I wanna do a proper photoblog but til date I have yet to get pics from 3 cameras ;p Anyway, I'll make do with these =)
28th January 2009, Wednesday (SG)
Charlotte | Kit Kor | Donny | PHKK | Ven | Me | Stacy (photographer)Looking relatively calm here but I was excited enough to convince Dad NOT to let me drive to the airport. Sheesh.
Guess who has perfect eyesight here?Met up with ZeeSarahMoEwan at the gate with the snaking long queue.
Jet had gone ahead to catchup with family back home @ Syd with Nic on the same flight while Anand chilled with wine @ Hunter Valley over the CNY period.
SG to SYD menuI had the KungPaoChicken Noodle since garlic bean breath isnt exactly appealing.
Sugar High @ 1am, Not sucha great idea... "Zee, I can explain. It was really difficult to resist the hotchoc (with extra marshmallow for me, said airsteward) and ice-cream when a) I'm served by this extremely cute airsteward b) I'm distracted by the astounding performance of Heath Ledger in his swan song."
Bright as a Button ;pMy guiltily chubby (frm water retention/icecream/whatever) but couldnt care less face.
KitKor @47H taking 40winksPoor guy had interrupted sleep from aircrew/me/Zee/neighbour's light/me/aircrew/me
Glamour Queen posing across the aisle @ 47G(who was originally a very embarrassed Blondie waiting 1 row behind at 48G thinking it's 47G and wanting to change seats with her neighbour so KitKor can sit beside her in 48F. the best thing to do in these kinda situations is to smile sweetly & sit down quickly)Really didnt sleep that night...
29th January 2009, Thursday (SYD)After a perfectly smooth landing (the aussies broke into a cheerful round of applause), Zee "Chubby Chubby" & Mo "Moses Lalala" stopped by DFS to stock up for the postperformance drinking session.
CheezzzzKitKor was like "Mei, u should have taken some wine onboard the flight to sleep" to LOUD outcries from everyone else who believes it'll only b worse.
Me? I can't help being suuuuper ecstaticly high.
Eyes barely opened, grin annoyingly wide and totally couldnt stop bouncing ard!
Our Ride @ 8amGot ourselves a van with a blue carrier box to bring all 11 of us + luggages to Hotel Ibis/Novotel.
A Quaint Little PlacePassed by many houses like this in the suburbs on our way to Homebush, our residential area.
Novotel & Hotel IbisFinally reached! Novotel & Ibis share the same building and reception area but different lift lobbies. Zee & Nic stayed at Pullman Hotel which is just a stone throw's away. I think we drove the receptionist mad with countless phone diversions among 4 hotel rooms and walking through & fro the lifts.
Anyway, we couldnt check in til 2pm so we bombarded the ladies with our luggages to change for the day tour.
The Escalator
The Flight
The Smiles
The S.L.s (don't ask...)My luggage is half the size of hers and about 5kg lighter.
Amazingly, my luggage was the 2nd smallest among everyone elses'. Mo held the record but he packed light as usual.
Our Rental MPVs from AvisAnand and Jet drove these to the hotels to deposit Anand's luggage and pick us up.
Nicely packed all 11 of us (sans Kit this time) for some lunch and sightseeing.
BlueSky BlueWaters
Leap of Joy :DWould have been higher if it's taken a splitsecond later.
Lunch: Cheesy Oozy Beef lasagne with Bolognoise Sauce Couldn't finish even half of it cos the portion was so huge. Thereafter Charlotte, Ewan, Sarah & I followed Jet to Bloch @ York Street.
4 little SPGs with our hunky JetAt least that's what we felt like ;p Poor guy was waiting for us totally surrounded by girly ballet stuff while Charlotte picked out leotards and the rest of us check out the overpriced garb at the store. Still late by 20mins when we finally left ;p
3 tiers on our train
Mind-boggling @_@I'm just glad one of us knows his way around without having to spend half an hr at the map.
Sarah & MeBack to Sydney Opera House carpark to wake up Anand & Mo to drive down to Bondi Beach
Gorgeously Breezy WeatherMe (with head outta window):
WOOT SYDNEY!!!Anand: Careful with the camera! I don't want it smashed against a passing truck!
I Spy The Beach!Me (still high): heeeeEEEeeeyyyy, why are we slanteeddddd?
Anand: the camera dear....
Ven: jean are u ok?
"Woohoo we reached we reached we REACHED!"
Totally No Patience Whatsoever To Park the VehicleAnother reason y Anand & Mo are glad I'm not behind the wheel.
Posyposy @ Bondi BeachReally missing the crashing freezing waves, hot sunny weather and cold breezes. We had so much fun in the water we didnt bother with more pictures ;p
Bikini IslandWhich I didnt manage to reach before it closed at 5pm ;(
But I was pretty contented to shop ard in my bikini+sarong to other stores. Plus, that means we have ample time to stroll and enjoy the sunset over a raspberry sorbet with my very obliging dance partner before heading to Hurricanes Grill & Bar Steakhouse Restaurant for dinner with the whole team.
Potato Wedges to Share
Outrageously Humongous Ribs for 2I had medium rare steak instead and the pink flesh was simply meltinyourmouth.
