The second day of the Lunar Year, 2010. Time for a Hong Kong CNY festivities diagnosis- Tranny style.

So read on, boys and girls.

Sans my long mane, long lashes, rouge and perfectly-arched eyebrows; and dressed in
distressed denims and a tee, I joined my friends as they trod the streets of Tsim
Sha Tsui for a night of oblivious revelry. I was not there as Chiquitta, and it was going to
be my first time to be back in one of those parties after a while as my male counterpart Rye. It was exciting.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, I found myself perched on the little corner
seat by myself watching my happy friends start to warm the dancefloor up. I
followed. And that's where it began: my Chinese New Year reflections on the
dancefloor.

1) I find it funny, though sometimes embarrassing (for them, not for me), that the
people who would go out of their way to say "That was a good show, Chiquitta! You
were fabulous as always!", are the very same people who would push me out of their
way, like I was some useless flower vase, when I'm disguised as Rye. Not all of
them, some. And they've all been written down in my list.

2) Despite the god-knows-how-many times I tried to bequeath my position as the
"queen mother bee" of my tight-knit little colony, I am still their mother. I have
to, at all times, know where the baby bees are; what they're doing; who they're
mingling with etc--- or I won't enjoy the night. I have to be able to locate them and I
have to know they know where to find me. I love you 'Beckies'!

3) Ok, this is not me, being fussy. It's not me, being self righteous, either. It's
my okay-I-used-to-be-a-smoker-and-I-understand-the-compelling-urge-
that-smokers-have-to-light-a-cig-every-5-minutes- but...come-on-isn't-
smoking-banned-in-enclosed-spaces? self saying, I don't like how
inconsiderate smokers could get!

4) Men-- those 'clubber' types in particular-- are an interesting bunch. Deceivingly so. At
4am, you will see them still dancing, with god-knows-what in their system, sweaty
and all but with hair still in place plus clothing (for the very few who
still have it on) still nicely worn and such which prompt one to ask onesself, "How in
the world did they manage to stay looking nice?" And then eventually, somehow,
you'll find yourself standing (or dancing) next to them and then you start to wonder
and ask yourself, "How in the world did they manage to get so stinky?" You would
have never thought an odor of such magnitude was possible. OK, not all of them. Very
few, but the chosen few had it all!

5) "You know you're old when you start complaining about the sweat and looking for
tissue." -- Andrius. How insightful! Now where's MY tissue?

6) I wouldn't say that DJ Louis Tham's set drove me insane, but to be fair enough,
he had his moments. The highlight for me, and forgive
me for being drag queen-ish about this, was his wind surfing-esque remix of "It's Raining
Men". Tiara (my Glitterrazzi sister), you would have jumped on stage and demanded
a spotlight had you been
there! No kidding!

7) It has been a year since I did the Glow-In-The-Dark CNY show at Volume. That was
my first ever solo show. But it feels like it's been a million years since then. It was the
start of many things wonderful for me!

I now look back at the year that just went by and I am both humbled and filled
with so much pride. So much has happened. Like the new friends I've made;
the smiles I have caused people; my debut single with Volume; the network both in and
outside of Hong Kong that grew so big, so fast; the recognition; the appreciation; the doubts;
the hatred--- all these fuel my fire and motivate me to be better at everything I do,
especially at choosing my eyeshadow.

I remember my interview with Samantha Leese for Time Out Magazine back in October.
One of the things that I told her which didn't make it to the article was, "To dress up in drag is a
fantasy for so many gay men. But to dress up in drag and be applauded for a
performance is something else. It gives you a certain kind of high".

Now, to be a drag queen, and to be given a chance to record your own song, then, be backed up by
legitimate media is so much more than I could ever ask for. I can retire now. But
of course I won't. I'm only just beginning to conquer the world!

8) A person (not a friend) asked me why I don't dance the way his friend does. I
looked over to see his friend and I saw a slutty grind that people seemed to find
entertaining. He probably meant well when he asked me. He probably wanted me to
experience being cheered on the way his friend was. But no, that wasn't me. So with
a smile and the gentlest voice, I said, "Darling, Chiquitta is not Pamela Anderson
Lee, Chiquitta is Dita Von Teese!" He felt embarrassed for his friend. I was not
bitching. He asked.

At 4:45, the lights gradually turned up and I saw a collage of so many faces-- faces
that were frustrated that the night has to end and faces that were hopeful for
the next one. I smiled and recalled fondly how, once, I was one of them. I no longer
am a Rockstar wannabe these boys feel they are. I can no longer party as much as they do.
Nor as much as I used to, even if I want to- I have wigs to shampoo and brushes to clean!

Happy Year Of The Tiger everyone!

La Chiquitta