This weekend... New York City!

OK, you are probably thinking that this is way too fast! And yes, it is. I am going to NY this weekend, because there is a combination of things: I have this month to move, I can take as many things as possible with me, I got a pretty good deal for the weekend, and that way I can receive my apartment and set up things for when I move back, probably by the end of the month. Is not easy, but this is what I gotta do.
So here in Germany, I already sent the letter of "resignation" of contract with my cable TV company, which will end my service promptly the 31st of March. Yes, they need 3 months in advance to cut the service! Fortunately they counted January as one of the months. I have to do the same with my phone company, but only 3 weeks before ending the contract, more or less the same as it was to start the service. And apparently only the electricity can be billed up to the last minute and then they'll send the bill to someone in Germany, because they can't send it to NY.
On the other hand, tonight after I booked my flight, I signed up for Vonage, and it is already working, my new phone number is able to receive messages. I also requested internet service through cable TV, which I only have to pick up the self installation kit when I get there. So yes, that made my happy. I do miss that kind of service, the way things work right away!
The only bad thing is that I return on Monday, and only my friends who support Obama are happy that I will not be able to vote for Hillary. But I certainly hope that New York gives the victory to Hillary! I actually looked to see if I could return on tuesday after voting, but the difference in price was 300 dollars, and that will not be counted as a tax deduction contribution to the Democrat's campaign! LOL! So, Hillary, sorry I can't vote for you on the Primaries.
This is weird... I am sad to leave Berlin, but happy to go to NY. Hopefully I'll be a very frequent traveler after I get the job of my dreams, a job that will pay me enough to come visit my girlfriend at least once a month. Who knows? Maybe my destiny is to go to NY because I'm going to win the Lotto Jackpot! I can't sleep and keep dreaming awake!
Good Night!

Life keeps changing!

A couple of months ago, I was writing about the possibility of returning to the States due to financial problems. Well, it will happen sooner than I had plan, and it will not be Pittsburgh after all!
I was with the idea of Pittsburgh because I had rented my apartment in NYC, so it would've been easier to be in Pittsburgh and then when my tenant decided to leave, I would decide then. Well, she notified me she was laid off and has to move by the end of this month.
So, all of a sudden, my apartment is available again, the Euro is almost 1.50 dollars, and I have to make a decision. Well, to me it is a sign that I need to go back to NY. I don't know exactly what will happen, I don't know what kind of job I can get, but I want to think that it is what I am supposed to do. Otherwise, how can I explain all these?
Of course emotionally this is driving me crazy! I'm sad, I don't want to have a long distance relationship, but maybe it is possible to do. I found that now Air Berlin has direct flights to JFK, and they start as low as 106 Euros one way! So, perhaps I'll accumulate enough miles, and so will my girlfriend. It will be all a matter of adjusting to a new situation.
I found already that Vonage has a plan where many international calls are covered and are free within that price.
And (the best thing so far) I saved 170 Euros that I would've paid to have my computer repaired! I need to change the Optical drive and the same drive is $99 in the US...
So, I'm looking forward to go back to a system where the client is always right, where everything can be obtained right away, where the stores are open later than 8 pm, and on Sundays too, where you don't need to notify companies 3 months in advance to get things done, and where the chinese food taste the way it supposed to!
So, if anybody that reads this blog, has any suggestions on phone savings besides Vonage, or any other suggestions, please write me.
I'm thinking I will get internet conection with Cable, have Vonage as phone, and not get cable TV but instead get Netflix, and have a movie to watch every night. That will be cheaper than having Cable TV, don't you think? The shows I love I can read the recaps on AfterEllen.com, or have marathon watching at a friend's house, because she saves everything on her DVR!
Oh! and if you own or have contacts with an international moving company, please contact me. My email is in the disclaimer at the end of this page.

Right across the street

From my window I can see them. They are my friendly gay couple that doesn't watch TV too often, have candle light dinners with friends and now have this person visiting their place... I don't know them. I know they are gay because in the summer they have a rainbow flag on the balcony. They are two middle age guys that sit out and read, decorate their balcony and are rather social. I don't think I could recognize them if I see them on the street. I guess they don't have a pet, and they work long hours. They are almost never home during the day. I see them through my window, but I haven't seen them looking at me. I am of course the curious neighbor!

