To all you hardcore Combatters,
Pls take note that my Bodycombat class on 1st Jun at China Square Central (8:30pm) will be cancelled due to system breakdown. Please pass this message to anyone who might be thinking of attending the class.
Other classes are cancelled too, till 3rd Jun. Pls check online schedule for latest updates.
www.truefitness.com.sg/gx
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
FC Barcelona 2 Man Utd 0
The best thing about waking up in the wee hours of the morning is to see your favourite team clinch the Champions League. I'm so happy now!
Right now, I don't know if I'm happier because my favourite team won, or its the fact that it's managed by a rookie coach who won the treble in his first year, and the rookie coach Guardiola happens to be one of my favourite players all the way back in the 90s.
Right now, I don't know if I'm happier because my favourite team won, or its the fact that it's managed by a rookie coach who won the treble in his first year, and the rookie coach Guardiola happens to be one of my favourite players all the way back in the 90s.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Roland Garros
I'm watching last matchday of the EPL season and I'm switching channels and watching Day 1 of Roland Garros concurrently.
Then it occurred to me that on the last day of the tournament (ie Day 15 - Jun 7), when the Men's Singles Final will be played, I'll actually be in Paris itself. I didn't realise! I should have bought tickets earlier. Now I have to sleuth around to see if I can get some last minute tickets. How often do I get to be in the city itself during final day?
The prospect of watching a potential mouth-watering Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer final. I'm rooting for Federer though.
If not, maybe Melbourne next year for Australian Open...
Then it occurred to me that on the last day of the tournament (ie Day 15 - Jun 7), when the Men's Singles Final will be played, I'll actually be in Paris itself. I didn't realise! I should have bought tickets earlier. Now I have to sleuth around to see if I can get some last minute tickets. How often do I get to be in the city itself during final day?
The prospect of watching a potential mouth-watering Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer final. I'm rooting for Federer though.
If not, maybe Melbourne next year for Australian Open...
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Mega Combat 2009
Mega Combat 2009 (May 30th)
Have you signed up for it yet? If not, you should. Please register at the club counters and get your lucky draw coupon! Remember to register early for your goodie bag!
It's the biggest combat event of the year for all BC fanatics, come and 'soak' in the atmosphere (pun intended). There will be lotsa laughs, entertainment and fun coming your way.
Let me see if I can dig some old pics out...
Have you signed up for it yet? If not, you should. Please register at the club counters and get your lucky draw coupon! Remember to register early for your goodie bag!
It's the biggest combat event of the year for all BC fanatics, come and 'soak' in the atmosphere (pun intended). There will be lotsa laughs, entertainment and fun coming your way.
Let me see if I can dig some old pics out...
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Struck 4D!
I struck 4D for the first time ever in my life, hahaha.
I'm no stranger to betting and gambling, I much rather prefer betting on football matches, and gambling at casinos, where there is a fair shot of winning.
4D and Toto? Fat chance. Which is why I seldom buy. It was only recently that I bought more regularly after getting my car. People always say must buy at least 1 month and I have been buying for about 2 months already (yes my car already 2 months old), $200-300 flushed down the toilet each week, which makes me wonder why I even indulge. I guess I was inspired by a colleague from another department who struck $250,000 after getting his ride. And one of my campmates during NS days did strike $100,000 with his car number too. Haiz, no such luck for me.
So it was a surprise that I struck, in fact I didn't even realise it until I was clearing my wallet today, and I saw some tickets from Sunday.
Well, it's a small amount, less than what I get for conducting a one hour class. But I'm not complaining!
If I strike the $5m TOTO (solo winner) I will take a one-year vacation and tour the world. Which includes going to Auckland 4 times a year. On SQ business class. I wish...
I'm no stranger to betting and gambling, I much rather prefer betting on football matches, and gambling at casinos, where there is a fair shot of winning.
4D and Toto? Fat chance. Which is why I seldom buy. It was only recently that I bought more regularly after getting my car. People always say must buy at least 1 month and I have been buying for about 2 months already (yes my car already 2 months old), $200-300 flushed down the toilet each week, which makes me wonder why I even indulge. I guess I was inspired by a colleague from another department who struck $250,000 after getting his ride. And one of my campmates during NS days did strike $100,000 with his car number too. Haiz, no such luck for me.
