eM @ Lola-Land

em has MOVED...

2009-11-03T05:22:00.000-08:00

...moved to www.emilytan.wordpress.com

more info and links there! =D

To-Do List

2009-05-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

30 priority on To-DO List...

The initial plan of doing 15 tonight....

Gone with the wind...

done ONE...at 1:05AM >_<

well now TWO...though blogging was not on priority list...

just need a migrane reliever...

Ranting may help...

for now i only have my Piece of Mind from Origin...

*stares at pile of work* Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!

need to RUN...want to hit the treadmill...but have work to do...but need exercise to release...but cant release cause have work...but need to release....

*now wish i have my 24hour gym back home in knoxville to hit*

my never ending battle with time and unexpected interruptions...

i will decide when the alarm goes off at 830AM...

well now it shall be 730AM... unexpected task popped up

on a sunday morning -_-

I keep Losing...

2009-05-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

....SOCKS!
i wear them DAILY!
yet i keep looosing them!?!
It's like every trip to the washing machine then out and to the hanging rack then back to my laundry basket, socks somehow SOMEHOW gets lost in transit
BBAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

....SLEEP
my long lost friend...
everytime i make a date with it, i end up FFK
Anything from long distance phone calls to urgent emails to send to piled up work...
if only i can have one whole day with you...just one whole day

....SUN
i am completely WHITE apart from my very very dark arms! (thanks to half of my everyday spent in the car BAKED in heat Stuck in awful-time-wasting-KL Traffic)
Pool-Sun-Bikini -> WANTED

the Journey continues....til i WIN!
Grab a MUG and clank it babbaayy!

Viva Vertical POLE STARS Update!
Now you get to learn more about your favourite VV Pole Star!
Follow their Pole Journeys HERE to Pole Stardom!
Support with your comments and online feedback ;)

Viva Vertical Pole Stars:Malaysia Talent Showcase

2009-05-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Em@Lola surfaces Blog-world again!!
(i know im a terrible blogger, i need to have a device where it'll translate my daily blabber from mouth to blog post window, wouldnt that be wooonderfuuuull!! fingers can rest...haha)

ANYWAY....

Yes been caught up with lotsa Pole work, including the hottest excitement ever - VIVA VERTICAL POLE STARS!
Met all (but one) final contestants yesterday and i could so feeeeel the excitement! (as well as nervousness, reminds me of how bonkersly nervous i was on my first pole performance, worm-knots and butterflies were mating and growing in the belly causing all sorts of flutters!)
but hey these gals and GUY had guts to submit their submission and major pole kudos to them for partaking in their first ever VV Pole Competition! =)

Check out www.vvpolestars.wordpress.com for links to the contestants blog pages where they are required to blog daily on their Pole Progress and ALSO for your neverending support!
YES these upcoming Pole Stars will be having a "fan" base ;D
so click-ety click away!
Group rehearsal vid-logs will also be updated on VVPolestars page so be sure to keep visiting =)

In the mean time, i'll do best to keep blogging too...no matter short or long...
must...just...type....few....blabs......

On a personal note, am still salsa-fied.
you must be thinking SSHhhhheeessh with only 3 "official" salsa lessons on ur belt and u wanna go check out salsa clubs??
i dont caaaaare, good or bad, Em is Luvin this Heat ;D

OOOOOH, and COOKIE still needs a home!
Cookie is a super uber cute kitten rescued from damansara uptown(with the help of Foo Foo >->)
if i wasnt resorted to stayin with grandma temp i'd be able to have pets in the crib
CAT-LOVERS and CAT-CAREGIVERS! Please help Cookie with a safe warm loving home =)
how can you resist a face like this???

Jon Ong the upcoming STAR!!! was such a change watching Jon on stage singing and stringing away on his guitar than a stainless steel Pole.
Once i can convert this darn avi file for upload (youtube is rejecting it) will share with ya'll =D

on another note of our Music STARS: (newest update)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR LOVELY VIVA VEE!!
a bunch of us recorded digital wishes and all compiled by a very amateur EM (amateur as in that was the first time i actually used more than 2 features on imovie. i know...epic fail!) and Thanks to Naughty Nastacia who took the time to introduce me to the many wonders of imovie! (which..hmm..got me interested in doing more vids now...first need materials...pole-vid-log? )
Check out Vee's Birthday Wish Vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-UlXa3d16Q&feature=channel_page
Thank you Viva Familia, Amigos Y Amigas for making Vee's Birthday Wish a memorable one =D

Race Against Time

2009-04-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

I expected myself to be tougher...
perhaps its the airport and its signification that opens that door, bolted and chained for so long
one crack at it, and the danger of it splitting wide open...i risked

Being my 5th year back in good ol' hometown Kuala Lumpur, i now fully understand the expressions of "getting it left, right and center"...and it aint the delightingly positive "getting it"
From every aspect and what you may call "pillars" of your life, i "got" it nicely...left right and center
now i dont mean physically of course....though that sounds more endurable as that only hurts for a shorter period and the bruising goes away
seems like whatever was done with the perfectionist objective...was not enough
mentally and physically trying in several different directions...
also "getting" it...in several different directions

What do i do...
What can i do...
What should i do...
I BREATHE...or try to

Time is the ultimate rival now
Its winning...
now...it WAS winning...
it MAY get ahead of me again....
but im determined...
i will get mine...plus i hate losing =P

been up since 830AM on this Sunday morning
attempting to trick the mind of Nescafe having an aroma
and start the day with a winning attitude! ;)

The other side

2009-03-22T00:45:00.000-07:00

What's the first thing you think of when we say Hong Kong?
Perhaps something like this?

filled with yummies like this?

(personally we think Goose Rice is overrated)

Instead, the best part of HK so far was Vee and I taking a trip out to visit HK Pole Goddess Symone C! Who lives like 3 mins away from this:

Symone's sweet partner Jose made a lovely meal to fuel us after our Death-Lays attempts! *check FB page for pics!*
needless to say we had to attempt a TRIO on the pole:

As messy and noisy and crowded as HK seems, my time here had been calming to the soul, eventful and had a great experience at AFEEX with the knowledge that the international presenters had generously shared with the us.

AFEEX Updates
Viva Vertical participation and presenting Pole Fitness at the Asian Fitness Education Expo (AFEEX) of 2009 in HONG KONG,organized by AASFP and supported by REPs

*more pics will be uploaded on FB ;) *

my flight back to KL is due tomorrow.
i believe i'll have better focus now with 2 weeks "migrane"-free and phone going off every 10mins and NO DRIVING!

Aight KL peeps, see ya'll in HOT SUNNY KL very soon!

EmLuvinIt - HK

2009-03-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

perhaps a sleeping schedule thats needs a lil tweeking and energy level that needs to be back up to par had resulted in the "sniffles"...

Viva Vertical's first LIVE radio interview in CANTONESE! Hope i didnt sound like a baboon with my throat clearing, sniffles and deeper-than-usual voice
To the HK peeps, hope we caught it on MetroInfo Radio Station this afternoon!

having lived in KL and Knoxville where both cities are beach-less, i crave the calm and soothing effect of nature's Wind and Water elements even more
even a harbour front helped me "ZEN" out while enjoying my MOS Burger =P
wuahahhahhahaaha

The Wind was calling out to us...reaching to us....so we greeted the wind like this...

Do we Look like we're ready for an outdoor appreciation ad? =P

anyway, am taking my opportuniy now to blog more cause i know that chance may not be so readily available once am back in KL. so here's more to bore ya with!

i've been told i need to "calm-down"...do yoga or somethin so im not so "hot" ( and i mean temper ya =P ) most of the time...which only usually happens at night when my patience had reached its limit for the day =P
Fine...thought i'd do some yoga while am here and tried out Hatha Yoga for an hour.
i dont understand yet...still...how ppl do it 7AM in the morning. my muscles aint even warm yet for all that stretching movements!
Perhaps i should study more on WHICH type of Yoga to do in the morning....meditation may not work as i'd end up falling asleep in class. come to think of it, perhaps being sleepy helps you "float" while you "meditate"...hence the calming effect. argh dont mind me...am blaberring, dosed up with cold medication (yes i managed to catch me a cold with a change of climate here as well)
So...what do Viva Poleleaders do instead of Yoga for some slow controlled mind focused movements? --> TAI CHI

that would be me shivering my arse off with lack of thick clothing to combat brutal morning wind

Here are the pros demo-ing. i do wonder how old they are...but its impolite to ask... =P

how to warm up the body after tai chi? some good ol chinese porridge with "yow tiu" =D malaysians call it "yow zha guai". this is some awesome "yow tiu"! the best i've ever had!! YUMMMMMMM

alright. i now must stop blogging because my laptop battery is about to run out PLUS i need to get my butt to Central to visit an old buddy! woot woot!!

