Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas 2007! ....圣诞快乐07年!....メーリークリスマス07年....


I want to wish all my readers a Happy Merry Christmas 2007 and
may you enjoy this splendid season:)
祝贺各位读者有一个美好温馨的圣诞节与圣诞快乐2007!:)
読者様、メーリークリスマス!:)

Friday, December 14, 2007

Random Visual Pics.....

This is my first time posting such 'shallow' pics but i thought of posting something less serious and more relaxed for a change after all my 'serious' posts this year...so relax ,and enjoy the eye candy....photos taken from the internet or from bloggers i read from.....:):):)
Sexy guy pics....god, i never knew men and boys could be THIS sexy....hehehehe....who said men and the male body couldn't be sexualised and be as sexy as the female body??


eeeeee.......just something about his pose, simply sexy...



Bryan Wong and Felicia Chin, two of my favourite Singaporean celebrities...after watching Bao Jia Wei Guo a few months bck....i suspect Bryan Wong is a tongzhi....hhhmmmm.....don't kill me if any of you guys out there are his fans...cos its just my gut feeling and experience...
I loved Bryan Wong's character in Bao cos he was just so perfect.....the perfect catch....maybe just alittle too perfect....thats why i feel it would have been better if his character was a tongzhi cos he would totally fit that role. But then again, the drama being from Singapore, one word: fat chance.
Bryan Wong with Fann Wong in Hong Kong for his new show.....he gives off the perfect tongzhi qingren aura and personality....and in the show he wasn't even supposed to give audiences that impression!! (or was he?) which is why i feel the 'tonglei' vibes i got reveals his true inner self in real life....anyways, whatever he is, i like him as a fan...

Need I say more?? Look at those god-perfect eyes...and the smooth skin...and the toned body...okok...i said i didn't need to say more but i just couldn't help myself!!!! tai shuai le! bo shita! PS: If you know his name, do let me know k...
Thai actor.....shit he's damn cute talaga....

I don't know why but i simply find that this photo really attract me...its a simple photo but the entire feel of it just turns me on...and i am drawn to it...AND the fact that the model is lor mar ...*blush**blush*


Poster of 1st Anniversary Celebrations of a well-known Taipei club within the glass community. Now u may be asking, whats the 'glass community'??well...i'm purposely talking in code, so only Taiwanese people will know! ha....i know i'm evil

Coco Martin, Filipino Actor....gosh, this pic makes him look good-looking...sexy talaga:)


Another Filipino actor in an, shall i say, EXTREMELY sexy pose and demeanor, gwapo....


X'Ray Mag from the Phillipines....very obviously a bakla magazine hiding as your
'average lalaki' magazine....
Another Thai dude, nangrak na......


Mainland Chinese actor Huang Xiao-Ming....look at his well formed chest...to die for...kakko ii dayo ne....going ga-ga now...he is very popular in China and is liked by both straight girls and chinese gay men alike (according to a taiwanese interviewer during a talk show he attended in taiwan a few months bck.)

Since its all been mainly guy pics, i thought i might end with a gorgeous qipao pic, with none other than Paris during her recent trip to Shanghai, China. She looks surprisingly good in a red sleeveless tight-fitting qipao!! It suits her!


PS: Some readers may be left confused in some places on what i am saying...well i've done this on purpose. I am kinda using 'code language' for fun, having used simple Thai, Tagalog, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese words in certain areas so that only certain people will understand...haha...playing around with languages can be fun too:)

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Nanking! Nanking!: The 70th Anniversary of the Rape of Nanking:(....南京大屠杀70周年纪念:(....南京大虐殺70周年記念ポスト....

Today marks the 70th Anniversary of the Nanking Massacre committed by Japanese troops in the former capital of China, Nanking in 1937. Different from the 1997 commemorations which marked the 60th, the biggest difference this year is the reopening of the Nanking Massacre Memorial Hall after extensive renovation of 2 years which has greatly expanded collections displayed to over 3,000 items as well as over a dozen films and documentaries which retell the events and stories of that dark winter of 1937-1938.

Since my August 15th 'End of WW2 Commemoration' post, much more information as well as pictures have now been released on these movies. Below is a summary of all the films/docs which have the Massacre theme either already released or planned for release in the near future:

'Purple Mountain' (China-US Production, In Pre-Production) This mega-production by China and Hollywood production studios jointly is reportedly having a budget of over $50 million and the huge film set which seeks to recreate 1937 Nanking is reported to be completed by the end of the month. The director is Simon West (of Lara Croft fame) and the script is penned by William MacDonald (TV Series 'Rome'). The cast is not decided yet and they seem to be having problems casting for roles as it has taken them an entire year since production was announced last year but no names have been confirmed yet for any of the major roles of the film, which will revolve around real-life character Minnie Vautrin, the 'Goddess of Nanking' and a fictional Chinese family consisting of a mother and her daughter and how they experience the massacre. I am highly anticipating this film given its huge budget and the Hollywood factor!!!

'Iris Chang: The Rape of Nanking' (Canada, 2007) A Canadian funded and produced docu-drama of the American- Chinese author Iris Chang's life, dealing with the world-wide bestseller book 'The Rape of Nanking' she wrote which exposed the Rape of Nanking to the western world and brought it to worldwide attention after a long slumber of neglect by the world for 60 years. It just had its Canadian premiere in November 07 and its Hong Kong premiere early this month.

Nanking! Nanking! 南京!南京!(China-HK, 2008)
This is the only film dealing with the Nanking Massacre from the perspective of Chinese people out of the multitude of films coming out or planned for next year or in 2009. This film views the massacre from the perspective of three people, mainly a Chinese Commander (刘烨), a Japanese General, and a foreign-educated Chinese female teacher (高圆圆)The director is the famous Chinese director of award-winning Kekexili 可可西里 Lu Chuan (陆川) and it is noted that he had alot of problem getting his film to roll with censors,casting, etc problems since last yr. Its a relief he has finally started rolling the camera on his Nanking Massacre mega-pic. I am looking forward to it given that its the FIRST Mainland Chinese film dealing with the Nanking Massacre topic directly since '87. Also it has one of my fav Chinese mainland actress as the female lead, the pretty feminine Gao Yuan Yuan in it....gosh, she's just sooooo pretty...see pic above....as a note, the film is scheduled for release in black and white monotone (like the official screenshots below) and thus will resemble 'Schindler's List' somewhat...



Nanking! Nanking! (Black/White Set Pics)



Nanking! Nanking! on-the-set pictures.




Nanking! Nanking! On-the-set pictures.




Nanking! Nanking! On-the-set pictures.





Rising Chinese Star Gao Yuan Yuan (she has acted as the female lead in Jackie Chan's Rob‘B'Hood)will be the female lead of Chinese film 'Nanking! Nanking!' due for release in 2008.
John Rabe (China-Germany, 2008):
This is a German-Chinese Co-production centering on the life of John Rabe, the Nazi Businessman who headed the International Sfatey Zone Committee and lived in China for 29 years prior to the Japanese occupation of the city. He played a crucial and major role in setting up and protecting the refugees during the worst of the carnage and his wartime diary detailing in detail Japanese atrocities during the Rape was published in 1997. The movie will be based on his diary in large part.


Zhang Jing-Chu (Female lead in Rush Hour 3 with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan) as a female student during the massacre.
The International Committee at a meeting detailing the atrocities committed by the Japanese army in Nanking.


The Children of Huangshi (US-Germany-Australia,2007)
This major co-production is due for release in the States this month to be in time for the nominations for the Oscars next yr 2008. It is loosely based on the true story of a British journalist whom, along with an Australian nurse, brought dozens of Chinese orphans on a gruelling trek across the harsh Chinese hinterlands to seek refuge from the swift Japanese advance across and into interior China in 1938. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers,Radha Mitchell, Chow Yun-Fat, and Michelle Yeoh.

Official Site: http://www.sonyclassics.com/thechildrenofhuangshi/
Nanking (US, 2008):
This Sundance award-winning documentary explores the Nanking Massacre from the perspective of a handful of Westerners whom stayed behind to set up and save Chinese refugees from the marauding Japanese troops during the Nanking Massacre in 1937. I saw it on the 13th December 2007, the exact day marking the 70th Anniv. of the Nanking Massacre, and it was simply spell-binding and draws your attention for the full 90 minutes of the doco.


Watch it on youtube:) (someone has been thoughtful enough to upload it on youtube!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QhdFTypMH4
Official Site:http://www.nankingthefilm.com/
Other Films Announced on the Nanking Massacre theme:
Yim Ho's (严浩)'Nanking X'mas: 1937' is currently in pre-production with finances and script approval already obtained. It is reportedly going to be big-budgeted international production and i am very looking forward to it, cos i love the director's previous work!!
Stanley Tong (唐季礼)of 'The Myth' and 'The Police Story' series in Hong Kong is also in preparations for his next upcoming mega project tentatively called 'The Diary'. The film will chronicle the entire War of Resistance Against Japan from July 1937 all the way to the surrender of Japan in August 1945. The finances will be coming from international sources and his script has been approved already by China's censors. He is apparently currently undergoing preparations for filming as well as scouting for roles.

First News of the 'Rape of Nanking' in the West.

Links to Articles Commemorating the 70th Anniv. of the Rape of Nanking:
Official Memorial Ceremony for the 70th Anniv. of the Nanking Massacre held in Nanjing City (then called Nanking) on the morning of 13 December 2007.


Saturday, December 01, 2007

World Aids Day 2007....世界愛滋病日2007......世界エイズデー2007...



Today marks World Aids Day. In the past, I didn't really pay much attention to this date but this year its different. Lets start with some basic facts about Aids worldwide:

Every minute, almost 80 people are infected with HIV around the world.

Every day, an estimated 1,900 children become infected with HIV/AIDS, equating to more than one child every minute.

Globally 40 million people are currently living with HIV and of these
4.3 million became newly infected in 2006.

18 million are women ie 48% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and 59% for sub-Saharan Africa.

25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981, including an estimated 2.9 million deaths in 2006
Some facts on Aids in Australia:

Following a long-term decline, the annual number of new HIV diagnoses in Australia has over the past seven years gradually increased.
By 31 December 2006, there were 26 267 diagnoses of HIV infection in Australia. There were 10, 125 diagnoses of AIDS and 6 723 deaths following AIDS had occurred. Differences between the States and Territories exist in the rates of newly diagnosed HIV infection.

Transmission of HIV continues to be mainly through sexual contact between men.

Among cases of newly acquired HIV infection, male homosexual contact was reported in 88%, injecting drug use among women and heterosexual men in 1%, and through heterosexual contact only in 8% of cases. In 3% of cases, exposure to HIV remained undetermined.

Unprotected anal intercourse remains the most important behavioural factor in HIV transmission.

Of homosexually active men surveyed in Australian communities, 40% - 50% reported in engaging in unprotected anal intercourse in the last year. In Sydney, there has been a significant decrease in reporting of unprotected anal intercourse between homosexually active men. In contrast, significant increases have been observed in Melbourne over the period 2002-2006.
2006 Comparative AIDS Incidence Data With Other OECD Countries

AIDS incidence per 100,000
Australia
1.3
Spain
3.5
United States
13.9 (in 2005)
Italy
1.9
UK
1.4



HIV/AIDS in the Asia region : An estimated 4.9 million people were living with HIV in Asia in 2007 and some 440,000 people became newly infected with the virus. Approximately 300,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2007.The highest national infection levels continue to be found in South-East Asian countries where combinations of unprotected paid sex and sex between men, along with unsafe injecting drug use, are contributing to the HIV epidemic.

I hadn't realised that in australia, the largest group of hiv/aids new infections came from sexually active gay men, making up a whopping 88% of all new diagnosed infections. This makes it almost a 'gay disease' in Australia (as politically incorrect as that may sound).
In Asia, drug abuse through infected needles and heterosexual prostitution continue to dominate the hiv/aids infection rate in terms of numbers although infection through homosexual sex between men makes up an increased percentage of people being infected with Aids/Hiv.


