Maybe

Last month I was at my friend Jimmys naval graduation ball. It was a very formal occasion attended by about 200 officers and their spouses/friends. After the 3 course dinner, there were some speeches. One of the sergeants, who was also a doctor, got up and spoke of the six months of intense training that they had just been through, and how proud they should all be of themselves. He then said that there was an important announcement to be made. He left the stage, and the band took over, and started to play a song with a fairly mellow introduction which I didn’t really recognize, but still liked, as did most other people. But then the chorus came:

“Hey- I just met you… and this is crazy….. but here’s my number…. So call me maybe….”

All of a sudden everyone jumped to their feet and stampeded to the dance floor. The place went absolutely mental, as people were literally falling over themselves to get the chance to dance to it.

I looked around, completely dumbfounded as fighter pilots and marines were held captive by this song that is only marginally less frivolous than TikTok by Keisha. I, of course, couldn’t help but get involved with some of the cheesiest dancing that I could muster. Jimmy, who, unlike me, does have some shame, refused to dance. After the speeches resumed and concluded, the band continued and everyone danced. Someone made a request for Call Me Maybe to be played again, and they duly obliged (something tells me that this song is a bit of an anthem for them…..). It got to the end of the night, and the singer said that they had one more song left, and whether there were any requests. “CALL ME MAYBE!!” came booming back from the crowd. “AGAIN?!?!?” she said. These guys were as serious as a heart attack. They played it again, and everyone loved it again (except for Jimmy).

I had an absolutely fantastic night that evening. I guess the significance for me is that it’s important to never stop being a kid. I like being a kid. It’s fun.

I hope you are all well.

Since my X-Factor disaster, I’ve visited friends in Dubai and New Caledonia, which were both great trips, and. Being French-speaking, New Caledonia was an interesting exercise. My French is getting better, according to the locals, although they commented that I speak textbook French, as opposed to colloquial French. But then, if you’re learning form a textbook, that’s more than understandable.

I’m currently in London for the Olympics, and also to catch up with friends and family. I had to almost kick and scream in order to make it here, but, having watched the Sydney Olympics from London in 2000 because of exams, I wasn’t going to do the reverse when I didn’t have any exams for a change. Aside from loving the whole Olympic atmosphere, I always feel very loved when I am here. It’s always a bit of a logistical mission to catch up with the people I want to, but every day I get to see people who are very close to me. Not that I don’t have enough good friends in Sydney, but it’s always great to catch up with the people you went to school and university with.

My singing school has a guitar school next door to it, and I’ve started lessons there with the aim of accompanying myself when I sing, but also to start writing my own songs. I’ve been doing lessons for 6 weeks, and I’ve written 5 songs, which I don’t think is bad going, especially as people genuinely seem to like them. I’ll let you know how I go once I’ve finished recording them.

I guess the last 6 weeks have shown me that, despite the massively hurtful experience of being conspired against by X-Factor, I do have a huge number of positive influences and people in my life, and that I can’t really allow one negative to overshadow that.

My songs should be on here in a couple of weeks. I hope you like them.

Victor.