First House Stage Two

 

Christmas break is just around the corner so Steven and I have been frantic meeting suppliers for the construction of our house. Both of us have full time jobs so sometimes we rush from work to a meeting. We do not even have the same schedule so all of our meetings so far are done without the other.

We are lucky that we started this voyage looking for an already-constructed house so we were able to see designs and colour choices that we both love. After seeing dozens of houses, we settled for a fairly black & white color palette both indoors and outdoors. Thanks to mobile technology, we are able to take the photos to shops and use these are references.

We may not be together in meeting these suppliers but it is a breeze deciding what materials we want to have. So far, we have been fairly fast in approving plans.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that construction will begin really soon.

The photo above contains the black brick and roofing material that are going to be used. It does not look appealing right now but I know we will have the gayest house in our neighborhood.

Blog on Mobile

I had rejected the use of Internet connectivity in mobile devices for quite a long time. Now that I am forced to use one, I could see why I need to make this blog mobile-friendly. My photos are so damn big that it can eat up one's mobile data limit.

So with the help of templates, I am able to make this site mobile-friendly. If you are using a computer and you want to see how it looks like on a mobile phone, click here.

First House Stage One

Since Steven and I have been together, we have been talking about a new house. We are not really happy living in a unit because we have to deal with neighbours who do not show respect to other tenants. Living in a unit also forces us to use a laundromat (so tedious) and be petless.

We have spent so many months looking for a house that we can afford and we can be happy with. We have had very long discussions on what we really wanted and we actually almost bought a house.

But then the South Australian government announced that they will reward grants to people who have chosen to build a house. So we gave up on the several houses that we have been eyeing and grabbed a house and land package.

After dozens of emails and hours of phone calls, we managed to buy land very close to where we are right now. It is not very big but it will be enough for two men, a dog and a few citrus plants.

Here is the panoramic photo of the property. In less than a year, you will see a black and white home built in this area. Just click on the thumbnail to view the entire photo.

Adelaide Pride Parade 2012

I was ecstatic that Steven offered to be in this year's pride parade and I think he had a great time. We joined our group and followed the dress code and marched around Adelaide's CBD.

After the not-so-long parade, we went to Chinatown and stuffed ourselves. I was bloated when we left the dumping place.

We also met some friends for drinks afterwards.

Anyway, I roamed around during the preparation of the parade and here are the shots.

Steven's fourth year anniversary gift

My partner knows that I really really want to have a Christmas tree but he had been postponing buying one until we moved in to a house. We also live in a small unit so it is sensible not to have something big and practically useless occupy a space in our home.

But we have been together for four years and he thought of thinking out of the box. So I came home and was greeted by a sparkling Christmas tree.

Appearance on an American book

I got my complimentary copy of Born This Way and I found my photo. I am so proud to be part of this project.

I am the one in the center and not the one kissing the white boy.

More connected than ever

I remember the time that I was convinced to get a mobile phone. My friends back then were very upset with me because it was hard for them to get in touch with me. Mind you, I was spear-heading a gay organisation back then (year 2001) and the only time that they could call me was when I was at home.

After much prodding, I bought a mobile phone and it was really a relief. Not only my friends were able to call me but also job prospects. I think it was silly of me to resist getting one for a very long time.

Pre-paid subscription dominated the years that I had my phone. If I did not have any credits, I would not reply to anyone. I had a policy that if you needed me, you would call me.

I spent the past year with my students asking me questions about their Smartphones and Android phones. I just gave them a smile because I did not answer as I did not have one. They thought it was silly because I am highly-adept in computers but not in mobile technology.

And recently, I gave in and bought a Samsung Galaxy S III with a Telstra post-paid subscription. So now, I can actually return phone calls and answer emails anywhere I am. 

I wonder what the next piece of popular technology that I will resist.

Got Married

There is no marriage equality in Australia yet. The present Prime Minister wants to retain the "traditional" definition of marriage--that is between a man and a woman.

Steven and I are hoping it will happen in our lifetime though and we would love to get married when that happens. I just want us to be treated and seen like any other loving couple in this country.

It seems one not-for-profit organisation went way ahead of our plans and government initiatives. They sent a letter addressed to a certain Dexter Pope. Should I help them just because of one flattering mistake?

Misogyny Among Gay Men

We gay men did not sprout from the ground. Like all men and women, we came from this world and this world is neither gay-friendly nor women-friendly. We are not predisposed to be sensitive towards the being of women. We are predisposed to misogyny.

Like how many men (who claim to be straight) would say "I would rather , than to have sex with a man", we gay men would say the same thing when it comes to describing the possibility of being intimate with a woman. We go to the extent of comparing the vagina to a different sorts of animals just to illustrate how disgusting we claim it is.

I think as an adult gay man (who has been out of the closet for decades) can be better than this. I can learn to talk about women without degrading them. I can rid myself of this predisposition to be misogynistic because this world is also predisposed to hate my being and I should know that it is not fair.

We can be better gay men.

Bay to Birdwood 2012

All of my friends know that I am not really a big fan of cars. I do not even have a driving licence and spend most of my time riding them in dreamland.

But Steven loves automobiles so I decided to give it a try. Well, I actually use these machinesto test my ability to create motion blur.

Royal Adelaide Show 2012

I really wanted to go to the Royal Adelaide Show but Steven had been (and still is) hesitant to go because it is really expensive. Because of work, I had to go and I really thought of Steven quite a lot while I was in the showgrounds.

I am from a big city so I was really ecstatic to see farm animals. The pigs here are just as smelly as the pigs back in Manila. The cows are gargantuans though--these are almost as big as a car. I am sure I could even hide in one of those udders. I also found some very interesting-looking birds. Some of the pigeons are as big as fully-grown chickens. Some of the chickens are as big as mature geese. Many of the birds have feathers on their legs, making them look like they have two pairs of wings.

And of course, I went to the dog show. I literally spent two hours admiring and patting the dogs and talking to their owners. It was the day for the gigantic dogs so I was not really afraid getting very close to them as they are all very very friendly.

 

I did not buy anything but I managed to stuff myself with lots of bakery items. I did not really feel guilty because I spent five hours walking non-stop.

Birds in Adelaide

It was really warm the past weekend so we could not help but go out and bask in the sun. We took our bikes and rode these from Henley Beach to the city and back. I enjoyed the afternoon that I did not notice that four hours had past.

On the way, we saw so many birds. Many of which were begging for food. Some were scared of my silly noisy camera. Some just put up with me creeping to them.

And here are my subjects:

A Night Out with Steven

Steven loves his job and I support him on whatever he does in his career. When I found out that he was doing the Saturday night shift, I got scared. Images of him being physically and verbally abused ran in my mind.

So I decided to join him during the most dangerous hours. Luckily, nothing much happened. He had only a handful of passengers.

I am always prepared when nothing happens. I always have my cameras with me and here are the results: