tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67767121753037307302024-03-05T04:38:05.173-08:00Musings of a distracted mindDerekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-78920004947599792192014-03-12T07:19:00.001-07:002014-03-12T07:20:23.559-07:00Opportunity comes a-knockin'!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday, I arrived in New York. It's my first trip here after over two years so I'm very excited about being back. I have always been in love with this city, long before I moved here, during my time living here and ever since I left. For years after I moved from New York to London, I used to wish that I could get a job in New York, to find an employer that would sponsor my work permit, so that I could pursue my American dream. It seemed like such an impossible dream. Last night, my wish almost came true but it may be too late.<br />
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I have a friend named Chloe who moved to America about five months ago. Chloe is very special to me. She is my former boss and the person who recruited me to join her team and the finance department at our company back in 2011. If it wasn't for her taking a chance on me, I wouldn't be on the career trajectory that I am on. She moved to America to manage the internal audit team she was running back in the UK; the same one that I was a part of before I was promoted and got my own team to run. At dinner last night, she told me that she is recruiting for her team here in the US and asked me if I was interested. We discussed it and it was certainly an attractive prospect. I would get to live and work in the US doing a job that I know how to do very well and there would be a lot travel around the country, which is certainly appealing since the company has stores in many cities that I have never been to, including Las Vegas, Chicago and Miami.<br />
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However, I knew that it wasn't right for me...I have my life in the UK and I value it very much. My niece is there and I want to watch her grow. I am more than halfway through my accountancy qualification in the UK and if I were to move countries, it would make it almost impossible to continue my qualification. Finishing my qualification and becoming a chartered, certified accountant is my priority. This job prospect in the US is the right opportunity but at the wrong time and timing is everything. Your goals, priorities and dreams change over time; they change with the circumstances of your life. My life has changed in many significant ways in the six and a half years since I moved home to the United Kingdom. It is nice to be able to reflect on this and know that I'm growing and my life is moving in positive directions that will most definitely defy my current expectations of the future.</div>
Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-11881599246441315252014-02-26T03:11:00.003-08:002014-02-26T09:59:50.071-08:00The show that changed my life!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On February 22nd, 2004, the very last episode of 'Sex and the City' aired on HBO. Not that there is anything wrong with being a late comer to the party but I was a fan of this iconic, eye-opening, life-affirming series right from the start, all the way back in the 90s! It wasn't just about the glamour and allure of life in Manhattan when you have a decent amount of disposable income and no obligations to anyone else but yourself. For me, the true appeal of the show was the way it portrayed four very different characters (some may say they were archetypes but I would argue that by the time the show ended after six amazing seasons, these characters well and truly transcended any archetypes) living their lives unapologetically and pursuing happiness on their own terms, sometimes failing and other times succeeding.<br />
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Personally, a lot has happened in the past ten years and I have to say that 'Sex and the City' was truly my bible through this period. In fact, because of what I have been through in the past decade, the show probably resonates even more deeply now than it did when I was younger. The show helped me to navigate and find my way in that awkward period of transitioning into adulthood. I moved to New York in the fall of 2004 and lived there for three years so there were times when I found myself at the same places where the show took place, including city landmarks, like Lincoln Centre and Bryant Park, and hotspots, like Chelsea's Cafeteria and Williamsburg's Sea, thinking that my life was imitating the show. More importantly, in this period, I accepted and embraced who I was and proceeded to lead an open life that was fulfilling and meaningful. I fell in love for the first and only time (thus far!) and had my heart broken. I've met some lovely (and some not so lovely) men along the way. All along, I had the support of family, work colleagues and most importantly, good friends, just like Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha.<br />
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Critics and even some fans say that the legacy of the show was diminished by the two movies, especially the second one, which was deemed by many viewers as being culturally ignorant. I am not sure if I could even disagree with that notion. Nonetheless, for me, the show lives on as a beacon of aspirational contemporary lifestyle and values; a guide for young urbanites still figuring out their identities and their place in the world. Sure, the show was superficial and frivolous at times but why shouldn't it be? It was supposed to be entertainment, after all. However, if that was all the show had to offer, I seriously doubt that it would still have millions of fans around the glob, even ten years after it finished its run. 'Sex and the City' had a big heart and that's why I fell in love with it all those years ago and remain in love a decade later. Thus, I shall close this post with a clip from one of my favourite episodes to illustrate the ability of the show to move its audience and to celebrate the power of love, hope and friendship in this fast-paced, precarious and cynical world that we live in.<br />
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Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-40410725987053018792013-09-19T15:37:00.000-07:002013-09-19T15:41:03.087-07:00Left my heart in Sydney<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1379629282362_3151" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1379629282362_3151" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Recently, I took a very brief but rewarding trip to Sydney...when I say recently, I should clarify that I left Australia just about 12 hours ago! It was my first time back in Australia in 16 years and my first as an adult. It had been so long that I knew the experience would be akin to visiting this unique country for the very first time, even though I actually spent my teenage years in the country's capital. I enjoyed growing up in Australia so it wasn't like I vowed never to return but the responsibilities that come with getting older took away the luxury of being able to run off to any destination whenever I please. Somehow, 16 years had flown by. Coming back here allowed me to reflect on how has happened in my life since I last stepped foot on this remote land down under.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Even though I grew up in Canberra, I had visited Sydney dozens of time so I didn't feel obligated to do too much sightseeing. I wanted to come here, catch up with some dear friends and spend time in the city centre to get a flavour of what the Sydney cosmopolitan experience is like in comparison to London and New York. I stayed at the Swissotel Sydney, which was an excellent choice. Located right in the heart of the city's Central Business District, I was in easy walking distance to the main landmarks within the city centre, including UNESCO World Heritage site Sydney Opera House. I was so central that looking out one of the windows (they kindly put me in a corner room), it was as if the Telstra Tower was right next door!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sydney is one of those rare hub cities where you have the best of both worlds; it is a commercial and cultural epicentre that is located along a coastline so not only can you go to the visit the museum of contemporary art or see a production of 'South Pacific' at the Opera House but you can also spend a lazy Sunday afternoon</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> at a heavenly beach. There are plenty of beaches to choose from around the city but the most famous Sydney beach has got to be Bondi Beach. My friends took me to Bondi the day that I arrived and as far as jet lag-relieving activities go, lying in the sand as you watch hunky surfers and lifeguards going through training </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">drills wearing their little 'cossies' is definitely not a bad choice. It was as if my Sunday had turned into an Aussiebum swimwear photoshoot!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFqc9S4BAeMG2iuAqSaDj8RY0Qn3RC6J616pXELZKFqrF5zt6dP3thqYELrF9awDoXOdFvwe9sgJaCHyEkyPmYEgig3ZcCx2eCtX-kR18HxzWN6mxe6DS6chR6UTVyUus2xTXzRvgSQ/s1600/Harbour+bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFqc9S4BAeMG2iuAqSaDj8RY0Qn3RC6J616pXELZKFqrF5zt6dP3thqYELrF9awDoXOdFvwe9sgJaCHyEkyPmYEgig3ZcCx2eCtX-kR18HxzWN6mxe6DS6chR6UTVyUus2xTXzRvgSQ/s320/Harbour+bridge.