"Here come the grooms, both dressed in suits..."

Growing up, much like other young girls that I knew, I used to think of what it would be like to grow up, get married and have kids. I'd dream about what I'd wear, what music would be playing in the cathedral, and how many people would be at my decked out reception afterwards to celebrate and congratulate me and my beautiful newly wed bride.

As I got older, I realized that I'm not into having a bride. Hell, I don't like girls at all, other than to hang out with. Then on one destined night at the age of 19, me and two of my dearest friends (girls) were having a deep talk under the chilly September starscape. A lot of it was geared towards the topic of weddings and marriage.

As I grew more and more introverted throughout the conversation I was urged to speak my peace. And that I did. "I'm gay!" I blurted out in a frenzy, as tears welled in my eyes. For the next 2 or so hours as we stayed up in an old elementary playground engulfed by the night, I felt different, I felt comfortable, I felt relieved, but most of all I felt free.

The next morning, my perspective of reality had hit me. 'Holy shit, I'm gay, my secret's out, there's no more hiding from here on in'. What that meant to me was that I could no longer have my fantasy wedding come true. 'Faggots don't get married and have kids,' I told myself, or rather, drilled it into my head, 'they aren't normal people, they're a shameful subculture hated by the rest of society'.

Well here I am almost 7 years later, but now with a much different perspective. I find myself in a country that has opened it doors to all cultures, and all aspects of life. I find myself a proud, gay man with the freedom and the right that every other human being has. And what that right is, is to live my dreams!


PS - I'm not getting married... yet.

The Chain Reaction Whistler

Why is it that when someone starts whistling, someone else will also begin to whistle. Its almost as if they're trying to compete with you, they'll whistle a more popular song, or an abstract one, really loudly. Isn't there some kind of etiquette to this? Shouldn't the person who whistled first get the play time. Or perhaps they do it to discreetly say, "shut up, no one wants to hear you whistle, listen to me and see how annoying it is for yourself!".

I think that if the person began to join me and whistle the same tune... now that'd be cool. A whole band of whistlers uniting in a delightful chorus! How sweet it would be.

The Finals Part I: Closing the symbolic door.

Here goes... my final travel blog. In pieces. Its way too long, nor is it 100% complete to put it all into one entry. Thing is, I started writing it a couple days after I got home. Actually I even started writing some of it while I was still traveling. So its going to have different perspectives.

At first I wanted to put it out straight away, but now I'm scared that once I put it out its all over. Time to move on. Well, I already have in some ways and in others its just so difficult to let it go. However, I don't want to be branded the 'guy who won't shut up about that time he went traveling.' I gotta stop dwelling on it and make some new memories.

Geez, after that build up this blog better be damn good. Well, tough shit, its not.





Daily Tracking: October 13, 2003 - March 12, 2005
Below is a list of the various cities and countries I went to. I actually spent some real time in these places, if I were to list each and every little town that I passed through or had a rest stop while on the bus, the list would be doubled. Some places are listed more than once because I had to either back track or because I chose to return. You'll notice Bangkok on there 7 times, I think in total I spent at least 16 days there. Not by choice, but not regrettable either.

U.S.A.
14/10/03 - Los Angeles

Taiwan
16/10/03 - Taipei
17/10/03 - Taroko Gorge Nat'l Park
19/10/03 - Jhong Li

Singapore
22/10/03 - Singapore

Malaysia
24/10/03 - Melacca
27/10/03 - Kuala Lumpur
29/10/03 - Cameron Highlands
02/11/03 - Penang
04/11/03 - Langkawi

Thailand
06/11/03 - Koh Lanta
09/11/03 - Koh Phi Phi
12/11/03 - Bangkok
15/11/03 - Ayuthhaya

India
16/11/03 - Calcutta
20/11/03 - Darjeeling
23/11/03 - Indian Himalayan Mountains
27/11/03 - Darjeeling
30/11/03 - Varanasi
03/12/03 - Agra
05/12/03 - Pushkar
08/12/03 - Jodhpur
09/12/03 - Jaisalmer/Thar Desert
14/12/03 - Udaipur
18/12/03 - Benaulim, Goa
21/12/03 - Palolem, Goa
28/12/03 - Gokarna
29/12/03 - Om Beach
02/01/04 - Cochin
06/01/04 - Bangalore
10/01/04 - Calcutta

Thailand
13/01/04 - Bangkok

Cambodia
16/01/04 - Siem Reap/Angkor Wat
20/01/04 - Phnom Penh

Thailand
09/02/04 - Bangkok

Malaysia
11/02/04 - Kuala Lumpur

Singapore
13/02/04 - Singapore

Australia
14/02/04 - Adelaide
06/03/04 - Port Ferry
07/03/04 - Melbourne
12/03/04 - Dandenong
14/03/04 - Phillip Island
18/03/04 - Wilson's Prominotory Nat'l Park
19/03/04 - Yarram
20/03/04 - Lakes Entrance
21/03/04 - Eden
22/03/04 - Batesman Bay
24/03/04 - Canberra/Queenbeayan
28/03/04 - Wollongong
01/04/04 - Sydney
07/09/04 - Byron Bay
09/09/04 - Hervey Bay
10/09/04 - Fraser Island
13/09/04 - Hervey Bay
14/09/04 - Airlie Beach
15/09/04 - Whitsunday Islands
18/09/04 - Airlie Beach
19/09/04 - Cairns
22/09/04 - Brisbane

New Zealand
24/09/04 - Auckland
25/09/04 - Rotorua
27/09/04 - Taupo
28/09/04 - Wellington
29/09/04 - Nelson
30/09/04 - Greymouth
01/10/04 - Franz Josef
02/10/04 - Queenstown
04/10/04 - Dunedin
05/10/04 - Lake Takepo
06/10/04 - Christchurch

Singapore
07/10/04 - Singapore

Thailand
10/10/04 - Bangkok

Cambodia
14/10/04 - Siem Reap/Angkor Wat
16/10/04 - Phnom Penh

Vietnam
05/11/04 - Chau Doc
06/11/04 - Can Tho
07/11/04 - Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City
11/11/04 - Da Lat
14/11/04 - Nha Trang
17/11/04 - Hoi An
21/11/04 - Hue
23/11/04 - Hanoi
26/11/04 - Ha Long Bay
29/11/04 - Bac Ha
03/12/04 - Hanoi

Laos
04/12/04 - Vientiane
06/12/04 - Vang Vieng
10/12/04 - Luang Prabang
16/12/04 - Nong Khiew
18/12/04 - Muang Ngoi
20/12/04 - Luang Prabang

Thailand
23/12/04 - Bangkok

Philippines
25/12/04 - Quezon City, Manila
07/01/05 - Paranaque, Manila
09/01/05 - Tagaytay/Cavite
10/01/05 - Balanga
15/01/05 - Subic/Marong
17/01/05 - Quezon City, Manila
23/01/05 - Antipollo
24/01/05 - Puerta Gallera
28/01/05 - Quezon City, Manila
29/01/05 - Nueve Ecija
31/01/05 - Quezon City, Manila
02/02/05 - Cebu City
04/02/05 - Malapascua Island
06/02/05 - Bohol
11/02/05 - Cebu City
12/02/05 - Quezon City, Manila
15/02/05 - Balanga
16/02/05 - Quezon City, Manila

Thailand
01/03/05 - Bangkok
04/03/05 - Koh Samui

The Prank

"Pardon me?"



Dean: For what name please?

Caller: Ummm... yes, I'd like Michael Jackson's phone number please?

Dean: Ok, do you mean The Michael Jackson?

Caller: Yes, I'd really like to speak to him right now, I feel so sorry for him.

Dean: Ok, I'm checking for you, however most celebrities aren't listed.

Caller: Oh really, but its so important that I talk to Michael Jackson.

Dean: Sorry, there's no listing for Michael Jackson. Did you want me to search for a fan club number or something?

Caller: No that's ok, can you just give me the number to a gay bar instead?

Dean: Ok sure, but I don't have a subject search, I can only search by name or title, do you a specific bar in mind?

Caller: No.... that's fine, I'll just go mastubate! Click.


Pathetic
I was listening to Jack FM today as they attempted to make some really bad 'Wacko Jacko' jokes. Not even funny. Leave the guy alone! Even if he is guilty, that's his own sins that he'll have to deal with himself. Let the first person to throw stones be the one who has never bopped their head, or tapped their feet to one of the "King of Pop's" hit songs.

Non-stop.

To answer your questions:



Telus
Directory Assistance Operator

The scheduling for this job is based on seniority. Right now, out of 170 employees, I'm 2nd from the bottom. Therefor I'm only getting shifts on the weekends from around 3pm to 10:30pm give or take.

I'm the guy that says "For what city please?.... And for what name please?.... Please hold for your number..... For what city please?..... And for what name please?..... Please hold for your number.... For what city please?..........."

I've only had 2 shifts so far, the day goes by quite quickly though. In the 2 days I've worked I've taken over 1100 calls. Including one emergency 911 call. I totally forgot what I learned in my training! It all worked out though. I told the guy that it was my 2nd day on the job, he didn't seem to have pity on me though and just said to "Hurry up!"

I want to keep this job because it will be handy for when I return to school in September. The hours are really flexible (once you get some damn seniority)!


Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL)
Office Administrator - Safety Dept.

Any day that I'm not working at Telus I'm at CNRL. Doing my boring office job where I gaze into the computer all day drawing diagrams and maps. Not to mention other various tasks that sometimes swamp me to death. I think that if this pile of work keeps up, I'll have to get an assistant of my own!

This contract was supposed to end a while ago, but on my last day of work they asked if I could stay on part time while I'm not at Telus. This is only going to be until a new full-time recruit comes into play. I believe my last day there will be June 17th.

So until June 17, I don't have a single day off. That means from May 17th to June 17th I'll have had one day off, which was Victoria day, where I was coerced into doing some heavy duty landscaping.


Athabasca University @ Mount Royal College
Bachelor of Arts, major in English.

I know, I know. Dean & English? The two don't seem to mix all that well do they? I can't imagine myself having to go through all these 18th and 19th century literature classes and analyzing poetry and reciting Shakespeare.

On the other hand, I do love to write and I do like to read fiction and some sorts of non-fiction. I'm sure most of you reading this have read about 2500 more books than I have in my lifetime.

The point of me getting a BA with an English major is so that I can then move on to become a school teacher. That's where my heart lays.


Globe
World traveller

This seems so out of reach, but I'd like to think that its not. I do have some very vague plans of going back to see parts of the world once I'm done my BA. I'd love to go to South America, maybe teach English there for a year before I go for my Bachelor's of Education.

I just wanna give props to my dear friend Charies who just left to see Brazil for the next 3 months!!! I hope you're okay out there!!!!

Ok, I've put it in writing, the plans are set. I hope I stick to it. On the other hand, as I know from my travelling days, new things are always around the corner and plans will always, absolutely change.