eighteen: inspiration cycle.

This is my story with The Cruisers.

About a month back, when my friend was in Singapore, I had entered Universal Studios Singapore for the first time, and upon entering, one of the first things I saw was this:

50s music sung by a 50s-esque boyband? what's NOT to love? I immediately fell head over heels for these four boys, oblivious to the fact that they rotated performers everyday. I was determined to get a fan art done for them, and i did.

Complete with fake names and fake signatures on the drawing because I didn't know their names AT ALL, with a little hope and a lot of faith, I e-mailed this to the Resort World Sentosa's e-mail, hoping for nothing but for the boys to at least just see my artwork. That was all I was aiming for. (but not God. He was aiming for a LOT more.)

A few days after I had e-mailed the artwork, the first miracle happened: the e-mail was replied. I actually sent it to their inquiries e-mail, so i wasn't even hoping that high, for someone to reply. The lady had said in the e-mail that she will show the artwork to the department which was in charge so it can reach the boys. (this was around the time i found out about the rotating performers, and my heart broke a little honestly)

days passed and nothing.

about a week or two later, another e-mail comes in.

Miracle number two.

Hi Xin Wei,  

First of all, thank you for the artwork that you sent in for our talents the Daddy O’s.
The artwork has been routed to the relevant department to send it to them.  

In order to thank you for your support to Resorts World Sentosa and the Daddy O’s, we would like to invite you for a personal meet and greet session with the Daddy O’s.
During this session you will be able to meet the four of them up close and personal.

My heart skipped a million beats and I thought I was going into a cardiac arrest. It was NOT something I was expecting AT ALL. Okay so I still refuse to call them the Daddy O's because that is SUCH a weird name, but this was a very, very pleasant surprise (edit: it turns out that these two ARE two different performances btw). I had fallen in love for their extraordinary skills in singing, dancing, and engaging with the crowd with so much passion. Imagining that these people (not just the four of them) having to repeat this all year-round 3 times a day with the same practices daily, that took my breath away. This is a next level sort of professional.

The Cruisers made me gain so much respect for performers who work at amusement parks or theme parks such as USS itself. To repeat a task over and over again is already tough, but to repeat it with a smile always on their faces, oh man, that is really what professionals do. I imagine the tired days and just days when you don't want to go out and perform for people, but you have to--it's so hard. But so worth it, for moments like this. When someone appreciates them. (':

I really do think that I made their day as much as they've made mine. This equal sort of giving one another inspiration is such a beautiful thing. When I finally met them in person today, and handed them my artworks, I could just tell by their faces that they were as excited as I was. Nothing beats this feeling--knowing that the appreciation and respect is going both ways, and artists sort of just salute one another, encouraging one another. I know it sounds really bollocks and absolutely prideful to put myself at the same level as them (BECAUSE THEY ARE SUCH AMAZING LOVABLE PEOPLEEEEEEE), but that was something that I truly felt from them. When they looked at my artwork, printed on paper, so thoroughly, the smiles on their faces made me smile because the art I have made is making the smile.

See? It's a cycle.
Inspiration going around in a circle. That's the best.

All in all, today was definitely an unforgettable day. Right now I'm even just watching the other performers who do The Cruisers' performances, and apparently Daddy O's only happen on weekends I think? One day I'll enter USS on a weekend just to watch the performances, I promise!

thank you for being one of my BEST memories made here in Singapore!

p/s: i still can't stop smiling from today!

p/p/s: Izzy and Aaron (the two boys on the left) even invited me out to dance when I went and watch them again after the meet-and-greet and GOSH IT WAS AMAZING.

p/p/p/s: Izzy was just kinda dancing with me gracefully (I HAVE NO IDEA HOW HE DOES IT BUT HE DOES WHILE ROCKIN' IT OUT) but Aaron literally just grabbed me and was spinning me with some sort of superhero strength hahaha.

thank you ALL so much.

and by ALL i mean all of the performers at Universal Studios Singapore, along with others in many other amusement parks spread across the world, for bringing smiles to people's faces. 

you are the best.