Friday, May 15, 2009

mad love.

Why hello there folks!

I’M IN LOVE!

A month plus since I last blogged (only ONE month! Can you believe it! Now that’s an improvement right there I say), and I’m suddenly back with a very completely out of nowhere entry to make this official declaration.

I’M IN LOVE!

So I’m sitting here at my study table, crazy typing away on my laptop, it’s 11.44pm (oh what beautiful numbers! The symmetry of it all), my iTunes is playing Movies’ Greatest Love Songs (well wouldn’t you know it! Lesley is plugged into insanely romantic mode), I’m practically melting (the songs, friends – not because I decided not to turn the air conditioner on), and I have to say it again. You got it!

I’M IN LOVE!

Now everyone must think I’m some kind of nut. No facebook and here I am, still insisting on declaring my relationship status or whatever it is on some public portal, world wide web thing for every being out there to see. Well not that anyone cares really, but it thrills me to the highest degree.

I’M IN LOVE!

Isn’t love such an amazing thing? A couple of days ago, I dug up this quirky little gift the ACSian Theatre committee of our year gave the drama kids during Pride and Prejudice. And well, we all know that’s one beautiful love story right? So courtesy of our dear then president Jasmin Wong, this is what it said on an attached piece of paper: ‘Love is a many splendid thing. To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten. Fall in love again.’ And so altogether now! AWW… Haha, isn’t that sweet? Well guess what? I took her advice!

I’M IN LOVE! (Again.)

Okay, I just took myself a four minute and sixteen second break to sing Ronan Keating’s When You Say Nothing At All, followed by a three minute and forty five second break to sing Maria McKee’s Show Me Heaven (yes, THAT Show Me Heaven Pride and Prejudice song for opening dance with Mohit and a very hard to wield fan). Man I love these little private concerts I give myself. But anyway, yes, I’ve decided to save me some time by multitasking. Which means it’s singing and typing (and potentially dancing it seems as I move on to some more upbeat numbers) at the same time! So. Here goes.

Perhaps some of you be wondering who this esteemed male individual is? (Er, yes people. It’s a man I’m speaking of. This is not some mad giggly entry where I go on and on about my most adored pooch or kitty or anything non human like only my ultimatest favouritest pink hair band in the whole wide world.) And let me now (hopefully) excite a few souls by making it known…

There ain’t just one.

There are THREE of them!

Yes. Men. That I’M IN LOVE! with.

Okay, I see the drama friends going through their mental checklist right now. And they most definitely be thinking: Wow. Only THREE? So wait. Who are the lucky (pardon the self indulgence) few? Hmm. Now. Let’s see. Maybe…Samuel? Or…Vinesh? No, one must surely be Syahir! But halt! What about Nathan Hartono?

Tough guess no? And so I tell you all…

Hah! It’s none of the above!

In recent times, three very incredible thespians (who are not in ACSian Theatre) have captured my attention, my heart, and my hormones. And here they are in no particular order:

1. Adrian Pang
Er, no, not because of Red Thread (…what?). Rather. It was watching Much Ado About Nothing at Fort Canning Park on Sunday night that got me completely SOLD. For one thing, it made me fall in love with Shakespeare (well no, I didn’t include him in the count, because by no real fault of his of course, he’s dead) for what I must admit is the first time. In my journey as a Literature student, I’ve encountered various works of Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, The Tempest. Outside of Literature too: Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, etc. And well, I’ll be totally honest and say I’ve never really been very much absorbed in his text, because most of the time I’ve just kind of had to waste trying to figure out what exactly’s going on in there. His kind of English, the language, not quite my thing. So Much Ado? Was a truly refreshing experience for me. Not only did I understand it, I loved it! Definitely the staging – even with some directorial choices I didn’t quite get, helped to enhance the whole mood and feel of the play which made it so much easier and better to watch. But I do believe I must give most credit to the actors who were absolutely sensational, some to the extent of being insanely OUT OF THIS WORLD (not quite like alien from Mars but more like just so good it’s…really rare). Which brings me to Adrian Pang! An amazing voice (so low and deep and manly!), with a rather great body to boot, and an excellent sense of comic timing. What’s not to like! And the way he as an individual lit up the stage and brought life to his character and the entire production and accorded meaning to every line and action was just so…WOW (lost for words right there). RESPECT! Didn’t hurt of course that his role of Benedick in and of itself was already an incredibly charming and witty one and so therefore thoroughly attractive. That plus the Adrian Pang (sex voice and hot bod super included) attached? Crazy mad love. Times a million! Real pity he’s married huh. With two kids on top of that. Lucky them. Seriously I wouldn’t even mind him being my dad. INCEST!

