tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81175019068672912992011-07-08T09:49:28.757-05:00Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.comBlogger551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-45501499355293295612010-05-19T00:03:00.000-05:002010-05-19T00:03:53.480-05:00

I've never been a very politically-minded person, but if anyone's been to this site lately, he'll notice I've been writing more and more about the political situation in Thailand - something which worries me a lot. Maybe I need to take a break from news reports, but lately the goings-on back home have seeped into my daily life, filling it with discomfort and anxiety - and the desire to speak out

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-38643131238669816692010-05-16T17:20:00.000-05:002010-05-16T17:20:12.424-05:00

As the situation in Bangkok looks bleaker each day, I'd like to share something that made me smile for once. It's a reception speech from an awards ceremony like the Oscar's, and I'm glad Thai celebrities are speaking out: "Because [the role I played] had to do with fatherhood, I'd like to take this opportunity to speak about dads. Dad was the pillar of my household. This household was a large

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-16830366102479347132010-05-05T19:45:00.001-05:002010-05-05T19:46:21.007-05:00

Besides finals, for a lot of my friends the end of the semester also means changes in housing. Since my lease is up in October, I'm on a rather strange timetable compared to everyone else. The plan was that, since I'll be done with school next June and moving on to other things, it doesn't make sense to renew my lease in the city for another year. Instead, I'm supposed to move in with my mom for

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-3751728036758105452010-05-04T15:58:00.000-05:002010-05-04T15:58:45.043-05:00

A quick public service announcement from me: I hope everyone out there is getting regular check-ups for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases! I know it sounds hokey, and I usually have to follow with a disclaimer like "I'm not promiscuous!" because there's a certain stigma that, if you need an HIV test, you're probably sleeping around. This isn't always the case, and if you're holding

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.850033 -87.650052341.59429050000001 -88.1169713 42.1057755 -87.1831333tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-52000898811155452802010-04-29T03:00:00.003-05:002010-04-29T14:05:30.935-05:00

Okay, I lied about going to bed and having no time to blog during finals week. I'm having too much fun right now (this will be my third post in the last hour), and I know I won't be able to sleep for another while anyway.I was going through my old entrees and realized I went for a long while only blogging intermittently. As a result, there's no record of some major lifestyle changes I've made

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-62486985293493053672010-04-29T01:40:00.005-05:002010-04-29T02:04:10.190-05:00

Around this time last year I went out with a guy in the most literal sense of the term - we went out with each other every weekend for about a month. I remember this because one day, knowing I'm an English major, he informed me it was "Talk Like Shakespeare Day," which was, I believe, last Friday. We texted each other a lot back then and, since we never got to see each other during the week, on

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-64203136325580221362010-04-29T01:27:00.002-05:002010-04-29T01:32:54.364-05:00

Hm, my readership's dropped significantly in the past two months....but I suppose that's natural, since I haven't been writing much of anything lately, much less anything interesting.I do have a very feisty post in the works concerning an unfortunate racial remark I had directed at me the other week, but I'm so swamped with final papers and exams I won't be able to tackle it for some time.

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-37518298336511730652010-04-23T14:27:00.001-05:002010-04-29T01:34:32.753-05:00

Last week was Songkran, the traditional New Year of the Tai people, at the Cultural and Fine Arts Center.This was actually my first time participating in any of the traditional Songkran activities, which includes a water blessing ritual, folk dances, and, of course, a potluck.Rinsing of the hands and face is especially important to the holiday, as it symbolizes the washing away of the past year's

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-86246927269761404292010-04-15T04:05:00.000-05:002010-04-15T04:05:40.655-05:00

It's nearly four in the morning and I can't sleep. My mind refuses to turn itself off, a condition I like to call "mental diarrhea." Mostly I'm keeping myself awake imagining hypothetic situations concerning school and work that may or may not ever occur. So to idle away the time, I've decided to list them. I wonder: 1) Whether or not I'll be able to take English 492, the last class I need for

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-8155240633570973812010-04-13T18:32:00.001-05:002010-04-14T14:33:03.131-05:00

Last week my friend "P" was wait-listed for the pharm school of her dreams. This is frustrating enough in itself, but especially so because she's number 30 out of, I believe, two hundred - so close and yet so far away. I posed the question, "Will this school admit P for the coming fall semester?" and charged card 26, "The Book," to represent education. Here are the cards I pulled from left to

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-2871432259403978742010-04-13T00:18:00.001-05:002010-04-29T01:36:21.806-05:00

I'm browsing some opinion columns and editorials about the disaster in Bangkok last Saturday. I don't mean to play the same instrument over and over again, but the situation boggles my mind.Says Atiya Achakulwisut for the Bangkok Post: "Today is the traditional Thai New Year. Deep in our hearts, Thai people may have wished that this divisive chasm of political colours could somehow be dissolved.

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0Bangkok, Thailand13.7234186 100.476231913.0563971 99.54239390000001 14.390440100000001 101.4100699tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-62976863987610978432010-04-12T16:42:00.000-05:002010-04-12T16:42:46.929-05:00

This just in: the Thai Election Commission voted 4:1 this morning in favor of dissolving the current Democrat Party. The reason? The alleged reception of an illegal Bt258 million donation in 2005 from TPI Polene, a cement firm, as well as the misuse of a humungous  government subsidy. The dissolution of the current government is, of course, what the Red Shirts have demanded all along. The

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-43493752814933091412010-04-10T12:04:00.000-05:002010-04-10T12:04:57.381-05:00

Suppose a mob of Illinois’ rural poor decides to storm Chicago to protest the government, whom they see as inattentive to their needs. Invoking their right to peaceful assembly, they converge on Daley Plaza by the hundreds of thousands, forcing major businesses and government buildings within a four-block radius to close. Another massive contingent barricades Michigan Avenue, shutting down the

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-71463558307843881102010-03-28T19:32:00.007-05:002010-03-31T00:09:46.438-05:00

Most people know I made fortunetelling a hobby years ago, but I don't read very often and seldom post about it when I do, since I don't think many people would find it interesting. However, seeing as how I've done nothing but homework this weekend - this entire break, really - and have some free time now, I thought this reading would be fun.I interviewed last week for a paid summer internship at

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-13989247082710364562010-03-27T17:31:00.006-05:002010-03-27T18:36:02.117-05:00

The Roman Poet Ovid, known for his scandalous verses on sex, tells an instructionary tale about Cupid.Cupid's arrows come not in one type, but two: some are sharp and tipped with gold; these induce desire. The others are dull and end with lead; these repel desire and cause repulsion or indifference.With me these arrows never come in matching pairs - that is, both gold or both lead. Instead,

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-59855244911162049662010-03-05T19:22:00.006-06:002010-03-05T19:49:13.471-06:00

Don't worry: I haven't developed a fetish for older men. That's a subset of gay culture I've never participated in. But, there are two celebrity DILFs I'd go for - and one of them might surprise you.1). Christoper Meloni - Law & Order DILFWhat a hunk. Manly, broad-shouldered, wide-chested - yep, Detective Stabler could feel me for weapons, handcuff me, and take me downtown anytime.2). Nigel

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-48131572158986067572010-02-24T00:51:00.004-06:002010-02-24T01:10:22.740-06:00

I'm in a strange sort of funk today: a sort of floating listlessness. Nothing interests me, I can't focus or pay attention, the poems and songs I like don't please, and on top of that I'm completely drained.This is problematic because, for me, tiredness is something I have to earn. I've done very little productive work this week (though I suppose it's only Tuesday): finished a novel, critiqued a

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-8630707786675522092010-02-22T00:44:00.006-06:002010-02-22T16:50:46.038-06:00

