My Trip Out

Have mostly been exaggerated.  I apologize to all homos, homo wannabe and INDCDON (who likes to take random pot shots).  I’ve been busy. Daddy has to work for a living and can’t read, write or rmathatic blogs all day long. I’ve been busy. So Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Birthday (there I’ve covered the whole year).

But now I turn serious, I decided to go get HIV tested. Not for any particular reason but more as a “aint’ done that in a while”. Having lived in the ghettos of DC (most of the city) with near epidemic levels of AIDS, getting testing is a breeze. A walk-in clinic, few questions, no money, quick swab test and 15 minutes later you’re walking out ready to bang a new homie-g. In more serious speak, it’s pretty damn easy. At least based upon the single time I got tested.

So there I was in Sydney Australia and had an idle moment and figured now was a good time. So I got busy on the web looking about. Wasn’t so straight forward. Different locations, different rules and different schedules. I got confused so I dialed up a local clinic and asked. Well, it would seem Australia is stuck in the dark ages. They only do blood tests, which take a week for results, the free clinics require you to schedule an appointment and ooops, sorry nothing is available until next week. I hung up, clearly Australia has some work to do to improve their process.

Back in Hong Kong, I figured I’d try again. Another web search and up popped the Hong Kong AIDS foundation with a schedule of “no questions asked” clinics offered a few times during the week. I had questions though and attempted to call only to be greeted with voicemail saying the office wasn’t open and to try back again during office hours (though I was calling during office hours).

I finally managed to get thru and with only a few questions I was assigned a secret code word and told to go to a specific office address, ignore the name on the office door and be there at 1 pm sharp on Saturday. I arrived at 1 pm, banged on the door and was quickly ushered in with hushed tones. Hong Kong offers a 15-minute prick test and the tester asked a few questions for statistical purposes and the test performed. All negative and off I was sent packing.

In talking to the tester, a nurse who volunteers their time. He said that in Hong Kong Asian gay men don’t like to get tested and clearly want it to be done privately & discretely (hence all the secrecy). Having said that, he sets up shop at the area saunas and is surprised at how few takers he gets for the free 15-minute low hassle test. His message to me, HIV may be unreported. Great.

I broke down and got an Iphone 4S. Black, if you must. Since then I’ve been busy loading little apps and being impressed and showing my new toy off to everyone within ear shot. I’ve gone totally homo now. I even made a neat Angry Bird ringtone just to show I’ve still some geek left.

The reality though I bought the iPhone more to own a piece of history. I am wading through the Steve Jobs biography and for all his many faults, shit got done, shit that matter, shit that changed a lot of people’s lives. I’m so hyped up, I’ve embarked on reading the various Zen books quoted in the biography. Apple will never be the same and I wanted the last product he touched.  Simple as that.

Scrappy has been busy in Hong Kong sniffing around. He found some little old woman between 3 and 400 years old, sitting on the side of the road selling green onions and cilantro. He was taken by this and bought some and then proceeded to send me a photo of them. There he was on a busy street, him with no Chinese and the little old lady with no English but still communicating. Speaks to how Scrappy operates. He sees things from a different light.

The combination of the Steve Jobs biography and Scrappy has indeed gotten me to see things in a different light.

I’m back to my old model, work and adventures with Scrappy. He growls if my eyes linger on some Asian chew toy for more than a a few seconds. But for the most part, we’ve resumed our normal course.

Scrappy was yapping about one of his best friends, gay guy he’s known forever, cute, bubbly and someone I’m not allowed to meet. Scrappy figured out how his friend had no issue getting fresh guys, would fall in love with them, but as soon as they fell in love with him, he would immediately start a process of getting rid of them citing some vague issue. We both seen this behavior before, searching for a non-existent person.

There is always something we’d like different. I have a long list of things I’d want Scrappy to do (like keep the socks organized), but people aren’t a product or a service which you can easily change. I’m not saying I’m settling, just in the scheme of things my main deal points have been covered.

Scrappy has indeed returned after closing in on 24 hours of travel, he arrived in the dark of night to Hong Kong, blurry eyed and exhausted, but in otherwise good condition. Landing into his new home, he sniffed about a bit before pronouncing that I had made a good choice with the furnishings to his satisfaction, he curled up in a ball and that was the end of him for the night.

Unfortunately, I have now thrown off to Korea for a business trip leaving him alone to his own devices. He’ll be fine and I’ll be back quick enough.