msclelovr

Time and lots of dollars heal all wounds @Kevie770

My 2 cents @TotallyOz: Spain. My preference for a city, based on numerous visits and long stays, is Barcelona for the great mix of culture, amenities, healthcare and easy access to other countries. My second choice is the Balearic Islands; I have a place in Palma de Mallorca which I love visiting but I wouldn’t choose the small city as a main base. I’ve also visited Argentina often and spent more than a year there. The culture is very interesting but I find nothing works easily there. Healthcare is very good assuming you can pay for the private hospitals. I find the level of “insecurity” (as locals term violence and street-crime) disturbing even tho I was never robbed there. There are a lot of attractive young men who like older men…but they like to talk a lot and have to be persuaded into bed. Brazil is much easier if you want companions.

Ah, now I understand. Thanks @Tomcal

Not in jest @Tomcal but is this correct: you put your name down after 7.40pm and got there at 5am?! As someone who sees spending time in bars as wasting time, I can’t understand what you do outside the room - just chat with old and new friends?

I look forward to your detailed reports @Tomcal on Brazil and its men. Meantime I have to ask: is it true that the bigger the font-size, the bigger the cock? 😎

Yet Al Jazeera reports that deaths from COVID in Brazil exceed 600,000. And there is a part-protest, part-memorial on Copacabana beach to the dead. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/9/brazil-surpasses-600000-covid-deaths

You’ve made me recall many happy evenings @PeterRS with this thread. I must play some of the recordings I have of Jessye Norman (JN). I wouldn’t have said that she performed on opera stages much less than Kiri Te Kanawa (KTK) but I was always more of a fan of JN than KTK. I saw both in various operas but I saw JN in many different roles. Certainly JN appeared very often in recital whereas I only attended 2 recitals by KTK. IMO KTK had a lovely voice in its prime but it was a small voice and didn’t work well in large opera houses or large concert halls. Just to add to what you wrote about encores, early training and fees. (1) I always felt JN was relaxed and at her best in the encores and I looked forward to her choices. I heard her sing He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands to close various recitals. At other times, she sang American spirituals. (2) I recall an interview she gave on BBC Radio years ago about her life and career. She spoke about working in Germany and how keen she was to be taught by one particular teacher (IIRC Pierre Bernac) in another city: he refused but she persisted. He then told JN he could only see her at 7am each day. She said “so I got up each day at 5am for 3 years to have my lessons with him”. I was very amused in the same interview when the respectful interviewer observed JN’s voice wasn’t exactly soprano nor a mezzo, and asked how she would describe it. JN immediately retorted “I’’M A SINGER!” in her original Georgia accent, and not the posh English tones she sometimes affected. (3) I heard about the fees privately from one Opera House General Manager. Subsequently I confirmed what was said with another General Manager. At that time, early 1980s, the Four Tenors were each being paid US$10,000 per night. JN insisted upon the same fee and was paid it. Both General Managers confirmed that JN was the only female singer to be paid so much, and one added no-one else “came close”.

Thanks for posting this @PeterRS. For many years, I attended every performance Jessie Norman gave both in recital and in opera in Europe and the US. Her voice was truly magnificent in its prime. The last time I heard her sing was when she gave a recital and a masterclass at UCLA (in 2008). I talked to her socially only twice: once years ago after dinner at a rather aristocratic “ball” in England) and the second time when she happened to be staying in my building on the UES (in 2012 IIRC). Ms Norman was quite a diva (in the popular sense) at times. I was once very amused to see her arrive at a London venue in a chauffeured Mini. She was sitting in the back but did manage to emerge somewhat elegantly from the tiny car. And did you know @PeterRS that she was the only soprano that opera houses worldwide paid at the same, very elevated rate that each of the ‘Four Tenors’ earned?

One aspect many posters may be unaware of…Greek policemen often work in ‘plain clothes’. They do this to catch visitors and locals who think to break the law, particularly nowadays the pandemic regulations. On-the-spot fines are levied. One example is that it’s lawful to NOT wear a mask when eating outdoors at a taverna, but you MUST wear a mask when stepping inside to use the bathroom. It didn’t happen to our party of friends, but one dinner time 3 people from 2 nearby tables entered, forgetting to put on masks first. All were grabbed by plain clothes police officers as they tried to rejoin their friends - the fine was €300 each (if paid instantly) but it escalates sharply if you argue about being fined, go to court etc