So it was a surprise that I struck, in fact I didn't even realise it until I was clearing my wallet today, and I saw some tickets from Sunday.
Well, it's a small amount, less than what I get for conducting a one hour class. But I'm not complaining!
If I strike the $5m TOTO (solo winner) I will take a one-year vacation and tour the world. Which includes going to Auckland 4 times a year. On SQ business class. I wish...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Halo
There's a new song ringing in my head. Prior to my Auckland trip, it was the infectious 'Poker Face' by Lady Gaga, but after my return, I can't stop listening to Beyonce's Halo.
It's not that I've not heard this song before stepping into NZ, but something did cause me to listen to it in greater detail, and the more I listened to it, the more I loved it! All BC fans should listen to it too!
Out of curiousity, I went to google and wiki the song, and found some interesting snippets. The song was actually written by Ryan Tedder (of OneRepublic). That's the band who gave us BC38's cooldown - Say(All I Need) and he also penned two blockbusters - Apologize (One Republic) and Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis).
Even more interesting was the fact that Halo was written with the intention of letting Leona Lewis sing it, but due to her busy schedule, she had no time to record it. So our dear songwriter here decided to give it to Beyonce instead because he didn't want the song hanging around. Who knows, it may not even be recorded and dumped. What a waste that would have been.
Similar to another famous song, Umbrella (by Rihanna) which was supposed to have been written for Britney Spears, the 'second choice' did a fantastic job on it.
I got a feeling that this track will be a regular feature for me.
It's not that I've not heard this song before stepping into NZ, but something did cause me to listen to it in greater detail, and the more I listened to it, the more I loved it! All BC fans should listen to it too!
Out of curiousity, I went to google and wiki the song, and found some interesting snippets. The song was actually written by Ryan Tedder (of OneRepublic). That's the band who gave us BC38's cooldown - Say(All I Need) and he also penned two blockbusters - Apologize (One Republic) and Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis).
Even more interesting was the fact that Halo was written with the intention of letting Leona Lewis sing it, but due to her busy schedule, she had no time to record it. So our dear songwriter here decided to give it to Beyonce instead because he didn't want the song hanging around. Who knows, it may not even be recorded and dumped. What a waste that would have been.
Similar to another famous song, Umbrella (by Rihanna) which was supposed to have been written for Britney Spears, the 'second choice' did a fantastic job on it.
I got a feeling that this track will be a regular feature for me.
Friday, May 8, 2009
BC40
I am starting to like BC40 more and more. Having watched the video yet again, I think this release is power-packed with heavy sounds. This release is NOT EASY. When I was doing it during the GFX workshop, I was super shagged out and I was half wondering if it was because I did too many classes. But now I realise the release by itself is tough!
Prior to the start, there was a clip showing the previous releases, some random ones from BC1 to BC20 from N&G days and as they showed little parts from BC21 to BC40 release by release, it brought back all those memories one by one. Those hours spent watching the releases, and seeing 'how far we've come'. It is almost unbelievable that I will have been doing BC for more than 5 years (as participant and instructor).
Some snippets of the new release
- Katy Perry's Hot n Cold for the lower warm up is catchy and fun.
- there was a shoutout for 'Singapore' by Hernan in T2.
- T3 music is wildly addictive and keeps on ringing in my head... sweetheart sweetheart...
- T4's timing is tricky (for instructors to cue)
- T6 is possibly the toughest ever T6. No way is this a recovery track.
- T7 the Muay Thai, u either love it or u hate it.
- The cooldown is just oh-so-beautiful.
And not forgetting one last thing. Dan & Rach asked clubs to video the BC40 launch and submit the entries. The best launch will get a prize... and the prize is D&R will fly all the way to the club to do a masterclass. How cool would that be!
Prior to the start, there was a clip showing the previous releases, some random ones from BC1 to BC20 from N&G days and as they showed little parts from BC21 to BC40 release by release, it brought back all those memories one by one. Those hours spent watching the releases, and seeing 'how far we've come'. It is almost unbelievable that I will have been doing BC for more than 5 years (as participant and instructor).
Some snippets of the new release
- Katy Perry's Hot n Cold for the lower warm up is catchy and fun.