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">An indirect benefit of this trip was my heightened appreciate of the gay scene in London. Although it has long been considered one of the gay capitals of the world, a reputation that has been cemented in the past few decades by the world-renowned Sydney Gay Mardi Gras, the nightlife culture here is somewhere less developed compared to London and New York. The 'scene' is concentrated all in one area, along the stretch of Oxford Street in Darlinghurst. The bars and pubs that I visited with my friend all seem slightly dated, both in decor and the clientele. I don't intend to be flippant and it is certainly not my intention to make an ageist remark. There is nothing wrong with places that are welcoming and casual but from what my friends tell me, there is not a great deal of variety in the scene. People tend to go out only at the weekend. Unfortunately for me, I spent the weekend travelling to Australia so it would be unfair for me to say too much more about the scene here. Still, even if the gay nightlife in Sydney is somewhat lacking during the week, that is not to say that I didn't have a fabulous time going out during my trip. My friends and I went to some memorable cocktails at some of the most glamourous hotels in town. I found style and sophistication in abundance so if you are a traveller who enjoys the finer things in life, you will love Sydney, especially if you are staying in the CBD.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, I just arrived in Bangkok not long ago but I'm still on Sydney time and it's already 8:30am so I should probably go to bed soon. Here's hoping that it won't be another 16 years until my next trip to Australia!</span></span></div>
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Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-23092464416585758042013-08-13T11:51:00.000-07:002013-08-13T12:46:01.299-07:00BOYcotting Russia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday evening, I was catching up with a couple of close friends and seeing as we're a group of socially aware gay men, talk inevitably turned to what is going on in Russia with their anti-gay propaganda legislation, which was signed into law by President Vladimir Putin in July. This legislation, in a nutshell, prohibits any discussion about alternative sexual orientation and lifestyle around minors. The logic, I'm guessing, is that hearing about the existence of gays and lesbians will automatically 'corrupt' children, 'turn' them and basically, there goes the perpetuation of the human race. Yes, because it is really that simple to turn someone gay. If this was truly the case, my local gym would be a whole lot more happening on a Tuesday night!</div>
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Anyway, all of this got me thinking about all the backlash that Russia is facing. I see on Facebook about people going to rallies outside the Russian embassy in London to protest this discriminatory law and I read about the city council of Amsterdam greeting Putin on his state visit to the Netherlands a few months ago by flying the rainbow flag across the city. I have read about gay bars boycotting Russian vodka to make a statement. While I think a statement should be made, I'm not sure if giving up vodka really says much about the character and integrity of the LGBT community. I mean, I get that vodka is more symbolic of Russia than most of their other exports but if we really want to have a substantial economic impact with a boycott, shouldn't we, maybe, boycott something like oil, gas, metals, minerals, machinery and other glamourous items like that? Of course, I'm only kidding...fuck their vodka; I'm more of a G&T man myself!<br />
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I read on a few gay news blogs today that on Russian television, a high-profile current affairs pundit by the name of Dmitri Kisilev said that gay people are of such low value that if they were to die and their hearts were to be donated to save the lives of others, 'their hearts...should be buried in the ground or burned as unsuitable for the continuation of life'. Now, as much as it makes me blood boil to read such hateful speech against people like me, I have to say that the comments posted by gay readers on these blogs, most of whom probably live in the English-speaking western world, do not exactly give me much hope for humanity either. One response said something about how 'the gulags didn't kill enough of these people'. While I am as guilty of generalizing as much as the next guy, I do feel like there needs to be some sort of measured response to the situation. We cannot lump all Russians into the same category. What about all the LGBT Russians who are living in a state that do not see them as citizens of equal value? Are they not worthy of our support and compassion? Similarly, I don't doubt that there are many straight allies who do not feel the same way as President Putin and Mr Kisilev. Recently, there has been a spate of gay bashings in New York but you don't hear people say, let's boycott New York coz every single New Yorker must be a goddamn homophobe! When La Manif Pour Tous, a French anti-gay marriage group, made headlines with their flamboyant and curiously homoerotic protests against the recent passage of same sex marriage in France, I never heard anyone suggest that we all get mad at zee French and start boycotting Champagne. Pourquoi pas? Probably because we're all a little hypocritical and hold a double standard for certain countries, especially the ones that are a greater cultural distance to ours...and also, because Champagne is fabulous.<br />
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Considerable brouhaha has been made about the idea of boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics, which are set to be held in the Russian resort city of Sochi. After all, not only would it send a big message to the Russian government and their gay-hating ways but if participating countries were to withdraw from the competition, they would not be putting their LGBT athletes at risk by sending them to a country that threatens to punish them for being who they are. I don't know if I agree with this, not necessarily because I agree that politics have no place at the Olympics. After all, the Olympics are supposed to be about unity and how can there be unity when the host country is threatening to throw certain members of their own society, as well as those from other countries, into jail just for their very existence. However, I agree with the notion that the people who will be competing at the games have trained so hard for years that it would be wrong to deny them their moment to shine. I can only hope that the Olympic committee will do as much as they can to protect all of their participants from the hostile elements of the host country's society.<br />
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One of my friends from last night made a rather good point that people seem to be making a bigger deal about what's going on in Russia than they do about all the anti-gay rhetoric, legislation and violence that we all know go on across many countries in Africa. Uganda's 'Kill the Gays' bill, in particularly, drew a lot of attention in recent years. How come we do not hold these African nations to the same standard that we seem to be applying to Russia? Again, it all boils down to our own double standards and hypocrisy. If we are to be self-righteous in the fight against escalating fascism in one of the world's super powers, let's at least acknowledge our own shortcomings so that we can improve our own society before try to change others.</div>
Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-90145733592376304742013-07-25T16:24:00.003-07:002013-07-25T16:31:39.021-07:00I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As I start to write this blog post, it just turned one minute past midnight and I really should be heading off to bed. However, I realise that it has been five full months since I last posted anything on my blog, which is absolutely disgraceful. Blogging is a habit that I want to maintain but it requires a lot of commitment and effort.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_dslpBAmSuI4fFbhrnKmg5-6zs52qY2F-NSAtwu937IcIkM59OZd9L1nNAuSXQR-eCzcPazMoVOHpf4MG85h_PINHN0T5prz3EETc3oH9lK0F27xrPrmuD3W0JjwgSXg1X7IohHGWk4/s1600/IMG_4794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_dslpBAmSuI4fFbhrnKmg5-6zs52qY2F-NSAtwu937IcIkM59OZd9L1nNAuSXQR-eCzcPazMoVOHpf4MG85h_PINHN0T5prz3EETc3oH9lK0F27xrPrmuD3W0JjwgSXg1X7IohHGWk4/s320/IMG_4794.JPG" width="235" /></a>I'm off to Milan tomorrow for what people used to call a 'mini-break'. It'll be my first time there. I realised the other day that so far this year, all the new places that I have travelled to begin with the letter 'M', which is quite a cool coincidence. In February, I was in Mumbai. In April, I went to an old friend's wedding in Munich. Earlier this month, I was in Mexico (Cancun) for my company's conference/party.<br />
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This blog is really a record of my life and I know that nobody else reads this but me so it is important for me to check in here every now and again. 2013 has been an exciting year so far. In addition to my trips to all those 'M' places, work is going well. My studies to become a chartered accountant is also going well (although I hope that I'm not jinxing myself by saying this two weeks before I am expecting some more exam results to be released!). The best part of the year, by far, however, is that I became an uncle. My beautiful niece is everything to me. Hmmm, I suspect I'm coming down with a case of birthday-itis! Symptoms include mild to severe reflectiveness and sentimentality! I don't care...I love it!</div>
Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-52665852956111459142013-02-26T07:44:00.002-08:002013-02-26T08:45:31.884-08:00Bombay, baby!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's my last evening here in Mumbai. Tomorrow, I fly back to London at lunchtime. This is my first trip to India and it has been a bit of a whistle stop tour as I just arrived in India five days ago. Even though it is a common thing for first time visitors to India to feel like being here is an assault on one's senses - the air, thick with exotic scents, and at times, pollution and repulsive odours, the overwhelming taste of the wide array of spices that flavour every local dish, the vivid colours of the beautiful saris that the local women wear, regardless of their socioeconomic status, the musicality of Hindi and over a dozen other regional languages - there is no doubt that I have just experienced a minutiae of what this grand country has to offer. Of course, you could spend a year traveling all corners of the country and still not feel like you have adequately experienced the vast arrays of cultures, cuisine, geography, etc. India is a country of almost 3.3 million sq km with a population of over 1.2 billion. Meanwhile, I have only spent a couple of days in two parts of it - the provincial Central India city Indore and the metropolis that is still called Bombay by the locals. All I can do is accept that I am only getting a tiny taster of India and be grateful for that.<br />
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The main purpose of my trip was to attend my oldest friend's wedding. A British-born Indian who is almost as unacquainted with Indian culture as her non-Indian guests, my friend married her Belgian husband last summer and was only having this Indian wedding to please her parents who wanted to celebrated their daughter's marriage as much as they wanted to celebrate their Indian heritage with their countless relatives and friends in India. It was a lovely affair and I couldn't have been more thrilled that I could have been a part of it.<br />
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After the wedding, I decided that I wanted to spend a couple of nights in Mumbai before returning to England. Although I, like millions of people around the world, had seen 'Slumdog Millionaire' when it came out in 2008, I knew that that there had to be more than just slums and squalor in this city by the sea (the Arabian Sea). I visited many of the iconic sites and places of Mumbai, including the Gateway of India (an archway that was erected to commemorate George V and Queen Mary's visit to India in 1911), Mani Bhavan (a house where Mahatma Gandhi lived for many years, whenever he was in Mumbai) and the majestic central rail station here, Victoria Terminus (although, officially, it is now called Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, an example of the renaming of key building and institutions to reflect the end of British rule).<br />
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My favourite place was Mani Bhavan, which now houses a modest but compelling museum to the Father of India. It is pretty hard not to be inspired by the man and I know that I'm not the only one. US President Barack Obama visited India in 2010, he was so moved by the man whose legacy Mani Bhavan represents that he subsequently sent a piece of stone from the Martin Luther King. Jr. Memorial, as a token of friendship between the two nations.<br />
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To use a rather common phrase that every city or country likes to use to describe itself, Mumbai is a city of contrasts; the old with the new, the religious and the secular, the rich and the poor, the last of which is more pronounced than anything else. You see people sleeping on the street and kids selling things as they weave in and out of the traffic. Meanwhile, there are billionaires living in ostentatious 27-level mansions towering the rest of the city. Of course, I am not one to judge since here I am staying in my 5-star hotel and taking a private city with my own driver and a separate English-speaking tour guide. The money that I'm spending in my short time here could probably be better spent by a few families living in the various slums that we drove by today. The picture below, by the way, is of the city's Dhobi Ghat - open air laundrette. It is where the middle class take their clothes to be washed by the poorer people who live in the surrounding slums for a small fee. Like Jenny from the Block once sang (using a line stolen from 20th Century Steel Band's 'Heaven and Hell Is on Earth'), 'everyone's got to make a living'!<br />
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I am staying at Trident Nariman Point in the affluent South Mumbai area, right by the sea. It is ranked third in the top hotels in Mumbai on Tripadvisor. The top two hotels are The Oberoi, followed by the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Both of these hotels were attacked by terrorists in 2008. Many people, locals and foreigners, were taken hostage and killed. I felt uneasy about sleeping in these hotels as I felt like they were the sites of some shocking violence and I did not want to absorb any of that energy. Little did I know that Trident Nariman Point is adjacent to the Oberoi! Oh, well...I'm leaving in 12 hours so what does it matter now?<br />
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Security is extremely tight getting into my hotel or any other 5-star hotel in this city (I experienced the same thing at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai on my first night here). This is a direct consequence of what happened in 2008. You are confronted by the sight of guards using car bomb detectors before you are even let through the gate and once inside, you have to put all bags through a bag scanner and walk through a metal detector. I don't enjoy this at the airport and I certainly don't enjoy this upon checking in at my luxury hotel when I'm on vacation but after what happened in 2008, this is definitely a necessary evil!<br />
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These past few days in India have been interesting and memorable. I'm not sure if or when I will be back again but if I do return, I will hopefully be a bit more prepared for it all and it is fair to say that there will always be an infinite amount of new experiences to be had!</div>
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Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-34268560637426695092013-02-06T04:53:00.000-08:002013-02-06T05:14:05.754-08:00We are on our way...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday was a significant day; the UK's House of Commons passed a key vote proposing same sex marriage in England and Wales. While this measure does not automatically mean that this bill has passed into law, the overwhelming majority that voted in favour (a majority of 225 votes) pretty much guarantees its passage in the House of Lords, where the bill now goes. After all, it is highly unlikely that the unelected house would overrule a clear decision made by the elected house. If, as we expect it to, this bill gets enacted by the summer, as Prime Minister David Cameron plans to do, England and Wales will follow in the footsteps of less than a dozen countries around the world where there is same sex marriage. By this, I don't mean civil unions or partnerships or PACS (as they're called in France); I mean marriage in the traditional sense of the word, redefined as an institution to be more inclusive and encompassing of the social values of our constantly evolving world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though this was the Conservative government's initiative, they faced a great deal of dissent from their backbenchers (with 136 Tory MPs opposing the bill)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, many of whom protested that such a proposal undermines the very essence of being the Conservative Party. However, I think that it's fairly obvious what Cameron's strategy with this is; it is to show younger voters, who might not be inclined to vote Conservative, that they are in touch with modern society and are prepared to evolve with it. It also demonstrates that the government is capable of working with the opposition on a social issue (with most Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs supporting the bill), one that is, arguably, even in 2013, still fairly divisive. Whatever the political motivations, I applaud them for carrying on the legacy of the Labour party who brought in civil partnerships less than a decade ago and going the full monty with what is the cornerstone of the struggle for gay rights equality. It's a step in the right direction. With no disrespect to the 11 pioneering countries that brought in same sex marriage before us (including Netherlands, Canda, Spain, South Africa and Argentina), the rest of the world will take notice of this. The UK will be the example that they may, one day, follow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, let's enjoy the music video below from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for their moving pro-same sex marriage song 'Same Love'.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="275" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hlVBg7_08n0" width="400"></iframe>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-46633712457887565412013-01-10T04:58:00.001-08:002013-01-10T12:02:12.196-08:00Oscar nominations out in Zero Dark Thirty?It's that time of the year again - Oscar nominations will shortly be announced. This annual event is like Christmas to movie awards watchers like me! Here are my final predictions for the nominations for the 6 major categories of the 85th Annual Academy Awards.<br />
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<img height="230" id="il_fi" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62978000/jpg/_62978461_19-09.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="405" /><br />
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<u>Best Picture</u><br />
Amour<br />
Argo<br />
Beasts of the Southern Wild<br />
Django Unchained<br />
Les Miserables<br />
Life of Pi<br />
Lincoln<br />
Moonrise Kingdom<br />
Silver Linings Playbook<br />
Zero Dark Thirty<br />
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<u>Best Actress</u><br />
Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty<br />
Marion Cotillard - Rust and Bone<br />
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook<br />
Emmanuelle Riva - Amour<br />
Naomi Watts - The Impossible<br />
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<u>Best Actor</u><br />
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook<br />
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln<br />
John Hawkes - The Sessions<br />
Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables<br />
Denzel Washington - Flight<br />
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<u>Best Supporting Actress</u><br />
Amy Adams - The Master <br />
Sally Fields - Lincoln<br />
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables<br />
Helen Hunt - The Sessions<br />
Maggie Smith - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel<br />
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<u>Best Supporting Actor</u><br />
Alan Arkin - Argo<br />
Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook<br />
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln<br />
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master<br />
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained<br />
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<u>Best Director</u><br />
Ben Affleck - Argo<br />
Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty<br />
Tom Hooper - Les Miserables<br />
Ang Lee - Life of Pi<br />
Steven Spielberg - Lincoln<br />
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For every category, I can think of other contenders that could very well make it onto the shortlist in place of my predictions but these are my final predictions and I will stick to them! They do not reflect what I think the nominations <em>should</em> be, just what I think they<em> will</em> be. The actual nominations are being announced in less than an hour by Emma Stone and this year's host Seth MacFarlane so I will update this post once they have been released. <br />
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<strong>Update</strong><br />
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My Best Picture nominee predictions lined up with the actual nominees perfectly...except for the fact that the Academy went with nine nominees while I had predicted ten nominees. The only one that I had predicted which ended up being omitted from the Academy's list is 'Moonrise Kingdom'.<br />
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We can all look forward to Adele belting out the theme song from 'Skyfall' on the Oscar telecast next month! The Grammy winner is now an Academy Award nominee, as a co-writer of the song.<br />
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I didn't think that it would happen but Quvenzhané Wallis has made history as the youngest ever nominee for Best Actress for her debut performance in 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'. At the tender age of 9, Wallis beats the previous record holder Keisha Castle-Hughes, who was nominated in the same category at the age of 13 in 2004 for 'Whale Rider'. She takes the spot that I had predicted was 2008's Best Actress Ocar winner Marion Cotillard's, for her bold performance in 'Rust and Bone'. Cotillard was already a nominee at the Golden Globes, th SAG Awards and the BAFTAs whereas Wallis was not nominated at these other precursor awards at all (although, to be fair, she was not eligible at the SAG since her movie was non-union). This goes to show that the Academy does make these unexpeted, independent choices on their own will.<br />
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Another record was broken in the Best Actress category today. At 85, Emmanuelle Riva becomes the oldest Best Actress nominee ever for her performance in Best Picture nominee 'Amour'. Jessica Tandy previously held this record, when she was nominated for playing the title role in 'Driving Miss Daisy' at the age of 80.<br />
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Meanwhile, I did pretty badly in the Best Director category, getting only 2 out of 5! The two eventual nominees that I had predicted were Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg. The Academy is usually a fan of actors who emerge as credible directors so it is a bit of a shock that the directors' branch has snubbed Ben Affleck for 'Argo'. Kathryn Bigelow, who became the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar in 2010 for 'The Hurt Locker', was also a shock omission considering the level of acclaim the film has garnered. Perhaps, the controversy surrounding the film's torture scenes and the Senate investigation into the filmmakers' acccess to confidential CIA files made some voters uneasy. Tom Hooper, who won this category just two years ago for 'The King's Speech', was also snubbed for his work on 'Les Miserables'. These three directors' loss were the gains of David O. Russell (perhaps, 'Silver Linings Playbook' is the real threat to 'Lincoln' for that Best Picture Oscar!), Michael Haneke (for one of my personal favourites of 2012 'Amour') and Benh Zeitlin for 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'. This nomination, along with the film's nods in Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay, goes to show that no matter how small your film's budget, you can still capture the hearts and imagination of even the most discerning of audiences.<br />
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For the first time in 31 years, a movie has achieved a nomination in all four acting categories. 'Silver Linings Playbook' sees leads Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence nominated along side supporting players Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver. This is the first time that this has happened since 1982, with Warren Beatty's 'Reds'. This was predicted by some award watchers but it was not a given since De Niro had not been nominated at the Golden Globes or the BAFTAs. Meanwhile, this is the first time that Weaver had been cited by anybody. If you're going to be nominated for just one award, how great that it should be an Academy Award!<br />
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<a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees">Click here</a> to get the full list of nominees!Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-28828667082372957692012-12-21T12:07:00.001-08:002012-12-21T12:17:47.857-08:00How many more...The Executive Vice President of America's National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, held a press conference today, if you could call it that, considering that he gave a prepared speech and refused to take any questions. Mr LaPierre's speech was the first official response to last week's school-shooting tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut from the powerful firearms lobbying group.<br />
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He argues that the media should be blamed for this, with their violent films, television and video games. This may be true. However, there was no doubt that this speech was a disingenuous attempt to point the finger elsewhere. It blows my mind to think that there are actually people out there who agrees with Mr LaPierre when he says that this would not have happened had Sandy Hook Elementary School had armed guards and thus, the answer to our problems is more guns, not less.
Really? So, the fact that there were armed guards at Columbine is moot? What about the fact that the person that Adam Lanza killed first, his own mother, had a fairly big gun collection? That didn't save her life.<br />
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There is no doubt that mental illness played a part in all of this. People with that kind of capacity suffer from a type of emotional detachment that allows them to commit such heinous crimes. What guns allow is the facilitation and manifestation of these people's violent fantasies. Sure, even without guns, people who want to hurt and kill will come up with other ways to hurt and kill but we should not be making it easier for dangerous people to carry out their plans with easy access to firearms.
