One of my favorite moments in Dallas was to catch the Dallas Cowboys in action at the Texas Stadium. It’s the National Football League and the Cowboys in white (3-0) are up against a winless St Louis Rams in yellow (0-3). I’ll let the videos do the talking (for images, read the other post below) and the videos are in chronological order, right from entering the stadium to the cheerleaders dropping their pom poms at half-time. Just kidding.
Dropping off and walking to the inside, not before buying a Cowboys tee and two #1 fan hand signs >
Entering the stadium…the noise, the excitement, the euphoria! >
Singing the Star Spangled Banner…Land of the free…Home of the brave…>
Right before the game begins, here’s a dizzy view of the entire stadium, including the roof >
And the game kicks off! The rams charge towards the cowboys after the snap… >
That’s a long throw by Tony Romo, star quarterback to the wide receiver >
When the game calls for time out, the cheerleaders entertain the crowd by throwing them freebies such as jerseys. I want them to throw themselves to me. Can? >
My favorite part of the game. Half-time entertainment by the cheerleaders. Nuff said. >
Ouch. That’s a St Louis player kena brought down >
The mascot goes around giving freebies. This time, he’s hanging off the box seats ledge, causing excitement among some fans. While the game’s ongoing >
The offense team advances 20 yard before being brought down again in the middle >
Fans leaving the stadium; the final score on the board and last second in the clip shot of two hot chicks! >
A day by day account of living the American life for 13 days in Dallas.
By Ronald Wan • September 24 – October 6, 2007
Mon, Sep 24
Touched down from a 4-hour plane ride from New York (www.ronaldheartsnewyork.wordpress.com). Stopped via Chicago Midway. Re-met Aileen and friends, Edwin and Elaine. Thanks for coming by to pick us up! It’s nice to see a big change after a chaotic and claustrophobic New York! Now, it’s all about wide open spaces I kid you not. As wide as possible. Each shop’s space here is enough to fill 20 blocks of flats. Got Steak n’ Shake for late dinner via drive thru. Oh, new fact: everything is drive thru here from food to ATM. Nobody walks. Seriously.
Back at Aileen’s place. It’s beautiful. The living room’s huge with a fireplace. Nice. With balcony, garage et al. And a nice, big bathtub. Say hello to bubble baths! Past midnight and unpacked and tucked myself onto the rocking sofa bed/chair. Me being the entertainment junkie quickly got the remote and switched on the TV. Ooooh, yes. 100+ channels. Who doesn’t wanna live here? ABC, NBC, CBS, THE CW, FOX…I’m elated. Met Mel back from his late night work. I feel so welcomed and good. It’s gonna be a great week ahead! It’s about 3am. Zzz…
My sleeping area, from the sofa chair to the couch >
Tues, Sep 25
Slow day. My day of orientation in Dallas. Checked out Aileen and Mel’s BMW convertible!* Whistles* And the surrounding estate. Basically, it’s a private, atas neighbourhood of Americans, Singaporeans and other people. Neat houses lined side by side with pretty landscape. Very, very pretty and a lil Desperate Housewives! Except there’s no hot gardener or Gabrielle.
Carowner Mr Melvin said SYY on the carplate stands for si yo yo. Um… >
I didn’t know you have to look sexy to collect mail from the office >
Had lunch at I Love Pho (it’s Viet). Mel went to work while the Muse and I went to Wal-Mart! But before that, we stopped at TJ Maxx, a department store. Got dirt-cheap Calvin Klein boxers. And then off to Wal-Mart nearby. Wow. Damn, it’s bloody huge, bigger than the hypermarts back home I think. And they have everything here from food, fruits to DVDs and clothes. No shit, you get everything here – 24/7.
Sign of the times – even Starbucks has drive-thru >
The talkative radar to detect well, policemen…K-band…K-band…>
We called it Grover. It’s a funny piece of GPS that sometimes brings us on longer routes >
One point I must really, really emphasis is how everything is BIG here. Cars are big. Roads are wide. The milk cartons are huge (like those cans to fill diesel). And so we shopped for groceries today at a Viet market in the evening and Wal-Mart in the night. Used the GPS to navigate. You definitely need it over here. The woman’s voice in the GPS still rings in my head. “Ding. Turn left at 0.1 miles. Turn left. Re-calculating.” Used a self-help check-out counter and even rented some DVDs.Then got dozen glazed/mixed donuts from Krispy Kreme! And food from Wendy’s. Fwah. Life is bliss.
