I wanted to acknowledge the Thanksgiving holiday which has always been a personal favorite of mine. In recent years I have used the time off to travel abroad and visit new places. This year is no exception. My partner and I find ourselves back in Brasil celebrating the day with his family. Later this week we will leave to travel to Salvador, Brasil.
Happy Thanksgiving
Well we arrived in Belo Horizonte yesterday afternoon. Our flights in the U.S. all took off without a hitch and we were able to stretch out a bit more comfortably in the EconomyPlus section of our United Airlines flight. Sadly, these seats can not compare to the comforts available in First or Business Class and after becoming accustomed to such travel for the past several years, it is difficult to be thankful but after travelling to Brazil in economy for the first time last year – the extra leg room and the empty seat between my partner and I was heaven. We had to wait for a few hours in S.P.s busy city airport while heavy rains fell. After the tragedy at the airport a few months ago, everyone who works at Congonhas aeroporto is rightly cautious when the weather is bad. The landing strips at Congonhas are much shorter (or so it seems) than the ever so short runways at NYC LaGuardia airport so we did not complain much when rain caused the airport to close briefly.
The picture above shows how urban Belo Horizonte is. The city which has a downtown population of approximately 2.5M is very modern with architecture to match, and has some of the steepest hills I~ve ever seen in a city. For those who have travelled to San Francisco, you will appreciate my description when I explain that parts of Belo are far steeper. Combine the fact that many of these cobbled streets can have rain come gushing down these massive inclines and you will understand why driving in bad weather in this city is not for the faint of heart. Hopefully I will be able to log on again and have something more interesting to write about then our flight down to Brazil or our two-hour delay in S.P. airport.
Incidentally, it is warm and sunny here today…31 degrees Celsius or approximately 85-90 degrees Farenheight with a gentle breeze and plenty of sun.
This weekend I leave for Brasil, and I can hardly wait. The two week trip will take me to my partner’s hometown, Belo Horizonte, as well as to Salvador, Morro de Sao Paolo, and Sao Paolo.
I think travelling to Brasil this time of year is perfect. The weather is already warm and inviting but there are far fewer crowds and it is easier to make hotel and airline reservations.
While on vacation my access to a computer will be limited so I don’t think I’ll be adding many posts while travelling. However, I will make it a point to post some pictures after I return.
I hear a lot about values in the news and from political and religious leaders, so I looked up the definition on dictionary.com and it reads, “any object or quality desirable as a means or as an end in itself”. After more thought I came up with my own definition, “a quality which one holds dear and helps define the character of an individual”.
Let me explain… Based on my definition, a person can value honesty but not always act honestly. However, one does not ‘value’ that trait conditionally by only exhibting that ‘value’ when it is convenient. I believe that is an important distinction. I don’t think one would ‘value’ honesty if it was contextual. An individual might think honesty is a noble trait, but if a person is only honest when it suits them then maybe it is not “a quality they hold dear and which defines their character” to paraphrase my definition. The idea that one’s values change based on context I find frightening. I recognize that I am an audience of one reading my blog, but I can not help but ask back, “Do you agree?” Am I the only one to find this troubling?
The reason I have been thinking about this is because I am bothered by what I’ll refer to as “shifting values”. An example of this is the current issue of waterboarding by our military to extract information from terrorists. I understand that for many Americans they no longer are bothered by the idea of torturing terrorists – esp. if it might yield life-saving information. It is true that I find this change in attitude troubling – but I get it. The problem I have is when people start changing the definition of what constitutes torture because they are uncomfortable saying “I support torture” or to be more offensive “I have no problem torturing people”. This is what I mean by “shifting values”. Most people (including many who would support waterboarding in certain situations) are uncomfortable verbalizing their support for torture so they place caveats on the practice to intellectualize or justify their position. I don’t buy that argument anymore than I agree with a person who says they value honesty but justify situations where it is palatable to lie.
Something I find interesting about values is that we sometimes delude ourselves into thinking we value honesty, integrity, human rights, (insert whatever value-language you like), but until those values are challenged it is hard to say with certainty if we really live them. Anyone can be a pillar of integrity when posed with an hypothetical – when we are forced to live those values is when I think you truly understand the character of an individual. When tested – do you live your values or do you momentarily forget about them or make exceptions because you find them inconvenient?
I’ll get off my soap box as I continue to work through this and maybe in time I’ll be able to more eloquently explain my concerns – I feel I’ve done a poor job, but it has been a bit cathartic to get it out on paper (well its not exactly on paper…)
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy
On Sunday, November 11th I went to see the Police on the second leg of their farewell tour. They came to Boston earlier this summer and played Fenway Park, but I was unable to get tickets to that event.
This weekend, I was able to score tickets to see the band as they rocked Boston one last time and it was worth every penny. They played most of their hits and the show was great. If you get the chance to see them on any of their remaining dates, I would definitely recommend seeing them.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Pop Culture
On Wednesday, November 7th Emporio Armani hosted a party to celebrate the opening of their new store in the Copley Mall, Boston. The store is a definite step down from the space previously occupied on Newbury Street but you would not know it from the smiling crowd which jammed themselves into the store. The event, co-sponsored by Boston Common Magazine, included a DJ, plenty of passed champagne and pretty pink drinks along with two bars. I was pleased to see the former GM for Emporio Armani, Boston – Mary Nobile-King – now the current boutique director for Chanel-Boston. Former co-workers, fashionistas and others made Mary seem like a local celebrity so I was touched when she came over to say hello and find out how I was doing. The store’s party exceeded my expectations even if the actual storefront is a bit of a disappointment.
The following night, Thursday, November 8th, I attended the opening of DScale which according to the website is a “new and provocative luxury furnishing atelier”. However you want to describe it, I want to thank Dennis Duffy, Duffy Design Group, for opening such a beautiful store on Harrison Avenue in Boston’s South End neighborhood.
The opening party was absolutely packed on Thursday night. Passed hors d’oeuvres, white wine and champagne provided by Rocca (a restaurant designed by Dennis’design firm) helped make the party a feast for both the eyes and taste buds. Dennis has raised the bar with the opening of DScale and it will be the envy of retailers in the neighborhood.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy
If you meet someone for the first time and you find them attractive or interesting do you find yourself automatically assuming they are gay? I noticed and not for the first time that I do and it is terribly distracting.
Earlier this morning such a situation occurred. I was attending a class and I thought one of the guest speakers was quite charming. Within the first few minutes of his speaking, I found my attention wandering looking for clues to either affirm or challenge my assumption. My attention wandered from the subject matter – to how handsome he looked – back to the subject again – to how soothing his voice sounded and so on and so forth all the while quietly asserting or refuting my initial assumption that the speaker was gay.
I had no intention of flirting with the speaker, and I doubt I will see the person again. So why was his sexual orientation of such great interest to me and why does this happen? These situations never play out when I meet a woman. I never assume a sexual orientation or seek clues to validate my assumption. Although I’ve never asked any of my heterosexual male friends, I’m fairly confident that this is not something that crosses their mind. Make no mistake, they might fantasize about an attractive woman being a lesbian (I still don’t understand that fantasy), but I don’t believe they obsess over the ambiguity of an individual’s sexual identity.
I think part of the reason this happens is because on a very base / fundamental level, it is really hard for me to believe (ironically this only applies to people I’m attracted to) that they would not be gay. I always find myself wondering “How could they not be attracted to a man?” This is an odd epiphany, considering for years the gay community has asked the world to take note that sexual identity is not a choice and here I am confessing on some level, I would like these attractive men only (of course – how shallow is that) to reconsider – so to speak. Wishful thinking or not, I doubt these distractions of mine will subside – there is no easy way for me to intellectualize my sex drive.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay
Boston is expected to be fairly mild today with temperatures in the low 60s, so I plan on skipping the gym after work to walk around the South End to see all the kids in the neighborhood (of which there are many) decked out in their costumes. When the weather cooperates (and it has plenty in the recent past), Halloween in Boston can be a real treat.
In an effort to jazz up my blog, I have added this new tool (see the images below) to provide some movement and to add more photographs. I’ve taken a look at the html to try and figure out how to remove those annoying stars, but I have been unsuccessful so for the time being they remain.
Sadly, this list of scrolling pictures does not include photographs from past visits to great European cities like Edinburgh, Prague, Milan and Athens but for now these will do. I promise I will do my best to reconcile the problem by taking many pictures on return visits to those cities.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Travel
This month’s OUTTRAVELER arrived in my house and the cover photo has me obsessing over my pending vacation to Brazil. I was even more surprised to see that the picture was taken by my cousin, Matt Albiani. My cousin is a successful fashion photographer who I periodically see credited in publications I read. The older we have become the less we see each other but it is still satisfying to see a family member achieve a level of success. Matt has always had an excellent artistic eye. I’m pleased he has been able to leverage that talent into a career he is passionate about.
I have to admit the entire issue is quite appealing. I consider myself a bit of a travel junkie, and I love to read about visiting exotic locations. Although Matt did not take the pictures for my favorite article “A Year of Gay Island Hopping”, I think his cover picture is the most inviting in the entire issue.
Martha’s Vineyard made OUTTRAVELER’s top 12 list and despite it’s proximity to my hometown, Boston, MA, I have never been there. Ironically I have traveled across the globe to relax on some of Phuket, Thailand’s most beautiful beaches, and I have trekked to the remote island of Fernando de Noronha, Brasil in the South Atlantic Ocean. Both destinations were also featured in the article as one of 12 island destinations not to miss.
As average temperatures in Boston dip into the 50s and the days quickly shorten, I’ll have to keep pictures like the one my cousin took on this month’s OUTTRAVELER close at hand to keep me warm and not too depressed about the on set of winter…
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Travel
In my post, Celebrities, I mentioned how there has been a rash of movies being filmed in my hometown lately. A score of hollywood A-listers can be watched filming in some of Boston’s swankier neighborhoods (BackBay, SouthEnd, Beacon Hill, etc…), but I neglected to mention what I hope will be a wonderful film that is already generating buzz called, Gone Baby Gone.
This week, Ben Affleck’s new film, Gone Baby Gone, opened in Boston. Ben who has been out of the spotlight for a while is back in a new role as director. This being his directorial debut, I’m more than a little curious to see it. The story is based on the novel of the same name by local author Dennis Lehane. This is the same best selling author who wrote Mystic River — notice a trend?
While I have yet to see the film, initial reviews for Ben, his brother Casey who stars in the film and the rest of the cast seem to be mostly positive. This film, like last year’s detective flick, The Departed, was filmed in some of this city’s grittier neighborhoods Southie and Dorchester. If you happen to see the film, please shoot me an e-mail and let me know your thoughts.
About Gone Baby Gone (As provided by Dennis Lehane’s website):
The tough neighborhood of Dorchester, MA is no place for the innocent or the weak. A territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets are littered with the detritus of broken families, hearts, dreams. Now, one of its youngest is missing. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don’t want the case. But after pleas from the child’s aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything—their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives—to find a little girl-lost.
Tagged Art and Film, BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy
A friend recently sent a collection of ‘stimulating’ images of footballers – soccer players. It was noted by a friend that I’m lacking some visuals so I thought I would add a couple of my personal favorites from the e-mail I received over the weekend. I hope you like my selection as much as I do.
I’m a bit of a sucker for images of sexy athletes. My real weakness seems to be for soccer, hockey and baseball players and (of course) swimmers and divers. Feel welcome to continue to send me similar ‘jock-shots’. I can’t guarantee that I will post them, but I will certainly appreciate having them passed along.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy
In the brief video clip from the Associated Press you can hear the author say that “we need to have empathy for the feelings of other people and be less judgemental.” I think that pretty much sums up my feeelings on the matter as well.
Since I’m still a novice at navigating this site, I’m not sure how to add video clips to my entries… If you would like to see the clip which is 80-seconds long, link to Dear Abby Supports Gay Marriage.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Politics
Celebrities in Boston
In my humble opinion, Boston is more of a large town rather than a big city. However, because it played such a prominent role in American history, politics and culture (especially in the 20th century), the city’s image to those who have never visited is larger than life. Needless to say, Boston does not appear on many celebs radar screens unless they are born here and have family still in the area (e.g. Jay Leno, Matt Damon, Ben and Casey Affleck, Bridgette Moynihan, etc…) As a matter of fact in all my time living in Boston I’ve seen far more musicians than actors.
However, lately Boston has had more than its share of celebrity sightings. Indeed, by L.A. or NYC standards, our sightings would be considered ‘cute’ or ‘quaint’, but as compared to the recent past, there seeems to be a rash of A-list celebrities walking about town and filming here.
In the last month Kate Hudson, Alec Baldwin, Jason Biggs, and Dane Cook were in town filming scenes from their upcoming film, “Bachelor 2”.
Jada Pinkett-Smith, Annette Bening, Debra Messing Candice Bergen and Meg Ryan have all been spotted ordering their double chai lattes at local Starbucks and popping into one of the many boutiques that line Newbury Street (Boston’s version of Rodeo Ave) while filming “The Women”.
And two personal favorites, Steve Martin and Andy Garcia have been all over the BackBay filming “Pink Panther 2”.
The reason for the increased filming is two-fold, a recent tax credit given to film makers that makes it quite affordable as compared to other locations and the weak American Dollar which makes filming in Europe and other parts of the world even more cost-prohibitive. Hence filming movies like Pink Panther 2 – which is suppose to take place in Paris.
The local paper, The Boston Globe, provides a nice collection of photos from many of the celebrities listed above. To view these you can link to Celebrities in Boston.
Tagged Art and Film, BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Pop Culture
As my profile indicates, I’m a 30-something, gay male who lives in Boston, MA. I love to try new restaurants and cuisines, travel and spend time with friends and family.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy
