Zumba Volunteer?

We got kicked out of our dorm for the weekend..our beds were reserved for some other poor souls, unsuspecting of mucus face and night packer. So, we left Singapore. In another miraculous stroke of luck we navigated our way to Malaka. This is a town I was hesitant to visit. Old buildings weren't on my 'to do' list for the last two weeks of our trip. It's possible Nathan wanted to spend my birthday in a World Heritage old building sight to dim the pain I feel at turning thirty. Perhaps so he has a rebuttal for when I complain of my weak bones and tired muscles..'these buildings are a lot older than you and you dont hear them complaining'. Regardless of our motivations..we came. This is the most beautiful, quaint and mysterious river town I've ever been to. In the center of the old town roundabout where one might expect to find a giant statue of some explorer or Historical figure with a stern look on his face, instead are two tiny bronze statues of mouse deer..painted white.

It just so happens that our arrival coincided with the World Heritage Music Festival, a celebration that seemed suspiciously like a first time event. I have never whitnessed a crowd less enthusiastic. It had redeeming qualities..like the Zumba performance. Apparently they were light on music, so they hired the local exercise class to fill a thirty minute slot. About half way through their happy feet routine they started searching the crowd for 'volunteers' to get up on the stage with them. I looked over at Nathan to find he had shrunk 12 inches. If he could have sprayed self tanner on his face to 'blend' he probably would have. This was not the kind of volunteering either of us was interested in. The two awkward teen boys who tried desperately to look busy by faking cell phone calls got strong armed into the center of a pack of very focused women.

Throughout the ordeal the two boys were sweating profusely and missing every single beat. For their humiliation they were presented with an umbrella each. Just what every adolescent boy wants. It was fantastically entertaining. We watched the entire 30 minutes. When the first band came on we were shocked at how bad they were. I realized twenty seconds into the horror show that the lead vocals and guitar were the two guys who sat infront of us on the bus ride from Singapore. When we got back to our hotel Janis Joplin was flingin' some soul. A Malaysian Janis. Our hotel has live music every night, and our luck lasted straight through the evening..most talent we'd seen all night. We even got a Van Halen song dedicated to us. I attribute the dedication to my stupid grin and inability to take my eyes off of the stage. Janis was probably nervous I would follow her home if she didn't formally recognize my creepy intensity.
Tomorrow we explore Malaka.