Did some laundry back at her place. Used the dryer for the first time, which I realised my clothes shrunk! Found out two random facts during my day of orientation today: Nobody reverse park here cos the space is just too enormous! And the sprinklers come on at 7pm to water the grass outside the estate. Awesome.
Weds, Sep 26
Everyday sleep in late. Wakes up close to noon. Have breakfast! Pancakes! Cereals! Reese’s chocolate and peanut buter puffs! Fresh milk! Donuts! It’s all good pigging out. Worth all the man boobs I have. Well, I’m surprised I didn’t get fat at the end of the trip actually.
Had quick lunch cooked and prepared specially by the Muse. Yum yum. And then, day of shopping begins! We headed to Grapevine Mills Parkway. Aileen drove well. Then again, I’ve been impressed by her driving since day one unlike some of my friends’ well, funny/rash driving. I see the cars on the road I can faint. They all drove damn bloody fast. And those trucks! They can blow you away or smash you into pieces with a slight serve or touch. And the roads are not well lit. And the traffic lights are so many you get blurred.
Okay, anyway. About Grapevine. It’s a big mall housing many, many premium outlet shops. Got there at about 2-3pm. Got jeans from Guess. Then an Abercrombie & Fitch polo. A Paul Smith shirt from Neiman Marcus. A jersey from Nike. Cargo pants and shirt from Gap. Another pair of jeans from Levi’s. And tried the rocky apple – apples coated in chocolate. See pictures below.
Here, the highway, or freeways, come in dozens >
We’re on the magic school bus! Yup, the yellow school bus still exists! >
Shopping’s over and it’s high time for dinner. It’s off to SaltgrassSteakhouse. Loved the place! Totally a steakhouse with hanging cattle’s head set in a wooden lodge-like place. Had the fillet mignon which was very tender. Tried the potato fries too. Yum. Thanks to the Muse for treating. Feel so loved. =)
Headed back home (I’m already getting the hang of calling it home). I’m happy. Shopping may seem frivolous but it’s also a form of empowerment. I won’t say it’s emancipation but it’s somewhere near that. More shopping beckons tomorrow but I’ll wait. Now, I shall sleep among my shopping bags. Orgasmic! See my shopping post right below – I shop therefore I am
Meanwhile, or rather, every other night when we all chill out watching TV or DVDs, I’ll have my Ben & Jerry’s Creme Brulee (yeah, I grabbed a tub the moment I saw it in Wal-Mart!). I’m gonna call it the Mel’s Special cos he prepared it in the kitchen – a mixture of marshmallows, bananas and creme brulee ice-cream. Watched TV halfway and fell asleep. Apparently I snored again. Apologies to the Kangs’ residence!
Thurs, Sep 27
Usual breakfast of donuts, cereals, milk etc. Another shopping day and this time, it’s off to Allen Premium Outlet in Allen, Texas. Quite a long drive. Took us about an hour plus to get there. Poor Aileen to make her drive. It must be tiring. Hugs.
Video of the scenery, the quiet neighborhood, so Desperate Housewives-esque >
And when we got there in the late afternoon, there’s no time to waste.
Bought two pairs of shoes from Adidas. Then drove to another shop. Although everything is concentrated in this area called Allen Premium, the shops are huge and not within walking distance of one another. Just imagine a huge airport. You have to get from one end to the other. Bought a classic striped shirt, a green sweater/jacket and a blue polo shirt from Polo Ralph Lauren. Dusk sets in so it’s quickly off to Calvin Klein’s. Bought two bags and a NY cap (ironically found here).
And we’re back home, not before stopping by Jackinthebox to grab a quick bite and some Krispy Kreme donuts. Back home, Aileen cooked dinner which was great(!!!) (no political correctness here). Then it’s watching TV (Late Show with David Letterman) and DVDs again. Life is good.
Fri, Sep 28
Had lunch with two wives from the First Wives Club – Cynthia and Susan at the teppanyaki restaurant. Great skills from the chef. He flips the egg. He makes a volcano out of vegetables. He plays with fire. We almost died. Got it all on video. Cynthia and Susan were both amused that I’m a part-time actor. Never mind I’m actually a full-time student and full-time writer. The gossip’s in acting. So which actor is sleeping with who? My, I truly feel like part of the wives’ club now. Aileen calls news among the wives as Wives’ Intelligence. Sounds cool. Tips on the next Prada sale? Lunch was really fun with them.
Took a picture using Cynthia’s iPhone. I also want! $399 in the States but no guarantee when bought back can update regularly with firmware. Damn. >
Then we’re off to Wal-Mart again to shop for more groceries (apparently, we’re eating up a lot of stuff back home). Also bought 2 dvds. Bought more Reese’s peanut butter chocolates. And a copy of Dallas Morning News. Then we caught a movie at the Hollywood theater. We watched Nanny Diaries and reminisced about New York! And we did a photo shoot outside the theater after the movie against the setting sun. GORGEOUS. Check out the pictures!
Me Car Girl Posing with Mel’s convertible >
No DI involved here. Gorgeous sun, gorgeous rays, gorgeous me >
And then we’re off to Cynthia’s house in the evening. Her kids – Denzyl and Kellyz were lovely. We played Wi. I sucked in dancing. Evidently. The girl screams “Damn it” while the boy screams “Sweet” in their nice American accent. So cute.
A quiet night back in the house with a late dinner (Mel had to work late). Watched some DVDs and fell asleep on the nice couch (which became my bed these days). Apparently snored again. Sorry! Weekend beckons and it’s gonna be a crazy one!
Sat, Sep 29
We’re kinda deciding between Six Flags (yeah, those crazy rides) or the Texas State Fair. And I’m more keen on the State Fair cos well, it’s something uniquely Americana. State Fairs used to be more old-school and like what we read in those Great American novels. Carousels. Games. Rides. Pepper Corn. Ferris Wheel. Balloons flying in the sky.
Started the day when we had brunch at the West Village in downtown Dallas. A famous burger joint (was it called Village Burger?) where trendy Dallas people dined in shades and wore their weekend’s best. Quite a no. of hot, pretty chicks too.
Buildings in downtown Dallas are postmodern >
And then it’s the state fair ($14). Got there close to 3pm and what luck! Boyz II Men were performing that day and they’re coming on at 3pm! And so we swayed and sung and rocked to the trio who insanely were wearing suits! On such a bloody hot day! Hello? First time in Texas ah? Anyway they sung new songs from their new album and classics like ‘On Bended Knees’…’I'll Make Love To You’…which got the whole crowd swooning. Me like.
We walked around the fair. Eating & drinking. Soaking up the atmosphere and sun. The game stalls are huge. The prizes are lagi big. And you thought the Tweety Bird back home in the pasar malam was big. This is BIG. We tried a game which was bloody difficult. Hit the ball onto the board and get into the box. Sounds easy and we got cheated. No wins. =(
I forgot this fellow’s name, but I think it’s Big Tex or something. Has to do with Texas >
And then, time for a ride. There are many, many rides but I was only man enough to take just one. The rest, I’m chicken. We got onto this 360-degrees spinning ride. So you’re perched in the air staring down with your balls hanging upside down. That kinda experience. Mel and I went up while the muse looked on apathetically. At one point, Mel and I were dangling 180-degrees with our face looking downwards. Mel egged me to take my hands off the rails. “MEL, ARE YOU CRAZY? NO WAY!!!” Anyway my screams were all captured on video. Enjoy.
And so we walked and checked out the entire fair. Ended up watching a pig’s race in a barn. Superb old-school. Half expecting to see Dakota Fanning pulling Wilbur along. And then we saw IT. IT being a HUGE motherfucking pig! Enough to feed a nation. And so they ran and ran during the race. Turned out the race was just a quick one. My thoughts drifted to bacon halfway through the race. Oops.
It was dusk and we decided to head back. Not before dropping by Northpark, this shopping mall. Bought a tee from Urban Outfitters and MAC makeup. Been a long and tiring day at the state fair so we retired back home. Rest and relax till tomorrow! NFL awaits! Yes, National Football League. I AM SUPER PSYCHED. Went online to read up the complex rules of the game. Aileen tried but she fell asleep. Oh, women. Anyway, DALLAS COWBOYS, go, go, go!!!
Sun, Sep 30
Dallas Cowboys vs St Louis Rams 12:00 Texas Stadium
We were late. The game starts at 12 noon and we’re leaving the place at 11. It’s about 20-min ride there but the parking’s insane. And so Mel’s kind colleague drove us there. Thanks Peh. When we got there, I promptly bought a cowboys t-shirt for $25 (the jersey was like $80) and two #1 fan hand signs! Totally soaking up the atmosphere. I have always wanted to watch a baseball or football game in America. From the movies, I know the atmosphere’s great, esp when they sing the star sprangled banner.
Oh, we also placed bets on the Cowboys to win by 13 point margin.
When we got into Texas Stadium and moved onto our seats ($250 for three of us, bought from a fan via online), it was just nice when the crowd stood up to sing the star sprangled banner! You could feel the euphoria. I almost had tears in my eyes. “Land of the free, home of the Braveeeeeee!” always I kinda wanted to feel American, no secrets on that. The game couldn’t have started on such a good note. The cheerleaders and mascots and game sponsors cheered and left and the players went onto the field. Dallas Cowboys in white, St Louis Rams (i read they were previously from California state) in yellow. Game on.
The game was like, totally, awesome!!! Bang here, bang there. Whistle blow here, blow there. And then the Cowboys scored a touchdown + field kick in the 2nd quarter. And St Louis Rams equalized! Damn it. It’s really a slow start. Then Cowboys scored another touchdown + field kick before the whistle blew for half-time! Score stood at 14-7! Woo! Halftime entertainment included the cheerleaders — my favorite. Of cos I couldn’t stop snapping pictures. Went to get nachos and drinks too.
2nd half kick off >
3rd quarter heats up! Tony Romo, the star quarterback (which got Aileen all shook up and declaring to be a Romo’s girl) scores another touchdown after a mistake from the snap. I read Tony Romo’s dating Carrie Underwood from American Idol. Sometimes throughout the game, Aileen will go, “Where’s the ball?” I say, “There, there, there!” Points at ball. Still cannot find. She eats her nachos.
Anyway, the Cowboys are up 21-7! Yet another touchdown with a run down the middle from 10 yards play. And then it’s 28-7, a touchdown via wide play from the receivers! Everyone knows it’s a goner for the rams. We’re taking it home! In the final quarter, some fans decided to leave. A bitchy Mom behind me shouted, “Fair weather fans!” She left soon after with her family.
Final score? 35-7. Dallas Cowboys went on to maintain a 4-0 lead into the season. The rams are still winless. We stayed on when the game’s over to take some pictures. I’m elated. And we won the bet. Mel’s happy too! Aileen’s happy too in her pink hat.
Final score >
Some fans were still cheering outside >
And we headed back home to rest and get dressed for a night out. And it was fancy dinner at the fancy schmancy and super, super atas and super famous restaurant – NOBU! Oh yeah! Robert De Niro opened one in NY and got rave reviews. Same goes for all other Nobu restaurants around the states. It’s a Japanese restaurant by the way.
We were ushered in and the ambience was nice. Moody lighting. Placed our orders. Mel laughed at the waiter/waitress being unable to understand Aileen’s enunciation. I chuckled. I like Mel when he teased his wife. He should do it more often.
Anyway, us trio shared cod fish, baby scallops, steak and sushi hand rolls. And mochi, ‘goreng pisang according to Mel’ and chocolate cake or truffle cake (I forgot) for desserts. It was a pleasant, nice and wonderful dinner. I love, love the interior decor. Carved out patterns in walls with moody lighting. Took some more pictures to amuse ourselves. It’s funny how the other diners immersed in long conversations while us joked, chatted a fair bit and took a lot of pictures. Camera whores.
Out of Nobu and I utter to myself, “Oh yeah, life is good.”
Back home, Mel told me, “Let’s go to Babydolls.” I won’t go into further details what happened, but in the end, I didn’t get into the strip club. Of course I was disappointed but hey, I did go days later. Read further to find out.
Can ya see the ‘goreng pisang’ with caramel? >
In the night, we watched DVD. And I fell asleep dreaming of scoring a touchdown. I’m the new quarterback for Dallas Cowboys and I’m dating Carrie Underwood. It’s a dream, damn it.
