By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy

Wow!

It's so easy to let things slide and the next thing you know it's days and weeks since you last blogged.

Let's start at Raya.

Great fun! Went to 2 open houses - Dian's & Ina's and my cousin's - and ate ourselves silly. What's new? I'm inflating again. I can feel it and see it. Time to get back to the gym. I know I keep on saying this but there's this visceral urge coming on again.

Sigh...it's a constant battle to keep a, well, somewhat "girlish" figure! ;-)

The best part was meeting up with Chas Sweeting at Dian's & Ina's open house. How surprised was I when he walked in. He's someone I knew when I was in boarding school in the UK. Being junior to me, you didn't keep company with the sprogs too much. It was unseemly, according to the warped hierarchy of the time. But he's a really nice bloke. And girls, and some guys I'm sure, consider him good looking! ;-) Very active in snow boarding and all sorts of action oriented sports has kept him fit. Exchanged numbers, emails etc and have vowed to get together for a potluck or something.

After Raya, The Pitches upped and went down to Singapore sans 3 of our merry band. At the last minute too. I was rather peeved about 1 of them especially because there was absolutely enough time to get some administrative work done before they left. And there didn't seem to be a concerted effort in that direction. But hey, it was their right to do so!

Fabulous weekend of shopping, eating and just hanging out with people you love. What could be better!

The reason for going was really to attend the Swingle Singers concert. I was severely "underwhelmed." There were some highlights. And I had fun. But I've heard better.

We also took the opportunity to meet up with Angie Choo, who is the President of the Acappella Society of Singapore. She was absolutely lovely and I totally liked her the moment I met her. I know Allan did too. Having sung Dahil Saiyo, which in retrospect was really not that great a song to sing when you're in front of a group for the first time, we were warmly welcomed and sat with them for a run through of "Only You."

All of a sudden though, I see everyone walking for the door. I was like "SHIT!" and followed suit. Turns out that a couple of our merry band had other commitments and wanted to leave.

I know that a few of us felt really bad for walking out of the Vocal Jam so precipitously and I shall apologise to her when I see her next. Which hopefully, is in the next week or so. She's coming up for the Philips International Jazz Festival with some friends.

Lovely to make new friends.