Chingay - Parade of Dreams

11 more days to the big day.

Well can't say i'm very excited cos there's still the issue of the lighting on that day... i dunno whether it will be appropriate for me. Hopefully no flashing lights... otherwise, 1.5 months of hard work will go down the drain. My partner will not be able to do stunts, which is a pity (to her). And the formations will have to be re-drawn.

At this crucial point, i choose to reflect on the journey that i have undertook the last 1.5 months.

I didn't join chingay dance planning to dance, instead i joined on impulse... i would rather say doing jingwen (dance ic) a favour by "filling up the numbers". For i didn't know how to dance, nor could i dance with my excess baggage flying around.

The initial period was extremely tiring, especially when my physical fitness came into question. Especially the first session - i have never done so much exercise (two hours straight) in three years. I presented with many aches and pains over the next few training sessions.

Traning during the holidays were sorta almost every day, so gradually it became a routine. This helped a bit, as chingay gradually became the main focus of whatever i was doing - ignored all my other projects.

Somehow the intention to quit wasn't really significant. Maybe it was the catchy music. Maybe it was the notion that i could be part of this group at last, after failing the auditions for the Rag dance. After all i saw the amount of cameraderie and fun they had during Rag and it was great, marvellous to even the outsider.

Gradually, i got to know everyone, probably due to introductions, but most likely by fangxi (choreographer) ordering them around and scolding them (haha)... ok guess my name got mentioned zillions of times too.

But yet, the people i was with, i guess, had the most contribution to the fun. Although placed in the seemingly more "quiet" group, which initially we didn't speak much at all, i must thank Cheuk Fung for having the spirit to "unite" everyone more or less as the guy went to spontaneously engage everyone in conversation, myself included, such that he became the central "glue" or "magnet" in drawing everyone else together. Also of mention was Louis, whose crappy jokes together with Weiming and Qijing gave good reason to attend practices. Another factor was probably that there were many people from Block A (the block in which i lived in) participating, it felt like a "block outing" although i wasn't staying in hall anymore. In fact, it felt more fun compared to when i was staying in hall.

Sometimes, the journey there is worth more than what u see there in the end. I think chingay was a journey that i would probably consider one of the greatest in my travels - somehow, these journeys where u had to exchange (blood) sweat and tears for - are probably the most satisfying of most. I thank those who bid me not to falter during my steps, to instead shoulder on with pride, and who were there for me all this time.

Thank you for making this journey a great one. Feels like a dream come true.