Fresh Mess

fresh mess is now on wordpress

2007-09-15T18:33:00.000+02:00

Due to my f**ked up template here in Blogger, must be due to the migration of the original Blogger to Blogger Beta, I am now transferring to Wordpress.

Update your links, gorgeous friends!
My new address is http://freshmess.wordpress.com

Fresh Mess, now on Wordpress

See you there!

Mark

wwyd wednesday no. 5

2007-09-05T23:15:00.000+02:00

I'm quite the busy bee this week, working five days and going to night classes to perfect my Norwegian. I know I'd be dead tired this week so I booked an aromatherapy massage at Dragonfly, one of the finer spas here in Oslo, this Saturday. The price is very expensive (750 kroner = 65 GBP = 95 Euros = 130 USD), compared to what I could get ~~and more~~ in Sanctuario Spa in Manila. Update on this spa: they're opening in Quezon City, apparently complete with VIP rooms, woohoo!

Anyway, here's this week's edition of WWYD Wednesday. Ah, the sight of fine Filipino men with bronzed bodies brimming with brawn and buns. That's a lotta B's! They are part of this year's Cosmopolitan Philippines Magazine's 69 Bachelors and Centerfolds. I was at the show two years ago and man I had fun, seeing several man-crushes like Victor Basa, Alvin Alfonso, and William Devaughn.

Now on with the show...

Jake. Alfred. Dingdong. Jon. Joem. Fred. Marvin. Luke. Derek.

Who would you do?

Magazine scans courtesy of the fabulous The Manila Gay Guy.

a shortbus for a summer pic

2007-09-02T20:58:00.000+02:00

I received an email from Gaysir, Norway's gay personals site, saying that I have won a "Shortbus" DVD (which I have illegally downloaded already) for the summer picture I entered in their summer photo competition. I am one of the 20 consolation prize winners. Here is the winning picture, shot at the Trondheimsfjord in Northern Trøndelag, Norway.

"When summer stood still."
It would have been nicer to have won a 5,000 kroner gift card from an online travel company, a 1-year supply of Ginch Gonch underwear or a Philips Bodygroom.

Maybe next year.

In the meantime, you can see this year's top 9 winners here.

you're no paris!

2007-08-28T19:04:00.000+02:00

O. M. G.

How would you react if you see an ex reprise a Paris Hilton on the net? Twice.

Eeeeek!

flowerboy!

2007-08-25T00:18:00.000+02:00

With nothing else much to do at the shop this afternoon, I was asked to make a bouquet. And I was like, "what?! are you kidding?!" After ten months working at the shop, I've never made a single bouquet. Despite the shown apprehension, I was kinda stoked deep inside because I've always wanted to try and make one. Whenever I see my colleagues do their thing, I observe and learn from what I see.

And this, my friends, is my very first bouquet. Boy I am so proud! My colleagues thought that I did a beautiful job, and they kept on asking if this was indeed my first time to make one. My boss, who came from a trade fair looked for me after seeing my work, and said it was a beautiful bouquet. *Insert big grin.*

The flowers used in this bouquet are: purple hortensia, pink gerbera, purple roses, and cymbidium. The greens are: galaxi, aralia, and leather leaves.

long mondays and an lv carryall

2007-08-21T22:33:00.000+02:00

Yesterday was a tough one. I had a really long day after sleeping for only 3 hours Sunday night, working from 7:30 to 5, and going to my first Norwegian class after a long time at 5:30. I like this class better because everyone, as in everyone, is talking Norwegian and my teacher talks at a moderate speed and in a dialect I could understand, but still couldn't figure out which. We are a class of 20, with people coming from France, Israel, Austria, South Africa, Peru, Pakistan, Georgia, Vietnam and of course, the Philippines (not incl. me) among several others. The class ended at 8:45 and after having dinner at home, I just got knocked off and didn't wake up until 9 am this morning. Good thing I'm now working for only three days a week so I can rest after my Monday and Wednesday evening classes. By the way, I'll be working at the shop only until mid-November since I tendered my resignation last week. I am now looking for an office job. Any office job. I just need to work on my Norwegian in the meantime...

I found this forum three nights ago and got so addicted. I am so addicted I so want to get an LV Monogram Carryall.

It's smaller than the Keepall I initially wanted to get (which I never got to doing, ulk), but I think I could still use it as a handcarry travel luggage, as well as for everyday use. I like how compact it looks but offers a roomy interior. I called the LV store here in Oslo and the bag retails at 6,200 NOK (773 Euros = 527 GBP = 1043 USD). Apparently, prices of LV products here in Oslo are not so much more expensive than in France, where it is most believed to sell the cheapest LVs in the world. Comparing to the LV France online store, the difference is only 300 NOK. Manila, however, apparently is one of the places where LV prices are sooo expensive.

Now it's not only long Mondays ahead of me. There's gonna be one helluva looooooooooong wait for an LV Carryall.

Related:
Carols and All I Want for Christmas

wwyd wednesday no. 4

2007-08-15T00:01:00.000+02:00

Ah, it's been a long time since I last did a WWYD (Who Would You Do) Wednesday on this blog. For those who are not in the loop, WWYD Wednesday presents men in their multifarious forms, shapes and colors, mostly from the streets of Oslo, captured with my superzoom camera.

Having said that, I'm making up by posting nine off-the-street pictures of Norwegian men. I stationed myself at the pedestrianized quay Aker Brygge, with a cup of cafe mocha in one hand, and a click-ready camera in another.

So, Who Would You Do?

Update:
Okay, if none of these guys tickle your fancy, maybe you'd rather do the Bearforce1, the world's first ever all-gay man group made up of bears?

Related:
WWYD Wednesday No. 1
WWYD Wednesday No. 2
WWYD Wednesday No. 3

phalaenopsis

2007-08-11T19:42:00.000+02:00

"Phalaenopsis", 2007
Acrylic on canvas
I did my very first adult painting yesterday, which I titled "Phalaenopsis". Phalaenopsis is a genus of approximately 60 species of orchids, named so because the flowers supposedly resemble moths (Phalaena) in flight. For this reason, Phalaenopsis is sometimes called Moth Orchids.

My fascination with Phalaenopsis started not so long ago, when I purchased my very first plant, a Phalaenopsis Aphrodite. It lost all its flowers a couple of months later and I decided to just throw away the plant. I bought a new plant one month ago and placed it in the living room, where it seems to be enjoying its stay for now. The plant is in full bloom and like the moths that it was named after, the flowers are still very much in flight.

i wanna zac it!

2007-08-10T15:41:00.000+02:00

I just love my new desktop. Don't you just want to run your tongue down that love trail? Damn!

I just discovered the Print Screen function on a Mac. For those of you who are still in the dark (what took me so long to discover this?), just press the Command Key (the one with the Apple logo) + Shift + 3. Then you'll hear a camera shutter click and a picture file is automatically saved on your desktop. For a fancier Print Screen function, press the Command Key + Shift + 4, then the cursor will turn into a cross-hair pointer. Just click and drag over the portion of the screen you want a picture of, release, then you'll hear a camera shutter click. Voila!

Happy weekend everyone!

postcards from norway

2007-08-06T23:22:00.000+02:00

Hotel Union Øye
The lonely road snaking through Norangsdalen - the narrowest valley in Norway - painted scenes out of "Lord of the Rings" and led us to one of the world's hidden hotel treasures. Tucked in between the majestic peaks of Slogen and the untouched scenery of Hjorundsfjord, this romantic "Fjord Palace in Swiss style" built in 1891 has played host to some of the world's luminaries. We felt like royalties ourselves in our room, named after Queen Silvia of Sweden. The salons and hallways of the hotel evoked feelings of being in an Agatha Christie novel. It also felt like we took a travel back in history when technology hasn't caught up with mankind (no TV and phones in the room!) and time stood perfectly still.

Geiranger Fjord
I've always wanted to cruise along the Geiranger Fjord. Every time I pass by bookstores or streetside kiosks and see postcards or calendar covers with the picturesque fjord on it, I swear I could cry. So that's why it was a treat that we drove our rental car into one of those fjord sightseeing boats and went along for a 65-minute journey through one of the world's most famous fjords. The first two mini-pics show the waterfalls "The Seven Sisters" and "The Suitor". The two falls face one another across the fjord, and the Suitor is said to be trying to perpetually woo the Sisters on the opposite side.

The Trollstigen Road
Leaving the town of Geiranger through a steep uphill drive on the "Eagle Road" (pictured above), we drove to the 858-meter high Stigrøra where we took a fantastic sweeping view of the towering solid rock mountains seared with waterfalls (one even has a Troll-looking head peeking out) and the fjord in the distance, only to drive down the impressive Trollstigen Road, carved into the mountainside and supported by stone walls. My hands were glued to my door handle, seriously, while we drove past the sharp bends of the road.

