Tuesday 23 December 2008

Regathering

It's my last day at work this year. I've been ready for this day every day for the past 2 weeks.
Each day I've woken up and felt that today would be a great day to be on holiday. Each day I have gone to work.
I love my work - and I'm almost always looking forward to being there - but in recent weeks I've been more keen to be anywhere but. I've had no drive, no abundance of energy, no buzz about the idea of being there - and in some cases quite the opposite.


It's a sign that I need to abort - get out and get out quickly. This past 2 weeks have been the slowest in the last 10 years. People keep saying how fast Christmas has come along - for me it's seemed an eternity.


As you may have noticed, I've not had a lot of drive here at Superchilled either. I've stared at blank 'create post' pages and they stare back at me saying 'yeah, I'll take you on, punk!' And they have, and they have won. And I haven't minded. I've moved along quietly and been quite happy to be absent. I've felt an increasing need to find my 15 minutes of anonymity.

Right now I'm in an anonymous airport in the middle of, well, nowhere really, or everywhere perhaps for some but I'm in transit off to somewhere else so it means nothing to me today but a chance to stretch out and finally finish this post I started in the wee hours of the morning back at home. Normally when that accelerating force on takeoff presses me into my seat I'll feel like I'm on holidays, but today I don't, not yet, perhaps it because I've worked today and have been on a mission to get to the airport and I still have a thousand things going through my head. Regardless I've seen a few movies including Wanted - which I'd never heard of before with Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman & others that is really quite stunning. Probably better still on a big screen, because it was already impressive on the small plane one. The Bose Noise cancelling headphones loaned me by my very good friends (as well as one for The Frenchman) are fantastic. I'll have them for the next few weeks of travel which is fantastic. After just one leg of testing I'm convinced I'll need my own for the next trip.

I'm going to be under the radar for a while now. My few weeks of radio silence, with perhaps occasional static if I feel so inclined, until mid January while I regather in various locations on this big planet. In the meantime have a fantastic Christmas with people close to you. Celebrate the New Year like it is really something fresh and new and exciting, and enjoy the time out to regather your own thoughts and ideas and plans for the year ahead. It's been a pleasure being a part of your lives for 2008 and I look forward to loads of exciting things in 2009.


Tuesday 16 December 2008

Pass the ball?

Nick Youngquest is seen here on the cover of the latest release from the guys over at Gods of Football. These guys bare all, or almost all at least to raise money for women with breast cancer. I don't know about you but I know loads of women close to me, friends and family,  who have or have had breast cancer and any support for them is welcomed by me. Check out more at their website linked above, the photos are by Pedro Virgil who is increasingly making his name photographing such ugly brutes, poor thing. 


Monday 15 December 2008

Good Old Fashioned Fun.

I'm very ready to not be working for a while. I've put enough into work for a while and weekdays are for preparing for the weekend after all. This past weekend was the perfect weekend to prepare for, in most respects, so I'm going to turn work off for a few weeks , very soon.

I woke this morning somewhere new. A few gusts of westerly wind rustling the towering gum trees above me. It was in Sydney's northern beaches region. A family beach house, family included. There followed a pleasant and slow start to the day with the Bilgola Ocean Swim the morning's focus.





It was a lot of fun. I even had energy to sprint to the finish, which is always good. Chatting with friends old and new followed and some surfing after that not too far away. It was like being on holiday already. Sunny, warm,  just lazing about by the beach & in the water grabbing food when desired and not too worried about anything in particular. 

I've been taking long walks with The Frenchman and The Hound regularly of late - power walks I guess, along the quite grand sea cliff bridge here, often in the late afternoon or early evening. It has been sensational in a lot of senses. The beauty of the location, the changing light & moods of the ocean, the varying breezes and air temperatures. Tonight it was just warm enough to not feel cold and to not get too hot with a fast walk. Perfect really. It's also a great time to talk about all manner of things, and talk we do as we absorb the surroundings and maintain our elevated heart rates. 

It's the simple pleasures that have been true pleasures of late. 
My old fashioned summer has started. 

photos from oceanswims.com click the link for more. 

Wednesday 10 December 2008

Bondi to Bronte Ocean Swim



Sunday was my first ocean swim for the season. From Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach in Sydney. All up it was 2.3 km and there were around 1800 competitors. A fantastic swim, a great day and despite early cloud a very summery feel to the day. 

I'm loving the weather right now - very summery with the classic feel I knew as a kid. Southerly busters coming through after hot days cooling things down and starting the cycle all over. I'm ready to be on holidays already - but they will come soon enough, and after today I feel like I'm on holiday already. I've hiked, I've swum the ocean blue and the training pool. Driving around today it was all with the roof down, wind in my hair, even this evening in the balmy weather. It feels fantastic, I've felt like laughing out loud, maybe I have. It's the crazy time of the year, but I'm especially busy, planning to move house (yes we sold up) travel a few continents and get set for a host of life changes in 2009. But it's all looking like a lot of fun and a lot of excitement with the changes to happen. 

Next weekend, despite being crazy busy already we're likely to head to the Northern Beaches - on the other side of Sydney and compete in another swim there. it's a reasonably short swim at 1.5km, but I'm going less for the swim and more for the social stuff that's going to be happening with friends & newly acquired family. 

Despite the financial gloom and the international issue I'm feeling decidedly optimistic. People have complained in the past that everything is always just perfect for me, that I'm lucky with everything in my life blah blah blah, and I used to try to camouflage when things were going well as a result. I think I'm over that now, if people want to be negative - they can do it in their own time - there's too much good stuff out there to waste time on the negative. And while I'm contemplating putting Wild Wednesdays out to pasture, if you are a die hard WW fan, then optimism is today's theme. Be optimistic about everything - make it happen. 

photos are from the Bondi to Bronte swim website

Sunday 7 December 2008

Matt Mitcham Update


An update for Matt Mitcham fans: Here is a link to an article / interview with Matt in today's Sydney Morning Herald. Definitely worth a read.


Wednesday 3 December 2008

antiwild wednesday

Today is a calming Wednesday.  A time to escape to your own space. 

In a world of constant movement, constant change and frequent contact with colleagues, family, friends and electronic bleeps updating you on the comings and going of everyone in your world, it can be refreshing to get away from it all and find your own space. A place you find quiet & peaceful, a calming place for the soul. 


Take 30 minutes out of your day and give it to you. Take yourself to a place that relaxes you - it might be the park, a museum, it might be a railway station or airport, or by a stream in a forest. My place is on the rocks by the surf just near home - a place that takes me away from it all and makes me feel invigorated no matter how much time I spend there. 

Monday 1 December 2008

Forced Relaxation

Give me 30+ degrees air, 32+ degrees water, humidity feeling over 100% and it's a sure fire recipe for 'not much is going to happen' and as it turns out, not much did. 

We escaped for a long weekend in the tropical north and got a long weekend of tropical heat. When you get outside and plan to be active - your energy is rapidly depleted and you don't think in terms of how fast or how far you can run, but how you can slow down and yet get to somewhere cool quicker. Of course if you sit down in the shade with a fan blowing - you don't sweat quite as much - but you still sweat. 

It may sound unlike it, but I quite enjoyed it. It was good to just chill and watch the world go by, very slowly. To read a little, turn the music up loud, swim repeatedly, shower repeatedly, chat, go shopping, occasionally explore tropical and oceanic things, and eat out a bit. Oh and there were a few cute men to ponder over as well, which is never a bad thing. Though just a tad less energy to anything much more.

But there has been a lot happening to think about , to plan, and to ponder. And this weekend away was good for just that. 

Arriving back in the relative cool of Sydney was invigorating.
It's nice to go away, but it's oh so nice to come home. 

Friday 28 November 2008

Far North Queensland

It's hot, very hot. It's also very humid. I heard someone say today "you can drink the air" as we climbed down the stairs from our Qantas 767 when it arrived at the terminal in Cairns. I feel wet and I haven't ventured anywhere near a pool.


It's strange to fly in the same longitude in your own country and have the time go back an hour - but such is Queensland - a daylight savings non-believer. And the day is still young. So it's 11.30am and we're climbing into our black Astra hatchback. Why on earth do they have so many black cars up here? The rental carparks are filled with them. Surely they know that black absorbs heat, not something one needs to conserve up here. Thank god for air conditioning I say.

We head to Pool , yes that's the name of the place we're staying at, in Port Douglas about an hour north, and it is just like in the photos. When we jump in the mammoth pool though it's not quite the refreshment we're looking for - at above 31 degrees the water feels like a bath, so laps are attempted but it's futile. We splash about though and in the end feel cooler and it is feeling like a holiday after all. I collapse on the lounge afterwards having slept about 3 hours last night at work, and then head out to Zinc for an alfresco dinner featuring barramundi as main. The food is sensational, and when we leave despite declining dessert we feel overstuffed, or is it just the humidity?

There were no storms that they predicted - and I'm wondering what's in store for us tomorrow.

Thursday 27 November 2008

Matt Mitcham Wins Again

Matthew Mitcham last night won Sports Performer of the Year award, beating a host of high profile athletes to the top position. The report on the event here in the Sydney Morning Herald suggests he still doesn't have any sponsorships, which seems rather surprising, and somewhat disappointing. The $50000 prize surely won't cause him any grief though. 

I think he looks as sexy in black tie as he does in speedos. 
A big superchilled congratulations to Matt.

Wednesday 26 November 2008

Wild Hot Exercise Wednesday



It was the perfect day for a run in the park, and today that's just what I did. Headed to Boy Charlton Pool here I met a good friend and ran around Mrs Macquarie's point, along the Sydney Harbour shoreline through the botanic gardens, around the Opera House and back. The sun was out, a cool breeze to keep us from overheating, and a dip in the pool for some laps afterwards refreshed us for the evening's events. A perfect activity for a late spring afternoon. 

As you might tell, it's another superchilled wild exercise wednesday. Today is the day to take a friend and go get hot and sweaty for a half an hour or more. As with prior challenges any for of exercise will do, a walk, a run, a swim, or some very active sex, but be sure to make it last 30 minutes at least - you'll get hotter and leaner by the minute. And at the end you'll feel great... or your money back!

Monday 24 November 2008

Ecstasy

In contrast to the week before it, the weekend was positively fantastic. I'm typically a gregarious person; there's nothing more that I love than catching up with friends and spending time. Some connections were by pure chance, some arranged well in advance and others much closer to the moment, but a collection of different people shared food, drinks, watched movies, walked swam or ran, discussed life the universe & braved the quite stormy elements with me this weekend. I've eaten some truly amazing food - highlights are the Tapas selection at diggies, the flourless chocolate cake at Fireworks cafe in Austinmer (honestly the best cake ever), the hot chocolate at Bourke Street Bakery, and the lamb strips at Onde. But the connection with all is they were meals and experiences shared. Perfect. 

I also managed to find a new pair of speedos that I like, and I managed to test them out in a brief moment of sunshine at Boy Charlton pool. They swim fast.

I'm very much looking forward to the week ahead. Who knows what will be thrown at me this week, but I'm recharged and ready for it!

