Those Good Old Days

My salsa life kinda faded off alittle for a few months and recently, I've stepped foot onto the dancefloor again. Each visit makes me miss the "good old days".

I miss my regular group of crazy fun friends. I miss the joy in watching them having fun on the dancefloor. I miss watching the boys "fighting" over a gal in a dance. I miss watching two boys leading a gal at the same time. I miss watching a mini rueda doing 3 calls in a 6 mins song. I miss watching dance couples trying to outshine each other with their animated shines steps.

And most of all, I miss being a part of the fun. I can't help, but to keep smiling when thinking about those good old days. :)

Singaporean "NOT Chinese Enough"

I was surfing in YouTube and I came across this comment made on a video that showed mass bachata dancing in an event.



Pray tell me, should I start learning lion dance to showcase my chinese ethnicity? *roll eyes*

---

Oh, something totally random from wiki!

"According to government statistics, the population of Singapore as of 2007 was 4.59 million, of whom 3.58 million were Singaporean citizens and permanent residents (termed "Singapore Residents"). Various Chinese ethnic groups formed 75.2% of Singapore's residents, Malays 13.6%, Indians 8.8%, while Eurasians and other groups formed 2.4%."

OH GEEZ! I didn't know that! *blink bambi eyes*

Salsa Economy in Singapore

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

It is almost a year since I've last updated this blog. As for why I've went missing, I'll write in the next entry. And the reason has nothing to do with my 16-yrs-old-boyfriend. ;P

Actually, this article was left half-written last year and I couldn't complete it. Economic is a heavy topic! How to be funny while talking about it? I dunno how to, so I shall sprinkle "haha" between the lines.

Haha.

Salsa has been in Singapore for a long while. As for excatly how long, I have no actual statistical figure. Errmmm... it's long enough to develope wrinkles which didn't exist when I started salsa.

Haha Not funny.

From then till now, one salsa club remains dominant. Almost like a monopoly scenario, there is simply a lack of competition. For the past few years, there were a few places that offered salsa on random day of the week. One by one, they closed the chapter faster than Edison Chen's reputation.

Haha.

Monopoly, from a consumer point of view, is not a positive connotation. One, price control is at the all-mighty's hand. Two, the lack of variety. Seriouly, did anyone ever ask you to Salsa club hop in Singapore?? And there's my favourite aptly quoted from Wikipedia,

"... monopolies tend to become less efficient and innovative over time, becoming "complacent giants", because they do not have to be efficient or innovative to compete in the marketplace..."

Sounds familiar, huh? The dancefloor doesn't seems to get any bigger. Salsa music selection isn't consistent. The cocktail mix is making fun of everyone's taste bud. And the list of yadda yaddas goes yadda yadda on...

In a different perspective, monopoly isn't such a bad thing given the fact that all the dancers will gather at one single place. We never hardly face issues of being torn between places to salsa. Also, the club acts like the gravity of a solar system, that is having alot of dance schools located nearby.

Which reminds me of the Hotelling's law theory, stating that offensive monopoly has advantages for the consumer. Salsa dance schools locate in close proximity with each other for the reason of keeping their competitive edge on par, if not, better. Thus, they share the same traits. E.g. near the MRT, in centralised town area, near a salsa club, etc.

If the instructors' professionalism are equal, the irony is there's not much variety amidst the choices.

Interestingly, let's imagine that an investor monopolised the salsa market by buying over all the salsa schools at once. Then, there is no reason to gather all the schools in one area anymore. He could, very likely, be opening up a Jurong Branch, a Sentosa Branch, an Ang Mo Kio branch and perhaps a Geylang Branch.

*wriggles eyebrow* Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

YesssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSssssssss!!!! Salsa dance schools will have neon signboards! SO HAPPENING!!!

What were you thinking??!?

Haha.

Perhaps he will also roll out membership scheme that allows consumers' the freedom to attend salsa class in any branch. Much like these day's gym membership concept. Theoratically, Hotelling's law benefits the consumers.

However, we clearly know that this is non-existent in real life. So what excatly influence the salsa economy in Singapore?

The general consensus would be the demand and supply for salsa. I'm not about to go into the details of how salsa demand increased when latin fever was highly publicised in the media. Then, kaboom! Many salsa schools & clubs emerge into the market keeping up with the demand. Finally, these salsa schools & clubs end up being over supplied when the hype subsided. Like duh... Everyone knows that.

And this is where I left the article hanging for months. All thanks to my love for introducing "The Game Theory" to me during one of our conversation about the movie "A Beautiful Mind". It sparks off more long winded writings... Love you, Darling! ~Hugz & Kisses~

Goosebumps popping yet?! :P

Haha.

