Hometown Idol

Haven't been back home since I came back from Beijing so my Tibetan stool's still sitting at the corner.

At work, we usually get swamped with a mountain of onerous work after taking some amount of time off. Kinda sweet revenge from the rest of our colleagues still slogging pitilessly at the grind :) Still I do get messages from my merciful friends back home. Had a very funny message late at night from an inebriated Big Bicep Barry no doubt back from one of his drunken weekend revelries :)

Barry : I won! I won!
Paul : The wet t-shirt contest?
Barry : No! I won a singing contest! Well, admittedly in a lil village concert but still... some of my gym friends put my name down for a singing competition and I won a trophy!
Paul : Your Gymbot Gang? With no warning?
Barry : You really call them that? Yeah, they just suddenly pushed me to the stage. I sang a Mandarin song - some of the rest sang Hokkien songs.
Paul : You didn't unbutton your shirt and shake your moneymakers, I take it.
Barry : Not much need to. I doubt the judges would have been impressed. Two uncles and this lady.
Paul : GASP. Just like American Idol! Did the lady comment on your pitching? Did the uncle in the tight tee say rubbish in a posh Brit accent?
Barry : No nasty comments. They wouldn't dare. My friends - the Gymboy Gang as you say - were sitting close by ready to throttle them if they commented.

Can you possibly imagine getting on stage in front of everyone and belting out a Hokkien song? Much less with the judges' committee frowning critically right in front. Certainly no dazzling Tracy Turnblad who can burst out into song at cue so I'd probably freak out the moment the spotlight hits me! Stage jitters, always had them! Minute the director calls on me, I find my knees turning to jelly and my throat literally choking up.

But I am trying to overcome that weakness :) Would love to perform on stage sometime in the future but that doesn't mean that I'll be ready for an impromptu performance anytime soon. Of course once you've got me started on stage and warmed up, it's almost impossible to tear me away from the mike :)


Me, sing in public? Oh but I couldn't... I'm so ... so... shy!
Some boys though adore the spotlight. Barry himself isn't immune to the nigh-irresistible lure of the stage, our versatile man has been up there a couple of times since I've known him and obviously shown himself quite adept at holding an audience captive. Well at least without getting brickbats or rotten tomatoes tossed at him.

Then again if I had a hulking, silently threatening Gymbot Gang close by ever ready to deal with unpleasant reviews, I'd be all too willing to strut my stuff as well.

Judge : What was that ear-splitting caterwauling? That was utter rubbish.
Neanderthal : You make fun of friend. Hulk thump you now. Break bones.
Judge : What are you talking.. oww oww oww oww...

Always good to have a friend.

...***...

Hey look out for that moving van
Driving down our streets
You better lock up your man
Before he meets
The new mall in town

Been to the spanking new mall in town, the Pavilion ( was there any doubt? ) and I believe it rocks! Amazing design, endless plazas, airy wakways but shockingly low balconies just perfect to send that persistent enemy of yours plunging down seven floors. The mall's not fully open yet but it shows such sweet promise. And btw there's a small cafe in the basement level that hasn't opened yet but you'll find me there soon since it shares my name :)

See ya at Paul's.