Mon, Oct 1
Mel takes an off day! Hooray. We gonna have a road trip to Austin! About 3 hours drive to and another 3 hours back! Kudos to Mel who drove and drove. I dozed off a few times at the back of the convertible. Oops. But I could hardly hear the conversation in front. Stopped mid-way at Sonic to get burgers and fries for brunch. The sights along the way were great. It’s something not found in a city. Horses, cows, hay, billboards etc.
A wind mill? Reminds me of Smallville >
Randomly, a faux spaceship in the grass. And Mr Melvin drives without hands. Work hazard. He think the convertible’s on auto pilot. >>
When we arrived at Round Rock Premium Outlet in Austin, it’s shopping time.
Again, premium factory outlets here are located in a huge concentrated area. We walked and shopped. Saw Aileen running off to the toilet in a weird manner. Haha.
First at Adidas where I got the Adicolor jacket and a pair of i love ibiza shoes! We saw G-Star but it was closed for inventory check. Spoke to the person and he said come back later. And so we walked further. When we returned, it was still closed! But I knocked and politely begged. They relented because it was near closing time anyway. And so I tried and bought, bought and tried. In the end, 2 pairs of raw denim and a pair of checkered chinos. You won’t believe how much they cost.
Shopping ended and we headed back home. It’s evening time. It was a long drive again. Kudos to Mel! He’s superb! Stopped halfway to re-fuel and Aileen snacked from Mac. And we had dinner at home. Aileen cooked a fabulous meal, incl my favorite ma bo tofu. It’s a nice trip to end on a good note! I’m gonna go home the next day. Sort of.
Tues, Oct 2.
TMM felt sad I’m leaving already. I have to. I already missed a 30% mid-term exam back in school but then again, I don’t give a rat’s ass about it. Went to TJ Maxx to get more Calvin Klein boxer-briefs and a belt. And a John Asford shirt for my dad. Bought Bvlgari perfume too. It’s kinda like my last shopping buy for the trip.
Had lunch at I Love Pho. Aileen said, “STAY A FEW MORE DAYS.” I think since morning we made about 10 calls to ATA and Northwest to check on flight times and charges. No joke. At 2pm, I’m all packed. The Muse said, “STAY. I’M NOT DRIVING YOU TO THE AIRPORT.” Stupid threat. I wanted to stay too. I’m enjoying the time here so much. I said, “If you can change the flights, change. I’m gonna take a shower now. Don’t bother me further”
And when I got out of the shower, it’s all done. My flight has been changed! I’m in a shock, really. That za bor really did it. My stay has been extended! I’m quietly happy. I know the repercussions of school (and paying the flight change charges of $70 for ATA and $150 for NW). But it was worth it.
The Muse EVIDENTLY got happier and drove us to Wal-Mart to get my black hair dye and rented DVDs — of my choice. And so we headed back and the muse EVEN helped me with dying my hair jet black. And i so, so, so loved it – my new hair color!! It looked SO fresh and mannequin like on me!
Mel smiled when he came back and still saw me lying there on the couch. Yup, I’m staying for another 4 days and I suppose Babydoll will happen after all! I can imagine Mel’s head saying, “Another 4 days of snoring!” =p
Weds, Oct 3 Started the day at the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Museum of Art in downtown Dallas. Museum of Art was okay because there were just too many to see. We saw the Ancient American, American and Ancient Mediterranean collections. Went over to the Sculpture Museum and it was fun. At least taking pictures and making a fool of ourselves with the various sculptures.
Glad to be part of the sculptures >
I would like to think my extension made the muse happy because she gladly drove us to Barnes & Noble to get my magazines/books (got Wicked, yay!) and The Cheesecake Factory next door for some cheesecake lovin’! We had sides before buying cheesecake back home. I got the Adam’s Reese Peanut Butter Cheesecake! It was GREAT although I wish they could name the cheesecake better. I don’t like the name Adam very much you know.
Then we went further down to…SPRINKLES! The famous celebrity cupcakes shop in LA, Beverly Hills frequented by the young starlets! JUST NICE there’s another one and only outlet outside LA…in Dallas! Yup, I went to the two biggest cupcake rivals in US – one on the east coast in New York (Magnolia, read my NY blog at www.ronaldheartsnewyork.wordpress.com) and the other in Dallas! Woo!
