facelift

Thanks to the brilliant Queer Chef, my blog's got a facelift for its anniversary. The timing and the new look couldn't be any better. Thanks a bunch, Charles!

And talking of facelifts, my face started peeling off because of the Obagi cream I started putting on. My facial skin isn't perfect so I hope a little treatment will do it good. Also, I developed these rashes on my arms and my upper torso, which I suspect was from the vodka mixed drink I had the other night. There was just too much vodka in that drink. What's worse, I had my first face-to-face with the toilet bowl (read: throw up), and I thought that only happens in the movies!

That's all for now. Have a great week ahead, y'all!

in transit's a year old!

"I am at a point in my life when I am ready to make a high dive, head-first, and risk limbs and heart for a future that may either break or make me, mark milestones and mishaps, and keep me moving forward to that GREAT bend ahead. So here's to a brave new start. And to an eventful beyond."
Written exactly a year ago, and so after all that's been said, done, undressed, revealed, and posted in this blog, I have made the dive and am still very much alive. And what a great year it has been!

I would like to say my loudest thanks to all my fabulous blog friends who have become regular visitors, who have given their juiciest comments, who have ogled at my boys, who have appreciated my photos, and who continue to inspire me to keep doing this blog for as long as I can.

I love you all and let me take you to more eventful beyonds!

all the birds and the b's part deux

Bubble. Today I went to the University Hospital to undergo a tuberculosis examination, a required procedure for immigrants to Norway. The whole thing was a two-step procedure, which began with blowing a bubble of air from the syringe into just under my skin. It's freaky! Seeing a bubble grow from your skin, not to mention the chilling millli-second pain it gave, is not so much fun. Then the usual x-ray thingie came next, and it would have been more fun undressing to a hot guy nurse. By the way, the hospital complex didn't look like a hospital complex - you know, that place with sick people, contained diseases, and where the scent of antiseptic peppers the air. It's like the Royal Grounds, grand buildings and ornate architecture galore. It's gorgeous!

Birds. It's not a cuckatoo I'm talking about. It's a cock-a-too! At the gym. During some downtime at the sauna. Some guy, okay okay hot, started playing with his birdie when there was just the two of us inside that scorching Finnish invention. As you would have guessed, I didn't do anything, since I'm a *ehem ehem* committed young man. Well, would you?

Beef Brocolli. I cooked beef brocolli tonight. And that's a feat considering I have never cooked more than pastas, fried eggs and sausages before in my life. It actually tasted good. Knut and I finished a bowl of it, with rice of course. I'm happy, I'm proud. Now, off to download some more recipes...

Blimey! I am so amazed with the transportation system here in Oslo. The choices of getting from here to there abound, thanks to the tram, the buses, the subway and the taxis snaking around the city. Save the space in your pocket for small change since you can actually just pay using these prepaid cards - daily, weekly, monthly, flexi - on any of them. And what I have, the Flexikort, allows for free transfers on any city transportation within an hour after the time-stamp in your first embarkation. And what blows my mind is Trafikanten, a tourist information bureau with helpful information on public transportation throughout Oslo, which also has a website where you could check your travelling options from point A to point B - exact time, stops, and transfer points included.

Boys. I haven't made any new Man(ila)-O-Mission posts since I'm now clueless as to who's who in Manila's brood of blood-boiling men. While I am preparing a delicious post on hot guys off the streets of Oslo, here's one of the guys back in Manila who never fails to take my breath away with his ripped body and highly visible big bulge every time he performs on screen, never fails - meet Carlos Agassi.


Burp.

from oslo to trondheim to steinkjer

Friday started early than usual since I had to wake up at around 9 am to catch the train for Trondheim, with a supposed transfer in Hamar. What happened was we had to transfer to a bus in Eidsvoll, which then took us to Hamar for the loooong journey to Trondheim.


We made a quick stopover in Trondheim, Norway's third largest city after Oslo and Bergen, where we saw the picturesque harbor of the city, with its docked boats and rows of storehouses, as well as Stiftsgarden or the Royal Residence and Torvet or the market square which is actually a large sundial with the column (of the city founder's statue) casting its shadow on a cobblestone clock face.


After a quick dash at McDonalds for lunch, we sprinted to the central station to catch the train that took us directly to the airport where we picked up the rented car for the weekend. But before that stop, we passed by an oddly named station, well for me at least. Welcome to Hell.


With the car wheel on hand and Hallelujah singing in the background, we continued our journey along European Route E6, and snapped these photos along the way.


It's great to meet Knut's family, who have all been wonderful hosts despite our difficulty in speaking a common language. It's great to see a new view of Norway, known for its magnificent fjords and rich landscape. And it's great to finally be home in Oslo again, only 45 minutes by plane from Trondheim, compared to the 10 hours we spent on the road going there.

sidetrip

I'll be gone for three days to go up to Knut's hometown, Steinkjer, 640 kilometers from Oslo and a seven-hour train ride plus a two-hour drive from Trondheim airport where we are picking up the car we booked for the three-day weekend. We opted to go there by train for me to take in the sights of the countryside. It might not be much more than greens, plain fields, and little houses on the prairie, but I'm looking forward to it. And if things get a tad boring along the way, I have my iPod or my Powerbook and DVDs on hand to while the time away.

connections

Oh. My. God.

Those were the exact words I blurted out when I learned I can connect to a wireless network, at the comfort of our own balcony no less. Yes, I am now blogging from our balcony and I am hooked to somebody else's wi-fi. Whoopee! Now, Knut can use the Net with our existing broadband, the same time that I can stay connected. How convenient is that?

And what better way to connect than to communicate? So to be able to communicate, in English or otherwise, with Knut and my other friends from here, I finally got my phone unlocked today to be able to use the sim card from my new mobile service provider. True enough, the Queer Chef and I burned the lines today in a refreshing and fun 53-minute conversation. How fab is that?

And to keep connected to the Norwegians in this city, I am now self-studying the language, thanks to Teach Yourself Norwegian, which comes with an audio CD. How cool is that?

They say that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. And to keep that connection burning, I am cooking tonight, well, just reheating actually, an effort nonetheless. We're gonna have roast chicken and some mashed potatoes. How delicious is that?

And to stay connected to Johnny Depp, we're off to see Pirates of the Caribbean in an hour. How hot is that?

Update:
To stay connected to the world's most talented, most colorful, and most brilliant gay writers, visit Best Gay Blogs, which had something very, very nice to say about my 'lil site. A big thanks and warm greetings from Oslo!

Yet again.
Savage Garden's Darren Hayes weds boyfriend. Must I sulk now? Oh Darren.

the weather says

It's 25 degrees outside, with a possible low of 12 degrees today; we have mostly clear skies and winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.

Okay, that was a bit too much. Except for that last wind-blowing info, I've never known any other people who are concerned or kept abreast with what the science called meteorology has in store for them more than the Norwegians. Every time I am among Norwegians, they would ask each other what the weather would be on the weekend, or how low would the temperature drop that night, or would dark clouds come raining on their parade. The newspapers here devote almost, if not a full page on the weather forecast of the city, of the country, of the continent, and sometimes, of other continents. It is fascinating.

Back in Manila, we couldn't care less. Our newspapers devote a minute print space for the weather forecast - think 8 col. cms.

Maybe it's because of the changing seasons and the Norwegians do not have the luxury of 365 days of the tropical sun. So with a promise of an excellent weather and a fierce sun last weekend, we headed to the beach. Not the best beach I've seen - with rocky shores that I even cut my right foot - but it's all good. It has vistas of neighboring peninsulas with rustic houses, as well as sail boats and jet skis blazing across the calm waters. It also nestles a battery park that overlooks Oslo City and ruins from the medieval ages.



Did I mention it's a great way to get some tan? So much cheaper than being bronzed in a tanning salon, too!

walking tour of oslo

Went out to distribute my CV in several hotels and a department store, yeap, I'm job hunting. And since today was a fine day, I walked around the city and took these photos. This virtual tour takes you from the canal near my place to tourist central Karl Johans Gate with its throng of interesting characters, from the grand building of the Parliament to the Royal Residence, and every interesting sight in between. Enjoy!

so typical, so norwegian

I've been here in Oslo for nine days now and yet I haven't had any Norwegian meal. I've had Indian, Vietnamese, and Italian in restaurants and have cooked the usual pasta creations, grilled burgers and sausages, and stirred some Chinese wok at home.

With Stein and Keng coming over, and me not having any traditional Norwegian meal yet, Knut prepared kjottkake or meat cakes - a typical dish in any Norwegian household. Meat cakes are like meat balls but shaped like fat miniature burger patties. This dish is usually served with boiled potatoes (some mash it, I think), gravy, mashed peas (some boil it, I think), and tyttebaer or mountain cranberry.



This meal is very filling and delicious. I could have more meat cakes any time. Photo courtesy of Oslo Foodie, which I am adding to my blogroll, what with its great-looking photos of Norwegian delicacies and recipes that would surely come in handy when the kitchen beckons.

muscle mary

I'm neither overdeveloped muscular nor camp and effeminate, I'm not obsessed with achieving the perfect body (well, not yet) and I don't sing a la Liza Minelli, but I was a Muscle Mary today, in a totally different sense of the phrase.

So today I opened a membership at the local gym, SATS, which is only a few meters away from my place. That should be good reason to keep on track and maximize the membership, what with its joining and monthly fees that quite pack a punch. It's got machines like those that I have used before in Fitness First, so I have quite a clue on how to use (or most of the time, misuse - ouch!) them. So I stepped up to the challenge again, after about three years of not working out, and just did some cardio. Of course I had to keep my eyes from darting side to side, what with those cute Nordic boys flexin' and a-rippin'. Haha! But the fun doesn't end there. Off to the showers - open showers at that - and these boys just love hanging their little soldiers (change that to big, if y'know what I mean) out.

Afterwards, I channeled Bree of Wisteria Lane and planted these for the balcony...


Aren't they pretty? I've never planted a single flower in my life so this is major! I hope they'll last throughout summer. Now I just need to talk to them every day. Some juicy locker room stories, perhaps? Haha!

man(ila)-o-mission 6: more bench fever

More Bench Fever, courtesy of Manila's male models this time.


Hot! I personally know only the first two models. The first is Gary Dulatas, who has modeled a gazillion times for my former company's fashion shows. He's a humble lad, unlike some white boys, and is even cuter in person. The second guy, Rocky Salumbides, is probably one of Manila's male models who have made it big abroad. He's done a great job in Singapore and one magazine was quoted saying, "Move over Jon Johnson (of America's Most Gorgeous Male Model)," referring to Rocky garbed in just a pair of black Versace briefs and some silky robe.

Boy, I'm hungry. Thank God for Mabuhay Beauties!

indian dinner, nordic rain, italian ball, british show

Today was quite a multi-cultural day.

With Stein turning 31, we went to an Indian restaurant called Curries. I don't think I've had Indian before but what I had - Chicken Tikka, so that's chicken marinated in saffron and ginger - was a good meal. I could return to that restaurant and try other dishes off the menu. So there I met three new guys, two of which was a couple - Norwegians Oystein and Frank and Taiwanese Lukk.

Afterwards, I had my first Nordic rain and it added a level of chill to the already cold night, for today was cooler than the last five days. They said this is the typical rain in Norway - just the right downpour that doesn't leave you drenched to the soles of your socks. I like.

We ran across to our apartment block since Knut and I hosted the screening of the World Cup finals over some mocha cake, coffee, and beer. So Italy won - I couldn't care less. I've only seen one football match prior to this - that one with Kaka scoring the only goal for the game. Congratulations to Team Italy, though. It was a well-deserved win after that penalty shoot-out.

Now I'll get a little piece of United Kingdom with Little Britain. No matter how stinky, smelly, and gross the characters portrayed by creators Matt Lucas and David Walliams are, I love this show. It's driving me crazy!

So yeah, I'm embracing a multitude of cultures here in Oslo.

man(ila)-o-mission 5: bench fever

Finally saw some pics from the Bench Fever fashion show held last June 30th at good ol' Manila. Missed it since my friends from the office threw me some farewell party on the night of the show. With a hot ticket to the show, I had no choice but to be a godmother to another gay colleague and give my ticket to him. Gah! Well, enough with the crying-over-spilt-milk and on to the dance floor show.


images courtesy of Mabuhay Beauties.

walking on sunshine

Oslo basked in clear skies and kisses from the sun today. Some of the best ways to enjoy such prime weather would be visiting the Vigeland Sculpture Park, probably the most famous park in the capital, and enjoying the sea breeze amidst al fresco dining at Aker Brygge at the harbor front.

Vigeland Sculpture Park
Created by sculptor Gustav Vigeland between the years 1907 and 1942, the park features sculptures modelled in full size, which were supposed to represent the cycle of life. One of the main attractions is The Monolith, a tall column measuring over 14 meters, with human bodies carved out of a single block of stone. Another famous sculpture is that of an angry young boy, called Sinnataggen, located at the bridge of the park.


Aker Brygge
This waterfront site in downtown Oslo was once a shipbuilding facility. It is now brimming with shops, restaurants, docked yachts, office buildings and posh apartments. Locals say it is the best way to see Norwegians spend their money. It is said that a beer sold from one of the floating restaurants costs twice as much as what you would get from the area where I live.

summertime and the living is easy

So how do I begin this?

This new place. This new time zone. This new life.

It's my second day in Oslo and things have been going pretty well. It's summertime here and as the song goes - or for the more boobtube-adept set, Fantasia's legendary performance in American Idol Season 3 - the living is easy. The weather's great these past two days, although there were some dark clouds looming earlier this evening, which soon gave way to the glorious sun at around eight-thirty. Yeap, 8:30 P. M. Summer days see the sun hiding behind the dark of the night somewhere close to midnight. Now that's something new for me.

We went to the Medieval Park today at around 6 PM, which was just a comfortable albeit long walk from our place. Had some barbeque in the company of nice new people, all Norwegians by nationality. After that, we trooped back to our friends' place a stone's throw away from where I live to watch the match between Germany and Italy, which totally bored half of the house, myself included. It seemed like a dead match until Italy scored two consecutively, pushing their team towards the last road to victory. I can see how Norwegians live life easily, given that today's a workday, and yet they can still squeeze in time to socialize, go to a local park, go to London pub. I could never do these back at home, on any given workday.

So anyway, yesterday and today was all about simply taking in this beautiful city. From Karl Johans Gate, the city's main thoroughfare, which leads to the Royal Palace (haven't checked that out yet) to the Stortinget or the Parliament with its grand facade and lion-guarded hill. From the unusual edifice for a department store of Glas Magasinet to the glass-and-steel Oslo City, the capital's biggest mall. From the modern and highly-efficient Flytoget or Airport Express Train to the classic red T-bane subway. From the fine parma-filled chicken on a bed of asparagus risotto at Christiania to the Thai-Vietnamese lunch over at Far East Restaurant. From the warm day temperature to the chilly breeze of the night. From Norwegian strawberries sold from stands owned by Turkish locals to totally new-to-me grocery items from adjacent Meny and Deli de Luca. All of these in just under 48 hours.

So how do I begin this?


With a big roar from Oslo, of course!

in transit

So long, Manila. See you all from Oslo!

super saturday

Went to see Superman Returns tonight at the Gateway Mall with my family and my guy-bestfriend Nickko.

Loved every bit of Brandon Routh the film. I'm the type of movie-goer that's easy-to-please. Give me sequences of blown-up fields and buildings, exhilirating chases and speeding-bullet rescue operations, beautiful form-fitting tights and broad shoulders, and I'm one happy audience.

Saw Moja and her fiance Ted at the theater. Picked up some photos from last night's dinner/drinks I had developed for Nickko. Had dinner of chicken wings, three pastas and trademark pan pizza at Pizza Hut Bistro, sans Nickko since he had to fetch his girlfriend from some party in Malate. He handed me a letter before he left, and it was heartfelt and heartbreaking. I love this guy to bits and I never ever thought that we'd become really, really close. Look past his playful exterior and you'll see a great guy with a very good heart and a strong determination. Just like Superman, eh? God, I'll miss him!

With a good movie and a great company, my last night in Manila couldn't be any better.