Hot Half-Asian Men

...so Riss tagged me with a post - somethin about 6 random things about yourself. Seeing as I don't feel like blogging about 6 random things about myself, I'm gonna change it to "Six Hot Half-Asian Men I Know". Much better!


Matt - my sexy boyfriend! Matt is half Chinese-Malaysian and half Australian...and all hot!



Jonny - my ex-workmate and ex-roomie. Jonny is half Chinese and half Irish. I keep trying to convince him that he should go gay but he never seems to listen to me.



Matt - my high school friend since 7th grade. Matt is half Singaporean and half Australian. People say that I started dating my Matt because he looks like high school Matt. This was not the case...*uncomfortable silence*



Joe - my workmate. Joe is half Japanese and half American. Joe took over the title of "Hottest guy at PeopleSoft" when Jonny left. One particular female friend likes him in glasses. Joe is also a DJ - not that I have a thing for hot half-asian guys who are djs...*more uncomfortable silence*



Kelan - friend from Hawaii who currently lives in San Francisco. Kelan is half Japanese and half American. Unfortunately he's also 10 years younger than me. Oh to be 21 again

Jerome - friend from university. Jerome is half Chinese and half Australian. He once stuck several marshmellows up his nose. He may have lost a couple of hot points after that. I don't have a good pic of Jerome so you'll just have to visualise him.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Song of the Day: "My Only Wish (This Year)" - Britney Spears. I love christmas songs!

Gay Jeopardy

...so last year I had a blog posting which centred around being drunk. The following post is based on the "fact" that all the people alluded to below are straight. The names were excluded to protect the not-so-innocent, but on the same tip as "Drunk Jeopardy" I invite you to play...:

Gay Jeopardy - Who Am I?

8. (Male) I get massages from a male masseuse. He asked me to turnover so he can massage my front. I couldn't turn over because I had an erection.
7. (Female) Whenever I get drunk at Cockle Bay Wharf in Sydney, I like to make out with the nearest hot chick. Sometimes I like making out with asian chicks (@ Pontoon Bar) or irish chicks (@ Home Bar).
6. (Male) I slept in the same bed with my male best friend for six months. It started off "Brokeback Mountain" with him sleeping on the floor, but he gradually made his way into my bed. By the way, I have a single bed.
5. (Male) I like to get drunk and freak the nearest guy to me at the club. Occasionally I get so drunk I stand in the middle of the dance floor and touch myself inappropriately. There always seems to be a camera when I get like this.
4. (Male) Men have taken pictures of me in naked or semi-naked state. It's OK though because I've got 9% body fat.
3. (Female) I like to fondle other girl's boobs when I'm drunk. It doesn't matter that I just met the other girl.
2. (Male) I've made out with Ray's boyfriend. It was on a dare, but I think I really enjoyed it.
1. (Male) I buy mint green pashminas from Chinatown. For myself.

La la la... let the guessing begin!

Song of the Day: "Elevator Love" - Guy Sebastian

December Thoughts

...so this month is probably the busiest month EVER. Apart from the three million christmas parties (with the corresponding alcohol imbibing), here's a taste of what's on offer for the month of December:

- Stevie's back! Woot! Pecs Ahoy!
- Matt's auntie from Malaysia arrived last week.
- Matt's sister, brother-in-law and niece fly in from London next week.
- Justin's back! Permanently! Woot!
- Jayson and Ed move into their new apartment in Pyrmont.
- Maria's family and friends from the US and Philippines start arriving into the country.
- My sister, brother-in-law, nephew and niece arrive from Brisbane for Christmas.
- Both Matt and I made the Poker Challenge finals to be played on December 17th.
- Maria's last month of living with us. *single tear* It's the end of an era! An era being defined as "three years of love, laughter and lots & lots of wine".
- Rhandy's bucks night. I'd tell you what's been planned, but then I'd have to kill you.

...and of course, Maria and Rhandy's wedding on the 29th of December. I'm in a drunken haze just thinking about it.

Oh! I'm holding out on the most exciting news! I found out the reason I beep! There were electronic sensors UNDERNEATH the insole of my running shoes. For crying out loud. DAMN YOU FOOTLOCKER!

Song of the Day: "Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol. Man I miss Grey's Anatomy.

Beeping

...so you know those electronic sensors at the entrances of stores that beep if you're attempting to steal something? I beep everytime. I mean - EVERY. TIME. And before you ask, no I'm not trying to steal anything.

The most annoying thing about it is - I have NO idea what makes me beep. I thought it might be the metal studs on my Seven-For-All-Mankind jeans (Yes my jeans have studs on them. On the butt cheeks. I am gay.), but I still beeped wearing shorts. I thought it might be my new credit card, but when Matt put it in his wallet he didn't beep. Then I thought it might be my actual wallet, but when I left it at home...alas, I still beeped.

Maybe aliens implanted a barcode in my brain or something and everytime I make the sensors beep they're tracking my shopping habits. OK now I'm just freaking myself out. Can anyone working in retail help me out? I really, REALLY don't want to go through the christmas shopping season feeling like a dirty thief everytime I walk out of a store.

Song of the Day: "Can't Stop" - After 7

Wedding Gift?

...so from now (October 30) until the end of the year I'll be attending three weddings. Of these weddings, none of them have gift registries so we're faced with either:

a) Giving money, or
b) Buying a gift which the couple may not like

My brother and his wife received a velvety blanket with a picture of a tiger on it. See? That's what people get when they don't register!

If it's really the thought that counts, maybe i'll just get them a virtual gift. Now there's an idea. Hear that Maria and Rhands? I think I'll get you guys Barry Manilow. :)

Song of the Day: "Fantasy (ODB Remix)" - Mariah Carey. I love how he rhymes 'Mariah' with 'pacifier'. Genius.

Ch-Ch-Ch-changes

...so I resigned from work yesterday after nine years and eleven days with PeopleSoft/Oracle. Still digesting it. I'll blog more later...

Great Keppel Island

...so how great is this - I thought I had accidently deleted the pics that Matt and I took on our vacation to Great Keppel Island, but no! I just put them in the wrong directory! Woot! NOW I can recap our vacation!

For those of you planning to go to Great Keppel Island, there's several things you should know:

- There's a small plane that flys you from Rockhampton airport directly to the island. The trip takes 10 minutes, but when I say "small plane" I mean SMALL PLANE. i.e. You can reach out and smack the pilot from the BACK seat. What this means is turbulence city. Anyone who's flown with Matt knows this isn't one of his favourite things.

- The wildlife on the island is CRAZY! In the three days we were there, a kookaburra tried to eat Matt's hamburger while he was eating it, a possum wouldn't let me have a cigarette on our balcony and two parrots wouldn't leave us alone while eating breakfast.

- Go in the off-season. The weather was still 30oC (that's 86oF for you Americans) and there was probably another 20 people on the entire island. We would walk to the other side of the island and have the entire beach to ourselves. That meant we could frolic like Brooke Sheilds and Christopher Atkins in "The Blue Lagoon". OK, *I* could frolic. Matt doesn't frolic.

- The one crap thing about these island resorts are the eating options. Basically for dinner, you had the choice of the resort buffet and the resort buffet. No room service (Damn you Mercure!). That wouldn't be bad if the buffet was any good - but it wasn't. Ahhh well, you can't have it all eh?

The full photo album is located here. Don't we look tanned? :)

Song of the Day: "U and Ur Hand" - Pink

Beer, Boobs and Bucks

...so last Saturday was my brother's bucks night - for you Americans, that's what us Aussies call "bachelor parties". It was your typical (is there such a thing?) bucks night with lots of alcohol, titties and poker. What made this one particularly special for me was:

a) It's for my brother! He's finally getting married! and,
b) It was Matt's first bucks night. Although he HAS been to two hens nights... (that's bachelorette party for you Americans)

Now everyone knows it's not a bachelor party without a stripper - but Matt and I were feeling bad for her. We kept thinking what situation she is in to have to strip for a living - which I'm sure is not the reaction she wants. I was also feeling bad for my brother who had to endure (ok...for me it's "endure", he probably enjoyed it) the stripper while his future father-in-law was in the audience.

I also did not enjoy the stripper-pouring-red-(of-all-colours)-syrup-down-her-front-into-my-brothers-mouth (yuk). I also REALLY REALLY did not enjoy the sticking-of-the-lollipop-into-her-bits-and-then-into-my-brothers-mouth (YUK TO INFINITY!!!). However, I refuse to be hetero-phobic! I remember going to a gay nightclub in Santiago with my boys Rhandy and Steve who had to watch a (very attractive) male stripper with a massive erection proceed to face slap all the guys in the front row. If they can watch that - I can watch lollipops!

All I can say is...there will be NO LOLLIPOPS at my bucks night.

Oh, and that's me and my bro in the pic up there. I'm the younger one. Don't EVEN make that mistake. Nothing makes your day like your brother's friends who are pushing 40 thinking you're older than him (who, by the way, is 36). *glare*

Song of the Day: "I Say A Little Prayer" - from My Best Friend's Wedding. Nothing washes off memories of a female stripper like a sing-along from a romantic comedy. :)

I heart NY

...so I know I can't claim that I've lived in New York (yet), but I feel a certain affinity to the city. Maybe it's 'coz I've been there 5 times in the past year. Maybe it's 'coz one of my best friends lives there now. Maybe it's 'coz the last few times I went there I felt so at home. Whatever it may be...on the 5th anniversary of 9/11 my heart goes out to everyone whose lives were affected that day.

I'm sure everyone has their "I remember where I was when it happened" story. I was living in Melbourne at the time and just got back from playing tennis when I turned on the TV and the first tower had been hit. I watched the second tower get hit live which was extremely surreal.

God bless you New York. I hope we're worthy enough to live in your confines one day. Soon.

p.s. The photo on this post was taken the last time I saw the Twin Towers - January 4th, 2001.

Randomness

...so Matt didn't win the DJ comp. He didn't even place! ROBBED! He was so obviously the best (and hottest) dj of the night... Oh well, can't win 'em all right? The silver lining though, is Matt has new gigs @ Bar 333 and Republic Hotel! Woot!

- That sucks about Steve Irwin passing away. I can't say I was a fan but he WAS entertaining. May he be wrangling crocodiles somewhere out there.

- Watched "Snakes on a Plane" the other night. How fun is that movie! Although I may never pee on a plane again. Probably not the kinda movie you wanna watch when you're on planes as often as I am. They should make a movie "Gays in a Nightclub" - where gay guys get attacked by poor fashion sense and bad haircuts.

- I'm still winning the poker tourney we play on Wednesdays. The even better news is Matt's coming second! Last week I came 8th and Matt came 2nd. That makes the seventh 2nd for Matt (always a bridesmaid...) Don't worry baby, you're #1 with me!

- The pic on this post is another example of the drunkeness that ensues whenever Matt DJs. For all the pics from Matt's DJ heat, Bar 333 gig and DJ final click here.

- I'm in Auckland for work right now. New Zealand looks really nice in "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy - but Auckland ain't that New Zealand. Not that Auckland doesn't have it's good points...they have Wendy's! Hello Classic Triple Cheeseburger (aka insta-heart-attack burger).

Song of the Day: "Doesn't Really Matter" - Janet Jackson

DJ Comp Details

...so for those of you in the Sydney region this Thursday, 31st August - come to Kinselas @ 383 Bourke Street in Darlinghurst (near Taylor Square) to support DJ Wagyu (that's Matty B to the rest of us) compete in their DJ competition!

His set will be from 9 - 9.30pm which means he's on FIRST so don't be late you people-who-are-usually-late! You know who you are. Mmmm hmmm I'm talkin' about you and you know it... Hope to see all of you there! If you're a blurker and showing up and I don't know you - just look for the drunk people dancing erraticly.

If you're wondering why there's a picture of a beautiful little island on this post, that's because Matt and I are off to Great Keppel Island tomorrow morning for a few days to work on our tans. Gotta look good for the judges! ;)

Song of the Day: "Baby It's Cold Outside" - Will Ferrel and the sales assistant chick (from the movie "Elf". It's been in my bloody head ALL. DAY.)

Poker, DJing and Alcohol

...so I finally had a good week last week. Funnily enough, I was drunk for most of it. Let me give you a run down of how it went.

Monday: Played a Texas Hold 'Em tournament @ Newtown RSL. I didn't have a good run but I got drunk. Maria came 2nd though!

Tuesday: Played a Texas Hold 'Em tournament @ James Squire Brewhouse in King Street Wharf. I didn't have a good run but I got drunk. They had $3 beers for all poker players (they're usually double that) so I proceeded to have 5 beers before the first break. Alcohol does not a good poker player make. Matt made it to the final table though!

Wednesday: Watched Maria, Ed and Jonny play a Texas Hold 'Em tournament final for $3000. After a valiant effort, Maria finished the best of the three with a 14th placing (and she got out on pocket A's!). Matt and I played our regular poker comp @ Pyrmont Bridge Hotel. It started off with around 40 players and ended up with 2 - Matt and I! Unfortunately (for Matt) I was chip leader by about 10-1 and took him out in the second game. I'm winning the tournament, by the way. Oh...and I, again, got drunk.

Thursday: Watched Matt DJ his sexy ass off @ Kinselas nightclub where he did really well (still haven't heard who won yet). Lots of people showed up to support him which was great to see. I got drunk.

UPDATE!!! August 22nd 2pm - MATT WON! He'll be DJing the Final of the DJ comp Thursday 31st August...More info to come!


Matt showing off his skills


The roomies doing our best to appear sober

Friday: Watched Matt DJ his sexy ass off @ Bar 333 in the city. I got drunk. Compared to everyone else though, I was sober.


Jayson, Elle, Chris (where are you looking?), Maria and I

Saturday: Played a Texas Hold 'Em tournament @ Newtown RSL. Matt and I both made the final table - I came 7th and Matt came 5th. We then headed to the casino where we bumped into a whole bunch of school friends and proceeded to get drunk at the bar.

Sunday: Played a Texas Hold 'Em tournament @ Darling Harbour. I didn't have a good run, and I didn't get drunk (I had to have ONE night off the alcohol!). Matt made it to the final two tables but got knocked out in 18th place.

...and now it's Monday at work and I'm in Struggletown (Population: Me). No poker tonight. I swear.

Song of the Day: "I'm Ready" - Tevin Campbell

I Ebb, Therefore I Am

...so I've been at a really low ebb for the past month. Before I commence my tirade, don't you just love the word 'ebb'?

Ebb(n): 1. The reflux of the tide toward the sea. 2. A point or condition of decline.

Anyways, before I rudely interrupted myself...so about this ebb. (HA! What a great word - I'm loving that this post has used the word 'ebb' six times now! Before you count, I included the title punkasses). I'm very, very wary that I'm about to come off as whiney and self-involved but hey - it's my blog and I'll whine if I want to.

Matt and I should actually be in London right about now. We should've been in New York two weeks ago, Lisbon last week and Paris this weekend. We were going to surprise everyone on the east coast (and be there for Riss' bday - surprise!) and surprise Matt's family in London whom we haven't seen since the beginning of the year. EVERYTHING was booked - including the Hilton in Paris and a room with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

Until it was cancelled. The night before we were to fly out. I won't go into the 'why' because...well, people have been fired for less. Since that night though (July 19) I've been angry and bitter and it's compounding like how fluff collects in the dryer if you don't clean it out. And poor Matt has had to put up with it. Even the girl at KFC had to put up with it when I got angry that she got our order wrong THREE TIMES (It's CHICKEN for crying out loud - not hazardous chemicals).

I guess this post doesn't really have a point. I had hoped that blogging would be cathartic, but I don't feel better. Steve has said that I should count my blessings. I say, it's OK to wallow in self-pity for a while isn't it? "If we were happy every day of our lives we'd be game show hosts".

On the upside though, I won my first Texas Hold Em poker tournament on Monday @ Newtown RSL beating almost 60 other people (including a Vin Diesel look-a-like in heads up play). See? I can still see the silver lining :P

Song of the Day: "Just Like A Pill" - Pink

DJ Comp!

...so Matt entered a dj competition at Kinsela's nightclub and got accepted! If you have no plans on the night, come on down and support him. Even if you do have plans - cancel them! Details below:

Thursday, August 17th, 2006 - 9pm to 10pm
Kinselas
383 - 387 Bourke Street (Taylor Square)
Darlinghurst

Oh, and it's free also so no excuses. Don't make me glare at you to make you go. He has a chance at winning a paid gig there (which means he can buy me something pretty) or lots of dj stuff (which he can then sell on eBay to buy me something pretty). Now don't you want that for the both of us? :)

Song of the Day: "A Public Affair" - Jessica Simpson. It makes me think of summer. *sigh* I miss summer.

Birthdays and Other Stuff

...so I celebrated my 31st birthday last week and MAN does it seem like ages ago already! Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate it or who sent their best wishes. I had a great time double-barrelling vodkas all night long. The pictures from my party are available on the right hand side or you can click here. Maria has also posted her pics on her website so take a look at those too.

Work has been kicking my ass at the moment with a LOT of travel, more responsibility and blah blah blah. You don't really want to hear about me complaining about work do you? Didn't think so.

On that note though, I'm going to put this blog on hiatus until things clear up a bit for me. I haven't had much blogspiration lately (or time!) so until then...

Song of the Day: "I Write The Songs" - Barry Manilow

Birthday Wishes

...so some people have been asking me what I want for my birthday because apparently "I'm hard to buy a present for". I don't think so, but here...let me make it easier for you all!


Things I would like for my birthday:
- Louis Vuitton Keepall 55. You know, for my gym gear and stuff.
- Bigger pecs. If you're gonna get me that, please enquire if they have a pecs + liposuction gift pack. :)
- Asics Gel Kayanos in blue/silver. Size 7 US.
- Biotherm Homme Anti-Rides Line Peel. I ain't gettin any younger so I might as well do something about that now!
- Biotherm Homme Hydra-Detox Anti-Dullness Peel Off Mask. See above comment.
- Clear skin for life. See above two comments.
- Calvin Klein Boxer Briefs. My new Seven-For-All-Mankind jeans are too tight to wear normal boxers.
- L'Occitane Linen Water in Spray Bottle. In lavender please, Matt doesn't like the other fragrance.
- Voucher for Borders.
- Video iPod running arm band. The Nike one is hot.
- Polar Heart Rate Monitor. This one tells you pretty much everything except alcohol content from last night's drinking binge and what song's next on your iPod!
- Australia to be magically back in the World Cup. Robbed!

Uhhhm I'm sure I could go on but the list would start to get ridiculous. If in doubt, ask Matt!

Song of the Day: "Rock With You" - Michael Jackson.

Where's the Party?

...so I'll be turning the big(gish) THREE ONE in a couple of weeks and because I didn't get to have the big-drunken-party last year, I'm gonna have one this year! If you haven't received your invite yet it's probably because:

a) You live overseas, or
b) You live interstate, or
c) I don't have your email address, or
d) You're a blurker and I don't know you

If it's a) or b), sorry I can't really help you out with airfare to fly over for the party. I'm not P Diddy. :)

If it's c), leave your email address at the beep and I'll forward you the invite.

If it's d) and you're hot - come along and bring your hot friends!

Woot!

Song of the Day: "No Diggity" - Blackstreet

I (Will Always) Still Call Australia Home

...so just like every other Australian in the world right now, I'm being swept up in the World Cup frenzy. I love how Aussies will support any Australian team, in any sport, with a ridiculous fervor (usually fuelled by alcohol). This got me to thinking how much I would miss Australia were Matt and I to move overseas. Things I would miss (apart from the obvious family and friends) include:

- Cottonelle toilet paper with the little doggies on it. Call me crazy ("Crazy!") but wiping my ass with ridged toilet paper with pictures of little doggies on it makes me smile.
- 24 Hour Doner Kebab places. OK so they have these in London also, but they don't have them in the US. You guys have White Castle though. White Castle vs Doner Kebab...ooooh that's a toughie.
- Roundabouts. I hate 4-way stop signs with a passion.
- The Beaches in Sydney. No other big city in the world (and no, Honolulu is NOT a big city) have beaches so close to the city that you can swim in. The swimming part rules out Los Angeles.

I could go on but then I'd have to go into a lot of specifics. If we moved to the US though, there's a ton of things to look forward to. There's White Castle, happy hour drinks @ The Cantina (LA) and The Cafe (SF), Bounce dryer sheets, Magnolia cupcakes, Cable TV, Weekend trips to Las Vegas, obesity, Karaoke @ Chelsea Grill (NY)...but will all of that trump Cottonelle toilet paper with the little doggies on it? THAT, my friends, is the question.

Song of the Day: "Around The World" - Aqua. It's on my Workout playlist. Give me a break!

Photos that make me laugh

...so you know when you're in a shitty mood and you just need a reason to lighten up and laugh? That's the mood I'm in now. Occasionally when I get in that mood I peruse my photo archives and I find that THESE photos always ALWAYS make me laugh.


Photo 1: Steve @ Moonstruck Diner in New York 2006. OK so technically this one isn't in my photo archive but dude...this cracks me up no end. You had to be there.


Photo 2: Steve @ AER Lounge in New York NYE 2005. Last one of Steve, I swear - but there's SO MUCH to choose from! BTW, what is with straight guys totally acting gay when they're drunk?


Photo 3: Maria @ Hunter Valley 2003. This photo was taken just before we got kicked out of the art gallery.


Photo 4: Rhandy @ Bar Cleveland on his bday 2003. I heart drunk Rhandy.


Photo 5: The Gang @ Hunter Valley 2003. I LOVE that Matt's laughing so hard he's gonna shit a kidney in this picture. Again, I heart drunk Rhandy.

...et Voila! No more shitty mood.

Song of the Day: "Red, Red Wine" - UB40

Coming Out - Part One

...so every gay man (and woman) who no longer lives in the closet has a coming out story. I, being as multi-layered as I am, have several. I'm breaking it all up into several installments so that when I have absolutely no blogspiration I can dig up a coming out story! I'm a forward planner like that.

The Best Friends Coming Out Story

It was approaching New Years 2001 and at that time I was living in Melbourne, Rhandy was in Sydney and Steve was in London. We decided to meet up somewhere in the middle for New Years and New York was decided upon. Even though it was a 24 hour flight for me and Rhands and an 8 hour flight for Steve. I digress.

By the way, NYE 2001 happened to be when the biggest snow storm in 100 years decides to hit New York. I got into New York early and checked into the our hotel but Rhands was stuck in LA until Dec 29 and Steve was stuck in London until Dec 30. Again, I digress.

Our plan before new years was for each of us to reveal a secret that we'd been keeping from the other two on New Years. After a memorable NYE freezing our nuts off in Times Square with a million other stupid people (Times Square is fun - but something I don't plan to do ever again unless I'm in a hotel suite. With a bathroom. And heating), we retreated back to our hotel and the three of us sat in the (closed) lobby bar.

Steve and Rhands voiced their secrets - and no I ain't gonna say what they were - you'll have to ask them. :) When it came to saying mine I started crying (How gay am I!) and I was like "Oh you guys know what I'm gonna say so can we just acknowledge it and get over it?". This was unacceptable to Steve who then said "Say it. It'll feel better if you say it out loud". In my head I'm thinking "How the fuck would you know - have you ever come out???". Anyway, I told them I was gay. To their complete unsurprise. It was kinda funny though that they'd defend my heterosexuality to whomever asked. That's friendship for ya.

I gotta say that was the most difficult coming out for me, personally. It only got easier from there. No less dramatic, but easier.

Song of the Day: "Bossy" - Kelis

Home Sweet Home

...so today is the first day back at "work" after two whirlwind weeks in the US. Thanks to everyone who spent time with me eating, drinking, shopping, drinking, drinking and hangin' out in either San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York. I had a great time (as always) but it is soooo good to be home.

Actually, no I take that back. It is soooo good to be wherever Matt is. The past two weeks solidified even more that it doesn't matter where we are, as long as we're together. Who knows what the future has in store... :)

Stevie, I hope you had a great 30th birthday. My liver is still recovering from that weekend.

OK I have two weeks of expenses to enter into the system. Blah.

Song of the Day: "Ms New Booty" - Bubba Sparxxx (My new SF song!)

Birthday Trivia

...so for those of you who didn't know, on my 30th birthday last year my friends and I were in the Hunter Valley partaking in wine-tasting aplenty (I love that word! I shall endeavour to use it more often. Aplenty even). After muuuuch wine tasting, I hosted Ray's Birthday Trivia and divided the group into three teams with the following team captains:

- The Best Friends (Rhandy and Steve)
- The Boyfriend (Matt)
- The Roomies (Maria and Jonny)

The losers of the competition had to do the washing up, which was not inconsequential with 20 people there. Anyways, in lieu of an actual post I've decided to post the questions. Get all of them right and win a free steak dinner from me - definition of 'steak' and 'dinner' to be decided by me.

1. What month did Ray join Fitness First?
2. What is Ray’s favourite Kylie song?
3. What suburb of Melbourne did Ray and Jonny live in?
4. The first night Ray met Matt’s friends - Charmaine, ChiWai, Mark and Zena, they went out to dinner – what kind of cuisine did they eat?
5. Name Ray’s three siblings. Bonus points for their ages.
6. Ray was a committee member on the Filipinos of UTS society. What executive position did he hold?
7. Ray’s boyfriend has one sister. What’s her name?
8. Name the primary school Ray went to.
9. While living in Melbourne, Ray and Jonny had different names for their daily routine. E.g. Mexican Monday, Tennis Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday – what was Thursday called?
10. What year was Ray lead in the musical ‘Oliver’? – a) Year 2, b) Year 4, c) Year 6
11. Ray first went to Europe in 2001. Which two cities did he visit?
12. The first time Ray travelled overseas without his family in 1993, who did he travel with? Bonus point for the city they stayed in for 2 months.
13. Ray has attended three PeopleSoft conferences in the USA. What cities were they in?
14. What did Ray come dressed as for Charmaine’s 30th birthday party? Bonus point: What did Matt come dressed as?
15. What do Ray, Maria, Steve, Phong and Matt have in common?
16. Who has visited the most cities with Ray? a) Maria b) Jill c) Steve?
17. What is Ray’s degree from UTS in?
18. Ray, Matt, Mark and Zena got really drunk one night at Ray’s place late last year. How many bottles of wine did they drink? a) 6 b) 7 c) 8
19. What movie can Ray quote from beginning to end?
20. What was the make and model of Ray’s first car?
21. Ray has the full box sets of which three tv shows?

After two rounds of the above questions, I threw in some bonus questions:

- What is Ray's middle name?
- What was the name of the street that Ray and Jonny lived on?
- What is Ray's favourite sexual position?
- What is Ray's most embarassing moment? a) Falling over on an escalator and taking everyone down with him, b) Crashing into a truck whilst singing Miss Saigon songs or c) Passing out for an hour with his head on the toilet bowl at his 23rd bday party
- What was the name of Ray's favourite restaurant in Melbourne?
- What did Matt give Ray for their first anniversary?
- What was Ray's most pissed off moment?
- What did Ray and Jonny do every Tuesday night after playing tennis? *giggle*
- What was the first movie Ray and Matt watched together?

After ALL of that Matt's team won (Woot!) with The Best Friends and The Roomies tied. The tiebreaker question was "What did Ray have for dinner that night?". To my surprise, The Best Friends (who weren't sitting near me at dinner) got it right, and the Roomies (who were sitting next to me and opposite me) got it wrong. Doh!

Ahhh good times...

On a side note - Happy birthday Googz!

Song of the Day: "Girlfriend" - Pebbles *finger snap*

If I Could

...so it's Friday and I'm at work and naturally all I'm doing is day dreaming. I was thinking to myself and said "Self, If you could be an athlete what type of athlete would you be?". Naturally, this led to more day dreaming and subsequently, this post!

If I Could :

Sing - I'd want to have Luther Vandross' (R.I.P.) voice.
Dance - Britney Spears. Say what you want about her but the girl can dance.
Be Athletic - Male gymnast. Have you seen their bodies? They're insane! I thought I had to be specific here and say MALE gymnast 'coz I really wouldn't want a female gymnast's body.
Be fluent in a language - Spanish. So I can return to South America and do more than ask for a beer or order at MacDonalds.
Visit a country - Morocco. Africa is my last continent and I love food cooked in tagines.
Change a physical attribute - Height. I ain't greedy, I'd be happy with 5'8". At least then when Matt and I hold hands and walk down the street it won't look like he's dragging me along.
Learn a new skill - DJ.
Own something (short-term) - Louis Vuitton Keepall 55. My birthday is July 8th. Not that those two things are related in any way... *looks around*
Own something (long-term) - An apartment in Pyrmont or Balmain. Soon, very soon.
Drink like one of my friends - Riss. Although the last two times I've drunk with Riss she was arguably drunker than I. Hmmm...
Dance like one of my friends - Ooooh tough one. This would be a three-way between Joy (who's flowy), Ed (who's jerky) and Maria (who moves her ass like it's no-one's business).
Play an instrument - Saxophone.
Beat Steve in something - Chess.
Watch a concert - Barry Manilow. SERIOUSLY! Now that he's a regular in Vegas, I think that'll be my birthday present to myself next year.

Hahaha on that note I think that's it. You don't regain credibility after saying you want to watch Barry Manilow in concert.

Song of the Day: "Looks Like We Made It" - Barry Manilow. If I find this song at karaoke, look out...

Thin

...so as some of you may be aware I've lost a bit of weight in the past year. 12 kilograms (26.5 pounds) to be exact. I didn't actually realise I was that fat. In hindsight I should have known because I couldn't fit into my size 28 jeans at all. My size 30 jeans were super tight, and I found myself buying size 32 jeans to be comfortable. I guess ignorance really IS bliss.

That all changed when I saw this picture:


There's Matt looking all toned and there's me looking...not so much. *shudder* Thanks Googz, by the way, for taking that picture. You really captured the shadows on my rolls. :P

Anyway, that was November 2004 on a beach in Mykonos. When we got back from that vacation, Matt dragged (YES - Against my will!) me into a gym and before you know it I had signed up for 12 months and 3 personal training sessions.

It was a struggle at first. I'd find myself dying after 5 minutes on the treadmill "running" at 8km/h (5mp/h). Gradually it become a little easier...and then a lot easier. Whereas before I was barely capable of running 3kms (1.86 miles) in 20 minutes, now I run it in less than 14 minutes.

I didn't, however, change my eating habits TOO much. I don't drink full strength (and by that I mean calorie-wise) soft drinks anymore (I really miss Mountain Dew!). I try not to snack - Matt and I don't even bother going into the aisles in the supermarket with biscuits, chocolate and chips anymore. I still eat KFC around once a week and all that good stuff, though. I'd cry if I couldn't eat KFC anymore. If they had KFC-flavoured biscuits, chocolate and chips here I'd be in trouble...

What's the best part of being thin(ner) you ask?

1. The compliments. Compliments to a gay man about how he looks are like energon cubes for an autobot. It's what we live on.
2. Being able to fit into my muscle shirts again AKA gay-clubbing-uniform. Not to say I didn't wear them when I was heavier, but as Matt put it, I was dressing "kinda inappropriately". Which is nice-speak for "Your saggy man boobs are showing in that Abercrombie muscle T".
3. The increased confidence. I guess that's a side effect of points 1 and 2.

I'd write more but I gotta head to the gym. ;)

Song of the Day: "Pump It" - Black Eyed Peas (one of the songs on my iPod workout playlist!)

Expensive Taste

...so I bought a $449 pair of jeans yesterday. OK so they WERE $449 before they were marked down to $269. Normally I would baulk at spending that much money on a pair of jeans, but I really REALLY wanted a pair of 7-for-all-mankind jeans. Besides, they make my ass look great! So much so that a random woman near the change room said "it looks good from behind" when I walked out to show Matt. Thinking about some of my more expensive purchases, here's a list (from what I can remember):

Most Expensive (all amounts in Aussie dollars)...
Shoes: $220 Nikes. I've never spent a lot of money on shoes. Now I have to, though, to match my new jeans!
Sunglasses: $400 Emporio Armanis. Which I subsequently left in a locker at the gym.
Piece of Furniture: $2200 on my bed frame and mattress. You spend 1/3 of your life in there - it PAYS to be comfortable.
Jacket: $400 Ralph Lauren down jacket. I wanted it so bad I bought it in the only size they had left (Extra Large). Now Matt wears it.
Jewelry: $360 Tiffany necklace. I don't wear it anymore 'coz I got a new one from Matt for my birthday last year. Matt wears it 'coz he lost the one I bought him for his birthday two years ago.
Dinner: $200. This would be a toss-up between Nobu in New York for Googz's birthday or Rockpool in Sydney.
Night out drinking: $200-ish. Just last year when Steve and I split the bill @ Gym in New York. And that was after we got several free drink rounds after flirting with the bartender.
Impulse Purchase: $35 000. I bought my Jeep Wrangler back in 1997. The same day I test-drove it, I took it home.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Any other categories I haven't covered?

On another note, one of my male friends who claims they're straight got a pedicure last week. No prizes for guessing who. The same guy bought a mint green pashmina in Chinatown. :)

Song of the Day: "You Don't Know Me" - Michael Buble. So much better than Harry Connick Jr don't you think?

USA! USA! *chant*

...so I'm officially going back to the US for more "training". Coincidentally, my training happens to be over Steve's birthday weekend celebrations! Talk about your good timing. :) It'll just be the usual West Coast/East Coast trip so if you're in the neighbourhood...drop me a line!

San Francisco: May 12 - 17
Pleasanton: May 18 - 19
New York: May 20 - 21
Los Angeles: May 22 - 27

Also, if anyone knows/is sleeping with/wants to sleep with anyone who works at Abercrombie and Fitch, Louis Vuitton or Bath and Body Works and is hospitable enough to allow their discount to be abused - let me know as I intend to make some purchases!

Song of the Day: "Waiting for the Day" - Shai

Welcome Tre!

...so Matt and I welcomed a new addition to our "family" last week. Our new baby Audi A3! As you may have gathered from the title of this post, his name is "Tre". No I'm not going to call him "Howie" as suggested by Steve (Howie the Audi? *roll of eyes*).

It was very sad to say goodbye to Poogs (my Peugeot 206cc) after three years of reliable, if a little squeaky, driving. I'm also going to miss the ability to drive with the top down as I've had a convertible for eight years now. What I'm NOT going to miss though is the total lack of space for any passengers. I'm also NOT going to miss Poogs' lack of useable cup holders (he had two cup holders about the depth of a post-it note - why bother?).

Here he is! Isn't he pretty? :)



Song of the Day: "Falling For You" - Boom!

Happy Anniversary Matty

...so tomorrow is mine and Matt's three year anniversary. THREE YEARS! That's like...21 years in straight relationship years. Before Matt my longest "relationship" (yes I use quotation marks because - ask me in person...it's a long story) was around 3 months.

For those of you who don't know, Matt and I met on the internet. At first I was all weirded out by this and told everyone that we met in Ikea, shopping in the lamp section. After talking to some of my gay friends, however, it seems like meeting on the internet is almost commonplace. I still think the Ikea story is more interesting though.

In the three years we've been together I've learnt that:

- Birthdays are important. Make an effort.
- Sometimes giving up your wardrobe space (*shudder*) isn't such a bad thing when you're sharing it with someone you love.
- I like the left side of the bed (when you're in the bed...not when you're facing the bed).
- Coming out is SO much easier when there's someone worth coming out for to catch you should you stumble.
- Matt thinks that it's more difficult to throw stuff in the garbage bin if you're taller 'coz the garbage could "float and land outside of the bin" if dropped from a greater height. Don't get me started.

Other interesting Matt and Ray trivia:

- Ray has gained and subsequently lost around 11kgs (24.2 pounds) in those three years.
- Matt has lost around 22 pounds.
- Cities we have visited together are: Melbourne, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Mykonos, Santorini and Athens.
- We moved in together September 2004.
- Matt takes his coffee black. Ray has a skim latte.
- I want a dog but Matt will only agree if we get a dog walker and a care taker.

Here's how we looked at the very beginning in (March) 2003...


And how we look now (January 06)...


To my man,

I love you and look forward to the next 30 years together. I promise to always bring you pastries when you are hungry.

Love always,
me.

Song of the Day: "Beautiful in my Eyes" - Joshua Kadison (thought I'd borrow Riz and Mary Anne's wedding song for today...thanks guys!)

Photos and Stuff

...so work is totally kicking my ass right now. Today is my first day off in two weeks. Next week is looking cruisy though which is good. I thought I'd take advantage of the down time to update this blog with a few pics from the past month!


Me @ Bondi Beach. The guy behind me was hot but the bastard moved when the photo was taken. Damnit.


Tara, Matt, Me and Thais @ Slip Inn


Blow, Matt Blow! :)


Matt and I @ his birthday dinner. We don't look a day over 25. Shut up.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "It's Tricky" - Run DMC (Damn you Shaz and your ring tone!)

Thirty One

...so my Matthew turns thirty one today. Happy Birthday baby! Thirty one is a damn sexy age. Of course I'm biased because that's also the age I turn for my next birthday - but still!

Matt, I love you with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. I have the sun burn to prove it. ;) Happy happy birthday!

(Pics to follow people...we're getting ready for dinner as I type!)

Song of the Day: "All I Want Is You" - The Rockmelons

Hell Week

...so last week was one of the most draining weeks in our existence EVER. You know that old expression "When it rains, it pours?". Last week was our Noah's Ark. In the span of one week:

My older sister, Maria (who is THE strongest, bravest person I know) had a heart attack on Saturday. She was in a coma on the weekend but fortunately she came out of it fully by the Tuesday. I was telling Matt that nothing prepares you for seeing a loved one in hospital. My sis has been through it all before and so she's one of those "Don't give me sympathy" types. The hardest thing was putting a brave face in front of my sister when all you want to do is collapse.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that she's doing much better now. She was out of intensive care at the end of last week and was placed in Coronary Care Unit. Today's she's getting a defibrillator fitted (You know those big paddles that jump start the heart? Do you know they make mini ones and attach it to your heart? Techno-nogical!) which should regulate things. It'll be a slow road to recovery but I'm thankful that she'll get there.

Last week also, Matt's auntie was diagnosed with cancer. We visited her in hospital on the weekend and the diagnosis doesn't look good. She's surrounded by family though and isn't in pain which I guess is all we can ask for right now.

Oh and finally...I came out to my parents last week. That's a story I'll reserve for when we're having a drink or three. :)

THANK YOU to all our friends who have lent us a shoulder to lean on. Your support has been invaluable and our families are very grateful. I'm convinced everyone's positive energy has been transferred to our loved ones in some way.

Song of the Day: "Sunshine" - Ricki-Lee Coulter

Alcohol much?

...so Mikey emailed me the pics from new years eve in New York and the memories just came flooding back!

Beginning of the night:



Middle of the night:



Later in the middle of the night:



End of the night:



For the full set of pictures click here. Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "Seasons of Love" - RENT soundtrack (the original broadway soundtrack...not the crappy movie)

Happy New Year!

...so Matt and I are now back home after a month of travelling the good old US of A and we just wanna say thanks to everyone who hung out with us, bought us a drink, shared a cigarette, went clubbing and ate meals with us.

Hopefully I'll blog more regularly in 2006 but I've just been too damned busy and/or drunk in the past few weeks to post anything. To give you a quick update though...

- Totally abused Mark's GAP discount in San Francisco. Thanks Mooks!
- Started tearing in the cereal aisle of Safeway when I got a text message from Rhandy telling me that he and Maria are engaged. Congratulations guys! Woot!
- Had an awesome new years in New York surrounded by new friends, old friends and Grey Goose. What more can one ask for? AND the best part of it is, just when you thought there couldn't be any more incriminating drunk photos of Steve...he created a whole new category!
- Actually, we had a blast in New York the entire week. I was happy that we got to see snow for an hour on new years eve. I was also happy that I managed to go the entire trip without throwing up once. Steve on the other hand...
- Getting licked on the face by some random guy at "Gym" (gay sports bar in Chelsea) was not a highlight.
- Got hit by jet lag on the way back which is weird because I almost NEVER get jet lag. It knocked me out for a full day and now I'm sick. My body is telling me to stay on vacation.
- Cooked dinner for our friends last night (Maz, Rhands, Jill, Eric, Ed, Shaz, Iven, Jane, Phong and Lisa) which was great 'coz no one has seen each other since early December. Matt cooked spaghetti bolognaise and four bean salad and I cooked cupcakes from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook (AKA Instant-Sugar-Rush-Cupcakes)

Matt and I are on the hunt for a new dining set today 'coz we eBayed our old one a month ago and everyone has to eat on their lap. I'm leaning towards a cherry solid timber table with antique eating benches. I think the novelty of having eating benches will wear off pretty quick though. Matt's leaning towards regular dining chairs. We'll see who wins. :)

Song of the Day: "We Be Burnin" - Sean Paul