- there was a shoutout for 'Singapore' by Hernan in T2.
- T3 music is wildly addictive and keeps on ringing in my head... sweetheart sweetheart...
- T4's timing is tricky (for instructors to cue)
- T6 is possibly the toughest ever T6. No way is this a recovery track.
- T7 the Muay Thai, u either love it or u hate it.
- The cooldown is just oh-so-beautiful.
And not forgetting one last thing. Dan & Rach asked clubs to video the BC40 launch and submit the entries. The best launch will get a prize... and the prize is D&R will fly all the way to the club to do a masterclass. How cool would that be!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
New Releases
During this trip to Auckland, I concentrated mainly on 4 programmes - BA, BB, BC and BJ. With the filmings and workshops all cramped into 2 days on Fri and Sat, it was physically impossible to attend all the classes. I chose to focus my energy and time on these 4 programmes because I like them better than the rest.
I reached Auckland only on Wed evening, so there was only 1 full day (Thu) to attend as many classes as I could and I obviously wanted to attend as many as possible before the official filmings, so I squeezed in 4.5 classes in one day. That nearly killed me cos I have not done classes for so long.
First up was Bodybalance and I was quite happy they did the rehearsal for BB46. Haven't really gotten into the feel of the music but one familiar song made it as the hamstring track. Leona Lewis' Run (cover of Snow Patrol's original) which was used in BB30 and it was also my examination track when I was trained in that release. 16 releases ago. Goodness, have I been trained in BB for 4 years already? The presenters were the same familiar faces - Jackie Mills, Dr Dave, Corey as well as Josef (who was a guest presenter in BC27 and BB32). The other track which stood out was Annie Lennox's classic 'Why' for the Hip Openers. Beautiful.
Right after was Bodyjam 50 rehearsal and the presenters were Gandalf, Rach (of BC), and Indonesian Fetty from our very own Asia Pacific! I remember the first time I saw her present at a quarterly workshop, I told everyone that I was very impressed with her, and I'm not surprised to see how far she's made it. I'm happy for her even though I didn't know her personally. I thought she did a good job too. I was pleasantly surprised cos I thought Gandalf would actually do the rehearsal only in the evening class rather than the afternoon class.
BJ50 has some Latin samba block (don't know what it's called) which I reckon is to coincide with the GFX Carnival 2009 theme which is Brazilian samba. Then there's the Cardio Funk (Shabam) block and Tribal House which just rocked. BTW... guess what, there's the evasive side kick in Bodyjam! I just couldn't miss the cheeky look Gandalf gave Rach when they did that part.
Next up was Bodypump international team-teach by some Australian instructors. I actually set up everything, but I pulled the plug after 2 tracks because I was really tired and my mind was partly on the afternoon/evening session where I would be going for 2 1/2 classes.
Went for lunch, casino, then back to the gym for 4:30pm BC. It was BC41 rehearsal for the final time. I was kinda glad I could still make it in time for the final rehearsal cos frankly it wasn't easy for me to take leave, let alone come earlier. Comments about BC41 - they're using quite a bit of new material - meaning latest hits on radio. Wonder if they had to pay a bomb for the licensing. There's Kelly Clarkson, Flo Rida, Beyonce, at least these are the songs I know, and there's even a remix of a famous Romanian song.
Well, it's two for the price of one - there's not been an ESK for the longest time, and now we get it twice (in 2 programmes) haha. I love the MT track, not those techno electro sounds but more of an alternative rock track which happens to be a genre I like. It's still too early to make a judgement call if I like the release or not because I've only done it once.
I stayed for half a class of Bodyjam but Gandalf and a team of several instructors. They did BJ49, in preparation for the workshop. While I liked the tracks, the class wasn't too enjoyable because it was in the small studio (just like BC earlier) and it was super cramped! Couldn't move much and couldn't see some of the footwork by the instructors. But it's alright cos I intended to do only half a class because I wanted to do BA.
