Sunday, September 30, 2007
Almost Bedtime
Not a whole lot of sleep this weekend. Out dancing until 3:30am Friday night, to bed a little after 4 but up at 8:30. Last night, to bed before midnight, but up before dawn...at least I saw a nice sunrise.
Saturday night went to the Asian film festival here...they had a "Queer Shorts" session, and no, "Queer Shorts" did not mean "gay underwear." Speaking of that, I hiot a store yesterday with an underwear sale. Should I post some example photos here?
Anyway, the filmfest was good, and a few friends were there (one on a first date :P) and I may go see some more this week during other sessions.
Afterwards went to dinner at Thai Chef, great little restaurant in Dupont...guess I should get something besides sushi one day. ran into Aaron, a real sweetheart I met at a New Year's party, who happens to work there. He's a very nice guy that I hope to get to know better.
Today was a day for lounging. Started reading "A Dirty Job" by Christopher Moore following a recommendation from a friend in HK. I also bought some yaoi manga, just to see what the big deal is. And picked up Blades of Glory because, well, everyone should own it. Did some updating on my website, though I need to finish those updates before posting.
I'm eating a lot of grapes lately.
Yeah, that's it. Off to bed.
Saturday night went to the Asian film festival here...they had a "Queer Shorts" session, and no, "Queer Shorts" did not mean "gay underwear." Speaking of that, I hiot a store yesterday with an underwear sale. Should I post some example photos here?
Anyway, the filmfest was good, and a few friends were there (one on a first date :P) and I may go see some more this week during other sessions.
Afterwards went to dinner at Thai Chef, great little restaurant in Dupont...guess I should get something besides sushi one day. ran into Aaron, a real sweetheart I met at a New Year's party, who happens to work there. He's a very nice guy that I hope to get to know better.
Today was a day for lounging. Started reading "A Dirty Job" by Christopher Moore following a recommendation from a friend in HK. I also bought some yaoi manga, just to see what the big deal is. And picked up Blades of Glory because, well, everyone should own it. Did some updating on my website, though I need to finish those updates before posting.
I'm eating a lot of grapes lately.
Yeah, that's it. Off to bed.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Missing...What?
At lunch with Ethan today I was telling him about a couple in KL that gets to see each other this weekend (one lives in Singapore at the moment), and then talking about one of the guys there, then remarking that "a week ago right now I was dancing in a straight bar in Hong Kong." He said, "wow, you really miss it."
Yeah. Yeah I do.
Not sure exactly what it is I miss. Of course, I love meeting new people, so that made the whole trip very exciting. And being away from work is always nice, as is visiting a new place. So yeah, that might explain part of it. But not all.
Part of it, I think, was seeing the close bond between my KL friends. The gay bloggers were just great, just a fantastic bunch of guys who care about each other very, very much. I used to have my own little tribe like that, when I lived here for grad school, but ever since returning to DC last year it's never reformed. Hell, one of the guys is even straight now (I knew I shouldn't have left). I miss that feeling, that closeness, that sense of knowing there are always people there. I don't blame my friends here, the truth is, ever since things went bad for Adrian and I, I kind of distanced myself from those friends, for a variety of reasons. The whole situation was just very disruptive to friendships that involved both of us. And I've made some new friends here, but I have trouble getting as close to them as I'd like, because the uncertainty in my life makes me hesitant, or makes me feel like damaged goods. In KL, even though I was an outsider, these guys made me feel like one of them, and I really, really needed that. It wasn't just the bloggers, of course...there were some individuals there, one in particular, who made me feel like i was an important part of their lives and they were an important part of mine, and that means so much to me.
Then there was the romance. The couples I saw there were so sweet with each other, and they reminded me of what's broken in my life. Adrian and I went from long-term couple, to broken up, to a state of limbo where we're supposedly trying to fix things...but we've been in that limbo for a year. I'm realizing that, as i ask him to do the minimum to bring us back together, what i really want is the love and romance that I saw expressed between these guys. It wasn't always really obvious, sometimes it was expressed in subtle ways, but it was always very honest. And I want that in my life again.
So I think maybe it's not so much that I miss these exotic places with these wonderful people. Maybe it's that I'm missing a life that I want to have, and don't. I need to get it back. And I don't know how. Or if I can.
Yeah. Yeah I do.
Not sure exactly what it is I miss. Of course, I love meeting new people, so that made the whole trip very exciting. And being away from work is always nice, as is visiting a new place. So yeah, that might explain part of it. But not all.
Part of it, I think, was seeing the close bond between my KL friends. The gay bloggers were just great, just a fantastic bunch of guys who care about each other very, very much. I used to have my own little tribe like that, when I lived here for grad school, but ever since returning to DC last year it's never reformed. Hell, one of the guys is even straight now (I knew I shouldn't have left). I miss that feeling, that closeness, that sense of knowing there are always people there. I don't blame my friends here, the truth is, ever since things went bad for Adrian and I, I kind of distanced myself from those friends, for a variety of reasons. The whole situation was just very disruptive to friendships that involved both of us. And I've made some new friends here, but I have trouble getting as close to them as I'd like, because the uncertainty in my life makes me hesitant, or makes me feel like damaged goods. In KL, even though I was an outsider, these guys made me feel like one of them, and I really, really needed that. It wasn't just the bloggers, of course...there were some individuals there, one in particular, who made me feel like i was an important part of their lives and they were an important part of mine, and that means so much to me.
Then there was the romance. The couples I saw there were so sweet with each other, and they reminded me of what's broken in my life. Adrian and I went from long-term couple, to broken up, to a state of limbo where we're supposedly trying to fix things...but we've been in that limbo for a year. I'm realizing that, as i ask him to do the minimum to bring us back together, what i really want is the love and romance that I saw expressed between these guys. It wasn't always really obvious, sometimes it was expressed in subtle ways, but it was always very honest. And I want that in my life again.
So I think maybe it's not so much that I miss these exotic places with these wonderful people. Maybe it's that I'm missing a life that I want to have, and don't. I need to get it back. And I don't know how. Or if I can.
Labels: Friends, Relationships, Travel
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Quick Note on Dating
(I started writing this last week in Hong Kong and saved it as a draft, unsure what to do with it. I decided it's worth posting, after a little editing.)
I saw something in KL I really liked seeing: KL boys dating KL boys. Why is that memorable? Because in the US you see that very rarely...very often you see Asians and white guys together, but not as many Asians dating Asians (I find the term "sticky rice" offensive, by the way, as I do "rice queen" and "potato queen" -- comments?). I have talked with friends at home as well as friends on this journey, and they have narrowed the Asian + white thing down to three main reasons:
- simple personal preference, much like preferring blonds or tall guys
- a sense that Westerners are "better"
- money
The last 2 bother me...I think I don't like the idea that I might be lumped in with other white guys who might be taking advantage of those 2 reasons. Any kind of "inferiority complex" bothers me, as does "prostituting" oneself. Self respect, in my humble opinion, is worth more than any money.
(I'd like to think there's a fourth reason: simply being attracted to a guy without regard to his ethnicity or appearance. Is that more common than I think?)
The reason this occurs to me now is, Friday night was spent with an online friend in HK and his white British boyfriend. The boyfriend was kind of a jerk, and definitely didn't appreciate my friend. I thought to myself, "You have 2 people who want to hang out with you this evening: one who arranged his business travel so he could meet up with you, and one who has spent more time on his mobile talking to people who aren't here than he has talking to you." Which would you prefer? I mean, you have to decide for yourself how you deserve to be treated...I think my friend deserves to be treated better, and hopefully he will learn to think that too.
The other reason this occurs to me, of course, is that the couples I met in KL just look so damned cute together.
I should mention that Saturday night was spent with the same friend, without the bf this time, and he is so much cooler in a less stressful situation. He really deserves someone great, and I hope he finds him after jettisoning Mr Drunky Drunk.
Speaking of that Saturday night, I forgot to mention one incident at Propaganda. There were only a few people on the dance floor by 1am, but I was one of them, and a few cute lesbians were out there too. One of them, short with short hair, smiled and came to dance with me. We were having fun, and I leaned in and said, "I'm Will, what's your name?" She looked a little surprised (what, she expected me to speak Chinese maybe?) and ran off to her friends. She came back a couple minutes later, started dancing, leaned in and said:
"I'm a girl!"
"Um, yeah," I said, "I know that."
"Oh, she said, "I thought you thought I was a gay!!"
"No, I just wanted to know who I'm dancing with" was my reply.
She seemed happy with that. Her name was Florence, by the way.
Oh, and I had one other Malaysian adventure I forgot to mention: earlier this year I was watching some porn from Thailand and this one guy had a very cool necklace. Yeah, he was hot, so was his partner, blah blah blah, but I really liked that necklace. I looked for it in cities around the US but never found it. Anyway, the day after arriving in KL I was in Low Yat Plaza and, walking past a jewelry stand, I saw it. It isn't actually a necklace, but is instead a chain that clips to two belt loops (it's a thick chain with a small handcuff on each end that clips together)...but it looked great on the guy in the porno (he didn't have any belt loops to clip it to, because he didn't have any pants) so I'm sure if I wear it as a necklace, I too will look like a hot naked Thai guy.
That isn't really an adventure, I guess, but I just like talking about Thai porn. And now I will show up in Google when people look for "Thai porn" and they will be very, very disappointed.
I saw something in KL I really liked seeing: KL boys dating KL boys. Why is that memorable? Because in the US you see that very rarely...very often you see Asians and white guys together, but not as many Asians dating Asians (I find the term "sticky rice" offensive, by the way, as I do "rice queen" and "potato queen" -- comments?). I have talked with friends at home as well as friends on this journey, and they have narrowed the Asian + white thing down to three main reasons:
- simple personal preference, much like preferring blonds or tall guys
- a sense that Westerners are "better"
- money
The last 2 bother me...I think I don't like the idea that I might be lumped in with other white guys who might be taking advantage of those 2 reasons. Any kind of "inferiority complex" bothers me, as does "prostituting" oneself. Self respect, in my humble opinion, is worth more than any money.
(I'd like to think there's a fourth reason: simply being attracted to a guy without regard to his ethnicity or appearance. Is that more common than I think?)
The reason this occurs to me now is, Friday night was spent with an online friend in HK and his white British boyfriend. The boyfriend was kind of a jerk, and definitely didn't appreciate my friend. I thought to myself, "You have 2 people who want to hang out with you this evening: one who arranged his business travel so he could meet up with you, and one who has spent more time on his mobile talking to people who aren't here than he has talking to you." Which would you prefer? I mean, you have to decide for yourself how you deserve to be treated...I think my friend deserves to be treated better, and hopefully he will learn to think that too.
The other reason this occurs to me, of course, is that the couples I met in KL just look so damned cute together.
I should mention that Saturday night was spent with the same friend, without the bf this time, and he is so much cooler in a less stressful situation. He really deserves someone great, and I hope he finds him after jettisoning Mr Drunky Drunk.
Speaking of that Saturday night, I forgot to mention one incident at Propaganda. There were only a few people on the dance floor by 1am, but I was one of them, and a few cute lesbians were out there too. One of them, short with short hair, smiled and came to dance with me. We were having fun, and I leaned in and said, "I'm Will, what's your name?" She looked a little surprised (what, she expected me to speak Chinese maybe?) and ran off to her friends. She came back a couple minutes later, started dancing, leaned in and said:
"I'm a girl!"
"Um, yeah," I said, "I know that."
"Oh, she said, "I thought you thought I was a gay!!"
"No, I just wanted to know who I'm dancing with" was my reply.
She seemed happy with that. Her name was Florence, by the way.
Oh, and I had one other Malaysian adventure I forgot to mention: earlier this year I was watching some porn from Thailand and this one guy had a very cool necklace. Yeah, he was hot, so was his partner, blah blah blah, but I really liked that necklace. I looked for it in cities around the US but never found it. Anyway, the day after arriving in KL I was in Low Yat Plaza and, walking past a jewelry stand, I saw it. It isn't actually a necklace, but is instead a chain that clips to two belt loops (it's a thick chain with a small handcuff on each end that clips together)...but it looked great on the guy in the porno (he didn't have any belt loops to clip it to, because he didn't have any pants) so I'm sure if I wear it as a necklace, I too will look like a hot naked Thai guy.
That isn't really an adventure, I guess, but I just like talking about Thai porn. And now I will show up in Google when people look for "Thai porn" and they will be very, very disappointed.
Labels: Friends, Relationships, Thai Porn, Travel
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
HK is Very OK
For the record, i took a sleeping pill tonight, so it's a race against time to see if I can finish this post before I zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Yeah, I'm still here. Anyway...
Hong Kong was a blast. It was a short trip, but a very fulfilling one. I got to meet one long-time online friend and one recent acquaintance. Yes, like KL, this was a trip about meeting people more than about seeing things or buying stuff.
First there was Eric. A charming lad who studied international relations and who is now doing graduate work, we met up on Fridae in Summer '06 while he was doing an internship at Disneyworld in Florida. We never met while he was in the US but I knew we would someday. He is an absolute doll, a real sweetheart who took an afternoon out of a busy day to take me around Kowloon, go out for a great lunch (I didn't always know what I was eating but he took good care of me) and then he tolerated some shopping in the ultimate tourist areas. I'm glad he did, I needed his advice on some clothes, cuz lord knows I can't figure that out for myself. I just had a great time with him, and I hope someday to return the favor here in the US. Oh, and he's really cute too. Not that it matters, he just is.
Then of course there was Tony. I've only known Tony online a couple months but we really clicked and knew we wanted to meet someday. the chance came sooner than expected. After some trouble getting in touch with each other we met up Friday night and hit a few straight bars with Filipino cover bands. They wer playing music from the 80s, music I remember from high school, though back then it never occurred to me I'd be dancing to that music with a hot guy in a straight bar in Hong Kong. Seriously, I never expected that. We then went out to dinner Saturday night, which was a very different experience that clubbing. I loved spending an evening with him, and some guy someday will be very lucky to spend a lifetime with him.
The unexpected meet up was with Antonio, who works in a clothing shop there. We got to talking and I ended up staying there for at least 2 hours. We got to talking about boys, HK culture, relationships, education, business, all sorts of things. Funny thing is, he's on Fridae, so whereas Eric and Tony were Fridae friends who became real world friends, Antonio was the other way around.
I liked the city. I felt comfortable there. It was easy to get around...looking at the map I thought "I'm going to be walking all day" but I guess I should have checked the scale...everything was very close by. And of course, there was a very convenient train system. I love good mass transit.
Didn't buy much. A lot of the prices were more in line with the US than with what I'd seen in the previous three countries. Food was an interesting experience, as there wasn't a lot of English going on in the restaurants. One day for lunch I walked into a restaurant and just pointed to a couple things on the menu...got a pretty good soup, so yay that. At dinner one nioght I'd ordered some lamb, then dumplings started showing up. At first I thought that I'd accidentally ordered them when I nodded along to whatever was being said to me. As the second order arrived, though, the original waiter came over and told the second guy no, that these were supposed to go to another table. I hope they didn't notice that I'd already eaten two of them.
The gay bars were pretty good, and my hotel was in a great spot. One nice place, Rice Bar, was a 5-minute walk away, and Thursday was College Night, so I think we all know where I was. M Bar was on the same street as my hotel, and Volume was 3 minutes away, while the mentioned-in-an-earlier-post Propaganda was within 10 minutes. Yes, i was in gay central.
Next time I want to stay longer, see a little more, and meet up with Lucas, another Fridae friend who tried to see me, but we had communication problems (had all sorts of trouble getting text messages through over there). I was very sad to miss him.
The sleeping pills are kicking in, so I'll just close with some photos of Hong Kong and Hanoi. Oh, and I added some new photos to the Kuala Lumpur album. (reminder: if anyone in those pics doesn't want them made public, let me know and I'll adjust)
Yeah, I'm still here. Anyway...
Hong Kong was a blast. It was a short trip, but a very fulfilling one. I got to meet one long-time online friend and one recent acquaintance. Yes, like KL, this was a trip about meeting people more than about seeing things or buying stuff.
First there was Eric. A charming lad who studied international relations and who is now doing graduate work, we met up on Fridae in Summer '06 while he was doing an internship at Disneyworld in Florida. We never met while he was in the US but I knew we would someday. He is an absolute doll, a real sweetheart who took an afternoon out of a busy day to take me around Kowloon, go out for a great lunch (I didn't always know what I was eating but he took good care of me) and then he tolerated some shopping in the ultimate tourist areas. I'm glad he did, I needed his advice on some clothes, cuz lord knows I can't figure that out for myself. I just had a great time with him, and I hope someday to return the favor here in the US. Oh, and he's really cute too. Not that it matters, he just is.
Then of course there was Tony. I've only known Tony online a couple months but we really clicked and knew we wanted to meet someday. the chance came sooner than expected. After some trouble getting in touch with each other we met up Friday night and hit a few straight bars with Filipino cover bands. They wer playing music from the 80s, music I remember from high school, though back then it never occurred to me I'd be dancing to that music with a hot guy in a straight bar in Hong Kong. Seriously, I never expected that. We then went out to dinner Saturday night, which was a very different experience that clubbing. I loved spending an evening with him, and some guy someday will be very lucky to spend a lifetime with him.
The unexpected meet up was with Antonio, who works in a clothing shop there. We got to talking and I ended up staying there for at least 2 hours. We got to talking about boys, HK culture, relationships, education, business, all sorts of things. Funny thing is, he's on Fridae, so whereas Eric and Tony were Fridae friends who became real world friends, Antonio was the other way around.
I liked the city. I felt comfortable there. It was easy to get around...looking at the map I thought "I'm going to be walking all day" but I guess I should have checked the scale...everything was very close by. And of course, there was a very convenient train system. I love good mass transit.
Didn't buy much. A lot of the prices were more in line with the US than with what I'd seen in the previous three countries. Food was an interesting experience, as there wasn't a lot of English going on in the restaurants. One day for lunch I walked into a restaurant and just pointed to a couple things on the menu...got a pretty good soup, so yay that. At dinner one nioght I'd ordered some lamb, then dumplings started showing up. At first I thought that I'd accidentally ordered them when I nodded along to whatever was being said to me. As the second order arrived, though, the original waiter came over and told the second guy no, that these were supposed to go to another table. I hope they didn't notice that I'd already eaten two of them.
The gay bars were pretty good, and my hotel was in a great spot. One nice place, Rice Bar, was a 5-minute walk away, and Thursday was College Night, so I think we all know where I was. M Bar was on the same street as my hotel, and Volume was 3 minutes away, while the mentioned-in-an-earlier-post Propaganda was within 10 minutes. Yes, i was in gay central.
Next time I want to stay longer, see a little more, and meet up with Lucas, another Fridae friend who tried to see me, but we had communication problems (had all sorts of trouble getting text messages through over there). I was very sad to miss him.
The sleeping pills are kicking in, so I'll just close with some photos of Hong Kong and Hanoi. Oh, and I added some new photos to the Kuala Lumpur album. (reminder: if anyone in those pics doesn't want them made public, let me know and I'll adjust)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Short, Late Night Update
Jet lag update: I did point out in a meeting that "we" (meaning "he") and "dicked up an operation" and it would have bad long-term consequences for our organization. He knew what I meant. I also saw two outcomes from yesterday's outburst: first, we had a division meeting about problems in the office, so at least some stuff got out on the table, and second, I got out of a 2-day meeting this week I didn't want to participate in, because he's afraid of what I might say. YAY!!!!!
This was to be a post about Hong Kong but it's after 1:30am and I get up at 6:30, so that ain't happening. I went to the gym tonight, then fixed dinner, watched the premier of Heroes from last night, then went out for mooncakes and tea at a friend's. So no blogging. But hey, here are my KL photos.
Enjoy!
This was to be a post about Hong Kong but it's after 1:30am and I get up at 6:30, so that ain't happening. I went to the gym tonight, then fixed dinner, watched the premier of Heroes from last night, then went out for mooncakes and tea at a friend's. So no blogging. But hey, here are my KL photos.
Enjoy!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Jet Lag
I scrambled around this morning looking for my Metro card, my keys, my shoes...yeah, I didn't get too organized after getting home last night.
Rode the late bus in. Thought I would leave early to get back here and go to the gym but instead I yelled at my boss and a colleague took me down to Starbucks to chill out and we talked for 90 minutes so I got home much later than expected.
Since I miss KL and HK so much, I had Chinese food tonight. But it is the kind of Americanized Chinese food you don't find overseas. General Tso's Chicken, anyone?
I need to go find mooncakes tomorrow. There's a Vietnamese bakery nearby that supposedly makes good ones. Happy Mid Autumn Festival everyone
I still have much to write up about my trip, but it's bedtime...just stayed up to watch the season premiers of Simpsons and Family Guy which we TiVo'd last night. Spider Pig, Spider Pig...
Oh, and I need to post photos too. Tuesday. Yeah. Gives me something to look forward to.
Wish I could access all this stuff at work. But the government takes a dim view of such things.
Now I suppose I should look for my Metro card before going to bed...
Rode the late bus in. Thought I would leave early to get back here and go to the gym but instead I yelled at my boss and a colleague took me down to Starbucks to chill out and we talked for 90 minutes so I got home much later than expected.
Since I miss KL and HK so much, I had Chinese food tonight. But it is the kind of Americanized Chinese food you don't find overseas. General Tso's Chicken, anyone?
I need to go find mooncakes tomorrow. There's a Vietnamese bakery nearby that supposedly makes good ones. Happy Mid Autumn Festival everyone
I still have much to write up about my trip, but it's bedtime...just stayed up to watch the season premiers of Simpsons and Family Guy which we TiVo'd last night. Spider Pig, Spider Pig...
Oh, and I need to post photos too. Tuesday. Yeah. Gives me something to look forward to.
Wish I could access all this stuff at work. But the government takes a dim view of such things.
Now I suppose I should look for my Metro card before going to bed...
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Propaganda
I'm at the Hong Kong airport starting my journey home. It is 8:15am. 3 hours ago, I left Propaganda, the big gay dance club here in HK. I walked back to my hotel, showered, tossed my club clothes into my bag, put on my new clothes, and checked out. I haven't done that in...come to think of it, I've never done that.
Oh, and what is it with toilets? First in KL, now in HK...as I was getting ready to leave the club a cute but drunk guy started dancing with me, holding onto me so he wouldn't fall, I think. Anyway, he tried to get me to go into a stall inthe toilet with him. I said I needed to catch a plane. I'm not sure he believed me.
I'll have more about KL and HK once I get home. That should be in about 23 hours.
Oh, and what is it with toilets? First in KL, now in HK...as I was getting ready to leave the club a cute but drunk guy started dancing with me, holding onto me so he wouldn't fall, I think. Anyway, he tried to get me to go into a stall inthe toilet with him. I said I needed to catch a plane. I'm not sure he believed me.
I'll have more about KL and HK once I get home. That should be in about 23 hours.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Malaysian Adventures
Strange yet fun things can happen in Malaysia if you let them. For instance...
After having lunch in Chinatown with William Tuesday he pointed me toward Central Market, where I looked for a birthday card for a friend. I found a card stall, but of course they were all in Malay. Not speaking the language, I asked the young lady how to say Happy Birthday so I'd know which cards to look for. She told me, but I think I got it wrong...I thought I had found a birthday card, though I didn't really know what it said, so I wrote my own message in there for Eddie, who was turning 21 that day. When I gave him the card that night he laughed, said it was very sweet, then told me it was not in fact a birthday card. I had confused "Happy Birthday" with "Happy Celebration of the Day of Forgiveness," or some such. As it was explained to me later, I apparently gave him an Eid card, probably the first he's ever received. I didn't even know they had cards for Eid.
While searching for his card an attractive young Malay man passed me in the Market and did a double take. I noticed him to and gave him a look...very nice. Dressed kinda flashy for midday, but I saw all sorts of styles in KL and it looked good on him, so yay. He had been turning down one hallway but instead turned back to where I was going. He'd get in front of me, look back to see where I was going, then change direction to match mine. Being the outgoing fellow I am, I figured I should at least say hello, especially since by this time we were just sort of standing there looking awkwardly at each other.
Me: Hi
Him: Hello
Me: I'm William (Shakes his hand)
Him: I'm Ahmad (long handshake). Nice to meet you. Where are you from?
Me: I'm from the US, visiting friends here. Are you from KL?
Him: Yes, I live here. You are very handsome.
Me: Thank you. I think you are very handsome too.
Him: Do you want to go into the toilet?
Me: Wow, look at the time! I need to go. Nice meeting you!!
No toilet sex for me. I'm not a US Senator, so I don't think I'm supposed to do that.
From the first day there I heard people talk about Cherry, a hairstylist some of the guys go to. They were all Cherry this, Cherry that, wondering what he does for fun, talking about how cute he is, discussing his hair. Based on the guys I was with, I'd say Cherry's a good stylist, great hair all around. Anyway, he came up in conversation more than once, so on my last day there I decided to go find him. He actually works in a town outside of KL, at the end of the light rail and then a cab ride. I thought this would be a good chance to learn about the hair industry in Malaysia, something I'm always curious about in other countries (that's Adrian's influence) and also a good excuse to get my eyebrows done (interestingly enough, they don't wax them, but instead pluck and then shave with a little razor...that was fun). So after Cherry pointed me to the eyebrow lady and I got that done, he agreed to talk to me about the industry. I'd told him some friends of mine were clients but he wasn't quite sure who I meant. He asked me again a few minutes into the conversation and I realized I had their pics on my camera, so I showed him and he recognized them. He loosened up a bit after that, once he realized I really knew his clients and wasn't a stalker (well, wasn't ONLY a stalker). We talked for about 45 minutes, and while I'm not 100% sure he's gay (I outed myself to him, and gave him plenty of chances to say something, but after all, Malaysia's a bit conservative so whether he's straight or shy is tough to tell) he is without a doubt one of the most charming young men around. I see why the guys like him, and not just because he's a really good stylist. We talked about much more than hairstyling and I thought he was great...and I imagine right about now some of my KL friends are saying "wait, you did WHAT???"
After meeting Cherry I stooped in a Tough Jeans store on my way out. The salesman was trying to sell me some shirts that were on clearance sale. They were nice, but he kept bringing me Mediums and they were too big. I asked for some Smalls and he said "well, the seam is here on your shoulder, so that means this is a good size for you." I replied I thought they were too baggy and he said "yes, but men wear shirts with more to them...women wear tighter shirts to show off their bodies but men don't." Well, *I* do...you go lose 20 pounds and then tell me you don't want to show off a little bit. After years of wearing baggier shirts because I needed to, I'm not buying more of them now. I found one that did fit well and took that, but as for the rest, you can keep them. Telling me not to wear a tight shirt...didn't he realize I'm gay?
So anyway, I'm in Hong Kong right now and have things to write about this place (I'm having a very good time, and thank you Eric for showing me around yesterday!!) and also more to write about KL. But now I'm going to head out for my last day of shopping/sightseeing (the same thing, really) and then Sunday I head home. It'll probably be Sunday night (Monday morn in Asia) before I can get another post up, but I think I may write some of these out longhand just to capture my thoughts until I can get to a computer again. Toodles.
After having lunch in Chinatown with William Tuesday he pointed me toward Central Market, where I looked for a birthday card for a friend. I found a card stall, but of course they were all in Malay. Not speaking the language, I asked the young lady how to say Happy Birthday so I'd know which cards to look for. She told me, but I think I got it wrong...I thought I had found a birthday card, though I didn't really know what it said, so I wrote my own message in there for Eddie, who was turning 21 that day. When I gave him the card that night he laughed, said it was very sweet, then told me it was not in fact a birthday card. I had confused "Happy Birthday" with "Happy Celebration of the Day of Forgiveness," or some such. As it was explained to me later, I apparently gave him an Eid card, probably the first he's ever received. I didn't even know they had cards for Eid.
While searching for his card an attractive young Malay man passed me in the Market and did a double take. I noticed him to and gave him a look...very nice. Dressed kinda flashy for midday, but I saw all sorts of styles in KL and it looked good on him, so yay. He had been turning down one hallway but instead turned back to where I was going. He'd get in front of me, look back to see where I was going, then change direction to match mine. Being the outgoing fellow I am, I figured I should at least say hello, especially since by this time we were just sort of standing there looking awkwardly at each other.
Me: Hi
Him: Hello
Me: I'm William (Shakes his hand)
Him: I'm Ahmad (long handshake). Nice to meet you. Where are you from?
Me: I'm from the US, visiting friends here. Are you from KL?
Him: Yes, I live here. You are very handsome.
Me: Thank you. I think you are very handsome too.
Him: Do you want to go into the toilet?
Me: Wow, look at the time! I need to go. Nice meeting you!!
No toilet sex for me. I'm not a US Senator, so I don't think I'm supposed to do that.
From the first day there I heard people talk about Cherry, a hairstylist some of the guys go to. They were all Cherry this, Cherry that, wondering what he does for fun, talking about how cute he is, discussing his hair. Based on the guys I was with, I'd say Cherry's a good stylist, great hair all around. Anyway, he came up in conversation more than once, so on my last day there I decided to go find him. He actually works in a town outside of KL, at the end of the light rail and then a cab ride. I thought this would be a good chance to learn about the hair industry in Malaysia, something I'm always curious about in other countries (that's Adrian's influence) and also a good excuse to get my eyebrows done (interestingly enough, they don't wax them, but instead pluck and then shave with a little razor...that was fun). So after Cherry pointed me to the eyebrow lady and I got that done, he agreed to talk to me about the industry. I'd told him some friends of mine were clients but he wasn't quite sure who I meant. He asked me again a few minutes into the conversation and I realized I had their pics on my camera, so I showed him and he recognized them. He loosened up a bit after that, once he realized I really knew his clients and wasn't a stalker (well, wasn't ONLY a stalker). We talked for about 45 minutes, and while I'm not 100% sure he's gay (I outed myself to him, and gave him plenty of chances to say something, but after all, Malaysia's a bit conservative so whether he's straight or shy is tough to tell) he is without a doubt one of the most charming young men around. I see why the guys like him, and not just because he's a really good stylist. We talked about much more than hairstyling and I thought he was great...and I imagine right about now some of my KL friends are saying "wait, you did WHAT???"
After meeting Cherry I stooped in a Tough Jeans store on my way out. The salesman was trying to sell me some shirts that were on clearance sale. They were nice, but he kept bringing me Mediums and they were too big. I asked for some Smalls and he said "well, the seam is here on your shoulder, so that means this is a good size for you." I replied I thought they were too baggy and he said "yes, but men wear shirts with more to them...women wear tighter shirts to show off their bodies but men don't." Well, *I* do...you go lose 20 pounds and then tell me you don't want to show off a little bit. After years of wearing baggier shirts because I needed to, I'm not buying more of them now. I found one that did fit well and took that, but as for the rest, you can keep them. Telling me not to wear a tight shirt...didn't he realize I'm gay?
So anyway, I'm in Hong Kong right now and have things to write about this place (I'm having a very good time, and thank you Eric for showing me around yesterday!!) and also more to write about KL. But now I'm going to head out for my last day of shopping/sightseeing (the same thing, really) and then Sunday I head home. It'll probably be Sunday night (Monday morn in Asia) before I can get another post up, but I think I may write some of these out longhand just to capture my thoughts until I can get to a computer again. Toodles.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
KL, Take One
The story of my Kuala Lumpur trip is going to take a few entries. I'll just try to hit the basics now, but there were some adventures, some observations, and some reflections. And of course, there were friends. And that was the whole reason for the trip.
People have asked me before why I read blogs, why I bother with social sites like Fridae where I talk to new people rather than just staying connected with existing friends. A lot of my friends just aren't into that and don't get it, and that's ok, but the reality for me has been that my online experiences have often turned into real friendships. Ethan, one of the nicest guys I know in DC, is someone I met onlne before moving there, and of course Raberd in Bangkok and Allan in Singapore have turned into big parts of my lives.
And now, there's the KL crew.
I'll be careful about linking faces and names to their blogs (some of which are linked over on the side, and more will follow once I'm home and can do a thorough housecleaning on the blog). Malaysia is not the most tolerant place for people like us, so they're careful, but as I observed right from the start, they're also pretty damned fun.
William hooked me up with a big discount on my hotel, so right away I naturally love him, because we all know I am a cheap bastard. He met me as I arrived Saturday and it was nonstop from then until about 2am (I went to bed 22 hours after getting up for my flight...and I'd only had a few hours sleep to start with). The bloggers had been out for lunchtime karaoke, which I unfortunately missed, and their day had continued on from there We caught up with a bunch of boys in one of the nearby shopping centers called Times Square (where there was both a photo exhibit and an underwear sale) and headed out to Cafe 69, a fairly new, fairly "family oriented" establishment that we fit well into. My requirement, of course, was to match up the real people with the online pseudonyms and figure out who was who (imagine my chagrin at asking one friend if his boyfriend would be joining us, only to have him point to the cute guy next to him whom I'd just met. Duh.)
At this point, I'd like to mention that I'd love to see David model the underwear he bought. Sorry Frankie, but I would.
Dinner was much fun. Let's see, we had Alex and Jason and William and Cheryl and Adrien (and his housemates, whom I never technically met, but who seemed very cool) and Jason Junior and Alvin (who is cuter than most chipmunks) and me (and I have already discovered my new nickname on at least one blog) and Harvey (whom I got to know a little better than he intended, but that came later) and David and Frankie and Sam and Daniel and they are all, ALL, very fun, and if any of them are concerned that I'm not using nicknames then e-mail me and I'll edit this later. I think, when you get a group that big, it's natural to have some drama, have some people more engaged than others, what have you, but that was not the case with these guys (or if it is, they hide it well). They love being together and really care about each other and have a great time together, and I think that when they are out in public together -- and they are not always subtle, trust me -- they are doing more to advance the cause for PLU in Malaysia, simply by being who they are. I love that.
Noticeably absent was Dr Paul, who had written months before that he was shy about meeting strangers, but from whom I'd elicited a promise to meet if I ever got over there. But he gave me a wonderful tour of the city during an afternoon together Monday, so that proves he's not so shy after all.
(On a random side note, I picked up the international edition of Newsweek in the KL airport today because the cover story was about the advance of gay rights around the world. Inside the magazine, someone had found the two places that showed gays or lesbians kissing and had marked through the kiss with a magic marker. I can only imagine every copy of the magazine in the country has that. A tad ironic, no?)
I got to see some of the boys a few times again this week, and Jason even picked me up today at 6:30am to take me to the train station. How incredibly sweet is that? (and don't brush it off Jason, it was very cool) William and Alex are the guys I'd known best before coming over and we got to spend some quality time together, allowing me to get to know some important truths about these guys. Everyone was great, and I hope to see all of them again, and at the same time I got to bond quite a bit with a few of the boys and I feel some good friendships solidifying.
I felt sad flying out today (I'm in Hong Kong at the moment) but that will be discussed in a leter post.
Beyond the bloggers I also had some Fridae friends to meet. I've known Thaddes online for 3 years and we've always talked of meeting but only now did we make it happen. He is an amazing fellow in person, and also taller than me, for which I forgive him. I learned many of the key details about him that can't be discovered in the 2000-character-limited e-mails on Fridae. We got to spend a couple evenngs together and, as with all the boys, I probably made him very tired at work the next day whereas I got to sleep in. But it was very important to me to spend some time with him, and I'm glad he put up with me. Thanks, honey.
