Gay Bee

Bang-the-Kok!

Fri, 18 Jun 2004 17:57:54 GMT

Bangkok is a melting pot. Bangkok is touristic. Bangkok is a shopping heaven. Bangkok is wild. Bangkok is naughty. Bangkok is traffic. Bangkok is FUNtastic. Bangkok is hustle bustle.

Jim Thompson House

The tourist things to do:

Grand Palace ( Wonderful, wonderful place)
Khao San Road (The backpackers ghetto. Full of things to buy in the streets and cheap good food)
Boat Trip (through the river of Bangkok and many stops to get off and visit temples in the neighbourhood)
MBK Centre and Siam Square (Another shopping mecca, food court and cinemas)
Jim Thompson House (Cute little wooden house by the river)
Vimanmek Royal Mansion (World's largest golden teak building)
Chatuchak Weekend Market (a good spot to find odd things. Take the sky train to the stop of Chatuchak)
Pat Pong Nightlife (the sleazy bars and sex clubs but also full of street vendors. Off Silom Road. Just wander around into the sois/alleys)
Temples (so many of them!)
Water Festival (during the Thai New Year in April/May. Get ready to get wet all day!)
Ratchaburi Floating Market (so colourful, so lively, so exotic)
Thai Massage (don't go to the kinky ones unless you are horny and desperate)

Ratchaburi Floating Market

Places to get rest:
Khao San Road. There are hundreds of them. Check the rooms first and the noise level
The Oriental, still my fave so far. Love the view and that small nook of restaurant by the river is really something. Besides, it's still a throw stone away from Silom Road, your dirty fave street. hehehe...
The Peninsula. This is really the "creme de la creme" as the French put it. It's not really in the centre but easy to get there by the sky train. And you can also go with that lovely River Shuttle Boat Service. An elegant way to arrive every day. It was one of the best top 10 hotels in the world! hmmm....
Banyan Tree Hotel. Those two towers and those adjunction between the towers. hmmm...and the spa...Voted as the top 3 Best new business hotels in 1998. But you can always go to Babylon too. hehehe...it's close by.

Spots to eat:
Once Upon A Time Restaurant. This is a small restaurant from the old teak house tucked away in Soi 19 off the Phetchburi Rd., near Juladis Tower. Phone: 02/255-4948 . The food is nothing but authentic. Miang kham, a traditional snack of dried shrimp, dried coconut, peanuts, pineapple, chili pepper, and sweet tamarind sauce rolled together in a green leaf, makes an excellent appetizer. Afterward move on to the chopped pork with chili sauce or the beef fillet with pickled garlic. But there are other delicious savoury food as well.
Pan Pan. 6-6/1 Sukhumvit Rd.,Phone: 02/258-9304 or 02/258-5071 . I know this is not Thai, but it's worth it! You feel like eating in Italy anyway. The two branches of this eatery have remained enormously popular for many years, despite the proliferation of Italian restaurants in Bangkok. The relaxed atmosphere in both places invites intimate conversations. The long menu includes such favorites as linguine with a sauce of salmon, cream, and vodka that is a taste of high-calorie heaven, and "chicken godfather," served with a cream-and-mushroom sauce that is disappointment-proof. Save room for the ice cream -- traditional gelato. Other location: 45 Soi Lang Suan, off Ploenchit Rd., 02/252-7104.
River City Bar B-Q. River City Shopping Centre, Phone: 02/237-0077. This is a place where you can be the chef -- a waiter brings to your table a hot plate and a mound of different meats and vegetables. You grill them to your own taste. Order some appetizers to nibble on while dinner is cooking -- the northern Thai sausage is excellent. The tables at the edge of the roof of the River City Shopping Centre have romantic views of the Chao Phraya River.
Eat Me Art Restaurant. Soi Pipat 2 (off Soi Convent). Phone: 02-238-0931, 02-233-1767. Fusion Food. Romantic, modern interior complimented by fine art exhibitions. Inventive, superb cuisine, plus friendly service from owner Darren and staff. Menu changes monthly, with daily specials and choice deserts and cocktails. Handsome waiters and patrons (lots of stars and trendsetters). Rich music selection and occasional live jazz performances.
Street food, noodle places and barbecue stuff everywhere. Delicious!