Ok, back from distraction... The Game Theory, in the most simplistic form, works like this. SalsaSlut and Young Fresh Meat learn salsa. Base on their decision, the outcome are shown in the chart below.

	SalsaSlut Quits Salsa	SalsaSlut Dance Salsa
Young Fresh Meat Quits Salsa	Both quit salsa.	SalsaSlut lose a partner.
Young Fresh Meat Dance Salsa	Young Fresh Meat lose a partner.	Both dance happily ever after.

The Game Theory is about payoffs and strategies and rationality. For example, there's nothing to lose for the individual who quits salsa. The best result is having both dancing happily ever after and the least rewarding case is both quits salsa.

Now if I were to change the scenario to 2 salsa dance schools who are both facing with only 2 potential students. Let's call the students, SalsaSlut and Young Fresh Meat. How creative!

Haha.

	ABC Salsa School Does Nothing	ABC Salsa School Dominates
XYZ Salsa School Does Nothing	Both businesses run as usual awaiting for students to enrol.	SalsaSlut & Young Fresh Meat attend ABC Salsa School, while XYZ Salsa School suffers without any students.
XYZ Salsa School Dominates	SalsaSlut & Young Fresh Meat attend XYZ Salsa School, while ABC Salsa School suffers without any students.	Both suffer losses having to outbid each other.

The schools will try to excite & spike the salsa demand, probably by inviting overseas instructors, expanding the school, create new salsa courses or even goes into a price war to captive SalsaSlut & Young Fresh Meat's interest to join their school.

Unlike the first game, the Prisoner's Dilemma sets in for the dance schools' case. In this game, both schools do not know each other's intention at all times.

ABC salsa school's point of view is no matter what XYZ salsa school does, ABC salsa school will stand to gain when it dominates the market. However, if both schools want to dominate at the same time, both school will suffer in great loss as the two students' fee isn't enough to cover their marketing cost.

By chance, should both schools decided to chill out alittle, run their school programs as usual and wait out till the demand picks up again... the payoffs for the schools are in the least worse-off situation.

I have a 3rd scenario, i.e. a Salsa Godfather and two Salsa Schools who want to throw a SalsaSlut's Birthday Bash. Woopeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!



The Salsa Godfather has a dominant strategy, i.e. the one who has a money tree & power. Assuming that the outcome is a very happy SalsaSlut having alot of presents to unwrap. As long as one salsa schools decides to organise, bags of ferterlizers will be given to the Salsa Godfather.

For the salsa schools, they will need to consider the bags of fertiliser to give verse the payoff they get in return. The Prisoner's Dilemma still exist where their best position would be to work together. However, this chart does not show the amount of presents that SalsaSlut has to unwrapped. But it does not take long to figure out what's the next set of games if you do abit of homework.

There are many variations of the Game Theory and it is so extensive that I, personally, can't comprehend the entire thing. Pretty much like, I've just had my toe dipped into the ocean and have yet to learn how to swim across it. Probably never get to!

Therefore, don't take my words seriously as in any real life cases, there's way too many factors to consider. Do read up about it if you are one of the activist in the local salsa scene and make your own conclusion. ;P

Next's up, consumer's behavior & demand... stay tune for it in 2009!

Haha.

My Boyfriend is a Young Fresh Meat Salsero

It was in January when I wrote an article about "Why Singles Remain Single?" with a HUGE disclaimer that says,

"... I might eat my own words one day despite the stuff I've wrote above. Who knows, the day when I find a boyfriend in the salsa scene, I'll start writing why singles should not stay single."

*coughs* I've found... *choked* ... someone in the... *coughs* ... salsa scene... *choked*

Thus explains why I have not been updating this blog, I was busy sinking my teeth into a young fresh meat's butt arm. In the end, I got conned by him instead.

I'm not about to convert this blog into a love declaration place, so rest assure that this blog is not going to turn pink decorated with zillions of little red hearts, or worse, with his monkey face plastered in the background. If that ever happens, I'll be the first to boycott this blog... cross my heart, slice my tongue and drip my blood... errr... no wait... I'm very capable of eating my own words... *choked*... need disclaimer... ahem... OMG!!! A pink blog?!?!!

"......."

While we are at the topic of relationships, it's a good opportunity to bring up an issue that kinda bugs me alttle recently. With a new change in status, I get more dance rejections than before. To make matter worse, the rejection reasons are utterly unacceptable!!!

"Eh... my leg pain..."
"My dance shoe spoil already."
"Urgent! Toilet!"

I can't help, but to imagine that my scary-looking boyfriend is holding a knife behind my back. Is there some kinda unwritten dancing rule, i.e. thou shall not dance with someone's lover, that I am not aware of?

