The most serendipitous thing happened last Tuesday night while out at the Stonewall Hotel (bar) in Darlinghurst.  I had just commented to Brian that while it was thrilling spending all this time in a hostel held hostage by the language barrier of German backpackers who are friendly as ice, and as much as I really did love getting free meal tickets to straight drunk happy hours where wet t-shirt contests seem to be the order of the day, it would be very nice if we soon made our first real friends (read: gay friends).

So off we trot down Oxford street with our bellies full and a pint glass somewhere with our name on it.  As we saunter into the Stonewall I am immediately spotted by a tall English bloke who from across the room rudely points in my direction shouting, "Look it's another FREAK!" Now in any other bar I might not be surprised to be singled out, but this was karaoke night and the hostess who was presently hanging out a window in drag taunting passers by was missing a substantial lot of her top row of teeth. So it was with relief and astonishment that I should discover what was meant by the comment when one of his friends suddenly turns around to look my way. He was, in fact, a freak just like me with an EYE PATCH covering his left eye!!!

It was then that we met our first real friends in Sydney: Will, who wasthe one to point me out, and Adrian the one eyed bandit who was my wonder twin. We all had a good laugh at our interesting situation and proceeded to toast the occasion with a seemingly endless round of schooners (beer). As it turns out Adrian is recovering from a rare viral illness that has menaced his eye. And of course, I basically suffered a hyphema the day we were set to move to Sydney after losing a

fight with a window. It really is incredible that we should not only both have such terrible luck but that we appeared in the same place at the same time WORKING the new look which a mandatory eye-patch invited upon us. I mean, we are gay men after all, how dull would it be to cry at home

with the one good eye about our misfortunes? As luck would have it, we have gotten along very well indeed and these first friends of ours have witnessed us finding a terrific one bedroom in posh SURRY HILLS , and invited us to a smattering of social events in the last few days to really welcome us to their fabulous city and our new home: Sydney, Australia.

Here I am trying out my new Sony GPS unit which unfortunately registered nothing at Bondi Beach.

Xmas in Summer anyone? It's really strange to see decorations of snowflakes and icicles all around here too!

Brian and I posing for our camera at Hyde Park. What's with the dude in the background and whatever is he HOLDING?? 

And here is an early image of me the night of the injury, and an impression of what my left eye sees from the viewpoint of my shower (hat tip to Dat Pham for the lovely orchid).