Gratitude to the Ex-Tale

Dates have become much less of a regular event on my calendar these days - by choice, of course. The choice of priorities have made it so. But once in a while, when I do dine with a new stranger, there seems to be a common request for storytelling of the ex-tale.

Based on past experiences, sharing the ex-story has become one of the model ways to win new strangers over. It's called sympathy. It's easy to put ourselves in the role of the victim and feed tragic stories to acquaintances who know no better. "I committed this much... I was taken for granted... I was abused/cheated on... I sacrificed but garnered no return". The subtext to these stories being "soften your heart to my past... love me."

I think that's why my last date was taken aback when in response to the request for ex-tales, I shared that I have great respect for my ex-es; that in spite of the initial anger towards the breakups, I no longer bear ill will to them; that I still see the wonderful traits and personalities I fell in love with; that no matter the context of how the relationship ended, I bear half the responsibility for the conclusion.

Granted, there were reasons to be frustrated, to be consumed by the disappointment of failure. But barring initial emotional responses, I'd like to think there's more to be thankful for than be angst about - growth and the education of life. It makes it easier to just make peace with ones past.

"Be grateful to every person you've ever loved - past or present.

They exercised your heart, made you HUMAN."

Unific's 4th Dance Championship

It took 3 months of grueling training - 5 nights a week, 6 hours per session - and sacrificing much of our social lives and study time to get to this. But it all paid off.

The 27 of us in Unific formed the biggest group in this inter-hall dance competition. Synchronising such a huge bunch for a 6-minute piece took a lot of work - probably more than other halls did with fewer dancers. So to come through as one of the cleanest acts that night just reflected how much effort we put in.

Performing on stage with a family of dancers so committed to the craft and with immense passion for the art made this entire experience an absolute joy. Among this group were a couple of extremely talented dancers, who've been doing this for years and I've grown to respect them deeply.

Then there were a few newcomers who had never danced in their lives, who entered the auditions with two left feet. Seeing them work so hard to look as good as the professionals and succeeding eventually - it's testimony to the greatness of hard work. If you watch the video (below), it's difficult to point out the newcomers from the professionals. Beautiful.

I was thrilled to be part of this particular performance. Moving the audience and putting up a great show was always our main goal, and with a string of songs that everyone in the audience (being in the same generation) grew up listening and grooving to, the nostalgic effect was guaranteed. Based on the feedback we got from many in the audience that night, it's safe to say that the goal was achieved.

We won champion in the end. For Hall One - a hall that takes pride in our love for the arts - that really meant something, especially since it marks the hall's 4th consecutive championship.

I'm proud to be a Unific dancer. This was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life - performing with a team so committed to the craft.

Tom Ford - The Classic Model of Male Sexiness

"I am my own muse" - TOM FORD