And then there's Eddie. We've only known each other a couple months but his sweetness has stuck on me like honey. He had sent me a little note while I was in Afghanistan, which I didn't see until returning. I sent replies to people who'd contacted me on Fridae, explaing why I hadn't answered yet, and he was the only one of the folks I hadn't known before who wrote back. We got to the point where we were writing every day, and then this trip came up, and he made the effort to come into KL from a nearby town to meet up twice. I also had the joy of taking him out for his 21st birthday, which was SO much fun. Through our discussions he has turned into an important part of my life, one of those younger folks whose life to date has given him some great wisdom. And I need that now. Kisses and hugs, babe.
Folks at home had asked me what I planned to see in Malaysia and the answer was "not what, but who." This trip was about nothing but meeting online friends (and shopping...hey, it IS Malaysia). For a variety of reasons, unique to each individual, these guys all touched my heart in a very cool way. I learned a lot from them in a few short days, something I'll write more about later. For now, someone's looking at me like they want to get on this computer, and he's bigger than me. So, more to follow.
People have asked me before why I read blogs, why I bother with social sites like Fridae where I talk to new people rather than just staying connected with existing friends. A lot of my friends just aren't into that and don't get it, and that's ok, but the reality for me has been that my online experiences have often turned into real friendships. Ethan, one of the nicest guys I know in DC, is someone I met onlne before moving there, and of course Raberd in Bangkok and Allan in Singapore have turned into big parts of my lives.
And now, there's the KL crew.
I'll be careful about linking faces and names to their blogs (some of which are linked over on the side, and more will follow once I'm home and can do a thorough housecleaning on the blog). Malaysia is not the most tolerant place for people like us, so they're careful, but as I observed right from the start, they're also pretty damned fun.
William hooked me up with a big discount on my hotel, so right away I naturally love him, because we all know I am a cheap bastard. He met me as I arrived Saturday and it was nonstop from then until about 2am (I went to bed 22 hours after getting up for my flight...and I'd only had a few hours sleep to start with). The bloggers had been out for lunchtime karaoke, which I unfortunately missed, and their day had continued on from there We caught up with a bunch of boys in one of the nearby shopping centers called Times Square (where there was both a photo exhibit and an underwear sale) and headed out to Cafe 69, a fairly new, fairly "family oriented" establishment that we fit well into. My requirement, of course, was to match up the real people with the online pseudonyms and figure out who was who (imagine my chagrin at asking one friend if his boyfriend would be joining us, only to have him point to the cute guy next to him whom I'd just met. Duh.)
At this point, I'd like to mention that I'd love to see David model the underwear he bought. Sorry Frankie, but I would.
Dinner was much fun. Let's see, we had Alex and Jason and William and Cheryl and Adrien (and his housemates, whom I never technically met, but who seemed very cool) and Jason Junior and Alvin (who is cuter than most chipmunks) and me (and I have already discovered my new nickname on at least one blog) and Harvey (whom I got to know a little better than he intended, but that came later) and David and Frankie and Sam and Daniel and they are all, ALL, very fun, and if any of them are concerned that I'm not using nicknames then e-mail me and I'll edit this later. I think, when you get a group that big, it's natural to have some drama, have some people more engaged than others, what have you, but that was not the case with these guys (or if it is, they hide it well). They love being together and really care about each other and have a great time together, and I think that when they are out in public together -- and they are not always subtle, trust me -- they are doing more to advance the cause for PLU in Malaysia, simply by being who they are. I love that.
Noticeably absent was Dr Paul, who had written months before that he was shy about meeting strangers, but from whom I'd elicited a promise to meet if I ever got over there. But he gave me a wonderful tour of the city during an afternoon together Monday, so that proves he's not so shy after all.
(On a random side note, I picked up the international edition of Newsweek in the KL airport today because the cover story was about the advance of gay rights around the world. Inside the magazine, someone had found the two places that showed gays or lesbians kissing and had marked through the kiss with a magic marker. I can only imagine every copy of the magazine in the country has that. A tad ironic, no?)
I got to see some of the boys a few times again this week, and Jason even picked me up today at 6:30am to take me to the train station. How incredibly sweet is that? (and don't brush it off Jason, it was very cool) William and Alex are the guys I'd known best before coming over and we got to spend some quality time together, allowing me to get to know some important truths about these guys. Everyone was great, and I hope to see all of them again, and at the same time I got to bond quite a bit with a few of the boys and I feel some good friendships solidifying.
I felt sad flying out today (I'm in Hong Kong at the moment) but that will be discussed in a leter post.
Beyond the bloggers I also had some Fridae friends to meet. I've known Thaddes online for 3 years and we've always talked of meeting but only now did we make it happen. He is an amazing fellow in person, and also taller than me, for which I forgive him. I learned many of the key details about him that can't be discovered in the 2000-character-limited e-mails on Fridae. We got to spend a couple evenngs together and, as with all the boys, I probably made him very tired at work the next day whereas I got to sleep in. But it was very important to me to spend some time with him, and I'm glad he put up with me. Thanks, honey.
And then there's Eddie. We've only known each other a couple months but his sweetness has stuck on me like honey. He had sent me a little note while I was in Afghanistan, which I didn't see until returning. I sent replies to people who'd contacted me on Fridae, explaing why I hadn't answered yet, and he was the only one of the folks I hadn't known before who wrote back. We got to the point where we were writing every day, and then this trip came up, and he made the effort to come into KL from a nearby town to meet up twice. I also had the joy of taking him out for his 21st birthday, which was SO much fun. Through our discussions he has turned into an important part of my life, one of those younger folks whose life to date has given him some great wisdom. And I need that now. Kisses and hugs, babe.
Folks at home had asked me what I planned to see in Malaysia and the answer was "not what, but who." This trip was about nothing but meeting online friends (and shopping...hey, it IS Malaysia). For a variety of reasons, unique to each individual, these guys all touched my heart in a very cool way. I learned a lot from them in a few short days, something I'll write more about later. For now, someone's looking at me like they want to get on this computer, and he's bigger than me. So, more to follow.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
KL Update Still to Come
I need to get up in 6 hours to go to the airport and head to Hong Kong (and thank you, you-know-who, for volunteering to take me to the train station at the unmentionable hour of 6:30am!). So the update will have to wait a bit.
For now, though, I will say that I am incredibly sad to be leaving KL. This has been an absolutely amazing week, finally meeting some online friends, making new ones as well. I leave here a richer man than when I arrived. Also, some of the shopping centers here are richer than when I arrived.
More to follow once my head is down out of the clouds and my feet are on the ground. Say, Thursday afternoon, HK time.
For now, though, I will say that I am incredibly sad to be leaving KL. This has been an absolutely amazing week, finally meeting some online friends, making new ones as well. I leave here a richer man than when I arrived. Also, some of the shopping centers here are richer than when I arrived.
More to follow once my head is down out of the clouds and my feet are on the ground. Say, Thursday afternoon, HK time.
Labels: Travel
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
No I Don't Want a Motorbike Ride/Books/Postcards
By request, I've got one more entry about Hanoi before moving on to my experiences here in Kuala Lumpur (this one's for you, Sam).
I'm not sure what I was expecting from Hanoi but the city was...different. Even though the country is moving up in the world I still got a sense of desperation, of poverty. I mean, yes, there were the excitable youth with their Japanese hairstyles, but as I walked the streets that sense of optimism didn't pervade.
To be fair, I spent most of my time in one part of town, the Old Quarter near Hoam Kiem Lake. So yeah, seeing only one part of town -- the old part at that -- I was liable to miss out on the thriving capitalism. I really didn't see any "middle class" there, just the poor and the very well off. What I should have done, in retrospect, was go into the business district. Something else that would be good, given my background, would have been to take a stroll around a university. I guess I will need to visit Hanoi again someday.
Maybe next time, I will also hire a guide. One problem there was I didn't know anyone, and I also didn't have a lot of time to prep for the trip and learn my way around in advance. I had talked to someone online before going and he suggested we get together but he ended up blowing me off. Too bad, because I ultimately didn't go out at night...unknown city, unknown language, liable to get hustled or worse in the mixed, gay-friendly bars (let's face it, I kinda stood out as a visitor)...in the end I decided not to venture forth. Maybe a mistake, but at least it allowed me to rest up for my KL adventure. And I needed that rest, because this trip has been INCREDIBLY fun.
More on that next time.
How's that, Sam?
I'm not sure what I was expecting from Hanoi but the city was...different. Even though the country is moving up in the world I still got a sense of desperation, of poverty. I mean, yes, there were the excitable youth with their Japanese hairstyles, but as I walked the streets that sense of optimism didn't pervade.
To be fair, I spent most of my time in one part of town, the Old Quarter near Hoam Kiem Lake. So yeah, seeing only one part of town -- the old part at that -- I was liable to miss out on the thriving capitalism. I really didn't see any "middle class" there, just the poor and the very well off. What I should have done, in retrospect, was go into the business district. Something else that would be good, given my background, would have been to take a stroll around a university. I guess I will need to visit Hanoi again someday.
Maybe next time, I will also hire a guide. One problem there was I didn't know anyone, and I also didn't have a lot of time to prep for the trip and learn my way around in advance. I had talked to someone online before going and he suggested we get together but he ended up blowing me off. Too bad, because I ultimately didn't go out at night...unknown city, unknown language, liable to get hustled or worse in the mixed, gay-friendly bars (let's face it, I kinda stood out as a visitor)...in the end I decided not to venture forth. Maybe a mistake, but at least it allowed me to rest up for my KL adventure. And I needed that rest, because this trip has been INCREDIBLY fun.
More on that next time.
How's that, Sam?
Labels: Travel
Thursday, September 13, 2007
In Hanoi
Work is done, so now I get to play tourist, and naturally the rainy season hits in full force. But that's OK, it gives me an excuse to duck into a cafe about every 100 meters.
Anyway, I am enjoying Hanoi. It's a cute city, the people are nice, and so far I've managed to cross the street without getting hit so that's a good thing. I'm going to wander for the afternoon, then grab dinner and maybe hit a bar or two in the Old Quarter tonight. And yes, I'm being careful.
("cute city" does not just refer to the architecture...there are some hotties here!)
Anyway, I am enjoying Hanoi. It's a cute city, the people are nice, and so far I've managed to cross the street without getting hit so that's a good thing. I'm going to wander for the afternoon, then grab dinner and maybe hit a bar or two in the Old Quarter tonight. And yes, I'm being careful.
("cute city" does not just refer to the architecture...there are some hotties here!)
Labels: Travel
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
One Night (Technically, Two) in Bangkok Makes a Hard Man Crumble
Every now and then I need a day in Bangkok. Who doesn't?
Got in late Saturday night after the normal 24 hours of travel. However, upgrading to Business Class on the 14 hour DC-Tokyo flight AND the 6 hour Tokyo-Bangkok flight makes ALL the difference. I was ready to go out when I got to the hotel;. Sadly, the bars close at 1 and it was quarter 'til before I was ready to go. Alas. So I just slept.
Sunday was cool. Went shopping at the big weekend outdoor market (got some shoes). Pampered myself with a facial at my favorite salon and got a $15 2-hour massage...heaven. Had dinner from a street stall, then went out to one of the bars, figuring I'd go dancing later. A waiter waved me over to a table where someone I'd met earlier in the day was sitting (we'd seen each other on the skytrain, he'd tried to chat me up but I was off to the salon, and am also a little nervous about being chatted up by strangers on the skytrain). Anyway, turned out to be a very nice guy, we went to a new club in town and then headed to my favorite dance club (nice, as I didn't really want to go alone, it's so crowded and I kinda stand out there) and then he made sure I got back to my hotel OK. And yeah, he paid his own cover charges and drinks and even for my cab ride, so no, it wasn't one of "those" situations. Maybe I should be less nervous about people on the skytrain. Or maybe he's just a particularly friendly guy.
My Blogger screen is in Vietnamese. That is because I am now in Hanoi. More to follow on that.
Got in late Saturday night after the normal 24 hours of travel. However, upgrading to Business Class on the 14 hour DC-Tokyo flight AND the 6 hour Tokyo-Bangkok flight makes ALL the difference. I was ready to go out when I got to the hotel;. Sadly, the bars close at 1 and it was quarter 'til before I was ready to go. Alas. So I just slept.
Sunday was cool. Went shopping at the big weekend outdoor market (got some shoes). Pampered myself with a facial at my favorite salon and got a $15 2-hour massage...heaven. Had dinner from a street stall, then went out to one of the bars, figuring I'd go dancing later. A waiter waved me over to a table where someone I'd met earlier in the day was sitting (we'd seen each other on the skytrain, he'd tried to chat me up but I was off to the salon, and am also a little nervous about being chatted up by strangers on the skytrain). Anyway, turned out to be a very nice guy, we went to a new club in town and then headed to my favorite dance club (nice, as I didn't really want to go alone, it's so crowded and I kinda stand out there) and then he made sure I got back to my hotel OK. And yeah, he paid his own cover charges and drinks and even for my cab ride, so no, it wasn't one of "those" situations. Maybe I should be less nervous about people on the skytrain. Or maybe he's just a particularly friendly guy.
My Blogger screen is in Vietnamese. That is because I am now in Hanoi. More to follow on that.
Labels: Travel
Friday, September 07, 2007
On the Road. Again.
On my way to the airport for 16 days of work/vacation in Asia. I'm sure I'll post along the way.
And how come no one commented on me doing drag in the last post? Was it THAT bad?????
And how come no one commented on me doing drag in the last post? Was it THAT bad?????
Labels: Travel
Monday, September 03, 2007
End of the Summer
OK, now THAT was fun!
Adrian and I just got back from a weekend at Rehoboth Beach with some old friends and some new ones. Dan owns a house there and invited us up – 12 staying at the house, and a couple other folks on day trips – to spend the Labor Day weekend. I hadn’t met Dan before but he’s a friend of Angelo and Josh and other friends of ours, and Adrian did his hair last week. He must have liked it, because that was when he invited us.