It's my third week volunteering with the Thai Culture and Fine Arts Institute of Chicago, and I'm really enjoying it. For once I feel like I'm doing something not only worthwhile but productive and enjoyable. Sure, I'm not great with kids (today's batch was particularly young and disinterested), but at least I'm getting something out of it, and I'd like to think they are, too - even if I have to

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-39702302335965665512010-02-17T14:30:00.003-06:002010-02-17T14:55:30.298-06:00

I don't come from a Catholic - or even a Christian - background, but I love Ash Wednesdays. I like to see people walk around campus with the sign of the cross smudged across their foreheads.We live in an age of such cynicism and anxiety that it's heartening for me to know there are still people with the faith and confidence to believe. Even if their beliefs are different from mine and, in some

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-71903479398394359662010-02-06T19:19:00.003-06:002010-02-06T19:41:28.423-06:00

For a lot of people I know, pad thai isn't just a Thai noodle dish - it is Thai cuisine. To the exclusion of all else, pad thai is probably the most popular, most widely-recognized of Thai dishes in the U.S. today. When my family owned a restaurant, we even used to joke we could survive selling pad thai alone.Although noodle dishes have existed in Thailand since the Chinese brought the art of

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-36798714461985488372010-02-03T00:37:00.008-06:002010-02-03T01:46:13.519-06:00

There's a common joke that HGTV is a gay man's ESPN. For me at least, it's entirely true - I watch marathons of it when I'm at my mom's place. They have the hottest hosts: David Bromstad is the gay community's obvious favorite, but I think Scott McGillivray is dreamy and has amazing hair. (By the way, Scott should model. There's really very few photos of him online. And if he released a sex tape,

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-65940829360025448142010-01-19T14:17:00.011-06:002010-01-19T17:08:12.149-06:00

Thai food is rather vogue nowadays, with even major food chains touting "Thai-style" dishes - Noodles & Co. comes to mind, whose pad thai is actually quite good. This was hardly the case about ten years ago when, even though Thai restaurants existed in some number, Thai cuisine was not yet widely-recognized. These days most people I encounter have at least sampled Thai food; most have favorite

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-4958503478034874702010-01-14T17:45:00.003-06:002010-01-14T17:46:29.314-06:00

Just testing if he actually reads my blog like he says he does. :-)Other readers, please disregard.

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-24564784583332883852010-01-12T22:54:00.004-06:002010-01-13T14:20:07.736-06:00

Is it just me or is saying "I love Asian guys" a terrible way to hit on an Asian guy? For me, it's an immediate turn-off. I understand that everyone has his own tastes and preferences, but announcing it as an opening line strikes me as distasteful and tactless. I don't want to know you're attracted to me because of certain physical features I share with an entire population, or because of some

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-32118665587883733232010-01-09T16:11:00.010-06:002010-01-10T19:45:37.748-06:00

I feel like just last week I was scrambling to complete my end-of-semester projects and wondering what to do with a whole month off. Yet, somehow or other, school starts Monday.One of my professors thought this morning was the opportune time to reveal what book we'd need for his class, suggesting "Your best bet is to pay for expedited shipping." This strikes me a tad insensitive, but I'm trying

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-34752204482987626292010-01-07T17:04:00.010-06:002010-01-07T18:50:30.410-06:00

The cover of Namie Amuro's ninth studio album is symbolic of where the 33-year old celebrity stands at this point in her career. After the popularity of her album PLAY in 2007 and the release of her best hits compilation Best Fiction last year - when the diva performed to audiences of 400,000 people - the reigning queen of J-pop has been unstoppable. She also has no more old material to work with

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-51587704591766120072010-01-03T00:26:00.014-06:002010-01-15T17:35:41.676-06:00

...it pours. Men, that is.In the past week, I have1) been asked out by an acquaintance...and botched things with him....2) because I kissed a guy I used to talk to in front of him. (It was insensitive, but not entirely wrong of me.)3) had a third person develop feelings for me.4) was contacted by the guy from this post after not expecting to hear from him again.Where is all this coming from? At