Saturday 22 November 2008

localised showers


It was a day that started off badly. I was woken up at 5.20am to do work that should have been done a day before. I then slept one hour at a time (between work bits)  before ultimately throwing myself out of bed and into the pool. A boys' school group arrived and the first 5 minutes of bliss in a crystal pool became a spa pool of so many deodorant smells it was a sea of teenage angst. The guy who hit on me at the pool a few weeks back apologised at the scene of the crime - he had been about to abduct me back then - so it was kind of appropriate - we had a surprisingly reasonable conversation. 

Breakfast was at the usual suspect, diggies with a surprise friend. We chatted about all and sundry, including the medical dramas developing during the week, in the pleasant breeze of a perfect spring morning. I had a breakfast of bircher muesli mixed with with yoghurt, marinated strawberries & cranberries. I was surprised at how good the cranberries actually tasted. I'll order that again.

My breakfast buddy invited The Frenchman & myself to a tapas dinner back there in the evening with some of her friends after we'd mentally re-landscaped her garden. It was all over too soon and we were both off to work again. I arrived at the hospital, dropping my phone on getting out of my car to promptly step on it. Perfect.

With one patient I asked about how long she'd had the cancer affecting her liver to which her partner interjected (or should I say, lectured me) that she didn't know and until right now no-one had told her about it. He knew of course. There are so many things wrong with this scenario that I don't know where to begin. 

At gym after work I had an unexpected gym buddy. He was doing pretty much the same routine as me, running, then weights then abs then stretching. We'd chatted quite a few times there and at the pool - sexy man I might add, and it was great to actually spend some reasonable time chatting about life & loves in between the puffing and sweating. 

Dinner back at the regular was with my breakfast buddy, The Frenchman and 3 as yet unknown diners. We stayed until there was no-one else left at the restaurant, enjoying conversation that was sparking on all cylinders right to the end. I could easily do this regularly. I find out later that they in fact do do this every Friday - and we're welcome to join in the tradition. 

It wasn't such a bad day after all. 

Wednesday 19 November 2008

Wild Wednesday

I've had my own Wild Wednesday - only on Tuesday this week.
It's not exactly something I want anyone else to have to go through so we're abandoning the communal aspect of the Superchilled Wild Wednesday today.

I'm not usually on the other side of the doctors desk, but Tuesday was the day - and I wish I could rewrite the whole of the day with more a tone of comedy than of drama, but alas, it is not to be. 

The rest of my day was spent reliving the consultation & investigations and the consequences of same. It's funny how your perspectives change so rapidly when you're faced with problems of significance.

I'm not going to go into detail, but if it gets a bit quiet here at superchilled - just bear with me. 

Sunday 16 November 2008

Something to wake up to

When I woke up today this music clip was in my inbox. Geoff & Terry sent it thinking I might like it. Oh how right they were!

Ultra Nate: Automatic 
3min 27sec

Saturday 15 November 2008

Look Both Ways - do you?

Look Both Ways: preview

When I first saw the movie Look Both Ways a few years ago, it was quite revelatory. It became apparent that I wasn't the only one who visualised all manner of bad things happening as I went about my everyday life. As you can see in the preview here, there are illustrated imagined events happening involving shark attacks, car crashes, train wrecks... I see people riding motor bikes recklessly and I visualise them in ditches and trees farther down the road, I see cars crashing and trucks veering over the road into my path, and since Sept 11, I frequently see planes in the sky spontaneously exploding. You name the scenario - I have seen the worst possible end result.

Now I'm not neurotic, I'm not anxious and those who know me often describe me as being in fact as superchilled as the title of this blog. Certainly it seems that I have a creative imagination, although sometimes I'd like to watch a plane taking off at the airport and not wonder where it will land when it crashes. I like the way the film has put it into perspective - the imagined events are split seconds and the reality continues fluently despite it. It's like an aside, a 'what if' scenario that is mostly speculative, though sometimes eerily close to reality.

I'm curious if anyone else has these moments. I'm guessing from the film that there are a lot more out there who do. If you do - you'll love this Australian film.

Thursday 13 November 2008

Newcastle - The Movie

We've just been to see Newcastle, in Sydney. Newcastle the movie that is. It's written & directed by Dan Castle whose short film The Visitor is my favourite ever short film which I saw a few years back at the Mardi Gras film festival.

I was totally absorbed. As with The Visitor it's beautifully filmed, with most of the cinematography taking place in or by the ocean. The water based filming is mesmerising and beautiful.  The cute guys in board shorts or less aren't a problem either. It's an engaging story too, following a focal point in the life of twin brothers living in the industrial  seaside city of Newcastle, one of them gay, one a budding pro-surfer and their coming into their own. It's funny, heartwarming, heartwrenching and at times nerve racking. The story surrounding the gay brother is quite fantastic actually, and I'd recommend the movie for just this, but the complexity of growing up, relationships and families is skilfully intertwined and makes it a powerful and rewarding film. 

Lachlan Buchanan stars as Jesse

It rates a superchilled 4.5 stars. I'd give it more but you might think I was biased. 
Take yourself off to see it while you can on the big screen.

Wednesday 12 November 2008

Wild Relationship Wednesday


I was catching up with a friend today who's in emotional turmoil. He's been seeing a guy for a few months, and they just click. Nothing is difficult - they just connect on all levels and since he's been seeing him there has been absolutely no interest in anyone else apart from the new guy. It's really a first for him to have this emotional connection. He's a great guy who doesn't mix in gay circles, never heads to pubs or clubs nor internet sites seeking men. The thing is, the new guy is still attached, to a boyfriend who lives overseas around 50% of the year for work, and now the boyfriend is back, so it's all up in the air. That prior relationship may continue or it may not, and having fallen in love, my friend is living in limbo waiting for things to be resolved and wondering what direction to take. His heartache is palpable. It's hard to watch, also hard to resolve. Matters of the heart are a complex beast. On the positive side he's found that there are guys out there with whom he can connect, in a sea of people he finds incredibly disparate. And chances are there is someone else out there with whom he can again form a similarly strong bond should this current situation not resolve in his favour. 