I can understand that there is a mutual understanding among friends, that is to leave fresh new couples alone as they tend to get carried away in a pink fluffy fantasy world where their eyes have only each other, their lips are literally stuck together and eventually grow some pink feathered wings floating in cloud nine.

I do admit that there are moments when I wish the dancefloor would turn into an instant bedroom when a bachata song plays. However, 90% of the night is salsa and I am not a Salsa Nun. With all due respect to my beloved boyfriend, I can't be satisfied on the dancefloor with just one dance partner.

Thus, I've decided to have a change of strategy.

Keep boyfriend out of sight 50m in radius.
Like Spice Girls' song - Two Become One, hugging each other like Koalas makes people sick. So with the boyfriend out of sight, it becomes less deterring for anyone to approach.

Avoid hogging each other
The impression is as good as a lion marking its terrority, no one wants to risk their life going anywhere near. Each time someone wants to dance with me, only to find that I am dancing with my man one song after another. He could be better off finding the next available dancer knowing at the back of his mind that I will not be available for the rest of the night, or worse, the rest of my salsa life.

Go on a mission to violate Young Fresh Meat
Ahhh... something that I love to do. Be approachable, put on a smile/act cute/blink bambi eyes. Grow some skin, ask for dances. If all else failed, just drag him to the dancefloor by force.

Watch those narrow slit eyes
It's an unconscious thing that jealousy cause. Don't watch your lover's dancing partner like he/she is having an affair right in your face. No one likes to feel guilty over a dance.

Unbias treatment
No one likes to be treated differently. While I am giggling and full of sunshine smiles dancing with my boyfriend, putting on a dull face when dancing with others is highway to being an unlikable social dancer.

A friend asked if I will really practise what I preach. I replied, "Of course, as and when I am standing near the dancefloor... but if you see me hidden in a dark corner, it's a huge DND sign."

Ahhh... nothing beats a good disclaimer.

Touchy Touchy

Good day, boys and girls!

Today we are going to talk about the anatomy of the male and female body. I'm sure all our parents warn us that we cannot lift up little girl's skirt or pull down little boy's short the moment we have reach our puberty. We, then, scratch our little head and wonder why can't we have fun anymore.

Now that we are big grown ups (boohoo!) and the truth is out, it doesn't mean that we know how to behave. Many of us are still clueless despite thinking that we are good law abiding citizen.

Base on personal salsa experiences, I got my bra adjusted from seemingly two sexy boobs into three freaky lumps. I got wacked at the back of my shoulder which feels like being hit by the Budda's Eighteen Palms. I got smacked on my buttocks which got me jumping upwards instead of spinning to the indicated direction. I got grabbed at the waist that cause me to burst out laughing right in the middle of a crowded dancefloor. My push up bra got deflated from cup size C to cup size A when the guy bangs his head into my chest while trying to go under my arm.

It's not intentional and I don't blame the guys at all, just because they didn't realise the sensetitive areas a woman has. Now let's explore a woman's sensetitive area.

Sensetitive Area in Red
1) Every part of the head. E.g. The eyes, the nose, the mouth, etc.
2) The front, upper & lower part of the neck
3) Her beautiful breast/The Baby's Food Source/The Men's Eyes Common Resting Place
4) The underside of her arms
5) The armpit
6) The side upper and lower ribcage
7) The fatty belly, like mimosa, will contract when come in contact.
8) The side waist
9) The no-no-you-cannot-touchie zone
10) The inner thighs
11) The buttocks. The bigger the butt, the bigger the surface area
12) The back of her knees
13) The ankles
14) The feet

To be on the fair side, I should highlight the man's sensetitive area too. I once knocked into someone's heavy sack of family jewel with my head when trying to slide through his legs. Yup, my head feels funny. The guy survived and managed to have 5 kids one year later. I'm kidding about the kids, but my head did felt errmm... violated.



Sensetitive Area in Red
1) Every part of the head. E.g. The eyes, the nose, the mouth, etc.
2) The Adam's Apple
3) Those sexy nipples
4) The side upper ribcage
5) The armpit
6) The Manhood/The Family Jewel/The Cute Little Thing
7) The buttocks or more accurately defined: the butt hole.
8) The ankles

From the chart, women are much more troublesome complicated than men. Suddenly, I feel sorry for the men since the difficulty of avoiding contact on the sensetitive area is much higher than the women. At the same time, boy am I glad that I'm born a woman. *tongue in cheek*

Now we are almost to the end of the lesson. Don't we all feel alittle smarter than before? Yes. Shall we make an effort to avoid touching those areas? Yes.

Good! Class dismiss.