Friday, March 13, 2009

WW2 and Japan Issue Revisited...Trailers and Movies...

The trailers for two movies which i mentioned previously dealing with Japan and WW2 (a fav topic of mine,hehehe..) has come out, one a German movie and the other a Chinese movie...i've also included a documentary series on the Occupation of HK as well as a mainland Chinese movie which is low budget and not well-known but which i like about the Rape of Nanking in 1937 and is based on the true story of monks whom shelter over 24,000 refugees in the monastery during that awful period in history based on real historical facts...hope u guys like it, a little bit of reflection and history..always a good thing....haha...

John Rabe (2009):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoD7lSbd-w

Nanking! Nanking! (2009):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbw4jirbz4&feature=related

ATV '3 Years and 8 Months' (2005):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX2AeWGnNTg&feature=channel_page

Qixia Temple 1937 (2005):
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTIyMDQ4MDA=.html

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Happy Mardi Gras 2009!!!!!~~~~雪梨同志大游行2009........シドニーゲイとレスビアンマルヂグラー

The Mardi Gras on Sat night was fantastic~~it was very busy and packed with people as expected...apparently more than 300,000 attended..with over 135 floats and paraders...it was a fantastic night (as expected!)....anyways , was there early from experience but still not early enough cos by the time got there, was second row..but as the night progressed and some ppl left early, managed to get to the very front!!...also bought my very first rainbow flag!!!!! Hehehe..was proudly waving it for the initial half an hour...hahaha..then my hand got abit tired...

anyways, many ppl went, even an ex-colleague went with her husband and she told me it was great and gave her a good impression of the friendliness of gay people..she left me a facebook msg cos i put on my nick 'Happy Mardi Gras!!' and another friend called asking me how it was cos he saw my msn message too...it ws a fantastic night seeing so many people came out to see this wonderful carnival and many people had smiles on their faces and knew what the parade was about..it just goes that little bit towards improving gay rights and anti-discrimination amongst the general population:-) Without further ado, here are some photos taken at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2009:

Update 13/3/09: I found online the groundbreaking NHK (Japan's national broadcaster with the biggest audience coverage) program on LGBT Japanese Gay and Lesbian Life in Japan which was broadcast as a series from late last yr to early this year. It was the first time that gay and lesbian people and the issue of homosexuality in Japan was dealt with by the usually conservative but very important channel network. Please watch if you understand Japanese, very interesting insight into gays and lesbians living in Japan. The program is called: NHK ハートをつなごう and the link is at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbXWXKUr-vw&feature=related

Above: Mature-Age Gays....the Asian drag queen in blue is wearing a cheongsam..haha..

Above: A Statement Against Certain Religions...
Above: The Mardi Gras Parade underway!!!!.....

Above: Sexy angels in tight briefs....oooohhhhh......



Above: Some organisation against homophobia...
Above: Footie parade i think...i love men in socks...


Above: Party Disco Float...
Above: New Mardi Gras float....



Above: Alot of people, two hours before the parade....


Above: People living at the Apartment above the parade had parties from their balconies whilst enjoying the parade...
Above: Foxtel cable channel broadcasting live the parade.....
Above: People taking pictures with parade performers before the start of the parade....


Above: Parade 'Angels' getting ready.....


Above: Performers going towards the parade...


Above: ANZ Bank people distributing stuff at the start of the parade.....


Above: Asian Marching Boys with accompanying photographer...i took this picture cos the photo at the back of his t shirt caught my attention...i wonder why..hehehe..


Above: Asian Marching Boys, a staple of the Mardi Gras parade, being made up of gay Asian men..


Above: Getting ready for the parade....


Above: Before the parade, people getting ready..

Above: Afternoon on the day of the parade, bikey with malaysian flag!!! (and also singapore's and australia's flag)


Above: Shop Display celebrating the parade at oxford sq, oxford st.


Above: Barricades in place for Mardi Gras Parade '09, afternoon of Mardi Gras Parade Sat March 7

Above: A Big Banner forming on the wall of a gay club, oxford st Sydney....
Above: Volunteers of Mardi Gras 'Nations United' getting briefed at Hyde Park before the Parade.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

I'm Back! New Post for a New Year 2009:)

Above: Mardi Gras Pride Festival Flower arrangements around the city, 2009.

