Showing posts with label Caroline Manchoulas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caroline Manchoulas. Show all posts

Wednesday, 10 July 2013

A TALE OF TWO QUEENS

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HK PR NETWORK & LES PECHES' CO-FOUNDER, PINK ALLIANCE CENTRAL COMMITTEE'S BETTY GRISONI
LGBT QUEEN BEE

(WITH GEORGE THE CRUSADER)
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DESIGNER, LADYLIT PUBLISHER & GAY DAYS ASIA'S CAROLINE MANCHOULAS
 AKA 'QUEENIE'



"Gays are the world's most evolved creatures," my trainer, Bridge, purred. "We exist purely for pleasure."

"Mmm," I concurred, breathing into a stretch. "We do love beautiful things... pretty people, art, fashion, design, travel..."

"We're at a different level than everyone else, though," Bridge frowned slightly, pulling my hands further back and pressing my shoulders down. "We seek to pleasure ourselves only. On the other end of the continuum, there are the lesbians..."

"...who value sacrifice and pain and selflessness," I finished. "That's 'coz they're women," I reasoned. "They've all got a motherhood instinct that's magnified especially when they don't have kids. They just mother everything else."

I can't claim to be a Lesbian Expert, although I have claimed many times to be a closeted lesbian. I love them. The way they smell. The way plain talk masks their surprisingly sweet demeanor. The way they're shockingly perfect hostesses, they'd put Martha Stewart to shame.

Last Saturday, I overdosed on lesbian love. It started at Roddy's, with a birthday dinner for Caro. The pungent aroma of cheeses wafted into my nostrils as I knocked on the door. Caro and her wife, Lore, had just returned from a rainbow tour of key cities in the United States' west coast.

"LA was so fake," Lore grimaced. "People were happy and energetic all the time, it made me sick! I suddenly missed Hong Kong. Here, people are rude and grumpy - just like in Belgium!"

I first met Caro and Lore at the 2010 Mr Gay HK Grand Finale. They had just moved to Hong Kong. I can't any more remember the exact circumstances, but I think Caro might have even zipped immediately to the pageant as soon as she got off of a plane... The girls have since entrenched themselves onto the scene, most notably as co-founders of LadyLit - a publishing house that specializes in lesbian erotica.

My partner, Chris, has always been better friends with the girls who, for the most part, have been surrounded by an impenetrable phalanx of gay men collectively known as The Dames: Judy, Helen, Maggie. In this nuclear family, Lore was nicknamed Jason (after the guy who recorded Especially for You with Kylie Minogue). Caro was called Queenie - the group's proverbial curtsy, I'm guessing, to the their unofficial, unelected monarch. There's a highly nuanced network of relationships at play that, in my constantly Hyperactive state, I've failed to understand. I've always felt inadequate and unfocused and stupid next to such intelligent people. Nevertheless the girls and the dames have been nothing but kind to me, especially whenever they'd hear that Chris is away on a work trip.

"Join us for Caro's birthday dinner at Roddy's on Saturday," Johan invited me on Whatsapp. "I'm making roast spring chicken!"

Eight beautiful, golden birds marched smartly out of Roddy's oven. My mouth instantly watered.

"Virgins," Johan promised. "None have ever laid a single egg."

I dug my fingers into the flesh, my teeth ravenously ripping crisp skin and succulent meat apart. Within minutes, I had nothing on my plate but a pile of dry bones. My mouth quivered with exquisite pleasure.

It was a feast fit for a queen.

In stark contrast, Betty's birthday party at LINQ was akin to a street carnival. Betty, co-founder of Les Peches and an all-around picture of PR perfection (just ask the HK PR Network regulars), presided over festivities that had the hoi polloi virtually bathing in champagne down the historic Pottinger steps.

Betty's wife, Abby, came along with dense slices of cake. I grabbed a piece and immediately plunged my face into its irresistible deliciousness. I slathered thick coats of icing down my bare chest, all too aware of the flurry flashbulbs popping to capture my antics.

Hedonism was everywhere.

If this is what selflessness, pain and sacrifice is all about, sign me up.

God Save the Queens!



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// THE HYPERACTIVE GAY BOY™ //





Tuesday, 2 April 2013

TAI TAN - THE FINAL TRAIL

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SHARP PEAK IN THE BACKGROUND,
I THINK...
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CARO TAMES A PUSSYCAT.
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SOMEONE'S REALLY PRETTY HOUSE FACING THE SEA.
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THEY'VE GOT SOME REALLY PRETTY POTTED PLANTS, TOO.
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LIKE I SAID.
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THAT SMILE.
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THE MOMENT WE GOT TO THE BEACH, I HURRIEDLY THREW MY CLOTHES OFF AND PLUNGED.
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PEACE AND QUIET.
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CHRIS TALKS ABOUT HE MOVE TO CANBERRA,
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CARO TALKS ABOUT THE CASE OF THE ORPHAN ADOPTED FROM TURKEY.
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HYPERACTIVE WANTS A COOKIE.
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SUGAR RUSH.
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SHARP PEAK AS SEEN FROM TAI TAN.
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HIKING ALONG THE COAST.
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TAI TAN VILLAGE, HURRAH!
LET'S LOOK FOR BEER!
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BEER MAKES HIM HAPPY.
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FRIED RICE MAKES ME HAPPY.
// WALK WITH ME. //









Friday, 29 March 2013

JACOB'S LADDER

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ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER.
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SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TO GO.
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AND SO IT BEGINS.
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I JUMPED WELL ENOUGH IN FRONT OF THE PACK TO TAKE THIS PIC OF CARO AND CHRIS TURNING A CORNER.
// PATS SELF ON THE BACK. //
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CARO SOLDIERS ON.
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CHRIS HARDLY BREAKS A SWEAT.
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CLEARLY,
THIS IS A HAIRY HIKE.
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 MUST HAVE BEEN TAKEN ON STEP NUMBER 473 OR SOMETHING.
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YAY, WE MADE IT!
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QUIET MAJESTY.
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SHARING THE VIEW WITH SOME MOUNTAIN BIKERS.


Woulda been much easier if I weren't trashed the night before. I don't know what even prompted me to get up from bed. But I did. And I walked the walk I told myself, come on, this is maybe one of the last walks Chris and I were to do together before he leaves for Canberra.

But damn it, I wish somebody had warned me about Jacob's Ladder! I would have stayed in bed and simply done another walk with Chris the next day, no problem.

One foot in front of the other, I urged myself as heavy beads of sweat burst from my pores like gushing water from a faucet. My lungs strained painfully against my chest. But I wasn't about to get beat by steps, no no no.

I counted 549 steep steps.

I could be wrong.

I was cross eyed by the time we got to the top.







Friday, 22 March 2013

WRITING IT UP AS WE GO ALONG

chris adams james gannaban photo IMG_6096_zpse31192a7.jpg  photo IMG_6099_zps19344996.jpg  photo IMG_6114_zps73907454.jpg chris adams photo IMG_6123_zpsae5a3bb5.jpg  photo IMG_6137_zpsbff5f10a.jpg JAMES GANNABAN photo IMG_6141_zpsa217dc7a.jpg  photo IMG_6145_zps36813b64.jpg  photo IMG_6147_zps47717017.jpg  photo IMG_6151_zps91b46bfc.jpg  photo IMG_6152_zps58311980.jpg  photo IMG_6156_zps83b41820.jpg


A very literary group makes for fun company on the trail. Caro is the business brains behind lesbian erotic publishing house, Lady Lit. Joe Lam is publisher of Dim Sum, which has been carrying my column, The Cockpit, for a bit over three years now. We literally wrote the hike up as we went along.

We ended up in Pui O beach - almost. We decided that the food was too expensive so we just had beers. We finally ended up in Cheung Sha.

Good times.