Kangaroo Island 2013 part 3

Kangaroo Island 2013 part 2

Duck Lagoon

Pennington Bay

Remarkable Rocks

Remarkable Rocks

Admiral's Arch

Kangaroo Island 2013 part 1

Myself and Steven on the Remarkable Rocks

Fresh from our trip in Manila, Steven and I ventured out to Kangaroo Island with Peter from Canberra and Michael from Pennsylvania. It was a huge relief for my partner and I because this one was a real vacation.

It was still the middle of summer so most of our days were comfortably warm. We were spared from rainshower and that was a blessing--driving around with an ordinary sedan would not have been possible with muddy dirt roads.

It is expensive to get there as Sealink is the only company that offers ferry service. It is also expensive to stay there because all the parks require their visitors to pay separate fees--that means if you visit three parks in a day, you need to open your wallet three times as well.

It is worth the expense because the island is really not that spoilt. Kangaroos, wallabies and koalas are in the bush or rotting on the roads. Numerous penguins and seals inhabit the island. The caves, rock formations and the beaches are quite beautiful and clean.

climbing Little Sahara

Steven on the tallest sand dune in Little Sahara

Peter and Michael on the Remarkable Rocks

Myself, Steven, Michael and Peter at American River

I went crazy taking shots so it will take some time to show the photos on this blog.

Missing my father

Here is a photo I took while my father was in my mind. It was taken at Changi Airport's butterfly exhibit. It brightened my mood and helped me escape from the dread of seeing the lifeless body of my father.

I am sure my mood will pick up eventually but right now, I hope it is normal to still feel the loss.

Confusing Christmas

Here is a video of my family in Pasig City. We went there to watch the puppet show sponsored by the government but we were told there wouldn't be any that night. In Tagalog, you would hear us discuss what we were going to do: do we cross the street or do we go to the carnival?

After spending weeks in the hospital and funeral chapel, the entire family was clueless of what is in store that Christmas. We did not know what time the church services were. We did not if there were any fireworks display.

We ended up going to church and waited for two hours before the Mass started. Oh well, it was better than walking aimlessly on the streets.

Letter I Sent Two Weeks Ago

Dear Uncle Tom,
 
I am sorry that it took a long time to respond to your email. I actually found both of them in my spam mail folder.
 
Thanks for the touching description of my father. He is a huge part of my life as well: I have always tried my best to be like him. He was selfless and compassionate. He sacrificed his own needs just to make sure that all three of us have a proper education—something that I know he wanted but could not have because he had to help raise a big family.
 
I know he loved me and my partner. My last memory of him is him showing off my partner Steven to all of his friends. My only regret is not taking him to Adelaide with us for a visit. He was supposed to catch blue swimmer crabs with us and do some line fishing. I was supposed to show him our home and my job (educating disadvantaged adults). I was supposed to show him that all of his sacrifices have paid off.
 
My Tatay was very fond of you. He called you his best friend. I am sorry that he is gone.
 
I am in grief but I know he is in a better place and I have to continue striving to be like him.
 
Regards,
 
Dexter
 

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.