Exactly a year ago, I was at the HK International Airport, excited about my trip to Bohol.
Today, I'm not even sure of my itinerary yet. Enan has already left. Dan and Steve are leaving tonight. My other friends have already packed and are just killing time. My itinerary hasn't been confirmed. Ugh!
So help me God.
It was the 13th of December. With clear skies and a thousand participants, the first-ever Pride March of Hong Kong was realized. And with much pride and some feathers, I was there, taking part as the gay men and women of Hong Kong marched their way from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai and made history.
Everybody, genuflect. It's the Pride flag.
Dan said, "If you wanna attract attention,
Crowd was too thick, it was difficult to find me at certain times.
A Pride card for La Rems. On it, I wrote --
Birds of a feather
The silk rainbow flags prepared by Eric of Fruits in SuitsThe past month and a half can probably be chronicled as my busiest 6-weekends-in-a-row for 2008. Novem November 8 "Huh?!" He seemed to be disappointed. He probably thought it would be an afternoon spent exclusively for us two. "Christy." "Whaaaa?!?! Get that bitch over to my place!" He sounded more excited that he was two minutes back. By sunset, I had to leave and meet up with T. I spent that next few hours at his place, trying to catch up on sleep but excitement won me over. We'd been invited for dinner at his Italian neighbor's place. Who wouldn't be excited? Italian. That meant a splendid full-set meal. And boy, was I not disappointed! November 15 started with me and my anak, Jethro running around my flat like goats trying to flee castration. It was Vol November 22 was when, for a few hours I thought I didn't want to be a rockstar anymore. That time, being a groupie started to seem more appealing to me. It was the night of the Party that a good friend, Brad Schofield, had organized for a quaint but sophisticated restaurant on Gough Street called Palate. It was also the night I had been too excited about for many days --- Hed Kandi night at Club JJ's. I almost decided not to go to either party for so many reasons. But that's another post altogether, so allow me to digress. The Pa The November 29 December 6 (Around 2AM) Rye: Chardonnay? T: Sure. Rye: What time is it anyway? T (teasingly): It's the time you normally would only be starting to have fun on a Saturday night. Rye: Oh! By now, I would guess, the guys are drunk already. T: You would be too if you were out tonight. I would be too if I was out that night. But I wasn't. I had no internet connection and my phone was disconnected. I was neither dressed in my clubber outfit nor in my champagne-and-strawberries smarts. I was in faraway Tung Chung, totally disjointed from the islands that lie beneath the boundaries of Lantau. I was in my boxers and robe. All I had was a half-empty bottle of shiraz, a fresh bottle of chardonnay, a can of beer, some crisps, the complete first season of Lipstick Jungle and T, whose arms kept me warm all night. I was having more fun than I thought I would, sitting my Saturday through than dancing it away on oblivion. There was no party I'd rather be than were I was.
ber 1
was the day Dan, I and a couple of other friends brought our beloved ex-flat mate to the airport. Mamu was flying back to Manila after his stint here in Hong Kong --- another landmark in my HK lifeline, since it was the end of our 3 and a half years of bahay-bahayan. It was the final "Bye! I love you, Dan & Rye!" that he exclaimed as he was getting in the immigration, that marked that finality. It was, however, that finality that marked the beginning of yet another long, rocking night. As soon as Mamu disappeared from our sight, Dan and I wiped the miss-you-already tears off our eyes and took the bus to the city. Lugging our weekend getaway bags and looking forward to a very promising evening, we showed up at Law's doorstep where the rest of the guys were waiting for us. Forty minutes later, we were already being frisked by the bouncers that guarded the door of Cliq. Another Saturday night that went by unnoticed, because we were busy dancing our butts off to the music of DJ Chris and DJ Thomas C of Party Demon.
started rather early. Even before the clock went past the thin red midnight line, Enan, Steve, Law & I were already painting the town pink. Around 3am, all four of us headed to Law's for some sinigang then we evacuated to Steve's to continue on with our intimate bonding. We couldn't abuse Law's hospitality because we didn't want to wake his parents (whom we were to have lunch with that day) who were visiting from Manila and were dead-tired after spending a whole day at Disney. After a while, Enan got tired and slept. So did Steve about three hours later. I tried to keep my eyes shut so I could eventually succumb to sleep, but it never came. It was 10 in the morning when I got a surprise sms from a good friend, Christy. She wanted to meet up for coffee. Wasting no time, I hurriedly put on the same clothes I wore the previous night and hailed a cab that brought me to Central. Later that afternoon, I got a call from James and he invited me over to his. "I have company though," I warned him.
ume's 2-year anniversary, and we were putting together the perfect outfit for the night. The three perfect outfits for the night: the cocktails ensemble, the costume, and the after-party attire. After cutting the low-turtleneck of one of my most antiquated articles of clothing into a low-V, he laced the boots that he wanted me to wear after the show and packed them in my bag. Then I set off for Central, trying to get there before my 4pm-call time. The last run for the release of DJ Stonedog's Rainbows finished a few minutes earlier than scheduled. That meant that drinking started earlier than anticipated as well. By midnight, as we were going up the stairs to the dressing room to change into our Rainbows costume, I was already a few kilometers ahead of tipsy. Lucky, we got through the whole number blunder-free.