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-67796353727075712432009-12-27T16:26:00.008-06:002010-01-06T16:18:01.325-06:00

I had a long conversation with a friend last night about post-undergrad plans. He's a TA at the University of Chicago and owns two Master's degrees, so I trust he has a good sense of what goes on in higher-level academic circles and what it takes to get there.The conclusion? Nothing I want to do is going to be easy.Getting into grad school is hard. Getting a job in academia is harder. Writing a

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-56736535563619493142009-12-26T16:04:00.006-06:002010-04-29T14:07:03.751-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice holiday this week. May your family life be far less complicated than mine (see this post).I got dressed up to meet my mom's boyfriend's family, but as it turns out only his daughter and little niece showed up. So, the pressure was off. I wore these striped pants I bought a year ago but had never worn before; they're rather "different" and I've always been too

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-292459535303652122009-12-22T20:10:00.005-06:002009-12-22T21:17:14.332-06:00

Yesterday I decorated my first Christmas tree since I was a little kid. I actually can't remember the last time I did that - twelve, maybe ten years ago?Left to ourselves my mom and I don't do anything for Christmas, but now that she's dating an American man we're slowly getting acquainted with his family's traditions. Yesterday they went out and bought an actual tree from a tree farm. I've never

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-73214813426470038162009-12-18T18:07:00.013-06:002010-04-29T14:07:58.881-05:00

If you head into Chicago's gay district going north, you're welcomed by Spin nightclub, a three-story brick building on the corner of Belmont and Halsted, the ostensible gateway to Boystown. They host a very popular dollar drink night on Wednesdays that I attended once or twice over the summer - as you can see from the awful picture of Jeffrey and I on their website - but lately they've

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-18172030997361692862009-12-18T15:40:00.011-06:002010-04-29T14:08:33.519-05:00

I have a confession to make about this blog: I draft nearly all of my entries.No one else I know does this. You keep a personal blog to write what's on your mind - spontaneous, free-from, uninhibited. You don't worry too much about composition.That said, I can't write this way, especially knowing other people will read my posts. Because I'm an English major, I always have elements of craft in

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-83888308798713300692009-12-17T20:23:00.008-06:002009-12-21T15:24:05.693-06:00

I'm feeling lonely in spite of myself.I blame these long winter evenings - 4 p.m. looks like midnight a week before the solstice, when the days start getting longer again.School's also out for the holidays, so my friends are spread all over now. Most of them went home to the suburbs, but since my parents divorced earlier this year, my mom moved to Chicago, and I got a place in Pilsen, on

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-42615458186034176222009-11-21T03:28:00.004-06:002009-12-19T16:14:03.327-06:00

Sometimes being gay and Asian means a lot of nights watching white boys neck each other.Went to a small get-together of gay guys tonight, most of whom I did not know. Of the two that were my friends, one was on a date and brought the day's catch with him.As if the cards weren't already stacked against me, I came down with strep throat earlier this week and my doctor gave me a ten-day antibiotic

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-41828525776402202782009-09-08T20:59:00.002-05:002009-12-21T15:25:08.178-06:00

Have not been blogging lately. (Clearly.)Not sure why...but hiatus for now.

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-68305650146394442512009-08-16T22:05:00.003-05:002009-12-19T16:21:18.822-06:00

Tata Young is Thailand’s debutante on the international music scene. The daughter of a Thai woman and an American man, she broke records in her homeland when she debuted at age 14, selling 1 million copies in less than five months and earning herself the title of “Golden Girl.” In 2004, she signed with Columbia Records, a label she likes to remind everyone she shares with singers like Beyonce.

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-39395989574480723592009-08-13T02:33:00.003-05:002009-12-21T15:25:31.721-06:00

Don’t drink and drive. A car ran the light while I was going through an intersection. Boom. Feet off the gears, hands off the wheel. Floated across the street. Police lights flashing. The OnStar program responded faster to the situation than I did. “We have just received notice that your vehicle’s airbag was depoyed. Are you hurt? Would you like us to call

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-32019649458539991862009-08-12T15:36:00.005-05:002009-12-19T16:26:00.455-06:00

Someone just tried to break into my condo in broad daylight while Stevie and I were both home. Embarrassing thing is, he got the window open while I was awake and in the room. It was 11 am on a Monday and I was on the phone with Pam at the time: Pam: Thai, are you sleeping? Me: No, I just woke up. The people next door are doing some sort of work outside. There’s a hose out there and sometimes

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-63250308725332807032009-07-23T16:39:00.004-05:002009-12-21T15:25:59.176-06:00

Her husband had been a high-ranking officer in the Thai military. As a result, she possessed a title like “Lady.” Given her family connections, I heard she read for a handful of politicians, and even once for an African queen on a trip to the Kingdom. But despite all this, the kindly old Lady before me did not have the air of a minor celebrity, or even that of a general’s wife. With her puff of

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-35131157067193982672009-07-22T15:43:00.002-05:002009-07-22T15:46:07.499-05:00

I’m glad Korean popstar BoA Kwon’s American debut is doing well enough to merit another music video. Unfortunately, the song they chose - “Energetic” - is my least favorite track off the album. The title is somewhat misleading. For what’s supposed to be a high-energy club track, the song is rather slow and repetitive, with the chorus droning monotonously in the background like a robot (“I’m

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-7721254381650036382009-07-22T14:51:00.004-05:002009-12-21T15:26:21.870-06:00

Everyone’s buzzing about today’s solar eclipse - apparently, the longest eclipse of the century. In my astrological circles, people are cashing in their interpretations of the event. (See here and here.) “How’s the eclipse effecting you?” is the hot topic. If I were to get into this discussion: The eclipse fell within a degree of my natal Moon. They say transits to the Moon correlate with

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-62973894571455346062009-07-14T14:08:00.003-05:002009-07-14T14:30:37.180-05:00

Cost of summer tuition: $1,500Cost of online homework passcode: $60Cost of I-Clicker device: $25Cost of lab manual: $12Dropping Chemistry: Priceless.Now if I could find a job...

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-83124750024427044112009-07-09T20:11:00.003-05:002009-07-09T20:44:08.722-05:00

Remember Prince Charming? He and I have been hanging out lately, and I've got to say I'm surprised how much we have in common. At the very least, I don't know anyone else who gets quite as excited about Mesopotamian artifacts, or who can discuss the Aeneid, Book IV, having read it in Latin. Gay and nerdy: just the kind of friend I need.I remember how intimidated I was when we first met.

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-13554156239047233352009-06-16T14:54:00.012-05:002009-12-21T15:26:43.026-06:00

I was the last person out of Chem lab today, and we weren't even doing anything particularly hard. Just a review of unit conversions and significant figures, but I haven't done math like that in almost 4 years (the semester of pre-calc I took my first year doesn't count). I was definitely out of my game, and it showed: with all those numbers swimming around, it took me twice as long as everyone

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-25089805786809059462009-06-09T00:18:00.007-05:002009-12-18T15:17:15.902-06:00

When I was in high school, I did a lot of LGBTQ youth activities. Ostensibly the other kids and I went to learn about safe sex and coming out in a supportive environment...but I suppose most of us just wanted to get laid.With that in mind, I decided to check out the youth program at Center on Halsted. I debated for a while whether or not I'm getting too old for this type of thing, but figured it

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-7315985571879923082009-06-06T18:25:00.005-05:002009-12-21T15:29:14.094-06:00

Hey everyone,I've been settled at my new place for almost a week now, and finally got wireless up and running this morning. It was actually a simple procedure, but I'm rather proud of myself. Last time I tried hooking up my Macbook to the home network, I ended up crashing the system. Someone had to come fix it. I was worried I'd have a repeat, but things went by without a glitch.I have to say the

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-73781719822823346462009-05-25T17:44:00.016-05:002009-12-21T15:28:51.931-06:00

