Showing posts with label Beijing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beijing. Show all posts

Wednesday, 19 September 2012

The Diva Video Of The Day™ Melissa Manchester / Looking Through The Eyes of Love (LIVE)



//
And now, I do believe,
That even in a storm, we'll find some light;
Knowin' you're beside me, I'm alright.
Please don't let this feelin end,
It might not come again;
And I want to remember
How it feels to touch you;
How I feel so much,
Since I've found you
Lookin' through the eyes of love.
//


THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING
SURREAL EYEBALL-INSPIRED LIGHT INSTALLATIONS
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING
SELF-PORTRAIT

caipirinha
SUREÑO'S CAIPIRINHA

sureno beijingthe hyperactive gay boy
LA VIDA ES SUEÑO
  // THE HYPERACTIVE GAY BOY™ //



 

THE BEAUTY OF COMPLETE ESSENTIALISM

THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING

Central to Picasso's legacy was his determination not to follow the artistic provenance of Raphael, but instead to reduce everything down to a child's scribble. This he saw as the greatest challenge. Picasso demonstrated the beauty of complete essentialism. Reduction to its core parts, where art becomes nothing but line and form.

- Brutal Simplicity of Thought

// LESS IS MORE. //


Monday, 17 September 2012

COMFORT FOOD

spicy pork noodles
Spicy Pork Noodles from the Room Service menu
The Opposite House / Beijing


Q: What's the best cure for hangover after an entire weekend of hardcore partying?

A: Carbs.
A mountain of thick, heavy carbs swimming in hot soup, topped with spicy minced pork.

Yes.
I ordered room service.
Thrice. 
And I don't feel guilty.
(OK, I do.)


// YOU CAN RING MY BELL. // 










Friday, 14 September 2012

The Diva Video Of The Day™ Samantha James / Send It Out To The Universe



//
Just have faith in things you can't see, open your heart
There's no better feelin' than to be free, right where you are
Everything that you need, the world will provide
Listen, hear your calling, it's louder than your own mind

Sent it out to the universe, let it fly away, hey, hey, hey

Sent it out to the universe, whatever's meant to be, will be, yea-yeah
Sent it out to the universe, let it fly away, hey, hey, hey
Sent it out to the universe, whatever's meant to be, will be, yea-yeah

//


the hyperactive gay boy
Sureño
The Opposite House / Beijing
// THE HYPERACTIVE GAY BOY™ //





CRUISING BEIJING

THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING Photobucket nali patio the village beijing 

Aside of course from the obvious - swanky retail enclave The Village - and the not-so-obvious (A Li'l High, anyone?), The Opposite House's neighbouring streets and alleys offer plenty of charm.  

WHAT ELSE?

Thursday, 13 September 2012

The Diva Video Of The Day™ Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis / Cruisin' Together



//
You're gonna fly away, glad you're goin' my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it when, I love it, I love it, I love it, ooh
Cruise with me baby, I love it when we're cruisin together
//


the hyperactive gay boy
THE VILLAGE CAFE,
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE / BEIJING
// THE HYPERACTIVE GAY BOY™ //



Wednesday, 12 September 2012

VILLAGE PEOPLE

migas beijing
KEVIN, ENWEI & ALEX
mesh beijing
PRE-DINNER DRINKS AT SWANKY MESH.
mesh beijing
SALMON MARTINI, MADE WITH SHOJU.
THE FLORAL, HERBACEOUS NOTES IN SHOJU IS A NICE COUNTERPOINT TO THE SALMON'S SMOKINESS.

YUCK, I SOUND LIKE A WANKER WANNABE FOOD CRITIC.
1949 beijing
STOIC SENTRIES AT ARTSY NIGHTLIFE ENCLAVE, 1949


"How about some champagne?" Alex suggested.

Duh - like he needed to ask twice! Gay boys and champagne go together like a horse and carriage. OK, that totally made no sense, but who cares?   

We were in Mesh, The Opposite House's achingly stylish bar. A bartender poured some Champagne Duval-Leroy ("My favourite," Alex solemnly swore) for myself, Alex, Enwei and and Kevin, an old friend of Chris's. Meanhwile, we munched on mealy crackers and nuts coated in a savoury, syrupy sauce. The champagne's crisp structure, gorgeously creamy on the palate, beautifully balanced the richness of the bar nibbles.

"You have to try the salmon martini," Enwei insisted.

I almost spewed bubbly out of my nostrils. What?!

WHAT OTHER OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD DRINK AM I MEANT TO TRY, NOW?


The Diva Video Of The Day™ Mariah Carey / Fantasy



//
Images of rapture
Creep into me slowly
As you're going to my head
And my heart beats faster
When you take me over
Time and time and time again
But it's just a...

Sweet sweet fantasy baby
When I close my eyes
You come and take me
On and on and on
It's so deep in my daydreams
But it's just a sweet sweet fantasy baby...
//


hyperactive gay boy
A DEEP SOAKING OAK BATH TUB,
ALSO KNOWN AS 'THE PARTY TUB'
// THE HYPERACTIVE GAY BOY™ //




Tuesday, 11 September 2012

WOULD YOU LIKE A BREAKFAST MARTINI?

THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING
VIEW OF 'THE VILLAGE' FROM ROOM 516
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING
NOT INSTANT.
ARABICA.
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING
ENWEI & ALEX


"Would you like a breakfast martini?"