Stay tuned as next blog i'll update ya'll on our Day-O-Fun with Pole Goddess Symone and Vee and I "attacking" well....fine ...not exactly attacking but marking "Viva Been Here" with poles around town

Peace and Love to ma pole peeps and mi familia!

Sanity...saved by the plane

2009-03-14T00:25:00.000-07:00

Several days before my long awaited flight to HK, i experienced something for the first time - xtreme "tight" headaches that naggingly lasted an entire day even, cloudiness in thoughts, desensitized in emotions i "should" be feeling, slowness in actions, fatigue and less energy for road rage =P wuahahah, the last point should be more beneficial actually. though all the while, staying upbeat and keeping positive thoughts on exploration of a different country and culture becomes MORE important than ever...to keep my sanity!

Arrived in HK (Finally!), stepping into this blasting windy city had literally swept my headaches away, well suspected it could be migranes which i reaaaally hope NOT!
lugging that golfbag and luggage around proved to be quite a workout in a supremely crowded joint, kudos to Vee who's does this on a regular basis!

First night of arrival i managed to sweat like a pig in this cold weather (i know, soooo attractive right! =P ) testing out 3 octopus stages in a small room while chugging down some good ol' orange juice. Next night was first exposure to HK's club scene at the "Libre De Danser" event Viva Vertical had sponsored, pole performance by Sky Tao. Caught up with HK's "pole goddess" Symone and met quite a gang of polers around

Thursday was spent with lots of walking...and i mean, LOTS! constantly refueling with bananas, apples, PB & J sandwich, egg tart, tou fu fa and our food splurge of the day "won ton mee" (yes we're on a budget!)
Ladies Night (almost EVERYWHERE) - in a nutshell, there was bar/club hopping, champagne, tequila, cosmos, magherita and more champagne, live band, pole, DJ equipement exploration and McDonalds. needless to say i woke with my first ever,yes first EVER!! "hangover" about noontime.

Have some time now to upload photos, especially the ones from weeks before (sorry for delay!) so please do check them out on Facebook and join Viva Vertical group.

Oddly, things seem calmer in this bustling joint...but of course thats because Malaysia is constantly bustling with Viva Activity! =) regardless of the busy-ness, i still miss it...i'm sure Vee does too ;)

the calming times includes walks out of the main city, like when we went in search of rock walls to climb! =P

also time in those MTR trains and the occasional coffee breaks at our newly discovered FREE and unlimited wifi joing called H-TEA-O. good soup! =P
i do miss my brothers...
i do wonder how they are doing while im away for 2 weeks...
the simple things like lunch packing and organizing daily schedules..
good thing andrew's independant enough to at least cooks his own meals...
(no Adam, Maggie Mee is NOT cooking =P )
i do wonder if i "mother" too much, now that im away, i can see how it drives my mom crazy with her babies being on the other side of the world

I miss you brothers!

random past midnight

2009-03-06T07:12:00.001-08:00

its almost 1AM and i have no idea why im actually on blogger blogging instead of laying my heavy head on that pillow next to me.

perhaps its because i feel that i should finally somehow explain my sense of "absence", both in blogging and of course, in person. those who know me close had been able to tell

all in a nutshell, things that run through randomly in my mind and things that often stick in my mind and never lets me go....for now...

(remember! its random and in no particular order!)

- i miss my chilli con carne

- will i survive more mask clearing tasks in my next scuba lessons

- im so tired though very happy to be able to make my cheese my way

- Andrew...

- Adam...

- i'm THIS close to giving up on him (its not andrew or adam)

- more plates to feed? shoulda though of that!

- playing pool brings back such good memories

- i miss mom

- my cheese! who moved my cheese! (well i know that one....)

- ugh...the negativity...must fight it!

- think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...

- i wonder if i get to sleep throughout the night tonight...

- ok.i should stop the attempt to blog now and snooooze....

- no wait, havent finished my to-do list....

- baaaaaaaaaaaaaah

.....

randomness...you may expect that from me at the moment....

Hong Kong here i come!!! =D

GONG HEY!!

2009-01-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Yes finally decided it should be "OK" to take one night off of PC work and blog!

First let's welcome a house guest of ours! lil Piper! JonO's sugarglider while he's away...so we're pet-sitting!

Chinese New Year has arrived again, this time not so much of a BIG BANG but perhaps its due to economy? I aint much of a celebrator myself, it wasn't til am back in KL experiencing CNY again in 2005 that i learned more about this traditional celebration. Every year i learn something new about this celebration, like you are to wear certain colors on certain days of CNY depending on your chinese sign! Though the process is ALWAYS the SAME! you go house hopping, see relatives you hardly ever see except during CNY, so every year its the same conversations going on. I do wonder if this is the only time most of us get to relieve the guilt of not visiting the peeps whom you should be seeing more, by spending at least half a day at their crib eating, drinking, gambling and talking about the same thing they did last year.
then you have the closer families whom this is the only time of the year where everyone's able to get off work to gather with the rest of the fam for some good ol' quality catch up.
from the 4 years of house hoppin and relatives visiting (i skipped one when i worked thru cny =P ), i feel perhaps this year is most rewarding with the relative visiting...
Role of mom was played today and took the bros out,Got to rekindle with my Aunt from mom's side and her big family on the first day of CNY (i know i know, traditionally you are to go to dad's side on first day bla bla bla...but wit a what you may call "dysfunctional" one, things are to change =P ). she welcomed us with such sincerity that i felt really guilty for not having taken more time visiting them throughout the past 2 years =/
going back to her place brought back so many memories for the bros and i, as we pretty much used to camp out there when mom was living here.

the only thing that sucks about me and cny is that i dont usually get to enjoy all the food!!!

example was cny eve dinner! 2 small servings of Yee Sang and half a bowl of sharksfin soup and i was already full!! =( ended up with one piece of every dish for the dinner only , but hey thats good enough! had hit the gym the next day...felt like a real blubber! Yee Sang is definately something i look forward to every year, the only time where everyone's chopsticks get together for some food tossing! (which really is what it seems like =P )

VEE is finally back from her long absence! made a house call (which so happenes to be like 5min away from my Aunt!), stared at the food cause we couldnt eat no more so tried to make some dough instead =P

played..well..made some "Dong Dong Chiang"sounds on the drum set...

then off for some drinks with the SIS and the BROinLaw @ Quattro

I SOOOO LOOKED FORWARD TO THIS FUN FUN WEEK WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

SHANGHAI NIGHT FOR VIVA POLE OUT ON JAN 30TH YA'LL! see the Facebook page for Details!

CATCH YA'LL THERE!!

How i spent christmas in 08...

2008-12-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

Went back to church for Christmas Eve Candlelight service after what seem like aaaagggeeessssss.....
and i was reminded again why i hardly go...
I CANT SIT STILL =/
attempted to sing my way thru the service with those awfully high church songs notes..(u dont wanna hear it...)
then came "the offering"...
i could see people around STIFFEN up while the ushers make their way to their row
then the covered fists come in...
i mean come on, if you're not gonna make an offering, DONT PRETEND!
This cat sittin next to me had his hands on the pamphlet the whole time and when the offerin bag came, the empty palm transformed to a fist with an offering?
"offering my heart"....yeah whatever... more like "no lose face" =/
sickening.....

Finally the lights go out, the lighting of the candles are about to begin when...
an old gentlemen sittin in front of me start shakin his head uncontrollably, his son tried to gain control of the movement by holding the man's chin as he makes out that the man was about to pass out....
"DOCTOR! WE NEED A DOCTOR!"
thankfully a doctor was in the house and came to the man
as the man laid on his back on the church bench, doctor checks his pulse, people crowd around to "kepok", wonderin what the ruckus was about...
the wife explained that the man had previous heart problems and fainted before...
as the man struggle to regain control...
the singing of "silent night" began to fill the church
standing there,holding my lit candle looking down right at the man, i was feeling helpless and completely eeeked out with the song in tune with the situation
as the man suddenly turns and vomits...
singing of "joy to the world" filled the church... (irony...)

he was still on the bench when the service was over and the crowd started clearing out
999 was called but the dispatch and hospitals asked if he can be transported by car instead..
i'm like, DUDE! if they were able to wouldnt you think they would've done so already???
*thought to myself, what kinda f***** place am i livin in????*
took 3 people to call 999 and different hospitals..finally the miraculous words "they're coming" was uttered

hope the man's ok....

