Dancing with the Stars Season 13

I recently caught DWTS Season 13 on good old fashioned TV programming. Yes, it took this long for DWTS to finally arrive on cable TV in Hong Kong. 

I have never seen DWTS, not even on Youtube and let me say, this was certainly IN-TE-RES-TING! There was Chaz Bono! Nancy Grace! Chynna Phillips! Ricki Lake! How more fascinating a troop than this for a virgin viewing of DWTS? 

Chaz Bono was the reason I kept watching DWTS every week. My husband, who invariably catches me watching it, wanted to know why I would want to watch Nancy Grace prance in and out every week. He just doesn't get it. It's Chaz.

My impression of Chaz - and this is purely from gormless vegging out in front of the TV - is that hey, he's a likable guy! I was surprised to see how overweight he is, but he was very candid about it - he said something like to be in his 40s and overweight, it's a huge challenge being on the show. And I don't doubt it. You can see the huffing and puffing and how much he's pushing himself physically every week to learn the routines. He's completely out of his comfort zone, physically and I would think emotionally as well (seems like a shy guy). You can see he probably hates doing the show week after week, but pushes through anyway.

I particularly liked the episode where he performed to the theme song of Rocky, he looked like he finally enjoyed the dancing and broke through triumphant at the end. Cher was in the audience that week and it was moving (could be my lactating hormones going out of whack) to see how proud she was of her transgender child. 

And the week he did the Samba was very entertaining too - this Chaz, he can ssshake his booty! I think what is interesting about Chaz is that at the onset, you go 'What!', and then you watch him in person (on telly that is), and you - I mean I - end up rooting for this guy. He was the underdog and I wanted him to succeed. Nice vibes overall.

Now Nancy Grace - you've got to hand it to her. She's quite...hefty (which you never quite realize since her lower half pretty much hides behind that desk), and had no qualms shaking it all out. I didn't like her on the show but I wanted to keep watching her. I think that's what it is about DWTS, there's a certain element of it that you just...gawk at.

Chynna Philips is an ode to my teenage years - who can forget Wilson Phillips, and how we should all Hold On for One More Day? I thought she looked so great then with her chic short bob which I promptly went out to get the exact same haircut, only to end up looking like I was wearing a helmet. Disastrous to say the least.

Chynna still looks fabulous today (might have had some help somewhere), and she was just breathtaking when she danced. She is seriously graceful. I had to google her afterwards to see if she was ever a ballerina. She was so lithe and danced like wind in the willows, you simply could not take your eyes off her when she was dancing. Too bad she got eliminated very early on, in my opinion she could have been the winner of the season.

Ricki Lake - a nostalgic reminder of my days in college in the US. I used to watch her on daytime TV all the time. I think every single day. Ricki, Jerry Springer and Maury - my staple TV diet in my college days. It doesn't get any trashier than this.

The thing about Ricki Lake is that I now have a hazy memory of her despite our daily dates way back when. So I had to google her to find out what she's been up to and I find that her recent claim to fame is her book on natural birthing. I go on to read somewhere else that a strong-willed mom who was completely against the idea of natural birthing, read her book and it changed her mind completely. 

How scary is that? That you can read a book and completely change your mind about something like your own childbirthing experience. I have had 2 kids and no way would I have been able to have had them without an epidural. This I know very well.

I have the deepest respect for all the women out there today and in generations past who've done it the natural way, free from any medication. It is completely mind boggling to me, and is most definitely not something I can do.

But there's a part of me that is curious and wants to know what this is all about. Something about how it empowers you when you deliver the natural way. That if you've done it the natural way, you know you can do anything.

So now I'm scared shitless to read the book. 

Fragrant Harbor

In 6 months' time, I would have lived in Hong Kong for 7 years. I'll be able to get permanent residency.

When my then boyfriend-now husband and I decided to move to Hong Kong almost 7 years ago, we said we'll be here for 2 years. When we arrived, we kept meeting expats who said they've been here for 10, 12 years. I remember thinking there's got to be something about this place.

At that time, I didn't think I would be having my kids in Hong Kong. And that my kids would be Hong Kong citizens. I'll like to think that's pretty cool, that for the rest of their lives, wherever they go, they'll have a part of this city with them - that they'll always indentify themselves with this place, somehow, in some way.

They'll never be able to run for the US Presidency but oh well.

I remember when we first got here and went to the bank to open up an account. We were attended to by an earnest young girl, probably fresh out of university and all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. 

She asked us, 'Do you have any ghosts?' 

We were genuinely taken aback and went 'Huh?'

Again, 'Do you have any ghosts?'

'Uh what do you mean?'

'You know, long term ghosts, short term ghosts'.

'OHHH. Yes, yes of course we do'.

From Drab to Fab

I've been trying to spruce up my son's bedroom. Make it look fun! Like a happy kid's room. 

Which isn't easy when painting the walls is not an option, and hanging up paintings is just too much of a chore. Our walls are made of heavy-duty concrete, virtually impossible to drill through, and requires nothing short of an industrial-strength power drill wielded by no less than a professional handyman.

Enter my sister, who had quickly dressed up her baby girl's room up and turned it into spinning yarns of gold with none other than...wall stickers.

These wall stickers are so easy to use and such a quick and simple way to completely transform your room. I don't know why I never thought of this before and why it took me this long to figure it out. The stickers come in individual pieces, and there are endless possibilities on how you can put them together.

I used RoomMates Peel and Stick Wall Stickers, and had a fun afternoon getting crafty. 

A lone Dr Seuss painting sitting somewhat forlorn on the wall, now instantly perked-up by a cheery family of alphabets.