Hero

That's an expensive cuddle!

Beautiful! And so him. Classic and outré together. I wonder how many of these items are things he's brought back from his travels, and which have been specially commissioned. I know they had some of the furniture made specifically for the original style of the villa. Love the family's initials painted on the ceiling beams. ❤ Slightly puzzled by the enthusiasm for showing us the toilet.

For anyone going, I emailed them and asked for clarification of the dress code: "Is cocktail wear (knee length skirt/dress, bare arms) acceptable for this event? Or is it preferred that ladies wear longer gowns and have their arms covered?" They replied: "For this event, the 2 outfits for the ladies that you indicated in your email correspond to the dress code requested from the guests. Indeed, we ask you to wear a chic and elegant outfit for this event. For the men, the jacket remains obligatory and the tie and the dinner jacket are appreciated."

Quick question, kind of related to the yearbook planning... I'm trying to think of times when Mika has mentioned flowers (specifically or as a general reference) in his songs. My brain isn't co-operating and I can only think of Sanremo's yellow flowers, so I thought I'd ask the hive mind - quicker than trawling the lyrics thread! Any floral lyrics spring to mind?

Just ran across this one on YT, not sure if it's in the list already:

A new partnership in the making?

Yes, that makes perfect sense to me! So do you show 3 with the thumb and first 2 fingers? Or curl in the thumb and little finger to show the 3 middle fingers? Don't practice this outdoors folks, your neighbours will think you're throwing gang signs.

Lol, I think most people just bend in the thumb. I can do the Mika method on both hands though. Maybe it's something keyboard players can do as they're used to stretching?

Not ill, looking very healthy and in good spirits in Miami. Presumably resting and working on the album? I firmly believe he's in Miami to store up some sunshine, before having to perform in the dingy grey wet and cold UK. ☀

He looks good. Happy and healthy. 🥰 Love the shirt in the TT. Have we seen John before?

Hi Sarina! Welcome to the MFC! The different threads can be confusing at first, but they do make sense once you've got used to them. I only ever use my phone too. Enjoy it here, and if you get lost or stuck, just shout!

Wait, its called "mask singer"? That's annoying. It should be The Masked Singer, or The Singer in the Mask. Then again, that costume is more than a simple mask. Maybe I'm being pedantic.

That's an impressive costume!

Oh boy... that doesn't necessarily narrow it down. Curly hair? Fluffy hair? Gelled, moussed, waxed and blowdried hair? He has several options. Besides, he'd probably wear a hoodie. 🤣 But if the camels whip out a xylophone for a burst of "keep it simple" you've got your answer. 🎶

Can't wait for the news reports next week. "Camels run riot, hold TinyLove_CJ hostage, demand more Mika music and their own theme tune."

Play them some of the soundtrack, see how they react.

It's all him????? I was convinced there was a choir on some tracks! Oh my god. That's INCREDIBLE.

A French adventure film from writer/director Eric Barbier, Zodi & Tehu follows a young nomad boy, Zodi (Yassir Drief), who befriends an orphaned camel he names Tehu and the adventures the pair undertake to enter into the camel race at Abu Dhabi so that Zodi can use the winnings to save his tribe. Released in its native France in early February 2023, the film has been met was a mostly positive reception with an international release as yet to be determined as of the writing of this review. Scoring the film was Lebanese singer/songwriter Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr, professionally known as Mika, making his debut as a soundtrack composer and quickly proving himself more than capable in the field. Mika's background in retro-70's influenced Pop music serves him well for Zodi & Tehu with an emphasis on lyrical writing with a mixture of Western orchestral stylings, synths and tasteful use of Middle-Eastern instruments throughout including some surprising vocal work. Thematically the score is centered around two themes, a primary theme introduced at the start of "The Beginning" before flourishing during "Early in the Morning" and a specific identity for the camel ("Tehu's Theme"). Both themes prove quite versatile though Tehu's theme is decidedly more comical in its rhythmic structure as opposed to the more romantic, vaguely Danny Elfman-by-way-of-Alexandre Desplat Main theme. A brief Danger theme of descending three-note phrases also appears infrequently often on slurred brass or with grungy electric guitar accompaniment as in "The Beginning". While the thematic core of Zodi & Tehu is solid, it's in the orchestrations were the score truly shines. From the wonderful woodwind and ethnic flute performances to the assorted vocal work ("Tehu's Theme", "The Beginning", "Two Hearts Beat Together"), Mika crafts a varied yet cohesive soundscape that instantly transports one to the Middle-East without delving into unemotional parody territory of wailing women and stock ethnic instruments. In the end Zodi & Tehu is a fun and thematically well crafted adventure score that speaks of a bright future for Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr in the realm of film music if he so chooses to continue in this field. Score: 4 out of 5 Editor's Note: Two songs are included on the album, "Feels Like Fire" and "No Time to Leave", both performed by MIKA with guest vocalist Nomfundo Moh on "Feels Like Fire". An instrumental version of "Feels Like Fire" appears in the score track "Farewell Tehu" as well. Posted 5 weeks ago by Ben

That's a beautiful review! I'm so glad! I hope he has seen it. 😍🥰

Still need to sort out my Italy trip! There is a flixbus:

I would hope he's back in Italy and, erm, "catching up" with Andy after the Epirus trip.. and spending quality time with him and the girls. ❤️ Before preparing for his new album release and hitting Cheltenham. 😁🥳

Also a good idea! I'll have to get some.

I noticed last night she was having to use it like a little shovel to push her food up so she could eat. That could work!

It's difficult to see in the photos, but she's actually still got her eyelids. What they've done is take a small sliver of skin from just below the lid, and stitched it so that as it heals, it pulls the lid out slightly, so her fur and lashes don't rub against her eyes when she blinks.