13th Penang International Open Ballroom Dancing championships 2006

ongkahyee click here to photopage

standard ballroom look- me and harry
latin ballroom look - me and harry

I woke up very very early in the morning , about 4:40am coz i really don't have any experiance about how long I need to make up and do my hair and everything to get ready. After i bath, I start to make up. I remember Carmen and Brenda wants me to make up very very very thick till others cannot recornize. This is really my 1st time doing such thick make up and also 1st time applying fake eye lashes. Then I do my hair. This is also my 1st time tying a bun. Brenda wants us to apply the gel and the spray as thick as we can, coz it has to hold for the whole day and avoid the hair to be loose or dropping down when bang into other couples. After that, I wake Harry up. Then we pack a bag putting all our competition stuff and shoes and food inside. Harry's hair so difficult to comb all to the back as it is very short. We have to use half a bottle of the gel. =_=""" He look so funny for all the hair combing back to his head, hahaha! Harry said my make up not thick enough because he still can recornize me, aiks, not sure how to make it thicker .

We go down to the lobby to wait for the ballroom hall open. We meet Howard and his parents there, Tony his brother, anty Lanny his mother and uncle Ben his father. His whole family are learning dancing one, so they very support each other to dance, so nice! His eldest brother, Carlos didn't participate this time coz of spm. Before we enter the ballroom, all the ANC students gather and take pictures together. Unfortunately, the photo blured, can't share .

We go into the ballroom and all of us booked one place for preparing at the back of the ballroom. Here we do all our make up repair, rest, hair repair , shoes changing ... As Harry and I am participate for beginner category, we are the 1st event starting. So, everything should be ready. We have no experiance at all, I am abit nervous, dunno what I should do and not to. Luckily, Anty Lanny and Uncle Ben help us alot, really alot. So touching!!! * sob sob* :p

There is alot of beginner competitors, therefore, they devided us into 3 heats in round one. Harry and me are 1st heat, nombor 135. Before walk into the dancing floor, Harry keep remind me --" smile smile, I want to see your teeth , can you promise me? enjoy dancing, don't worry much." I look at him and nod , his hair so funny, hahahahaahah! After MC announce the numbers, we walk into the dance floor and bow to the judges. 1st dance is Waltz. Frankly, after walk into the dance floor , I have no longer nervous, it is kinda enjoy dancing in front of the judges and audience. :D Tony came to me and told me that Carmen said I didn't smile anough, wants me to smile more, haha haha , paiseh! I thought I got smile enough. :p After that, we dance quickstep. Frankly, we didn't thought of enter second round, we thought we will be eliminated after the 1st round.

Harry brought back good news to me after he go check the result on the board while I am waiting him at the corner we use to rest. " war, can dance , still can dance!" haha, so happy.Both waltz and quick step we enter 2nd round. I thought that our wlatz still got chance to get into final, but quick step..don't think so. After 2nd round, Harry check the results, again..brought back good news. We enter semi- final! wow wow wow! Before we walk into the dance floor, I recived my dance classmate, cathy's SMS, which wish me good luck in dancing competition and asked me to in love with Harry. Crystal, who is also compete for beginner didn't manage to get into semi- final, but she came and congratz me, asking me to love Harry. Hm....why everybody asking me to love him? I thought I did that dy? haha!

After the semi-final, both of us don't think we can enter final round. I sat at the corner to rest for a while , while Harry go check results. This time he didn't bring back good news. We didn't manage to enter waltz final round, quickstep result haven't out yet, but i knew the result, coz I dance very bad in semi-final. I bang into other 2 couples and I can't continue my steps , Harry was doing his steps and I was like dragging by him the whole long lane. We called Brenda and told her the wlatz result, and also told her that we gonna change our latin costume. She asked us to wait for the quickstep result just in case.

Know what? We got into the final---> quickstep! so so so happy! All of my friends come to congratz us. Crystal asked me to in love with Harry, recall back the sweet moment and dance with happiness, coz quick step is a happy dance. Hm...I really dosen't look like in love with him?hahahahaha. We really enjoy the dancing very much, we got 4th place in quickstep, got a medal. This is our 1st medal, I want to keep the medal but Harry refuse to give me, ish ish!!!
So we come out with a agreement, one ppl hold it for 1 week, =_="" . ballroom dancing

dancing the standard ballroom.