People need to make a change in the world. What would you rather be - to feel more secured through the possession of guns or to feel safer knowing that nobody owns one?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="285" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/64G5FfG2Xpg" width="420"></iframe>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-62394787775557566422012-12-10T14:35:00.000-08:002012-12-10T15:12:32.860-08:00'Amour' is the word...Today, I took my last exam for the year and it was a nice feeling to be able to breathe again. Whether or not I have passed these two exams that I took this month is for me to worry about another day. The results will come out in February so for now, I will just enjoy the lightness of being that I feel. I decided to celebrate by taking myself to the cinema. What better way to relax and to indulge than seeing a really wonderful movie that will help me to gain some perspective and remove me for my mundane anxieties.<br />
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I had been wanting to see Austrian auteur Michael Haneke's 'Amour' for a while now, ever since it won the Palme d'Or at Cannes back in May. The movie awards season has begun and already, the movie has been stacking up on awards. Emmanuelle Riva, the lead actress, has been singled out for her sublime portrait of the distaff half of an elderly couple living in Paris. We initially see her still vital and enjoying her comfortable life with her loving husband but as the movie progress, we witness her character succumb to old age and the emotional toils of this on her devoted and devastated husband. However, the movie is not simply about the inevitable physical decline that we all face should we be lucky enough to reach a certain age but rather, the movie lives up to its title in the way that we see two elderly people who have been in love for a very long time and continue to be in love with each other right up til the end.<br />
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Needless to say, the movie moved to tears on more than one occasion. I knew that I would be affected by this film and I think that that might have been why I was so drawn to this movie. I wanted to be overwhelmed and I wanted release; an experience that would remove me from my immediate circumstances.<br />
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There is a lot of Oscar buzz for Madame Riva. She has already won best actress awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critic and the European Film Awards. If she gets nominated for an Academy Award next month, she will become the oldest acting nominee ever, at the age of 85. This is all very exciting, especially considering her long, glorious career. After all, she was the leading lady of the 1959 French New Wave classic 'Hiroshima, Mon Amour'. For her to be nominated in over five decades after starring in that cinematic landmark would be a real testament to the view that talent cannot be withered by age. Similarly, the movie's male lead is Jean-Louis Trintignant, the star of such classics as 'And God Created Woman' and 'A Man and A Woman', gives a phenomenal performance that is equally worthy of award recognition. Emotionally rich and intelligent drama does not get much better than this - c'est magnifique!</div>
Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-3594393997161842402012-11-20T03:53:00.000-08:002012-11-20T04:10:55.574-08:00Queen of Silom Soi 2Today, my mother and I had the pleasure of going out to lunch with my dear aunt Pah Maliwan and her friend Pah Naruhnee. I have known Pah Naruhnee ever since I was little as she has been best friends with my aunt for decades and I have always known that she was the landlord of a small commercial area in central Bangkok but it was always very vague to me. We dined at Grand San Yord, which is famous in Bangkok for its tender and sweet roast duck, and being the Ah Mahs that they are, both aunties told me to finish the last prawn dumpling.<br />
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Pah Naruhnee said 'Eat this and you'll end up with a beautiful wife', to which I replied 'But I don't want a beautiful wife'. Without missing a beat, Pah Maliwan said 'Eat this and you'll end up with a handsome husband'. While I have never really discussed my sexuality with older relatives so much, it has been an open secret for a while now but in that moment, for my mother's elder sister, a woman that I have always been very fond of, to acknowledge, without making a big deal out of it, this part of my identity...well, it really moved me. It confirmed what I have long believed to be true; that my relatives in Bangkok love and accept me unconditionally, just as I am.<br />
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After lunch, my mother and I dropped off both aunties. Pah Maliwan was going to her Private Members Club to meet up with my cousins while Pah Naruhnee was heading home. My mother drove us to Silom and as we went past Bangkok's infamous Patpong district, I realised that we were approaching the hub of gay nightlife in Bangkok, Silom Soi 2-4, which turned out to be Pah Naruhnee's turf! She is the landlady for all the bars and clubs patronized by any gay person who has ever lived in or visited Bangkok, locals and expats. As we pulled away, I commented to my mother and aunt that these two alleys owned by their friend are full of bars and clubs. Both of them casually replied, that's correct, gay bars! Good times! Think I might have to visit Pah Naruhnee's hood before I leave Bangkok in a few days. It won't be my first time there and certainly won't be my last!Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-17862300691638694002012-11-14T08:15:00.001-08:002012-11-14T09:24:58.041-08:00Madonna goes Gangnam!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oh, my lord - can Psy's 'Gangnam Style' get any bigger? The answer is yes, apparently! Jumping on the dance pop sensation's bandwagon a few months after it became a viral sensation (the tally for views of the official music video currently stands at over 722 million views and rising!), Madonna had the K-Pop phenom make a surprise appearance at last night's performance of her 'MDNA' tour at Madison Square Garden and it was fucking awesome! Man, all we got at the London Hyde Park show that I went to four months ago was a bit of rain and one half of LMFAO...shaaaaaaaame!!!</span><br />
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<br />Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-71697750842450507612012-10-26T16:00:00.000-07:002012-10-26T16:32:50.273-07:00Knee-deep in history<span class="yui_3_7_2_17_1351292050089_64" id="yui_3_7_2_17_1351292050089_76" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This year, I have taken several day trips, for work, to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Canterbury in Southeastern England. Today was probably my last trip there so I was determined to make the most of it. On previous trips, I would get so busy and snowed under with work that I wouldn't get a chance to visit its most famous attraction - Canterbury Cathedral, home of the head of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury. I have been aware of the significance of this monument ever since high school, when I studied Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales', which is a series of fables told by various characters, all making their pilgrimage from Southwark to the crypt of Thomas Becket, arguably one of the most famous martyrs in the British history, for the way he clashed with Henry II and his murder at the hands of the king's knights.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My colleague in our Canterbury branch Michelle decided to accompany me there. We told them that we worked in the old city centre and that got us free passes. I wonder if this is not simply out of the goodness of the Church's heart but because we already pay so much in another way that free admission was the least of privileges that they could have rewarded us. After all, the Church is probably our landlord, as there are underground tunnels that connect the Cathedral to all the buildings in the vicinity, including our office. It was genuinely eerie when Michelle and I went to visit the crypt of Thomas Becket, known as the matyrdom, where he fell at the swords of the king's knights. All sounds terribly Da Vinci Code, doesn't it?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It might seem like an obvious realisation that I live in a country with such a rich history and it is all around me. I don't even have to go looking for it. I just have to stop, take a moment, observe and absorb it. Amazing!</span></div>
Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-64941567053581364952012-10-24T11:49:00.000-07:002012-10-24T12:00:41.336-07:00A call to paradise?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Yesterday, I was invited to my cousin's wedding in Mauritius in May. When I say invited, I mean, she messaged me on Facebook to tell me about it. Seriously, I hope that we haven't evolved in this digital age to the point where a message on a social networking site constitutes as a legitimate wedding invitation. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">My cousin is from my mother's side of the family so, like me, she is of Chinese Thai descent. It's terribly exciting that she has met a person that she wants to share the rest of her life with and even more exciting that he is from a totally different part of the world and of a different cultural background (he is Muslim and of South Asian descent). </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have never been to Mauritius before and while it is not at the top of my list of dream destinations, I am seriously considering going to this wedding. Obviously, it would be lovely if i could go just to show my support for my cousin. Plus, this island state is a fantastic tourist destination. It is commonly known as the jewel of the Indian Ocean, with its idyllic, unspoilt beaches, developed economy, cultural diversity and political stability.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">However, what draws me to Mauritius above all else is the fact that this was home to the now extinct Raphus cucullatus, more commonly known as the dodo bird. It's strange, I know, but it makes me believe that there is something strange and special to be experienced there...hmmm, it was probably that line of thinking, on the part of 16th century European settlers, that got dodo birds in trouble! It is believed that these almost mythical creatures became extinct once explorers reached the shores of Mauritius, bringing with them cats and dogs, not to mention rats, because they were a flightless bird. Evolution led them to become flightless due to the abundance of food on the island and the lack of predators for a long time. Once predators arrived on the island, they were unable to fly away from danger. The lesson I take from this is that you should never get too comfortable, even if you are living in paradise!</span></div>
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Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-51520928694187807252012-10-17T14:18:00.000-07:002012-10-17T14:52:35.572-07:00Change is growth and growth is great...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Believe it or not, it has been a year since my last blog entry. I feel really sad that I have neglected my beloved blog for so long. This blog has been such a wonderful outlet for me to express myself and it's about time that I return to it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">A lot has happened in the past year and while I don't want to turn this blog into some sort of online journal, I have to say that I am grateful for all the changes that have occurred in that time. Change is growth and growth is great. In the past year, I changed jobs and finally got myself on a career trajectory with really exciting prospects. I am a student again, for the first time in years, and as difficult as it is to balance my studies for my professional qualification while working full-time in a very demanding job, I know that it will all be worth it in the end. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">I moved to a different part of London. After being an SE1 boy for over four years, I am now a SW11 boy and it has been, and still is, a bit of an adjustment. London is such a vast city that there is an infinite supply of new experiences to be had in this city. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">I got to see more of Europe, which is something that I have always wanted to do. I traveled to some awesome cities I hadn't been to before. Barcelona was beautiful. Istanbul was intoxicating. Berlin was seductive. Lisbon was mesmerizing. The best part of it is that there are still so many great destinations that await me...I'm thinking that 2013 might be the year to venture a bit furtur...I'm thinking, Cape Town, Tel Aviv or Rio! </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">I let go of some heavy emotional baggage and officially moved on from the most significant relationship of my life thus far. It took a long time to get to that point...but time heals all wounds.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">The most exciting thing that has happened this year, though, is finding out that I am going to become an uncle for the first time. My future niece/nephew will arrive at the beginning of next year. In a Chandler Bing intonation, could I <i>be</i> any more excited?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Soooooo much change that even I'm surprised as I recall all of these leaps forward. 2012 has been so challenging but so rewarding...and we still have another 10 weeks to go! </span>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-11299789152764097402011-10-21T23:59:00.000-07:002011-10-22T01:20:39.670-07:00There will be flood<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFAWSBlzG8_ovxDYaFu9CMWqosA152yHja45p1kM1mu2JU9QpWjQoWPJy6Cbn3GrmLm4eOEr1aJtQFN_Dsxjg3HGxTxYeCO8Cjyw6p-uaS6OyPpa3pS4JtLTvBnsPTqajSLeNBCf_CyA/s1600/Thailand+flood.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFAWSBlzG8_ovxDYaFu9CMWqosA152yHja45p1kM1mu2JU9QpWjQoWPJy6Cbn3GrmLm4eOEr1aJtQFN_Dsxjg3HGxTxYeCO8Cjyw6p-uaS6OyPpa3pS4JtLTvBnsPTqajSLeNBCf_CyA/s320/Thailand+flood.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666218584769089218" /></a>Thailand is currently battling the worst monsoon season in about 50 years. About a third of her provinces has been affected. As per usual, the Thai government's priorities are to protect the interest of the rich and that means focusing on keeping the floods out of capital, at great cost to surrounding provinces. However, since a couple of days ago, Bangkok could no longer fight the inevitable and parts of Northern Bangkok (including Sai Mai, where my mother lives) are now flooded, with the floods expecting to reach more and more parts of the city.<div><br /></div><div>I remember from my childhood in Thailand being really excited whenever there was a flood because it was like living in some sort of fantastical water world but now, as a grown up, all I think about is how scary this situation is and how much damage it will cause, to ordinary people, to their homes, their livelihood and income, to the economy, etc. I worry about my poor mother everyday even though she sounds like she's taking it in all in stride as she prepares for the inevitable. A disaster like this really accentuates what I love about Thai people - their good spirits. They know that it is a dire situation but all that they can do is try to prepare for it, no matter how futile their efforts may prove to be (there is only so much that sandbags can do), and soldier on...usually with a smile.<div><div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfgf5bnFtvau0fooEpZj8u-JWO5FwMhofnFmeLJLzsdmiPcO74crG6B7Ip3XcpPEQxlR3Xg20U80sfhGjSXJuCAFRW7V893Flh6DPFz3nDFve7R1XV9EmWVN3jDZGJBUu6DMBeq1Mn8g/s1600/sandbagging.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfgf5bnFtvau0fooEpZj8u-JWO5FwMhofnFmeLJLzsdmiPcO74crG6B7Ip3XcpPEQxlR3Xg20U80sfhGjSXJuCAFRW7V893Flh6DPFz3nDFve7R1XV9EmWVN3jDZGJBUu6DMBeq1Mn8g/s320/sandbagging.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666216395402557746" /></a></div><div>It's a crisis that some experts are blaming on the myopia and poor planning of water management officials, government-sanctioned deforestation and reckless urbanization. On top of everything else, you have a government that seems completely overwhelmed and ill-equipped to dealing with a natural disaster on such an epic scale, led by the inexperienced Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (the first woman elected to this office in Thailand, voted in just two months ago, who happens to be the younger sister of ousted former PM and political fugitve Thaksin Shinawatra). </div><div><br /></div><div>From watching all the news footage, I feel this sense of pride about the way the people of Thailand are handling this nightmare situation and their generosity of spirit; the way people are looking out for and helping one another, whether they be friends, family or strangers. Nobody gets left behind....not even that poor little puppy in the video below! The full impact of this monsoon season cannot be measured but what I can be sure of is that Thailand will get through this, as it has before with other tough times. Nobody knows what the situation will be day-to-day, let alone week-to-week but in my heart, I pray that Thailand will be able to put this chapter behind her in the next 2-3 weeks, just in time to come together and celebrate Loi Krathong, which is, ironically enough, a traditional Thai festival that has its roots in the practice of paying respect to the spirits of the waters<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><iframe width="430" height="285" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/P0gRyY2ejS8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></div></div>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-67106002494717472752011-10-20T12:18:00.000-07:002011-10-20T13:28:00.767-07:00Another fallen dictatorBy now, the whole world will have heard the news of the demise of former Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. After 42 years of autocratic rule, the people of Libya are on the path to becoming a democracy. Of course, this all depends on Libya's National Transitional Council fulfilling its promise to hold elections. What fascinates me is the media's eagerness to report the news using graphic images and video footage. Mainstream media outlets around the world, including in the US and UK, have been airing footage of Gaddafi being captured and dragged by Libyan rebels. Not that I have much sympathy for a man who came to power through a military coup and ruled with disregard for civil liberties or human life but all of this jubilant hysteria over his violent death reminds me of the excitement that people expressed back in 2003, when Saddam Hussein was executed, and it leaves me with a sense of unease about the human need for retaliation and tendency for violence.<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQRz8BwjesMyKujchvcgBetdM-aYdQnFD2Ob8Uc8lYEjEbEc5hQHnWuUDVOxDB8ICkf5-Gf3u6vrbn8LVvk2IBaN3uJYhK8_yJba7hsYZluje7MqdR5ay40J9S6CbDr24bXOzvnmpo8o/s1600/22gaddafi01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 420px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQRz8BwjesMyKujchvcgBetdM-aYdQnFD2Ob8Uc8lYEjEbEc5hQHnWuUDVOxDB8ICkf5-Gf3u6vrbn8LVvk2IBaN3uJYhK8_yJba7hsYZluje7MqdR5ay40J9S6CbDr24bXOzvnmpo8o/s320/22gaddafi01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665669445686313970" /></a>I am certainly not above this primal thirst for justice at all costs. I don't feel holier than thou because just like everyone else, I'm glad the man's dead. He was, to use a label that is so incendiary that it has now become absurd, almost to the point of being comedic, an evil dictator - a rotten human being, through and through. However, I feel like those of us who live in the free world need to evaluate our standing as an enlightened people. A part of me feels like there is a lot of poetic justice to the way this atrocious excuse for a human being being finished off at the hands of the very people that he inflicted on much suffering upon for over four decades. As someone who appreciates good storytelling, this is definitely a much better dramatic climax than, say, the way the world had to observe some bogus fair trial after Saddam Hussein was captured before he met his violent fate. Still, we all need to reflect on this moment in history and look to the NTC's next moves to ensure that history does not repeat itself...as it almost invariably does.</div>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-35739720865669691842011-10-17T06:58:00.000-07:002011-10-17T07:45:12.081-07:00Zachary Quinto is gay, proud and HAWT!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPcccJTZ35sZx4kT7sJBMqsMLgrAffkPiMPgcAa68iv7cHgMQl7vAndJ_cjfgsbVXNkLAQK4jDch_G5b94-mmzpLnAEkpQgOP_Q-lwO6TuvA8PoOg4vSD_zxbc7XSdd6Lg9fkzX1WrgM/s1600/Zachary+Quinto.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 290px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664470556904564434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPcccJTZ35sZx4kT7sJBMqsMLgrAffkPiMPgcAa68iv7cHgMQl7vAndJ_cjfgsbVXNkLAQK4jDch_G5b94-mmzpLnAEkpQgOP_Q-lwO6TuvA8PoOg4vSD_zxbc7XSdd6Lg9fkzX1WrgM/s400/Zachary+Quinto.jpg" /></a> Over the weekend, New York magazine published an interview with the American actor Zachary Quinto (Sylar of TV's 'Heroes' and Spock in the 2009 reboot of the Star Trek franchise) in which the star acknowledges what many media outlets, especially those in the gay media, have long speculated - that he is a proud and sexy gay man. Okay, so he didn't call him 'sexy' (I kinda added that coz I think he's a total babe) but he did refer to himself as 'a gay man' twice. I am loving the fact that Zachary Quinto publicly acknowledged his sexual orientation for the first time in such an astute manner - he put it in the context of a greater discussion about the advancement of gay rights and the continued struggle for equality. It was sensitive and incredibly smart as it deflects some of the attention that inevitably comes whenever a public figure officially 'comes out'. He reveals that what prompted him to talk about his political status as a gay man (let's face it - in the world that we all live in, to lead an open life as a gay person is a political statement, whether intended or not) was the recent suicide of American gay teenager Jamey Rodemeyer. Zachary commented on his intention for talking about his private life on his website:<br /><br /><div align="left">'when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself – i felt deeply troubled. but when i found out that jamey rodemeyer had made an it gets better video only months before taking his own life – i felt indescribable despair. i also made an it gets better video last year – in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time. but in light of jamey’s death – it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it – is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality. our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country. gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying. parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance. we are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world. we are at the precipice of great transformation within our culture and government. i believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society – and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action. jamey rodemeyer’s life changed mine. and while his death only makes me wish that i had done this sooner – i am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me. now i can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world. that – i believe – is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other.'<br /></div><br /><div align="left">I'm excited to see how Mr Quinto will be able to affect social change now that he has lifted the veil on his identity. Judging from how articulate he is, I have no doubt that he'll become a refreshing new voice in the advancement of gay rights in the US. In the meantime, let's enjoy this rather odd videoclip of him getting drenched in milk (in reverse motion, no less!) by Tyler Shields from May 2009. Implicit coming out statements don't get more explicit than this!</div><br /><iframe width="425" height="265" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yxwPKxfTx5w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-88266142625786355672011-10-17T06:26:00.000-07:002011-10-17T06:57:24.258-07:00X-Factor loser<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUUF6lq5e5mSGt-qLqDzjZe0Y5RVTP5V3_GneEzq-ki6fK0jElr_iMWTmvDaBb7j_WZZ-H0jZzBxQYhZZFu5LYFlERG4xddYsU1iDouUVZZ7XwP9ng7kMauolytBDvL0joDGom8-PpdY/s1600/Matt+Cardle.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664457451971237490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUUF6lq5e5mSGt-qLqDzjZe0Y5RVTP5V3_GneEzq-ki6fK0jElr_iMWTmvDaBb7j_WZZ-H0jZzBxQYhZZFu5LYFlERG4xddYsU1iDouUVZZ7XwP9ng7kMauolytBDvL0joDGom8-PpdY/s320/Matt+Cardle.jpg" /></a>Poor Matt Cardle, his first single since winning X Factor UK last year (the winner's single that comes out just after the show finishes doesn't count since the voting public's initial euphoria always dies off after the first few weeks) 'Run for Your Life' just debuted at number 6 on the UK singles chart. I predict a speedy slide from the lower half of the top 10 straight down to obscurity. Let's hope, for his sake, that 'From Popstar to Opera Star' comes calling...and fast! This makes me wonder if the current season's eventual winner will end up another Joe McElderry (like our Matt 'ere) or will we finally have another Leona on our hands. I think there's a chance that it could be the latter if the fabulous Misha B wins. Go, gurl!<br /><iframe width="425" height="260" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2EAisPoJ8t0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-1306638393220172002010-08-05T12:20:00.000-07:002010-08-07T02:01:48.693-07:00Burlesque!!OMFG!!! I am so excited about 'Burlesque', the original movie musical that's coming out in America around Thanksgiving. It's going to be Christina Aguilera's big screen debut and it's about a small town girl who moves to the big city to become a star...not the most original storyline but who fucking cares. The movie costars Cher....fucking Cher! Cher won the Oscar for 'Moonstruck'....and don't you forget it!!! I really love that Cher got top billing over Christina, too...it's all about respect!<br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Yea35P8GhU0&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Yea35P8GhU0&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="430" height="285"></embed></object>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-1487992297005160352010-07-08T10:21:00.000-07:002010-07-08T13:30:32.740-07:00Emmy nominations 2010!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.phuckpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/mad_men.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 295px;" src="http://www.phuckpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/mad_men.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Sooooo, it has been a while since my last post....my life has been a bit hectic in the past few weeks but I won't bore you with the details. Still, I couldn't let the day end without commenting on the nominations for this year's Emmy awards, which were announced today. How exciting!!! Well, it is for me, anyway. Some of my favorite shows and tv actors have been recognized and that makes me a very happy chappy. On the drama series side, two of my favorites 'Mad Men' and 'The Good Wife' are nominated are best show while several stars from both shows have been individually mentioned. It looks like it will be a hat trick for 'Mad Men', the reigning champ in the best drama series for the past two years. Jon Hamm and January Jones, as troubled married couple Don and Betty Draper, are nominated in respective lead acting categories while their costars John Slattery, Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss feature in the supporting acting categories. These are the first nominations for Jones and Hendricks. <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.superiorpics.com/pictures2/PanjabiJS1719.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.superiorpics.com/pictures2/PanjabiJS1719.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>My favorite freshman drama series has got to be 'The Good Wife', which has taken the seemingly exhausted courtroom procedural and given it exquisite new life. Its star Julianna Margulies is the frontrunner in the lead actress category so it looks like Glenn Close will not be winning that third Emmy for her ferocious work on 'Damages'. This past third season has been shakey but Ms Close's performance has never been less than riveting. Back to 'The Good Wife' and I am thrilled to see that the show also landed two nominations in the best supporting actress categories for the elegant Christine Baranski and the exciting Archie Panjabi. How awesome is Panjabi on this show? Her tough, cynical, sexually ambiguous but most definitely sexual investigator Kalinda Sharma has got to be one of the most original characters on network television in the US and how refreshing is it to see a performer of South Asian descent be nominated for such a high-profile award in America....and she's a Brit, no less!!!<div><br /></div><div>The two highest-rated first-year comedy series of the past season have been scored multiple nominations. 'Glee' and 'Modern Family' are arguably the co-frontrunners of the best comedy series award, considering that after three consecutive wins in this category and a fourth season that was still hilarious but no longer as fresh or novel '30 Rock' will probably have to concede the throne to a new victor. 'Glee' scored one nominee in each of the four series regular categories it was eligible for. In addition to the phenomenal Jane Lynch, whose creation of the iconic Sue Sylvester surely makes her the frontrunner in the best supporting actress comedy series race, the other acting nominees from the show are male lead Matthew Morrison, female lead Lea Michele (I can still remember seeing each of them perform back when they were rising stars on Broadway) and male supporting player Chris Colfer, whose portrayal of a gay teenager who strives to express his identity beyond confines of the small-minded mentality of his high school is groundbreaking in its own glorious way. Meanwhile, the cast of 'Modern Family's collective decision to submit themselves all in the supporting categories paid off - well, at least for five of the six adult series stars. Poor Ed O'Neil didn't make the cut (I wonder if he would have been better off had he submitted himself as the show's lone candidate in the lead category) in the supporting male category but Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson were all nominated. On the distaff side, the show's leading ladies, Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara, were also recognized in the supporting race.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.newsok.com/television/files/2009/09/Modern-Fam-2-768x1024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 428px; height: 524px;" src="http://blog.newsok.com/television/files/2009/09/Modern-Fam-2-768x1024.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>Other stars that I'm thrilled to see on Emmy's shortlists are 'Nurse Jackie's Edie Falco and 'Parks and Recreation's Amy Poehler. It's some consolation to see Julia Louis-Dreyfus getting a nomination for what turned out to be the final see of 'The New Adventures of Old Christine'. Were there some notable snubs? Yes, I think that after mediocre second and third seasons, 'Ugly Betty' truly had a creative resurgence in its fourth and final season, especially in the latter half of the season and it's a shame that America Ferrara and Vanessa L. Williams found themselves off this year's list of nominees. I am also really disappointed that Courtney Cox-Arquette wasn't nominated for 'Cougar Town', after ten years of being snubbed for her work on 'Friends'. Still, when the bulk of the nominees is so fantastic, a true television fan like myself really don't have much to complain about so I will just shut the fuck up now and switch the tv on!!!</div></div></div>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-47253848503644701022010-06-20T04:42:00.000-07:002010-06-20T04:57:31.967-07:00Uffie - hot new talent!I have been seeing posters for her debut album, 'Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans', for a while now so I decided to check out her new single 'ADD SUV', which features Pharrell. Uffie's sound is raw and playful - it's synthpop electronic hawtness! 'ADD SUV' is produced by Mirwais, who produced Madonna's 'Music' a decade ago. I like the backstory of this girl - she was born in Miami but grew up in Hong Kong and is now based in Paris. I'm intrigued to see how such a cosmopolitan upbringing will inform her music and I will definitely be checking out her 'Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans'.<br /><object width="420" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i4EslTTh6Xg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i4EslTTh6Xg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="420" height="285"></embed></object>Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-65359362323733826942010-06-07T12:00:00.000-07:002010-06-07T12:06:14.128-07:00A 'Splash' of Aphrodite<object width="420" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1jnrjgSxQlU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1jnrjgSxQlU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="420" height="285"></embed></object><br />No, that's not a drag queen - it's the one and only Kylie Minogue. This past Saturday night, Kylie made an appearance at New York nightclub Splash, which is a bit of a gay institution located in the heart of Chelsea, and performed her new single 'All the Lovers' and some other tracks from her new album 'Aphrodite'. Man, I wish that I could have been there....and not just coz of Kylie.....check out the go go boys on stage with her!Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6776712175303730730.post-54707805811683741782010-06-04T10:47:00.000-07:002010-06-04T11:14:12.719-07:00Starstruck by her Disco Stick<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><object width="420" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DmPp_wclQOI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DmPp_wclQOI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="420" height="285"></embed></object></span><br />I went to The Monster GaGa, hosted by the one and only Lady GaGa, with my sister in Manchester last night. It was my second GaGa concert experience. The first time that I saw her perform was almost a year ago, back in London. The first time was a barebones affair with sets that looked like a bunch of GaGa's friends got together and used their DIY tools to produce them. It was also a much shorter set; one that lasted just under an hour. A lot has changed since last July - she's won a truckload of awards (including two Grammy Awards and three Brit Awards), been the subject of an episode of Glee (which puts her on par in terms of cultural impact as Madonna!), been namechecked by President Barack Obama (at the Human Rights Campaign's 13th Annual Dinner back in October 2009) and released the successful companion piece to her debut album 'The Fame'. With 'The Fame Monster', Lady GaGa's expanded repertoire of songs allowed her to put together a much longer show, one that lasted almost two years and it's rather incredible how many hits she has accumulated in such a short time. Above is a clip of 'Paparazzi' that someone kindly recorded and uploaded from the concert in Manchester the night before I went.<br /><br />The show began, appropriately enough, with 'Dancing in the Dark' and it was a rather intriguing beginning to the show - as the curtains lifted, we set GaGa already standing at the top of a staircase on the stage, where she remained motionless for most of the song. Not only were the sets bigger and better, employing lots of hydrolics, there were more dancers and much more costume changes. My favorite song from 'The Fame Monster' is 'So Happy I Could Die' and GaGa performed this number in an ensemble that resembled a wedding dress made from folded film that opened and closed like a lizard. That number has so much beauty in its simplicity and serenity and this was literally heightened when she was lifted up high to create the impression of her ascending into heaven. Another striking moment came during 'Monster' when GaGa and her bevy of bodaciously-built male and female dancers acted out the line 'He ate my heart and then, he ate my brain', resulting in GaGa being smeared with red body paint on her chest.<br /><br />As a live performer, this Lady is pure class and charisma. I am just so awestruck by how someone so young can have such a commanding presence. GaGa's obvious pleasure, comfort and confidence at being onstage and adored by thousands of fans puts the likes of Britney Spears to shame. That she manages to create intimacy that belies the size of the venues that she's performing in nowadays is incredible. That she's a gifted vocalist and musician (she plays GaGa also engages her audience in spontaneous, effortless banter through out the show. I couldn't help but be reminded of Madonna watching GaGa, not because I see GaGa copying Madonna (although we all know that every female pop icon that came after Madonna is indebted to her in one way or another), because both of them embrace the power of image and self-expression and the necessity of projecting all of your dreams and fantasies. My sister and I were on the standing floor and we were literally two meters from the stage. We were on our feet for two hours before she came out and another two hours for the show itself. My feet and my back were aching like mad but I just danced away all the mundane frustrations of daily life and for one night, we were all her little monsters.Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198535673274915083noreply@blogger.com0