So I went up to Studio One to do BA66 rehearsal with Lisa, Grant, Nathan and Bevan. The first 2 tracks are remixes of two US number one hits by Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, good start and when I got to the plyo track in T4, I nearly died with all the plyometric lunges and this being my 4th and 1/2 class. There was a remix of Miley Cyrus Fly On The Wall, really addictive. The running track is the same but different remix of BC's upper body warm up (that Romanian song), and it was extremely fun with the 'ha-ha' and hand waves. Cooldown - one of my favourites Jason Mraz's I'm Yours. After the class, I was totally exhausted.
Guess these little snippets are indication that LM is paying top dollar for music and recent hits, I reckon all these top hits don't come cheap. Well, I'm definitely enjoying it, but I do wish they don't recycle too much music if they are paying double for using the same song in a separate programme.
Anyway, to the filming proper, it was more or less the same feelings and thoughts which I experienced in the rehearsals, but there were a few interesting things to note.
BB - Out of the so many Singaporeans who went, only Joanna and I attended the filming.
BJ - Rach wore a little hat and looked hot. Dan actually did BJ and was quite near my standing spot. I was standing beside JW and hopefully out of video sight. Really got into the release and had a lot of fun. Was sweating profusely after that because they covered the windows with black cloth to block the lighting and the energy was so high inside the studio.
BA - Lisa mentioned that Grant had a huge part to play in the music/choreo of BA in this release, and will be part of the future of BA. Succession plan in place? But Grant's really good in BA anyway.
BC - Theme for this release - Backyard Brawl. Surprisingly, no guest presenter, but atmosphere was great. Couple of retakes due to technical fault. Everyone up for it.
After the filmings, it was the GFX workshops. In fact after Fri filmings, there was some sort of opening for the Brazilian themed Carnival which included a drag queen, some dance performance, Nike fashion show and LM clothing fashion show.
I was a little disappointed with the time management because the filmings had MASSIVE delays, yes it deserved CAPS, and it seems time after time they do not allocate sufficient time and there's always overruns.
The opening seemed to end abruptly and the next thing we knew it was BB45 workshop. I was still in my sweaty clothes right after BJ and wasn't in the right attire to attend BB. So I had to give that a miss.
Workshops for other programs were alright. For BC, the NZ instructors led us with BC40. My first take was it was a good release, but I still needed a few more tries to get the hang of it. The music didn't sink in instantly perhaps with the exception of a couple of tracks - Lower Body warm up 'Hot n Cold' and 'Tutti Frutti'. T4 was a blast for impact but the timing was extremely tricky. The immediate reaction of some of the Singaporeans was that they preferred BC40 to BC41. For myself, not so sure. I think I prefer BC41?
BJ49 was absolutely fantastic. It was the last prog to finish out the workshop and they turned off virtually all the lights so it really felt like it was at a dance club. Gandalf is really doing a great job with the direction for BJ. I actually like block choreography for BJ as compared to individual tracks.
After BJ, it was the ill-fated Carnival party which I didn't attend no thanks to my carelessness for forgetting my wristband, but it was overall very exciting. It was a blast! I am looking forward to going back again!
===========================================
Just adding this paragraph on BC40. After seeing the DVD for the new release, I must say that this release is actually quite good. I'm liking it more than my initial thoughts. Hopefully watching the videos a few more times will give me some new inspiration.
I reached Auckland only on Wed evening, so there was only 1 full day (Thu) to attend as many classes as I could and I obviously wanted to attend as many as possible before the official filmings, so I squeezed in 4.5 classes in one day. That nearly killed me cos I have not done classes for so long.
First up was Bodybalance and I was quite happy they did the rehearsal for BB46. Haven't really gotten into the feel of the music but one familiar song made it as the hamstring track. Leona Lewis' Run (cover of Snow Patrol's original) which was used in BB30 and it was also my examination track when I was trained in that release. 16 releases ago. Goodness, have I been trained in BB for 4 years already? The presenters were the same familiar faces - Jackie Mills, Dr Dave, Corey as well as Josef (who was a guest presenter in BC27 and BB32). The other track which stood out was Annie Lennox's classic 'Why' for the Hip Openers. Beautiful.
Right after was Bodyjam 50 rehearsal and the presenters were Gandalf, Rach (of BC), and Indonesian Fetty from our very own Asia Pacific! I remember the first time I saw her present at a quarterly workshop, I told everyone that I was very impressed with her, and I'm not surprised to see how far she's made it. I'm happy for her even though I didn't know her personally. I thought she did a good job too. I was pleasantly surprised cos I thought Gandalf would actually do the rehearsal only in the evening class rather than the afternoon class.
BJ50 has some Latin samba block (don't know what it's called) which I reckon is to coincide with the GFX Carnival 2009 theme which is Brazilian samba. Then there's the Cardio Funk (Shabam) block and Tribal House which just rocked. BTW... guess what, there's the evasive side kick in Bodyjam! I just couldn't miss the cheeky look Gandalf gave Rach when they did that part.
Next up was Bodypump international team-teach by some Australian instructors. I actually set up everything, but I pulled the plug after 2 tracks because I was really tired and my mind was partly on the afternoon/evening session where I would be going for 2 1/2 classes.
Went for lunch, casino, then back to the gym for 4:30pm BC. It was BC41 rehearsal for the final time. I was kinda glad I could still make it in time for the final rehearsal cos frankly it wasn't easy for me to take leave, let alone come earlier. Comments about BC41 - they're using quite a bit of new material - meaning latest hits on radio. Wonder if they had to pay a bomb for the licensing. There's Kelly Clarkson, Flo Rida, Beyonce, at least these are the songs I know, and there's even a remix of a famous Romanian song.
Well, it's two for the price of one - there's not been an ESK for the longest time, and now we get it twice (in 2 programmes) haha. I love the MT track, not those techno electro sounds but more of an alternative rock track which happens to be a genre I like. It's still too early to make a judgement call if I like the release or not because I've only done it once.
I stayed for half a class of Bodyjam but Gandalf and a team of several instructors. They did BJ49, in preparation for the workshop. While I liked the tracks, the class wasn't too enjoyable because it was in the small studio (just like BC earlier) and it was super cramped! Couldn't move much and couldn't see some of the footwork by the instructors. But it's alright cos I intended to do only half a class because I wanted to do BA.
So I went up to Studio One to do BA66 rehearsal with Lisa, Grant, Nathan and Bevan. The first 2 tracks are remixes of two US number one hits by Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, good start and when I got to the plyo track in T4, I nearly died with all the plyometric lunges and this being my 4th and 1/2 class. There was a remix of Miley Cyrus Fly On The Wall, really addictive. The running track is the same but different remix of BC's upper body warm up (that Romanian song), and it was extremely fun with the 'ha-ha' and hand waves. Cooldown - one of my favourites Jason Mraz's I'm Yours. After the class, I was totally exhausted.
Guess these little snippets are indication that LM is paying top dollar for music and recent hits, I reckon all these top hits don't come cheap. Well, I'm definitely enjoying it, but I do wish they don't recycle too much music if they are paying double for using the same song in a separate programme.
Anyway, to the filming proper, it was more or less the same feelings and thoughts which I experienced in the rehearsals, but there were a few interesting things to note.
BB - Out of the so many Singaporeans who went, only Joanna and I attended the filming.
BJ - Rach wore a little hat and looked hot. Dan actually did BJ and was quite near my standing spot. I was standing beside JW and hopefully out of video sight. Really got into the release and had a lot of fun. Was sweating profusely after that because they covered the windows with black cloth to block the lighting and the energy was so high inside the studio.
BA - Lisa mentioned that Grant had a huge part to play in the music/choreo of BA in this release, and will be part of the future of BA. Succession plan in place? But Grant's really good in BA anyway.
BC - Theme for this release - Backyard Brawl. Surprisingly, no guest presenter, but atmosphere was great. Couple of retakes due to technical fault. Everyone up for it.
After the filmings, it was the GFX workshops. In fact after Fri filmings, there was some sort of opening for the Brazilian themed Carnival which included a drag queen, some dance performance, Nike fashion show and LM clothing fashion show.
I was a little disappointed with the time management because the filmings had MASSIVE delays, yes it deserved CAPS, and it seems time after time they do not allocate sufficient time and there's always overruns.
The opening seemed to end abruptly and the next thing we knew it was BB45 workshop. I was still in my sweaty clothes right after BJ and wasn't in the right attire to attend BB. So I had to give that a miss.
