In Transit: Julian Has Landed!

www.juliangargiulo.com

Yeah, my little bro, Julian is back in town. He's been playing in concert halls all over the world and finally he's arrived in the Lion City. Free wifi and dumplings are just some of the perks he's been promised. Wake-up call at 6 am by his overzealous niece and nephew was not one of them! He'll be playing a benefit concert for Room to Read this Sunday at 3:30 pm at Alliance Francaise off Bukit Timah Rd. I caught up with Julian over a cup of coffee (full disclosure: he is staying in my guest room so it was just down the hall), and even though it's not his first time in Singapore (he played a benefit last year at the Botanic Gardens for 4,000 people), I still figured he'd be a great candidate for my newly started, "In Transit," series.

1) So Julian, what had you heard about Singapore before coming?
Bring your own gum.

2) What was your first impression when you got here?

I was a bit parched (wasn't aware of Tiger Airways' new slogan: Not Even Water).

3) What is the first thing you ate?
Pizza, I am Italian after all.

4) How is Singapore different from New York City?
No police sirens, come to think of it, no police.

5) What do you want to do while you're here?

Well, besides my concert, I need to give a piano lesson to the silent auction winner who bid $2,700 for an hour of my time. Which begs the question, how does one dress for such an occasion?