The port city of Kristiansund
"Kristiansund is an exciting port with white wharfside buildings and colorful houses. From its location at the ocean's edge, it acts as the gateway to the impressive tourist attraction, the Atlantic Road. Kristiansund has a distinctive and tasty cuisine based on klipfish (salted and dried cod; try the Bacalao dela Kristiansund at Smia Restaurant), a strong opera tradition (our lovely host incidentally works at the Opera!), and Grip - the little island community 14km from land with a stave church and a lighthouse."

We stayed at Knut's nephew Mads Peter and his girlfriend Marthe, who had this kickass house by the sea with a kickass balcony facing the colorful houses of Kristiandund's "Innlandet". The Hurtigruta Cruise Ship sails past every 3-4 in the afternoon and 1-2 in the morning. Like the locals who live facing the sea, we waved to the passengers of the cruiseship who delightfully waved back each time, too. The next day, we drove past the Atlantic Road to Hustadvika and found a silent beach, which at the right season is one of Norway's best surfing spots.

We drove for a total of 1,400 kilometers and covered much of our planned itinerary. We had to skip Ålesund simply because we didn't have enough time. Hopefully next year, we can visit this city, as well as beautiful Bergen and the northern city of Tromsø, Finnmark and Svalbard for the midnight sun, the northern lights, the polar bears and the glaciers!

in transit: the norwegian roadtrip

2007-07-30T13:51:00.000+02:00

We are off to a Norwegian roadtrip, headed northwest from Oslo, from today until Friday. Five days of Norwegian countryside, dramatic coastlines, and the magnificent fjord route.

Geiranger fjord, Alesund, Atlantic Road
We are staying for one night in Otta, before we head off the next morning to the legendary and fairytale-like Union Hotel Oye by the Hjorund Fjord. From there we are driving to the most beautiful fjord in the world, Geiranger Fjord, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then we'll wind down the hairpin bends of Trollstigen or "The Trolls' Path", as you know the legend of trolls originated in Norway. Soon we'll find ourselves in Alesund, rebuilt in the early 1900s after a fire ravaged the entire city, known far and wide for its Art Nouveau architecture. Then we'll head towards the fishing village of Kristiansund and stay with Knut's nephew and his girlfriend for a little downtime, before we head back to Oslo over the Atlantic Road, Bluelisted by Lonely Planet as one of the "best destinations after a break-up." It suggests "stare out at the fantastically wild waves... muse over the notorious history of this coast (Hustadvika): ships have been sinking here since the Middle Ages... cross no fewer than 12 bridges over less troubled waters."

See you all again next week! If I managed not to jump into the Atlantic Ocean. :-)

postcards from amsterdam

2007-07-28T23:26:00.000+02:00

After touring Paris, Amsterdam was a welcoming respite. It was a more relaxed part of the journey, where we found ourselves just strolling along the city's multitude of canals, taking the inevitable canal cruise, enjoying the gay scene every night, and sampling different cuisines in cosy cafes.

Ouch! Hahaha!

postcards from paris

2007-07-28T22:37:00.000+02:00

Ah, Paris.

Where do I begin?

I've always wanted to go to Paris, so it was a dream come true for me. It's not hard to fall in love with the city, despite a couple of pitfalls, what with its grand boulevards and equally illustrious buildings, the historic Seine, and the lasting impressions one gets from the city's icons - Notre Dame, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Place de la Concorde, Sacre Coeur, and the charming Montmartre.

Good night, Paris. Until we meet again.

postcards from copenhagen

2007-07-28T22:16:00.000+02:00

Copenhagen was lovelier the second time around. We had a cool hotel (despite being on the smaller scale) that houses an Absolut Ice Bar, a nice cosy dinner by Nyhavn, and a leisurely stroll around Copenhagen's tiny cobble-stone streets.

in transit: copenhagen, paris & amsterdam

2007-07-20T16:38:00.000+02:00

Just a quick note before I head off to the airport.

The time is here.

Hello Copenhagen, Paris and Amsterdam! See you all next week!

on the way to manila

2007-07-17T19:28:00.000+02:00

In less than five months, I will be back in Manila for a month-long holiday!

I booked my tickets today at a Filipino travel agency and the owner was just quirky and cute for a lady in her 40s. I'm leaving Oslo 3rd of December and travelling with Scandinavian Air and Singapore Airlines via Oslo-Amsterdam-Singapore-Manila. The only available return flight I snagged with Singapore Air is on January 1 via Manila-Singapore-Zurich-Oslo. Good thing the flight leaves Manila at 6PM, so I have enough daytime to spend with my family after ringing in the new year.

Too bad I won't be able to go out into any of my stopover cities since I only have a 3.5-hour maximum layover in Singapore, Amsterdam and Zurich. Just enough time to use the free internet in Changi, have coffee in Schiphol, and maybe buy some fine chocolates in Zurich.

I'm stoked I can sing "Manila, Manila, I keep coming back to Manila. Simply there's no place like Manila. Manila I'm coming home!"

Photo by Iron Goddess.

07.07.07

2007-07-08T22:06:00.000+02:00

We went away this weekend to attend a family wedding in North Trøndelag. Knut's nephew married his girlfriend of eight years on what is probably the year's most sought after date to get hitched. Set on Knut's brother's farm, the rolling hills and the picturesque nature served as the background for a lovely afternoon garden wedding, which gathered the couple's closest family and friends. What followed was an early dinner that started at 3PM and stretched all the way to a 10PM serving of cakes - 12 cakes all in all, including the three-tiered wedding cake. God I wanted to barf after sampling each. I retired to bed earlier than Knut, who stayed for the late-night food. Geez, there was food every where and every time!

Anyway, here are some pictures from the weekend.

Waiting for the train from Trondheim airport to Steinkjer.
The newlyweds Kari and Fredrik.
The wedding venue.
Pretty flowers and partial view of the color garden, with the wedding canopy to the left.

one year

2007-07-03T21:48:00.000+02:00

Today marks my first year of stay here in Norway. God time flew so fast. It felt like it was only yesterday when my family saw me off at the airport. When I took my first intercontinental flight. When I first laid eyes on Norway from miles above, a country so thick with forests and everything was just so green. Then I sensed the difference in the quality of air around me. Then I got lost in words too foreign to me. Then I saw him, waiting for me, with a smile on his face. Then, a smile on my face.

Norway has become my home since that day. Norway and...
... its amazingly beautiful nature (the fjords, the fjords!)
... its friendly and highly courteous people (you'll always get greeted with a smile)
... its changing of seasons (the glorious colors of autum and the great anticipation for the next summer)
... its food from the wild (yes, so far I have eaten moose/elk, reindeer, and whale meat)
... its laidback weekends (by the beach, in the forests, or any green spot you can sit on)
... its multifarious transportation systems (we don't have trams and subways in Manila)
... its main street Karl Johan and the pedestrianized Aker Brygge by the Oslo fjord
... its grand and highly patriotic 17th of May celebrations (and the gorgeous national costume, too)
... its ultra cute guys (they're just everywhere!)
... its small-city feeling (to big brother Sweden)
... its Eurovision tradition (again, to big brother Sweden)
... its location in the world (the rest of Europe is just steps away)

But each time I think of my real home, I miss...
... my family and my friends (God, I can't wait to see them again!)
... how everything is so cheap (no point in converting Kroner to Pesos)
... my spa sessions in Sanctuario (seriously, a man needs constant backrub)
... sitting on the boardwalk of Manila Bay and staring out into the sea (no matter how stinky it could get)
... the giant malls (I guess it's an Asian shopping culture)
... my old job (that's oh so fabulous)

It's often that I get asked if I miss Manila, to which I'd often reply "not really." I miss my family and friends, yes. But when you come to think of it, any city is just like any other city. You can get lost in all its intricacies and be surrounded by its million bright lights, but it's the people around you - the people you care for, love and adore - that makes the difference.

And when you're lucky, you have a man and a circle of very good friends that, despite you waking up in a foreign land, will always make you feel you're finally home.

scenes from oslo pride 2007

2007-07-01T23:57:00.000+02:00

With this year's Oslo Pride coming to a close today, I'd like to share some of the scenes Knut and I have captured over several events we attended this year - the Pride March and the Parade Show at the City Hall square. And then there's that little media appearance of yours truly at QX - Sweden's gay internet portal.

From the parade last Saturday...

From the Parade Show at the end of the parade line...

And from the QX article, which reported of the Eurovision Memory Lane Show last Thursday...

Can you even see me?

on air: michael buble's lost

2007-06-26T23:59:00.000+02:00

I felt sad today.

Two of my very good friends have decided to end their long-term relationship. I just love these two guys and seeing them part their ways is just heartbreaking. I guess breakups are also hard for friends. I've known them for quite some time now, long before I've arrived in Norway in fact. Far from my family and friends in Manila, they have become my family here in Norway - my source of strength, joy, support, and inspiration. I know they will never cease to be just that. And I wish them both good riddance and happy days always.

Stein and Keng, I want you to know that I love you both very much. And I hope you two find what your hearts are searching for.

XOXO
Mark

on the way to amsterdam: hotel weber

2007-06-24T17:06:00.000+02:00

After searching high and low - taking into consideration the location and going rates, the facilities, the rooms, and the international reviews, the cleanliness and the chicness of a hotel - we have found our accommodation in Amsterdam - the Hotel Weber.

"Hotel Weber is a newly renovated boutique hotel, which houses seven studio apartments. Each minimal but romantically eclectic created space is semi-serviced, containing its own kitchenette with personal breakfast. Guests have the luxury of living in a studio styled room with complete independence to do their own thing."

Look, the room even comes with a Nespresso machine, a flatscreen TV, a microwave oven, and a wifi connection!

"Location is everything and the Hotel Weber stands right in the pulse of the culturally rich Leidseplein - an exciting intersection of life, set amongst the beautiful canals, architecture, shopping, fashion, art and design, dining and nightlife of trendy Amsterdam."

Again, your fabulous tips and tricks on this city of beautiful canals are highly appreciated. :-)

on the way to paris: le quartier bastille, le faubourg

2007-06-18T00:04:00.000+02:00

It's less than five weeks until I'm in Paris and so we took the second step for this trip. We booked the hotel we're staying at in the City of Lights. After considering several options, we went with this Nouveau chic hotel located at the 12th arrondissement - Le Quartier Bastille, Le Faubourg.

It looks like a pretty neat hotel, with all these little touches that welcome the weary traveller like that shiny Granny Smith apple sitting on your pillow. Wikitravel also enlists the hotel and says that the "big draw at Le Quartier is the interior patio which really is as nice as advertised and is full of plants and an interesting designer fountain. The location is good for those looking for an easy stumble from the bars around Bastille."

This trip is now really starting to shape up. And things are looking good. Kindly send in your Paris tips and tricks. It'll be my first time in the city! :-)

idol open auditions result

2007-06-15T23:05:00.001+02:00

After more than six hours of standing in a disorganized queue, of more waiting time in the holding room, and the two-minute meeting with a judge, I didn't make it to the next round of the Norwegian Idol.

As I mentioned in my last entry, I feared the long waiting time, and that indeed turned out to be the most gruelling part of the competition. It just wears you out - physically, mentally, vocally. It was breezy/cold outside Chateau Neuf and standing out there didn't do any good for my voice. When I started to introduce myself to the judge, who was neither one of the four Idol judges by the way, my voice had gone raspy and tired. But still, I struggled to sing my best and just gave what's left of me. The judge thought "it was nice, but was not very good." I respected his decision, I wouldn't have put myself through to the next round either with my performance. I knew just what he meant.

I didn't feel disappointed. I didn't have any regret. I may have faltered but I fought hard.

Will I go again next year? Maybe not. This was just a one-time deal and I was just happy to have gone through the experience. I came, I sang, and I smiled all the way through. No one could take that experience away from me.

Thanks to Al, Dazed and Confused, Lyka Bergen, and Fendi for all your well wishes!

idol open auditions in oslo

2007-06-14T22:43:00.000+02:00

I'm gonna do something waaaaaay crazy tomorrow.

Yes, friends, I am going to the Open Auditions of the 5th season of the Norwegian Idol. The doors of Chateau Neuf will open at 2 PM and right now, I fear facing the long queues and my lack of Norwegian skills during the entire process of registration. I hope that won't be a problem. Whatever the result is, I'm going there for the experience and I'm gonna make the most (fun) out of it. Then I could say that I've gone to an Idol audition. Haha!

I am going to sing Sting's Fields of Gold, but the version of Eva Cassidy. The latter is more of a melodic ballad. I just hope I'll be able to do it justice.

God my nerves are killing me! Wish me luck, guys!

adobo: the pinoy national dish

2007-06-12T22:55:00.000+02:00

Since it's the national day of the Philippines today (well, technically the Independence Day), I decided to make a Filipino dish. In fact, I made what is perhaps the most famous Filipino dish, officially or unofficially known as the national dish of the Philippines - the adobo.

It was my first time to make the dish and was very impressed with the result. With a recipe transmitted over a phone call with my mom this afternoon, I bought all the ingredients needed:

4 pieces of chicken leg
soy sauce
white vinegar
bay leaf
garlic
whole black peppercorn
Basically, I threw in all the ingredients except the vinegar in a pot and let them simmer until much of the water has evaporated and the chicken has achieved its most tender state. I added the vinegar, and a dash of sugar, towards the end of the cooking time. What's nice about making this dish is you don't follow strict amounts of ingredients. You make it taste the way you want it to taste. I wanted mine a little salty and a little tart.

The only thing I regret is not putting in extra chicken pieces, because this dish tastes even better on the second or the third day after. Next time, a big batch is in order.