2015 has been particularly special, of course, because I turned 40 in June, and wanted it to be memorable in every possible way.
January kicked off with a bang as Michael Buble performed at the Marina Bay Sands.
In April, it was a gorgeous production of Beauty and the Beast followed by a fabulous SSO Pops concert.
Mum and I flew off to Greece in May, where we spent an exhausting but unforgettable fortnight exploring the mainland and the beautiful islands of Mykonos and Santorini. It wasn't an easy tour and I almost couldn't stand up straight at the end of it, but it was one of the most amazing trips I'd ever taken, and I have a soft spot for the Greeks, who treated us with great warmth and generosity.
2 more fantastic shows came in July - Singin' In The Rain and Disney On Classic.
August sprang a surprise when I attended a fund-raising dinner organized by Adrian and Tracie Pang's Pangdemonium company - and came face to face with Jim Rogers!
The annual F1 race came round in September, but my main interest was Maroon 5, who delivered a spectacular performance which was attended by 60,000 fans. It was hot, humid and extremely tiring ( try standing for 3-4 hours without proper ventilation ), but it was all worth it!
October brought another SSO Pops concert ( unbelievably good! ), followed by a trip to the United States, where I attended the American College of Emergency Physicians' Scientific Assembly in Boston, then hopped over to New York for a week of Broadway shows, which spilled over into November.
Broadway proved to be even more incredible than I could've imagined! It was my 4th visit to the Big Apple, and previously, I'd already seen my fair share of stars ( Daniel Radcliffe, Bernadette Peters, Bryan Cranston, James Franco ) and personal favourites ( Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts, Tony Shalhoub ).
This time, my cup really overflowed, with the likes of Matthew Broderick, Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Kelli O'Hara, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis and Al Pacino treading the boards.
The most awesome thing that happened? Having Mr. Pacino notice me when I asked for a photo, and snapping a super cool shot of our two heads touching. It was the prize of a lifetime, and I still can't believe how great he is to his fans, compared to other less accomplished actors with attitude problems.
Another darling - Mark Strong, who was so friendly and attentive, and whose performance in A View From The Bridge blew my mind. A Tony nomination is guaranteed.
Within 3 weeks of returning to Singapore, we were off again to Sydney, this time catching Hugh Jackman's Broadway To Oz Australian tour.
After missing his Broadway stints multiple times over the years ( timing issue ), I prayed for another chance and God answered! We caught the 2 December show - I chose the date because it was originally the last one for Sydney, but they added a 4th performance shortly after - and it turned out to be a huge blessing because Russell Crowe made a special appearance. Yes, THAT Russell Crowe!
The 2 men did a Les Mis duet then Mr. C went solo with his guitar on an incredible rendition of Folsom Prison Blues. I'm telling you, I LITERALLY LOST MY MIND at that point. I kept screaming "OMG" at my mum for 10 minutes lol!
It's been confirmed that Mr. C appeared only on that night, and not on any of the other 3. My head is still reeling! :)
And thanks to a few kind souls from the Dainty Group which organized the tour, Mr. J autographed my show programme and my fan letter was confirmed as forwarded. A meet and greet would've been impossible for a nobody like me, so this is the next best thing and I thank everyone who helped!
Later this month, the International Premier Tennis League will come to Singapore, bringing Roger Federer, whom I've admired for years. Really looking forward to that!
And next April, we return to Sydney to see Josh Groban at the Opera House. Both shows sold out within days, with most of the tickets snapped up within the first few hours. The website crashed and the phone lines were jammed, so it's a miracle I managed to get seats within the first 10-15 rows, when everything else in the back was gone. Divine intervention yet again!
Also let's not forget my graduation from the Nanyang Polytechnic sonography course in August, after almost 2 years of hard work. I'm very happy about the achievement, but I don't think I want to go through something like that again. Made my hair turn white!
Last but not least, I can't wait to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens on opening day!
I don't know what else 2016 will bring, but my 40th year officially ends in June so anything can happen in 6 months! Thank you, Lord, for such a blessed year. :)
1 comment:
you carry great memories if you attended all that. yes it was a blessed and special birthday
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