I believe in the philosophy of turning the other cheek.

My father was a great admirer of music and the arts, so there was always a lot of culture in the house. As it happened, while my father was the ambassador in Portugal, the ambassador's residence had a piano, and so I started learning how to play it at the age of five.

For me, everybody is the same. If you are not nice to me, I will say, 'Okay, we will try to make it nice tomorrow.' I am like that. I am not a confrontational person.

I am glad that my weight never affected my singing career, but other than this, I faced a lot problems: like, I was unable to talk for 20 minutes after coming down from the stage after my shows. I got very tired because of my fatness.

When we were 15, my girlfriend Ruth Kaplan and I applied to the Universidad Ibero-Americana in Mexico City. We were accepted into a program that placed us with a lovely Mexican family. We lived with them for six weeks while studying Spanish poetry and Mexican anthropology.

I rented a house in Favignana, off the coast of Sicily, in the mid or late '90s. There was a revolving door of visiting friends and family - we played games, painted our faces, went swimming naked, cooked big meals, rode around on motorini, and had great cappuccinos.

I think that being a parent has expanded my writing, expanded my understanding of my characters, and has added a depth and richness to my work. Having kids deepened my idea of parenting and all the anxieties that come along with it.

Standing beside each one of our brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines is a loving, supportive, and dedicated family whose sacrifice is a true service to our great nation.