Those familiar with the hilariously-inappropriate Sesame Street spoof Avenue Q will have heard the song, "What do You do with a BA in English?""Four years of college and plenty of knowledge have earned me this useless degree," the song laments. "I can't pay the bills yet, 'cause I have no skills yet. The world is a big, scary place."If I weren't facing the same predicament, I may find the song

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-22580235722311363772009-05-21T17:50:00.008-05:002009-12-18T17:53:23.913-06:00

The other night, a Vietnamese friend and I went to grab a drink in Chicago's gay neighborhood. As the two of us walked down the strip, I heard someone mutter "Gaysians" to his friends. I was mildly annoyed but dismissed it as an isolated incident. However, not even 10 minutes later I heard similar comments from other people passing by. I was taken aback. It was as if being both gay and Asian was

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-64700815671582041142009-05-01T14:54:00.008-05:002009-05-02T18:28:47.717-05:00

I spotted Prince Charming having dinner in the cafeteria yesterday. I was sitting in another section though, so he never saw me, and of course I was too nervous to go say anything. (Well, actually, I've been under the impression he's not altogether interested in getting to know each other, so I decided to make myself scarce.) Immediately after dinner, I went upstairs to a friend's room and

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-61837062445099775842009-04-18T01:30:00.009-05:002009-12-21T15:28:29.785-06:00

"You and I have nothing that is ours," my mother said tonight as she drove us home from campus. Her eyes were fixed on the highway, but in the dark I knew she let a soft tear fall. "Remember it: as long as your father has a stake in things, that woman has a stake in it too. So I have to do this."She paused to wipe her cheek before resuming. "What have I gained from him? Nothing. Only losses,

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-28615759124957264262009-04-13T23:37:00.005-05:002009-04-14T01:27:32.956-05:00

Zeus comes into my room looking dejected."Your mother's getting ready to leave," he says. "She's already started packing."I don't know what to say, so I ask, "She's already home from work?""Not yet, but her luggage is out. She's started packing her things."I shake my head lightly and stare at the computer screen. "I don't know anything," I say. "Nothing at all." And this, for the most part, is

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-82695322177466351112009-04-13T00:15:00.014-05:002009-05-25T16:41:23.677-05:00

I don't usually have a hard time making new friends, except when it comes to making gay friends. I get all nervous and paranoid - probably because asking a guy to hang out on platonic terms resembles so closely asking a guy out on a date.Case in point: I met the cutest guy at my friend's birthday party this weekend.That someone new was at the party is remarkable in itself; that he was also gay

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-20528941701431953552009-04-12T12:45:00.020-05:002009-12-21T15:28:06.195-06:00

"All men owe honor to the poets - honorand awe, for they are dearest to the Musewho puts upon their lips the ways of life."- Odyssey VIII, Fitzgerald trans.I sat in a faded plush chair opposite Professor W in her messy office suite. A fan sat whirring softly on a stack of hardcovers on her desk, barely disturbing the pile of papers she left lying on the floor.Our conversation turned to Homeric

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-18647809494883057262009-03-25T12:32:00.008-05:002009-12-21T15:27:15.503-06:00

Not long ago I was taking the #8 bus to Boystown when I noticed a girl beside me speaking Thai. We got to talking, and the topic turned to when we'd go home next. She said she was waiting another two or three years until she got her degree. I told her I might go back next year - for my ordination. In fact, my mother had mentioned the topic about a week prior, and the plans were still fresh on my

Best Fictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334174123270627738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117501906867291299.post-10702009449305830972009-03-22T14:57:00.005-05:002009-12-21T15:27:36.516-06:00

I'm an unlikely candidate for interesting and intrepid blogger.After all, I'm just your average undergrad trying to make his way through life. I don't live under any strange circumstances - that is, if the world we live in is not "strange." I'm not famous. But I've always found people interesting, even (especially?) the ordinary ones. You don't have to be a celebrity or work a hazardous job to

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