When I first took up salsa 3 yrs ago, it was for the mere intention of picking up a new skill...a welcome diversion from my drab, mundane job & an outlet for stress. The first one-and-a-half years went on uneventfully. I dutifully turned up for classes but hardly went to the clubs...most of the ppl in my class weren't the clubbing type anyway. It didn't really bother me as I got what I wanted...or so I thought.
After the initial quiet period, more & more ppl signed up for classes...a group started forming & that was when things really took off. Despite coming from different backgrounds with different interests, we just simply clicked.
Any newcomer to the group will be amazed at how different we all are - with ages ranging from the mid 20's to late 40's, there are architects, businessmen, insurance agents, IT ppl, accountants (a few of them actually), bankers, marketeers, diving instructors, lawyers, kindy teachers, engineers, even a therapist for special needs children...the list goes on.
Apart from a love for the dance, we discovered that we also have other common interests - from shopping (I'm definitely not in this group LOL), travelling, photography, good food, japanese anime, fantasy stories, scuba diving to stuff like treasure hunting, car racing & theatre plays. There's always someone to do something or go somewhere with.
The Posse (as I call them) never fail to welcome a newcomer to the group, so the group's always growing. In fact the staff at Devi's Tmn Tun (the studio's right above it) recognise us & we in turn know a lot of them by name. One sight of us heading in & they'll start rearranging tables coz they know we are a big bunch of ppl...not to mention big eaters as well. Heck, we even taught them how to make perfect half-boiled eggs. We'd like to think that we have glamorised the place for them...but sorry lah, we still have to pay for our food haha.
The Posse's teh-tarik sessions are legendary. We can spend hours in conversation - swinging from mere nonsense (or talking cock as the gang calls it) & bitching abt ppl with attitude problems (ie those notorious ones who do badly in class & yet don't accept constructive feedback) to deep, profound discussions of life & problems.
Our salsa outings are now restricted to Little Havana on Fridays & for some of them, the Attic on Sundays.
On Saturdays some may plan for movies or what I call the crazy man's nite out - dinner at PJ followed by clubbing (they are Heritage Row kakis), then karaoke (read : atrocious renditions of 60's & 70's songs), ending with dim sum breakfast at Cheras. As mucn as I get taunted there's no way I'll be sucked into an all-nite outing like that.
But it has not always been an easy ride for us. There were times when we had heated arguments or took sides in a disagreement but we've always managed to talk things thru & never bore grudges for long. However when anyone needed encouragement, support or help, the Posse was always there for one another. We lived thru bad dance days, our instructor's comments on our dancing, shitty days in office, boy-girl problems...the list goes on. They are not afraid to tell someone off or give a reality check to ppl when they get out of line, but it's done out of honest, genuine concern. Somehow I can never seem to ask of the same from most of my non-salsa friends.
Some ppl outside the Posse find us intriguing...they seem to be amazed by the energy that the group has. I guess it's the way we were "brought up" in class...to always believe in ourselves & in one another, to value discipline & hard work, to give & accept criticism in a positive way, to encourage others & help one another to improve. It's the carpe diem attitude that has driven us to accept challenges & try new things. In fact, some of us have also seen changes in the way we interact with our families, colleagues & friends.
But if I was asked how a group of ppl who are so different stick together, I guess it's because of that...we're so different to start with. It'll always be an interesting journey of discovering one another...and a constant challenge to bring out the best in one another as we grow as individuals & friends.
To the Posse - I thank you for being in my life & for making me a part of yours. I will never be the person that I am if not for all of you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment