Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Genes from dad

I have Space Oddity on my phone.

I came to know about David Bowie through Jennifer Connelly.

Requiem for a Dream made me obsessed with Jennifer Connelly, so I actively searched for her movies to watch. It led to me cult classic Labyrinth, with David Bowie reigning as King Jareth. And I remember thinking this was a man of incredible depth.

I watch Saturday Night Live a lot at work. My favourite cast member of all time is Kristen Wiig. When I ran out of episodes starring her, I went to search on where she is now, and found that she did a movie with former SNL member Ben Stiller.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Yes yes I keep going on about this movie. Hear me out.

Gabriel doesn't understand why I love the show so desperately. I don't too, but I know I can watch it over and over and not lose my sense of wonder at it. And so, it led me to the cinematic brillance that is the scene of Kristen Wiig playing the guitar encouraging Ben Stiller on a helicopter.



Sung first by Wiig, it then transitions brilliantly into Bowie's vocals. The transition, the scene-play, the characters, everything was so well done. I well up every single time I watch that 2:55 of sheer magic.

Ben Stiller's scared then achingly surprised face as he jumped on the helicopter. Kristen Wiig's gaze as she look upwards, hair carelessly caressing her beautifully proud smile. There were no spoken lines, but it was the most powerful conversation I've ever seen.

A conversation about venturing into the unknown. A conversation about listening to your heart. A conversation about incredible courage. A conversation about wonderment and love.

I am transfixed by that song. When I feel a worry about my solo NYC trip creeping up, I'd replay that song and remember my hunger for a life better lived. I remember my chase of a journey worth going the distance for, even if I have to do it alone.

Space Oddity is a song of wonder. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is about a man going a full circle around the world on an incidental journey to discover himself, only to realize everything he always hoped to be was within him all along (the wallet).

Ok hear me out.

Because I'm transfixed by this song, I played it all the way home yesterday.

I was daydreaming, like Walter Mitty did. I was daydreaming about being Singapore's newest rising fitness influencer, going around the world motivating people to start their own fitness journey. And I started daydreaming about handstand mastery.

In my daydreams, I was doing my handstands against a picturesque Greenland. I was in good form and strong. I was proud of myself. And I was happy.

And so, the song motivated me to go home and push for a handstand.



I did it.

I pushed, without a wall nor my sister's support, into a headstand by myself.

I held it for 2 seconds and fell.

It was beautiful.

I was screaming in elation and thanking the song for motivating me and being all kinds of happy until my dad rudely piped up from the back. I had to try a lot of times before finally nailing it right, so he's been at the sofa grunting what's the correct way to do it.

My dad doesn't speak, he grunts only haha. But anyway so he kept grunting out instructions, telling me to jump into the wall-supported handstand, and then lift off. I refused to, because I was trying to do it without the wall at all.

And he got so frustrated with me refusing to take his advice, that he actually got off his lazy bum and showed me.



I take a 5-minute warm-up and about 2 - 3 kicks before I can finally reach into a wall-assisted handstand. If I'm at Strala, I would take 45 minutes of vinyasa/ ashtanga yoga before finally entering a supported handstand, let alone a freestanding hadstand.

NOT MY DAD!

Despite not having done this move in at least 30 years, he got off the sofa, tucked his shirt in,
secured his palms against the floor, and kicked up into one smooth wall-assisted handstand. No warm up, no 2 - 3 prepping kicks. One smooth kick, and he was up.

My sister couldn't stop laughing and I couldn't stop marveling and it only pushed me to keep trying. But I continued ignoring his way and sticking to mine (wall-less) and he was in the mood already, so he told me to stop and watch him again.

And this time, he entered a freestanding handstand.



He even bounced a bit while freestanding.

I tell you, at that point, my pride was real. I've been training towards this for 6 months and I can't do it, but he did it within 15 minutes of getting frustrated with me. My mum added he used to walk on his handstands all the time.

Why do I seek role models from Instagram when I already have a fit dad like this at home? yes, right now he's not in the right shape but I can always look up to the 1980 version of him. A role model right at home all these years, and I never looked up.

But it's not too late - from now on, I shall!

Also now, I shall wait for my mum to watch my sister breakdance and drop to her down when my sister fails to perform up to her expectations hahah.





Why waste a good outfit right? Heh heh.

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