Camp Kiwi

December 26th

2008-12-26T22:04:00.000+13:00

Paris Paris Paris. We made it to Paris at 2:30pm and headed straight for Musee de Lourve. Down into the basement carpark, up through the escalators, went through the security checks, bought tickets at the machines, and went into the Denon wing to hunt for the Mona Lisa.

Got into the room with Mona Lisa, and could not believe the crowd present there. The painting was so small, it was underwhelming. I then quickly moved through the Denon, then the Sully and finally the Richelieu wing. The louvre was comb by me in 2.5 hrs. Well not really, but I walked thru and tried to see as much as I could.

We went home for dinner, and then went for a night tour of the city. Paris is so amazingly pretty at night. The lights and the buildings, its just breath-taking. The Eiffel tower sparkling at night, it is so different being there.
The Champ Elysees and Arc de Triomphe was amazing. Being on a bus, we went around it twice just because.

After the tour finised at 10:30pm, we went on to join the christmas eve mass at the Notre Dame. The building had such good acoustics, the choir sounded so surreal. Christmas in Notre Dame was amazing.

The next morning we opened our secret santa presents under the Eiffel tower to real Champagne. We then went up the tower and spend the day walking the city.

That night we spent our time watching the cabaret at the Moulin Rouge in Mont Marte. It was very cool. All the ladies were topless, and I can't help but notice most of the female dancers have small boobs. And the guys weren't very hot either. But what made it great was the performance. We sat right next to the stage which made it even better.

The tour sadly ended that next morning, where I said goodbye to my roomie. Everyone went back to London, but we stayed an extra day in Paris, exploring Gallarie Lafayette and the Champ Elysees and the exclusive shopping strip which I don't know the name of.

That day we had McDonalds for lunch (I know), and then I had sausage roll with mulled wine for dinner. That pretty much ended our time in French land.

The next morning, we all took our separate ways out of Paris (paris has 3 airports). Let me say EasyJet felt like catching a bus in India.

Anyway, Jen and I then made our way to Barcelona while Hilary went back to Sydney.

December 24th

2008-12-24T21:41:00.000+13:00

So the last time I left you at Innsbruck, Austria. Well, the next city we went to was Nice.

Nice was NICE! I enjoyed this place so much I think I might come back...maybe in summer when all the french gays come along and hang out at the beach naked...
Anyway, I like how this place is quaint and small, but its big enough to have everything I would ever want and need. I love how the beach is sandless, but full of beautiful white stones.

We went to Monaco for a super dinner and went and saw Monte Carlo. Its rather overated, and very over the top.

My first day in France, which was in Nice, we had to walk downtown to this restaurant for dinner. On our way there, I was busy talking I didn't look where I was going and hit my left knee on one of the street poles. After many days walking French street, I realised French streets have these little short concrete stubs which stick out of the street. I think they're there to separate footpath from road. Damn that stub, it left me with a bleeding knee.

So after 2 nights in Nice, we moved on to the gastronomy that is Lyon. We got in late and we had the most amazing dinner. Snails, duck, and creme caramel (my favourite dessert) for 20 euros. Hilary got sick half way thru mains and left....so Jen and I contemplated having her dessert. But when dessert came, we were so stuffed we decided to skip it.

Dinner took ages so we missed the bus home. That restaurant was so full it took ages for the courses to come out. While walking down the street with Jen to find a cab home, we stumbled upon a metro station. So I suggested, "why not take the metro home" and we can catch a cab home from the station, so its cheaper.

Anyway, we didn't quite know where we lived, but we know it was generally north-west of the city. We proceded to buy the ticket. I'd bought my ticket when Jen says she doesn't have any coins to buy the ticket. There were no shops open around, so we decided to abandon the metro thing and just catch a cab home.

While looking for a cab on the main street, we stumbled on a convenient store, where Jen then decides to buy a bottle of water. She went on to pay the cashier 20euros for a 0.60 euro water. The guy didn't really want to take our cash, so I lend Jen a 5 euro note. Still not satisfied, the Frenchman said he saw some coins in my hand. I then signalled and said it was for the train, and we need more. Anyway, this whole thing took a while because that guy didn't speak english.

We finally made it back to the metro station and got our ticket. We headed down to the platform and we realised we didn't know which direction we were going and which stop we were getting off. So we had to resurface and take another look at the metro map.

Anyway, we finally made it to our station, and got another non-english-speaking frenchman to explain the way back to our hotel. He tells us to catch a bus. And so we did. We waited and waited but no bus came. We then decide to walk over to a best western (we saw the bright neon light about 500m away). Thank god this guy spoke english. We took out a japanese map and proceeded to draw the way back to our hotel. We were to walk home because the football match on that night took all the taxis out of immediate service. So we walked and walked, and this dodgy guy started following us.

Jen tried to hide her map so as not to indicate we were tourist. I glared back at him, at which point I think he stopped following us.

We got lost once and finally made it to the intersection of our street. It was a 5 way intersection with our street name spelled wrong. We hoped it was the right street, and hoping the address on our sheet was a typo. And we started climbing the hill.
The neon sign of our hotel greeted us, and it took us 1.5hrs to get home!

The next morning, we saw the big hotel sign at the 5-way intersection which we totally missed!

Anyway, that was our Lyon adventure!

The next morning we rushed off to Paris.

December 21st

2008-12-22T05:08:00.001+13:00

So it's day 11 of 16 of our contiki tour and I've been through Switzerland, Leichtenstein, Austria, and Italy. We're now leaving Florence for Nice.

So I thought Switzerland was so worth it! We stayed two nights on top of Mt. Pilatus (Swiss Alps) and had a day in Lucerne. Lucerne is a nice tourist town. But one day is enough. The best part was sledging through the swiss alps. Enjoying the swiss scenery.....breathtaking!

I was kinda unsure what language to use while in these countries.....Its German, but its kinda weird speaking German outside of Germany.

As we left Lucerne for Innsbruck, we passed through Liechtenstein. This little place is dead. We spend an hour there, and that was enough. Took a total of 5 pictures!

We made it to Innsbruck (the bridge of the river Inns) in Austria at 4pm(?). This place is famous for Sacre Torte (choc torte with a hard icing and jam in between two layers of cake). Also popular for Swarovski, we viewed the "Winter Wonderland exhibition. The whole place was decorated with Swarovski crystal. Just imagine....cyrstal everywhere!
Wondered through an Austrian christmas market and had mulled wine....it was the perfect european experience. Sat down late afternoon for a Vienna coffee and a torte with Hilary....and then it was time to go back to the hotel!

Italy was where we spent 4 days in. First Venice, then Rome, and finally Florence. Venice was a maze full of shops and restaurants. Extremely touristy, this was the town I least liked.
Rome to me was a big outdoors Museum. A few key words we came up for Rome: traffic, chaos, scooters, stone, marble, steps, sculptures, monuments, very large monuments. I enjoyed shopping in Rome- maybe because I bought a hot pair of Italian jeans for 60 euros!

Florence! Florence was my favourite Italian city. Set in Tuscany, this place is just the right size. Quaint and charming. A bit touristy, but that's ok! I'd love to spend summer here, maybe try out the famous char-grilled steak. Gelato here was the best I had in Italy!

My impression on Italian food? Well, unlike most....I'm not a big fan of Italian food. To me, its pizza, pasta, espresso and gelato.
Most meals do not have a lot of variety; is salty, and very oily. Olive oil.
The only thing I like in Italy is gelato, antipasti and espresso. The small stuff- but we can get these back home. Pasta and pizza are over-rated.

Am I in love with Italy....I don't think so. I'd come back to see Florence and enjoy the gelato, and espresso, but it's a place i cannot stand. The people and traffic is just too much for me.

14th December

2008-12-14T05:19:00.000+13:00

London was cool but not as cool as i thought it would be...I guess NZ is more similar to UK, and my experience in the USA cannot be compared to that of in UK.

A few things about London I found cool was that it was such a big metropolitan city, yet you'll see some very old buildings. There are palaces, churches, bridges, etc etc.

I found the streets confusing. Every corner looked the same. All had brick buildings and road with curvy corners.

The weather is sometimes blue skies, but not always....

London is definitely a fun time, but it does lack the buzz that can only be found in NYC.

Our tour started in London. One concern I had was that contiki is goin to be full of young people. This means the tour guide will be "parenting" us.
Good thing is....one of the few things the guide said was "I'm not your mommy or daddy. You take care of yourself. You'll be treated as an adult..."
This was a good start....however as the tour commenced, I found that is if very like my experience in first year uni. Oragnised group dinners, public introductions (where you had to say one lie and two truths), theme dinners, theme parties....

There's very little time in each city/town we visit. We spend most of our time on the road. Packing, unpacking, repacking.

Yesterday, we made our way from Amsterdam to St' Goar in Germany. We spent 45 minutes in cologne. Heaps to see, not enough time.

I'm slowly getting to know people. It is hard. I'm not a very people person. Compounded by the fact that most of them are whites. The whites tend to hang around their bunch. But I've met some aussies and japs and south africans. So its not bad. Its still early days.

December 7th

2008-12-07T04:03:00.000+13:00

So where have I been you ask?

well....It's been a crazy end to the semester....thus no blogging.

I'm now flying over Greenland, suffering from sleeplessness. I've just spent 2 days in Sydney for work, 3 days in San Francisco, and now I'm off to London to meet some friends. This is my "end of university" trip, which began 5 days ago.

Right now, its 11pm in Sydney, 4am in San Francisco, and 12pm in London. I am extremely confused as to what time my body is on....I hope I get some sleep soon.

Anyway, Sydney.....I went there as part of my work's induction. The company I work for is head-quartered there. Even thought it was work related, it was fun, because 10 other of my classmates work for the same company. We all went, so it was like a class trip. After spending 12 hours of induction-related things, we finally had some fun. We all went out on the last night into town for some dessert and a walk around town.
I wish I could have stayed longer and hung out with my friends. There's something really cool about hanging out with a group of your friends in a foreign country (even though Australia isn't that much different to NZ culturally). Its like going on an extended field trip, with no teachers around....

So after that quick trip to Sydney....I flew back to Auckland, only to spend 3 boring hours in the airport, and then I hopped on another plane to San Francisco.
I arrived into a backpackers, where I told myself...."this is the last time I'm doing back-packing". I like the idea of saving money, but having had a taste of luxury in Sydney (courtesy of the company of course), I really want my own room with white towels, shampoo, and all amenities available.
Because I'm on a budget, I took the train into town. On the train, I took out my iPod touch, which never went back into my pocket. Somewhere in between, I think I left it on the train......so yea, I hope insurance will cover it. Life is so bland without music on the go.

San Francisco never disappoints. I swear that this place never rains! Apart from the fog, this place is always sunny and temperate. It is winter, and I manage to do a 6 hr bike ride across the bay. I was sore afterwards, but it was sooo worth it. My favourite thing about SF, is its food/drink. Burritos in Mission, Burgers in Sausalito, Thai in downtown, Coffee in Castro.....I've never tasted bad food since I got here.
A quick stroll through Haight/Ashbury was fun, but the time constraints means I didn't walk up buena vista park. No ocean beach, and no Golden gate park in this trip.
Castro is a place that I enjoy heaps. I feels like a small town.....with just the right sized crowd. Cool clothes, bookshops, and other shops. I had to take a break at Peet's coffee, because the smell coming out of it was so nice.....the drink itself was impressive.

So after one burrito, angus steak burger, spicy cat fish, beef panang, clam chowder,
vanilla cream puff, snapple, milanos, ghiradelli chocolate and lots of waffles, I'm ready to take on Europe.

I'll be arriving in Munich in just under 4 hours, then I'll be on my way to London.
Lufthansa has the most horrible airplane food- salty, texture-less, and some of the dullest colour. The toilets on the other hand are the largest I've seen in the sky. The interior design is distinctively european- modern, and ergonomic.

Ok.....London town, here I come.

November 19th

2008-11-19T15:12:00.003+13:00

This video made me laughed like a silly boy, especially the end part:

"You might be popping down to Century 21 then?"

"Century 21? What is Century 21?..."

Century 21, by the way, is a department store selling designer brands at lower prices. Its tacky and classy at the same time.

November 5th

2008-11-05T17:26:00.001+13:00

Give me an O

Give me a B

Give me an A

Give me a M

Give me an A

OooooH, Ba, Ma!!!!

October 27th

2008-10-27T23:26:00.000+13:00

October 12th

2008-10-12T21:33:00.002+13:00

I was so very tempted to write "October 12nd".

Apparently it is the season to suddenly not blog anymore. This rather abrupt stop in blogging has seen my google reader rather boring lately! The pictures of beautiful men are still flowing through, as well as the tech-gossip.

Question: Nikon or Canon? I can either pick up a Nikon and be an amateur, hippie photographer; or I can pick up a Canon and be a pro. Do I want to be a National Geographic/ Reader's Digest photographer, or a Getty Images photographer? I just can't get over the fact that Canon images have great clarity and great vibrancy in colour- but they are one of the most expensive cameras in the market. The price tag itself will give me confidence and motivation to take pictures.

And does anyone have suggestions of cheap places to stay in London, Barcelona, and Tel Aviv?

October 4th

2008-10-04T08:15:00.002+13:00

Reading through the updated status on facebook this morning, I spoted....

"T__ is feeling a bit sexy....but also slightly fat."

"N__ is thankful he doesn't have a uterus."

That's all.

September 28th

2008-09-28T20:54:00.004+13:00

Today, an extremely close friend of mine had to leave New Zealand. She received news on Friday that her mom diagnosed with terminal cancer has now been given 1-2 weeks.

I attended church with her this morning, and this was one of the song that was sung...

I can't help but cry with her. I am not able to fully grasp what would be going through her thoughts and emotions- but if I'm feeling this, she's probably feeling a whole lot more.

Michelle, my heart goes out to you and your family! You have been so strong as I watch you pack your life up here, in just 24 hours into boxes. I hope you won't be gone too long!

September 13th

2008-09-13T14:16:00.003+12:00

In an attempt to get in touch with the fashion-designer in me, I've started to attend some fashion shows. (From the comfort of my room of-course, sitting in my fabulous $10 shorts, and $10 couture singlet.)

And I realised that I like fashion shows. Why?- Because they have good music.

Check out the Lacoste Fall 2008 in the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

(Thank you Jeremy for bringing Bryant Park into my room.)

I don't get why it's snowing in fall though???

And the one below is closer to home. It's got a live band! How cool is that?

September 11th

2008-09-11T16:42:00.003+12:00

So I was on the bus listening to French R&B, and this Irish lady is speaking Korean to a Vietnamese guy. Isn't it twisted?

