Diva By Diva 07

After months of learning music, words, getting frustrated with all the dancing in the show, it finally all came together this weekend. We had three shows this time: one performance on Saturday night; one matinée on Sunday afternoon and our last one on Sunday evening. We had a slightly different audience at all three shows (age, gender, sexual orientation), but the feedback has been overwhelmingly amazing. As a performers there are shows that you enjoy more than others because of the music, or the theme, or whatever specific likes or dislikes that you might have. I am sure as a spectator this comes into account as well, but the perspective is different I guess. As singers we never get to see the finished product until we get a copy of the recorded performances weeks later. So we go through months of rehearsal having to rely on the Artistic Director's, and Production Manager's word. We really don't even know how we sound as a group since we mostly hear what our own section is singing. So it is really amazing when after all this work and effort the reviews come in and they are positive. Most people said this was if not the best production ever at least one of the best. It definitely was fun and I believe all singers had a wonderful time but I have to wait for the DVD to have the full experience.
As with every show we put on, we stress until the last minute. Will we be ready? We always wish we had a few more weeks. But the curtain comes up and we find out that we are in fact ready and even if we had more time the stress level would probably be the same. For this show, I also worked on Production. I believe this is the third or fourth time that I do it and of course this doesn't help with the stress. It is however really rewarding to have a vision and see it come to life. To have access to this photo album, click on the Flickr picture grid on the left, then on Filsdelalune to access my pictures, or hover over the little yellow man on the slideshow (bottom left corner) and click on "Diva By Diva 07".

Screen name

This is where I got my screen name from; Fils de la Lune (Hijo de la Luna or Son of the Moon). I used to love this song by Mecano when it came out years ago. There is a French version, "Dis-moi Lune d'argent" (Tell me silver moon). They also had another great hit, "Mujer contra Mujer". The French version "Une femme avec une femme" (A woman with a woman) went to number 1 as well on the charts, even with a theme way ahead of its time.

Mecano-Hijo de la Luna



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Great loves

Matt was watching an episode of "Sex and the City" on DVD (again) and I sat to watch too. His "friend" Carrie was wondering how many great loves any person can expect to have in a lifetime. One, two if you're lucky? She's had two great loves, "Big" and Aidan. She was only in her 30s and two great loves had come and gone. Now What?

My first great love was in Paris. I met Franck on my 21st birthday in 1988 and I knew the second I saw him. He did too. Although I was dating another guy and he had a girlfriend, we started a torrid affair. I broke up with my boyfriend and he broke up with his girlfriend and we began an awesome, incredible, difficult and hurtful relationship. We were together on and off until I moved to the US in 1991.

Between 91 and 93 although I dated, I never felt anything close to what I had felt for Franck. I started to think that maybe he was the love of my life and we had screwed up. Then in 1993 I met David. I remember being relieved, knowing that you can have those strong feelings more than once. 14 years later, I still vividly remember when, where, our first date, our first kiss... I think I have all this engraved in my mind forever. I still recall as well, the pain of our break-up after our short time together. The later hook-ups that made me so happy but also hurt so much because I knew they meant nothing.

Why Franck? Why David? I don't know. I meant "I love you" every time I said it to someone else but those words never felt the same way as with those two. Were they my Great Loves? What constitutes a great love anyway? Can it be just the way you feel about someone regardless of their feelings for you or lack thereof, as with David? Is it a great relationship that for some reason doesn't work out, as with Franck?

Now years later am I setting myself up for failure by aspiring to those feelings again? It got me thinking. I have been single since I broke up with my last boyfriend in 2004. Since then I haven't met anybody I felt anything for. I don't want to settle with someone just to be in a relationship. I want to see fireworks, get giddy like a 15 years old schoolgirl when I talk about him, have butterflies in my stomach when I'm thinking about him.