Been back from my 5 week holiday in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan for over a month now...been too lazy and not to mention busy to update my blog...shall do in a couple of days time on my recent overseas trip to the above places...anyways, this month has been Mardi Gras month in Sydney, to be precise, the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Celebration which is said to be the largest celebration of its kind in the world! And indeed, when i first arrived in Sydney , i attended my very first Mardi Gras Parade in 2007 and it was great fun!! I would rate it as THE best celebration parade that i've been to in my entire life so far, far bigger in scale than i ever imagined! I simply didn't expect so MANY people there..i presumed it would be an almost all-gay affair with very little Sydneysiders..but boy was i wrong!!! Cos the location is very close to the CBD, and the growing acceptance of homosexuality in mainstream Australia, there were so many people there, including tons of straight people (from looking cos there were some old people and many couples and families)...the crowds lined up the entire stretch of Oxford Street and Liverpool St i think and it was packed! You had to go early (which is my plan this yr!) if you didn't want to be like behind 2 rows of ppl in front of you whom have clearly lined up since late afternoon to get a good spot...
Above; Mardi Gras film festival '09

Above: Displays around World Square in preparation for Sydney Mardi Gras 2009


Anyways, this yr, the Mardi Gras is as big as ever with many mainstream stores and even Kinokuniya bookstore downtown indicating their support for the gay and lesbian Mardi Gras by displaying right at the entrance a collection of male erotic photography books...i was so shocked when i walked in with my gay friend and he was like yeah, kinda surprising how mainstream and accepted the Mardi Gras and homosexuality in general is now in urban mainstream Australian society...many stores have put out rainbow flags and World Sq (where i work) even has stores displaying the poster for the Mardi Gras parade and the shopping centre having displays of costumes from Mardi Gras all around...


Above: Mardi Gras Display at World Square.

I'm really really excited and will be there early to get a good spot this yr...i shall put up photos from the Parade later on my blog to show you guys just how wonderful the entire parade is every year...hahaha..i missed it last yr but i won't again this yr...the Chief of Parade in '07 was Ruper Everett, the openly gay American actor, and this yr it shall be Mitcham, the Beijing Olympic Gold Medal diver, also the only openly gay male athlete representing Australia this yr...can't wait to see him in person!!!! I'll prob even take a video recording of the entire parade..well known for its colourful over the top costumes, hunky dancers in tight shorts/hotpants, and drag queens...

Below are some photos of Mardi Gras''09 around the city..
Above: 'Nations United' Flag Oxford Street Sydney Mardi Gras 2009

Above: Shop Displays advertising the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade at World Square..
In celebration of Gay Pride Month (Mardi Gras) in Sydney, watch these movies:

Prayers for Bobby (2008) with Sigourney Weaver based on a true story, brought tears to my eyes, really...sniff,sniff,...:

Milk (2008) with Sean Penn winning an Oscar for his performance..has anyone noticed the number of high profile gay movies recently? And ALL based on true people and/or events such as I Love You and Milk and Prayers for Bobby...cool.....

And look forward to watching these:

I Love You Phillip Morris by Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor (seems like every major Hollywood actor is jumping on the bandwagon now to make a gay film, it started with Brokeback, then Adam Sandler's I Now Pronounce You, Sean Penn's 'Milk' and now this): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewl8hAnp-CU
Miao Miao produced Stanley Kwan and Wong Kar Wai's production company..REALLY looking forward to watching this film...there's been ALOT of VERY high profile lesbian films coming out of Taiwan in the past two years, with 2 even being featured in this yrs Mardi Gras Film Festival....examples like Wild Lilies, and Candy Rain...it seems many Taiwanese and Hong Kong actresses in the Chinese speaking world feel at ease and sure that society will accept them acting in such roles nowadays....trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyS7dcbsELM
Theme for Sydney Mardi Gras '09 is Nations United, celebrating and striving for equality for gay rights around the world...apparently more ethnic costumes and different people from around the world participating...REALLY EXCITED!!!!!