At Trinity Methodist Church

enjoyed a simple dinner with La Familia after the service

Delicious! I love chinese meals like this!

it was a treeless christmas again this year, just seem sad to put up a tree shy of beautiful ornaments and pressies at the bottom (yes i blame the f******* economy that can kill traditions!!!) so instead of gettin up early for the tree-rush, i got up early to make some fluffy pancakes instead. Seems very simple yes but its the simple things that brings me joy =) sharing the love of pancakes!!

Adam was peacefully snoring while i was slaying away at the mosquito filled wet kitchen making those pancakes!

Andrew entertaining us with his P skillz!

and also cupcakes galore! with the help of cuzzie Pauline in baking these and the help of the boys making poop shapes with icing when decorating them...

managed to mall-hop from midvalley to 1u that day without much time consumed in traffic, which was miraculous! Midvalley had a whole carnival themed christmas going on and i felt like a kid again, hopping from cart to cart awing at Ginormous lollipos =)

went with the bros to watch Bolt and lil angela came on last min, the line was RiDONculous!(i love that new word i've adapted) BUT...miraculously marcus was already in line for tickets and helped got ours so we were lucky to have skipped waiting prob an hour in line! Aaaaawesomeness!!!!

Our Yummmyyyyy treat before the movie

christmas night was spent camming with mother back in Knox. she never fails to bring me smiles... We miss her so much...

our beautiful mother!!

Boys and i been playing christmas music during the road trip to and from penang and im still Loving It! so im still gonna "WISH you a merry christmas....we wish you a merry christmas.....we WISH you a merry christmas...and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

The lights...those flasing lights

2008-12-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

i still stare in awe at the pretty christmas lights...
something about them blinking the night away...
brings peace to me...

i still admire the ornaments decorating the tree in so many different forms...
trumpets, santas, elves, tiny prezzies, music notes....
pretty soon we'll see ornaments of Pole Dancers perhaps? lil figurine doing the B Hook... =D

i still enjoy the many versions of christmas jingles...
the many remixes by modern popular artists...
and the sensual voices of christmas songs our dancers slow jam to...

i still go "yippie" for christmas treats...
love the peppermint candy cane, love the peppermint latte(which they dont have in msia! *sobs*), love the choc-christmas-storybook(where u find a piece of choc as you read along the story days leading to christmas), love the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and dippin them in milk, love the warmth from hot chocolate with marshmellows, love that luscious texture and taste of red velvet cake...
then i noticed that not once did i mention actual nutritious food....*hmmmm*

i still jump in delight at wrapped christmas gifts...
the excitement and anticipation of your rewards after working hard at being a "good girl" for your mom and dad...
which makes me look forward to my own family in the future...

yeah yeah i know...its a lil early for all this christmas talk
but hell, christmas means the whole of dec to me =P

i was asked: "what would you like for christmas?"
my answer: "......."
*i actually started choking up then so needed to change subject superman-quick,sorry buddy*

since what i really want for christmas is an impossible wish for Santa to fulfill, i thought i'd give it a go at tangible objects instead. Never made a christmas wishlist so...why not...? =)

* New Phone * "hah! of course LAH =P "
* Toffee Nut Latte and Hazelnut Nut Latte OR IF CAN BE FOUND- PEPPERMINT LATTE!!* "*shrugs* what do ya expect from a coffee enthusiast?"
* Book on study and exploration of World Politics * "yes i DO read..."
* Personal on call cookie baker * "not maker! BAKER!'
* Massage treats * "oh dont we love massages!"
* Shopping spree on lingerie * "fussy in lingerie shopping, though love Xixili!"

thats it off the top of my head! now lets see if Santa will be visiting me this year for once...

"What do you think lil elf?"

i LOVE Christmas!

2008-12-09T10:17:00.001-08:00

I love Christmas! There always something about the colors, the lights, the tree, the ornaments, the people’s joy, the songs, the carols, the cooking & baking, the presents..ooh don’t we loooove the presents when we were kids, the only morning of the year where you CANT wait to get up as early as you’re allowed to just to rush down to that overly-decorated tree and go on a rip-wrapper-rampage, hug your parents after they watch you squeal in presents-joy with happy glistening eyes, enjoy some hot chocolate before they hustle you out the door in your best looking outfits for church…

As we age, Christmas hits us a lil differently. It aint just about presents anymore, it aint just about decorating that tree til its on the verge of ornament explosion, it aint just about singing that Rudolf song while stuffing your face with Christmas cookies… As we age, people we love and care for may not always be by our side very often until this very holiday brings us back together…the whole year filled with negatives of bickering somehow seems to vanish on a magically forgiving day…but what happens when you have distance preventing you from seeing your loved ones when they are the ones you would give anything to share with the most?...

The tradition of putting up the tree seem less meaningful…The songs aint bringing joy to the ears no more but more of tears to the eyes…putting your heart out cooking and baking and it being received with a local mentality pretty much kills any spirit you have left in you…Christmas shopping seems more like a chore than the joyous act of giving…

Is it because of the lack of enthusiasm you’re surrounded with out here during this holiday, where its just another day you get outta work? Is it because of our teachings and our ways out here that just kills the meaning of Christmas as the years go by where we only celebrate to impress others?

Perhaps im going thru this….phase? No… a reality check? No…. emo-ing? Maybe…perhaps….

I guess I just miss HOME…

Debating on putting up a tree...even though it will be empty of pressies and ppl sitting around it...i'd still love a tree.....hmmmmm

Seems to get harder every year, going thru Christmas without Mother and the family gathering I miss so much back Home…

But life goes on, grin and bear, make the best out of it…

Yes…That is the spirit I WILL have….and Share with my boys

I still Love Christmas and the joyful sights, the joyful songs and the joyful faces of my loved ones...

Ya cant kill my Christmas spirit!!!

Very Late Update II

2008-10-27T03:02:00.000-07:00

Ready for some real randomness? =P

Been sick for over a week now, thanks to that killer virus that's been spreading around to all mankind (no Jon not directly towards you, just the evil cat that passed it to you). Not too bad as its only the 2nd time this year, still considered to have a little stronger immune system right? o.O
So 3 of us would be hacking away, asthmatic-like coughing fits, feeling like the world's biggest poop...and what do we do for remedy?

I Had this looooovely Mint Coffee at Winter Warmers, which gave me the jolt i needed to listen to what the Dive instructor has to say. Maybe its ONLY when im sick that i actually FEEL the caffeine then...

and what do the boys have when they're sick?

awww...puppy face said...can?

2 weeks of late nights and work and pole and gym had worked them good...
Yes the boys are working now! Where at ya ask?

"Welcome to Darabif!"

Late nights consisting of? well got to check out several places, one of them be RAW. Before that i had to wait at Modestos with the boys, WHAT A SCENE! It was a joint filled with 15year olds drinking and grinding on each other(well maybe just the foreign kids, the asian ones were attempting to it seemed)! YES! these kids were SERVED bottles of Hard liquor! All i could think of was "shoot i had to use fake IDs and risk gettin busted! these kids havin it served to them!"

Joined Vee and her Bro-In-Law @ RAW after and the cocktail Sampling began! i loved my Coffee-licious one =D what was in it again? Chocolate, coffee, baileys...more chocolate and coffee...yyuuuuummmmm.

October has been a month of TOO MUCH Food Sampling! =P tried Bamboo Rice for the 1st time. it was alright, nothing to shout about. Done with Rice!

Outside Damansara Kim

Did some catching up with the Irish Aunt, pet loving with the 3 dogs 2 cats in the house and met lil Joshua (who's mom is renting a room at her house). Such an adorable energizer bunny! the 18mth old be dancing and chasing dogs around the house, sneaking over to my purse to look for the cell phone he loves throwing around and started mimicking the hump motion on my leg! Aunty and i agree, that needs to be fixed...

Caught up with Sue Yoong again for her Birthday @ the Gardens. Same day as DAD! also means --> a Day full of Sinful treats

at YO Sushi...food aint THAT great tho

Her lit birthday Ice Cream Treat. hahaha

DAD's Dinner was at Tony Romas. OK food, ginormous salad portion though!

Needless to say i did NOT finish this...

Stared at the "men" food while they gorged on these

>

Lotsa birthdays this month!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KYETHERINE/AWESOME/MELONS/WOOOWOOO!

Doin our thang at Euphoria MOS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MR-duriYEN!

Mr "i dont do photos" =P

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO FIONA-JANE GOMEZ/FI FI/PRINCESS FI/MISS SK II

Night of cam-whoring @ Palate Palette

Aite Aite..this is a WHOLELOTTA Cake and Food and Alcohol... What do we do to burn and shed some guilt?