Life is short @davet and I don’t believe in wasting time. When I’m in a new city and I’ve found out which gym is fashionable/which has the hottest trainers, it’s straightforward. 1. I work out on my own 1x or 2x as part of checking out the trainers. I don’t go at “rush-hour”; I usually go mid/late morning when the trainers aren’t busy. Sometimes trainers have approached me to chat and ask if I’m interested in personal training. If not, I book personal training sessions at reception and say I want to work out with A or B or C (the hot guys I fancy). Reception is always happy to book who you want. 2. When I’m exercising with the trainer, I’m very friendly and chat. I tell the guy I’m visiting on my own, looking for some fun, and that I’m into men. If this sparks some interest with the trainer, I add that I’m happy to invite him out and pay for drinks or dinner. Also I emphasize that I’m low-key and discreet. If there’s no interest on his part, I ask him if he can recommend a friend who will help me out. Generally speaking, trainers know who is gay-friendly and could use some extra cash. 3. I make a point of inviting that first trainer out to lunch after our session, even if he’s turned me down. The trainers all talk together and it helps to be known as the friendly, generous new guy who’s into men. Once I’ve got names and phone numbers, I’m pretty direct. When trainers ask me what I’m into, I state I’m pretty vanilla but I’m a selfish top. If they want more details, I add that I’m into deep kissing, I like to fuck, and I really enjoy getting sucked off to completion.

That’d be the Perfect Boyfriend experience @Slvkguy 😛

Very well put @Riobard. Over the years, I’ve had a lot of fun with hot personal trainers. Some were gay but many defined as str8. The str8 guys who wanted to earn extra $ sometimes had limits/restrictions on what they would do, such as only dry kissing or no cum in mouth. I always agreed and respected their limits. The trainers, however, often relaxed and did much more on further dates.

When I was in a new city, I always looked to train at a fashionable gym. So I asked the gay guys I met which gym they considered to have the best trainers, equipment etc and which gym was popular with gay men. Usually it was easy to discover the best place to go. And when I joined, I used to say I preferred to train with a gay trainer. That inevitably led to questions being asked of me…and when I met a cute trainer, I discussed “and more” as you put it @Ethanmiami

Please don’t take offence @PeterRS. I’m not disputing what you wrote, and I’m certainly not disputing the causes identified in expert reports. I apologise if you feel slighted - it was not my intention. My comment was intended to highlight the emphasis on tyres and debris on runways - a problem common to all aircraft. I mentioned Sydney & Concorde because it is an example of disaster luckily averted. Maybe my understanding is wrong but I cited what a senior manager (in Engineering) at BA told me in confidence at the time, that if the part of the rudder has sheared off in the other direction it would have cut through the lines on that side and the aircraft would have been unflyable (and crashing into the Sydney urban area with great loss of life).

I agree @a-447 but my point was that BA did it monthly on Concorde

Almost no-one, @TotallyOz Though I wonder what the true viewing figures will be, I imagine all TV coverage will be very costly and unprofitable. My sympathies are with the athletes having to perform in Japan at the height of Summer.

@PeterRS you’re putting too much emphasis on the tyres of Concorde. You’re also neglecting to mention the Concorde accident of 1989 that occurred in Sydney, Australia. A chartered BA Concorde was (IIRC) coming from New Zealand and flying into Sydney. On coming over the city, the upper part of the rudder broke off and sheared through the tail in one direction. If the metal had gone in the other direction, it would have severed the fuel lines and the aircraft would have become unflyable. It was extraordinary luck that a catastrophic accident was averted. As it was, the damage was only noticed once the Concorde had landed safely and was on the ground. As I flew a lot in those years, I got to know quite a few British Airways personnel. One time, a BA engineer happily chatted to me and detailed how the Concorde was checked every month. I can’t speak for the AF aircraft but BA checked its Concordes by stripping the aircraft completely down to the paintwork and inspecting for minute cracks. Of course, so few were built that eventually one (that BA had donated to a museum) had to be cannibalised for spare parts.

Don’t worry @NIrishGuy: statistically the most dangerous part of your journey is driving to the airport

Very interesting report @Peter. I knew about the metal on the runway but I did not know about the pilot errors. I flew often on Concorde as I was a monthly transatlantic commuter for 3 years. I really enjoyed being on the aircraft. As an aside, I’ve been wary of AF pilots for some years. This report just reinforces my wariness. It originated with my learning of the numerous pilot errors that caused the AF flight from Rio to Paris to crash in 2009 (killing all 228 passengers and crew).

The old saying comes to mind: I don’t pay for sex, I pay them to leave

It’s not a quibble @tassojunior but it’s important to be precise when it comes to the EU passport requirements. All the 26 countries that signed up to the Schengen Agreement require your passport to be valid for 3 months after your intended date of departure. (Of course, that’s not your arrival date into the EU/Schengen area but 3 months after the date of your return ticket - I think this is why it’s commonly asserted to be that your passport must have 6 months validity on arrival). I know I don’t have to tell you @tassojunior but others may be unaware that Spain’s regions have local rules and restrictions. For instance, Catalonia just reintroduced on Monday the closing of clubs as the rate of infection has increased. I was not at all surprised that in the Balearics the rate has skyrocketed - the young have mingled at beach-parties etc in defiance of the local laws and some international tourists have arrived - even though the restrictions have not been fully relaxed.

