The Muted Bravado of a SMG

Starry Starry Night

This morning I woke up and felt pretty good. Throat didn't hurt that much and i managed to eat nearly a whole bowl of mee kia! Shiok man.

After that I went to help my dad paint a mural at a primary school.

As some of you may know, both my parents are artists/art teachers.. my mom focuses on chinese brush painting and calligraphy, my dad does basically everything but does mainly calligraphy and oil painting.

Before you start thinking my parents managed to raise 3 kids and reach this moderately successful financial state through art, don't. My parents were both MOE teachers la, but retired now. Dad was trained in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, so hes basically been an art teacher his entire life. Mom was a chinese teacher so hence the love of chinese culture.

Just that they're retired now so yea earn a bit of money in their free time doing what they enjoy lor.


This is by mom.


Can't remember who did this. Mom too, I think. Dad's better, though.


Dad did these charcoal sketches of my mom and my sis over a decade ago. In his free time, he used to be one of those artists who'd sit at orchard road and sketch people. Think he also illustrated a few children's books.

Anyway, today we worked on the mural. And I was profoundly impressed by my father.

I mean, I was always impressed by my parents' artistic ability, especially since I quite doubt I've inherited any of their skills.

But yea not only was the design pretty nice, my dad's painting skills, honed over the years, were also highly evident. He could do fine detailing with a damn thick brush, be it straight line or curve. In the meantime I was struggling to paint a thin straight line with a thin brush and masking tape as well.

Hai. I think I'll take up oil painting.. See if maybe theres any inherited latent talent, maybe.

I'll put up pics of the finished mural if I can!

Oh btw if anyone wants to commission a portrait of themselves (oil painting of course) or wants to buy chinese brush paintings or calligraphy or whatever, feel free to give me a call! Heh my parents would be glad to oblige, at a price of course. Lol.

Anyway uhh then I slept the afternoon away, cos I slept really late last night doing.. uhh. Hmm. Oh yea talking on the phone with when old friend I haven't talked to in awhile who happened to be in town.

Then at night I went with Yingmin to the Singapore International Dance Masters Competition (or something like that)! She had two free tickets cos she writes for 新明日报 (no idea if i wrote that correctly) and asked me along.

I wouldn't normally be interested, of course, but wah $200 a plate, for free! The cheapo in me couldn't resist.

And I don't really regret going! Quite an experience.

Had to wear a suit, which was pretty fun cos I haven't worn one in so long.

But the main thing is, the dancing! Most of them were pretty amazing. Especially the exhibition couples! Fwah.

The ballroom dancers are so graceful, so full of poise.. And damn cute when they're bouncing up and down dancing along to S Club 7's Reach for the Stars. Haha!

Oh thats a little complaint I have though. Who the hell chooses the competition songs? Why is there S Club 7? And Madonna's Die Another Day? Urgh I understand the desire to have contemporary tunes and more upbeat melodies, but can't they choose classier songs?

Oh and the latin dancers! Wah lau. Sexually charged, man. The passion was electric, I tell you.

I think I could never be with a dancer. So passionate, I scared, I scared.

Nonetheless, I'd really like to learn just the basics (and maybe a bit of the intermediates) of ballroom dancing.

If only to fulfill my dream of dancing cheek to cheek with the girl I love.

Y'know how there are some things that girls do that guys (or at least me) find irresistable?

Like a soulful singer (Joss Stone, Norah Jones, Diana Krall).

Or a canon-in-D-piano-playing girl a la Jeon Ji-Hyun in My Sassy Girl (yes i'm still in love with her).

Or a girl coming out of water like Denise Richards in Wild Things or Halle Berry in that forgettable James Bond flick.

Just kidding about the last one, la. Haha. Horny is not the same as irresistable.

Well maybe you can add a hot dancer to the list now.. heh.

Okay its late and I'm just rambling again.. Haha too bad My Damn Blog.

posted by Đirestraits @ 2:32 am