The Sojourner

COURAGE: China's Second Published Gay Novel

Chinese gay literature has never been heard of.

I've read Chinese novels before where homosexuality is mentioned in passing or very implicitly in three to five sentences and nothing more, nothing less.

Tomorrow, OCTOBER 31st, A Book Discussion and Signing Event for COURAGE, authored by Xiao Jie and published China North Publishing House.

COURAGE, is China's second published gay novel.


SYNOPSIS:

Beijing - Silicon Valley - Beijing, a ten-year voyage searching for true value; The author of recently published gay novel COURAGE shares his opinions on topics of gay identity, social communications, life styles, school and work, gay literature and more...


About the author:
Xiao Jie (Jay Sun) was born and raised in Beijing and went to college at the Mechanical Engineering Department of Tsinghua University in 1992. He transferred to University of Michigan in his Junior year in 1995, and completed his undergraduate study in 1997 from UM. In the same year, Jay went to the engineering school of Stanford University for post graduate study. He then obtained a Master’s Degree in automatic control and robotics in 1999 and found a job in a small engineering company in Silicon Valley. Jay spent four years in that company first as an applications engineer and later as a marketing manager responsible for business development in Asia.

In 2003, Jay resigned from the company and moved back to China. He subsequently worked as an interpreter and a part-time lecturer in a university in Beijing for nearly three years. In 2006, Jay joined his current employer, the PRC operation of a risk management consulting firm headquartered in New York City as a senior analyst. Jay is currently a director of this company.

Jay started writing in 2001, and have since then written near a dozen fictions with various lengths. His first published fiction was named A Diary Across the Ocean (漂洋日记), which was published in November 2003 and was widely deemed as the first locally published gay novel in China. It was a love story of a Chinese boy who went to US to study.

Courage is Jay’s second novel. The first draft was finished in 2005. Courage was published in August 2009 by China Northern Publishing House (北方文艺出版社).

Time: 14:00 pm, October 31th, 2009

Location: Maitian (cornfield) Bookstore, No.4 Ding Fu Zhuang East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing (200 meters north of the China Media University Station, Subway Line No. 13)

Website: http://book.mediachina.net

2009 Halloween Parties in Beijing

This is the time of the year again when everybody's busy making his own Halloween costume.

Or, rummaging shops and hell just to get the unique, head-turner costume that would leave everyone in awe and wow!

Everybody loves attention, especially on Halloween Night where monsters and whores and kinksters and sodom and gomorrah and dreamers, etc... will be in one venue around the city to scare, flirt, seduce, bite and who knows---to get laid.

Though China is not your country where to celebrate Halloween, but having lived here in Beijing for almost 5 years, I could honestly say that Halloween parties are a must-attend events wherever you are on that night.

A lot of bars and restaurants will be doing their own Halloween thingy and for sure, it's gonna be fun and fabulous.

To find out if your local favorite bar is having halloween party, CLICK HERE.

So, let's start the the trick and treat!

MY CHOICE

"Acupuncture" SPOOKED Halloween Party third wave will be flitting Halloween night sneak into the secluded charm beautiful blue club. Labyrinth of space, filled with paintings of the dome, 3 halls each with sensual flavor will be staged at Garden of Delights!

Techno dark and gloomy hall, a DJ from the Yi Ciyuan dance with technology every weird nervous shock.

Retro Office exaggerate ghosts, MJ's ghost and the dancing queen who calls disco era shudder with resurrection.

House Office of white space candlelight flickered, sexy female ghosts will call your soul.

Off the usual silly mask, the release of the real wild self, quickly adding silk clothing and nocturnal wandering the feast, Vagrant in this maze adventure.

Ready, startle!

Entrance: 80 RMB (Advance ticket); 150 RMB (Door Ticket)

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YEN FETISH for your chance to once again about to come! YEN's annual achievements in Beijing Fetish event a new Halloween tradition, for the first time the use of "YEN New Year countdown" of the Zhuang cool room 706 factories.

Images beyond imagination lighting space shuttle-like music, electric time out, will lead us to the dream land of the shuttle, we should see as the "Chocolate Factory" in general fantasy world?
Magic embodiment is yourself, Elvis, or ninja? Machine-xia, or Transformers? fetish。 Today is your fetish extraordinary journey. You just need to open up your own, self-willed their own imagination.

We give you all the space to build a dream bearer, all the DJ have a comprehensive power of good music, and every DJ who finished a brand new set, for your dream night help.
Please, create a good image of most of your own favorite.