What do you do until then? What if I don't have those feelings again? Is a great relationship with someone who loves you dearly and whom you love as well not good enough? Did I actually doomed all my last relationships because of my idea of a Great Love? Is it enough to be some one's Prince Charming? Should both persons be each other's Princes? Maybe I should close the Cinderella book and start reading War and Peace.

He's got our backs

I guess with so many passengers every single day, a few of them are bound to be "interesting". We had a military guy yesterday who was "odd" from the moment he got on. Nothing to cause too much concern yet but we had our eyes on him. It's one of those "you had to be there" stories, but I'll give you the highlights.

We're still at the gate; my co-worker Rafael (from Costa Rica) wasn't allowed to sing in Spanish (to himself mind you). The guy told him "we're in America, speak English. You don't want to scare the passengers by talking in a language they don't understand". I thought he was going to have a heart attack when he saw me and then the Purser who's from Malaysia. 3 guys, all foreigners and not looking American at all.

We're now in flight; the guy rings his call button. I go to him and he asks me why we have flags on our jackets but none of them is the US flag. I tell him that it's only to identify our language skills and has nothing to do with where we are from. Some of us wear 2, 3 or more flags. He understands but still thinks we should wear an American flag above all others to show our allegiance. The lady sitting in front of him gives me the "I don't envy you right now" look and puts her headset on. My guy has 1/2 a point when he says that someone who doesn't know what the flags mean (basically him) might get worried. I can see how 3 foreigners wearing different flags on their jackets can seem a little "suspicious". I guess being in the military, he is a little more aware than the average "Joe". After talking to us and asking a zillion questions, he feels safe and tells us that he has our backs!!! In this day and age it's actually good to know who would help if something happened. Since 9/11 the rules have obviously changed. The flight attendants are now alone in the cabin. Under no circumstances will the pilots leave the cockpit to come and help, no matter what happens to us. Some flights have Air Marshalls but it's impossible to have them on all the time. So we're happy when we have police officers, or firemen, or military personnel on board. We feel a little safer. And our friend was determined to keep us safe.

Later in the flight; a passenger had the bad idea to suddenly change seat and move forward. Rafael and I are in the back of the plane and we see our guy jump from his seat and run up the aisle and get in the other passenger's face. Shit!! All we need is to have this guy start a fight. We go over and tell him that we have it under control. To him every person who gets up to go to the bathroom is a potential suspect. In between services, the 3 of us take turns talking to him to keep him busy and from trying to tackle some old lady running to the restroom. We can't wait for the flight to be over.

After landing; I'm talking to a lady sitting in the last row and our guy is talking to Rafael. All of a sudden I hear him ask out loud "How come you're not gay?". I can't help to burst out laughing as the people in the last 3 or 4 rows turn around, not believing what they heard. Rafael who's married with 2 kids, tell him that not all male flight attendants are gay. Actually out of the 3 of us, I'm the only gay one. Again out loud, he asks about me. Rafael says that he doesn't know. I choose not to answer although I heard him.

Finally, it's his turn to leave and I look at Rafael with a look of relief. Another normal day at work.

Etiquette or lack of

Yesterday, on our flight from Los Angeles to Chicago we had one of our most "considerate" passenger ever. Probably in his 30s, this guy was trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. He decided to put one of his feet on top of the seat in front of him and the other leg between the 2 seats in front. So the poor kid sitting in that seat was surrounded by 2 bare feet. I woke the guy up and told him that he couldn't do that but I was amazed that he actually thought that seemed like the normal thing to do.

I have had people clipping their toe nails in flight, ladies putting nail polish on, turning the whole cabin into a smelly nail salon, and other passengers who seem to forget that they are in an enclosed public space and that they cannot behave like they might in the privacy of their own home. Selfishness seems to set in the moment some people get on board, or maybe they are like that all the time. Sad. It looks like we live in a "me" era and a lot of people have no consideration for anyone else but themselves. I see that all the time as I commute from San Diego to Los Angeles and back. No matter how many lanes you have on the freeway, some people think that one of those lanes is just for them, and will block traffic for miles causing a major jam.

