Trip to Times Square & Central Park

Kevin had to work, so I grabbed a map and headed into Times Square and then onto Central Park. Times Square was a mad house. I remember it being busy last time I was here, July 05, but this time I was navigating on my own. I felt clostiphobic and a need to get out of there. At one stage I swear my feet weren't touching the ground and I was still moving with the crowd. I also cant tell you how many times I was nearly run over by drivers ignoring the fact that pedestrians witht he walk lights had the right of way.

Along the way to Central Park I was stopped and asked if I knew of a good Japannese Restaurant in the area. I replied with 'Sorry Im not from here'. He then asked if I was English and I said 'no Im Australian'. With what seemed like total horror in the tone of his voice he replied 'Iranian!'. I slow replied 'Aus_stra_lian' then turned my back and walked away before I faced a firing squad. For the first time I thought that my accent could get me ito trouble, but not only that, it was the realisation of the some Americans attitude or fear to what they really know nothing about.

I got to the Park and saw Trump Tower, big deal, and then headed back to Kevins place via Times Square again. Kevin lives on West 44th Street so I went a couple of blocks further down and turned onto West 40th Street. It was dirty, lined iwth Adult Stores and I swear to good the guy lying on the pacement was dead. I tend to be a slow walker, but I swear there was smoke coming off my heald I was going that fast.

The Recovery

I had this craving for a Hambuger so Kevins suggests we go to a place he knows that serves great burgers. We must have walked 10 miles. Once there I needed to use the bathroom and followed the directions given to me by the staff. The dunny was inside the area where they washed the plates. As in it was right next to the sinks, this old wooden door that opened to this little tiny bathroom. There is no way you had any privacy. You could here everything going on out there, so I'm sure that could here everything going on in there. When I came out Kevin says to me that alot of this places dont look the best or clean, but they serve great food. Gulp! Needless to say the food did tast fantastic

Dancing Kevin

Kevins dancing style after the 100th free poured Vodka Soda kicks in

The Day Club at Fire Island

The Spa

Whats a party thrown by gay men without a spa filled with men drinking copious amounts of alcohol.

The View

This photo of Fire Island Beach was taken from the observation deck of the house where the party was being held at.

Waiting for the Ferry, and getting sunburnt

Kevin and I on the train to the Ferry for Fire Island

Fire Island continued

Time for a catch up on Fire Island antics. The excitement, or to be more realistic the stupidity didn't end with me falling off the boardwalk. As soon as we got on the Ferry, the last one for the evening thus the running, Kevin realised that he didn't have his shorts of which his house keys were in. O.M.G! what were we going to do? Any way to make a long story short, we bumped into one of Kevins friends who was on his way home from the party too. He offered us his couch to crash on until morning.

In the morning back at Kevins the Super let us in and lent us a ladder to scale up to the fire escape. Kevin had an open window and successfully got in. I unpacked my bag and there they were. Oh no! I had Kevins shorts in my bag, with the keys.

Fire Island - Memorial Day Long Weeekend

All I can say about this is HOT!!! I had a ball parting here. And later down at the club it was just an eyefull of lovliness. Loved it, loved it all until I fell off the boardwalk and four feet down into scrub. First lesson for the holiday.....don't get ratshit then run down a hill and try and take sweeping left corner. Your not always going to make it.

My Friend Kevin

This is my friend Kevin of whom I'm staying with in NYC. Adam and I met Kevin in Hawaii October 2005. Some of you may remember Kevin from Admas b'day party in January of this year when he came out to Australia.

Up Up and Away

A Gift From My Best Mate

All was going well at Sydney airport. In fact I felt void of any emotion. It was still unrealistic to think this was all happening. The fact that I had packed up my life, put it into storage and will now be living out of a suitcase for the best part of a year. But there at the airport Adam threw in a final twist. Always the one to have the last say, and always with a hint of smart arsery. 'Here' he says, 'I cant acccept this', and with that he held out his closed fist. A blankness came over my face and all I could do was hold out my hand to take receipt back of what I could only presume to be the sterling silver ID braclet I gave him on the night of my farewell party. The one that I had inscribed with 'Love You....JJ'. And there it was, that exact sterling silver ID braclet. I was instantly filled with horror. I took a look at it and there it was, an inscription 'Love You.....Ads'. The bugger had gone out and bought a identical ID braclet to the one I got him. He put it on me, and there it was, my best mate and I were linked and will now be symbolically with me for this entire trip.

So eventually it came down time for me to say goodbye to Adam and to Justin, and I headed through the doors into customs. Time passsed on and still no great change in how I felt. No excitement, no nervousness, no nothing. Then came a text message from Ad's telling me he was bawling. That was the straw that broke me. I was standing there with more than just teary eyes. My glasses were totally fogged up. Why was I emotionless and then sad? And its only now after being on the plane for a number of hours that I realised. Adam has become the brother I never had, even the sister I never had. We are so alike, and on many other levels I look up to him, admire him and even envy him. We have done so many other overseas trips together and have met many different people. Now this time I'm doing it alone, and I felt alone. Where was my devious offsider?

So I'm on the plane and first things first.....who's sitting next to me? And thankfully it's NO ONE! I have four seats to myself. Thank you so much Teva. Next thing, the movies, and there it is Brokeback Mountain. I hadn't seen it and I was looking forward to it.

I stayed awake for the entire trip. The half a sleepinng tablet I took didn't do anything. I think main due to sleeping the night before and only being awake for six hours was the reason. Its a long trip and my butt was killing me by the time I landed in NYC.

New York