The Gay Hangout:
DJ Station Disco. soi 2 off Silom Road and the whole alley. Bring your ID and go around 10pm. Finish early!
Telephone Bar. soi 4 off Silom Road and the whole alley. The concept used to be so much fun that there's a phone on each table and you can call to other tables rather than winking all the time and trying to get the guy's attention.
Babylon Sauna. 50 Soi Atthakarn Prasit (near Malaysia Hotel), 02-213-2108. World famous men's complex and sauna. Gym, restaurant, disco, internet access, jazz performances, parties. Facilities including hotel rooms, swimming pool, expanded gym, disco, and fantasy spaces. International crowd.
V Club. 52/1 Soi Aree (Phaholyotin 7, on right side), 02-279-3322. For many, this is the best massage facility in the city. Beautifully designed spa complex with private indoor and outdoor garden areas. Super friendly staff. Facilities include cafe and gym, facial treatment room, massage rooms, floral bath, steam. Sponsors monthly gay trips, contests and charity benefits.

Friends in Bangkok:

Kevin and Hnung. The crazy Irish and Thai bunch! Kevin works in arts and Hnung works in education. Been living in Bangkok for centuries. Spent so many drunken nights of cheap Thai Whiskey and chain smoking and enormous acute hangover and managed to made me stayed without going an inch out of Bangkok. Met them also on a drunken night in Bali, that's why I guess. Lovely people.
Kevin

Libby
Kevin and Hnung's nemesis numero uno. Sarcastic charming Brit gal. Spent some years in the siesta country of Italy (speaks fluent Italian) then moved to another paradise of Bali (where I met her while gossiping about my flashy pants!). My Salsa dance partner (she forced me effortlessly) in Bali and now happily settling down in Bangkok.

Sizzling Sydney

Wed, 16 Jun 2004 19:54:54 GMT

This entry is dedicated to Huzh

Sydney is one of the city that I would love to live in. So vibrant, so comfortable, so beautiful. People are friendly and nice, food are delicious, lovely refreshing beaches, charming art activities, amazing waterfront. Nobody hates it!

Sydney is absolutely the mecca for the sunworshippers and those sexy surfers.

Places to close your eyes:
The Globe Backpackers (Rock bottom price)
W Hotel (High End sophisticated people *just like me*)

My Red Hot adventures:
1. Barbecue and eating oyster at Shelley Beach (further up from Manly Beach)
2. Taking a ferry trip to Manly Beach
3. Eating Meat Pie at Woolloomoolloo
4. Buying rubbish at Glebe and Paddington Markets
5. Watching films at Verona (Oxford St.), Dendy, Palace, Valhalla, Chauvel
6. Eating Indian food and watch a film with cushion around under $16 AUD at Govinda's
7. Sun-tanning at Tamarama Beach (The locals call it Glamourama Beach as some superstar baked themselves there, including Kylie)
8. Open air cinema during summer at Centennial Park
9. Drooling over Hulk bodies at Bondi Beach
10. Sipping fancy cocktails with chill-out tune at Ginger Bar, 3rd floor across from Taylor Square or my favourite Caipiroschka at Opera Bar at Sydney Opera House
11. Slurping Italian Gelato at Double Bay
12. The bay ferry trip to Watson's Bay (a perfect place for suicide) and have the best fish and chips at Doyle's
13. Wandering the neighbourhood of Newtown (the artists ghetto), Oxford St (for the gay mecca), Paddington (lovely houses), The Rocks (for the waterfront), Kensington (for the Indonesian atmosphere), Leichhardt (for the Italian ambience), Glebe (for art-deco houses and student life)
14. Eating yum cha (dim sum) at the top floor of the Market City in Chinatown on a Sunday morning or eating congee at Super Bowl Restaurant in Haymarket st.
15. Searching for inspiration or just laze down and read a book at Botanical Garden