Workshops for other programs were alright. For BC, the NZ instructors led us with BC40. My first take was it was a good release, but I still needed a few more tries to get the hang of it. The music didn't sink in instantly perhaps with the exception of a couple of tracks - Lower Body warm up 'Hot n Cold' and 'Tutti Frutti'. T4 was a blast for impact but the timing was extremely tricky. The immediate reaction of some of the Singaporeans was that they preferred BC40 to BC41. For myself, not so sure. I think I prefer BC41?
BJ49 was absolutely fantastic. It was the last prog to finish out the workshop and they turned off virtually all the lights so it really felt like it was at a dance club. Gandalf is really doing a great job with the direction for BJ. I actually like block choreography for BJ as compared to individual tracks.
After BJ, it was the ill-fated Carnival party which I didn't attend no thanks to my carelessness for forgetting my wristband, but it was overall very exciting. It was a blast! I am looking forward to going back again!
===========================================
Just adding this paragraph on BC40. After seeing the DVD for the new release, I must say that this release is actually quite good. I'm liking it more than my initial thoughts. Hopefully watching the videos a few more times will give me some new inspiration.
Back From Auckland
I'm back in Singapore! Landed this morning and I thought I better write something because I know once I get back to work, this entry won't come or it will only come 2 weeks later. It has been a good week in Auckland, I enjoyed myself there immensely (gym, casino, lotsa rest) and it's time to come home and face reality again.
While I was in Auckland, I did write many entries as drafts, preparing to post them here, but the more I read through them again, the more I thought I better leave these unadulterated entries out. Too much of my personal feelings and emotions attached to these entries.
Truth is, in this short period, there were many thoughts and reflections going through my head, I was thinking of many things and as they came, I just wrote them into my laptop.
This time round, there are much less pictures than before (if I intend to upload any in the first place). Few reasons - stricter controls by the filming staff this time, bad timing schedules which left everyone in a rush and with no time for pics and of cos laziness, there were several times I just left my camera in my bag. It would be unfair to say that I have lost enthusiasm because I still love attending filmings otherwise I wouldn't go all the way there again.
As I'm writing this, my thoughts are starting to drift as well. I think I'll leave the fitness part of my trip in a separate entry, so people who are only interested in the releases can read that, and they don't have to read all these gibberish here.
This time round, there was a little Singaporean contingent there. Total number of people from Singapore amounted to double digits. I'm not going to say who was there, just do some sleuthing around the internet and you will see pictures galore. And right before BC41 filming started, Rach even made a joke... "Singapore must be empty by now"
Given that this trip is not solely for filming but for my own vacation, I shall make some comments on the flight and hotel.
Flight - Took business class flight on SQ to Auckland, it was fantastic. The plane was quite empty in fact, only 6 of us in entire business cabin and lotsa more empty seats at the back, looks like economy is affecting travel? But the return flight was full! And I travelled economy on that so it paled in comparison after the wonderful flight experience there. On the way there, everything went so smoothly, I had a good sleep, I was one of the first to leave the plane, cleared immigration early, and my baggage came out almost instantly and I was on the cab to the hotel in no time at all.
Hotel - The hotel (Sky City) was a big disappointment. There was no broadband cable or remote control for the TV, and when I requested for them to be delivered to my room, the staff was exceptionally grumpy. When I called room service at 2am, no one picked up despite the fact it's 24 hrs. And I didn't call once, but three times in 5-10mins interval. Was absolutely famished and a hungry man is an angry man. The reason why I chose Sky City was because it's where the casino is at. My last 2 trips there I stayed at svc apartments replete with washing machines/dryers (especially important if you go gym alot), microwave oven, large fridge, etc, but somehow I didn't fancy walking all the way back after my late night casino trips with lotsa cash in my pocket. Heard from locals crime rates have picked up so I didn't feel secure.
Casino - I could write a long entry detailing my adventures in the casino, but I would bore you guys to death. Let's just say that I made this trip free again. I am quite happy to keep on visiting Auckland again because I seem to have some decent luck here. Unlike Macau... And also I attribute my winnings to discipline. Once I win and hit my desired target, I stop and consolidate my position. I know the winning streak is not going to go forever. And I stick to my own personal rules, never bring all my cash or a single ATM card to the casino, and quit the table once I lose 3 times in a row. So far the strategy has worked so I'm not going to stop.