50RMB at Lush/Aperitivo/Clubzone Limited pre-sale ticket: 50RMB at Lush / Aperitivo / Clubzone (sold empty)

80RMB Pre-sale ticket: 80RMB
150RMB(incl, 1 drink) The-spot ticket: 150RMB (incl, 1 drink)
(Sales at Aperitivo 6417-7793) Limited pre-sale VIP tickets (Sales at Aperitivo 6417-7793)
200RMB (incl, ADV ticket,VIP pass & 100RMB Drink tickets) 200RMB (incl, ADV ticket, VIP pass & 100RMB Drink tickets)

13683334144(CHN中文), 13671304233(ENG),13910151574(JPN日) Advisory: 13683334144 (CHN in Chinese), 13671304233 (ENG English), 13910151574 (JPN Japanese)
http://www.o2culture.com/ Activities Official Website: http://www.o2culture.com/
http://clubzone.cn/ Online Ticketing: http://clubzone.cn/

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If you want FREE ENTRANCE, go to THESE PARTIES.


HALLOQUEER
Oct 31st, 9pm - 4am 

Start your Halloween bash @ The Boat!
2 for 1 drinks from 6pm - all night! 整晚酒水买一赠ㄧ！ FREE ENTRY 免门票

Upperdeck:
Indie/Electro Rock/RnB/Pop/Club dance

Lowerdeck:
House/Sexy funky House classics

WHERE:
West of Sanlitun N Rd. & Liangmahe S Rd. We are floating on the river.
燕莎桥往西 京城大厦南面 亮马河南路和三里屯北街西边 在亮马河上的一艘大白船

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同志亦凡人 Queer Comrades

同志亦凡人 QUEER COMRADES: SMUT 不羁的夜

SM-spectacular Halloween Party featuring deviant delights, dominatrix-drag shows, kinky performances, wicked drink specials and spanking DJs!

Dress code: Dark Pleasure
(BDSM, fetish wear and sexy/kinky/naughty outrageous st...yles)

FREE entry!!!

特价SM畅饮，10月31日，晚9点，三里屯南街，屯吧。

31 October 2009, from 9pm til late@Tun Bar.

电话/info & directions ph: 6585 5866 http://www.queercomrades.com

DRESS IDEAS & INSPIRATION:

black, red, fishnet stockings, corsets, leather, latex, pvc, masks, collars, spikes, wrist cuffs, chains, whips, feather boas, short skirts, tiny shorts, killer heels, crazy boots, goth, leather gloves, drag, dominatrix, slave... let your wild side out - there are no rules!

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ALFA 80'S: Michael Jackson Thriller Night

500RMB drink certificate for the winner of the “Michael Jackson Dance Off”.

* Free shooters for those dressed in Halloween costumes.
* Free selected cocktail for ladies before 12.
* Shooters: 8 for 100RMB! Beijing’s most famous 80’s party pays tribute to the King of Pop by dedicating the night before Halloween to his most celebrated work.

Spook your friends by dressing up in your favorite Halloween costume and dazzle the crowd with your dance moves at Alfa’s 80’s “Michael Jackson Dance Off”.

Address: 6 Xingfu Yicun (in the alley opposite the north gate of Workers' Stadium), Chaoyang District， Tel: 6413 0086 朝阳区幸福一村6号（工体北门对面的胡同里）

Cost: Free

Postcards 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19

Here's another set of postcards I received this week from Indonesia, Spain, Tunisia, Panama and Macedonia.

THANK YOU for these wonderful views and words you shared to me.

I hope you enjoyed my postcards as much as I enjoyed yours.

YUNITA of INDONESIA

My nest Southeast Asian trip will include Indonesia. So, wait for me there! :))


 

Hey, Yuni! Come and visit Beijing before April2---so we could hang out for a night or two.
And the problem is: I don't speak and write Chinese but I'll try. :) Thanks for the postcard.

MARINA of MACEDONIA



I have to look at the map to see where Macedonia is. I didn't find it so I have to google.
And my guess was right---it's in the North of Greece! :))



One day, I shall visit your country. Thanks for the postcard.

GLENDA of PANAMA


You are my first ever Panamanian contact. :)




You are so lucky to be surrounded by two seas.
Life is a beach.... for sure, to you. :)
Thanks for the postcard.

AXA of SPAIN



Axa, when your card was handed to me, I smiled. Then, my colleagues came around and smiled as well. Even before I flipped the back page, I already where and who this is from :))



Another Wonder of the World is waiting for you here in Beijing, dear majesty Axa! :))
Thanks for the postcard.

ADEL of TUNISIA


These houses are worth a visit even under the sweltering heat of the sun.



It's nice to know, Adel, that I am welcome to Tunisia and looking forward to be there someday. Thanks for the postcard.

I Am.....Beyonce World Tour

Finally...she came to Beijing last Friday, October 23, to please her fans in the Northeastern part of China.

Beyonce came to Shanghai a couple of years ago but NOT in Beijing.

Short Clips of songs Beyonce sang in her concert in Beijing

If hearsays had to be believed, it's because China's capital city was against the idea of any performers to be on stage wearing skimpy attires that shows so much flesh. They're bad for the young minds, as they said.  

Ridiculous, isn't it?

Photo courtesy: Carlo Guina

The same hearsays happened to Britney Spears in her heydays as a teeny booper superstar. She wanted to perform in Beijing but when a government office in-charged of the concert suggested to the singer's agents and handlers to mimimize the sexy garbs, the latter, of course, found it stupid and thus, withdrew the plan.

So, now, I guess, Beijing has changed its rules for foreign performers.

And that's a good news.

Photo courtesy: CARLO GUINA

BEYONCE's I Am...World Tour in Beijing was JUST OK.

It was packed and I was impressed.

BUT NOT VERY IMPRESSED.

I could not even retell it to my friends how the concert went. I just told them it ws OK---nothing more, nothing less.

Photo courtesy: CARLO GUINA

The opening song, Crazy In Love, was not as widely participated as Kylie Minogue's concert Opening number last year in December.

The concert lacked luster. 

Choreography lacked drama.

Beyonce's costumes were not wow material. They looked like the same stuff the Las vegas showgirls wear.

Except, of course, when she sang Ave Maria.

Photo courtesy: CARLO GUINA

Her performance was AWESOME but the intensity was not that great.

I guess what made it lackluster are the choice of songs she picked up. I was very, very disappointed she didn't sing Halo.

As an audience sitting on the 3rd tier, I felt that the show was ALL ABOUT HER.

She totally forgot the audience.

She talked less. She could have stopped for 5 minutes and shared stories of trips or her songs, etc.

In fairness, there was audience participation---but only to those who really know her songs and to those who love to shout.

Photo courtesy: CARLO GUINA

As a performer, she should have her way to engage the majority of the crowd who didn't know her songs---especially the Chinese crowd.

She didn't totally prove that music is universal.

In the area where I sat, there were only ocassional "gaga" behaviour but most of the time, people just waved their flourescent sticks, clapped their hands, etc...

And the most annoying thing was the presence of tens of security guards in the arena directly opposite the stage.

Guess, what they did.

Everytime the VIP ticket holders stand to dance and sing with her, these uniformed men would spread around and told them to sit.

Funny, huh?

Photo courtesy: CARLO GUINA

The only time I stood up and danced was when SINGLE LADIES reverberated through the stadium. And I didn't even know that was the concert's final song.

I love her songs. I love her perform.

That night was not the night that says everything about her.
 
But, SHE WAS FIERCE!

Half n' Half

The title might be misleading.

It's not half man, half animal --- like the ones you see in Narnia.
It's not half woman, half man --- like the ones you see in the streets of Silom in Bangkok.
It's not half woman, half man --- like someone performing in a drag show.

Think of something fab!

Squeeze your erotic juices and squirt them like it's fresh from the alcoves of your mind. 
Got it?
No? Like, no. You mean, no! As in, no!?
Ok, biatches, I'll tell ya what Half n Half is in this side of the Orient.

Half n' Half simply means .... (with bated breath)... Half-Naked Men and Half-Priced Drinks.

It's an erotic party that HAPPENED last Friday at the posh LAN Club.

Gayographic, a gay event management based in Beijing, did it again by sponsoring such luscious night with three muscled guys serving drinks in their .....

Enough about what has been said of Chinese men as skinny and girlish. We all know there's a modicum amount of truth there but let's be fair, there are some (or few?) outhere who could drop your jaw and wish you could command them, do what fancies you or the other way around.

"Only three guys?" said a friend of mine when I forwarded the invitation message via his cellphone.

"Whore, it's still autumn! There'll be more once the temperature down to sub zero. Three are enough for now. You can't even handle one." I replied.

These guys went around serving drinks to everyone. Of course, they served me, too.

How could they skip me when everytime they passed, I stopped them and posed with them like a nubile porn starlet ready for a shot that would elevate me to stardom.

The photos below are the the guy's first appearance: shirtless and in jeans.

 

He's my choice. :))

 
The cutest of the three.
I don't have his number but my friend, Mark, has.
And he says, he's willing to pay.
Me? No, I'm not willing to burn my moolah.
But, I'm willing to be devirginized!
Hahahahaha....



I have his number. I don't remember how the hell I asked him.
Somebody did the translation for me but I don't remember.

And most of all..... the photo of the night. 

The fun didn't end with them in their jeans.

Thirty minutes later, the boys were gone for a few minutes and came back in their skimpy, skimpy lycra boxers: black, red and green.

And you know where the eyes stared long, longer and longest.

Photos? No, honey, they're for my consumption only. I won't share them to you. I'm a selfish bitch, you know. Hahahahahaha...

But, to those who were with me that night, they know what a slut I was.

I thought it was Half-Naked Men and Half-Priced Drinks.

Half-priced drink: Checked.
Half-naked men: Lie.

Yes. A lie.

They were not Half-naked.

They were ALMOST NAKED!

Sing for Charity

Any natural disaster, like typhoon, is not fabulous.

Nature, as we all know, has its own wrath---so destructible that it leaves thousands of homeless, dead bodies and unfathomable desperation.

Last month, the Philippines was hit by two mighty typhoons that destroyed lives and properties. In fact, as I am writing this now, this country is bracing fro another typhoon.

This is the time of the year when Filipinos have to endure torrent rains and floods around the country. For some, this has become their way of life and nothing can be done but pray to The Almighty.

Anyway, the Filipino Community in Beijing had a Charity Dinner last Sunday at Salsa Carribe.

And once Filipinos join for a cause or any other gatherings, singing is indispensable.

Don't you know that most of the 5-star hotels in Beijing employ Filipino singers / bands to entertain their hotel guests?

So, the singing showdown began at 6:30 and ended p at 10:00 p.m.

And of course, dancing is always a part of Filipino way life. I am the testament of that. Singing? Nah. I've got a voice only to be flaunted in the shower.

Oh yeah, I mentioned it was a Charity Dinner. The food was not really something to be bragged about. Third world style, for sure. For a hundred and fifty. Cheap.

Nothing to complain, really. It's for Charity---for the typhoon victims.

It was so nice to see not only Filipinos but also westerners and some Ambassadors and diplomats of some countries who come and share whatever they have.

Before I went out of the bar, someone announced that the community had collected around RMB48,000 +.

That's not big money really if you're from developed countries.

But if you convert it to pesos, Philippine money, that's a whole lot of savings for a farmer in his lifetime.

I just hope that this money would really reach the hearts of the typhoon victims.

And as what Gloria Gaynor says, "I Will Survive."

CHINA QUEER FILM FESTIVAL TOUR

The Queer Film Festival Tour actually started last Saturday at The BOAT Bar.

I was there to see the Opening Film of the Festival entitled, "The Return of Meimei."

It's a story about a flamboyant Beijing Drag Queen who got married with his boyfriend. Meimei left everything behind to start a life he called normal in Shanghai but the marriage didn't last long. Meimei went back to Beijing and embraces the world he once left behind---once again.

THIS SATURDAY, October 24, the film festival continues at the same venue: The Boat Bar.


Title: Soundless Wind Chime 
Writer / Director：Kit Hung
Length: 100mins

After reaping success in Berlin and Turin, "Soundless Wind Chime" has been shown at almost every gay film festival in the world. New generation director Kit Hung tells the moving story of a cross-border romance in this visually beautiful film shot in Hong Kong, Beijing and Lucerne. Enjoy the trip!

This film was a Teddy Award Nominee at the Berlin International Film Festival and won the Audience Award, a Special Jury Mention and the Award for Best New Director at the Turin GLBT International Film Festival.

Soundless Wind Chime is the poetic journey of Ricky, searching for the lost soul and the past of his deceased Swiss lover – Pascal.

The film shows a battle of love, lust, reality, memory and illusions and the grief everybody bears every day.
 
Special Guest Appearance:

Kit Hung
Born in 1977, graduated from the MFA program in the Department of Film, Video and New Media in School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Soundless Wind Chime was developed during his study in Chicago and it is his debut feature, which he has been working on for 5 years.



31 October, 3pm
Title: Comrades, You Have Worked Hard
Director：Cui Zi’en
Length: 60mins

Do you want to know more about LGBT history in China? Do you want to know what happened at the Beijing Qianmen same-sex marriage advocacy event on Valentine's Day 2009?

These documentaries give you an insiders' view of the world of queer comrades in China. As a cherry on top of this red cake, we'll also show a short fiction film made in honor of the 4th Beijing Queer Film Festival.

The filmmakers will be present at the Boat for a Q & A session with the audience.

This film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 24th Turin GLBT International Film Festival.
 
During the 30 years that have passed since the reforming and opening up of China, more and more attention has been paid to the topics of gender and sexual orientation. Male sexism and heterosexual hegemony have been challenged and revised by feminism and by the LGBT-focus on diversity in sexual orientation.

China’s sexual history has progressed along a winding road during these past 30 years. The main obstacles surrounding the advancement of sexual ideas, sexual behaviour and sexual mediums have been conservatism and a deep-rooted reluctance to change.  

In this feature length documentary, we interviewed 30 prominent figures in the LGBT community.  By documenting and preserving a significant part of our history, we aim to investigate the present and explore the future. 


Title: New Beijing, New Marriage
Director：Fan Popo, David Cheng
Length: 18mins

Before the Beijing Olympics, the Qianmen Street was renovated into a popular shopping and tourist spot. On February 14, 2009, the Valentines Day, a gay couple and a lesbian couple chose to have their wedding photos taken on the Qianmen Street.

It was a beautiful Spring Day in Beijing. People who witnessed the event include local residents and tourists from all over the country. Would they understand what was going on? Did the branded ‘New Beijing’ also bring about ‘new concepts’ about love and marriages?

Special Guest Appearance:

Fan Popo
Born in Jiangsu in 1985.

- MA from Department of Film Studies, Beijing Film Academy.
- First-class and second-class scholarship winner, Reader Prize from the Academy library, excellent student

- 2007 ‘Feminism in Cinematic Representations of Lesbianism’, Third Prize in the LGBT Research Paper Prize, Chi-Heng Foundation; ‘Relax, Queer’,

- Second Prize in the sina.com’s parize for online video; Happy Together: Complete Record of a Hundred Queer Films (Beifang Wenyi Press, 2007);

- attended the LGBT Civil Rights Movement of Taipei; organizer of Beijing Queer Film Festival.
2008 The Good Days (documentary) attended the 5th China Documentary Film Festival; From Tsinghua to Qinghai, attended the World Urban Forum IV; photographer for Queer China (documentary)

- attended the 3rd Beijing Independent Film Festival; Taipei: The City of Rainbow (documentary)
2008 Joined Chinese Independent Queer Film Group; organizer of the 1st Chinese Independent Queer Film Tour, travelled to more than ten cities in China with his documentaries;

- editor in chief  of the Gayspot magazine’s literary pages and columnist for ‘Popo’s clumn’ about queer film. 

- 2009 New Beijing, New Marriage (documentary); Paper House (in progress), selected for the Cnex foudation Annual Theme.


Title: Song of Solomon
Writer / Director：Meng Nuo
Length: 18mins

“Do you really have to go?!”

Six words.

Two stories about facing reality, memories, perseverance and hope.


Special Guest Appearance:

Meng Nuo
Born in Urumchi, Xinjiang

-1998-2000 Journalist & editor of “music life” newspaper

-1999 join into the acting of “men and women” edited by Cuizien, directed by Liu Bingjian.

-2000, acted in the movie “old appointment” directed by Cuizien.

-2004, acted in the movie “stone and NANA” directed by Cuizien.
-2006, acted in the movie “the only child” directed by Cuizien.

-2007, independently edited, directed and acted the short movie “song of Spring”, and acted in the movie of “meet you again”, “suitcase”, “Ads for marriage”.
2009, independently edited, directed and acted the short movie “song of Solomon”



ORGANIZER: China Queer Independent Films

CO-ORGANIZERS: Common Language, LES+, Queer Comrades, Beijing Queer Film Festival, Gayspot

MEDIA SUPPORT: Danlan.org, Aibai.cn, Lessky.com

Events posted also in these sites: GAYOGRAPHIC, MTIME, 

Entry Fee: 30 RMB, includes 1 drink.  

ADDRESS: Liang Ma He Nanlu Nr. 8, South of Jingcheng Dasha, big white boat on the Liang Ma river TEL.: 010-64605512 

WLIB Celebrates its 1st Birthday

WeLiveInBeijing turned 1 last Saturday.