We bought half a dozen, incl the red velvet! >
I love, love this series of shots I took. It’s to portray the papparrazi shots of celebs getting out of Sprinkles and to their cars. Of course, the celeb here is the Muse. Clearly, she’s enjoying her 10 secs of fame >
I don’t wanna do a review but all I can say is magnolia cupcakes taste sweeter because of the ample butter-cream frosting. As for sprinkles, it’s less sweet with little frosting which makes it delightful and in the right doses (the right amt of flour/butter used). We bought half a dozen for $20. It’s definitely more expensive than the ones in Magnolia.
And so we headed back (stopped by Blockbuster to rent dvds but opted for Wal-mart instead cos it’s cheaper – a dollar for a disc) for a sumptuous meal of Aileen’s home-cooked food (seafood noodles), Krispy Kreme donuts, Sprinkles cupcakes and Cheesecake Factory cheesecake and then it’s watching more Dvds and TV. I’m glad I extended my stay.
Thurs, Oct 4
The muse calls it a DVD Day. Yeah, we’re staying home to watch DVDs. We rented 5 DVDs from Wal-mart. Music and Lyrics. Charlotte’s Web. The Devil Wears Prada. All very wholesome and chick lit. Good for the Muse’s brain. And I continued watching Heroes and other TV shows online because they provide access to Americans! So why not?
And so we watched and watched (was so happy to see Devil Wears Prada and all the NY shots) and later in the evening, went out with Mel to have Taiwanese food for dinner.
Friday, Oct 5
Long day ahead. I convinced the muse to go to Stockyards, the last cowboy town in Forth Worth on Uncle Mel’s recommendation. When we finally got there after a 1.5 hr drive, I was so happy to see saloons, cattle herds et al. Bloody Western! I feel like John Wayne. As if. We walked around exploring the historic town and had lunch at Riscky Steakhouse.
Surprisingly, we signed up for a tour! Muse wasn’t keen but I was! She had to listen to me, remember? And the tour consists of just us only (we’re 10 minutes late but WHO cares?) Gene, a 50+ year old man, was our guide. Showed us a video on the history of the town. My god, it’s older than our country back home. The Muse obviously didn’t pay attention during the video.
Gene brought us to the stock pen, to the red barn, to the colisseum where they have rodeo shows (we missed it because we went in the day; the rodeo show’s in the night!), billy bop’s where they have bull and honky tonk shows! Which were all very old school cowboy Americana, ain’t it?
Gene kept saying “I’m not sure if you have this back in singapore or if you have heard of John Wayne or if you…” He really thinks Singapore is a province in China. At the end of the tour, we tipped him generously ($20) cos I didn’t have small change! But the guide was really enriching and fun. At least we learnt a lot of things. Aileen complained about the heat during our walk but it was worth it. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
Map of Stockyards @ the visitors center. Made of ropes >
The young horse’s mother just died a week ago. Here, another horse comforts it >
Ranchers and businessmen here auction their cattle on live television >
A hall of fame for all country singers who came here before. I posed with Johnny Cash! Ring of fire >
The Stockyards Hotel! Bonnie and Clyde stayed here but never robbed the bank next door! >
Video showing cattle hearding in the streets…they were just crossing the roads et al >
After Stockyards Forthworth, we still had energy to do some shopping. Or at least the muse did. Went over to Galleria. Then it’s back home.
Amused myself taking pictures at a lingerie section while the Muse obviously tried on her lingerie >
Then Mel came back. And he said, “We’re going to Babydolls tonight!” Yeah, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta go. At 11pm odd, we hopped into his car with his friend Eddie (the muse stayed home to entertain herself). Mind you, it’s not some seedy bar. Babydolls is a nice gentleman’s strip club. I would love to show you pictures but of course, no photography is allowed. Besides, I wouldn’t have time to take pictures, know what I mean?
When we got in ($5 for cover. I had to produce my passport since the last time we tried coming, they didn’t like my pink ic very much), it was a feast for the eyes…
Those under 18 years old do not proceed further.