After the standard ballroom, is latin dance event. Before the prize presentation for standard ballroom, during the professional level standard ballroom, w go to change latin costume. My hair bun was abit loose, luckily Gloria help me to tie again, thanks Gloria. I just need to change my skirt. Harry need to change entire body, include his hair style. He asked me to help his hair, haha, I never do a guy's hair before ler. Luckily, Uncle Ben can help us. After styling his hair, alot ppl actually cmae to me and tell me that Harry is very handsome, hehehe. ya mer? ya gua, ok ok lar!

Latin we have not much confidence because compare to standard ballroom, it is much more harder. The technique is very difficult to learn. Our hip is not very good, and my leg is not straight enough, haihz. As expected, cha cha we got eliminated after 1st round. Rumba and Jive still manage to get into 2nd round. Again, dance like Jive which we are not confident at all get into semi- final instead of rumba which we have basic. why huh? But at last, Jive also didn't manage to get into final. We are atually sastified what we get. I felt like it is bonus for us for getting a medal back.

I wore a jacket and go into the hall to watch the professional level . They really very good, all the people were there to watch their dance. I like Samba and paso doble very very much. Samba is very sexy which I always wish to learn . ( soon soon, hehe) paso doble, very dramatic, very energic, I also wanna learn! thier expression really good, and their stamina......respect respect! I a bit regret why I didn't bring my camera because Harry's camera not enough memory, and sometimes need to charge the battery and we wasted the chance to capture the nice movements of the professional level dance. Anyway, got alot of photos , about 600++ , very nice. I have upload some of the photos in a photopage.


ongkahyee

We shout out for our friend's number so that the judges will notice them. I knew when I dance, alot of people shout our tag number -135... i heard derek and stephany's voice, I also heard Tony's voice, so loud , haha!

There is a more great competitors represent from many countries compete at that night. But the ticket is not cheap, cost around 150 - 3oo ringgit. It is a dinner ticket, but for the competitors, we can buy 2 standing ticket cost 50 ringgit using the competitor's number tag. Hmmm, standing at the back watching the competition is not so nice, and we don't have extra budget to spend on that. So alot of us decided not to stay after the grand parade for the night event, we go to walk around Penang to eat nice food instead.

me, harry, stephany, derek, wee hong, mun mun , mun mun's brother , terence, xian hui and jessie had eaten alot of Penang food...damn full. I think I had gain my weight, hehe. don't care, food more attractive!

P/S: After the competition, I actually found that my posture is not correct and my legs are turning in, I have to train hard to turn out my leg and correct my posture. I will work hard for the next competition.see ya

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THE END

Night before

Finally the day comes. Harry and me drive to Penang together with derek and stephany. Derek and stephanie is our dancing classmate. They are very sweet couple, very cheerful person. We are very close and suppose to go competitin together, but they decide to just watch the competition this time, next year only participate. So, 4 of us sitting in the car. Derek and Harry take turns to drive to Penang because the journey is very long. We depart at about 2 o clock and reach there about 8 o clock. Very very long journey, and the sky keep raining.
It is held in Bayview hotel, the organizer had book the hotel, and we have to book the hotel from them . 1 night is RM180, 4 of us sharing. When we reach there, we meet Philip and family. They told us that we need to meet terence to get our programme book, room key and competition tag. When we reach to our room, we were so so so excited. The room is very very big. There are 2 rooms , one room with 2 single bed and sofa and tv, another room with one 4 ppl's big bed and a tv, very nice and comfortable! Wow! The room actually can fit 8 person!

After dinner I actually don't have much time . My costume still haven't complete. Luckily Derek and Stephany help us alot. Really appreciate and thanks to them. Because of thier helpness, me and Harry get to rest earlier to prepare for tommorow's competition. Very looking forward!

to be continue.....