Happy Birthday, Dahlins'!

Of course, I was there.

And why not?

It's an online community where I'm a member though not so active.

So know that I'm always "passive."

The quotations marks are mine. You know what I mean? :))

The celebration was showered with live music (by Tavey Lin), spray-on tattoos (I got two---my first ever!), food (I didn't have a taste of it because everytime I go to Obiwan for events like this, it's always the same food.), prize giveaways (I didn't win), shot for 1rmb only, etc...

 

WELIVEINBEIJING is everyone's virtual homebase in Beijing. It is a Norwegian company based in Beijing specializing in social networking and entertainment. They serve their purpose mainly to students and expats and to English-speaking Chinese. 

So, if you are new in this city, go to their website and sign up for free. 

Get to know this side of the world by the entertainment this city offers. Concerts, parties, cultural events, visa problems, home delivery services and other stuff.... name it and they have it.

If you can't find what you are looking for, ask them and you shall be answered.

Most of all, you get to know new friends and who knows, more than that. ;)

And oh, they don't only exist in Beijing. They're everywhere: Tokyo, Madrid, Osaka, Kyoto, Bangkok, London, Amsterdam, Hongkong, Los Angeles, and many more....

StayWithFamily: The New Queer Travel Phenomenon

I finally have my first evah BLOG AD. 

I'm ecstatic.

You know, like I won a Miss Gay Universe crown, waving to my new fans (and bitchy haters) and tears streaming down my hairy cheeks. :))

It's a fab website, no less.

You know the saying: Fab people of the same boa feather flock together, right?

A fab ad in a fab blog in a fab world! 



StayWithFamily is rainbow-colored website that provides GLBT travellers and their hetero friends connections for free accomodations in their favorite destinations.

Yes, dahlin's! If you're gay and proud and happy, this is your site.

And if you are gay-friendly and in some extent, a fag hag, join the fab club!

Oh, I shouldn't forget that this site is FREE to sign up and YOU can even participate in the list of services they offered by being a HOST to a gay traveller in your city.

You know that staying in posh hotels aren't just expensive but also boring. Going to gay bars in the unknown city alone could be an adventure but knowing not the do's and dont's of the gay scene of the city you are visiting could be scary.

Whereas, when two people meet up and talk about anything under the rainbow arch, coupled with laughs and voice effects and clicking fingers and arching eyebrows and "springy head" movements-----that's queerly magic.

Unless, of course, if you're gonna put an ad in Craigslist to find a young, local skinny boy.

Don't ask me what that is and why I know that. :)

STAYWITHFAMILY  is owned by a delicious, well-travelled gay couple who enjoy being immersed in the culture of the city they are visiting. 

Read as to what Juan Alvarado, co-owner, says about the website:

WHY STAYWITHFAMILY?

I chose StayWithFamily because the word “Family” means “Gay” in the gay community. When someone says “Is that person “family”, that means is that person gay. The way this word came to be is that for a long time, gays have been rejected by their biological families and had to create their own family of choice.


What's your vision of putting up a website like this?

My vision is to have hundreds of members in every major city around the world enabling gays to travel more affordably and safely while truly experiencing the culture of that city.

What's the best thing about this site?

The best thing about this site is the social network that allows gay people around the world to connect and share their travel experiences. By meeting people in the cities you are visiting, you are given the opportunity to experience the city in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.

What's your most memorable experiences of using this site yourself?

My most memorable experience with an exchange was in Stockholm. We had such gracious hosts who showed us the town and took us to the gay bars where only the locals go. They also took us to a hidden local nude beach that we would never have found. We cooked for each other, shared cultures, and met their friends, it was a great experience!

There you go, dahlins! Hope to see you in your / my couch or bed one day!

I'm Beautiful

Yes, I am.

If you were with me everytime my phone rings, I'm sure you'll be singing to the tune of James Blunt's song, "You're Beautiful."

Yes, it's my current ring tone---and it's been going on like this for a 5 months, I think.

Cheesy, isn't it?

I just love that song.

Don't give me that "yuck" face and sarcasm because if you do, I'll curse you to be sexless in you whole life.

Here's a video I took from Swing Bar in Sanlitun where the lead singer sang the song upon my insistence.

Sorry for the low vid quality but just believe that like me----you, too, are beautiful!

I'm not kidding. Really. :)

And oh, did you see the parody of this video in youtube titled, SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL?

I though it's brilliant!

Click and roll.