Boobs were everywhere! I kid you not. And most of the girls here are pretty and HOT! I’m serious. Not some trashy trailer ex-convict moms. This is a cool gentleman’s club. The men walked around and sat at bars, tables and some along the podium. The girls walked around in various get-ups from bikinis to lacy suits to well, their birthday suit too.
We grabbed a table and simply girl-watch. They smiled at you and some will come up to you selling drinks or chat with you. This is how it works: You make eye contact with a foxy lady you fancy. She comes over. You chat. How are you? You made small talk. And then if you’re really piqued, you asked for a lap dance.
Half an hour on, Mel asked this pretty Viet-American lass. She grabbed my hand and walked me to the back of the club. She asked for my name. Her name’s Yen. Sat down on one of the couches and she well, started to dance to the song. OF COURSE SHE MORE THAN JUST DANCED but I won’t go into much details except she sways and grooves and gyrates and brings herself (and something else) THISCLOSETOYOU. SHE WAS GOOD, that’s all I’m saying. Paid for two songs ($40, which = 2 dances) and she gave me a big hug in the end. And I gingerly walked back.
Mel gave me a wink.
One of the dancers came up and pinched my chest and said, “How are you, you cute little thing?” Little thing? Hello? Never mind. She offered us shots but we just gave her a dollar or two. The norm here is to give a dollar to the girls dancing on the podium. At the podium, they just danced for a short while before moving around the tables. The real action is in the talking and private lap dances. A dollar for a dance at the podium is nothing. Pfft.
And oh, they always have hordes of dollars clipped to their undergarments. Good business.
And then we looked out again. Saw this really, really pretty and gorgeous dancer earlier but think she’s kinda popular. Really has the model looks. HOT. Reminds me of Samaire Armstrong from the OC meets Sienna Miller kinda of look. Mel went to find her for me. 10 minutes later, he returned with her.
She looked at me and grabbed my hand and went to the back again. I must say she looked really, really hot BUT her skills, nah, not so good. Paid for two songs/dances and that was it. Walked gingerly back again.
And so I got two private lap dances and spent 2 hours or so at a glamorous strip club observing the nittie gritties and titties et al. It was really, really a great night. I’m happy now and ready to go home. Thanks Mel!
When we got back, the Muse was still awake. I smiled and finally slept. It was the sweetest dream. I dreamt of Yen. And this time, we weren’t just dancing. Kidding lah.
Sat, Oct 6
Mel has to work so said goodbye to him. Gave me an angbao. Thanks Uncle Mel! Left him a Shanghai Tang gift on the mantle. I packed. I left my gap jeans, nike sweater and buzz Lightyear toy with Aileen because bags were simply too full.
And this time, I’m really flying home.
Aileen sent me to the airport. She helped me dragged one of my luggages. Thanks babe. We checked in. And then I had to say goodbye to her. It was with a heavy heart. We hugged and said goodbye. I know I will most likely see her in a few months but it feels sad. Was about to go through the security and wanted to give my muse a final hug but there were many people around her. I waved goodbye.
I’ll see you soon kay?
It’s a trip back to NY for a night and back home. It’s been really fun, a fruitful and long 13 days of living the awesome American dream/life in Dallas. Thank you Mel and Aileen for being such wonderful hosts and bearing with my snores. Love you guys and I’ll see you back home soon!
Thanks to thorough research and the muse’s help (Mel too!), I have bought, acquired, amassed so, so, so many stuff and apparel over the course of 24 days spent in New York and Dallas. From sample sales to sales rack at the back of boutiques to premium factory outlets spread all over the States, these are the real places to get your digs. Never mind it’s just last season’s merchandise because who cares? Back in Singapore, there’s no season (seriously) and besides what I always wear, people marvel. It’s true.
Enough talk. Let me go through my shopping list, and they are more or less apparel. Others like books, CDs, DVDs, well, I won’t even wanna go there. Shopping is empowerment. It may not be near emancipation, but it’s liberating enough. It feels good to buy something so cheap and yet it costs a bomb back home or on the Internet. One must really trawl the bins and racks and have a keen, fashionable eye. Enough bragging. I did my walking and now I let my shopping bags do the talking.