Days before competition

These days, i keep sewing my costume, it is striking orange colour, but not attractive enough, i have to sew sequins on it to make it nicer.My daily life become, class, dancing and sewing. everyday after my class in campus, I will go to studio with Harry practising until night time, reach home about 11++ pm, then start sewing, 1++ am fell asleep coz very tired. My feet very pain because wearing high heels for very long time. I have very little time to sew my dress so sometimes I sew my dress in studio. Whenever I take out my costume to sew, Harry will not happy with it. He said don't waste too much time in studio for sewing, we have to practise more. Hey, where got so much of time for me to sew wor?? Somemore need to sew for his costume also.=_="" Everybody is also busy modifying their costume in the studio actually. The studio is getting very sort of jollification. :p
Talk about Harry's costume, he need to get a proper shirt for his ballroom which don't have ready made to buy. He also have to get a bowl tie and a collar for the ballroom , luckily beginner no need to wear tuxedo. ( the higher level needs tuxedo..=_="") Harry made a latin pants from A1 tailor which is not cheap and guess how much the bowl tie and collar cost? bowl tie - rm70 and collar- rm 98!!!! ( bleeding bleeding!) He ends up borrowing from friends, phew!

The studio do have 3 full dress rehearsal for the competition. We almost prepared for the competition. Frankly, we didn't hope to acheive anything, just hope to do our best in the competition. Our instructor Brenda won't be following us to the competition as she has to look after the studio. So, we will have to take care each other and ourself. We have to depends on ourselves. :-s Good luck to all the competitors.

to be continue.....

Approahing competition

Brenda told me that I need to get 2 costume for the competition, 1 for latin dance and 1 for ballroom. Arhhh!!!!!!! I really have no budget to spend on those costume already. I even haven't pay for my lessons fees.
My dream keep fluctuate , i keep thinking is that the right way that I choose to fulfil my dream so early? I am using parents money to achieve my dream. I am not born in rich yet i spend like a rich people. I was depressed, I thought it is a mistake for me to participate the competition.

I need to find my costume, it has to be very striking and attractive, so that the judges can see you. If the judges can't see you, no matter how good you are, you won't get to the next round. There is only a chance if the judges see you. I am just a beginner ,and this is my 1st competition,so I don't want spend too much on my 1st costume. I don't want to make my costum like others, I might just buy ready made dress and modify myself. Carmen, one of the principal of ANC show me a costume which is actually design by her . It is 2 pieces and cost RM60 , she said that if I buy that costume, I can use the top as my ballroom top and find a long skirt, this is much more affordable for me. I end up buying that costume, and modify myself to make it look more attractive :d :d. Frankly, at 1st I didn't like the costume that much because I know I don't have a nice body figure as i am abit fleshy. I am not much confidence wearing that costume, but Harry like the costume very much. He said I look sexy in it, and Carmen also said i look good in that costume. Anyway, it is not expensive.

Everyday we busy practising , we spent most of the time in studio. Uncle Tan, one of the instructor there, sometimes will teach us abit of the technique, we appreciate that alot. Maybe we are very hardworking, so he teach us for free, haha! There is also others competitors practising there, we mixed up with them and have lots of fun. Friends like Wee Hong, Mun Mun, terance, Jessie,Howard, Tony, Melissa, Philip, Racheal, Julia.......etc brings lots laughter.Brenda as our instructor really help us alot tho sometimes she is abit crazy, haha.


benda, our instructor, didn't she look very young?







to be continue

sweet and sour

Every day training and practise, we have a lot of laughter and of coz , sometimes quarrel. It is funny when Harry forgot his steps, his eye balls will automatic go up, as if that can make him recall his steps. I can't stop laughing each time he do that. When I laughing non-stop, Brenda will laugh also, at the end, 3 of us keep laughing, haha!