Other than some club dancing......

The Gang @ RAW Liquid Launch

The Duo invaded the DJ booth

And Club POLE dancing.....

Lita & Ophelia leadin the night @ ZanziBar

They prepped us with "tools"!

Performance and Practices...

SAMSUNG Cream Launch at BAR Club.(btw its body art on my thigh,aint no real tatt!)

The Launch in Penang's QE II Restaurant & Bar

How could we resist cam-whoring with this?

Body Art on The arms Now

Attempting this cam-in-mirror shot

POLE workshop @ Jaya One PJ,in Aid of raising funds for Assunta's Breast cancer research...

Nana, Baby G & Porche leadin it @ Jaya One

One of our volunteers who couldnt get enough

Chase our mascot MISA around the studio....

Teach Men pole til they drop...

"Desiree"'s buddies...

Give Fi Fi a cheerleading chant to use the gym in the studio...

"Go Go! off your butt!!"

Join Wade Robson's workshop....

Wade Robson Workshop @ Celebrity Fitness 1Utama

Play some late night Wii Boxing and Tennis...

Was all that worth just to eat a plate of this...?

Mee Goreng

RESPONSE:

The Boys....

"dude we eat anything that moves..."

The Girls...

*sigh* let's just capture the Evil Lead Monkey who brought us donuts...!

Very Late Update - Part I

2008-10-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Its been a MONTH and i havent even updated blog!!
gotta work on this better dude...

September was a lovely month =) - Pole Dance competition, Surprise BD, Surprise Drunk night, Rally, First Seafood Steamboat, Pole Cutting DIY style, Project Gossip, and then came the news of Last min packing and the hanging confirmation news of moving...(yes til this day i dont even know when we're due to move because ppl out here work slower than turtles on morphine!) plus numerous blood-pressure-rising conversations with hospitals and insurance company. having a hard time breathing and regaining composure after being on the phone with them shows how deeply PISSED & FRUSTRATED & ANGRY i am with them

ANYWAY lets split this up in parts ya cause everytime i have a time slot to sit down and blog my phone decides to go off every 10 minutes. I SWEAR I AINT LYING! Someone's watching me, waiting till my ass sits comfortably on the chair to blog and sends signal to everyone to call or text me at the same time! like RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT! *rolls eyes*

forgot to post these semi-buzzed (not drunk!) pics up =P

and My lovely Birthday LOVE Pillow!!

Went to Yogi Tree Cafe to try out the food, as according to fiona, they have yummy healthy food (so cant be bad at all =P ). indeed it was very very nice! great chicken salad with guacamole salsa dressing! not a food blogger so have no idea how to take pictures of food with the right lighting and angle and bla bla bla... show ya my poor attempt at this Magherita from chillis...

Right??? =P ANYWAY, check out Yogi Tree and Tres Chic Boutique who recently partnered with Viva Vertical's "VIVA VIP" MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM! (I love their dresses!!!)

Met up with Mama Min for dinner at her favourite family restaurant - Damansara Village Steamboat with real seafood! (yes that means no imitation crab meat! =P ) i wish i have more patience in eating seafood. all that cracking with yo fingers and shell cracker and sometimes improving with a fork or your teeth... me? hopeless! i can sit there for a good 15 minutes trying to figure out which and what to crack and pull from a lobster/giant prawn looking thing while everyone is busy slurping the juicy brainy stuff twice over =P i need a shell-fish cracker....anyone?

Min's quick hands @ ridding of shells

J's hands tore it up quicker so i wouldnt sneak a bite =P

BEWARE- RANT CONTENT
Since August itself i've been having very difficult times with the insurance company and private hospital out here. now here's a scary thought, if private hospitals were already being so difficult, i cant even imagine what public hospitals are like!?! i think i'd prob have a heard attack just from the stress of dealing with them. SERIOUSLY i should always have someone with me whenever im on the phone with these ppl JUST IN CASE =P i know i know im exaggerating but NOT ON how they're being biatches! First we have to pay for the doctor to fill up a form for insurance claim?? im sorry what??? im paying you to write a few words so i can claim what i paid for on a monthly basis at the insurance company?? FINE! but guess what, 3 f***** weeks later i get a call from the insurance company saying claim cant be approved because of blah blah blah..the doctor had stated the WRONG LIMB! and excuse mr insurance company but could have at least called us once you had received the f****** form 3 f***** weeks ago! now they're telling me i have a deadline for this claim request....... >( * Breathe....Breathe....inhale......exhale....*

Then i found a picture that helped calmed me down....

its My Mama. I miss her very much...

Met up with two of my buddies SueYoong and PooiSan from Primary 6 and Form 1 level before i left for the states.i've been back now since sept 04 and i've only met up with them like 3 times max! I'm horrible. need to really really learn how to find my way to cheras and Kuchai better =/

AIGHT yo! phone is just blowing up, cant concentrate. lets finish this post with another one of our EEEEEEK Recipes - Burger bun, Mayo, Fries, Waffle, lil bit of ice cream and ketchup. though it must have been pretty good cause Justin ate the entire thing!!

PART II of the very late update coming up! =) Peace out!!

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY TREATS

2008-09-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU TO MY LOVELY FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY! I'm sincerely touched (as ya'll seen my happy tears when ya'll yelled "surprise!") and am so thankful to have ya'll share this birthday with me!!!
Thank you Vee (who was behind this surprise), I love you to bits babe!
Thank you Andrew, Adam and Jon, i love my brothers and god-brother!
Thank you Pi, i love the wonderful pole cake and your taste in flavor & Cosmetics! ;D
Thank you Sean "Lita", Kyeth "Ophelia", Bernade "Belita", Lynette, Sam, Shan "Nana", April "Ms Delicious", Yee Von "Emerald", Tasha "Nastacia", Fiona, Becky, Cyrstle "Cici", Nicholas "soon-2-b-pole-prodigy", Lili, Zoe & all for the lovely Gifts, flowers and Pole Love! not to mention the amount of alcohol i had to consume after NOT BEEN DRINKING for a very very very loooooooong time! (which by some standards are just a normal night of drinking =P what can i say other than "cheap drunk"! or as Pi says "Cheap Date"! =D

Pictures of "the invasion of Pole Dancers @ Somo" chanting "chug chug chug" and climbing trees and lamp post are here on Sean "lita"'s page. Enjoy and try not to laugh too hard =P

Finished off birthday with a nice dinner at Outback with Tan Family & Special Friends

of coures, what's a dinner without a shot of Adam gorging plates after plates of others when he was done with his... =P

'TIS A MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY I'D NEVER FORGET... =)

I'm so bad at blogging every other day and blogging in order but OH WELLL!
In no particular order, some Random Snippets of the past 2 weeks...

i was reading a newspaper while sippin on my black coffee the day before Merdeka and was somehow overcame with a wave to do something Patriotic. i Went to buy a FLAG...to put up on a pole.... in our Pole Studio.... *BIG GRIN* I'm wanting to fly the flag baby!!! and please no negative commnents are welcomed as all we were doing is holding our national flag up HIGH (well as high as we can climb) on a stainless steel pole with decent poses and huge smiley faces!

was ready to park my ass on PC and do some PC work the other night when J had the DIE HARD series on. YES, I'm of those who had never seen a single Die Hard Movie =P my big productive plan was soon bombed out of lola-land as my attention couldnt help but stuck to TV!!!! never had any movies been able to steal my attention while im doing work, Die Hard sure did!! Only managed to watch 3 out of the 4 series marathon before i passed out... "Dang, tomorrow die-die must do die-hard-PC-work" -_-

on another night, i decided to change my layout for this blog. Again, Lola in Lala Land wasn't paying full attention to all the text and pop up msgs from blogger and i end up LOSING all of my previous links to everythang! so please excuse me if you find something missing here now, trying to remember everything that i had on here.... help is welcomed people!!! *_*

Adam's GF Kathy came back to KL to support at the competition. AWWWWWWWW! just too cute of a couple!!! Never seen Adam waking up before 8AM to do anything but basketball and the occasional McD's Breakfast but DANG, this boy sure did woke up early to DRIVE and pick up/drop off Kathy. Young Love... ;)

To refuel ourselves after days n nights of messin around at the studio...

Viva team & friends headed off to have SUSHI after the watching the movie BABYLON - the only movie where all of us walked out LAUGHING OUR ASSES OFF! not because the movie is FUnny! but because it was actually A MOVIE!(yes it was that bad).

After classes one sunday, Adam, Jon and I along with Lynette and her friends went to check out and support Kyeth "ophelia"'s new Boutique's Grand Opening with an Emceed Fashion Show! AWESOME SHOES!!! Check out MIEL boutique in DESA Park City guys!