2. John O’Hara
John who? I see those thoughts. No, not Cheah (he’s Farhana’s! And I’m not Edlyn!), not Chua either (Aie.), but John O’Hara. He’s thirty (joy! A mere eleven years older than me!), probably straight (I can only hope right), and single (friends! It’s time to throw me a wedding party)! This is the guy right here who played THE Rum Tum Tugger in Cats that recently toured and left Singapore. Now if you watched this run of Cats I really wouldn’t even need to start explaining why I’m THIS close to selling myself to the man (if he’d only be willing take me). But if you didn’t? Well. Let’s see. It’s really all because of one, the way he strutted around the set that was the garbage dump like he owned it, in his skin tight, figure hugging, lycra costume with the sexy cat make up and wild hair, two, the way he repeatedly struck his awesome rocker pose as the Mick Jagger like cat, three, the way he spoke and sang with his Australian accent (love!) in this insanely seductive growl with his mad pipes, four, the way he was just so completely absorbed in the moment, totally in his element and thoroughly enjoying himself. CAPTIVATING. I honestly just spent the entire show (which was really rather plotless with less than a handful of nice songs but which I must say boasted amazing dancing) watching him. My eyes were FIXED on the guy. Or cat. Whatever. Every time he wasn’t onstage I got all uneasy and upset because hello, I paid all that money (or rather, my mother paid all that money) for me to get my few hours worth of the sex cat. And no, I was not about to settle instead (not for a mile!) for the old female one that sings Memory. So yes! MY Rum Tum Tugger (observe the label please – he already has an owner) is a crazy musical theatre onstage genius and who cares that I don’t even know the man personally, because I am already in love with and eternally devoted to him. Oh and I read this interview with him in 8days and they had a photo and minus the cat do? He's rather quite the insanely good looking. Insert audible sigh right HERE.

3. Adam Lambert
Okay, yes, I know, this is where I start getting truckloads of flak from Adam Lambert detractors (oh the crippling thought of that!), so let me just say that if you most unfortunately happen to be one of them? An Adam Lambert detractor? Then GO AWAY! SHOO! DISAPPEAR! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING READING MY BLOG! Ugh. Yuck. Ick. And now I can get started proper. So! I quite honestly am interested in knowing. Does anyone really care that Adam Lambert's gay? Or bisexual? Or just not straight? That he heaps on more eyeliner than can ever be found in an ACSian Theatre production (mind you, there's quite a lot of us)? That he possesses a lifetime's supply of black nail polish? That he owns more jewellery (and clothes too probably) than any self respecting girl? Because well. I DON’T! The guy has pure mad talent and that’s more than enough for me. He’s a musical theatre graduate (cripes I love those! But er, no, not you Mark. You haven’t graduated yet, see. Haha!) who’s toured with Wicked (whoo!), and so obviously an insane specimen of a triple threat. I mean, just look at the guy week after impressive week! I really just love him because he’s such a PERFORMER. And well that word already implies just how great and awesome he is because not everyone can be a performer! You can’t just count on singing alone. You have to be wonderful at everything (well not everything everything like science and plumbing but...you know. Everything)! And be crazy good on top of that! See the bad ones, my friends, are just called jokes. Adam is most evidently very far from that. Also, he’s such a nice guy! Now I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees him repeatedly mouthing thank you to the judges and waving gratefully at the Idol band and nodding at the camera to acknowledge his lovely fans (yes, me very much included). So who cares about the fact that his sexual orientation is embedded in a sea (one insanely huge sea that is) of doubt? He’s got natural talent, takes to the stage like I’ve never seen anyone do before, he’s got character, a nice personality, is entirely original (hah, no one can argue with that), and just has so much going for him. Plus he's cute and good looking and keeps winking at me via the camera (yes, it's obviously me he's winking at), so there's absolutely nothing standing in the way of our budding romance! (Well okay fine, I believe I read somewhere that he likes Twilight but I can just pretend I never saw that.) I WILL BE FOREVER ATTACHED TO ADAM LAMBERT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL HAVE ME UNTIL DEATH DO US PART (and hopefully even then parting won’t be necessary). Now he’d better win American Idol next week or I will DEMAND (watch my fierce face) a recounting of the votes. Where’s a friend in the US when I need one! Arr.

And so there you have it all. The loves (plural) of my life.