My actual group class is every Wednesday, me and Harry still got attend the class althought we busy preparing for competition. Almost everyday, we go to stuio practise from noon to nite, at least 5 hours per day, sometimes 8 hours per day. !!! Our Wednesday social class is teaching rhythm, which is a very relaxing social dance. When I see Harry dancing, I cam't stop laughing again. He apply his waltz techinique into the rhythm, made the dance look like very weired while everybody dancing very relaxing. When I laugh, Brenda laugh tho she dunno what I am laughing about. =_="" Then, she separate me and Harry to avoid us from spoiling the class by making the whole class laughing, ahahha!

There is some time which we happens to quarrel. When I can't do well after trying alot of times, Harry's face will become " dark". When Harry can't do well, same as him, I " grow dark". But base to what Harry say, I always show disfavour on my face when dancing especially rehearsal. Aiks, wanna explain here. It is because my technique is not good enough, when I concerntrate on my technique, my face will not showing any expression. When my face without expression, it will look like I am very fierce or angry or unhappy. I am not good enough to control both at the same time. I will learn hard to control both my technique and face expression, or else Harry always thought I want to kill him in the dancing, made him not dare to look at me. haha!

We really suck in quicksteps. Once I thought Harry wants to give up as his negative statement :" I don't want to dance dy, no interest dy." really frighten me and Brenda. Don't ever kidding at this time man! Luckily, it was just he " merajuk" . :p haha. quickstep quickstep quickstep ouhhh quicksteps.

to be continue.....

Journey starts

Almost everyday we go to the studio for training and practising. My daily life become ---> class in university and dance in studio. class, studio, class , studio. class , studio, class studio. ANC dance studio became our second home. During our training and practising, we get to know a lot of freinds, which is also ANC students who also participate competition. All of them have a lot of experiance in competition, we are the only couple which is newbies among them. Some of them are very very young which is only 8-15 years old but have a lot of experiance. They are so lucky to have thier parents support them to dance. My parents? Haha, I dare to tell them i learning dance but not dare to tell them the fees and all those expenses. =_=""" I not sure if they support me .

" More hip more hip!" This is what Brenda need to remind us each time we dance. Latin dance need to have very strong hip's action which we lack of . Brenda also remarks that Harry has more hip than me and girl actually should have more hip action than guys. But actually there is a reason why Harry's hip action is more than me. Harry's butt is bigger than me ,this is why,haha.

Quickstep is not easy, we keep banging each other's leg and our direction is not accurate enough. I don't really like quickstep a lot , I guess Harry too because we have no basic on quickstep. Among 5 dances we dance, quickstep is our weakest dance.

Day by day, we get closer to each other, I mean both of us and Brenda. The relationship among 3 of us is more to friends than instructor and students. But of course, we respect her as a instructor during the lessons. She is same age as Harry, 22 years old, but she looks like 15 years old, haha!

I decided to make my ballroom shoes in Taman Midah, Cheras KL because it is cheaper and fitter as it is make with my own feet's measurement. My feet is very wide so making a shoes follow my feet's measurement will be nicely fit and comfortable for me. So here comes my ballroom shoes, cost me RM 130.

to be continue..........

1st competition

I guess this post will be very very long, therefore I decided to devide this blog into a few post. Last trimester break, Harry and me decided to participate the "13th international ballroom dancing championships 2006" which held in penang on 25th of November. It is a haste and daring decision as we just learinng latin ballroom for 5 months. We didn't thought that the journey is that tough especially the training and the expenses for this competition.

During the break, both of us are staying in our own hometown which is far away from the studio, we didn't manage to start our training earlier. It left about 2-3 weeks to train for the competition after the trimester starts. The 1st day we go to the studio for trianing , Brenda, our instructor told us that she had register 5 dance for us. !!!!! ( latin- cha cha, rumba and jive; standard- waltz and quickstep) . I am quite shock to heard that because for jive and quickstep we don't even have basic, we didn't learn that in previously. How can we train to dance that in such a short time?!?! I also very shock to know that we need to take our principal, Alex's 8 private lessons which we really can't afford. =_=""

1st lesson, we learn the cha cha and jive steps. I still recalled that I am in the blured and shocked state for the entire lessons. Luckily I manage to remember all the steps. I need to get my ballroom shoes, it won't be cheap. haihz....

to be continue.....