From the look and sound of a bygone era to a cartoon cat with no mouth, find out how three women bring their unique pop culture obsessions to life.
From the look and sound of a bygone era to a cartoon cat with no mouth, find out how three women bring their unique pop culture obsessions to life.
That ’70s Show
After falling in love with the underground dance form known as Waacking, dancer Melissa now lives and breathes the technicolour era that gave birth to it.
Melissa Lim, 28, Freelance dancer/instructor
How did you get into Waacking?
I was doing different styles of dance and had no idea what Waacking was. I got introduced to it by my dance mate. The fast swinging of the arms to the beats of the music attracted me instantly; I had never seen anything like it. I then started searching for Waacking videos on Youtube and tried to mimic what I saw.
What does Waacking mean to you?
Waacking helped me to find and bring out the strong woman in me. It allows me to be comfortable with who I am but, at the same time, it also lets me be a completely different person onstage. When I am Waacking, I take on the persona of “Cat Lady”. “Cat” refers to my nickname, “Meow”, and “Lady” refers to the femininity that I want to portray in my dance. All the qualities I want to embody – strong, cool, charming – I apply them on Cat Lady.
What else do you love about Waacking?
It’s unlike other dance styles. Since it’s primarily set to disco music, it made me fall in love with tunes by Donna Summer, Boney M and Diana Ross… even though these songs are way older than me! Another major reason why I love Waacking is also my love for the fashion aspect, which is inspired by the ’70s and ’80s. Fashion back then had no limits!
What is your general reaction when you see anything related to Waacking?
If you are talking about the fashion side of it, I go crazy! My obsession with prints, bright colours, sequins and more sequins is incurable. I really cannot resist anything that I can add on to my “disco” collection.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
One of my teachers, Tyrone Proctor. He is from US and one of the living pioneers of Waacking. At 50+, he’s still traveling around the world spreading his love, knowledge and the history of this art form. His die-hard passion and determination inspires me to keep going.
What’s the biggest thing that Waacking has inspired you to do?
Holding my own Waacking dance event, which involved planning, inviting overseas guests, overseeing the whole event. It’s usually quite difficult to get big names to sponsor a small-scale dance event like mine, so I did everything from scratch. But the satisfaction you get when you see dancers getting inspired, learning new things and challenging themselves on the dance floor – money can’t buy that kind of satisfaction.
What’s your most precious Waacking memory and why?
Winning my first-ever championship title this year in the Singapore leg of the All Asia Waacking Festival, and then representing Singapore in the finals held in Osaka, Japan. It was my first win throughout seven years of Waacking, and the feeling was indescribable. It was like tasting Häagen-Dazs coffee ice-cream for the first time. [Laughs]
Crazy for Kitty
More than just your average crazy cat lady, Siu Fang’s childhood love for the world’s most famous Sanrio character has spiraled into a collection of Hello Kitty memorabilia worth thousands of dollars.
Lim Siu Fang, 25, Designer
Why are you drawn to Hello Kitty?
She represents something cute – there’s no deeper meaning. There might be some sort of childhood sentiment, though… She triggers memories of my childhood, when I would wear Hello Kitty t-shirts, carry Hello Kitty school bags, and so on.
In total, how much would you say you’ve spent on Hello Kitty altogether?
[Gasps] A few thousand dollars? When I got my first iPhone, I spent about $400 just on a Hello Kitty phone cover embellished with Swarovski crystals. [Laughs]
What’s your most prized Hello Kitty possession?
My gold Hello Kitty necklace that my parents got for me for my 23rd birthday. That was the first birthday present my parents ever bought me, as they usually give me an ang pow. I wear it almost every day; I treat it like my lucky charm.
How would you ever feel if you lost it?
I’d be devastated! As superstitious as it may sound, I’ll lose all my magical powers and everything will die.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for your obsession?
A few years back, I wanted to have a Storm Trooper version of Hello Kitty tattooed on my thigh. I even made a tattoo appointment. But after many protests from friends that I spoke to about the idea, I decided not to do it. Thank God that didn’t happen.
Give Me One Piece!
First introduced to the anime more than a decade ago, Judith has amassed a jaw-dropping amount of One Piece merchandise in her cosy room.
Judith Chen, 29, Teacher
What is it about One Piece that you like so much?
The characters’ stories evoke a lot of emotions in me. Every character has a dream they hope to achieve, and a tragic backstory that tugs on your heartstrings.
When did you start collecting One Piece merchandise?
I started about 10 years ago when I was living in Australia. Let’s just say shipping everything back home was a logistical nightmare.
How did it evolve into an obsession?
I bought my first set of figurines when my friend took me to an anime shop in Australia. But what I didn’t realise then was that they were bootleg merchandise. As I did more research into bootleg and official merchandise, I joined a forum called myfigurecollection.net and was introduced to the multitude of figurines available on the market. I like to collect things in a set, so when I purchased my first figurine of a particular series, I had to get the rest.
Any funny stories to share?
There was a ship figurine I once bought that took two months to arrive because the post office had misplaced it. When I notified the Japanese company of its arrival, they replied with “We are glad it arrived in One Piece.”