And with that, Alex Chen, The Opposite House's Director of PR, introduced himself to Hyperactive. It was love at first sight. It helped, of course, that Alex was wearing a tight-fit emerald green polo shirt and short shorts.

How much better can a Saturday morning proceed? 

Monday, 10 September 2012

The Diva Video Of The Day™ Jennifer Lopez / Louboutins



//
See some days you would love me
Then you don’t, then you do, then you won’t,
Then you’re here, then you’re gone, I’m alone.
Now you got me stressin’ out on the phone
But it’s the last time
I’m moving on
I’m throwin on my Louboutins 
//


james gannaban
STEPPING OUT OF ROOM 516,
TELLTALE BLOGGERS' CORDS IN THE BACKGROUND.
 // THE HYPERACTIVE GAY BOY™ //




8 MINUTES OUT OF A PLANE, INTO A MASERATI

maserati
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE'S MASERATI,
MY NOBLE STEED.
postcard
A SWEET, HANDWRITTEN WELCOME NOTE FROM ALEX CHEN,
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE'S DISHY PR DIRECTOR.
oppositehouse music compilation
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE'S MUSICAL HERITAGE CAPTURED IN 4 MUSIC COMPILATIONS
CALLED - WHAT ELSE? - OPPOSITEHOUSE.
macarons
ALEX IS ON A MISSION TO HAVE ME SHOOTING TOWARDS A SUGAR HIGH
WITH A SELECTION OF MACAROONS FROM COLIBRI.

SWEETS N' CUPCAKES FOR BEEFCAKES, GET IT?
(NEVER MIND.)
brutal simplicity of thought
SAATCHI'S 'BRUTAL SIMPLICITY OF THOUGHT' TAKES PRIDE OF PLACE -
INDEED - SERVING AS THE OPPOSITE HOUSE'S DE FACTO PHILOSOPHICAL MANIFESTO.
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING
FINALLY,
PEACE.


It was a photo finish to make my Dragonair flight out of Hong Kong bound for Beijing. I had two last-minute meetings that had me minding my wristwatch for fear I might miss cut-off time for check-in. I was so anxious, I thought I'd pee myself. Not a good look. So I held it all in and smiled through crisis management. 

Thank goodness my Marco Polo card seemed to work wonders. I was a hot minute behind check-in cut-off, but I still managed to nail a front row-aisle seat on a packed flight. Sweet.

To my surprise, the flight was pretty awesome. Blanket, wine, 3-course meal, in-flight entertainment (Snow White and the Huntsman). I had always assumed Dragonair to be Cathay's budget cousin, and so I received anything "extra" with great pleasure.

Since it was a Friday night, there was an extra-manic mad dash to make it out of the gate before anyone else. I was first.

And there was a beautiful twink waiting for me, with my name on a placard.


WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Diva Video Of The Day™ Astrud Gilberto / Agua De Beber



//
Água de beber
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber
Água de beber, camará!

This is sweet water,
sweet water, my friend.
This is sweet water,
sweet water, my friend.
//


THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING JAMES GANNABAN
BRUNCH AT THE VILLAGE CAFE,
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE / BEIJING

// THE HYPERACTIVE GAY BOY™ //


Friday, 7 September 2012

THE OPPOSITE HOUSE

THE OPPOSITE HOUSE BEIJING
THE OPPOSITE HOUSE

IS BLOCKED IN CHINA. 

WE WILL BE BACK ON MONDAY, 
10 SEPTEMBER 2012. 

// SEE YOU SOON! //


 





CRAZY 'JINGERS

james gannaban beijing
THE HYPERACTIVE GAY BOY™

The first time I visited Beijing, there was a freakishly early cold snap. It was winter before fall had properly made its exit. People were unprepared. Some families forgot that they had left their older members to "hang out" outside - some of whom froze to their death.

I was unprepared, too. I'm Filipino. I have no sense of dressing up for the season. I had to borrow really huge clothes from my imposing Jamaican-American friend, Aaron, who taught English to Chinese children.

"Crazy 'Jingers!" Aaron would holler in frustration whenever an empty cab would pass us by, obviously not in the mood to take on passengers who might not speak Mandarin. For the record, Aaron's Mandarin is perfectly functional. Except, he tends to wave down cabs whilst holding a big bottle of beer.

Aaron, it seemed, is just as crazy as the 'Jingers he hangs around with.

Chris and I stayed about a week with Aaron and his just-as-crazy roommate, Malazh, a tall goth who had a thing for Viking-esque bottom boys.

During that trip, I planted the seeds for Mr Gay China - the cancellation of which at the eleventh hour was widely covered by CNN, AFP, Reutres... Of course I was devastated. Luckily, the Beijing organizers managed to send a Chinese representative to compete for the Mr Gay World title in Oslo, anyway. Big news in the worldwide LGBT community.

This time, I'm traveling to Beijing not to rabble-rouse (although I have just been warned that Chinese censors have now blocked The Hyperactive Gay Boy™ in China).

I'm traveling as a guest of stylish boutique hotel, The Opposite House, to experience its enhanced facilities and programs for guests.

I am hoping for a relaxed, low-key weekend.

Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen.


// CRAZY HYPERACTIVE. //