Throughout my life experience I have been fortunate enough to meet some truly inspirational and amazing people. People who have guided me in various different ways and have influenced me to become the person that I am today. As per the nature of the universe these people have come into my life either for a day, a reason, a lifetime or a season. I am grateful for every interaction, every conversation, every tear that has been shed, every smile that has sparkled. Every laugh from the soul and every hug that has been given. Each and every one of you have touched my life for the better and have signed your names across my heart. From the complete strangers who pass wonderful compliments in the social scene, to the closer friends I share more of my time with. I thank you all for bringing so many riches into my life and making me understand the role I play in this amazing world of ours.
I feel as though I have accomplished quite a lot in my life so far yet, funnily enough I feel as though my journey is just about to begin. I would like to specifically mention a few people and thank them for their contribution.
Firstly To Mum and Dad: You have both given me all of your love and support, unconditionally, since the beginning. I realize that “being Vida” isn’t exactly the most Orthodox career to pursue in the narrow minded community we live in, but the fact that you have risen above all of that and continually believe in me and my abilities, proves to me the unbreakable strength and bond our beautiful family have. Thank you with all of my heart. My trip to Europe has been an incredible experience. I promise to fulfill my dreams while I am there (for my sake) and make you even more proud of me than you already are. I Love You!!!
Debbie: Wow, what a sister!! If the was an award for best sister in the world it would be yours. Your support and love have been indescribable. Enormously valuable to me from day one. Thank you for introducing me to “Born Rich”. I would say the journey we are sharing in this lifetime is one of my most important and closest to my heart. You constantly provide me with the grounding that I need when I tend to fly off into fantasy land. You tell it like it is, holding nothing back. You make me see the bigger picture and give me so much strength each day. You are the best. Truly awesome. Thank you for your constant feedback and love. I adore you!!
Amal: Habibi, Ayni, Albi, A million thanks for everything. Nothing is too much trouble for you. You constantly offer and give of yourself without any expectation. A deeply beautiful quality that very few people possess. Value it and know how much I appreciate it. Thank you for all of your continued support over the years. It’s more than I could have hoped for and more than I could have ever expected from a friend. Believe in yourself and you will accomplish everything. You are a constant source of support for all that I do and without it, it just wouldn’t have been the same. Thank you for creating a wonderful and strong friendship with me. Thank you for letting me speak my mind and for listening to my crazy antics and silly stories at all hours of the day and night. (Purple Rhinoceros and talking pineapple and fruit muppets and ooohh ahhh) Thank you for understanding my creative space and for being one of my best and closest friends in my life so far. Thank you for the experience, the enjoyment, the fun and the insanity you bring to my life. Thank you for your dedication and help with all the shows, the pre-show running around, the first websites, the last minute shopping excursions and your commitment to pretty much everything. I love you!!
Lucian: A friend whom I dearly love and respect. You have truly been one of the greatest teachers and friends in my life so far. You have not only inspired me to pursue and live my dream, you and Nigel have given me and continue to give me your unconditional support and love. From our first trip to Sydney, where you introduced me to and allowed me to see the endless possibilities and what the world has to offer, to the priceless advice you still offer to this day. You taught me to dream the “BIG DREAMS” and that anything is possible. A truly remarkable man and so inspirational. Thank you for your spiritual guidance and “Conversations With God”. Our friendship is something I treasure with all of my heart.
Kath and Mish: You both have been amazingly committed to it all literally from day one!! The beginning wouldn’t have been the same without you both. Thank you for your devotion and commitment, your presence and your gifts. All the filming you have done, the photos you have taken and the fantastic times and laughs we have had. Two truly amazing people who unconditionally give so much and keep giving so much to so many people. It’s so beautiful to see the quality of generosity still alive in some people. I love you both!
Brett Rosengreen and Phillip Filo: Guys, you both have been two of the most important elements of the success of “Vida Las Vegas”. Both your creativity and commitment to the shows we have created and put onto various stages around Sydney have been more than appreciated. We worked hard, set new standards for entertainment in Sydney and were recognized by the community for all of our work, by taking home multiple awards. I love your friendship, I love your minds, the way we work together, the way we laugh together and the magic that we create on stage. You have both given me so many memories to take with me. You have allowed me to grow and pushed so many boundaries. Experiences in life that I will continue to learn from and utilize no matter where I go. Thank you both with all of my heart. I love you guys. I hope to work with both of you again in the future.
Chris and Andrew: My wonderful new friends at Queer T.V. Your support is outstanding. I can’t even begin to thank you both for all that you have done for me. Congratulations on all of your success too and I can’t wait to start doing a lot of the stuff we have been talking about. Thank you!! I love you both dearly.
A few more people that I wish to briefly thank, who have helped me along the way and who I appreciate and respect for both their talent and their friendship. With all of my heart. Thank you Leslea (your unconditional support), Robert, Antony, Kane, Wil, Antony Vidovic (you are a beautiful friend), Abbey (you make me feel and look like 10 million dollars each and every time), Shirley Hamid, Anita Nano (the humble beginnings and fun in Canberra), Ali (Oh my God!! Your support is incredible. You are an angel sent from the Heavens. Words cannot describe how grateful and indebted I am to you!! And we've only just begun), Stuart Zadel (for thinking outside the square), Elie, Hank, Brian, Mark Fordham (sleaze ball), the entire Diva Committee, Chris Curtis, Shadd Danesi, Campbell, Glen Horder, Ian Gordon, Carolin Grenfell, Robert Hamilton, Dj’s David Hiscock, Justin Scott, Jimmy Dee, and Jake Kilby. Vanity Faire (you inspire me the most), Barbra Bubble (for giving me my first show and for taking a chance on me), Mitzi Macintosh, Portia Turbo, Polly Petrie (the humble beginnings), 3D, Carlotta, Shelley Legs Diamond (a true friend and one of the best entertainers in Australia), Ashley Swift, Chelsea Bun, Minnie Cooper, Kitty Glitter, Vogue Studios (for your beautiful photos), Magnus Hastings (for your beautiful photos), Scott (for my beautiful calendar photoshoot) and to all my wonderful friends who came along to watch and support my shows. It means the world to me to be able to entertain you all.
Now that I have moved to London UK, I need to thank a heap of other people for their love and support. It’s taken a lot of strength to leave behind everyone and everything I know and the comforts of home to start a new life 10 000 miles away in a very foreign environment.
When I first arrived in London it was Sandra, Rose, Dolly and Kelly Wild who helped me break onto the scene. Thank you for giving me a chance and for being such wonderful people. I appreciate your support enormously. Also a huge thank you to Wayne G, Gabriel and the guys at Heaven.
I know it’s not possible to mention everyone who I am grateful to but to quickly single out a few I must.
To my wonderful ‘Glamorous’ Family in Birmingham, Pedro, Paul, Marty (you are one of the most generous people alive) Sid (now that’s what I call raw talent and so incredibly inspirational), Kopy Kats, Alfie, Abi, Chris, the bar staff, thank you for making me feel so special every time I’m in Birmingham. I adore performing for you each month and want to keep working with all of you.
Kate and Mark: thank you for being such wonderful friends. You constantly look out for my best interest and are so genuine and caring. Thank you for being so thoughtful all the time.
Mary O’Hagan: Life wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for your friendship, love and support. The universe brought me an angel from Heaven in the form of you. You’re generosity and support is unlike anything I’ve seen from any other human being. You unconditionally give so much to this world and it is incredibly inspiring. Your belief in others talents and abilities is extraordinary. You have it all young lady, but most importantly you have the love, respect and admiration from everyone who’s life you touch on a daily basis. I love you for you and thank you for absolutely everything you have done for me.There have been days where I was ready to throw it all away but then a friend smiles and offers me words from the heart that make me realise why I do what I do… and I couldn’t possibly give it all up just yet! There is so much more to accomplish. It’s like I haven’t even begun….