I think someone wrote a book about etiquette for everything from table manners to public phone conversations. I believe there is also a section on airplane dos and don'ts. Maybe we should pass out free copies to people out there. I don't get that people won't even say a simple "please" or "thank you". They go to Starbucks and have no problem ordering a "grande-non fat-soy latte-130 degrees" but get on the airplane and want "coffee". You have to pull out of them how they drink it. I asked this lady yesterday if she took anything in her coffee and she replied "no, just sugar". Being the sassy me, I told her that the answer then was "yes". I gave her the coffee with sugar and as I was pulling away she asked for cream!!! HELLO! Anybody home? I guess asking 120 passengers how they take their coffee gets a little annoying.

Maybe I should write a pamphlet and pass it to people as they board the airplane.

Here today, gone tomorrow

Because of our upcoming concert I had to move some of my trips around and have been flying a lot. I am doing the 3rd 3-day trip of 4. I left on Friday the 6, came back on Sunday the 8 just in time (barely) for the National Anthem at Petco Park for the game between the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves. I left the next day and came back on Wednesday 11, for rehearsal. I was gone again on Thursday and probably won't be back home until next Tuesday, the 17.

And I have been going to all those exciting places!!! I was in Buffalo last week (I only went for a run and crossed the Peace Bridge into Canada). Today I'm in Providence (will just have lunch with my co-workers); tomorrow night we will be in Wichita (not sure what excitements await us). I guess in 12 years of flying, it is actually amazing I had not been to any of those places. I did get a nice lay-over in Honolulu on Monday/Tuesday where I hung out with my friend Joanne who arrived on an earlier flight the same day. We ate a lot but also worked out and ran.

To go back to Sunday 8, my friends Matthew and Norman have written insightful words about the experience. I was worried I would get there too late and was happy to make it just in time. What a thrill to walk on that stadium and stand there in the middle and sing the National Anthem. I still get goose bumps when I think of it. The Chorus was selected to perform and I it made me really proud to be part of such an exceptional group of men. The narrow minded and ignorant people who tried to undermine the event did not succeed. It was an amazing time for all of us.

La vie en rose

Friday night, I went to the movie with some friends to see “La vie en rose” (or “La môme”, the kid, as it is called in French). It is the story of French icon Edith Piaf whose life was as complex and filled with misfortunes as her talent and successes were spellbinding. She is considered Frances’ greatest popular singer and her songs are still being sung decades after her death. I don’t know of any other French singer who has reached the same level of international success and notoriety since then. Canada has Celine Dion but she mostly sings in English now outside of her own country. Edith Piaf touched people all over the world with her voice whether she sang in French or not.

I had heard some reviews and although everyone agreed that Marion Cotillard who plays Edith, was absolutely amazing, the movie itself did not seem to gather the same enthusiasm. It is true that Marion’s performance from the very first time she is on screen to the last frame, is incredible. She personifies the character completely. The voice, the mannerism, the way she articulates when she “sings”, it is all there.

I enjoyed the movie a lot although there are a few elements I wished would have made it in. She wrote quite a few of her songs herself (including “La vie en rose” which became an international hit) but in the movie we only see her write the lyrics for “L’hymne à l’amour”. It is said that she wrote about 80 songs throughout her career.

The movie focuses on her love affair with Marcel Cerdan who himself became a national hero in France after he won the world middleweight championship. Although he was clearly the love of her life, she also had a long list of husbands and lovers.

They show the moment when she meets Marlene Dietrich but we don’t learn that they became friends and remained close.

Piaf also helped many Jews during WWII by hiring them in her orchestra.

I guess in a 2 hour film you have to choose what you put in and what you leave out. Overall, I loved the cinematography. I loved the way the movie was crafted with flashbacks not necessarily following a timeline.

Marion Cotillard who is a beautiful actress in her 30s (she’s been making movies since 1993), must have dazzled the director when she auditioned because I don’t see Piaf in her at all. And still she BECAME piaf.