Deary me. I’m such a…

Promiscuous girl.

But oh well. What to do.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

to be ignored.

Oh dear, and to think I made myself believe that getting a new blog would encourage and somehow ensure more regular updates. Well I guess not huh. I must just be lazy. Which really wouldn't be much of a new discovery.

Anyway, it's been nearly two months (TWO! Aie. Fail.) since I last typed a blog entry and lots has been going on. Strange then perhaps that my life at present is actually rather mundane and monotonous. Mornings for me have pretty much disappeared (except for days when I attempt to be good and wake early for a nice run, but then those days haven't quite been happening of late). I mostly wake up to blazing afternoon sun, annoying bird sound things, dogs barking, maids chattering, grandmothers (just one actually, which is perfectly sufficient) talking very loudly, so yes. One gets the idea. Then it's bathing, late lunches and JOY! (haha no, not really) rehearsals. Then late dinners and loads of television. Yup, I do mean LOADS.

Well at this point I digress, for I feel I must go on to say what inspired me to get typing again.

So here I am sitting at the study table in my bedroom at two in the morning, with a million better things to do probably, but instead, I'm singing at the top of my not very big lungs, pretending I be the great musical theatre goddess (which the world must know I am so not). I'm belting out Avenue Q and Grease and Hairspray, American Idol style (a queer mix, no), complete with imaginary microphone in hand. At times even playing myself some air guitar. Air keyboards. Air drums. Air whatever. I'm living my secret musical theatre rock star life. And er, at the same time googling ACSian Theatre (please don't ask why). So I click on the first link that comes up, and get to the cover page (is that what one calls it?) of our website. My first smile comes because I see a hot man right there in front of me (yup, it's the love of Edlyn's life!). Then clicking to enter the site, I smile again because I see me golden boobs like basketballs (it was quite the miracle of my chest, Arabian Nights) grinning in my direction. Well moving on, when I've had my fill of that (haha, like an hour later maybe! Or not), I return to the page of ACSian Theatre google links and hunt my way down in the hope of interesting reads. And believe it or not, I'm led to Ed's livejournal. So I start by reading this entry where she's laughing non stop about Odysseus and Penelope and their secret olive bed in The Odyssey (that section is really rather hilarious), and I crack up, putting a huge fullstop to my glamorous songstress attempt. I have to continue reading on, but unfortunately after a few entries detailing (there weren't really quite as many details as I would've liked) how she sexes it up with John 'in front of his girlfriend' (the phrase pops up many times in more than one entry - now I see where Ed gets her daily excitement), she abandons the riveting topic for some of her other favourite things like Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy and how she adores imagining them being gay for each other, Merlin, a variety of Japanese stuff...basically things I fail very miserably to relate to. But suddenly at that moment, it no longer matters! Because I'm suckered into signing into my second blog (yes, this one which looks set to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and rot into a sad sad mess) to type an update.

And I cannot believe I just spent five hundred over words of nothing explaining what got me started on this terribly delayed blog post.

Anyhow, A level results came back some time ago, and local university applications have since been made. As expected, I didn't do too great. No million distinctions, no name calling (I make this sound like a bad thing when it really isn't), no standing onstage, no getting to shout AC! with other smart people, no listing on the school website, no picture on the school website, no picture anywhere, but if one would even try to believe me, it's actually been great. Of course I was disappointed initially, crushed and all that about certain subjects and swearing I'd never touch this, this and this again. But after my usual sit down and think and cry for a bit (or maybe a lot) and pray thing that I do, I got things back in perspective. Though I didn't do fantastically for the As, or anywhere near that at all, I realised I actually improved truckloads from my prelims disaster. Pulling up some subjects by six, seven grades did take work; passing things I've spent two years failing. And well at the end of the day, academics really ain't everything. Sure it's important, but so are many other things. Looking back, I had an awesome time on the whole in jc, discovering and developing my passion for performing, for drama, for dance. I got many valuable opportunities to hone my craft, had the chance to work with fun, talented people on some of the most memorable productions ever (calefare days of West Side Story are still dearly missed, and great times during Arabian Nights and Pride and Prejudice will always be remembered). So yes I suffered a little on the studies front (because lucky me belongs to muggerzoid category - must mug ass off for months before a major exam in order to do well), but I don't regret it one bit. And then through some of the tougher times in jc, I found myself again, rediscovered God and His supreme importance in my life, realised the true value of a lovely family and what having close friends can do for the soul. The night of the results release, I sat on the floor of my bedroom and literally counted my blessings. And it struck me that I have so much to be thankful for. So I just sat there and prayed and gave thanks and praised the Lord. It was awesome. And well, since then, things have just gotten better. I finally found what I truly believe to be my life's calling. It was just in the middle of this conversation with two teachers and a friend and this thing was brought up and it was crazy, but I've never felt before like how I did in that instant. There was this tightening in my chest and I nearly cried right there in the middle of some random stairwell in the school building where this conversation was taking place, because I'd prayed for a long time for direction in life from God and I couldn't sense what He was leading me towards. But when my teachers suggested this career path because they figured it'd suit me and all, it just clicked. And I haven't wavered on that, though I continue to pray about it. But it's just been amazing really.

