I have two left feet = (

1…2…3…5…6…7…1…2…3…5…6…7…what ever happened to 4 ? She smiled over at me with a very comforting smile and answered “ 4 is when you take a break.” “ Relax your arms…you’re too tense….now feel…there is a flow…between us…feel me pushing you and now pulling you…retain the tension and that’s how two different connect and lead one another…and dance.Now…step…step….step…

Beverly was a pretty girl and patient too. As she tried to guide me…I managed as best a smile I could…but I think it was more of a sheepish grin….a mixture of shyness and embarrassment that I just cannot dance. “Most people here have between 9 months to three years experience in dance.Take it easy…you feel shy because you are not with people of the same level as you are…”she added. I just felt so useless as I tried to remember the steps.

I am here at the Malaysian Salsa Festival, I am organizing the video event coverage for them. Due to budget constraints and lack of camera crews it’s a tad tiring as we had only two crew covering the entire event during the day plus setting up wireworks for the MCP. However I wouldn’t complain as in between work it was all good fun and my client and boss Roslim was a great example by getting down and as dirty as we got. He was personally screwing down floorboards and checking that the dance floor was safe with no potentially lacerating screws himself before the event. The whole event was a family affair…husband, wife, family and friends(people who shared the love of salsa) from all over the world…seriously, there were people from Dubai, USA, Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia among others...but though it’s a family affair it was well organized…we got our hotel rooms quick…workshops start on the dot…meals were awesome feast…

But back to the dance floor. Psychedelic spiraling spot lights…a pounding music beat….and everyone moving to the music…my two hands... were being held by this girl who also made dancing so effortless…and I was just hopeless…a moment back…a nice elderly lady Jan asked me why I was not dancing…and brought me out to the dance floor…she danced better than me and was smilling while immediately I froze in a loop of the same fragmented steps just like how I am freezing now…”it’s muscle memory she told me…slowly…you’ll get it and get better at it…

That I am sure….because I don’t want to ever caught in that darn situation again just looking at awe at people dancing and enjoying themself…while painfully unable to myself….now as I try to dance…I am still a hopeless newcomer silly and reducing dance to almost mathematical equation in my head….

1. … okay move your hips
2. …now shake shoulders
3. …now step left step right….
4. …you look like a fool…
5. ….ignore…ignore…
6. …who are you trying to fool?
7. sigh….sigh ….sigh….

Salsa lesson commence after my trip to mexico…hopefully then I can ask someone…will you care for a dance…then and just enjoy the company the music and the dance…for now…I’ll just sigh with two left feet. Beverly, James,Joanna,Jan….thanks for trying to teach me the steps…is it hopeless??????

Wait…there’s hope….spider is as bad a dancer as I am…..muahahahaha

And salsa aside...there was wonderful sunrise to be shared at Pulai Desa Rhu resort too…