And now the Q, why my interest in World Aids Day this yr when i had previously not been interested at all???
Well............little did i know but HIV/AIDS had arrived at my immediate family's doorsteps early this year......Now, what do i mean?? ........you may be wondering. I am not allowed to speak in detail as its kinda taboo to talk about this, but someone in my immediate family, being a male relative on my mum's side whom was very close to my mum, died of Aids early this year. *GASP!!* I know, an Aids death in our family....in the beginning, we all didn't know what was going on as he had returned from a Hong Kong trip with his long term girlfriend and started showing symptoms of fever, diarrhoea, etc which just wouldn't go away. He would recover but then lapse back after a day or two, and no medication seemed to help....we all thought, being typical Chinese, that he may have met 'dirty stuff' like spirits or a curse, as GPs couldn't figure out what was wrong and he was starting to waste away, losing over 10 kg in a week (my mother said that he was literally skin and bones by the end of the month). When my mother first told me about this, i immediately thought of the 'ghost/spirits/curse' chain of reasoning cos i thought impossible that someone could keep having fevers and lose so much weight in so little time with doctors being unable to tell what was wrong with him. Further, he had just returned from HK so i thought maybe he 'bumped' into some ghost there. Of cos, no one in the family, incl. my other aunts and uncles suspected that it was the signs of aids. (well, a medical practitioner uncle of mine later confided that he did). Finally, the family decided to bring him to hospital which he absolutely refused to go but the family all insisted he go. And so the truth was found when the medical blood results came out. AIDS, final stage.


He had had it for over 7 years now but thought utilising mediums and supernatural ways such as going to chinese sinsehs would help. And apparently it did...for 7 years. He took no anti-vitrol or hiv medicine which is widely available now and showed no visible symptoms of Aids at all. In all the time we came out to eat together, the times he was at our home, all the times i met him, I NEVER SAW NOR SUSPECTED AIDS.


Thinking bck, it seems surreal that i had met him so many times over the past 7 years as a relative and he was a HIV carrier... i guess we all have our own prejudices and ignorance and don't know how we'd react if we came to interact with a hiv positive carrier.....Well i knew this yr. You simply treat them as normal cos u don't know. Had i known, i really don't know how i would have acted differently.


My close male relative died within 2 months of his symptom manifesting and a hurried funeral was prepared. They had to burn his body immediately unlike other patients and gloves,etc were used. Also, after this incident, my relatives (and me thru my phone conversations with mum) also found out the procedures for dealing with Aids diagnosed patients in Malaysia.

Firstly, all patients diagnosed with Aids must be reported to the Ministry of Health and have their vital statistics recorded, including all Aids-related deaths in Malaysia. Further, in hospitals, those whom are aids patients will have a particular coloured *** stuck in front of their beds to indicate to medical staff that these are aids patients which require extra care. (for privacy reasons, i cannot disclose how aids patients are identified in malaysia lest malaysians who read this go check hospital beds next time they are visiting someone at the hospital) So my aunts went 'doing the rounds' whilst on a visit to the male relative and were taken abck at the number of aids patients at the hospital. Further, my cousin who is interning at a hospital in Malacca (he's becoming a doctor soon and whom I suspect is gay) also told us that there were many aids patients at the hospital in Malacca/melaka.


This death has shocked us all and made me reassess my viewpoints as well as relationships with people. It has also confronted me with some (very very slight!!) fears of dealing with hiv/aids people which i may have. Looking bck, if this male relative of mine could have had hiv for 7 yrs without my knowledge of it and me eating, interacting with him for the past 7 yrs, what about my other relatives/friends, what about my gay male friends? what about that cute guy, gay or straight, i admire??

We just don't believe nor suspect those whom we love, we like could have aids.....and would it matter? Would i react differently to them had i to find out?? I don't know, I really don't, despite all my pro-liberal anti-discrimination stance and belief....


So, please please please do go get an aids blood test regularly, esp if you are in a high risk group, i.e. prostitutes or gay men, and wear protection for your own sake cos you really dun want to be 'dying for a fcuk'. Cos if my family member can die of aids 7 years after his diagnosis within a couple of months and seeming fine all those years, those whom deliberately don't test or take medication (which may well have saved (or at least delayed) my relative's life) could end up with the same result. And believe my mother, she said the final weeks were simply horrifying, seeing him in pain, wasting away, being unable to ingest anything......


And so next time u read the statistics for aids deaths in malaysia, my close male relative was one of them.


*In memory of my ***** whom died of AIDS in Penang, Malaysia, 2007*

PS: Now all queries on his death by other relatives/friends are met with the same answer, after initial discrepancies in answers b/w different family members to outsiders: He died of pneumonia. (Which, by the way, is a very rare cause of death nowadays in the absence of aids infection. )



Events commemorating WAD in 2007 in Oz: