Tongue-Tied Dexter part 2

One of my gym buddies saw the handsome dark man at the Babylon yesterday. Of course, this is far from a turn on but I have to look at it in a positive way:

a) he is sexually functional

b) he is gay

c) he would have sex with me if he found me attractive

Should I still hope that he would become the mother of all my kids?

Bear Series

One thing that I do when I am bored (aside from chasing men) is taking photos. I took one of my teddy bears and used it as my model.

Click on each photo to see the original size. I hope you like them.

Silence of the Lambs (DVD)

Jodie Foster is one cute dyke. She looked so beautiful then and she still looks beautiful now. I wonder if she went under the knife. Anyway, Jodie is very good in this role eventhough she was very young.

Anthony Hopkins on the other hand is just scary. With very little movements and an ornate delivery of lines, he can send the chills up my spine. His rendition of Hannibal Lecter is one of the scariest characters in Hollywood history.

This DVD bought in the Philippines is packed with extras. There are tons of trailers and docus. The most interesting part is the reaction of some gay people when it was released. I honestly did not see Buffalo Bill as a homosexual. How can I identify myself with a very disturbed person anyway? I am just surprised that there was an outcry when this movie was released because I do not think there is any homosexual character in the movie.

It is a shame though that there was very little restoration done on the film. There might be better DVD releases. If I had a BD player, this would definitely be on my list.

Tongue-Tied Dexter

He is a Westerner but he has very dark skin. I am sure he is not African though. He is bald and naturally smooth. His eyes are brown and piercing. His body is sculpted and he is around six feet tall.

He does not smile but I am sure that is not a reflection of how he is with people he knows. I should know because I do not smile that much in public as well.

I have been seeing this man often in my gym for the past few weeks. I have caught giving me lingering glances many times and he has caught me doing the same many times as well. He never smiled. I never smiled.

I was very afraid of being mistaken for a hustler as many people have. I do not want to be rejected just because I look like a prostitute (I have nothing against prostitution though but many men do not like dating them). But I decided I was going to get out of my comfort zone of not doing anything.

I saw him a few hours ago and I kept on rehearsing.

Hi, I think you are cute. My name is Dexter and can I ask you to have a drink with me sometime?

I played the lines over and over in my mind as I did my crunches.

Hi, I think you are cute. My name is Dexter and can I ask you to have a drink with me sometime?

I approached him and he immediately smiled. His face lit up like he was thankful that I approached him but from my mouth I said,

"I just want to say hi and I think you are cute."

I think he was about to say something but then I walked away. I felt I already said too much. I hurried to the locker, had a shower and realized how stupid I was.

Then I took my business card, wrote down my mobile and looked for him in the weights area. He was no there and I suspected that he was in the men's room. I decided to leave.

Perhaps, there will be a next time. Perhaps, I will not be nervous next time.

Toilet Graffiti

I have been a fan of toilet graffiti since I was a teenager. Back in Manila, I was able to call some of the numbers. I did not meet anyone though. Back in my old university, I was able to meet a graffiti writer and had an exciting time with him. I almost was not able to submit my thesis. Thankfully, graduating was my priority.

I decided to become adventurous and gave Bangkok graffiti a day in court. I should have expected that I would not be able to read most of it. At least, I tried.

Earth from Above (exhibition)

Artist: http://www.yannarthusbertrand.org/

It is amazing to see dozens of people looking at the pictures of this exhibition. The pieces are laid out back to back with plants to keep the window from toppling them to the ground. And the pairs are arranged in spirals and curves.

I am impressed with the photographer's camera because all of the shots are taken from a moving helicopter. He definitely has very long zoom lens that will also allow him to take clear pictures while moving. The details of the images are just amazing.

But there questions haunting me as I look at the photos. He is advocating the preservation of natural resources and the slowdown of climate change but what about his carbon footprint? He has to ride airplanes to be able to reach all the continents in the world. At the same time, he must have taken dozens of chopper rides to do his work.

I would really like to see if he has planted a whole forest to compensate for the carbon emissions involved in this venture.

World Press Photo (exhibition)

Photos from http://www.worldpressphoto.org/

I love photography but it was only a couple of years ago that I was able to buy my own camera and I spent a lot of money on it. Since then I decided that I would concentrate on profiles.

Last Thursday, I went to a photo exhibition advertised on the Bangkok Post so I went there with my own digital camera and took pics of my favorites.

One of which is a picture of a man cradling a wounded man. They are participants of a gay pride in Hungary. It was only taken a few years ago and some people attacked them. It is sad and scary that some people hold so much hatred for other people.

I also liked the portraits of Benazir Bhutto and Vladimir Putin. The Thai photographs discuss very limited topics and many of them are staged. I thought this is about photojournalism.

Anyway, I do not think I have the stomach to be a photojournalist. I am easily affected by the things around me to make it objective.

The Beyonce Experience Live (DVD)

It was a crappy cover but the DVD disc is engraved. It really looked good and when I put in my computer, I discovered that it is a DVD-9.

As a result, the video is intense. You can see Beyonce popping without blurring. This woman is just so flawless. Where did she get her genes? You can also each and every abdominal muscle of her back up dancers.

The design of the costumes are good but some are not so spectacular like the "nude-like" costume with the bits of glass. Her hair is sooo big. I wonder if it weighs more than five kilos. Those extensions are wild!

Some of the dance moves are African-inspired but some are done many times in concerts. I can see Madonna in some of the sequences. But she can move! I wonder where her lungs are.

The music is perfect before you go to a club. The message is positive. The show ends with a slow song but it is perfect.

Dexter Season 1 (TV series)

Thanks Joe (Peter Holmes' friend in Canberra) for burning me a copy of this TV series. I hope you like Suriyothai!

Since this is only a DVD-R, I will just make comments on the TV series itself and not the DVD package. I think it is very strange that I, Dexter Mejia, am fascinated by dying while my TV counterpart Dexter Morgan is fascinated by killing.

Michael Hall looks more comfortable as a serial killer than a funeral director. Both of them involve body parts and a lot of blood though. Anyway, I have also noticed that his hairline is dramatically receding. Focus focus focus on acting...Anyway, Jennifer Carpenter as Debra Morgan is actually more powerful on screen than his violent brother. With her big eyes and flawless white face, she looks more like a killer.

The plot is not that forced but the style of story-telling is done many times already. We have already seen movies that make us sympathize with the killer, movies that make us wonder why people do what they do, and movies that make us sick with the gore and blood. The only new thing about this TV series is it makes you look at blood in a less eeky way. It makes blood very logical.

So who can lend me seasons 2 and 3?

Where is Mr. Right?

I was teary-eyed when I read about the story of this two older lesbians who got married after more than 50 years in their relationship. Amidst homophobia, old age and personal tribulations, homosexual relationships can still flourish and last a long time.

I have always wanted to have a partner and share a life with him. Perhaps, I have patterned my dreams to what my family has become. We are tight-knit and my parents are still very much in love with each other. They are in their 60s and yet they hold hands in public and take long trips together.

Problem is I also dream of having one child at least. It would be nice to pass on my knowledge of this world. Now who would be attracted to that? I have never dated another man who is actually keen on having a child.

Anyway, back to the drawing board.

Please read related article here.

Kung Fu Panda (movie)

I grew up watching Kung Fu movies and this was long before Hollywood took interest in Hong Kong style of action movies. I am glad that Dreamworks was able to embrace that style and put it in pixels.

The 90-minute story is quite simple and the message simpler. It is about being yourself and believing in yourself. I personally have to remind myself that I can do anything that I set my mind on. I just have to believe in myself. There was no tear-jerker moment but the movie is very sweet.

The visuals are eye-catching and some of the elements look extremely real, especially the food. I am a food-lover so I know what I am talking about. Even the paos are so deliciously delicate. The action sequences remind me of Jackie Chan's. They are so clever and funny.

Jack Black's rendering of his voice is quite skilfull. He is very funny even though you do not see his face. Actually, I was able to forget who own the voices. I did not even recognize that my childhood action star Jackie Chan is there.

This film may not be as strong as last year's "Ratatouille" but it is still very funny to watch.

O Ultimo Momento (peut-être)

Thanks to Nicholas Snow for inviting me to this event. It is very good to have a member of the press as a friend.

It is very nice to tell my co-workers the following morning that I saw a pole-dancing performance last night but then Ultimo Momento's "Peut-etre" is more than that.

But I have to say something about the venue first. This event was held at at the Aksra Theater inside the King Power Complex (near the Victory Monument station of the BTS). The building is beautiful inside and outside. The short spherical architecture stands out even if the rest of Bangkok is full of skyscrapers. Nicholas and I headed straight to the Aksra Theater, a medium-sized venue that is lavishly decorated with puppets and engraving of Thai dances. It was a good prelude to the performance that followed.

João Paulo P. Dos Santos is the pole acrobat and Guillaume Dutrieux is the musician. The performance has three parts and it utilizes lights, video, a type of video camera that I have not seen yet, live music and recorded music. There are tons of people and groups doing pole performances now and when it comes to flexibility, João is inferior but when it comes to strength, timing and risk-taking, he may be the best. Several times, he would make a very fast descent from highest part of the pole and control the speed with his arms or legs. Being gay, I cannot help but admire his massive chest. I am not a musician so I cannot say much about Guillaume's part but his presence is not that commanding compared to Joao's. It is ruthless to say but João can actually do away with Guillaume.

The design of the whole piece is well thought out. It utilizes probably everything that the artists can do without overpowering one another. Although one is more interesting to watch, as a collaboration, the impression they give is effective. I am glad that it is not longer than 45 minutes though because I was starting to drift off.

Now I wonder whether João has a gay profile.

Videos can be watched on this website http://www.scenesdecirque.org/compagnie-o-ultimo-momento.php

The Incredible Hulk (movie)

I am surprised that this movie has a lot of surprises. The cameos exciting for an avid movie goer and I am sure it is more exciting for comic book fans. I do not want to write anything here except that the next movie will be very much interesting.

Liv Tyler can compete with Edward Norton when it comes to weight-lifting because she is so buffed. Nevertheless, she was very touching as a lover who has missed her man for a very long time. Her first sight of Bruce Banner at the restaurant has a very strong sense of longing. Tim Roth looks so menacing. I just wonder if he can actually become a superhero and not a villain.

It seems movie executives have their eyes set on critically-acclaimed actors. I know that Edward Norton is not new to the action genre but I am sure nobody has ever thought of him as a superhero. I have not seen Eric Bana's version but Edward Norton offers a great deal of regret and frustration.

The live action sequences are very effective. The chase scenes shot in Brazil are just amazing. It makes me wonder how they were able to shot in the shanties. In contrast, the CGI action sequences are exciting enough but they are a bit confusing. It is hard to judge the distance and positioning of the key people.

The sound effects are mind-blowing but not overwhelming. The CGI hulk looks very realistic and the sizes of him and the other monster are proportionately consistent.

This movie and "Iron Man" are important movies to watch this year because there will definitely be much bigger movies coming out in a few years.

I wonder though what can happen to Betty (Liv Tyler) when the Hulk fucks her.

The Harry Potter Prequel photos

The Harry Potter Prequel

The speeding motorcycle took the sharp corner so fast in the darkness that both policemen in the pursuing car shouted 'whoa!' Sergeant Fisher slammed his large foot on the brake, thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was sure to be flung under his wheels; however, the motorbike made the turn without unseating either of its riders, and with a wink of its red tail light, vanished up the narrow side street.

'We've got 'em now!" cried PC Anderson excitedly. 'That's a dead end!"

Leaning hard on the steering wheel and crashing his gears, Fisher scraped half the paint off the flank of the car as he forced it up the alleyway in pursuit.

There in the headlights sat their quarry, stationary at last after a quarter of an hour's chase. The two riders were trapped between a towering brick wall and the police car, which was now crashing towards them like some growling, luminous-eyed predator.

There was so little space between the car doors and the walls of the alley that Fisher and Anderson had difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. It injured their dignity to have to inch, crab-like, towards the miscreants. Fisher dragged his generous belly along the wall, tearing buttons off his shirt as he went, and finally snapping off the wing mirror with his backside.

'Get off the bike!' he bellowed at the smirking youths, who sat basking in the flashing blue light as though enjoying it.

They did as they were told. Finally pulling free from the broken wind mirror, Fisher glared at them. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black hair; his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter's guitar-playing, layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in T-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, tuneless rock band.

'No helmets!' Fisher yelled, pointing from one uncovered head to the other. 'Exceeding the speed limit by - by a considerable amount!' (In fact, the speed registered had been greater than Fisher was prepared to accept that any motorcycle could travel.) 'Failing to stop for the police!'

'We'd have loved to stop for a chat,' said the boy in glasses, 'only we were trying -'

'Don't get smart - you two are in a heap of trouble!' snarled Anderson. 'Names!'

'Names?' repeated the long-haired driver. 'Er - well, let's see. There's Wilberforce... Bathsheba... Elvendork...'

'And what's nice about that one is, you can use it for a boy or a girl,' said the boy in glasses.

'Oh, OUR names, did you mean?' asked the first, as Anderson spluttered with rage. 'You should've said! This here is James Potter, and I'm Sirius Black!'

'Things'll be seriously black for you in a minute, you cheeky little -'

But neither James nor Sirius was paying attention. They were suddenly as alert as gundogs, staring past Fisher and Anderson, over the roof of the police car, at the dark mouth of the alley. Then, with identical fluid movements, they reached into their back pockets.

For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than -

'Drumsticks?' jeered Anderson. 'Right pair of jokers, aren't you? Right, we're arresting you on a charge of -'

But Anderson never got to name the charge. James and Sirius had shouted something incomprehensible, and the beams from the headlights had moved.

The policemen wheeled around, then staggered backwards. Three men were flying - actually FLYING - up the alley on broomsticks - and at the same moment, the police car was rearing up on its back wheels.

Fisher's knees bucked; he sat down hard; Anderson tripped over Fisher's legs and fell on top of him, as FLUMP - BANG - CRUNCH - they heard the men on brooms slam into the upended car and fall, apparently insensible, to the ground, while broken bits of broomstick clattered down around them.

The motorbike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back at the two teenagers.

'Thanks very much!' called Sirius over the throb of the engine. 'We owe you one!'

'Yeah, nice meeting you!' said James. 'And don't forget: Elvendork! It's unisex!'

There was an earth-shattering crash, and Fisher and Anderson threw their arms around each other in fright; their car had just fallen back to the ground. Now it was the motorcycle's turn to rear. Before the policemen's disbelieving eyes, it took off into the air: James and Sirius zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like a vanishing ruby.

Missing Sex and the City (the movie)

The local government has very strict censorship guidelines and they have the power to snip or to blur out scenes that do not meet these. These scenes include the groin, breasts, knives, syringes, blood, wounds, cigarettes, cigarette smoke, cigars, weed, guns and the list goes on and on.

When I came here, there was nothing like this and as time goes by, more images are being blurred. Apparently, they are protecting this country's image. It does not want to be associated with the sex trade, violence and drugs.

Anyway, I will just wait for the DVD release of the film in the Philippines or wherever I will be when it gets released. It is not a special effects movie anyway. I loved these characters in the small screen so I guess they have to stay there--in the small screen.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (DVD)

The look may not be original but this movie is definitely memorable as it tries to revive the tension of the Cold War and an era of skepticism.

The visuals are overpowering but luckily, some of the actors have very strong screen presence. Surprisingly, Angelina Jolie stood out eventhough she had a very small part in the movie. I guess the eyepatch did the trick. Giovanni Ribisi's performance is also entertaining to watch eventhough he did not have some funky costumes. Unfortunately, the blandest performance is one of the main actors, Gwyneth Paltrow. I have never liked her in any of her movies. I just do not understand why producers keep on hiring her--she is not that beautiful and she is not a convincing actress.

Back to the visuals, many of them are exciting to look at especially for a movie geek like me. There are so many references to very old movies like "King Kong" and "THX 1138". Laurence Olivier's likeness is also very interesting to see.

This is only a single-disc release but it is packed with very informative documentaries. Half of it is about the technical aspects of the film and half of it is about how the production people worked together. It is really nice to see people who make films because they love it.

I actually did not expect to like "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" this much.

New Panels on the Right

Some of you may have noticed that I added some new features on my blog a few days ago. Of course, they are added so that you will have more reasons to visit my blog. All of these features are on the right panel of the blog.

The first one is a link to my flickr account. You will see thumbnails of the photos I have taken. Some are old and some are new.

The second is snippets of news related to gays and gay movement around the world. It is Google News so it concentrates on north American and European news.

Both of them change everyday so you have to visit this site often.

Plus I still have my travel schedule on the same side so please email me (dexter.mejia@gmail.com) if you want to hang out. I love meeting new people.

Lastly, the last panel arranges my blog according to topics. So if you want to read my reviews just click on "review". If you want to hear about my boring personal life then just click on "personal".

Enjoy your perving!

I Am Not A Moneyboy

I rarely describe myself in a negative but in Bangkok, I cannot help but be on the defensive when it comes to dating Westerners.

Being Asian in an Asian country with a booming sex industry, Western gay men already expect a lot of things from me. They think that they have to pay for everything when they are with me. They think I need for them to pay my drink, my cab fare and my company.

More often than not, I am earning as much money as they are. Besides, my apartment is in the same area as the gay area where some of them cannot even afford to live in.

Western men think that I do not speak English and I am stupid. I know what alliteration and assonance are and I know the capital and a fairly good amount of American and European history. And on the other hand, they are not even sure how to spell the word that pertains to people from my country. Is it with a "ph" or with a double "L"?

In Western cities, I can approach any guy (Caucasian, Asian, Indian) I fancy and I would be received politely. But when I try talking to a Western guy here, he would whisper a question to the next Westerner "Is he a prostitute?" Or he would exclaim infront of me "Oh, you speak English!"

I believe this is not about myself. I think this is about how Westerners perceive Asians here. They think that we are needy, insecure and asinine. And when they find someone who does not fit that mold, they do not know what to make of him.

I really cannot wait to live in a city where the playing field is equal.

Apocalypto (DVD)

Mel Gibson thinks that we are stupid. He gets a pig to sound like a tapir. And he thinks he can put an extinct civilization on the big screen without a proper research.

I think Mel Gibson has too much money and too much time in his hands to make ambitious concepts look like shit. Why does he use a language that is not popular? Answer: people won't notice how badly written it truly is and it is cool to have subtitles in each and every movie that he makes.

The movie may be historically and biologically incorrect but there are some great points. Mel Gibson was lucky to get some very good actors and extras. They all look great on screen. The cinematographer is a genius. He has done some breathtaking shots indoors (like the one in the cave) and outdoors (like the waterfall scene). The makeup and visual effects are all convincing. And everything looks pristine on DVD.

The commentary track is very insulting to the work of many people. Mel Gibson does not remember the names of his stunt people. He also laughs inappropriately in scenes of carnage. Maybe, he gets hard looking at violence.

By the way, the butts of many of the actors look amazing.

The Full Monty (DVD)

I bought the DVD some months ago because it was extremely cheap (less than 100 Thai Baht) and now I know why. It is hard for the DVD player and DVD drive in my computer to read chapter 7 of the DVD. Quick suggestion: do not buy the original DVD of this movie in Thailand.

There were no extras as it was only a barebones DVD as I expected. The audio and video were OK. It was not really very clean but for that price, why should I complain? But then it says on the cover that it is a dual layer disc but the entire data is only 4.1 GB. It is a single layer disc!!!

Some of the actors in this movie are quite popular now. Robert Carlyle looks a lot younger but he is obviously very talented as a struggling parent. Mark Addy looks very handsome here actually. He is not as chubby here as he is now.

If I publish this review then that means I had nothing else to write about.

Ex Lashes Out

I read some old emails earlier. They were random emails. I was not following any logic. Then I stumbled upon a very old email from my ex. There is a link to his website so I clicked on it.

I explored the site and felt very sad with what I read. He implies that he regrets loving me and now he considers me as his holiday shag in the Philippines. In addition, our pics together are also displayed on the same page.

My close friends know that I had a 3-year long distance relationship with this man and it was not productive. After 5 years, he is still very upset with what happened and is still lashing at me. Obviously, breakups are not really nice.

I feel angry but this will pass.

Missing Gay Profiles

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