@ Woodbury, Central Valley, New York
1 Hugo Boss black shirt
1 Hugo Boss purple tee
1 Hugo Boss NY tee
Total: After reduction + taxes USD $155
1 Lacoste retro fit polo orange
1 Lacoste retro fit polo pink
Total: After reduction + taxes $1116
1 FCUK tee red
1 FCUK tee blue
1 FCUK tee teal
Total: After reduction + taxes $46
1 Armani Exchange black shirt
1 Armani Exchange grey shirt
Total: After reduction + taxes $42
@ Century 21, New York
1 Calvin Klein white shirt
1 BCBG Max striped brown shirt
3 pairs of Polo Ralph Lauren socks
Total: After reduction + taxes $60
@ SoHo, New York
1 Uniqlo scarf
1 Uniqlo tee
1 Club Monaco V-neck tee
1 Club Monaco white pants
Total: After reduction + taxes $55
@ Grapevine Mills Parkway, Dallas, Texas
1 Guess jeans
1 Gap striped shirt
1 Gap brown pants
1 Abercrombie & Fitch green polo
1 Paul Smith shirt from Neiman Marcus
1 Nike jersey
1 Levi’s jeans
Total: After reduction + taxes $210
@ Allen Premium, Allen, Texas
1 Polo RalphLauren polo
1 Polo Ralph Laurenjacket
1 Polo Ralph Lauren shirt
Total: After reduction + taxes $92
2 Calvin Klein messenger bags
1 Calvin Klein cap
Total: After reduction + taxes $91
2 pairs of Adidas shoes
Total: After reduction + taxes $76
@ TJ Maxx, Dallas
1 John Ashford shirt for Dad
1 Bvlgari Notte perfume
1 Calvin Klein belt
Total: After reduction + taxes $75
@ Round Rock Premium, Austin, Texas
1 G-Star check chino pants
1 G-Star raw worn chelsea denim
1 G-star primer dark classic denim Total: After reduction + taxes $57
When friends asked me about my trip, they were mostly interested in how much did I spend for shopping and for the entire trip in general. Nobody asked about the Roman statues in the Met or the fabulous brownstone buildings in Greenwich. They just wanted to know…HOW MUCH? Is this a Singaporean thing or what? Anyway, to set the record straight, I finally did my costings, more or less precise and this is what turns out = close to $9,000. I feel the pinch but damn it, it’s a fucking worthwhile pinch!
Cash brought to New York: $2,000 USD ($3,000 SIN)
Hostels: Candy Hostel ($180 USD), Jazz on the City Hostel ($330 USD), Continental ($480). Total: $990 USD
Attractions/Food/Shopping: $1100 USD
Shopping at Woodbury: $723 SIN charged on card
Shopping at Century 21: $93 SIN charged on card
Shopping at Empire/Bookshop: $146 SIN charged on card
In Dallas, withdrew from ATM thrice of $500 USD each. Total: $762 + $771 + $764 = $2297 SIN
I bitched about it and I’m going to bitch about it again. I spent almost 40 hours going back home from Dallas. The journey back was simply NOT fabulous.
4pm Departs Dallas (2 hrs)
6pm Stops at Chicago Midway (1 hr waiting time)
7pm Departs Chicago for New York (3.5 hrs)
10.30pm Reaches New York LaGuardia
11pm – 7am Wanders in Manhattan. Alone. (8 hours)
By this time, my five o’clock shadow became a 12 o’clock beard and I was feeling groggy. Got on a cab to the airport. Had breakfast and read NYT alone at the airport for the next 4 hours.
11am Boards Northwest Airlines. Departs New York. (2.5 hrs)
1.30pm Reaches Minneapolis. Grabs a shaver, toothpaste and toothbrush. Washes up in the toilet. Men look at me as if I’m Tom Hanks in The Terminal. (0.5 hrs)
2pm Departs Minneapolis for Tokyo. Had to endure flight sitting next to a Japanese schoolgirl who slept for 12.5 hours of the journey and never uttered a single word except, “Pepsi.” (13 hours)
6pm (Tokyo local time) Finally touches down in Tokyo. Washes up again in the toilet. Again, Japanese men look at me. (1 hr)
7pm Departs Tokyo for Singapore. (5.5 hrs)
12.30am Hooray. Home Sweet Home.
Total Hours from Dallas > Chicago > New York > Minneapolis > Tokyo > Singapore:41.5 hours. Tamade.
T 