Pi decided to be cute..... AWWWWWWWWWWW

FINALLY! the GRAND FINALS DAY for CLorets Dark Secret Amateur Pole Dance Competition! Was sooooooo excited for allll of the contestants! got to ZOUK early for set up, rehearsals, munchy food in between, hair, attempt at doing my own makeup, and then about 750PM (yeah started a lil late...traffic jam, rain, breaking fast = malaysian timing), THE SHOW BEGINS!

BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 15 FINALISTS FOR PUTTING UP A FANTASTIC GROUP PERFORMANCE! AM IMPRESSED AT THE TOP 8 FINALISTS SOLO ROUTINES AS IT CONSISTED OF SOOO MANY DIFFERENT THEMES! YA'LL REALLY OPENED UP THE DOORWAY TO HOW THE ART OF POLE CAN BE EXPRESSED THRU. AND BIG BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRAND WINNERS! ALL THAT HARD WORK IN PRACTICE (not to mention GI-NORMOUS bruises!) HAD FINALLY PAID OFF.
BIG BIG THUMBS UP AND THANK YOU TO HANNAH TAN & PIETRO FELIX FOR SLOTTING IN HOURS OF PRACTICE IN THEIR BUSY SCHEDULE TO PERFORM AT THIS EVENT ;)

PLEASE SEE MORE PICS FOR THIS EVENT ON HANNAH'S BLOG AND LITA'S BLOG ! (*my cam was passed around but came back with tons of shots of the camera holder himself!*)

***VIVA VERTICAL IS PROUD TO BE PART OF THE TEAM TO PRESENT TO THE WORLD - MALAYSIA'S FIRST AMATEUR POLE DANCE COMPETITION!!!***

WHAT'S NEXT, BABY?!?! ;D

Please sit and relax...

2008-08-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

telling myself to sit and relax, well ATTEMPT to, have been quite important lately to ensure i dont lose it and go berserk. now piled up with unexpected bills and extra household responsibilities, i feel that im falling behind and just fighting with patience to stay on top of things.
INSURANCE in this country is the absolutely shit i've experienced.Its like blows to your stomach one after another as you are told that this is not covered and That is not covered, then also to find out ur insurance agent did not do a good job in getting everything covered that you have requested when signing up - great to know after shit went down and u have no choice but to cough it up. So while watching the $ tank shrink and having to deal with ppl telling you anything that is remotely reimbursable would take one freakin month, i must say i have done a pretty good job in not succumbing to the urge to light up and puff my tensions away

People, it is very costly to be injured and be forced in for surgery. unless ur loaded ,financially free and have extremely high tolerance to pain, Please Take Care of Your Body! These crutches are not the funnest toys in the world...

so instead of turning to my former ciggy buddy, i made damn sure to take it out on the cardio machine and give it a good sweat. It aint bullshit, exercising really does help. Just like when i found out about an exboyfriend's drug&whore act years ago, the 24hour gym was my immediate stop and i ran the fastest i've ever ran on the treadmill at top speed out of anger, frustration & betrayed emotions.
So DONT take it out on yelling at your friends/family, DONT take it out on binge eating or emotional eating, DONT take it out by drinking urself silly til u puke ur guts out, DONT take it out by immediately puffing through one whole box in one sitting, DONT take it out by whacking ur pets or ur loved ones....
DO SOMETHING BENEFICIAL TO YOU & YOUR BODY and Mental Health in the Process...
DO GET ACTIVE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORTS...
Once you've taken the first step in it, the rest of the journey wont seem as hard anymore

That reminds me of my love for the road. What also calms me is taking a drive to no particular destination, just me, my stereo and the road. Back in Knoxville, my Mazda MX6 "Honkie" and Honda Accord "Blue Baby" had kept me sane. (yes i named my cars! =P ) Didnt get a chance to name my Ford, too short of a relationship with it since the Hit&Run accident the first 2 months i got it. Anyway, aaah..the roads in Knoxville...wide...spacious...FREE of Crazy Malaysian drivers (t'was a good thing i learned how to drive there rather than HERE!) I loved every minute of my drives. Road Trips were super fun for me =) Road Trip to Manhattan,New York, Philly, New Jersey..New Orleans,Louisiana...Myrtle Beach, South Carolina...even closer cities like Birmingham,Atlanta,Memphis i took joy in......EXcept for the one time i got pulled over for speeding on the way to Memphis. 3 cups of coffee black at the gas station didnt quite cut it for me leaving about 4AM for a 6hour drive to memphis by myself.
Road Trips in Malaysia? Hmmm... driving to Penang i enjoyed. went thru a period where i was driving up there almost every other weekend for almost 3 months so that was my therapy. of course until i got pulled over (AGAIN!) for speeding, later also found out i was mailed TWO other speeding tickets. my total came up to RM900 for speeding alone!!! yes, helplessly I went to the "balai" to request for a "discount" =P payin RM650 was better than paying almost a grand (plus i had parking tickets...tsk tsk tsk..)
SO NOW that my driving therapy has been robbed from me with the crazy-all-for-my-own Mentality out here, POLE was able to replace as Therapy =)
Back when Vee was training me, even though my schedule at the gym was so packed that i was avg abt 8 to 10 clients a day, i would still make time to drive(ok i was speeding there most of the time) to Segambut and bust in her door for Pole Training

So Cant drive anymore, gas price went up its a dirty environment. BUT NOT OUR POLE LESSONS!
Hehehe. Looking for Therapy? POLE THERAPY, PEOPLE! =D

'Tis a dirty environment, i said. I was driving with the window down after class at The Ladies Club last Mon, felt cool after a good hard rain. Then all of sudden,at a stop light, i hear a bike reving next to me. Turned my head only to find two dimblewits in Pizza Hut Uniform on a Little Scooter whistlin and hollerin "YEEEEHAAWWW" AT ME! i wasn't sure if i was dumbfounded at this incredibly hilarious sight or was overcome by feeling of insult but i winded my windows back up took off once the light gave a green go. sure enough the dirty scums followed me down the main road til i head out to Penchala Link. Screw the window down breeze people! They may say that turning off your AC saves the earth, but having the window down may give you easy access to scums-on-bikes! yes i had also realized that i gave a very easy pathway for bike-robbers to whatever i had on the passenger seat.

Jon and Adam are in Singapore and Malacca for a whole week. I got worrysome, got tons of "what ifs" crossin my mind in regards to their safety and well being..... keep telling myself, you learn as you grow. Adam is getting older and not my baby brother anymore so just gotta learn to let him go as he begins his journey of independance. Already went thru that with Andrew so this time wasn't so hard. Boy cant wait to have kids now huh =P

Vee got back from the Big Apple and presented such a wonderful piece of BIG Reese's!!! =D We IS Reese's Lovers!

Lastly before im out...
VIVA VERTICAL TEAM WILL BE PERFORMING AT CLORETS AMATEUR POLE DANCE COMPETITION!
ZOUK MAINROOM, KL. SEPTEMBER 5TH. 6:30PM
Get a pack of Clorets Fresh Mint Candy as admission and be ready to put that fresh breathe in action! It'll be a night filled with Pole, Beautiful People and Great Music Entertainment ;D
See Ya'll There!

Viva Fun in Pole, Food, Relax & VIVA FAMILIA!

2008-08-15T02:30:00.000-07:00

With all fun and play with Pole and Fitness, sometimes the body does need some rest and relax...

Shall start with my BACK..(tune of song comes on)"..my neck..my back..my..." (ooops, mind got sidetracked! =P ) anyway, after a full week rest and No Pole tricks, back is finally feeling much better! thanks to Dr Barry from Back In Motion. Apparently was due to previous multiple injuries(thanks to the 6 car accidents), caused pressure build up from top and bottom of spine and eventually....*POP* = OUUUWWEEEE!! ultrasound treatment i was ok with, electric current treatment i was very giddy about,the fact that my back muscles were being contracted without my brain's instructions hence i felt like deformed puppet with my shoulder stuck next to face =P after about 3-4 of those, i have yet to see WHY some ppl actually enjoy it =/
Anyway, point of sharin this is, IF YOU feel somethin aint right with your back, go get it checked out, especially if you have felt it over 2 weeks. We use our back muscles alot in pole as well so it is crucial we maintain our strengthening and stretching of back muscles.
Seriously dude, dont think you would enjoy layin on chiropractors chair while he twists and cracks you in places you never knew could be cracked.pretty sore for few days after....