Apparently Anand's vege burger set tasted superb but no one really took his word for it. Vege Burger???
Totally beat after dinner and snoozed all the way back to hotel. Got our congress passes at the Sydney Olympic Park (SOP) before finally trudging back to shower and sleep while Nic stayed on for the 1st night of social dancing.
30th January 2009, Friday (SYD)Alot of us (me especially) overslept and missed breakfast so we met at the lobby for the 1st agenda: final practice b4 performance @ SOP
Almost there
So this is how it looks like in broad daylight
Lunch+Dinner: Aussie SubwayThey have Italian Herb & Cheese + Avocado spread~~~wooo
Roomies :)Some irritating hoohaa over the room arrangements that I rather not mention here. Good thing is, my partner and I went to alot of workshops together and took 6 vids to learn and share with the team. Money well-spent ;p
The view from our seats
Ready for our 1st night of performance and social dancing!We mostly stayed at the Sydney Arena (see below) for salsa, bachata, chacha. No merengue or reggaeton woot! The Brazil Room featured only zouk which we're totally unfamiliar with so didn't linger.
31st January 2009, Saturday
Sydney Arena: where the social dancing took place the night before
Sleepy+Tired after bachata workshop
PasiónMy brandnew flamingred dance shoes from Burju. She was super friendly and nice la, plus she remembered me (not cos I'm wearing her shoes duh)!
Awaiting our turn for TagRehearsalWith full makeup on. Judging from the amount of time we took for makeup and then costume hair final touch ups, it's a good thing we decided to change at SOP instead of the hotel.
YAY we did it!Right after this shot, SuperMario came all the way down from the audience stands to invite us to the
10th Annual New York Salsa Congress 2009 and
Athens Salsa Congress 2009! We didn't think it was that big a deal until Zee exclaimed that rarely do teams get invited to perform overseas. I was like... whoa... we must have been really good....
Michael Jackson and Billy JeanQuick photo b4 washup (someone saying how gay he looks tsk -_-) & gg down to SOP again for Social!!!
Happy Chinese New Year!!!
U'll nvr catch us wearing this in SG...Well at least not ME for sure... *wobble wobble*
Perhaps it was Saturday and the crowd turnout was overwhelming (we performed to a full house!), but the men in Syd definitely know their dance. No sleazy nonsense and for once, I can just enjoy the dances as they are. And omgosh the SPACE we have for dancing! I'm claustrophobic in UnionSq now.
1st February 2009, SundayAnother round of workshops awaits on the last day of congress.
PH, Anand and I set off at 8am to return our rental vehicle and barely made it back in time for breakfast and yet another bachata workshop. Thereafter, it's back to hotel again for quick packing (had to tong pang all the makeup & costume stuff) before gg back again for SuperMario's class. Joined Kit & Donny for more workshops after my partner left for the airport.
During Lunchbreak after yet another bachata workshopI see someone who realllly made herself at home & the 2 @ the back doing tricks!
Wendy, instructor from TwoLeftFeet SGThey performed on Friday night while we watched and vice versa for Sat.
She's really nice =)
My Full Itinerary
Outside Olympic Park StationQuick change of clothes back at hotel and we're off to Chinatown!
Ponned the last workshop session cos nothing struck our fancy.
Waiting for our train
Showcasing the Sliding DoorsThe train was rather cordoned off and we had the entire cabin to ourselves...
The PseudoPCDEh I wasn't the only one fooling around. Charlotte and the rest also!
Excitedly moving off from Lindberg Station
On yet another trainKit bade us farewell as he went to meet his friend.
Still trying to figure our way around
BEEP BEEP FLASH FLASHThis device brought yeaps of delight from PHKK, to the bewilderment of Stacy and me -_-
Ok dude we know u're excited ur food is ready...
PHKK's Seafood Platter
My F&C
View of Darling Harbour @ Nite
Donny's Lucky DayOur Mr Onz with 2 performers from some CNY procession... wassit Chingay?
Very appreciative of ard the corner 7-11 & CheersBetween my partner and I, we have guzzled up to NINE bottles of Gatorade (most value-for-$ since we're exercising alot) on this trip.
& Charlotte wonders y I shuddered when she offered me a sip.
Lanolin CreamWhich PH pounced on when he saw rows of it at a souvenir store in Chinatown.
About $8 compared to $34 at the airport o_O
2nd February 2009, MondayChecked out at 11am and took the shuttle down to the airport. Had a good talk with a new friend, Leonardo, whom I met at Sat's bachata workshop. Didn't remb to take a pic thou.
Nua-ed at the airport til it's boarding time.
View @ 6.30ish
Syd to SG menuI'll have whatever that has basil, please.
My surprisingly delicious DINNER :)
YUMMYThe sweet potato mash was really good! And so was the chicken!
On the flight back home: Stacy & Me
Arrival @ T1Looking very tired from the flight back (especially since we had a super long talk onboard), but overall the trip was fantastic, from the beginning right to the end. Except for one minor booboo, this trip sure doesn't disappoint. And I understand why they list Sydney Salsa Congress in the top 3 of international congresses... SISF has alot to catch up compared to this.
Would love to go again with the team next year =) Afterall, it's the company that matters.