This is the building where they live. Every place a different story! I have binoculars... I've seen many interesting things, sometimes more interesting than others. I saw a whole pregnancy, a couple of move out and move in, and now I have a camera! Sometimes I shock myself! Of course I'm very self conscious about my neighbors, but so far, only the kid on top points this way with his laser pointer. I want to get one of those bright lights and point it at him when he looks this way. He is probably 8 or 10. His brother is a big football fan. Every time there's a game he waves his huge flag out the window. Their mother is very much into doing laundry. Oh well, regular life, like everywhere else.

And here are a couple of pictures I took tonight.





I'm off to Spain tomorrow, so I don't know if I'll be able to post from there. Perhaps is possible, but not sure. In any case, have a wonderful time,and happy holidays or whatever it is that you do during this time of the year. I'll be waiting for Santa with my nephews! Hasta la vista, baby!

No more GF!

Don't worry, I'm OK with my girlfriend! But from now on, my GF will be known only as "girlfriend". Turns out that she likes to lurk around my blog, and didn't like me using the short version. Her reason: "Sounds military!"
I totally blame this to my American influence, where everything tends to be short and "easier". I remember for example the first time I heard A.S.A.P. It was a little weird but I understood right away the urgency of spelling it instead of saying "as soon as possible".
Then when I started to work, I found so many initials when referring to the things and the people we worked with, that it took me a while to get into the "lingo".
Of course with the use of computers and chat, the amount of "short" phrases are... too many to remember, but the ones I used more are: LOL and brb. The rest, I write them out. After all is not an SMS.
For my girlfriend, chatting is an impossible activity. She gets stressed out because she has to type fast, and she needs to think of the answer she wants to write. She actually told me that many times when we were chatting across continents, she would write by hand first and then type what she wrote on paper. Now we don't chat anymore, but she is a computer savvy who lurks around and makes observations about those little details. So, my dear girlfriend, you got it!

Christmas time

Today I finally went around with the bike to take pictures of some Christmas lights. But before I went to the Kudam, I stopped by the store to buy something to dye my hair. So, since Christmas is so close and all, I decided to dye my hair red, yes, flaming red! The kind of red that Santa Claus wears! Crazy? maybe! but it is not the first time or the worst thing I've done, so I'm OK with that. (I wanted to dye my hair green, but my GF gave me a really negative answer to that, threatening with not seeing me while green head! ) So, red it is!
The first step is to bleach my hair which is naturally dark brown, and the red can actually be more bright. I just finished bleaching, and since it is the first time I've done it in a very long time, now my hair is the color of straw... that yellowish/white with some orange kind of straw. Tomorrow I'll go to get a haircut and there I'll dye my hair red.
Funny thing, is that when the color wears out, then my hair becomes rather pink.

And here are some pictures from the Christmas decorations around Kudam, which is a very popular shopping area for visitors and locals alike. Not exactly a cheap area to go shopping. It would be more or less like Fifth Ave. in New York City. They have this little Christmas market that I plan to visit in the following days. Then I'll post more pictures.

Rain

The worst thing about having rain for the last 5 days, is that they give me the perfect excuse to procrastinate! I am already an expert on leaving things to do for later, in another day, at another time. I got also sick with a bad cold, and the increase on the "lazy" factor was so high, that I woder how am I going to deal with everything I actually have to do!
I spent most of the time reading, doing research, watching TV, and basically drinking my cold away with juices and teas. My house is such a mess! But, instead of cleaning, here I am, updating my blog with probably the least creative posting ever!
I am too lazy to even fix it. And it is a testimony for myself. To my invisible friends that read this page, I am sorry. I wanted to write and post pictures about the Christmas lightings in Berlin, but I haven't been out and have no new pictures... maybe next time.

Moonlight

The light was so bright, I thought it was a lamp outside my window. The problem is that there are no lamps on the fifth floor. As amazing as it is not being full moon yet, I couldn't resist and took some pictures. Technically I used low speed on the camera. Tried different things except using the tripod. So, here are some of the pix I took.


Digital cameras with all the possibilities of manual analog cameras are so much fun! I have it with me all the time, with extra rechargeable AA batteries and I use it almost everywhere. If you are curious, it is a Kodak Z1275.