Cost of living - Given that I was here twice last year, prices haven't really changed that much, given the recession I would have thought prices would fall but no they haven't. A taxi ride from airport to city costs me NZD70 (ridiculously expensive) but I got it back from the casino anyway. Meals about NZD10-15 per meal. The only thing is cos the portions are huge, I am ok to survive on 2 meals a day.
Les Mills gym - Sometimes I wonder if the locals realise how lucky they are because so much money is being pumped in into the gym on a global scale. Each time I come, I see more and more money being spent in the gym. The marketing images, posters, banners, they don't come cheap and you only have to admire how they could have made such a vast leap if they didn't have the funding. Just look at the recent DVD packs and anyone could tell the difference.
But what hasn't changed is the professionalism of many of the instructors I see. They take pride in their teaching and they keep their body fit. Exemplary role models and it's easy to see that this is the epicentre of fitness revolution. It was my pleasure to attend classes from their local instructors who were presenters in some of the releases).
I attended quite a few. Eg, BC from Grant (BA presenter but his BC technique was awesome), BA from Mark Sinclair (that man is a little scary and looks like he's capable of fitness torture), BJ twice with Chris (BJ presenter) and I enjoyed all the classes I attended.
I especially like Chris' BJ because I like his style, there's usually not much Latin/Samba music which I don't really appreciate, but more house/club music. Somehow the tracks that he played are all those that I liked! The highlight was doing the UF-Oh block on the first class and the Contemporary Rock on the second class. I love the Contemporary Rock block but no BJ instructor in Singapore seems to like that. They always keep doing the old stuff - pre Gandalf - which I don't exactly appreciate.
International fanatics - There was quite a sizeable Japanese contingent over there this time round, not surprising given the NZDJPY is at such a low now which means the japanese can stretch their yen much further. Got acquainted with a few Japanese who were not instructors but because they like the LM programs so much, they make an effort to go all the way there. Kudos to them.
Besides that, this filming is a little more packed than the last one because it coincides with the GFX, which is their quarterly workshop, which means we got to attend the new releases as well. So it's two for the price of one, BC41 filming and BC40 workshop and the list goes on...
And talking about two for the price of one, we also have the ESK back in BC41... and it's in BJ50 too! Will talk about that in the next entry.
Carnival - In conjunction with the GFX and filmings, there was a Carnival party going on. I made a huge boo-boo, after all the filming classes, I went back to my hotel deposited my bags and returned to the gym without my wristband. Wasn't allowed entry unless I pay the $30 entrance fee or I go back to the hotel to retrieve my wristband. So I just cut my losses and went back to the hotel where I had fun in the casino instead.
There you have it for now, I'm going to stop here and rest for a while before I post another entry about the releases. I'll add on more if I can remember.
While I was in Auckland, I did write many entries as drafts, preparing to post them here, but the more I read through them again, the more I thought I better leave these unadulterated entries out. Too much of my personal feelings and emotions attached to these entries.
Truth is, in this short period, there were many thoughts and reflections going through my head, I was thinking of many things and as they came, I just wrote them into my laptop.
This time round, there are much less pictures than before (if I intend to upload any in the first place). Few reasons - stricter controls by the filming staff this time, bad timing schedules which left everyone in a rush and with no time for pics and of cos laziness, there were several times I just left my camera in my bag. It would be unfair to say that I have lost enthusiasm because I still love attending filmings otherwise I wouldn't go all the way there again.
As I'm writing this, my thoughts are starting to drift as well. I think I'll leave the fitness part of my trip in a separate entry, so people who are only interested in the releases can read that, and they don't have to read all these gibberish here.
This time round, there was a little Singaporean contingent there. Total number of people from Singapore amounted to double digits. I'm not going to say who was there, just do some sleuthing around the internet and you will see pictures galore. And right before BC41 filming started, Rach even made a joke... "Singapore must be empty by now"
Given that this trip is not solely for filming but for my own vacation, I shall make some comments on the flight and hotel.
Flight - Took business class flight on SQ to Auckland, it was fantastic. The plane was quite empty in fact, only 6 of us in entire business cabin and lotsa more empty seats at the back, looks like economy is affecting travel? But the return flight was full! And I travelled economy on that so it paled in comparison after the wonderful flight experience there. On the way there, everything went so smoothly, I had a good sleep, I was one of the first to leave the plane, cleared immigration early, and my baggage came out almost instantly and I was on the cab to the hotel in no time at all.
Hotel - The hotel (Sky City) was a big disappointment. There was no broadband cable or remote control for the TV, and when I requested for them to be delivered to my room, the staff was exceptionally grumpy. When I called room service at 2am, no one picked up despite the fact it's 24 hrs. And I didn't call once, but three times in 5-10mins interval. Was absolutely famished and a hungry man is an angry man. The reason why I chose Sky City was because it's where the casino is at. My last 2 trips there I stayed at svc apartments replete with washing machines/dryers (especially important if you go gym alot), microwave oven, large fridge, etc, but somehow I didn't fancy walking all the way back after my late night casino trips with lotsa cash in my pocket. Heard from locals crime rates have picked up so I didn't feel secure.
Casino - I could write a long entry detailing my adventures in the casino, but I would bore you guys to death. Let's just say that I made this trip free again. I am quite happy to keep on visiting Auckland again because I seem to have some decent luck here. Unlike Macau... And also I attribute my winnings to discipline. Once I win and hit my desired target, I stop and consolidate my position. I know the winning streak is not going to go forever. And I stick to my own personal rules, never bring all my cash or a single ATM card to the casino, and quit the table once I lose 3 times in a row. So far the strategy has worked so I'm not going to stop.
Cost of living - Given that I was here twice last year, prices haven't really changed that much, given the recession I would have thought prices would fall but no they haven't. A taxi ride from airport to city costs me NZD70 (ridiculously expensive) but I got it back from the casino anyway. Meals about NZD10-15 per meal. The only thing is cos the portions are huge, I am ok to survive on 2 meals a day.
Les Mills gym - Sometimes I wonder if the locals realise how lucky they are because so much money is being pumped in into the gym on a global scale. Each time I come, I see more and more money being spent in the gym. The marketing images, posters, banners, they don't come cheap and you only have to admire how they could have made such a vast leap if they didn't have the funding. Just look at the recent DVD packs and anyone could tell the difference.
But what hasn't changed is the professionalism of many of the instructors I see. They take pride in their teaching and they keep their body fit. Exemplary role models and it's easy to see that this is the epicentre of fitness revolution. It was my pleasure to attend classes from their local instructors who were presenters in some of the releases).
I attended quite a few. Eg, BC from Grant (BA presenter but his BC technique was awesome), BA from Mark Sinclair (that man is a little scary and looks like he's capable of fitness torture), BJ twice with Chris (BJ presenter) and I enjoyed all the classes I attended.
I especially like Chris' BJ because I like his style, there's usually not much Latin/Samba music which I don't really appreciate, but more house/club music. Somehow the tracks that he played are all those that I liked! The highlight was doing the UF-Oh block on the first class and the Contemporary Rock on the second class. I love the Contemporary Rock block but no BJ instructor in Singapore seems to like that. They always keep doing the old stuff - pre Gandalf - which I don't exactly appreciate.
International fanatics - There was quite a sizeable Japanese contingent over there this time round, not surprising given the NZDJPY is at such a low now which means the japanese can stretch their yen much further. Got acquainted with a few Japanese who were not instructors but because they like the LM programs so much, they make an effort to go all the way there. Kudos to them.
Besides that, this filming is a little more packed than the last one because it coincides with the GFX, which is their quarterly workshop, which means we got to attend the new releases as well. So it's two for the price of one, BC41 filming and BC40 workshop and the list goes on...
And talking about two for the price of one, we also have the ESK back in BC41... and it's in BJ50 too! Will talk about that in the next entry.
Carnival - In conjunction with the GFX and filmings, there was a Carnival party going on. I made a huge boo-boo, after all the filming classes, I went back to my hotel deposited my bags and returned to the gym without my wristband. Wasn't allowed entry unless I pay the $30 entrance fee or I go back to the hotel to retrieve my wristband. So I just cut my losses and went back to the hotel where I had fun in the casino instead.
There you have it for now, I'm going to stop here and rest for a while before I post another entry about the releases. I'll add on more if I can remember.
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