Saturday, November 24, 2007

Something For The Girls :)


Finally, I'm done with the proposal and raring to blog. :D

Note to readers: Do not proceed any further if you're not interested in the Chippendales. Nasty comments will not be entertained.


You know the ol' adage: What goes on in Vegas stays in Vegas?

You have no idea how true it is, haha.

But in my case, SOME of it stays in Vegas.

I'm just writing about the more decent bits. :)

That said, I'd just like to add that VEGAS ROCKS! Had an absolute blast -- 5 days of whilrwind touring, gambling and fabulous shows. Wish we could've stayed longer but hey, it's on my list of return-trip destinations ( like Manhattan, Japan and New Zealand ), so there's more to come in the years ahead. ;)

Here's their official website.

Here's the photo gallery.

I can't download the pictures onto my computer ( need a membership account for that ), so I'll just recommend the following:

Juan DeAngelo

Steve Kim

The latter has a personal site. He seemed to be the most popular of the lot despite being a Korean-Caucasian mix.


Anyway, believe it or not, I have Celine Dion to thank for making it possible for me and my mom to catch the Chippendales.

We had tickets to her October 5th concert, but she came down with gastroenteritis and had to cancel 2 shows.

We were initially quite upset about it ( we'd opted to stay at Caesars Palace because she performs at the Colosseum ), but I decided to make the most of the free evening and dragged my mom to the Rio Hotel to see these guys. ( She's quite the trooper, heh heh! )

I don't remember when I first heard of the Chippendales, but think I was probably in my teens ( don't even ask me how I knew about them to begin with ). But I've always wanted to catch a show of theirs, though our tour schedule was too jam-packed at first. So very honestly speaking, if Celine Dion hadn't gotten sick, I would've missed the opportunity completely.

I'm sure a lot of men out there think the Chippendales are lame and cheesy. Well, that's how I feel about swimsuit models, so we're even. :D

I had some idea of what to expect, but these chaps exceeded all of them. A good thing, I assure you.

Yes, they dance. Yes, they're buff. And of course yes, they're bloody gorgeous.

The performance lasted about 90 minutes, with no intermission. The place was at least 90% full, comprising the usual brides-to-be having their bachelorette parties, loads of single young women ranging from high-schoolers ( age limit's 17 ) to those in their 20s and 30s, a smattering of men ( old and rather spaced out ) and surprisingly, A LOT of grandmother types ( gray- or white-haired, bespectacled, dressed very conservatively, some with walking sticks ).

But there was at least one grandma who's still pretty hot -- we met her at the ticket counter, where she proudly proclaimed her status and gave us a cheeky wink. She was dressed in a slinky, short, black sequined dress, high heels, and had a figure that could carry the whole ensemble off.

And for the record, security insisted on checking my ID. Woohoo! :)


So what's the show like, you ask?

Well, I can't reveal too much ( let your imagination run wild :)), but I will say that it was tastefully done, very entertaining, and features a couple of gymnasts who do the most unbelievable routines on the ropes.

I found the costumes the most enjoyable. Men have their things about women dressed up as nurses / chambermaids / dominatrixes, etc, so likewise, women have their fantasies about men in uniform ( there was a Navy-pilot-themed item ), in doctors' white coats ( it was hilarious! ), and as cowboys ( really steamy ).

The bachelorettes got up close and personal with the fellas in a few skits ( the doctor-patient relationship redefined, haha ), but one of the ladies is rather, err, large, and poor Steve Kim had some trouble moving around her, so he didn't try too hard.

At one point, that hot grandma we met earlier walked up to one of the guys as he stood at the foot of the stage, stuffing some money into his pants. He responded by pulling the bills out and gently returning them to her, but with a thank-you and a smile, of course. The Chippendales are famous for their good manners.

There was a bouncer hovering nearby the entire time ( although I'm certain the guys could easily defend themselves if the need arose ), so if some over-zealous female tried to be funny, he'd stroll up to her and gently lead her back to her seat. He was quite cute, actually. Just a tad short.

During the finale, about 4 or 5 of the Chippendales came down to greet audience members, which is where our strategic seats made a big difference -- I have the Caesars Palace concierge to thank for that! ( Blonde lady in her late 30s or early 40s, who seemed more excited than I was when I asked her to book the tickets. :))

We saw other women giving the men hugs, so my mom and I followed suit when it was our turn. The guys were very proper and didn't get fresh. It was quite an experience getting this close to a hot bod. I loved it. :D

Lucky for us, Steve Kim also came by. He's sinfully handsome, and equally naughty. He did something to my mom which I shall not mention on my blog. But rest assured that she LOVED it, still talks about it every other day, and will never forget it for the rest of her life. :P


After the show, there was an opportunity to pose for pictures with 3 of the Chippendales ( for a small fee, naturally ), namely Steve, Juan, and John Rivera.

They were all very warm and friendly. I stuffed my mom next to Steve ( 'cos he's her favourite ), and went to stand between John and Juan.

Here's where it got a little interesting. I thought we'd just pose quickly and get it over with. But Juan started chatting with me. He took my hand, said hello, asked where we're from, how we're enjoying Vegas, all the while staring at me with those big brown eyes, smiling continuously.

I've met good-looking men before. Heck, I've even gone out with a number of them, including giant flirts. Juan wasn't flirting overtly, but I felt myself starting to flush. Let me put it this way, that look he gave me made me feel like a dish, or more specifically, dessert. Yeah, like an ice-cream cone. I'm not kidding.

I think we would've talked more if I'd stayed behind after the photo shoot ( they allow more interaction in the lounge, alcohol included ), but my mom wanted to get back to the casino, so we left. Damn.

As we strolled to the exit, I told her I was actually glad Celine Dion cancelled, 'cos I probably wouldn't have enjoyed her concert as much as I did the Chippendales.

Guess what? My mom said the exact same thing.

I'd recommend this to any woman travelling to Vegas. Heck, even Laura Bush went to see them -- they played a few TV clips of interviews she gave during the show's intro. ( She had a great time, by the way. )

Lame and cheesy? No freaking way.

If any of my reader-friends out there would like to see the picture my mom and I took with the guys, drop me an email and I'll send it over. It's currently my desktop wallpaper. :)

And speaking of Vegas, did anyone catch the CNN telecast of the Democratic Presidential candidates' debate last Friday? 2 hours of pure adrenaline, with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama taking centrestage ( though John Edwards wasn't too far behind ).

Clinton's got my vote as the likeliest winner for the Democratic side this election.

When quizzed regarding her feelings about being the sole female within the "boys' club", she quipped, "They're not attacking me because I'm a woman -- they're attacking me because I'm ahead!"

I was seated at the dining table busy with work when she blurted this gem of a quote. I pumped my fist in the air and went "Whoa! Good one, Hillary!"

Don't miss the Republican debate in Florida next Thursday, November 29th, at 9am Singapore time.

Next entry: photos of beautiful Las Vegas.

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