The Artsy-Fartsy me:
1. Sydney Festival (great events, lots of fun and parties too, including hot dancing nights at Darling Harbour)
2. Performance Space (for a quirky, unusual performances)
3. Urban Theatre Project (always up for creativity)
4. Sydney Opera House (what more to say?)
5. Belvoir St. Theatre (for emerging talents)
6. The Glamorous Sydney Mardi Gras (half naked men everywhere. Slurp slurp...)
7. Manly Jazz Festival (lovely jazz tunes)
8. Art Gallery of NSW (big spacious gallery with surprising exhibitions)
9. MCA (always up to surprise you)

The G-Spots:
1. Oxford Street
2. Newtown
3. Paddington

Funtabulous Gay Friends in Sydney:
Budi
He is an art junkie. You can spot him around the Paddington Bookshop, cinemas in the same area. He has a bf (no chance for you guys! or is there, Budi? *wink wink*), he loves books and travelling. My Indonesian partner-in-crime.

Isky
Another Indonesian partner-in-crime. He is in the academic world. He loves films, and art performances and spent most of his time for online dating. ;)

Ian
A retired opera singer who's into movies but still can't get his hands off theatre performances. He is my lunch and movie companion. An Irish who speaks Italian. Currently dating an Indonesian cunt. (that's the way he puts it).

Carlo
An Austrian immigrant who is still single and available. Well...not much available as he is a workaholic! nice sexy body! hmmm....yum yum! He is in the food business. Can't compete with his wine taste.

Simon

A Tasmanian devil and an ex-Rice Queen (who's now into Latino samba hunks). He's happily engaged with a hot latino. Working in arts and used to be my irreplaceable confidant and my arts junkie fellow in Jakarta (I miss you!!). Didn't like Sydney and preferred Melbourne but look where you are now! Lucky Bitch!

A room with a View

Tue, 11 May 2004 03:23:06 GMT

The view from my room in Bologna

A day in Umbria, Italy

Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:21:47 GMT

Destination: Perugia, Todi, Orvieto (Umbria Province, Italy)
Goal: Chasing where the sun is shining
Km Travelled: 450
Coffee: 5 cups
Cigarettes: Too many

1, 2: Perugia 3. Orvieto 4. Piazza IV Settembre, Perugia 5. Piazza del Popolo, Todi

Doing a trip with Paola was so much fun. Lots of laugh. Lots of swearing to crazy drivers and confusing traffic signs.

Meet Paola, an artist, a painter, she lived in Bali for a few years and still considers it as her second home, an Italian who'd rather be travelling outside of Italy. She's my one and only partner in playing scrabble in Italy. She loves dancing, not too much in a club but more into Salsa, Belly-dancing, and those exotic movements. She loves good food and loves cooking.

Romantic Italy

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 01:45:40 GMT

Period: March 10-22, 2004
Places: Venice, Murano Island, Rome, Naples, Capri Island, Pozzuoli, Bologna, Turin

One of the most romantic trips I did. With Steve, a friend from UK. All pics will be posted later. We did have a good time. People say, if you survived a trip together, that will be a good base to build the relationship further. I'm not so sure about this but this trip has been a meaningful one. Enjoyed every second of it.

Meet Steve, he is a civil servant living outside of London. He is a captain of a local cricket group. (Very British indeed). He loves good wine and men of colours. He always looks too serious but I caught him smiling widely in this picture here.

Incredible Istanbul

Tue, 06 Apr 2004 03:17:32 GMT

Istanbul had been in my list for a long time. For two consecutive years I failed to go there. Even I already queued up and camped in at the airport for a week but the cheap flights were always full. I finally made it last year just before the Iraqi war started.

Grand Bazaar

To know more about Istanbul, click my article: Istanbul's vibrant culture

You can't be in Istanbul without trying out the Hamam (The Turkish Bath). Nowadays, the patrons are very strict on gay clientele, so behave yourself! I found the Hamams in Budapest are much more fun though.

All about Hamam!

More Info? Turkey Gay Guide

Meet Onur! This Turkish gentleman was kind enough to give me his spare room in Istanbul eventhough we never met before. Studied film in Ankara, he is now a journalist in a life-style magazine. He took me to the local gay club that I won't forget! All those shaking hips in Turkish techno in a very tiny packed room. No foreigners in sight! Although busy at all times, he always made time to be a good host for me.