late party was fun, because it gave me (and the rest of the familiar guests) a chance to interact in a totally different atmosphere. It wasn't too late in the evening and people were sharply dressed, so there was very little drunken talk, if there ever was any. The crowd was neither too big that people were encouraged to shove one another to get to the bar or to the john; nor too little that people were encouraged to talk things less sensible than rumors. By midnight, T and I walked up the hill to Dragon-I to catch the Hed Kandi shuttle that would take us to the Grand Hyatt. But after two minutes of looking around, the impatient Virgos that we were just decided to take a cab. As soon as the Club JJ's lift opened, I was just shot with extreme gladness that I didn't give in to my bratinella attack. I would've regretted it for months had I decided to snub the Hed Kandi party. Duh! I was a fucking groupie for the night, for Chrissakes! I (and T) drank from the Hed Kandi Moet bottle and partook in their refreshments. Thanks to the graciousness of our dear friends, James and Noel who led the team to make that event possible and oh-so-fucking-successful!
gaiety started on November 27, the KylieX night. It was Law's birthday weekend. Enough said. (P.s. I didn't like KylieX. But, again, that's another entry altogether. So moving on…)
was the day I sat Saturday through, for a change. An excerpt:
December 1 is World AIDS Day.
This year marks the first-ever official gay pride celebrations in HK.My Facebook status today reads:
"Rye Bautista, in exactly a month from today, shall transform from a hyena to a human being."
Hey, partyphiles and rockstars!
It's time to give back to the community and show some lovin'! Come party and get smashed for a cause tonight, July 4 (Friday) at Club JJ's Grand Hyatt (1 Harbour Road, Wanchai).
For the $280.00 that every person pays at the door, he gets 1 complimentary Cointreau drink and donates $100.00 to AIDS Concern. Not bad, right? See, if you come in a group of 5, then your gang's accumulated group donation will be $500. Do you know how much help that will be to the organization's cause? I don't. But I'm pretty sure it will go a long way. Now imagine if there were 500 of us who came. 500 x 100? Steve, please do the math.
This weekend is gonna be the first that HK will get to see the clear skies again after about a month of nonstop downpour. Everyone I know is just excited. Some have even gotten their weekend all planned out --- party from tonight on till tomorrow morning. Then beach. Then party again tomorrow night until Sunday lunch time. Then beach again on Sunday. Then Happy Hour at FINDS on Sunday.
Sweet life!
To some of the people I know who are part of the demographics that would spend the weekend as described above, I wish you loads of fun. This video is for all of you!
Enjoy the party, rockstars! *wink*
on the menu --- Keith's favorite Filipino dishes:
bistek tagalog;
ginataang sitaw at kalabasa with shrimps;
chicken adobo;
inadobong baboy sa patis;
and lots and lots of San Miguel Pale Pilsen
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with Josh & Nick after the 2pm LK show
with Keith in a tiny red tank top and pouting Antonio
Dan & I with the two Andies
May 10 at the gayest place on earth
__________________
(see the karaoke post here)
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Sunday 10am-6pm
Floatilla
[Comment of the day: "You skinny bitch!"
-to Rye from different fags. Flu virus, anyone? ;-)]
minutes before getting on the boat, without a drop of alcohol in our bodies.
halfway to the Cheung Sha rendezvous.
Miro had changed into what was known that day as the showstopper outfit,
and a number of us had started taking our shirts off,
while some started feeling seasick
the lei --- the official Volume boat accoutrement
having a drink at the lower deck,
where one went if he wanted faster access to the john.
and to the bar.
the floats
the plan was to half-submerge my body in the water for pictorial purposes...
...until we got pulled into the water
Jethro and I starting to feel the buzz.
We had just gotten back from another boat where I was forced
(in an attempt to look cute to my crush for the day) to drink shots of tequila.
When the lesbians started swimming to our boat,
I started teasing the guys, "Mahiya naman kayo!
Mas hindi pa takot sa tubig yung mga babae kesa sa inyo!
(You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! The ladies are even less afraid of the water than you!)"
Few minutes later, with the aid of a floater,
Dan & Gil managed to paddle themselves 5 meters away from our boat.
Dancers. Bakla. Baklang dancers.
Where was I when this photo was taken?
Trying to convice myself I wasn't drunk.
And wondering what the food they served tasted like.
At 5pm, with no solid food and 2 liters of vodka in my system.
And the best triceps award goes to....
Our boat reservation for floatilla has been confirmed and paid for; Orders have been placed; Shift changes --- approved; Beach towels, Speedos, sunscreens and tanning oils --- packed; Cameras --- charged; Diet is working out right... Baby, we are ready to rumble!
from Disney Gayday 07: Julius, Xiao Fei, Hok Leung, me & Dan
Floatilla 07, sailing to turtle island: James & me 
Floatilla 07 on board the Gay Invaders Boat 1: James, Tony, me & Julius