Well I'm now busy with The Odyssey, which should be my last ACSian Theatre production unless I'm fortunate enough to be called back sometime in the future to do an alumni play. It's been and continues to be an interesting experience, considering I get to play a virgin goddess who dances, fights and even sluts it up at some points (major highlight for me right there yo! And yay, I don't have lines!), so that's been good. Haha, besides being a greek goddess (I love how I make myself sound like a ravishing beauty), I am in certain sections, things like a flower, waves, and the such like. My dear mother fears she will not be able to understand the various changes and kindly requests signs for indication's sake. Or subtitles. And my joke of a brother, when he heard about certain scenes in the play, asked if it was a comedy. But anyway. Working with my fellow alumni, the current jc twos and the new jc ones has been nice. Mostly. Haha! The juniors have been great. It really never fails to amaze me how talented some people can be, and having seen the jc twos grow into their own, and now the jc ones shape up so insanely quick, it truly humbles me. The alumni friends have been the usual bunch they've always been. Just two categories! The nonsensical. And then the nonsense. Haha! Alright, no. Well, ah. Sigh. Can I just say I don't even know where this thing with me talking about The Odyssey is going, except to say...come watch our wonderful play!

Aie.

It's nearing four in the morning, and considering I've got a rehearsal on in about seven hours, I think I best be going to bed. This has been rather the meaningless entry, with lots of rambling and quite some unfinished thoughts, no. I must be tired. Oh dear, I really do pray for a sane update sometime soon. This is bad.

Monday, February 9, 2009

bleach and pluck.

So there I've been, thinking and thinking over the past few days about getting myself a new blog; trashing the old stuff for a fresh start. For one thing, dear ol' GREASEit has been stagnant for over a year, collecting dust and mould, screaming for a desperate clean up. It really isn't the most awesome of things, having friends visit my blog annually to check its progress. In fact, it's rather sad. In addition to that, I guess there's just been this nagging feeling in me to...I don't know. Start over perhaps? So there you have it. Here I am! With bleach and pluck. Strange url and mighty queer blog title. I can see those thought bubbles forming already.

You see, my original intention was to insert the word 'straight' into the url. I thought it was quite an awesome idea. You know, with 'straight' relating to 'straightforward' (as a blog should be). And in making clear my gender preferences (yes, it's still men, despite the few negative experiences). And with the whole idea of being neat and tidy and maybe slightly obsessive compulsive (the law of straightness by Edward Monkton? "Everything must be straight or else the world will explode. Those who do not believe in the law of straightness will not be saved."!). But evidently someone beat me to it, because I was politely informed that 'straight' was not available. Instead, blogger suggested 'straight-les', which while potentially witty, seemed a bit too in-your-face-I-am-an-oxymoron for me. Well, my next choice, was 'strip'. But alas, that too was taken. So I attempted 'disrobe', which I suspected might exceed the average Singaporean cheemness level, but no. 'Disrobe' wasn't meant to be either (I forget blogger isn't restricted to use in Singapore only). Anyhow, I then proceeded to sort through an impressive variety of ways to undress, from 'unbutton' to 'unzip', but either there are many horny boys around the globe, or a hell of a lot of people with stripper tendencies, because nicely enough, none of these words was accepted. In frustration, I typed 'potsandpans' into the space between 'http://' and '.blogspot.com' and guess what? Someone already has a blog called 'potsandpans'. Not that I have anything against kitchen utensils, but I honestly do not appreciate people depriving me of blog titles. So I continued typing in strange word after strange word after strange phrase after strange phrase, and after many more attempts at remotely ingenious url words and phrases, I did myself a favour by inserting the dubious sounding 'bleachandpluck'.

And surprise, surprise! Available.

Hence how my new blog has come to be named after my favourite hair removal methods.

Bleach and pluck. Try it.