Next body part, KNEE. NO not my knee thank god but J's knee. He underwent Knee Surgery yesterday for Torn ACL(Anterior cruciate ligament), lil frayed PCL(Posterior cruciate ligament) and a Fucked up Meniscus in need of repair. This resulted in many years of playing football(american), Soccer, Baseball and Basketball since age 5.Nothin we can do with Wear and Tear situations,just gotta make sure we take care of our joints NOW,Peeps! I'm researching on several supplements, update ya on what i find soon.

Went for Grandma's birthday dinner that week and managed to snap these great photos of the 3 TAN brothers with all 3 of their first borns! (yes all daughthers =P)

so on my one week break from studio (Thanks so much to Vee for helpin me out ;), i managed to cook some decent mexican munchies and baked a bit. invited Tan family and Viva Family(Auto, Mash, Trix, Vee, Nas) over along with viva mascot Misaaaaaa. So was a night of Tortilla & Corn chips with homemade salsa and chilli dip, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, soft shell beef bean tacos, finishin with not-so-mexican homebaked dessert of Chocolate chip cookies, Oatbran choc chip and chocolate cake with warm custard. after some digestion process of some Wii Games,chasin Misa around and gettin my DAD on the Pole(see pic below), Tan family left and Viva Family got into some POLE(also clowning around) action on my pole (after some edititn i'll attempt to post our pole recording up =P)

STUFF & SPA DAY! a full day of just relaxation @ Hilton KL. Vee and i STUFFED ourselves at Iketeru's wonderful champagne+food free flow brunch, kept ourselves entertained with experimenting food we have never ever heard of.

then it was Play time (with food first), CANT HELP IT! when i saw HORSERADDISH ice cream on the menu, i HAD to try it. Though after One full teaspoon of the cold cream, i think my face went eeeeeck!. that didnt stop me from experimenting with mixing HORSERADDSIH ice cream and SALMON SASHIMI with wasabi and soysauce, whilst Vee experimented Horseraddish ice cream with shrimp teppanyaki, wasabi and soy sauce.Vid here

After some hardcore stuffin and champagne sippin (or chuggin...same thang =P ), headed off to lounge by pool til our spa appointment. OOOPS! ate too long! we only had about 10mins to digest before being kneeded about.ah well....
Friendly staff led us thru a beautifully decorated bali infused hallway to our treatment room and were greeted with some warm aromatic tea and foot bath. followed by some body scrubing treatment. i had some lulur stuff followed by somethin with oats in it (dont ask me which kind, dont remember =P). after that was a milk bath! never had a milk bath before! after a while felt like i AM some bakin oatmeal with flower petals in this tub of warm milk. Maybe the heat got to me, hence why i had my, uh, *cough* special drink *cough* by mistake =P YES Vee & Pietro, im blaming the heat!

STUFF & SPA day ended with some actual swimming at the pool then Movie time with Mash, Trix & Pietro @ Cineleisure. aahh..very nice day =)

It was TRIX's birthday on July 29th!
After pole class, had rushed to KL to meet the gang. We surprised him with Jogoya @ Starhill, since he's a jap cuisine fanatic. AGAIN we STUFFED ourselves silly til they were closing at MIDnight! then the rush for the dessert bar was chaotic! everyone's hands are out grabbin the first ice cream scooper done bein used by someone else. most of the Haegan Daez were gone =( (i was cravin haegan daez for a while for some reason). only managed Caramel, Mango and Strawberry. after the meal, we somehow HAD to finish with some left-over-experiment. SO...what was in the cup? I think it was Soy Sauce, Coffee Kahlua, Mango Ice Cream, Wasabi, Rum, Green Tea Mousse, kiwi ice tea, peach ice tea, white wine...and i think someone drop some soup in there. Who was the GUTSY one? MASH chugged it all for 10 Bucks! =D

Have been really lazy-ing on weights. My goal this week is to get back on track! Get on that functional back training, power legs training, Dynamic Core Training! Pietro will be gettin on this too! =P wuahahahaha
Check out THE STAR's coverage on Viva Vertical's Fitpole for MEN!
Read about it HERE

Of Course Hannah Tan had her story of POLE shared as well ;)
Read About it HERE in NST

FINALLY! Congratulations to all 15 semi finalists for Clorets Dark Secret Amateur Pole Dance Competition! the hours practiced for video submission had paid off ;) Clorets had a press conference and Media POLE Dance workshop yesterday at Celebrity Fitness Bangsar Village 2 with VIVA VERTICAL. Great job to the finalists as they strut their stuff greeting the media, offerin sone lil teasers on the pole!
WE introduce........(in alphabetical order)

AUTO (Andrew)
BELITA (Bernade)
BRITTANEE CONSTANCE (Frances K)
EMERALD (Yee Von)
FEI YEE & FANG FANG (DUO)
ISAAC
KYETH (Sim G L)
LITA (Sean)
LILI
MS DELICIOUS (April Y)
NANA (Shan)
NIKITA (M Ling)
SAM
SEOW FANG
ZOE

Accompanied by Hannah Tan and Pietro Felix, this was quite of preview of what we may expect to see on Grand Finale day itself!

(Please click on pic to see enlarged size)

All you need is a pack of Cloret's fresh mint candy as Admission to be part of this POLE-filled night of Awesome Fresh breath, pole stars and Studs, Hot & Charming Celebrities and Viva Vertical Pole Performance!!

Read more details about the Media Workshop in Hannah Tan's blog and these wonderful bloggers pages: Julian Hopkins , Soon Seng , Clare,

SEE YA'LL PEEPS! PEACE OUT!

Keepin it Up...

2008-07-11T06:16:00.001-07:00

am really not good at this keeping-up-with-my-blog thing.maybe its the thought of sittin down for over an hour typin away while my short attention span leads me to surf the net while typin, hence why it takes AGES for me to finish one freakin post!

FOCUS!... -_-

Lets start with some Viva Pals! The kids were over from Seremban for Hip Hop Class with MASH. (they are the cutest lil dancers, and mind you, They're pretty good for Ages 8-11) It was Lil Lois's Birthday so joined Crystle "CiCi" n the lil crew for Korean BBQ in Hartamas

See i said i would take a pic of mi food =P forgot again tho at Marmalade. Pietro guided us to the one in Plz Mont Kiara (and we thought it disappeared after dessert bar took over the spot!)

~Low Low Low...~ finally got to see Flo-Rida Live @ Hennessey Artistry Event with Mash,Point and IVI! Haven't seen any international artist in a while since Kanye West visited KL,tho i do wish things weren't so censored and sheltered here that even the hypest artist can have one of the most tone downed concerts. Hard to feel the hype when ppl around you are so worried about their so called "image", they hardly move two toes around! missin the days of Afroman(well not too much,too much smokey smokey in thurr), Twista(except it Rained that day!), Paul Oakie, G Acosta, DJ Icey, Moby, Anthony Hamilton...
Well now we're in Malaysia and we have our one and only Point Blanc Reppin! =) How sweet of him to come "entertain" us that night =P

We had our first POLE-OUT session last Fri @ Mardi Gras (1Utama) =) just a night where polers from different classes and polers from other places get together and jam the night away. After the band (what seemed like ages...) was done n DJ started spinnin, we got our Pole on =P the crowd must have had a feast for the eyes! all 4 poles must have had at least 3 polers on it & next to it! next time wont forget my shoes, ended up going in sandals =/

THank you VV Divas and VV Hunks who came together that night!Looking forward to our next Pole-Out which will be coming soon! should be the 2nd fri of Aug ;)

Big Ups to the ladies who took the time to learn the choreography and recorded to submit their Pole Vids for the Clorets Amateur Pole Dance Competition!
May check out the posted entries here www.cloretspower.com

More pole videos for inspiration?
http://youtube.com/user/VivaVertical

To finish up this post, Here's the pic of the post...

