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:

 

Wallaroo Sunday

It has been difficult going out on weekends because of Steven's work schedule and the dreadful weather. We managed to get out of Adelaide the past weekend and spent it with his parents. I took this photo as the ferry prepared itself for its new group of passengers. The photo has two elderly people in vain trying to catch fish.

First sign of spring

Found just outside of our apartment

Happy birthday to me

Steven is a very nice husband. He really did his best to make me happy on my birthday yesterday. He spoiled me by buying some PS3 games. 

We also went to the cinema to watch The Dark Knight Rises and it was awesome. I was lapping up the words and the performances. I am definitely going to buy the blu ray.

Fancier Pro Camera Backpack

I spoiled myself by buying a new camera bag. The one that I have been using is about 6 years old so I have outgrown it and it does not offer much protection anymore. I looked on eBay and found this inexpensive bag from Fancier (Pro Camera Backpack).

It can carry a whole lot of gear including my tripod. It even has room for my 16-inch laptop. It will get warmer soon so I will definitely take more photos with this bag on back.

6.3 Cholesterol Level

I have a very active lifestyle. I lift weights and do cardio four times a week. Sometimes, I go hiking and ride my bike.

But I have been very naughty with my diet since I moved to Australia. Red meat abounds here. Chips and wedges are the best. Having an entire pizza in one sitting is not uncommon.

Since my 34th birthday approaching, my doctor decided to check my blood. At first, he thought that I was going to be diabetic because it is in my family history but he was surprised that my blood cholesterol level hit the 6.3 mark.

So what does this mean?

I need to take medicines to lower my cholesterol. I need to lose weight by pushing harder in the gym. AND I need to be very careful with what I put in my mouth.

Thank goodness that I am not diabetic though.

Corregidor Island 2012

I have flown dozens of times. I have been on bumpy roads and numerous boat rides on rivers and seas.

But I had never been so nauseous until our trip to Corregidor Island. Some of the tourists were late and the captain tried to compensate by racing through big waves.

As a result, half of the passengers were throwing up or could not even sit up. I was in the toilet most of the time puking air and I counted the minutes that was left until we reached shore.

And when we did, I wanted to go back to Manila on a plane. Thank goodness the way back was way slower so nobody really threw up.

Anyway, the island is still beautiful and the forests unchanged. Macaques and eagles are still roaming around. Nature is slowly reclaiming the ruins as the government hesitate to invest some money on tourism.

Steven and I felt that we should stay the night next time. The rainforest seemed to have more stories to tell than the tour guide.