It's not easy for gay guys who are living in the wider community to meet other like minded guys though. So it's been a long time for him to get here. Will it take the same length of time to find the next one?

For those readers who are in a relationship, today is the day to appreciate the relationship you have, to work on what you have to make it better, to celebrate it and enrich it. If you know someone who is seeking but hasn't yet found the right one (or ones) then be mindful of the difficulty they can have and maybe keep a look out for them. You never never know what might happen. 

Tuesday 11 November 2008

Beach Graffiti Noosa Style


It was a Noosa weekend. A get away from it all weekend, head to the beach before breakfast, after breakfast, shop a little, go for a hike, body surf a little more, walk some more, dine out by the ocean and eat icecream. Sounds stressful doesn't it? We coped. As did our friends who made the journey with us. One of whom managed a number of firsts: first trip to Noosa, first wild dolphin sighting (a pod of them in fact), first nude body surfing, first goanna sighting, there were more, but I can't remember them all. It was fun to be there for all the firsts, and especially all the elation at the new experiences. I love when you can show people things they've never seen or experienced before, and to see the wonder in their eyes, the irrepressible smiling and laughter. 

A first for me was the beach above. I've seen this beach before of course, but the beach graffiti was very new. I'd seen rocks formed into words like this in a volcanic crater in Iceland, but not on the beach, which quite frankly is easier to read than rocks on rocks.... (click the image for a larger clearer version). It was kinda fun, even if it did leave the beach looking a little less idyllic than the postcards usually show. The fun part is a heavy surf will clean the slate for a new set. Or perhaps this was a one off?

It's been a while since we had a weekend away. Noosa is the place to head to chill out, a short flight and short drive and you're in a holiday house on the beach in balmy subtropical surrounds. Sounds like an ad, yes, but then there's always Byron Bay... or our next stop where the hotel is named after one of my favourite places - the Pool!

Monday 10 November 2008

A reason to watch cricket

Or at least to buy a new calendar. Cricket is after all, a little mind numbing, and until now hasn't made it to the superchilled 'how gay is your sport' rankings. While I'm still to be convinced about the sport, this player, who I believe is Ben Hilfenhaus certainly has me reconsidering.

He was first spotted in the Sunday paper at the airport on our way back from Noosa. I'm disappointed with The Frenchman - he works for 3 and only now have I discovered they are sponsoring the Calendar, which is being released to support The McGrath Foundation / Breast Cancer. 

To reserve your own copy - go to the 3 link here.

Oh and as for Noosa, it was a great weekend - more details soon.

Wednesday 5 November 2008

Wild-Bake Wednesday

I've baked rusks again, of the South African variety, with a recipe courtesy of Martin at The Green Light at the End of the Dock - they're starting their overnight journey in the oven. I want to eat one now, they're highly addictive, but I'll have to wait until the morning. This is batch number 3 in as many weeks, and after the first batch I have modified the recipe each time. (Prior to this baking frenzy the last time I'd baked anything sweet was like a year ago.) Here is a photo of batch 1. This new lot will have more nuts added in various forms, gotta love nuts.

Through the night we're going to smell the continuing baking process this Wild-Bake Wednesday, and I'm going to wake up hungry.

So what's the Wild Wednesday challenge? I'm glad you asked. It's to hit the kitchen and bake something special. I think all around the world we're focussed on the election in The States, so your work in the kitchen will hopefully result in something to celebrate with. Failing that - some consolatory baked goods can't hurt. My next favourite thing to bake is banana & chocolate cake (the chocolate is in bits / chunks). It's a great one to share. 

Oh and Martin - if you're keen to share the rusk recipe - feel free to post it in the comments, but given it's your family recipe, I'm going to leave that to you.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

Projection

On Sunday a friend gives me the September copy of something he's just started working on, Men's Health Magazine, and as I look at the cover it's someone I used to train with (albeit briefly) at the gym. It says "BUILD A BEACH BODY - see results in 10 days", but his body wasn't a 10 day job, surprise surprise. It's nice to see him again even though it's in print, and he's as gorgeous as ever. 

What a job my friend has having to sort through photos for Men's Health, help with the photographic shoots, pore over endless images of idyllic men. I contemplate the idea of it when The Frenchman reminds me of the surfers I get to work with, and I realise I don't have it too bad. But still. 

We have just checked out the new hotel on the block, The Beresford, though technically it's not new - just newly revised and quite the job well done I must say. And on this Sunday afternoon it feels like we're at a dance party in sheer volume of men. The outdoor courtyard is cavernous but still packed with men, and it's a lot of fun. I could stay a long while.  The three of us have arranged to have dinner about 5 blocks away and as we're eating the four cutest guys we've all voted top picks from the hotel arrive for dinner at the same place. I have no idea who they are, but as we leave I wonder if in different circumstances we might be great friends. But I guess I'll never know. 

And for those readers from the USA who are about to vote (or at least have the option of voting) just think, only 2 more years until another election campaign. God damn it I can hardly wait. I think I've heard more about your election than our own. Given that we are more influenced by your policies and economy than ever before I think we should be able to vote too!  But can you imagine the International Election Campaign? Let's just draw straws. Obama straws?

Saturday 1 November 2008

Read My Mind


I'm not sure if there's anything that annoys me as much as people who 'know' what I'm thinking.

You know the ones. They look at you and laugh that you're just dying for the weekend to begin, you're thinking about what to have for lunch. They think you want to have a long extended conversation with them about their family problems, you're thinking about how you're dying for the weekend to begin and how far away it seems right now.

They are offended that you didn't tell them something because you were feeling guilty about it. You felt it was none of their business and were actually concerned about someone else at the time. 

They know that when you smiled when you said something - it meant it was all about you. You smile and correct them, but they wink knowingly. You know that when you say "my friend...", you mean "my friend..." .

I don't know why people continue to assume what I'm thinking, because they're so frequently wrong. But what I find offensive is when people assume what they're thinking to be true without actually asking first, especially if it is something significant. My high school English teacher always said when you assume you make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me',  and it remains a motto for me. Never assume anything. And so I ask questions, a lot of questions. Break things down until I can break them down no further. Of course the answers I get aren't always the truth, but then if I get it wrong - it's not completely my fault. But when people assume things of me these days I tend to let them assume what they like. They might think I'm evil, or scheming or whatever, but who am I to correct them. 

Wednesday 29 October 2008

iGoogle therefore iAm

I must admit, I'm quite the fan of Google Earth. 

Exploring the Ordesa Valley randomly back in early 2007 evolved to a more thorough exploration of the Spanish Pyrenees later that year with friends. More discoveries followed that would never have happened were it not for Google Earth's insight into a valley otherwise unheard of, at least by this non-Spanish speaker. 


I've since travelled more roads on Google Earth, ones I travel daily and ones I've never been to and enjoy the 3D generated images... Now with Google Earth on the iphone you can travel to places while you're traveling in other places! You can even follow your GPS plotted location on 3D images on your iphone as you move around with perspective changing as you move the phone... like you're really there... hmmm. 

In this climate of Economic Armageddon iTravel is increasingly enticing, you really can travel without leaving your home. But this is Wild Wednesday, and staying at home is not today's theme. 
Instead hop onto Google Earth and fly to somewhere you've never been. It might be in a land far far away, or just  over the mountain from your place, and make plans to make your way there by hook or by crook in the not too distant future. If you have an iphone - you can download it and iGoogle your way as you make your way.

When you get there - take a photo and send it to me - I want to know where you ended up.

Monday 27 October 2008

Off Label

Can't find your Diesel Jeans? Scratched up your Versace Sunnies? Got too excited to bother about the buttons on your D&G shirt? 

Good news.
Unlabelled,
home made & 
anything anti-couture is IN.
You can take your labels OFF.

While straight guys are getting increasingly metrosexual and label conscious, it's time to go retro. Back to the time when a label was something stitched on your shirt with your name on it so you didn't lose it. Now going anti-couture doesn't mean you're going to look bad, quite the contrary. A brief survey of Sydney's men this weekend revealed that the most sexy were the ones who had no distracting label on the outside but were in fact their own label. The clothes were something that made you focus on the man, not the label. Oh and the straighter the look, the sexier the man.


Perhaps it's just me, but I'm very ready not to be labelled.

Saturday 25 October 2008

[Semi]Random YouTube Discoveries

A selection of YouTube finds to start the weekend with some variety...



Ivri Lider: Your Soul 4min 33sec
English Version



Sandro & Maykson 3min 51s



equilibrium - featuring prophecy: 4min: 44s
(combo of movie and music - may contain violence)

Thursday 23 October 2008

Continuing with the diving theme...

Eric over at Just Beautiful Men has a new and spectacular post featuring Fabian Hambuechen, the Olympic silver medallist gymnast from Germany. Only this time he's diving. There is a video with slo-mo replays and all - well worth a look. In fact I'd consider it compulsory. While it might be nice to understand German, I think you'll all cope without it.


Here is a taste...

Wednesday 22 October 2008

Wild Inspiration Wednesday

What is it that inspires us?


Often in life we go through the motions, doing the things that we're used to doing. Not really allowing for change to the routine, not being ready for change. Routine can be comfortable. It can in fact be productive and efficient. But occasionally something or someone will come along to inspire you to look at things from a different perspective. To reassess where you are in your life, and make you think about if it is where you want to be, or if you can make things better, make a difference in the world more than you already do. 

Inspiration can come from all kinds of things. There have been a few people in the past week who have inspired me. Certainly Matthew Mitcham has been a great inspiration in ways he's not been at all aware. But there are others, like some readers who have emailed and told me how various posts here at Superchilled have inspired and strengthened them. That itself inspires me to do more, be better, and make a bigger difference in the world. 

The challenge when you've been inspired, is to actually make something come of it. To change things, or do things that effect the change you are looking for. And that's today's challenge - to make the most of the events that have inspired you, in your own world.

Inspiration can come in all kinds of forms. 
What has inspired you?

Tuesday 21 October 2008

But wait, there's more...

There's been a remarkable amount of interest in Matthew Mitcham, so for the budding fan club out there here is a link to his Channel 9 Wide World of Sports interview from Saturday October 18th.


And for a Sydney Morning Herald Article from October 8th where he talks about being the only gay in the village and more, click here.


Oh and if there are any people who represent Mini cars out there - can you please email me?

Monday 20 October 2008

Gold I say, GOLD!

It's not every day you get to meet a superhero, but this weekend I got lucky. Sitting at my right hand side at an intimate dinner party was no less than Matthew Mitcham, who claimed the 10m platform diving Gold in Beijing - as mentioned in my earlier post here

The whole experience felt surreal, and the rest of the dinner party was equally engaging, great food, great host, fantastic venue. Matthew is a true delight. Often the reality of meeting someone doesn't meet expectation when there's been so much hype, but in this case - the reality was well beyond expectation. Oh and he speaks fluent French, which just puts mine to shame. 

I see great things ahead for this man and I think he can see them too. 

Saturday 18 October 2008

Trevor the Goldfish?

I have a goldfish named after me!

And no it's not mine.
I arrived for my regular Friday breakfast at diggies at the beach and the manager tapped me on the arm to tell me that they now had a goldfish at the cafe, and that it was named after me! What do you say when you have a goldfish named after you? I was quite surprised, and pleasantly so. When I thought a little more about it I wondered if it was something to do with swimming relentlessly (almost all my posts have a swimming reference, as a reader has pointed out to me recently) or perhaps it's a short term memory thing? But that's not me. I don't quite know how I was chosen, but regardless, it was a nice start to my day, sure it's not a national library, or an Aquatic Centre but it's a living thing, and that can't be all bad.

I also ran into an old high school colleague while at work Thursday night. Mind you I'm not sure his wife was too happy with the introduction whilst in the middle of her delivering their second child, but it was quite nice to be there for them, in a most unexpected turn of events. It was a girl! All healthy and well in the end.


Oh, and for the compulsory swimming reference, for my morning swim the weather and the pool were both excellent, while I was feeling absolutely weak in the water today. But what is most striking is the increasing cuteness of my fellow swimmers and the increasing number of gaydar pings happening all around. Given my lack of form in the pool, I was happy to have some pleasant distraction.

The weekend is looking to be quite an eventful one. I hope yours is a great one.

Thursday 16 October 2008

Jay Brannan in Sydney

I just discovered that Jay Brannan is performing in Sydney on October 30th. I also just discovered that October 30th is a Thursday and I have 2 work commitments I can't change for that date, which is typical. I don't see a lot of live musical performances, but if I could I would see Jay live - damn it. 

So your job, superchilled readers, is to make sure the first performance is a sell out and that way they might be inclined to offer more performances! That's my vain hope anyway. You can see an example of a performance below for Half Boyfriend. You may recall him from the highly recommended film, Shortbus.


4min 20sec


Wednesday 15 October 2008

I should be so lucky this Wild Wednesday

lucky lucky lucky

I'm too nice. Nice people are boring. I don't get into enough strife, I don't have enough things go wrong, and I don't complain enough. Boring as hell. 

But hey, I'm lucky, insanely lucky. Life has delivered everything to me on a platter, not had to work for a thing at all, ever. Things just mysteriously go well for me. How lucky is that!? I'm lucky I live somewhere nice, I'm lucky I have The Frenchman, lucky I have a great family - if we exclude those members who aren't. Lucky I drive a nice car, lucky I have a few jobs that I really enjoy and where I'm out and accepted, and sometimes even valued. Very lucky with that. I'm lucky that I'm fit and healthy. Lucky I can take a reasonable photo or two, or perhaps that's more that I'm lucky I have a good camera, because after all, it's the camera you have that makes the photos good ones. Im lucky that I get to travel as often as I do. I'm lucky that I have some great people in my world, people who are always there if I need them, even though I'm so lucky I never actually do need them, but they're there anyway, waiting for the call. Except those who aren't. 

It is after all wild wednesday and the challenge today is to try to figure out what things in your life are really all about luck, good or bad, and what are all about the things you actually make happen yourself (or not happen as the case may be) that result in you being where you are now.

Go on have a think about it. 
Your time starts now.

Monday 13 October 2008

Lazy Active Retro

A lazy weekend of activity. Impromptu dinner parties, slow cooked breakfasts, trips to the beach, to the Italian deli, hikes in the bush. Close friends visiting, some planned, some spontaneous. Animated conversation flowing from relationships to politics to family planning. Chance meetings of friends at the pool and on the street, and long conversations that follow. Strengthening new and old bonds that will last a lifetime. 

There's nothing quite so refreshing as the freedom from being in the company of people with whom you have the knowledge that you're at home, that you can say and express what you feel, and you're going to be accepted, and listened to, and sometimes challenged. People you know you can trust, who make you feel a warm glow from within.

I was playing this song at one of these slow breakfast mornings on Sunday, and it has the lazy, active, retro feel of the summer I am planning to have.


Paper Aeroplane : Angus & Julia Stone
3min 38s

Saturday 11 October 2008

Shuffle

Random thoughts and events in this superchilled life...

I posted a few weeks ago about dozens of strange Chinese women calling me. Today I got another call. This time they hung up on me.

Our house didn't sell at auction. Well the auction itself didn't happen. Of course a whole financial system melt down right in the middle of our marketing campaign had nothing to do with it. But it's still on the market - and we're still optimistic. 

I had a quiet night at the hospital last night - got to bed at 1am - earlier than most weeks - and despite it all couldn't get to sleep until after 3am... If only they had a lap pool at the hospital. Hmmm perhaps I should speak to the CEO. 

My affinity for water now includes those high pressure water jets at car wash places where you do-it-yourself. I don't think it's an obsessive compulsive cleaning thing, but I don't mind a bit of shine either. 

Dinner this evening was a retirement dinner for a dear secretary at the public hospital. At said dinner one of the nurses decided that my hair needed to be cut, as she played with it forming pony-tails of sorts in front of everyone present. I guess it is getting a bit long now, and I'm kind of flattered that she was playing with my hair - but I'm not good at following orders. So expect no shaven head here any time soon.

At same dinner while the Frenchman was absent, it was pleasant to have all of the people there ask after him. 

