Great Moments: Love & Autism

March 2015. While living in Stafford, TX, I rented Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot on DVD from a Fort Bend County library. Most people have not heard of the opera, but they certainly are familiar with "Nessun Dorma" and the tenor most associated with it. However, this version of the aria is not in the DVD. The DVD features the splendid 1987 Metropolitan Opera production, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, conducted by James Levine, and stars Eva Marton as the titular character with Placido Domingo as the Prince. I wanted to see Domingo's take on "Nessun Dorma". He was amazing, definitely on par with Pavarotti in many ways. (Though Pavarotti held the penultimate note a lot longer, cementing his iconic status with the aria.) If you have to watch only one version of Turandot, I highly recommend this 1987 Met version. 

Looking Back: The Great Paint Job

Growing up in Krypton, I first met Rev. Jon at a Sunday school Christmas party. I was starting Primary 5 next year, and he would be the Sunday school teacher. He got to know me really well, particularly from observing my unruly behaviors. Years later, while he was training to be a pastor, I was invited to his wedding; two years later, he was posted to my church. In late July 1996, while still in Krypton, we met for lunch ostensibly to talk about my upcoming shoplifting case. On the way to an eatery, he put two and two together.

"Let me ask a pointblank question," Rev. Jon said. "Did you write those things?"

Great Moments: Celine Dion's "Taking Chances"

When Mom and Sis announced their plan to visit us in California in September 2008, we looked at dates to visit New York City. Around that time, Celine Dion's "Taking Chances" tour was in full swing. I discovered that she was going to perform at the Prudential Center at about the same time we were planning to visit the Big Apple. Sis has a few of Dion's albums and singles, including "The Power of Love" single. I know this because Sis played that song at full blast almost every day for months back in its heyday. Wife loves Dion's duet "The Prayer" with Andrea Bocelli. I myself have a modest collection of Dion's hits on mp3 files. Her "O Holy Night" is my second favorite version of the carol (number one being Josh Groban's, which is an homage to her version).