What you write is very interesting @PeterRS I’d like to add a few observations. I met Gielgud in Amsterdam in the early 1970s. It’s true that he suffered badly after his arrest in 1953, but did you know that on the first night he returned to the theatre (after his arrest and being fined £10 for importuning), he was extremely nervous before he walked onto the stage…to be greeted by prolonged, loud applause from the audience? I was a gay activist and quite involved with gay liberation from 1973-1988. I met many gay men who were involved in the performing arts; my second boyfriend was a ballet dancer. There certainly were actors other than McKellen who were out in London in the 1970s. Do you perhaps remember Ian Charleson? I met him several times. He was successful in films (Chariots of Fire, Gandhi) after working (with Gielgud among others) at the National Theatre. At that time, I met McKellen once at a party. I knew his boyfriend, the theatre director, a little better. IIRC they were living in Limehouse. I don’t know what McKellen’s income was, but his boyfriend was certainly well-paid as a theatre director - I can’t be sure but I think he was already under contract at the National Theatre then. I guess that my feeling that McKellen is over-praised as a ‘gay hero’ stems from my years as an activist. I feel that he shouldn’t be seen as a gay activist when all the ‘heavy lifting’ was done by many others. At the time, I was surprised at how readily some celebrities, gay and straight, offered to help; Elton John, Billy Connolly and Elizabeth Taylor offered generous support. I was very unimpressed that some well-known but closeted gay men like McKellen and Stephen Fry refused.

Thanks for the interesting post @PeterRS I agree with you on the importance of friendships, especially “close non-gay friendships” as you state. I have 3 such friends I’ve known for 50+ years and I’ve 2 gay friends I’ve known for 40+ years. I disagree with some of what you wrote about Ian McKellen (a tiny thing but that’s the correct spelling). I’ve seen him act on stage several times - I rate him as good but not one of the greats - and he’s popular because of his film-work. My view may be influenced by knowing more of him as a person. He was well-known as a gay man (in London at least) for many years and I met him in the 1970s. We did not get on well as I was a gay activist back then and came out at 21. He certainly refused to help or support gay causes for a long time. McKellen was in the closet for many years; he seemed to enjoy having what he termed the “queenly nickname” of Serena. I think he came out only in the very late 1980s after he’d achieved success and after his soon to be ex-boyfriend, a theatre director, had come out and IIRC disclosed their relationship in the media to no one’s surprise.

It’s clear that it does @Latbear4blk but that was not my intention. I noticed that you had not mentioned what locals term “the insecurity” and I felt that your reports might mislead foreign visitors to Buenos Aires. I understand that you are enjoying your stay in the city and that naturally you are proud of your heritage and culture. So let me be factual (since these crimes are not reported in the media unless there is a fatality) and state my own experience. 1. I visited Buenos Aires/Argentina 12x in the years 2005-2012; each visit was at least 4 weeks but did not exceed 8 weeks. I had a few Argentine friends and when in the city, I stayed in Recoleta. 2. I witnessed the immediate aftermath of 3 robberies in busy, well-lit streets in Recoleta (2x morning, 1x afternoon). 3. I intervened in a further robbery at lunchtime on what’s generally regarded as one of the best blocks in Recoleta. The thug got away with the woman’s gold necklace but not her bag. I was astounded that no local intervened to help me, tho many people (on the street, and security staff in the buildings) observed the thug robbing her. The woman said she knew instantly I was a foreigner because I had intervened. 4. An old lady (a friend of my mother) had her handbag snatched from her in broad daylight as she walked on Avenida Alvear by the shops. 5. A young friend (male, 24) had his iPhone snatched as he talked on it in the afternoon. A moped had left the road and come up behind him so that a passenger could grab the phone while the driver roared away. My friend was annoyed - he felt he should have known better as a similar robbery had happened to a friend of his the week before. 6. A notary (male, late 30s) I was using in a property transaction told me he’d been “foolish” the night before. He’d got out of a taxi before 10pm by La Biela cafe and decided to take a shortcut to his apartment across the small park near Recoleta Cemetery - when a man robbed him of his wallet at gunpoint. 7. Another young friend (male, 30) was robbed on the train home after an early dinner with me. It was before 9pm and again at gunpoint; this time, it was 2 young teenagers with an old handgun. 8. A Spanish boyfriend with 2 American friends (all male, 30s) were robbed at gunpoint when they foolishly got into a taxi on the street in Palermo Soho (they had eaten dinner in Casa Cruz, but it was before midnight) I do know of several other “incidents” (one is a violent killing) but I think the above make my point. Of course, crime happens everywhere and Buenos Aires is a lovely city. I was never robbed but I was always alert and knew exactly where I was walking to, especially at night; also I mainly was in the best areas and I made sure to be accompanied by a local when I went anywhere less good.

Buenos Aires is a huge city. There are some lovely districts and buildings. And it has a distinct culture that is quite different in many ways. I hugely enjoyed the many long vacations I took there. I’d recommend it to anyone. But please note that crime on the streets is a big problem (muggings, bag snatches, phones being taken even in daylight) and caution is needed - do not wear an expensive watch or jewellery and carry only a little money and one credit card on your person.