Anyway, after taking a wrong turn heading up Friday night we got there after 3 ½ hours (everyone else came up either Thursday or earlier Friday). Dan, Troy, Ron and Scott were at the house (that was the first time we met Ron and Scott, who are an adorable couple), and the other boys soon returned from the clubs. After watching Ron mix his Ambien sleeping pill with his vodka we realized it couldn’t get much more entertaining than that, so off we went to bed.
Saturday was Adrian’s birthday (his 30th – Happy Birthday, babe!) so I hung back to help Troy with some of the grocery shopping and also pick up Adrian’s cake. In the meantime, Vu was doing a photo shoot with Dayna while Dan helped by doing her makeup. Vu had a crazy idea, then Dana let me borrow some things, and Dan applied some magic, and BOOM, we suddenly had a plan for Adrian’s celebration…more to follow on that…
We made it to the beach where the weather was gorgeous and of course so were the guys. Dan and Jovan arrived just for a few hours but it was fun that they got to join us. Rueben and Pra’kash were also in town and joined us there. Danny and I headed into the water with Bob and Mike and some of the other boys and I about lost my suit when the first wave hit me (Scott was NOT kidding when he suggested tightening the drawstring – I kinda mooned the beach and no, there are no pics of that. As far as I know.). I managed to get thrown around by a few rough waves and it wasn’t until I got back to our towels that I realized I was bleeding from both knees where I’d been dragged along the bottom. I just told people I’d forgotten to bring my kneepads and they pretty much accepted that without question. Which makes me wonder what they think of me. Hmmmm…
Saturday night we had a great barbeque dinner and then it was time for Adrian’s birthday. Danny, Dan and Vu ran upstairs with me to do a quick transformation and yes, Adrian was VERY surprised. And kinda moved, I think…I’ve never done this before but I thought he’d appreciate the effort, and I think he did, especially because I had to shave my chest. I gave him his gifts, and then after cake I changed back quickly and most of us headed out dancing. Yay!!
Sunday was more of the same, cute boys and beautiful weather. We met some great new folks, including Erick from DC. We saw the drag volleyball, at which time I learned that Danny was not familiar with Hairspray (something we should be fixing this week). And, perhaps most importantly, I managed to avoid a serious sunburn. Hooray for not destroying my skin!!
After dinner Sunday night we went out for drinks, where Danny paid a waiter to take a shot in his mouth and then pass it to Danny…and afterwards, Danny had to go into the men’s room to wash cranberry juice out of his pants where it spilled down. We ran home for a quick costume change then went out to the big party at the convention center, which had a good DJ and a nice light show. We ran into Erick and some of the other guys from earlier in the day…in fact, the crowd at any club is mostly the same people as the beach. We closed it out around 2:30am and were definitely ready for some sleep last night.
Today I got up because someone was cooking sausages and they smelled sooooooooo gooooooooood. One thing I have to say, the food was really good this weekend, which not be too surprising considering just how gay everyone is. Josh makes some amazing cinnamon rolls and Troy’s hamburgers were huge and yummy. Anyway, after cleaning up the house and making sure it’s ready for Dan’s sister and her family next weekend (which means all the naked man playing cards had to be picked up) we headed back, and the drive was certainly different in the daylight. And also, we knew where we were going.
So, we got to spend some time with old friends, get to know some other friends better, and meet some new ones, and it was a GREAT weekend. I’ve missed doing stuff with friends like that and I’m so glad we had a chance to spend some good, relaxing, fun times with good people.
Time to start planning for next summer…
Adrian and I just got back from a weekend at Rehoboth Beach with some old friends and some new ones. Dan owns a house there and invited us up – 12 staying at the house, and a couple other folks on day trips – to spend the Labor Day weekend. I hadn’t met Dan before but he’s a friend of Angelo and Josh and other friends of ours, and Adrian did his hair last week. He must have liked it, because that was when he invited us.
Anyway, after taking a wrong turn heading up Friday night we got there after 3 ½ hours (everyone else came up either Thursday or earlier Friday). Dan, Troy, Ron and Scott were at the house (that was the first time we met Ron and Scott, who are an adorable couple), and the other boys soon returned from the clubs. After watching Ron mix his Ambien sleeping pill with his vodka we realized it couldn’t get much more entertaining than that, so off we went to bed.
Saturday was Adrian’s birthday (his 30th – Happy Birthday, babe!) so I hung back to help Troy with some of the grocery shopping and also pick up Adrian’s cake. In the meantime, Vu was doing a photo shoot with Dayna while Dan helped by doing her makeup. Vu had a crazy idea, then Dana let me borrow some things, and Dan applied some magic, and BOOM, we suddenly had a plan for Adrian’s celebration…more to follow on that…
We made it to the beach where the weather was gorgeous and of course so were the guys. Dan and Jovan arrived just for a few hours but it was fun that they got to join us. Rueben and Pra’kash were also in town and joined us there. Danny and I headed into the water with Bob and Mike and some of the other boys and I about lost my suit when the first wave hit me (Scott was NOT kidding when he suggested tightening the drawstring – I kinda mooned the beach and no, there are no pics of that. As far as I know.). I managed to get thrown around by a few rough waves and it wasn’t until I got back to our towels that I realized I was bleeding from both knees where I’d been dragged along the bottom. I just told people I’d forgotten to bring my kneepads and they pretty much accepted that without question. Which makes me wonder what they think of me. Hmmmm…
Saturday night we had a great barbeque dinner and then it was time for Adrian’s birthday. Danny, Dan and Vu ran upstairs with me to do a quick transformation and yes, Adrian was VERY surprised. And kinda moved, I think…I’ve never done this before but I thought he’d appreciate the effort, and I think he did, especially because I had to shave my chest. I gave him his gifts, and then after cake I changed back quickly and most of us headed out dancing. Yay!!
Sunday was more of the same, cute boys and beautiful weather. We met some great new folks, including Erick from DC. We saw the drag volleyball, at which time I learned that Danny was not familiar with Hairspray (something we should be fixing this week). And, perhaps most importantly, I managed to avoid a serious sunburn. Hooray for not destroying my skin!!
After dinner Sunday night we went out for drinks, where Danny paid a waiter to take a shot in his mouth and then pass it to Danny…and afterwards, Danny had to go into the men’s room to wash cranberry juice out of his pants where it spilled down. We ran home for a quick costume change then went out to the big party at the convention center, which had a good DJ and a nice light show. We ran into Erick and some of the other guys from earlier in the day…in fact, the crowd at any club is mostly the same people as the beach. We closed it out around 2:30am and were definitely ready for some sleep last night.
Today I got up because someone was cooking sausages and they smelled sooooooooo gooooooooood. One thing I have to say, the food was really good this weekend, which not be too surprising considering just how gay everyone is. Josh makes some amazing cinnamon rolls and Troy’s hamburgers were huge and yummy. Anyway, after cleaning up the house and making sure it’s ready for Dan’s sister and her family next weekend (which means all the naked man playing cards had to be picked up) we headed back, and the drive was certainly different in the daylight. And also, we knew where we were going.
So, we got to spend some time with old friends, get to know some other friends better, and meet some new ones, and it was a GREAT weekend. I’ve missed doing stuff with friends like that and I’m so glad we had a chance to spend some good, relaxing, fun times with good people.
Time to start planning for next summer…
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| Rehoboth Labor Day 2007 |
