Thank you for stopping by my little secret book.  I decided to write down everything I could remember about my funny and cool experiences in singing and acting.  When this list gets full, I'll be printing it out for my future grandkids!  I'll be a myspace granny, HAHA!

I'll be adding stories every now and then but I'll make sure to put the most recent one on top.  Happy reading and thanks for smiling with me. Feel free to share your thoughts!

Michelle

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*** 2008 - I joined a singing contest called Princess Popstar in a cruiseline to Alaska & Canada. It was a formal event and the contestants were from different states. Word got out when I won the first night so what's supposed to be a peaceful, private cruise became a campaign! Everywhere I went (even in the restrooms) people approached me - teens...grandparents. I was afraid that I didn't have a big family to vote for me but after I sang "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston, I got standing ovation and won the most votes!!! I couln't believe it. Flying back to Cali, I thought I would snap out of my Cinderella mode. Funny thing was, when I was looking for my luggage at the Burbank Airport, people still approached me and said, "hey, it's the Princess Popstar!".
I guess it wasn't a dream.


*** I went to meet a stewardess friend named Kay who was visiting Cali. Kay have been bragging about my singing to her friend so she had me sing for them in their hotel room. I thought, what the heck so I sang.  Out of the blue, someone knocked at the door and it was an African-American man in his late 40's dressed really nice.  He gave me a card with initials "W.B" and said, "I was in my room and I heard you sing. You have a great voice.  Call me."  My friends were jumping happy.  Who ever experienced a stranger knocking at your hotel room to tell you you sounded great?  Haha. Could it be a sign or was he just an angel passing by?


*** I accepted a role as a Model named "Megan" in a horror flick. Man, there were things they didn't communicate with me until I got in the set like taking my skirt off to walk around in an underwear n cowboy boots -and- getting killed at the end, all bloody like a "Carrie shot". I didn't compromise on the underwear part for different reasons  but to be killed soaking in blood, hey I can take that.  Sweet and cutsie in the beginning to intense drama and panic at the end, oh, and lotsa screaming (ouch to my vocal chords). The coolest part is that at the end of my shoot, I got a standing ovation - crew of around 30 people clapping non-stop and cheering for me.  I looked around...it was like a dream.  I wish I had taped that moment.


*** When I had my very first demo CD (before I even joined MySpace), I decided to sell them and found myself shipping them out all over the world - Philippines, England, Germany, Japan, all over the US, and get this - QATAR!  I asked myself, 'where the heck is Qatar?'  Do you know where that is?  I actually went to Wikipedia and studied their geography and culture.  That was a nice learning experience, haha.  I wished that someday, a major label will just do the distribution for me.


*** A former Philippines ambassador and his wife had requested for me to sing at a charitable function.   During my song, a big screen showed slides of the poor  people who have no homes.  It was really heart-wrenching. After the show, a confused old lady came up to me and said, 'Were you just singing live?  I thought that was a CD playing in the background of the slides.'


*** I used to have regular gigs at this posh Chinese restaurant where doctors and lawyers go and they'd tip me $50-100 a pop (I was broke ass and that was saving grace, haha!).  That place was crazy.  The owner tried to kiss me at a secluded corner while his teenage kids were working.  I was like, hell No.   And there was this regular customer  who was engaged to be married and he took me outside on my break.  He was like, "what car would you like me to buy you?  Mercedes...BMW?  Where would you like me to buy you your house?  LA...Vegas?"  I told him I'm cool.  I don't need all that.  IF I slept with every filthy rich guy who wanted me so bad, I woulda been a millionaire by now and my songs woulda been playin on the radio and MTV.  But I don't do that sh*t.  I'm not a gold diggah. 


There was this one multi-platinum singer/producer who drove a bentley (sorry I have to protect his name) - he straight out told me he wanted to be my sugar daddy and he'll take care of my career in singing.  I HAVE talent and for me, that's priceless.  It's like when I sing, everyone freezes (you just have to hear me live - so much better than recording).  Well...that experience makes me feel like a Million Bucks ...that's all I need...


*** The singers I coach and I had a dress rehearsal for the June 3rd show.  Each had to perform like it was the real thing.  When it was my turn, I sang the first line and I STOPPED.  I wasn't sure if it was me singing live or my CD playing.  It sounded too crisp and precise I thought they had played my recorded voice.  Everybody laughed.


*** I went to a family gathering and my proud aunt, played my CD so everybody could hear.  My mom started nodding her head to the beat and said, "I LOVE this song!! it sounds familiar."  Like hello, um, it is me mom.. HAHA!


*** I was at a Karaoke store on Balboa st. in the Valley and the clerk noticed that it was taking me a long time to decide what to buy.  He offered me to test the Aretha Franklin CD on their machine.  I shyly hesitated but he insisted.  He played 'Respect' and I started to blow my pipes.  The clerk ran backwards fast like he was about to fall on his butt and said -- "woe..I didn't know you could sing, damn!"  A customer who was watching said, "she's better than the American Idols!".  I was blushing but that made my day.


*** Years ago, I used to host karaoke at the Max's restaurant in Glendale.  I had trouble opening up because no one would want to sing after me :( and I had trouble closing up because it gets jampacked and they still wouldn't leave me at 1AM!  One night, I was singing a Whitney Houston song and some men on the front table were smiling at me like something was very funny.  I rode along.  Then they started throwing balled up papers at me.  It was a lot.  I was hurt and was quite offended. I was wondering what they were doing.  I kept my cool and only smiled back. So while singing, I slowly bent down to pick up the mess - THEY WERE MONEY!!


*** Back to karaoke dayz, I sang a requested song, 'I Will Survive'.  Some gay guy went up on stage and started doing the 70s dance.  The crowd went wild.  Then he disappeared.  I was like, "whew!"  Then he came back with a HUGE vase that had a big plastic flower arrangement that he stole from the reception. He placed them under my feet, HAHA!  I didn't get to thank him but that was funny.