Tag Archives: Brazil

Desafinado

Well today has been an easy day. Nothing strenuous or stressful. All rather pleasant. Didn’t go to the shore, even though Chaz called at 9:00 this morning. Too late, we would hit traffic and Chaz had to get back early to take his pal Andy Bear to the airport. So that was a wash out, figuratively. Still a lot of people away from Hoboken today, most stores closed for the holiday.

Right now there is a party a few buildings away and they’re singing a karaoke version of Blitzkrieg Bop. I guess it’s near impossible to sing it badly, but they’re giving it a go. A polite round of applause as they now launch into Won’t Get Fooled Again.

I’m sitting next to an open window, hearing it all as Lord of The Rings is playing behind me. The last one, Return of the King. I started watching the deluxe editions last night, stopping half way in the second one and starting up again this morning. It’s been that kind of weekend.

Today I went into the city, to Sao Paolo it seemed as today was Brazil Day. Lot’s of Brazilians and their admirers on Sixth Avenue from 43rd up to 56th Street. Crowded, lot’s of people everywhere. Live entertainment on a big stage so if you wanted to walk up Sixth Avenue you had to walk up Fifth Avenue to 47th Street.

It thinned out, going from thousands to hundreds. Lot’s of sexy people out. I decided to make my way up to Central Park. Walked to where the trombone quartet was playing last week, finding them to be a trio this week. Their duffel bag was filled with singles, though they probably could have used some Euros since there were plenty of European tourists around.

Wandered over by the skate circle, wished I could skate, but it’s too late for that. Should have tried it a long time ago, now I’d be afraid of falling and breaking something, or worse yet, looking like a quadragenarian learning how to roller skate.

I pass them by all the time when I ride my bike. There they are on roller blades, arms and legs akimbo. Walked back through the park after listening to some very fine disco, through the Brazilian crowds back to the Path train where I lucked out and snagged a seat after walking around most of the afternoon.

Bill’s home asleep for a few hours, I watching the end of the Lord of the Rings, captivated which is keeping me from finishing tonight’s entry. I know how it ends so I’ll just keep writing. It’s just that it’s the deluxe edition with extras so I’m constantly hearing scenes that aren’t usually broadcast on TV.

The karaoke quieted down, crickets chirping. They’ll be around for a few more weeks I guess, the crickets. Unless they’re still doing the karaoke and if that’s the case, this is quite possibly the best version of a Buddy Holly song with some very convincing Crickets.

Mystery Dance

Just got back from Manhattan. Just wandered around, stopped by Farfetched saw Lois and Harpy. It’s funny, usually when I go there it’s often Harpy by himself. Today Lois was there and I love Lois but it was like there was no cutting up while Lois was running the show. Lois, I guess plays the more mature role, the schoolmarm. Susan I suppose would be the hip teacher and Harpy plays the role of Karen Valentine, the substitute or rather, the student teacher. It was a nice chat with the two of them, Lois asking about various people in my life, who happen to be going through tough times of their own.

After that I wandered over to Whiskers, the holistic pet store and visited with Kathe, my former next door neighbor in Weehawken, also Chaz’ estranged wife. It was great to see Kathe, it had been a number of months. She was glad to see me as well. But it being a nice Saturday afternoon everybody seemed to be shopping for holistic items, lambs lung and other disgusting items that dogs like. Too hectic to hang out so I said good bye, agreeing to meet for a drink sometime one day when she’s not working.

Before I went into the city I watched Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. I saw it when it came out in the theaters and I liked it but didn’t get most of it, one of the first instances where there was so much going on, on the screen that I couldn’t figure out or even remember different parts of it. The first Lord of the Rings movie was the same. So much going on, but seeing it years later on video made me ask where was I when I first saw this in a theater?

Cloverfield was the latest movie, though I think it would be better to watch it on a TV since it was filmed on a digital camera. Watching it on a big screen was a little too much. That bothered Pedro when I told him about the movie after I finally saw it, weeks after he saw it and months after I originally hyped it up. He really wanted my opinion and all I could say was I’d rather wait for the DVD. It would be better to watching it on his giant flat screen TV in Otisville.

Tonight is the infamous Black Party at Roseland in midtown. It’s a 36 hour bacchanal,and for me occasionally tempting. But I always remind myself that it is nothing but club music and I generally dislike club music. That would be hell for me, though when in the act, I’d rather hear something I don’t know. But me and club music? Forget it.

One blog that I read had an article about the Black Party, the blogger had gone a few times already and posts something about it every year. This year while hyping it, he followed that entry with one about HIV infections being up 48%. Now there’s a reason NOT to go.

Potential anonymous sex with a thousand men? Hmmm… and even if you don’t get HIV there are a few other STD’s that you might catch. Not to mention the headache of club music. I don’t know what it is, but I am out of step with most of the human race and definitely out of step with most of gay men. I don’t dress like them, I don’t listen to the same music, I don’t go to the same bars. Just about the only thing I have in common with them is a predilection for play mates of the same sex. And it’s always safe, by the way.

It’s always been like that. From the early 80’s when I was attending meetings for the Gay Activists Alliance of North New Jersey or GAANNJ, even though I tried, I just couldn’t connect with my fellow gay men on a social level. True, I was young and impetuous and they were in their 30’s and 40’s but there was nothing at all that could form a bond. I never really talked to anyone, they didn’t talk to me. I would sit in the back and listen to whatever was going on, close to the exit.

It was there that I first heard of AIDS, in 1982 when it was called GRID, or gay cancer. But no one asked my name and I didn’t ask for theirs. I am usually the invisible man at gay bars, that is when I actually go. I’m often ignored by bartenders. It generally provides me with a reason never to go back to that particular bar again, only I rarely go to bars these days. Maybe once or twice a year.

McSwells was a cool bar, listed in the Gay Yellow Pages back then as a gay/straight bar and it was. Most of the guys there were gay, and there was some cliquishness but overall it was a friendly spot. Never had any hook ups there, by the end of the night we were all more interested in getting party supplies to the after party. I started out going to McSwells for the music, and while it was the main reason, at some point I was spending more time socializing in the front room rather than the back room where the music was.

Still I am a gay man and the LGBT are my people. I will march with them or cheer them on and stand with them should the need or outrage arise. I am also part of the generation of LGBT people that have buried quite a few friends.

And here is my gayest look for Jay Leno
my-gayest-look-002a.jpg
cut n’ paste
http://www.mygayestlook.com/