Fresh as a daisy from five days of Discovery Week, a usual chase around the dance venues of KL on Saturday plus watching Argentina and eleven other fellows play football it was up and at 'em for an early Sunday morning in Chinatown for the latest KL dance competition. Lexi was out all day long running a technical rehearsal for her school play (kick off next week) so mother in law and I plus kids home at around 7.30am.
The floor was apparently open from 0800 for free practice and so we got there in good time, for me, ready to start. From that moment on timings started to slip. The floor was eventually opened up at 0825 as the next time target looked: the 0900 start of class number 1. Edwin was competing in Solo Open 1 and so we all had an interest in making sure that we were in the right place at the right time. We were, but as the clock ticked past 0900 the only thing that had happened so far was that the the very well-spoken announcer had rather officiously told spectators where they could and couldn't sit. I her next announcement she appeared keener than most that proceeding should start on time as she declared that the competition wuss about to start, this proclamation coming about at 0905. 0910 cam and went, with no sign of action, as did 0913, which was marked by flurry of action: another scolding for people who might have considered sitting in the wrong chairs from Ms Announcer and then a swift exit from the official platform by Herself; the final competitor for the first class arriving and the judges moving in to position. Still no dancing. And who was to blame? None other than Mr Sammy Soo, yes, hard to believe I know, but it was clearly all down to him. The announcer asked Mr Soo, apparently a judge, to get into place so that proceedings could commence promptly 20 minutes late, which they did.
However controversy was not far away though. Edwin danced well but there was some very obvious and serious rule breaking. Three men were spotted wearing waistcoats while dancing in a beginners category. Oh the shame! Oh the crime! Oh how could they behave as such devious criminals? Thus to help speed the competition on a pause was put in to allow the removal of these offending garments and huge removal and re-attaching of numbers. Apparently it also against the rules for beginners girls to wear shiny or sparkles costumes, an offence committed by almost all of the participants. I am happy to accept sensible rules, but the waistcoat thing does seem silly. Dancing competitions are expensive enough so I would have thought that it was in the dancer's interest to minimize the amount they spend on their outfits. However there were really too many girls in various competitions who have taken the minimal clothing thing too far with under nines wearing backless strappy dresses. Surely if the rules are so strict on waistcoats then there should be similarly strict rules on making sure that girls do not wear skimpy numbers.
Luckily though not everything was late in today's competition. Accompanying supporters were required to buy a ticket that included lunch, at a mere RM150 each. Fortunately Edwin's dance teacher had managed to arrange a two for one deal that meant that both mother in law and I could watch the event for a more manageable price. Preparations for a grand Chinese lunch clearly have to begin early though. The caterers planned for lunch to be served from 1300 and in anticipation wanted to make certain that no detail was left unattended to. Small saucers of ketchup, soy sauce and chillis were arranged on our table in good time for lunch at 0845, approximately three and a quarter hours early.