London Preppy's activating the ejector-seat on his blog last week made me rethink my own blogging again. I've had so much happening in my world, much of which I've not posted about - not yet anyway - that it's been hard to make time to write here, let alone get everything else done. But I'm not ready to stop, there are more words in these fingers yet. 

While I was washing my car at the hydrophilic car wash station, the music on late night radio was courtesy of a Dance music DJ and I realised how long it is since I've been out dancing the night away. I was dancing around in the remoteness of the late night, water jet in hand, and it was a lot of fun. I think I'm going to have to gather a few revellers together to make an event of it very soon. 

And finally, we have an international blogger visiting us Saturday - and I'm very much looking forward to it. O Canada!

Wednesday 8 October 2008

The Frenchman Celebrates

There are a few classic features/favourites of The Frenchman in this photo, and hence my choice of it for this birthday post. Can anyone figure out what they are?

Have a great day babe.

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Modelling Opinion

What is our fascination with celebrities? In the US presidential campaign there are endless celebrities supporting one or other candidate, but very few other more educated / experienced people promoted as supporting candidates. Why is it we are  more interested and more swayed by a celebrity's opinion than someone who really does know better?

Sure there are some celebrities who know their stuff and whose opinion is well respected, but the others? Why do they get the limelight? Why do we buy the magazines they fill and follow their relationships / pregnancies / diets so avidly? If a supermodel votes for one party - why should that make me want to vote for them? If a rock star calls their child 'Cherry-pie' should I call mine the same too?


It's not just about elections, it's life in general. We select the beautiful people all too often to be the ones who choose our directions. 

I guess we all want to look beautiful. We see the Abercrombie models looking great in (and out of) various clothes and we want to buy that lifestyle. The clothes are a step towards that, and perhaps following what they do will make us more like them... or at least the image of them. We want to be liked in the way it seems the celebrities are liked, and so we emulate them, do what they do, or at least what they say they do.

Of course if we look at the paths of celebrities, shown in detail in the popular press and the reality TV, we see that the image of them is frequently not the reality. Perhaps we take comfort in that, relish the fall of these 'gods', to see that we're all human after all. So why do we bother following their lives in the first place? Let's lead our own lives. Find our own paths, and be directed by those who can better guide us than the winner of the latest MTV music video award.

Life is the people we spend it with. It's talking about things that are important and funny, and mean something to us. Embarking on new adventures, sharing times and meals, of arguing the point and realising we're wrong. Being the person we want to be, in the clothes we feel comfortable in. Determining our goals and making our way towards them. Helping out the people who need us when we least can afford them the time. Above all it's about being who we are and sharing more of ourselves with those in our own worlds. 

Models and movies stars may be good for styling cues, but it's time for a wider diversity of guidance for the important parts of our lives. 

Saturday 4 October 2008

Thursday Friday

Let's go back to Thursday, where I wake up and it's morning - I've not overslept on my morning off for a change. They predict 33 degrees today and I feel that they're going to be right. I want to take advantage of this weather and not sleep it away, so after about 6 hours rest I'm up, breakfasting, and getting ready to go to the beach. I'm not a big fan of the sun, but I love the water and the energy and at the same time the relaxed feel I have being somewhere without electronic communication. Reading things written on paper, listening to the waves in the dappled shade behind the beach. Life is good, and the men are getting cuter. I wonder how they'll be looking after 6 months of warmth and exercise. The future is looking good. I'm chilled out and a world away. 


Work in the afternoon at the surgery is a lot of fun, and I get fantastic feedback about my photos hanging there, though nobody has bought anything yet. At the hospital I arrive and within minutes am at the delivery of twin boys. Then there are a further 4 deliveries that follow where I am required. The dads faces expressing emotions from extreme excitement to shock and disbelief - I think one is about to cry or fall over or something, but he seems to remain in complete shock well after the baby's wrapped and given to him. I wonder if he knows how to change a nappy. He soon will.

The father of twins now has 5 kids. He looks like he knows how it all works. But he's still thrilled. 

Breakfast Friday at diggies and there is a new menu. I think I prefer the old menu, but they've brought back an old fave, so it's not all bad. The day is again superb, sunny, way too hot for spring and it gets to 39 degrees (102.2F) at various points in my travels. I really don't feel like working, and all the homes I visit with air-conditioning have it turned off, but it's a dry heat and they're a lot sicker than I am. They're saving the planet even if they are killing themselves to do it. 

My last house call is to a patient I've seen a few times now - relatively young and dying from melanoma. He and his wife are coming to terms with the whole process of dying, and it hits me harder than most patients I see because I relate to them more than most. At times during the consultation I wonder if I'm really any good at this job, but they surprise me by telling me at the end how many and varied sources have told them how good I am, and I'm quite frankly surprised. My eyes start to tear a little, just a little, and I know that I've actually helped them today by the time I leave. I spent about 30 min more than I had planned, but it was worth it, they needed it. The compliments are icing. The reward is in knowing they feel secure in what they're doing.

I head back to the pool after work. It's too hot to go running, and I swim so fast it's like I've actually had a proper sleep and haven't worked all day. I'm happy about this. And then just to go for complete exhaustion I go to gym, and before I know it, it's the weekend, and I'm hungry. 

Wednesday 1 October 2008

Wild Wednesday

Get your creative boots on, today is the day to be artistic. How you choose to create is up to you. Take some unusual photographs with your mobile phone's camera, draw a sketch of a work colleague, paint a picture, redecorate a room. I decided to do some artwork a friend asked me to do for his coaching sessions. One of which is below. 

Take a minute or 10 out of your day and take yourself away from it all.

Monday 29 September 2008

Surf's Up

I live by the beach here in Coalcliff but on Sunday, almost 2 hours away, I go surfing at Palm Beach in Sydney's far north with friends. It's a 35 degree day (95F) and being in the water feels just perfect. The fact that the men in the water distract me from catching a few waves is just icing. I'm surfing on a friend's malibu board, and it's so much fun I don't want to get out. The Frenchman is out in the water too catching some waves. When we do eventually pack up, a southerly change (ie cold wind) storms in and blows most people off the beach anyway. It's the formula of our perfect summer day - and this is early spring. I'm so looking forward to summer I can feel it pulsing though my veins already. 


Earlier in the day we're at a birthday party, and it's a sports themed birthday so the name of the game is being active (in this 35 degree heat remember). What do we have to do? Well, thankfully it's the 5th birthday of our niece and so it's the kids who are being active, the adults are standing by. Some dads are quite competitive though and they're giving their sons technique tips for the tug-of-war, and high fiving them when they lose "you gotta make him feel good". There are 2 boys who didn't get such support - and when their team loses, they're crying on the grass and don't want to play any more.

I'm glad I'm not 5 yrs old, although I will take the high fiving dad, he's gorgeous. 

Saturday 27 September 2008

The Narcissist

Friday evening is theatre time. We're off to see The Narcissist playing at the Sydney Opera House. I'm running ahead of time for once and phone those who are coming to schedule meeting up for dinner. Five minutes later I'm stuck in traffic - bloody rugby semi-finals! So after ordering over the phone I finally arrive to my first course sitting waiting for me. Dinner is good I think - but we have so much to catch up on that the conversation is the main meal.

The stage is bright - there's loads of images of our main character - a lot camper in the artwork than he is in character. Actually - there are way too many images of this character and I feel like getting up there and decluttering. A barrage of one-liners make us laugh out loud, a lot, but the delivery seems a little forced and I know these are actors playing their characters, for the most part. I'm enjoying the play with its decidedly gay themes and unpredictability, but I have to work on it too. I'm a little tired from a restless night at the hospital, but mostly unrelated to work, so I don't want to have to work on my evening's entertainment. Mind you - it's not incredibly cerebral. Not even close really - but perhaps I'm too demanding in wanting seamlessness. I want to be completely absorbed, but I'm not quite. I could actually spend more time chatting with the people we've come with as I really like them and we never get enough time together. But afterwards we're all too tired from big work weeks to do coffee/dessert, and the chat on the walk along the harbour will have to do for now. 

A fun night out.
The play wasn't too bad either. 

Thursday 25 September 2008

Telephone Spam

Saturday morning early I get a phone call that wakes me. I'm not sure if I'm on call or not, so I answer, and the woman at the other end says something like "wei" , I say "hello?" she repeats the same "wei?" with a little more questioning. "Can I help you?" I offer, but after a short delay she repeats the "wei??" and the conversation kinda loses me. It's the wrong number and I'm not going to get anywhere trying to sort it out so I hang up. She calls again and the same conversation repeats with a few additional Chinese words thrown in. I think she must have got it by the time I hang up this time. Shortly after though, I'm called again and a near identical conversation starts, but I have less patience and end it earlier. After 15 min or so I get another call. It looks like the same number, but I answer. The conversation starts the same - but then English is offered. Something about a sales job. But not a lot of detail. The next call is definitely a different number and more detail - it seems my phone number has been mistakenly given in an ad for a sales job in an Australian Chinese newspaper. 

I feel a little sorry for the women calling, they are all women, but it's early Saturday morning and on this Saturday morning I'm going to work - and with my phone on silent vibrating endlessly away in my pocket I'm distracted, so I give it to my secretary who is quite entertained by the idea of this, and insists that she will answer the calls and explain to the callers that it's a mistake. She's cute, and I'm glad she has the patience for it all. After 20 calls I figure a way to divert the calls I don't want and the rest of the day is filled with women applying for a job they're not going to get, calling a phone that will never answer. 

Somewhere in Chinatown a store owner is wondering if they should be offering more money, or perhaps better working conditions as they sit silently by their phone, checking to see if it is working properly from time to time. Checking the reception, checking the time, looking back at the phone that will never ring...

Wednesday 24 September 2008

Wild Wednesday

Last week Superchilled readers were asked if they'd be prepared to sell themselves for sex, and an overwhelming 73%  said yes they would. 

A fantastic Wild Wednesday today would be to suggest that 73% of you actually (well, at least hypothetically) put yourselves on the market. But in order to do that we need a marketing strategy. 

Now there are a few options.


Walk up and down the street (or just jig around a bit) wearing a sandwich board that says something like "for a great meal, eat me. Fresh and delicious. Lunchtime special price of...". Ideally you will be wearing nothing underneath to entice those with an appetite.

Get yourself to a Gala Ball or similar, dress up to the nines, a tux might be nice, perhaps driving in in an Aston Martin might look the part too. Select wealthy fellow attendees to schmooze and leave with your calling card. Leave them wanting more... I'm guessing this is more the go if you're striving for the millions alluded to last week.

Perhaps an ad in your local rag... but what would you write?  How would you put into words your best marketing strategy? Or would you do it with pictures?

So today as your wild wednesday challenge I'm asking you to tell us your own personal marketing strategy. Or perhaps a suggestion of one for someone else. 

Get a little hot under the collar. See what you can come up with.
Got a tag line?

Monday 22 September 2008

Getting ready for the start of the week

I've had a busy weekend. It's been a good one. Too much to do to find time to post now though - so here is my thousand words for today.


My first photographic exhibition goes live today - there's no big fanfare, but it's very exciting. At least for me.

One day I'll get more sleep. But not today.