Oh, and there's a rather hot tall med student sitting in front of me wearing a blue collar shirt, sexy jeans with a surfy hair-do. All I need now is a camera phone, so I can snap voyeuristic pictures of him and post it here (that is the trend isn't it?). Can't wait till the Blackberry 8220 comes out of the closet.

"Tiles for America"- I took this in 8th Ave (or 7th or 9th, can't remember).....

September 6th

2008-09-06T21:09:00.002+12:00

So today I discovered a really cool thing on facebook. Looking your old classmates up from high school.

It's amazing how people look so different after 5 years. I've been spying at profile pics, but I think so much time has passed it'll be weird adding them as friend. They'll just be extra "friends" whom you never actually intend to catch up with.

Ah, those were the days.

August 2nd

2008-09-02T19:05:00.003+12:00

While on my study break, I like to browse facebook, google reader and check my email boxes mutiple times. Anything to take me away from reading my books basically....

Among the many applications on facebook, I stumbled upon the "How Asian Are You?" quiz on a friend's profile.....

For those who don't know, I was born in the beautiful island of Borneo (it sounds nicer than just saying Malaysia- and people from the east of Malaysia can be considered non-Malaysians because West Malaysians need a "permit" to get into our precious state). ANYWAY, what I'm trying to say is, I'm Asian. Despite me not being able to speak my own language properly, and having only some relatives back "home".

So, I'm sure you're all dying to know "how asian I am"?

Facebook certianly has a sense of humour. Technically, New Zealand is in the pacific, and I'm in the North Island- so I guess I am indeed a "pacific islander".

Sidenote: I was at the supermarket today, and was chatting to a fellow gay friend while waiting in line. The scruffy looking middle aged guy in front of us said "You guys better shutup. You're sounding like a bunch of faggots!". So that's my first taste of discrimination.

September 1st

2008-09-01T19:10:00.002+12:00

2 exams down, and 3 more to go. 2 tomorrow, 1 Wednesday!

I feel totally drained after today's exam. Tried to take a nap, but all I could think about was all the questions I got asked during the exam.
And I have a sore throat now- the timing could not have been worse.

At least the exams are short and sweet because they are asked orally!
Here's an example:

And its end of winter (well spring now, technically), but it really feels like summer.

August 29th

2008-08-29T21:05:00.002+12:00

Its 9pm, and I've just come back from the gym, and I'm craving sushi.......

But Auckland has nowhere selling fresh sushi at this time (ah....how I wish I was in Vancouver)

On other news....I'm currently addicted to "NZ Natural Sparkling". The first time I had it, I thought it was gross. But now I'm starting to like it.....Yes, aren't I the sophisticated one drinking sparkling water. I might just turn to like San Pellegrino.

On other other news....I saw two dyslexic patients in a span of 3 days. Weird huh?

August 28th

2008-08-28T22:42:00.003+12:00

This is old news.....but wtf!....some idiot stole my picture and is using it as his own.

Auckland is so small that everything gets around. And the reason I knew was because Gym Buddy supposedly got a message from the idiot, with my picture on it.

Ah well, I guess I'm to blame for being silly enough to publish my pictures. Now I get absolutely paranoid when someone stares at me when I'm out and about.......

August 16th

2008-08-17T18:22:00.006+12:00

So this is a Saturday, like any other Saturday.

On this Saturday I decide to go to the university. So I went to the university.
At this university, I was sitting in front of an asian guy/student. The asian guy/student must have confused the university with a cruise bar (or park or alleyway or wherever gay people go to cruise other gays). The asian guy/student started to cruise me, or maybe it is just a usual thing that asians do. Asians that glance frequently.

At 1100, I get a text from Gym Buddy. He will be late.
At around lunch time, Gym Buddy and I go to gym. We did chest, shoulders and abs. Gym buddy sees Navy Singlet Guy and starts buzzing. Gym buddy and I discuss the names we give to the regulars: Jaws, Honky Brothers, Grumpy dyke, Maori Med Student, Korean guy, and Navy Singlet Guy.

After gym I had lunch. And after lunch I went to have my hair cut.

At the hair cut place, the usual lady is busy, so I get another lady, lets call her Younger Lady (YL). I tell YL to give me a trim (as I don't trust her to cut my hair). YL starts cutting and asks if I would like a slanting fringe. I hesitated, but she convinced me. After 5 minutes, the fringe looks horrible and I told YL to cut it straight.
After 15 minutes of small talk and pleasantries, we finally made it to the sink. I always have my hair washed so I don't walk out of the place with bits of hair on my neck and head.
After the wash, YL felt it necessary to cut more of my hair to achieve perfect symmetry. She did not rewash my hair, and I walked out with bits of hair on my neck and head. Unsatisfied, annoyed, almost angry.

At 1800 I got a text from Lisa regarding dinner. And this is what we say to each other:

Lisa: Hi hi r u comin home? Or goin straight to renkon?
Me: Going straight. You can either go with eugene or come meet me in ic
Lisa: Erm its at renkon rite? Meet u at 6:20 outside muchy mart ya?
Me: K. Text me when u get here
Lisa: Ok

At 1819:
Lisa: Sorry got a bit caught up wif work oni leain now...Let u know when i'm there.
Lisa: Hi hi i'm outside muchy :)

We proceeded to renkon, but renkon was closed. So we had dinner at another place with Eugene, Michelle and B. After dinner, we had dessert. And for dessert, we go to Wagamama. At Wagamama we realised all the Goth/Emo waiters are no longer working there. We speculate that there has been a change of management and all the Goth/Emo waiters got fired. We came to the conclusion that we go to Wagamama to watch the Goth/Emo waiters. And now that the Goth/Emo waiters are not there- we should not come back again.

After dessert, we go to the supermarket to hunt for chocolate chip mint ice cream. In this supermarket, there was no chocolate chip mint ice cream. So no chocolate chip mint ice cream was purchased. I tell Eugene I should blog about the chocolate chip mint ice cream in London Preppy style. Eugene agrees.

In the supermarket I was wearing a brown long-sleeve shirt from CM's, a black hoodie/jacket from PO Box, crumpled Levi's jeans and dirty green lacoste sneakers. The shirt and jacket I got from Melbourne, the jeans from a Levi's store, and the lacoste sneakers from Haight/Ashbury. And this is how it looks when all is put together...

August 12th

2008-08-12T19:43:00.003+12:00

I had to put my camera on my desk the night before so I won't forget 12 of 12 today.

This is a ritual called "12 of 12" (for those who don't know). More info on here.

----------------

0559: I woke up, but forgot it was the 12th. I was suppose to take a picture of the alarm clock as soon as I'd open my eyes. But I forgot. But I then remembered, some 16 minutes into my day.

0610: Packing my lunch- apple, pear, chicken sandwich.

0615: Having breakfast- it's oaties/porridge. It looks yuk, but it's nice on a rainy winter morning.

0630: My colleague sent me the data we collected from our vision screening yesterday. Just checking through them.

0747: Waiting for the bus to take me to the school to continue the vision screening. It's shit weather as you can see!

1245: This is the room I've been working in for the past two days. In this room, I've observed twelve year old kids that have already developed facial hair; brats (which is why I don't wanna have kids); and I've also learnt not to call a Welsh, English- apparently it's like calling a New Zealander an Australian!

1311: After lunch, we decide to go for a walk outside the school.

1506: My afternoon coffee.

1541: All the record forms from today's vision screening. I have to enter all of them into excel. (It took me 3 hours).

1859: After dinner, I decide to send a little package to my ex-roommate in France. I've included a postcard, a Kiwi road sign (he has not been to New Zealand), and a DVD of our trip in Sydney.

1911: Yes, I do the three-step thing. Very metro of me don't you think? Or very gay of me? The lady in the department store made me buy it! But either way, it does make my skin better.

2025: This bottle of water costs $3.50! And its not even that nice. The speakers however is so worth the $160.

August 7th

2008-08-07T19:06:00.005+12:00

These are "Mission Burritos"! from a really cool place called Taqueria Pancho Villa on 16th St.

I'll be heading back to San Francisco, and these are the first things I'm gonna grab once I land!

Yes, that's right! I'm planning a trip. To San Francisco, and many many other places.....

August 3rd

2008-08-03T00:20:00.001+12:00

Can you believe it? Two thirds of the year has already gone by. It seemed like only yesterday when I walked into my dorm room as a freshman. OK, maybe not yesterday- but what I'm trying to say is, time flies. Which means, it won't be long till 2009 rolls in, and everything will change!

The reason I'm reminiscing is because, I'm not ready to handle the next few months. The next couple of months will determine my future. During this time, I'll be sitting 13 exams, doing 4 presentations, reading 24 clinical papers, and performing a research in astigmatism.
I guess the only thing I can do is to take things as it comes. But boy, I hope I come out of it alive!

As I promised, I will write about "Shelter". (This blog does a good quick rundown of the story.)

Let's start with the positive.
Trevor Wright did a superb job playing Zach, the main character. I'm always impressed with young actors who can convey such emotion through their work. It made the movie meant so much. Without him, the story might not have been as successful.

And now to the negative.
This movie felt very disjointed. The scenes did not flow from one to another. Yes, the message did get through to the audience, but it was not delivered with flare. I can't help but find that they did a bad job at editing the movie.

But the really cool things about this movie is: it reminded me of how difficult it was when I realize I was gay. After being out for 1+ year, I've forgotten how much I've learnt, and where I used to be. After watching this movie, I had a chance to reflect on the "Why me?" feeling I used to have. I feel privileged to have had such an experience. It wasn't a nice feeling, but if I haven't had gone through my coming out, I wonder if I would have been an ignorant, persecuting freak.

After coming out, I felt justified to "play" around. It seems like most gay people do, and is part of the gay culture to be promiscuous. Lately I've been thinking, being gay doesn't mean things have to change. It doesn't mean you have to go out and do what gay people do, and be a stereotypical gay (if that exist). I really felt that the movie conveyed a sense of relationship between the two main characters. It showed that being gay is not about sodomy, but the uniqueness of having the ability to experience a deep loving relationship with the same sex.
What I'm trying to get at is, the movie encouraged me to focus on having meaningful bonds with a guy before jumping into bed with him. Because we're all unique individuals, and we're worth more than just a quick fuck to someone else.

July 31st

2008-07-31T21:28:00.002+12:00

So anyway, I thought I'd share a few things I got in the mail today....

(1) An Email from my ISP:

Hi "jeremy"

During the last billing month your broadband data usage was: 20.01367188 GB

This is a friendly notification that 20.01367188 GB exceeds what we consider reasonable usage on the ZeroShock broadband data plan. Under the reasonable use policy we reserve the right to move you off this plan if you continue to use in excess of 20 GB (Gigabytes).

The Orcon Team

OH DEAR! What do I do guys? I went over by 0.01367188 GB!!!! And they're threatening to move me to another plan if I keep being naughty, dowloading all those big porn files.

Seriously! 0.01367188GB?

(2) Shelter DVD

This "coming out" movie had been widely reviewed. So I thought I'd buy it and check it out. It took four weeks on back order!

I'll give you an update on how it is once I've watched it.

July 23rd

2008-07-23T16:57:00.003+12:00

It felt horrible.

I'd imagine going to sleep, and never waking up.

But the sweats and the chills throughout the night kept me from falling into eternal unconsciousness.

As morning dawned, fresh sweat bathed my body, and I felt like puking. But I don't think I'll make it to the bathroom because my head is spinning like a centrifuge.

Oh Augmentin, why are you doing this to me?

Well, the true story is, Augmentin made me feel much better by noon the day after I took the pill. But I now have a blocked nose and a very sexy voice (.....better than no voice, two days ago).

July 14h

2008-07-14T21:04:00.000+12:00

Loving 2.0 Software Update!

July 13th

2008-07-13T09:35:00.002+12:00

Ooops!

12 of the 12 totally slipped my mind.

Next time!

July 9th

2008-07-09T11:12:00.004+12:00

"At $199, we think the iPhone 3G is going to be affordable to almost everyone. "

- Steve Jobs, WWDC June 9th, 08

The hype of the iphone was killed after looking at the Vodafone NZ plans released yesterday.

Mr Jobs, do you think a normal income earner is able to afford a $199 iPhone with a $250 per month subscription!?!?! And then carry this nonsense on for 2 years? That's a total of $6199!!!

And I bet in a year, Apple will release iPhone with better resolution camera, a front camera, and perhaps a better GPS policy.

Isn't it so illogical that the iPhone is priced similar (maybe slightly less) than the Nokia N95?

The N95 has 5MP camera, two cameras, GPS, 3G, etc etc.

But I guess the iPhone has a better human interface- plus it looks pretty. It's like people reading London Preppy because he's hot, not because he writes exciting stuff.

Anyway, I just think Apple is weird in selling their phones. Why don't they sell the phones like normal manufacturers do?- full price. That way, we get to choose whichever carrier and plan we go on!

July 5th

2008-07-05T22:35:00.003+12:00

While I was in Sydney, I can't help noticing things like...

"Prefer euro only"
"No Asians or Indians- no offense, just a preference"
"Sorry, Asians just don't do it for me"

This is prevalent in Auckland, but more so in Sydney.....and I think its somewhat universal.

Below is the evidence from the DNA magazine's Gay Sex Survey...

July 2nd

2008-07-02T21:14:00.003+12:00

I'm back (in New Zealand)!

So this will be the last time I update my "Sydney Facts" list (at least for the next few months).

Updated points are in bold italics.

(1) Scarcity of rubbish bins. (I have received intelligence that there's a lack of rubbish bins due to its potential threat to national security. Apparently, it is a perfect tool for terrorists. Do not expect Sydney to be litter free like Singapore!)
(2) Sydney is not as livable as Auckland, apparently. [10th vs. 5th, Mercer's Survey]
(3) Sydney is hopeless at making espresso coffee or hot chocolate. They can't even get the milk right! (Oh yes, I've tried many outlets- all bad!)
(4) The movies in Sydney are only $9 on Tuesdays!
(5) The movies in Sydney have a 15 minute "pre-show program" before they actually start playing. It was very boring sitting through it.
(6) Sydney trains are double glazed and air conditioned. Very comfy indeed. (NYC trains are freezers in the winter!)
(7) The "top of the pops" in Sydney right now is "No Air" by Jordin Sparks (all over radio).

(8) The Pacific Highway is just a 3 lane road (extremely narrow) with a 60 km/hr limit.

(9) The supermarket conveyor belts are shorter here.

(10) "MX" is the free subway newspaper you would read if you didn't have an iPod or a book.

(11) "Ivy" is the new hottest hang out place in Sydney at the mo. (The only young people around my age were the cleaners/waiters.)

June 29th

2008-06-29T23:57:00.004+12:00

I drove in Australia for the first time today!

I made my own version of "Sideways" by visiting the Hunter Valleys; although I did not get too drunk.

Sydney Facts Updated:

(8) The Pacific Highway is just a 3 lane road (extremely narrow) with a 60 km/hr limit.

June 26th

2008-06-26T22:44:00.003+12:00

June 25th

2008-06-25T23:38:00.002+12:00

My days in Sydney are almost coming to an end..... =(

Work is boring, but I've come to the conclusion that Sydney has the best night life! So it makes up for it.

Sydney is just so versatile: It's got great cocktail lounges, great pubs/bars, and they have clubs too. Auckland is full of clubs, clubs and clubs.

Shopping is still better in Melbourne. And coffee has improved: I now order a "double shot soy latte, no sugar", which is what Sydney seems to do best for me.

I have a "theme music" for every city I visit, and for every part of the year. I'm sure most of you will have music that sparks memory of a place or time. For Sydney, I have the following...

No Air by Jordin Sparks

Deciphering Me by Brooke Fraser

June 20th

2008-06-20T09:32:00.002+12:00

I bring you fresh pictures of the first Apple store in the Southern Hemisphere.....

Apple Sydney

It's exactly the same as the store in 5th ave, Soho, San Fran, etc....Nothing new, just a geek's heaven!

June 18th

2008-06-18T02:11:00.004+12:00

Sydney Facts UPDATED!!!:
[A list of quirky little things about Sydney as I discover the city]

(1) Scarcity of rubbish bins. (I have received intelligence that there's a lack of rubbish bins due to its potential threat to national security. Apparently, it is a perfect tool for terrorists. Do not expect Sydney to be litter free like Singapore!)
(2) Sydney (10th) is not as livable as Auckland (5th). [Mercer's Survey]
(3) Sydney is hopeless at making espresso coffee or hot chocolate. They can't even get the milk right! (Oh yes, I've tried many outlets- all bad!)
(4) The movies in Sydney are only $9 on Tuesdays!
(5) The movies in Sydney have a 15 minute "pre-show program" before they actually start playing. It was very boring sitting through it.
(6) Sydney trains are double glazed and air conditioned. Very comfy indeed. (NYC trains are freezers in the winter!)
(7) The "top of the pops" in Sydney right now is "No Air" by Jordin Sparks (all over radio).

June 12th

2008-06-13T00:08:00.007+12:00

Happy 12th boys and girls! I'm reporting from Sydney, Australia!

More details of this ritual can be found on Chad Darnell's blog.

-------------------------------
12 of 12, June

7:26am: Breakfast- Weetbix, muesli, milk and yoghurt. What you don't see is the cup of coffee I also had.

8:14am: Waiting for my train to work in Central Station. You see the train heading the other way, but you don't see any train heading the way I want to go.

8:43am: Arrived at work. This is the shop I'm placed in for the next 3 weeks. You see everything here, and there's nothing you didn't see.

1:04pm: Lunch- spag bolognaise while reading the free paper. What you don't see is the mandarine I ate after that.

3:39pm: My 3pm appointment didn't show up, so I'm haging around in the testing room. This is a camera that takes a picture of the retina. What you don't see is the visual field machine, which is an extremely expensive machine that flashes light.

6:28pm: Looking for a nail clipper at K-Mart. I forgot to pack this, so have to buy one. Being an optometrist means you've gotta have short nails all the time! What you don't see is my dirty nails- kidding!

6:47pm: Home time! I'm waiting for the train again. I'm also eating a cream puff which you don't see.

7:03pm: Sitting on the train home. Most people leave the city at this time, so the train into the city is empty- therefore I can stretch my feet and listen to my iPod. Notice I'm wearing a blue shirt (its new, I bought it yesterday from French Connection). What you don't also see is my skinny wool tie that goes perfectly with it!

9:37pm: Walking back from Surry Hills through the Central station. What you don't see is the cocktail and seared tuna & beef I had at Toko.

9:39pm: The clock tower in Central station. What you don't see is that I'm desparately trying to get enough pictures to post- so I'm taking this for no good reason.

9:47pm: On my way down to the Internet Cafe. What you don't see is the Subway (sandwich store) on top of it.

10:13pm: Blogging! With a bag of doritos. What you don't see is my macbook this time, because the internet at home has not been hooked up yet! Uggh, look at what windows did to my pictures! It's all f*cking skewed....

That's all folks.

June 11th

2008-06-11T18:08:00.002+12:00

Ok, I'm starting a list of "Sydney Facts" as I discover them.....so far I've got two (I will update as I go)

Sydney Facts:

(1) Scarcity of rubbish bins.
(2) Sydney (10th) is not as livable as Auckland (5th). [Mercer's Survey]

June 9th

2008-06-09T10:13:00.003+12:00

Good morning world, I'm reporting from Sydney.

It has only been less than 24 hours, and Sydney hasn't "wowed" me- not yet at least.

I'm living on King's Cross' main street where Sydneysiders have their parties. Ever seen the mess in a club after a night of partying? Well the street I'm living in was filled with bottles, wrappers, cans, condoms, prostitutes.... when I woke up this morning.

I went across the road to have McD's and I was sitting next to a girl who's obviously had her heart broken. She was bitching away to her gay guy friend who was wearing a bright pink shirt, nodding and "umm-ing"- poor guy.

Sydney rail is not really up to my standards. I can't believe the trains are dirtier than the NYC subway!

This is my initial experience- hopefully things brighten up.

June 7th

2008-06-07T16:12:00.003+12:00

So yesterday was my "last day of semester". Well, not really. Its my last day before I go on my "working holiday" to Sydney next week. (I will have my proper holiday, after my working holiday.)

I was schedule for my hospital rotation yesterday. We all reported in on time, but the receptionist was clueless why we were there (as always). We've been going to the hospital for over a few months now, but they're still not sure which doctor we will be training under for that day.

The receptionist knows nothing, the nurses run around trying to sort things out, and eventually a senior doctor had to come in and help sort out the administrative mystery. (I would have thought it was a simple task of "oh yes, Dr. A is expecting you in room 21")

But anyway, it was all worth the wait, because after about an hour, I was introduced to a very camp ophthalmologist. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tight aqua blue polo. He said hi with a tone that made my gaydar ring alarm bells- it might have been a false alarm, but we will never know.

He quickly changed into scrubs, and we started seeing patients. His cross-leg really just confirmed it so much more.

Here comes the confusing part. During break, which he calls "Mrs. Brown" (isn't that gay?), the nurses were asking him about his girlfriend. He then chats about how he's broken up with "the girlfriend from Christchurch" and has a new one now.

I was of course a little disappointed, because really, he should be my boyfriend.

So I'm left wondering if he's using girlfriend as a synonym for boyfriend. These two words have the same core meaning- i.e. partner; which of course can be mixed around to keep ones private life discrete (this is especially important in a hospital situation, where nurses live on gossip).

So Dr. A, if you're reading this, I hope you drop a line and clarify this confusion.

----------

Yesterday night, GB and I went to watch Sex and the City.

The whole cinema was filled with giggling girls and very few couples.

This movie was OK. I can't say I found it absolutely entertaining. I felt this movie was really meant for girls only. The shoes, the wedding, the dresses, the straight men. It just didn't click for me.

However I did have a favourite scene, and that is when Samantha walks out of the fashion show from Bryant Park and got spilled by an animal activist with red paint chanting "fur!, animal killer" (or something along those lines).

I was expecting Samantha to say "Fuck", but instead she smiled and said "This is why I love New York".

June 4th

2008-06-04T19:38:00.004+12:00

In preparation for my stay in Sydney, I've been looking at Gumtree - the Australian equivalent of Craigslist (what would we do in a world without craigslist?!?!?)

During my time on Sydney's Gumtree, I realised this:

(1) There's not a lot of places on offer.

(2) Accommodation is expensive in Sydney.

(3) Most people don't reply to my inquiry.

Last night, I was very close to sealing a deal for a room in Bondi. I had Hilary (my friend in Sydney) to do the viewing, and paying for me. This was all suppose to be done today.....when I received a text this morning at 4am, saying the room had gone to someone else.

Apparently this was all my fault because I "fluffed" around about paying the guy. The guy wanted me to pay him immediately, but I wasn't sure if he was an internet fraudster- which is why I had Hilary.

But it seems my attempt to be safe had cause me more trouble....

While looking through more ads today, I stumbled upon this:

"Studio Apartment to share with one Aussie guy"

"...AUSSIES and EUROPEANS only............English speaking only."

"I'm pretty down to earth and nice guy, and want someone similar....."

Obviously, the "white-for-white" thing is not only restricted to gay personals, but apartments too!

I wonder if there are any "potato queens" or "sticky rice" out there in the apartment side of things?

June 2nd

2008-06-02T09:46:00.005+12:00

Happy Birthday Your Highness!
Yes, it's queen lizzi's birthday today (in NZ)...and I'll be celebrating it again next week in Australia.

On this Monday morning I've been reminiscing about New York by watching the 6 train on youtube:

For some weird reason, it is very cool to listen to the voice of the subway automated announcement: "This is 14th Street Union Sq. Transfer is available to the 4, 5, L, N, Q, R, and W train."

This is the train I'd take to work everyday, and home everyday. Looking back, I was very lucky to have worked in the Upper East Side and lived in Brooklyn, so I didn't have to take the older, crappier trains.
(Mind you, the crap trains run even at 4am in the morning. I remembered taking the packed A train at 4am on a Sunday morning after clubbing. There were Mexican mom's with their kid, and all sorts of other randoms at that time.)

You'd only appreciate the New York subway after you've left New York and moved somewhere else with useless public transport (i.e. Auckland).
However I still hate the G line in Brooklyn- I'm sure most New Yorkers agree.

Check out this site for quirky things said on the older, "crappier" trains where there is no automated messages, but conductors and PA systems.

-Excerpt-

Conductor: Please step in and watch the closing doors... Sir. Move your stuff out of the doors so I can close them! Motherfucker gonna make me late... gonna make us all late!
--Queens bound R train

Yup- that's why I love NY!

May 27th

2008-05-27T23:05:00.003+12:00

So anyway, nothing has been happening much since I last updated. But I'll update anyway, because you like reading the boring and mundane stuff.

I've only been back in New Zealand for less than a week, but I've got my ticket to SYDNEY!!!!
Yes. I'll be leaving in 1.5 weeks time. And it only cost me $420!!!!!

I'll be flying Emirates. Hopefully the big and the beautiful of Dubai translates to a super luxurious economy flight to Sydney. I've read the "Inflight Services" section of Emirate's website, and found that I'll be able to enjoy 60 channels of entertainment during my 3 hours journey.

Right, about school...they've seem to have scheduled all the hard stuff into this week. Geriatrics, Ophthalmology and Clinical Exam.
Let me explain the jargon:
** Geriatrics involve helping old people who can barely see much to see something, an extremely laborious task.
** Ophthalmology means we get hospital grade patients. We work under the supervision of a specialist; which means you're under quite a bit of pressure.
** Clinical Exams are when a marker sits in one of my patient consultation/"eye test" and marks me. Because he/she is watching all the time, I'm not allowed to make any mistakes- and everything I do will be scrutinized.

Ok, enough about school.
I went to gym today with GB and he still has a crush on the skinny Brazilian guy. We saw his tattoo today on his torso (in the changing room). GB is apparently not big into tats but he seem to have liked this one. GB has also developed a sudden fascination for everything Brazilian. I can't help but see Brazilian guy exercising his eye muscles more than his skeletal muscles- i.e. he checks himself out in the mirror at least 50% of the time. But he is cute- and skinny.

Right, this is probably where you'll stop reading if I continued....I'm sure most of you didn't get this far.

OK I need a place to stay in Sydney!!!! Help!

May 21st

2008-05-21T20:05:00.003+12:00

Ok, the past 5 days in Melbourne warped through pretty quickly. Here's a low-down on things.

I didn't do much except for conferencing and shopping/window shopping.

A few personal "amusing" memories of Melbourne:

Melbournians are very well dressed. I felt like a bogan from the rurals. I addressed this promptly by purchasing some decent clothes on my first hour of arrival.
Krispy Creme, Beard Papa's, and FedEx Kinkos are a few chains I didn't expect to find in Australia but did. Exciting info, don't you reckon?
I didn't expect to find Glaceau's "VitaminWater" here too. But Australia has its own version called "NutrientWater". Watch out Glaceau!
Australian coins are very heavy. I despise them.

I took very few pictures during the trip because this is my second time in Melbourne. But this time round, I had the chance to explore the city by myself (last time, was with family).

My summary of the various areas in Melbourne. You'll be forever grateful I wrote this, because it's probably the best and shortest guide to Melbourne.

Chapel St, Prahran- many nice shops, but not cheap.
Bridge Rd, Richmond- heaps of shops, and very cheap.
Smith St, Collingwood- a smaller version of Bridge Rd with greater emphasis on sports wear.
Brunswick St, Fitzroy- groovy cafes, and fantastic gelato, and a shoe mecca. I would hang out here every morning for breakfast if I could.
Acland St, St' Kilda- cakes, cakes and more cakes.
Londsale St, City- It's not really Melbourne's Greek precinct, as some would claim. However, it's famous for two large shopping malls- QV and Melbourne Central.

There. Some useless info for you.

And the few pictures I did take....

Conferencing

Cake shops on Acland

St' Paul's

Greek Pastries on Lonsdale

Flinders Station

May 17th

2008-05-17T08:43:00.006+12:00

As you all know, I'm here in Melbourne over the weekend.

I had the pleasure of sitting in one of my WORST flight ever. I woke up at 4:45am, and didn't get to my destination until 6:00pm! (And this is suppose to be a 3.5hr flight).

Everything was well from when I woke up to when I boarded the plane.

There was a bit of fog outside, but there was still some visibility (I've seen worst fog). But before we were just about to push off, Mr. Captain said we were gonna be 20mins late. And every 20mins, we would be another 20mins late....and we were not allowed to go back out into the terminal in case it was our turn to fly next.

So...we stayed in the plane for 4-5hrs....on the tarmac.

At this point, I've not eaten since I woke up. I thought I'd get into Melbourne early and grab something to eat (and there's usually something on the plane to eat too).....so I didn't bother with McDs or BK in the terminal.
Anyway being very hungry, made me very cranky. And hunger, anger, and impatience is not a good mix (don't worry, I bottled this all up inside of me).

We were finally let off the plane to go walk around in our waiting lounge after they thought we weren't gonna fly (pretty useless), but 20 mins later we got called back.

I did not have anything proper to eat until 12:30pm (lunchtime). Everyone on the flight was still hungry after that breakfast-come-lunch, so they decided to give us ice-cream.

There was more waiting at the tarmac when we landed in Melbourne. Apparently, another plane was using our gate.

BUT, I've watched 2 movies, and 1 TV show. 27 dresses and Golden compass- PG of course.
And a travel show called "Intrepid Journeys to Malaysia", where a city girl gets to do all these outdoor-sy stuff.

So I did not hit the shops until 4pm in the afternoon. (I was suppose to start at fucking 11am!)
But once I've made it to the city, pretty boys and pretty clothes galore!

May 15th

2008-05-15T23:13:00.003+12:00

I'm trying to sort out my old coins from my "pile of coins" and I found the queen's head on Canada, Australia and New Zealand's.

Alarm is set for 4:45am. Quick shower, then I'm off for my crazily early morning flight to Melbourne.
(Apparently, its a San Francisco flight traveling through here....so I might meet some interesting ones.....Last time I saw a fat gay guy in a tight pink shirt with his little chihuahua while I was in transit from Seattle to Oakland.....lets hope I have better luck this time.)

May 12th

2008-05-12T22:43:00.003+12:00

This is May's 12 of the 12th...
Details of this ritual can be found on Chad's blog.

Let's begin...

7:55am Making coffee. This month's italian blend is waaay better than last month's "Muan Jai" blend.

8:30am The laundry basket is full, so I'm emptying it!

9:20am I was grating cheese for the quiche I was making, when I saw this rather "comtemporary" art work the grater was making on my block of cheese...

9:38am My "spinach, salmon quiche" mixture. Monday is my turn to cook, but I had a presentation in the afternoon, so I had to prepare ahead.

10:02am Time for tea, biscuit, and some reading.

12:22pm What is left of my spaghetti lunch....I like lots of fresh basil on my pasta......can you spot them?

(Yes, there's less dishes to wash if you eat straight out of the pot!)

12:25pm My living room, and the clothes drying in the balcony. It's sunny but quite cold outside.

12:56pm Italian ice coffee to wash down the italian spaghetti.

1:23pm This is what I see every time I walk to school. It's the Auckland harbour, and a volcanic island (called Rangitoto) in the backgroud.

2pm to 6pm [I was at school doing a presentation, so it was too embarassing to take any pictures. I was busy trying to make my quicktime video run on Powerpoint; but it keeps lagging, and did not play the last two seconds! Obviously macs and windows products are incompatible]

6:40pm Dinner time. Everyone's taken their share, and this is what's left.

10:12pm Checking my schedule for tomorrow. I'm 3 days away from being in Melbourne!

10:40pm And the obligatory "body part" picture....

May 8th

2008-05-08T21:59:00.003+12:00

Finally! The iPhone will be coming to New Zealand later this year on Vodafone.

It'll probably be ridiculously over-priced but totally cool to have one to wave around while you're ordering a sugar-free vanilla latte at Starbucks....

May 4th

2008-05-04T20:40:00.003+12:00

Hokay, its time for another unnecessary update.

Can you believe it's May already?
Leafs are falling, rain is dropping, and the temperature is plummeting.

I actually like the cold- it feels fresh. I only hate it when my room and bed is cold.

School work has finally picked up. We are getting assignments, tests, hospital rotations, clinic, projects etc etc. Being busy means no time for boy thoughts or boy activities.
But as I said, it is so dull here that I've lost all motivation to do anything really....so even though I'm suppose to be busy, I'm not. So there've been occasions where I've managed to sneak in a few sinful acts.

Anyway I've received a sponsored trip to Melbourne. It will be a short weekend trip in mid May where I'll be attending a conference. I said sponsored because the old boss wanted me to go, so he paid for the trip (wooohooo!). Getting leave was a pain though.
The trip should be good.... We eye care professionals love to end all learning sessions with cocktail parties....So looking forward to those canapes, hors d' oeuvres, and cheap champagne.

Fingers crossed, I might be able to get over my denial of being an asian, and actually go crazy with my camera, and take heaps of photo to post on here. Won't count on it though.

On other news, I've been bad with food lately. I've munched on chocolate digestives, chocolate scotch fingers, milo bar, orange juice (full of sugar), and french toast with lots of syrup over the past 3 days- while I skipped gym and swimming.

Tonight, I had spag bolognaise with broccoli. This is ok, but not great.

Today I drank: 2 cups of italian plunger coffee (starbucks), 1 cup of green tea, 1 cup of white english tea, 1 cup of milo, 2+cups of juice, and very little plain water.

April 28th

2008-04-28T14:18:00.007+12:00

So I went over to a friend's place for enchiladas on Sunday night. Before I was about to head home, my friend (MC) drew me into her room to have a private conversation, while others were still sitting outside chatting.

MC started off with some awkward small talk, before she started to ask the real questions she wanted to ask all night- why was she the last to know I was gay.

This came as a surprised, as I came out to MC months ago- so I'm wondering why she's bringing this issue up now?

Apparently, she was too shock to say anything then; so she's waited until now to talk to me.

The main purpose of her wanting to talk to me in private was to let me know her christian views on my lifestyle. A few excerpts from our conversation:

"I feel sorry for you." (I asked why, but her answers were inconclusive.)

"You can't be christian and gay at the same time....You're living in sin."

"Have you ever tried to be straight....what steps did you take to do so?"

"Are you sure you're going to heaven?"

"Do you know the devil exist?"

"Why are you and Gym Buddy spending so much time together. I think you guys are encouraging each other in this sinful lifestyle."

This all sounds very "finger pointing" to me. I tried to remain calm, but I was very annoyed inside. She made me feel as if I haven't struggled enough with coming out and being gay. She made it sound as if I haven't had a good think about my homosexuality, and how sinful it was.

Believe me, I've been through all these questions (and more) in my head. I have my answers to some questions, but not all. But making me feel like she's more righteous than me- that was offensive!

One thing that really intrigues me, is why she wants to know I didn't come out to her sooner- and if I was ever going to come out to her at all.

The truth was, among our friends, we thought that MC used to "like" me- and that telling her would have devastate her. We sort of made a collective decision not to tell her.

I came out to her eventually because it was unfair that all my friends knew and she didn't. (We all knew she was going to know sooner or later anyway- we just didn't know when was a good time to tell her.)

There's two reasons why I think she's asked me that question:

(1) She thinks she's been chosen by God as a "messenger" to "rebuk"e me, but the "devil" has delayed this by preventing her from knowing I was gay.

She asked if I was ever going to come out to her. If I had answered no, it confirms that "the devil" was indeed working in me to prevent her from knowing. (At which point she will go "ah hah! I knew it!"

(2) She's devastated by the news that I'm gay, but the only way for her to express her frustration was by "rebuking" me. [Somehow, I don't think she was that into me- but either way, I don't think it matters.]

What really puzzles me, is why she's saying all these things to me now. I've been with christians all my life- and I know that real christians approach sin with a lot of love and encouragement (or should do anyway). Her approach had a definite tone of "finger-pointing", self-righteousness and maybe anger. (I'm quite used to things like that- but when a close friend does it to you, you really wonder why.)

A side note to christians out there: Remember that homosexuals live with the feeling of same sex attraction 24/7. We know more about homosexuality than you do. We struggle with it. And if we had a choice, we would have chosen a normal straight life.

Your negativity towards people who are gay does not help you achieve what you wish to achieve. The only way for you to show your concern, is by showing your love and your encouragement, and your willingness to accept us as human beings, and as an equal. As soon as you show signs that "you are better than us", we loose faith in what you preach.

Because as far as I can remember, Jesus rebuked only two types of people: the self-righteous Pharisees, and the devil.

April 18th

2008-04-18T22:10:00.003+12:00

April 16th

2008-04-16T20:36:00.005+12:00

So apparently it's "Hug a Retard Day" according to one friend.

I'm not so sure.....but it give me reason to put some pictures up anyway...

Happy Hug a Retard Day!!!

But I know you guys probably want something a little bit more saucy.....like this?

[all pictures conveniently nicked from flickr]

On other news, I spent the day at the hospital's eye clinic today. It seems that patients tend to be less fussy when they're about to go blind.
They listen to the doctors, and actually cooperate when it comes to questions and testings.
But when they're just in for a check-up, they like to be a real pain in your a*s.
I guess telling someone they're going to die or go blind is equivalent to a cold tight slap.

So another thing I'm suppose to do is to look for a place to go do a 3 week externship/internship. Boston has turned me down, and now I'm waiting for New York.
I'm just a little reluctant to go overseas now....
.....maybe I'll apply for something locally....
....in a rural farm town maybe?...
.....Of course that'll mean being gay is absolutely prohibited!

12 of 12 APRIL

2008-04-12T23:02:00.001+12:00

I know most "12 of 12" posts will start in the morning- but I've decided to start it at midnight, because the day officially starts at 12am, right?. It gives me more time to collect those 12 pictures.
More details on Chad's blog.

12:55am: Got back from the Yakitori bar. Brushed my teeth and read my feeds before heading to bed at 1:10am.

6:12am: Some freaking idiot activated the fire alarm and woke the whole building up! They sent 5 fire trucks.
The pre-recorded message said:

{beep, beep, beep}"The fire alarm has been activated in another area of the building. Please stand by for further instructions. You may leave if you wish."{repeats once, beeps again}

I didn't want to leave, so I watched from the balcony, hoping for a hot firefighter to come rescue me with a ladder.

6:20am: Went back to sleep.

7:58am: Woke up, showered, got dressed, and made a banana smoothie.

8:29am: Waiting for a bus to go to work. That dude took up the whole bench, so I stood instead.

10:13am: At work processing spectacle jobs. This is my desk.

11:30am: An Asian guy came into the practice to get lenses made. He started speaking mandarin to me, so I told him I don't really speak mandarin that well. I then started to speak English to him like a silly person- emphasizing every single word. (Poor guy, must have been frustrating for him).
Note the plasma screen in the patient waiting room.

1:41pm: Got home and ate cheese on toast for lunch, listening to "It's Too Late" by Evermore whilst reading my feed. Then ate Japanese curry fishballs, then had 75g of yoghurt, and couldn't finish the other remaining 75g. Had milo.

5:35pm: In the bread aisle of the supermarket. I went shopping with FOS.

6:09pm: FOS' and my shopping bags on the bus stop bench.

6:47pm: Cooking tempura fish and brussel sprouts for dinner.

7:10pm: Ate dinner on the living room couch, watching the simpsons.

8:15pm: While drinking Radler and listening to "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis, I folded my clothes. That brown pants doesn't get folded- it's pressed and gets hanged.

8:50pm: Went to Borders and read Details.

10:33pm: Completing this post.

Happy 12th everyone. Hope you enjoy/ed what you do every Saturday.

A special bonus picture for you. The brussel sprouts before I cooked it....

New Hobby

2008-04-10T22:47:00.008+12:00

Gym buddy and I did our usual at the gym today. I realised that there were more hotties during peak hours.

We then met up with FOS to do rock-climbing certification. Its pretty much a crash course from an instructor about using the wall so we can use it un-supervised anytime we want.

The harness is quite a tight-fitting device. Your groine and arse all gets squash by the belt and protrudes through your shorts. It could almost be a fetish device?
"Rock climber's night" at your local gay club....would you go?

Anyway, it was heaps of fun and I met a nerd called Bobby.

Its a good workout. Instead of "c'mon Jeremy, one more rep" its "Jeremy, put your hand on the big one and pull...you can do it".

So now I can add this to the list of hobbies on facebook.

April 9

2008-04-09T09:40:00.006+12:00

taa-daa!

The foil is for structural integrity. I couldn't wait for it to cool before icing- so the top part cracked and broke into pieces during the icing process.
Hundreds & thousands are my lame attempt to decorate it.

Its 9:30am and I'm eating chocolate cake. The icing is way to sweet/yuk, so the cake might end up in the bin.
The leftover crust however is quite delicious.

April 8

2008-04-08T22:43:00.005+12:00

So E and I are starting a new exercise plan.

Here's a before shot....

Notice the abdominal fat sub-cutaneously. That needs to go!
I'm not in too much of a rush to do this, so I'll take it slow and steady so the results are long-lasting.

I had a headache, so after gym I started baking.
I didn't bake because I had a headache, but because P's (flatmate) cake didn't turn out well- so she wanted me to bake one so she can see what went wrong.

Here's two sides (top and bottom) of the cake. I will ice it with lots and lots and lots of chocolate tonight.

You shall see the final product tomorrow.

P.S. I'm not going to eat the whole thing. I'll distribute the load among friends so I don't need to feel too guilty. (Yes, I don't share out of kindness, but out of self-concern.)

Fast facts of the cake:
288g of Chocolate
6 cups of Sugar
339g of Butter

eye popping news

2008-04-07T10:58:00.000+12:00

So lately we've been getting the news about a man getting pregnant like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he/she was on Oprah etc etc....

Now over on this side of the world, we've got father sleeping with daughter and having a kid:

For Mr Deaves the sexual relationship was "absolutely fantastic".

And don't you worry.... "the couple is being monitored by Police" [I really do wonder how that'll be done].

Things I Want

2008-04-05T22:18:00.001+13:00

So I went into the OPSM store yesterday....and I'm planning to get this:

Hopefully the very visible D&G logo on the side will accentuate the gayness in me (according to T, I'm not giving out enough signals? Whatever that means)

I also saw this poster outside the store....

So I tried on a few plastic Pradas and they looked like big computer glasses on me!

So my current shopping list as of yesterday's window shopping is:
(1) D&G Frames (even though I hardly wear glasses)
(2) Sunglasses (Oakley, RayBan, or something rectangular and plastic and expensive)
(3) Dress shirt (for casual saturday work)
(4) RipCurl Watch
(5) Dress pants/shorts
(6) Something expensive from Billabong

Too much to ask from a student without income???

New Place

2008-04-05T16:04:00.000+13:00

It's come time that I've moved out of my old blog.

The blog on wordpress contained two years worth of stuff. The old and new post differ a lot because there's an old and new me. I started writing when I moved to Auckland- so earlier posts were about life in the hostel and university. It was a way for friends and family to see what I was up to.
Innocent and childish is how I can describe them.

I went through a period where I'd came out (mid 2006)- which then reflected itself in the blog as well. The posts after that were more "gay".
Going through the archives made me realised that the stuff I wrote earlier does not reflect who I am now.

So here I am, in this new blog....recording my life post-coming-out.