Cool Cologne

Mon, 05 Apr 2004 01:10:23 GMT

5 things to do in Cologne:

Sunset by the Rhein River

Visit the Dom. The big humungous imposing giant cathedral that's hard to be missed if you come from the train station.
Drink Koelsch. This beer is served in small glass. One gulp and it's gone. It's hard to get drunk with this refreshing beer!
Walk along the Rhein river while watching the boats passing
Get yourself lost in the "Gay Bermuda Triangle" : BarFlo-Rudolphplatz-ExCorner Bar
Dressed up for the Carnaval in February/March where Koelsch becomes the breakfast, lunch and dinner. Collect as many candies and chocolate from the parade. And sing along with the lousy German Schlager songs.

1. Dom 2. The Rhein River. Photo by Markus 3. Feet by the river

Gay places to hang out:
BarFlo (Cafe), Friesenwall (off Rudolphplatz)
ExCorner (Bar), Schaafenstrasse
Clip (Club), Marsilstein (near Schaafenstrasse)

Meet Markus! An architect turned into a 3-D Animator. German studied in Italy, now living in Berlin. Yes, he speaks fluent Italian. He loves Italian food and Asian men (and the other way around) *wink wink* but he cooks delicious italian pasta. Into Chill-out lounge music.

Nepal and Jai

Sun, 04 Apr 2004 06:20:14 GMT

Lake in Nepal. Photo by Jai Tardido

Serenity, peaceful, equilibrium.

Meet Jai Tardido, Spanish living in Madrid, crazy about Yoga and men. And he's crazy by the way.

Berlin

Sat, 03 Apr 2004 15:34:49 GMT

Berlin in February is unbearable. Cold, windy, snowing. What makes it bearable is the Berlin Film Festival. You can warm up in a packed cinema with other movies freaks.

Sony Centre

What To Do and See:
Botanical Garten, Parliament Building, AlexanderPlatz, Tiergarten, Kreuzberg, Unten Den Linden, Mitte, PotsdamerPlatz and Sony Centre, Checkpoint Charlie, SavignyPlatz, Schloss Charlottenberg, Berliner Dom, Flea Market in Strasse de 17 Juni (Tiergarten), Bradenburger Tor.

Most gay places are concentrated in Schoeneberg (west), Kreuzberg (east) and Prenzlauberg (Northeast).

Gay Places:
Roses Bar, Oranienstrasse 187, Kreuzberg, 21.30-5.00 (Metro: Kottbusser Tor) - Wed, Fri, Sat
Connection (club, sex shop), Fuggerstrasse 33 and Welserstrasse, Schoeneberg (Metro: Wittenbergplatz or Nollendorfplatz)
Schwuz (cafe/museum/club), Mehringdamm 61, Kreuzberg (Metro: Mehringdamm)
SO36 (club), Oranienstrasse 190, Kreuzberg (Metro: Kottbusser Tor) - only every Third Friday of the month is gay.
KitKat (club), Bessemerstrasse 4, Schoeneberg

Have to taste:
Monsieur Vuong (Vietnamese Restaurant), Alte Schoenhauser Strasse 46, Mitte. Try the noodle dish and the tea or vietnamese coffee!

Sleeping Beauty:
Cafe-Pension Amsterdam (hotel & cafe), Gleimstrasse 24, Prenzlauer Berg (Metro: Schoenhauser Allee)
Eastside Gayllery (hotel and shop), Schoenhauser Allee 41, Prenzlauer Berg (Metro: Eberswalder Str)
Gaybed (bed and breakfast), Perlebergerstrasse, Tiergarten (Metro: Birkenstr, Bus 127 and 340)
The Midnight Sun (hotel), Paul-Robeson-strasse 50, Prenzlauer Berg (Metro: Schoenhauser Allee)
Enjoy Bed and Breakfast, an agency with a wide range of room offers across Europe. Very informative!

What To Read:
Zitty Magazine (The 'Time Out' of Berlin) - The Culture Vulture
Siegessaeule Magazine (Gay and Lesbian) - Free
Sergej (Gay and Lesbian) - Free

Berlin Dome. Photo by Mark Viney