POLE WITH YOUR LIL BUDDIES! * in case she's too small for yo eyes to see, That's Trix's POODLE in my Free Hand - MISA!...that extra hand in the photo would be Trix on Standby if Misa Squiggled* =P

Only in Asia

2008-07-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

INTERNATIONAL MUAY THAI SUPER FIGHT held on July 5th @ Stadium Melawati
My first ever live match.Not much of a follower, just thought it'd be a nice first experience.What a pain it was to get there though, no one i had asked knew how to get there so decided to cab it. called 3 taxi service before finally having taxi available. got to shah alam area, Taxi driver turns around and goes "where is stadiun Melawati?" i could have smacked his big fat head silly! why the F*** would you pick us up not knowing where the hell you're going??? anyway, finally got there! i was all pumped up ready to watch some ass whoopin. event scheduled to start at 6:30PM. However, this "Malaysia timing" was applied again. The entire event was waiting on the VIPs (could also be known as Very Idiotic Pigs)to open the event, guess who was late? The chief minister of Selangore and his ppls.LEAD BY EXAMPLE mah... Finally events starts(almost 8PM), followed by Ring Divas riding with my GodUncle's Harley D Crew's (see these bikes reving engines i can take, lil scooters out on our KL streets revin their lil toy bikes i can scream).

not very good pics taken, still waiting on goduncle's pro pics

Wont go into details with the fights, all in all, Zidov from Contender Asia lost, Tiger (Female fighter from Aus) kicked the other "model" fighter's behind, fight halted at her bleeding broken nose, Malaysia's Super 4 paired up against each other,winner will STAND A CHANCE, not even guaranteed to be in the next contender asia 2 =P don't mind me, just have to laugh now. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! only stayed til after Brazilian and Singaporean's fight. Singaporean lost by technical foul due to dislocated shoulder not stayin in place long enough to finish 3 full rounds.
Now ONLY in ASIA would you see a fashion show at a bloodsport event, let alone a Fashion show for MEN's UNDERWEAR!!! at an event where you would find MOST straight angry guys, here we have lil asian men trotting about in their colored whitey tidies with pineapple patterns, froggie swimming floats as accessories, necklaces and hand gloves to match the undies.(if this were to happen in the states, you would see a whole different show of G-AsWhoopin) i found that disgustingly HILARIOUS! sure enough, after the fashion show during breaktime, saw a group of gay men left right after...geesh...came all that way just to watch that...
*note, i do not have anything against homosexuals, pls do not take offense*

2 fights after the break, got tooooo hungry so left.....only to find out that we're out in the middle of no where! walked to main road to hail cabs. finally found one who agreed to take us back to mont kiara for RM30 (not tooooo bad, i was afraid of the 50s rolling out), this Sonofabiatch drove us for 2 minutes, pulls up at a Petronas Gas station with no warning, pops his hood for a water refill, turns to us and said "sorry u go find another cab, im too tired now to drive you". EXCUSE ME???? THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU PICK US UP IN THE FIRST F****** PLACE??????LEAVIN US AT A GAS STATION IN MID OF QUIET HIGHWAY AT 11:30 AT NIGHT??? After being confronted by J about not being an honourable man, if he had he would call us another cab...bla bla bla.....funny watchin a 6 foot 2 against lil taxi driver. NOW this is how we spot a coward D***, when he's being confronted, his face showed fear and confusion (HE SEEMED TO BE SO UTTERLY CONFUSED AS TO WHY WE WERE UPSET!!! CAN YOU IMAGINE THE MENTALITY?), then he turns to me and gave ME a hateful glare. got in his car, sped up while mouthing "F*** YOU" to ME, not the 6 foot 2 who was in his face. HA! PATHETIC AND UTTER DISGRACE OF HIS PROFESSION.
pooh...and there i was, ready for some CabbieSmackin Action...hmm..maybe shouldnt be watchin live fights now... =P

NOT A GOOD DAY WITH TAXI DRIVERS

Went over to Dad's crib in BU for some Pizza by the Pool.Though was just too damn Windy to be in that water.

Haven't had Durian in AGES! Adam finally got to eat his first durian (after much persuasion). needless to say we all Stank after...

Finally got to try Bubba Gump Shrimp(after all 6 of us had settled and ordered at a eatery in 1U and decided to just get up and go BGS instead)!!! First saw it in San Fran Cali, Then in Japan(but didnt get to eat there) now its HERE! Third time's the Charm baby! Haven't food-blogged before but i'll snap pics of my food next time =P

A RARE NIGHT OUT(for me) FOR CUZZIE CLAIRE's Birthday @ Velvet's Mambo Jambo Night.ahh, lychee martini... =)

Messin around at the CF gym with the boys the other day. still practicing on getting this damn freeze right. here's a shot of my poor attempt

im gonna get this right ya'll!!!

Trix got a Poodle Pup!She's such a cute lil furry thing! name is MISA, only 2 months old

On another hand, I'm still wanting to sell my cat. we're just not home enough to bond with her and give her the full attention that she needs. Anyone knows anyone who would be interested or knows anyone who's a cat purchasor?
5 Months Old Bengal Cat, purchased from breeder in Penang

*ADD ON*
Went to see Naughty Nastacia @ Dansing Thru Broadway. Such a beautiful performer! did some "forbided photo snapping"

Women's Health & Self Defense Workshop

2008-06-23T00:19:00.001-07:00

Viva Vertical have just finished with our first ever Workshop dedicated to raise support for Women's Aid Organization - Women's Health and Self Defense Workshop this weekend (June 21st & 22nd)

We would personally like to thank the speakers who took their time out in order to come support this cause and to help educate and inspire the ladies:

Ms Chan Hui Min - "SHAPE" Magazine's Weight Loss Diary SUCCESSOR/Cake Design Specialist-MAMA MIN

Dr Barry Kluner and Assistant - Originally from Canada, he is now One of Malaysia's most Dynamic Chiropractor. His practice in Sunway - BACK IN MOTION Chiropractic Center

Mr Victor Ooi and his team - Founder of Wira Bakti Self-Defense Consultancy/4th Degree ITF Taekwon-Do Black Belt/an ITF Taekwon-Do International Instructor and Examiner and a Malaysian national Taekwon-Do champion.

Workshop in Aid of WAO(Women's Aid Organization), thank you to Annie, Didie and Team for coming with their wonderful merchandises, some made by the women in shelter.

*Min, I'm sure you've heard it so much by now but we are still in awe on what you have achieved. Not many have the discipline to make the change and stick with the change, changing their life for the better and also the loved ones around them. You did an incredibly great job and thank you for sharing your inspiring story! (and also for the yummy Wholemeal Banana Muffins!)*

Dr Barry Kluner's presentation was a wake up call to most. "ARE YOU REALLY WHAT YOU EAT?" His informative slides covered a the nutrition basics that Malaysians are still mostly ignorant about, also some educational tips on vitamin/mineral supplementation and crucial facts we should know on how to protect our bones. The human spine model he brought helped, not all of us have actually seen what our vertebrae looks like! let alone what it looks like once we dont take care of it! so quote Dr Kluner "IGNORANCE is NOT bliss!"

Victor and his Team had given us such a wake up call to what is going on in our nation. We may hear news all the time that other nations are violent (let it be the USA, Nations in Mid East...), but were WE aware of what violence we've had here in our own country? also know that statistics shown for malaysia wont be 100% accurate, WHY? because of our own POLICEmen (and i'm sure most cant argue with this) and government officials? i've heard it first hand from a friend that statements and reports would not be filed by the representatives at certain police stations! reasons? could it be because they dont want the country to look bad with high statistics? could it be because they couldnt even be bothered to emphasize and hear what you have to say because the only reason why they're in the job is so they can walk around "robbing"(asking for bribes) civilians of money?
do we REALLY want to know how many Violent cases we have here if EVERY SINGLE case was reported and filed? ~ I'm personally afraid of those numbers
SO! that's why people of Victor's profession are here to help Educate the public and to teach us Self Defense Training! (my shoulders are sooo achey today, maybe was swinging too much)

Big THANK YOU to Fiona for taking us thru some Latin American steps (which i never knew my hips & ankles could be sore from all that swayin, though i was prob doin it all non-latino style =P )

No matter how many people we're able to reach in FREE EDUCATION & INSPIRATION project (that some ppl even pay hundreds and thousands for but FREE is too much to commit to? still blocked up on that), every person counts as they knew other than the Free benefits, they also get to give back by helping the less fortunate at Women's Aid Organization

once i get to editing and piling together the Self Defense Vids with the Kicking and the Arm Swinging stuff, best bet it Be Up!

Sleep?Hormones?Mood? = BLEH!

2008-06-06T00:53:00.000-07:00

yes, BLEH is how i'm feeling right now...

Can't pinpoint exactly what my body's going thru at the moment but signs are there:

1 - The same weight that i've been pushing before in training, seems heavier now. My usual dumbbell squats of 70 to 80 pounds now feel like tons of concrete! takes a while to gather up energy before performing jump squats and tuck jumps n lets not forget the longer resting-in-between-sets time.

2 - Loss of appetite. also,one bowl of oatmeal now fills me up for about 5 hours (it used to last only 2 hours!). Taste buds completely whacked out (things dont taste as good as it did before). i am maintaining water intake, just pee more =/

3 - Always feeling sleepy/lethargic during the day, just not at night

4 - Because i'm not feeling sleepy at night, I CANT SLEEP!

Insomnia hits me off and on ever since childhood though i dont think its too serious as i've heard of worst cases before.for me,the trouble is actually FAlling asleep, though once I'm asleep, I'M OUT! (well usually...) only thing that wakes me up is a Sudden Loud Unfamiliar noise, noisy moving bed partner or mosquitoes. YES once im woken up from the itch, i cant fall back asleep! kinda sad when i get asked, "what kept you up last night?" FREAKIN BLOOD SUCKING MOSQUITOES! This may run in the family as both my bros face the same problem (maybe not the mosquito part but just cant fall asleep!)

Sleeping Aids Tried:

* Nyquil (drowsy cough syrup) - had to take it even when aint coughing. The Doxylamine succinate helps
* Benadryl (drowsy cough syrup) - my option in Msia since they aint got Nyquil here
(UUGGHHH!they are both very very very disgusting!!!)
* Benadryl Allergy (drowsy) - no allergies. just the ingredient aids to sleep
* Sleeping Pills - now of course it is not sold over the counter in malaysia. i bought it easily off the shelves at WAL-MART.although tolerance build and it stopped working on the 3rd night. i would not up the dosage anymore so just stopped
* Tried something my bro had that sometimes help him sleep - i fell asleep alright! but woke up 3 hours later WIDE AWAKE!

OK aint a druggie here so i did try aids that doesn't require any medication
* Staying up the night before so i would tire myself out - turns out i ended up NOT sleeping for 2 nights in a row =( BOOOOOO!
* Staying up for TWO nights straight - ended up with very cloudy and confused head when i did wake up from the 3rd night of napping on and off
* Relaxing Music of Nature - could only lay there for about 5 mins before it creeped the hell outta me =P
* Reading - it helped when i was a kid. now its stressful to focus on reading at night i end up MORE AWAKE
* TV - certain shows (travel & cooking) with monotonous narrating and light background music been helping so far. til the program changes to a screaming horror commercial or a loud-overly-excited Japanese fishing show(on AFC about 4 or 5AM) comes on and BAAAM! IM UP AGAIN!
* Lavender Scents - smells good! but IM STILL AWAKE
* Meditation - ..... (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)

ODD things that have worked before but only DURING THE DAY
* After being stuck in traffic
* Riding as a passenger in a car, stuck in traffic
* Attempted learning yoga & pilates on DVD years ago. only got thru 10 mins of the DVD...ZZZZZZ
* About 2 - 3PM, Sleepy hits!
* Blogging - like now...eyes are droopy -_-
* After a good sun tanning session (aah, how i wish to be by the pool or be at the beach right now)

Now all the BLEH feelings could be because of LACKING SLEEP, sets off a chain reaction. DUH~!

Problem hope to be solved by a - a sleep specialist in the country...if there even is one here...(music of "DOOOMED"!)

WILL THIS STOP ME FROM POLE-ING AND WEIGHT TRAINING? - HELL NAW! =)

**a night of "M'sia representin" @ Aloha's Hennessey Artistry

Been sippin on sum Hennessaay!

and the responsible (NON)drinkers...(uh,that my wine =P )

LoLa's First Blog!......on this page =P

2008-03-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

I admit, I've been an off and on blogger for a few years now. Started in Tennessee when JC introduced me to XANGA, eventually got bored then it was a series of Windows Live Blog, Myspace Blog when I moved back to KL......now finally on BLOGGER! yes yes, me must stay on this one =P

Now for a lil bit of intro (aint a fantastic writer here so pls dont mind my writing =P )
I moved to Tennessee, US in 1999 and came back to my roots in KL end of 2004. I've always love dancing, started young at 12 when I took Ballet (but only lasted a year before I had to move =/ )
Dancing lessons in TN? my learnings would originate from clubbing @ various types of clubs as a very young teen =P
Life in Tennessee was filled with much exposure to many more kinds of Dance, with LINE Dancing being one of the most popular in the state.Then there was the very different yet immensely popular Urban Hip Hop, had friends who would love showin off their Crip walks and harlem shakes, there more moves that would just blow ur mind! =P Hip Hop there is pretty different from what Hip Hop is perceived in Malaysia.(go check out them YOUTube vids & you'll know what i mean) One of my favourites also includes a very modern way Ravers express themselves thru trance, house, drum n bass, funk.....all in all - techno music.
I know I know! most of ya'll be thinkin "Feng Tau" music whilst hoppin up & down like a drunken monkey, as for those who've seen it, very similiar to what was titled "melbourne shuffle" but with less of the constant shuffle and incorporated more with flow of the body.

Aite, so that was a lil sneak at my exposure out west. As we go along on the blog, I'll progressed to our present times and future dreams. Now I tend to be a lil rough with my words at times but hey, we gotta stay real, right! So please ya'll, dont be offended or take any words personally, 'cause really, out to get you? that aint why I'm bloggin =) Smilez! PEACE!

Pole-craze

2008-04-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

What seemed like a new lesson to try out for fun turned out to be a discovery of the inner "fitness soul"...was how I started Pole. Though majority still loves to badger on the stigma of Pole Dance, its the truly adventurous, gutsy, confidant and receptive to modern growth in society that have the GUTS to step foot in the circle of PoLe and accept it as being more than a bar show in bangkok.

I must say i was immensely impressed with the response of Malaysian women AND men who have visited us. Yes we have guys who have been inquiring as well as training at the moment =) and NOT GAY! hehe. Other major nations have already adapted this sport (China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong...) and am proud that Malaysia gets a seat on that list.
Of course you still have the percentage who blatantly refuse to accept the idea of Pole Dance being other than strippers trying to make a buck. We cant change their thinking by talking, its the "showing" that does the work =)

Can Pole change a person? physically, yes! mentally, definitely(well, maybe not a complete change but a great self-discovery and builds great sense of determination)! its what we call Pole-Therapy! I used to have super long tired stressed out days but after only an hour of Pole-sweating, much better and cleared thoughts!that a sense of self achievement does wonders psychologically and its way better than prescribed drugs for super stressed out peeps. its hours of hard work and actually SEEING your result! ur become more positive and more confidant...shall i say its a "Pole-Makeover"? ;)

Pole for the soul, ya'll...

A short trip to the past

2008-04-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

I dont like to dwell on the past, or even enjoy going down that road sometimes.
Though i'd be lying if i claim to never think back and take a short mental break from the present.

It was 4/20 yesterday.
Every year since 2001, its a day that for self reflection and also a long trip to the past. all of the "i wonder..." and "what if i had...." runs thru the mind at top speed.
finally when as the trip comes to an end and the clock forwards back to present time, im left with emotions i havent felt in a while, left with vivid memories, also left with that familiar sense of loneliness, knowing it'll take me a very long while before im able to share those feelings with my close and loved ones.
this year though, mind was so occupied that that trip took a late flight, which also means late arrival back...

I believe that the past makes you who you are. we've heard many times that "the past is the past, i dont care about your past..."
without the past, your present self wouldnt be here.
the past is there for us to reflect on mistakes, to grow and learn from it
the past is there for us to remember who were there for us when we were down in the gutter, to appreciate them more everyday
the past is there for us to understand another better, to expand our ability to read & help another better
Things that we've done in the past, on the other hand, should only be comprehended as stepping stones to your new land, but not to dwell in regret

The move to the US and growing up there during your newly-hit-puberty-years up to young adulthood =P, was definitely something i feel very lucky about.
now many will have the stereotyped conclusion of "oh you lived overseas how lucky and rich and how easy you must have had it"
boy dont we wish?!
when i said lucky, yes i do mean i had the opportunity to explore outside of my home country.
lucky that i had the opportunity to have an American education
lucky that i had the opportunity to live and learn about American "culture"
lucky that, gone were the days of tiny portions on your restaurant plates and in comes the generous heap of food placed on American's restaurant tables
lucky that i learnt what work really is at age 14 and understand that money from parents dont come easy
lucky that i met so many different characters during my years, whom i learn very valuable life lessons from, first hand
lucky that years of hard earned money can pay off finally, when i started travelling within the states, the opportunity to explore more of the "dreamland" (driving 6 hours alone and end up getting pulled over is NO FUN!)
lucky that life there had helped me build determination and courage about making bigger decisions and taking absolute control of my future

Moving back to malaysia, was one of them...bringing the years of US with me

Major decisions are scary, you dont have an exact idea on whats ahead of you, only a path with windows of possibilities for you to peek in or jump thru
though if you're determined to make the best out of any situations you end up in, life is less difficult
Hanhi, a very close sis-friend, and I have a favorite saying "Carpe Diem!"
It means "seize the day!".
Seize your opportunities! you never know when you'll never have another day