Last night it rained. I took advantage of the fact that all my roommates were gone in the evening, and played and sang to my heart's content for 2.5 hours or so. When I finished, I realized from the soft sounds outside that it had started raining. It was a blissful moment: as if I somehow, in my moment of music, had connected to the ether. The rain was starting to hammer the glass doors, as well, and there were big droplets sliding down their surfaces. When I looked over (I sit at the baby grand piano by the window), I saw a big moth on the glass, trying to keep out of the rain. I stepped outside, grabbed it in my hollowed palm and released it inside. It fluttered up to the tall ceiling for a few seconds, and then hid behind one of the light fixtures within the ceiling itself. To spend the night, probably.

I spent a couple of days being very sedentary because I was fighting off a sore throat. But now I am feeling like I am definitely on the way upwards and onwards, so I am about to jump on my bike, ride on the beach for a while, before it gets crowded, and then buy some vegetables at the farmer's market in Santa Monica.

I am on a new mission of fitness. I tend to be very athletic, but somehow in the last year I have neglected that potential. It is an easy thing to do because generally I do not struggle with weight: I have a fast metabolism and I tend to avoid sugary things. But the danger here is that you become complacent and don't do the right thing. There is a big difference between being skinny and strong or healthy. So now I am fanatically working out, getting my body to where I believe it can be. A big part of it is: I am also training in opera again, and taking my piano skills to another level, so in order to be able to pull those off, I need to be strong, physically. I have also been dancing more and going to get some more training in that in the next few weeks, which is the right timing since I will be limber and stronger. Flexibility is key.

It is a beautiful cleanly washed day. There is something about Los Angeles in the early morning after a night of rain. It's like the city says 'ahhhhh….' and exhales for a moment.

A week ago today I went to Tahoe with a friend: he and his partner flew a small plane over. On the way back we flew over Yosemite valley and the Half-Dome which I had so painfullly hiked a few months back. It was actually Chinese New Year that day and a new moon. It was a most perfect way to kick off a year, I have to say: beautiful sunny day, and us winging through the skies over snow-capped mountains. We landed and took off over the Lake Tahoe itself.

Can you see the Half Dome in the photographs?

 I got to actually fly the plane for about a minute and bank a turn over Lake Tahoe. It was a little unsettling, but apparently I have a good touch for it. One of these days..:-)

 Today is also a good spring cleaning sort of day. And then tonight I am tempted to go see something interesting: a choir interpretation of Leonard Cohen songs.

Speaking of songs, this past week I also participated in a benefit for Haiti at the local performance spot, Room 5, and there were some amazing artists there. This girl particularly struck me: she sang in Spanish. It reminded me to dust off my songs in Russian and French, as well as Italian. It's time! Her name is Gaby Moreno and she played a beautiful electric guitar: a vintage Silvertone. Need me one of those soon..