even if it isn't hip hop. I enjoy dancing and it doesn't matter to me what prefix you put on it.

I'm still thinking.

Now Playing: A*teens - Halfway Around The World

This song reminds me of Sze Sian, whom I miss dearly... how I treasure those days, when we were so innocent. I used to think innocence was about a clean mind and all that; my eyes are opened now... but I digress. Such a wastefully cheerful and sappy song, but I love wastefully cheerful and sappy songs. Maybe that's what I am, usually.

I remember before our FYEs in secondary two, we went to her great-uncle's plantation in Batu Pahat. Her parents drove us there. It was awesome. We were singing in the car on the way there, and we had an awesome day and a great dinner with red wine. I'm quite sure we were drunk on the way back, because we went nuts in the car... but I can vividly remember looking out the window and seeing the whole sky full of stars. Wonderful. Those simple pleasures seem to be lost... I want to try and find them again.

10:40 pm