And if you are into experimenting with light, speed and ISO, this little camera is the perfect one. Another addiction: I am now addicted to my digital camera! How pathetic am I?? (Just hope that my old beautiful analog camera doesn't find out. I feel unfaithful to her after all these years... Oh well!)

Life, only quieter

"Sometimes a good fantasy is better than a sad reality"
To escape into the world of fantasies, or daydreaming, has become one of my favorite activities lately. Life is good, but things have changed. Most of the friends I know here in Berlin don't live here anymore. So, they too like many others, have become long distance friends. Fortunately they are not distant.
And then, I see that for every Euro I have to pay 1.48 US dollars... that totally makes me sad! I have to get back to the States, because I can't afford living here at this rate.
The consequences are of course having a long distance relationship with my girlfriend, and it is something that I don't even want to think about! Now I am doing the research again, on where to go when I go back. So far and at the top of my list is Pittsburgh. Very affordable to live with roommates, fairly close to New York, and a lot of cultural activity, at least on paper.
Of course everything could be different! Something might happen that would change my destiny, that would avoid the move back, something that would open up a different window for me.
In the meantime I keep reading and sometimes writing.

My Birthday!

At my age, which I am not going to disclose at such a public place, birthdays come by so fast, that I can hardly take them into account! Some times I even have to think hard of the year I was born, and then remember my real age! LOL!
As we've been doing for the last 4 years, I went out for dinner with my GF. We had a great time at an Argentinian restaurant where the steak is superb! This time was rather quiet, just the two of us, very intimate and fun!

As a gift I got a book published in French, with photos of women that are just getting out of bed. Many of them are very famous... they look so good even at that moment of the day! Two of my favorite women are in the book: Emma Thompson and Demi Moore.
And I also got a very cozy blanquet, perfect to use in winter while watching TV on the sofa.

I was thinking about how my life has change with my GF in it! She helps me see everything under a different perspective, savoring every moment, enjoying each other's company and having a blast with the simplest things. I can't imagine my life without her! It is so great to be in love! Today I feel very fortunate to have her with me.

First Snow

I live on the top flor of the building. Not exactly the luxury Pent House that some people might think. Rather, the very small apartment in between two bigger units. Saturday afternoon, there we were in bed, watching a movie. The light from the sun was showing through the curtains, looked like a nice beautiful day. Then, when the movie was ending, all of a sudden I see that the sun disappeared. Perhaps 20 minutes later, we open the curtain and we see it is snowing!
I grew up in a place where snow was a thing of the very high mountains in The Andes. The rest of the country, pretty much 28 Celsius all year 'round. So, even though I've lived the last 18 years in places where winter is really a change in the weather, I still get all happy to see the first snow of the season. I enjoy to touch it, feel the cold and even open my mouth when the snow hits my face. Yes, I do feel like a kid when its snowing. I was hoping I could do some snowballs to throw, but unfortunately it was more ice than snow. It looked good though... But in matter of minutes it was all gone. Berlin has a thing with rain. The snow is something we don't see accumulating very often. The temperatures are not low enough most of the time, so me mostly get rain.
The most incredible thing was that, while it was still snowing on one side, the other side was showing a clear sky above the clouds... really a very nice view.

Hello, my name is Sally and I'm an addict

I know I am weak! I have an addictive personality. I can get addicted to so many things at the same time. So, today I decided to admit publicly that yes, I am addicted to the following things:
Coke, Trendy Lemon, Sushi, Grey's Anatomy transcripts (I only have the second season on DVD so I read the rest of them online here), Desperate Housewives transcripts, AfterEllen.com, Scribegrrrl recaps of Bad Girls on Afterellen.com, And also the recaps of the terrible shows that they put in there.
I am addicted to a bunch of blogs, they are all in my Blogrol. I read the Obituaries every day. I play pogo.com everytime I'm on the phone. I talk on the phone for hours. I like to watch "Wissen" on German TV (documentary about how things are made). I've seen these series over and over: The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Queer as Folk, The L Word.
I am getting addicted to Weeds (The TV series, not marihuana).
I'm addicted to taking hot baths, drinking hot chocolate, eating Tamarindo, playing the slots machines at casinos, going out on the bike, taking pictures with my new camera, reading Mafalda, reading old postcards from my girlfriend.
I am addicted to the smell of my girlfriend's pillow, conversations until very late at night, apple with cheese, powder milk, and talking with my nephews. There is no particular order in my addicitions. And the picture, is from my favorite Sushi restaurant here in Berlin. When my friends came to visit, that's what we order for us 4. No, I didn't eat the whole thing by myself!

Halloween Business

It was Halloween and I am amazed how much the kids in this building are into it! When I came to Berlin for the first time, Halloween was nowhere to be seen. Nobody really cared about it, and that was not even something to consider for a celebration... I think only one gay bar had a Halloween Party, and it was not about dressing up. But now, it has developed into a little party that is growing every year. They sell candy, but not the US Halloween candy... just regular Haribo candy. Kids are dressing up, and most annoying of all, ringing my bell because they think I have candy for them! I am an American but sorry, I don't have candy. And much less when the dollar is so low against the Euro!

"I never met a lesbian before"

I had two friends visiting Berlin for few days and they stayed with me. We had a great time, even though my body is so tired of all the activities that typical tourists do: we went everywhere! On top of that, the last two days we did some touring with the bicycles, so they experienced how's Berlin on a bike. I know Carol for at least 26 years. I met Jane recently at Carol's house. They are both straight, with partners, but very independent women. They know what they want and go for it. Talking with Jane, she said that she never met a lesbian before. I told her that I was sure she knew them, but didn't know they were lesbians. They both live in Venezuela, a country where being gay is something that it's still taboo, and it is even more for women. The lesbians there would hardly come out of the closet, and are experts at hiding it. Jane even assumed that just going to a gay/lesbian bar would automatically mean that they have come out of the closet. Can you imagine??
I was there, and I know that many people that go to bars are still very much in the closet! They have this undergrownd network where everyone is very aware and like to keep things secretly.
As for the last activity before they went back home, we went to a lesbian bar. At the door, they were a little scared, thinking that women would start touching them or telling them things. But then they realized that it was just people that went there dancing, have a drink or two and have a good time above all. I guess they learned a bit more about how it is the life of a lesbian. They met my girlfriend, we talked about many things, and I know they had a good time here.
I think it is important to come out just because of visibility. When people that know you for the longest time, suddenly know that you are a homosexual, very seldom would reject you. I had a friend who after I came out she stopped talking to me altogether. Another friend, said that she would ignore that aspect of my life but would treat me the same. Of course for me that was the end of the friendship we had. But my real friends have been very supportive, they accepted me and my girlfriend, and they know that what is important is that I'm happy, and I am still the same person.

I got this on an e-mail!

QUESTIONS THAT HAUNT ME

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in".. but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway.

Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane ?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?
Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Out with the bike...

Today I took advantage of a wonderful day and went out with the bike. I wanted to check out the Open Air Exhibit of Botero in Berlin. Interesting and very crowded. It was a little cold, but there were no clouds in the sky and it was so nice. My depression is still there, like in the back burner, but I'm getting over it little by little.
Here are some pictures I took today with my new camera. By the way, my camera is a Kodak Easyshare Z1275. It is great! And yes, I can take panoramic pictures with it. I'm still experimenting and trying things every day, but so far I must say it was a pretty good investment. Most of the pictures are from very typical Berlin sites.
The Brandenburg Gate.

The Siegessäule

Berlin's Cathedral

Checkpoint Charlie. This was the entrance control for the American sector when Berlin was divided by the wall.










The Television Tower

And then there's music!

So there I was happy as a clam, taking pictures with my new camera, and discovering new things to do with it. (Why are clams happy I don't know yet). Then I got disappointing news that actually got me depressed. I felt bad, low, didn't feel like going out and taking more pictures. My girlfriend came to cheer me up. It worked for a while and then I was low again.
There's nothing I can do about the news, even though it was something I expected.
So today I decided to take action against depression and got myself imersed in another world: I put on the headphones to listen to music. I've been listening to everything! From Joni Mitchel to Shakira, to classical music and Christmas songs. Yes, it was the "party shuffle" on the iTunes doing its job of really mixing things up.
To make a long story short, music is definitely the language that speaks better to emotions. At least for me.
And now I feel so much better. Only one thing, I just broke my laptop!!! The screen was not going back enough so I pushed and some piece of plastic jumped out of it!!!. Apparently that's the only thing and it will not be a problem. At least I hope so! Well, here's the damage to my computer.


I'm like a kid with a new toy with my new camera! I find technology fascinating. Oh, by the way, when using your digital camera to take "panoramic" pictures, just make sure there is nothing moving around, or you'll end up with a phantom!

Turn on your gaydars and tell me what you think!

Ok, there I was flipping channels and I found a game of the Women's World Cup. It was Germany against Argentina I think. Germany won by a huge margin, something like 11-0. Anyway, they showed for a couple of seconds the trainer of the German Team, Silvia Neid. I never saw her before, and for what I saw I was curious... just because she looked like the type of women I'm usually attracted to. So, I went into the FIFA website and found a couple of pictures of her.
On this one, she looks like a nice person,I find her very attractive, a little too wrinkled for her age maybe, but she looks nice. But then I saw a couple of more pictures and really got me thinking that Silvia might be a lesbian. I mean, what are the chances of that happening??? like 100%??
Am I too predisposed to think that women that are into sports and are coaches of a soccer team, are usually lesbians?





I have to explain, my "gaydar" is pretty good; very seldom I make mistakes when confronted with someone face to face. Sometimes on pictures I get the vibe too, and on these pictures, well... you tell me! What do you think?
Is Silvia a lesbian? Is she out? Am I wrong? Of course all your comments are welcome, and if you have any inside information please share it! I'm sure I'm not the only one curious about this.

I'm ashamed!

When I started this blog, I thought I would write more often than I do. My idea was to do some kind of a diary, or something like that. But then I decided than unless I had something interesting to say, then why write?
So, in retrospect, the last 3 weeks have been pretty normal and not too exciting! I mean, I have fun with my sweety, I do whatever I have to do, I've watched more TV than usual, and today that the day is finally sunny and beautiful, here I am writing on the computer instead of biking around!
I haven't even felt like downloading the pictures I took on vacation. I don't know if I can actually call this some sort of depression, but could it be? Is not that I'm not active, but I'm just not motivated enough!
There are few projects that I have in mind right now, I'm also waiting for the visit of a very good friend at the begining of next month. But it bugs me that my concentration doesn't lasts as long as it used to be!
And I find many things boring!
Well, I'm giving myself the chance to step up to the plate and be more active and motivated... starting monday! LOL!
I think I better go and enjoy the sun for a bit!

I'm Baack!... and so is Star Jones??

Yes, I'm back in Berlin, still out of my schedule and sleeping all over with the jetlag from 6 hours behind, but enjoying home and trying to rest from my vacation.
So far, I met my girlfriend and we had a great time talking about everything. I've been "wasting" my time reading stuff on the Internet, and found that Star Jones, the only woman that was on The View that I couldn't stand at any moment and much less after she lost herself on weight, is back on TV with a show but not with a live audience. I hope she does well, just because I don't want to wish anything bad to anybody, but she really sucks!!! I find her terribly fake and I'm sure her husband is gay! He looks gay! I don't have anything against gay people marrying for convenience! I just can't stand her!
Oh, I miss Meredith on The View. This is just one of those things that I miss the most living in Europe: American TV. It is not the same to watch "House" in German or in Spanish. Dubbing something is killing the intention of the writers and the audience misses the acting that comes with the original voice.
I don't have a problem dubbing animated movies, but I want my Desperate Housewives in English with subtitles!
Berlin feels like summer, which is good! I see the long sunsets and the huge clouds that were so different in the tropics, where I was for 3 weeks, and I can't but admire how different are things from one place to the other.
I enjoy the German documentaries, they are very interesting and entertaining.
I still don't know what happened to Harry Potter on the last book. But I guess I'll be reading the books, since my nephew got into them.
Oh! Now I'm hooked with the recaps of South of Nowhere on Afterellen.com. How is it possible that a teenage drama grabs my attention so much, without me seeing any of the episodes?? I think I am too gay!

Vacation time

I´m on vacation in Venezuela! The weather is fine, hot but rainy most days. There are many things happening, and I´m meeting friends every day, having a good time and enjoying life in the tropics for one more week, before I go back to Berlin.
I´ll upload pictures as soon as I´m back. Ooops... gotta go! My friends just came to pick me up!