Dexter's 33rd

I am getting spoiled. I have been learning to love my birthdays. Thanks to Steven and one Burundian refugee I met here in Adelaide. The latter told me that I should celebrate it because it is about my birth and my existence. The former just reinforces that I am a person who deserves to be loved.

For the past few months, Steven and I have been slowly buying some camping equipment because we both love the outdoors and being away from the distractions in Adelaide. It is not really that difficult to be away from the Internet, cellular phone coverage and TV. It is a lot more fun just sharing stories and dreams by a faint lamplight.

This year, Steven took me to the Mallee Valley wherein he braved several kilometers of sticky mud and a potential heart attack (the risk of hitting a tree is not for the faint of heart). We pitched our tent right in the middle of nowhere, had some sausages and played cards.

Outside it was raining and the moon was bright. The air was cold and all the animals seemed to have surrendered. All was quiet.

 

Inside, we were tucked in warm sleeping bags. It is heaven being with this man I love.

And in the morning, I walked around and just felt so grateful of all the things that are in my life. And I also took photos. I hope the photo of the poisoned echidna does not spoil the beautiful experience I have described so far.

Getting high at Mt. Lofty

In Adelaide, one really does not have to travel far to have fun. Mt. Lofty is only a 40-minute drive from the CBD and yet it presents a beautiful perspective of Adelaide--the highest one!

Yes, Mt. Lofty is the highest point where you can actually see the CBD. In fact, we were able to see the coast and the airport from that point.

It was not easy taking photos as I do not have my lens filter yet and it is still the height of winter here. I took photos of the very tame birds and some of the tourists.

 

 

It was also Steven's first time to be there so both of us were surprised that Mt. Lofty has a walking trail. We will definitely go back there when the weather is a bit warmer.

 

 

 

 

We also discovered this summit has a huge botanical garden. Despite the cold, a few of the plants were able to produce the most beautiful blooms and the most enticing scents. I was inspired to take a lot of photos in between bouts of drizzle.

You will see more Mt. Lofty photos here in spring!

Adelaide Birdies

We woke up with a frost today. I did not see it because I was too cold to even walk out of the apartment. Apparently, the temperature went down to 1 C. And this is how I currently look.

Luckily, I was able to photograph a few more birds in our local park a week ago. These are rainbow lorikeets, a flock of galahs, and a magpie.

 

 

 

Losing it

I arrived from our Manila vacation weighing around 72 kilograms. I really felt horrible because that was the heaviest I have ever been. I swore that I will be back to my Bangkok weight by next summer.

It is not easy losing weight here because I need to cook our food. Cooking Thai dishes is a challenge here because of the availability and the price of the ingredients. We even have to visit the shops at least twice a week.

Exercising is also a challenge because I do not have access to California Wow's numerous choices of cardio classes (i.e. Body Pump, jazz dance, pole dancing--yes pole dancing!). The equipment here (Adelaide City Council gym and Fitness First) are also inferior and outdated compared to the ones found in Manila and Bangkok. Again, I have to rely on myself when it comes to cardio exercises.

So this is the result of the hard work. I am now 68.2 kilos. My target is 65 kilos. I really hope I can reach this goal before summer comes.

No fountain of youth here.

Western tourists make fun of signs in Asia because they are either poorly translated or they are deliberately done to sound catchy. Though English is the official language here, Australia still uses it in an (uninentionally) funny way.

We pass by this sign every time we drive to the Barossa Valley. I wonder how long this sign and slogan will last.

I guess Peter Pan will look the other way.

Adelaide Botanic Garden

Winter is the best time to go to touristy places because there are only a few crazy people who would brave the low temperature and put up with the muddy ground. We have had so much rain the past year that nobody talks about water restriction anymore.

I am also having a break from work so it is the best time to visit places that I have never been to. Last weekend, Steven and I decided to visit the Adelaide Botanic Garden and here are the photos.

I hate the fact that Steven does not need to exert a lot of effort to look cute. Look at those eyes!

Closer to home

It has not been easy taking photos because of the weather. Our days in Adelaide have been cold, windy and wet so I am not going to risk ruining my new pink camera.

Many of the photos I have been taking are very close to where we live.

My first DSLR set

Whoa! It has been a great adventure exploring what my new pink Pentax K-r can do and I am not sure if I even scratched the surface. After hundreds of useless clicks, I was able to produce these photos.

These ones were taken at a notorious cruising place in Adelaide called Apex Park. It is also a quiet place for some wild birds to make babies. Goodness, this place is just so sexual!

I think the West Terrace Cemetery is the biggest in South Australia so it is inevitable that I visit it (being the morbid creature I am). I experimented with the camera's HDR capability so I decided to take advantage of it.

Lens Lust

 

I can actually remember the first time I picked up a camera. I took a photo of my father walking towards a swimming pool resort in the Philippines. I do not have the shot anymore but he is on the left side of the frame and the rest shows only the blue sky.

My second model is my sister as I asked her to sprawl on the stairs and I am sure it was not the most comfortable place to put your back on. I really wanted to do more shots but films were too expensive.

My family had a very simple point and shoot camera back then but I have already decided that I would buy myself a very good camera.

In Bangkok, I was able to buy another point and shoot but a bit of a high end. It is the Fuji S6500 and this is where most of the photos on this webiste come from. I had a lot of fun with it but I was still not happy.

A week ago, my Pentax K-r arrived from Hong Kong and it has been a struggle getting to know it. In a few weeks, I will be able to show some of my early creations with this pink baby.

Go back to where you came from

Living in Australia has been a struggle for me, especially when understanding politics. I have never been a part of a cultural minority. In Thailand, I did not really consider myself as a resident so I did not really care much about politics there. In the Philippines, I had the power as I am Malay, Catholic, middle class and born in Manila. In Australia, I am a brown man living in a sea of dominantly white people.

 

The refugee issue is a learning curve for me as my only knowledge of refugees were the boat people who came from Vietnam and settled in Palawan. And suddenly in Australia, I am surrounded by people who bear psychological and physical scars. I just do not see them but I work with them so I had to suddenly research about them.

It is not easy to get real information on refugee issues as both the ruling party and the opposition party in Australia are far from hesitant in using racist and fallacious remarks just to please what they think the whims are of the voters. They have coined words like "queue jumpers" to paint asylum seekers as criminals. They use slogans like "stop the boats" as if illegal immigrants arrive that way (they usually arrive by plane carrying UK passports).

 

Unfortunately, these two major parties are successful in disseminating false information as well as hatred towards refugees and asylum seekers. So many words have been tossed back and forth but none of which come from the refugees themselves. But then how can this government host a venue for these people when they are only a minority--their numbers are so small that they will not have an effect on elections.

 

Until SBS produced a show that Australians should be proud of. "Go Back to Where You Came From" selected six white Aussies who have very strong views on the refugee debate. Though the refugee stories were told from the point of view of non-refugees, some screen time was given to asylum seekers and refugees themselves. At last, mass media gave them a chance to tell their stories using their words.

The stories presented are horrible and dehumanizing. Their experiences may have broken their bodies but not their will to gain freedom and contribute to this world. Finally, we get to see that they are people, too, and not just elements that will make politicians get their seats in the parliament.

 

Many people are denying the veracity of these stories though and that is to be expected because their beliefs are being challenged. It is not easy to admit that one is wrong. They will eventually change and learn to empathize and learn how to become human.

 

This is only the start. More refugee stories will come...

(watch the program here)

Big itch to scratch...literally

It is not easy to write when it is about to turn winter here in South Australia. The days are getting shorter so I cannot really spend a lot of time outdoors. It is also becoming colder so it is much more sensible just to stay indoors.

 

Something struck last week though. While in the Barossa, I started itching all over. Sometimes, the itchy spot is on my neck and then it goes to my chest and other parts of my body.

 

Welts also started to appear and I felt very hot. Sleeping at night was impossible because the warmer I get, the itchier I get. If I remove the sheets, I am just going to freeze to death.

 

I am currently taking antihistamines and they are working very well. I am also having some tests done to make sure what is triggering these reactions.

 

Yes, my life is soooo exciting!

I Am Beautiful

As a kid, I really hated what I saw in the mirror. I thought I had a sickening face because of my lips and my underbite. I thought nobody could love me.

 

I felt I had to be really talented and intelligent to compensate. I had high marks in school. I learned how to speak well infront of an audience. I went to the gym and had a fit body. I also wanted to be the nice and funny guy.

 

But that did not mean I liked my face.

 

With the help of my friends and past lovers, I started to see that I am not hideous. I will not deny that praises did not affect my self-esteem but deep inside, I still have those little doubts.

 

I think getting older helps me view things in a different way. My new quiet home in Adelaide also helps me to calm down and appreciate what I have. A couple of weeks ago, I took my very first profile self-portrait.

 

Now I can see that I am beautiful and I do not need your approval.

Born This Way Blog

I have known about the Born This Way blog for quite some time. I was excited to find it because it presents photos and stories of gay individuals when they were young.

 

Obviously, I also believe that I was born gay and am proud of it. Hence, I submitted my story and it was published last week.

 

Here is my story.

 

The Next Drag Superstar

I spent my teen years adoring RuPaul's videos. At such a young age, I started thinking that drag queens are fun.

 

When I heard that she was launching a reality show of drag queens, I was hesitant to watch it--how can you have fun with a dozen of drag queens. I thought of endless lip-singing and catfighting.

 

But I was wrong--being in drag is an art. It is even more varied than the colours of the rainbow and I am sure it is more difficult to master than a Picasso or a Michelangelo.

 

The third season of RuPaul's drag race presents US drag queens that encompass a huge spectrum of not only the gay population but ethnic and cultural backgrounds. There were Caucasians, Puerto Ricans, South East Asians, rich, poor, famous, and infamous.

 

All the Caucasian queens were booted off in the middle of the competition and the arena was prepared for the battle of an African American, two South East Asians and three Puerto Ricans. For half of the season, the bi-lingual multi-racial queen is the norm.

 

Raja (Indonesian-Dutch) presented a fashionable and edgy side of drag while Manila Luzon (Filipino-American) presented a quirky Imelda side. I was really hoping for Manila to win but Raja really deserves the crown because she is (despite her age) fresh and FIERCE!!!

Fishy Easter

We are currently having a 5-day weekend here in Australia. Many Aussies have planned holidays interstate or overseas. Steven and I simply wanted to spend some time in Nuriootpa.

 

There were tons of people who wanted to make the most out of their holidays so they drove as fast as their machines could allow them with no consideration of other people on the road. And we did arrive in the Barossa safely. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same thing for the people who have died on the road in the past few days.

 

I tried so hard to be a good Filipino but I did not have much of a choice but eat red meat. Fish is insanely expensive in this part of the world.

 

We also tried our best to catch some fish. Unfortunately, my partner is short of patience especially after seeing a couple of Vietnamese catch carp every three or five minutes. And no, I am not exxagerating--those Vietnamese have fish magnets! Steven and I spent an hour without catching even a tadpole.

 

Anyway, I think I took a very nice photo of Steven when he was still patiently waiting for a nibble.

Teaching kids the gay lifestyle

We should start teaching our kids the gay lifestyle while they are young. We should let them cross dress for school plays and even teach them how to lip synch to Abba songs. Though it should not be done everyday, we should also teach them the difference between night makeup and day makeup.

 

And when they get older and have the ability to remember dates, then we should teach them about the Stonewall riots, the Sydney Mardi Gras and even the Philippines' Super Si Reyna. And with supervision, we can let them watch the life of Brandon Teena.

 

They do not have to be gay to enjoy gay culture as gay men do not have to try vaginas to enjoy straight culture. They simply have to be aware of the gay people that paved (and paving) the way towards a more tolerable society.

 

And I am sure teaching them while they are young will prevent gay bullying and gender-related suicides. Plus we will have more gay men and women who are realizing their full potentials rather than worrying about getting hurt by their classmates.

Karoonda Farm Fair 2011

The Karoonda Farm Fair is becoming a tradition of the Pope-Mejia family. It is the best time for Steven to catch up with people he grew up with. It is also a good time to enjoy the South Australian countryside.

This year, we went to the event with a Malaysian friend Dianne to dispel her notions of what country life is. Country folks do not ride on horses and have chiseled bodies. They are just as ordinary as the ones in the big cities.

This year, I was more confident talking to the exhibitors. I learned more about sheep and their differences. I also got to talk with Centrelink and Beyond Blue representatives. It seems depression is an important issue not only among the migrants and refugees I work but with farmers as well. It seems there are so many things out of your control if you are trying to grow something from the soil.

I took home with me lots of teaching materials and a sore butt.