Where to start????

I am trying to figure out how to start this blog entry. Why? Well, first, I'm in Spain at the moment, but between the last time I wrote an entry back in Miami Beach and now I have had a lot going on. So maybe I will start with where everything was going right...back on Miami Beach with Francois Sagat and Eddie Diaz the night before leaving for Berlin:

So it all started out innocent enough

Then we started to have a few drinks....

Then we went to go see Pussila at Twist...

more drinks... (free ad for Corona!)

and then more Pussila....

Probably not the best way to spend a night before leaving for Berlin, but luckily American Airline's flight to London does not depart until 8pm! I was able to accomplish a lot the following day before leaving to London, enough so that I was tired when I boarded and fell asleep. A side note: Someone commented a few posts back about how boring it was that I talked a lot about travel, that I fly business class and comment a lot about types of aircraft and different airlines and airplanes. Well, soon enough I will be posting a whole travel section on my website worldofmen.com for those of you that LOVE travel like myself. So not to bore the reader that posted the comment too much, yes, I never fly coach over 2 hours and especially not on an overnight flight....I did that too much in my past (and I will be telling you the secrets soon enough how to get into business or first without having to pay full price).

For the past 2 years Rich and I have made it a point to go to London for a half day to see his friend David on our way to Berlin. We get off the plane, take a shower at American Airline's arrivals lounge at Heathrow, do a bit of business and then board the tube for central London. This time we forced David to come to Soho and eat with us at Busaba Eathai, our favorite Thai restaurant. Rich and I grabbed a quick coffee at Costa and we ran into an Israeli guy we met in Rio at Le Boy just a few weeks ago! The gay world is totally small! After lunch we strolled down to the Thames with David, said bye and then as Rich and I were heading for the Tube we ran into my models Pedro and Daniel randomly on the street! Small world, eh?

David, Rich and I at Busaba Eathai

Running into Pedro and Daniel randomly on the street in Soho!

A quick flight to Berlin, then we were finally in for the night after a very long day and trip(s). The reason we go to Berlin is not for Hustlaball, but rather for Venus, but Rich and I agreed that this is the last year we will be attending Venus since porn trade shows have been going downhill very quickly in the past few years. So I guess we decided to make the best of the trip and go out a bit. Rich convinced me to go to a "bubble gum twinky" club. Ok, I had fun and it wasn't all twinks, but for some reason I am equally attracted to trannies as trannies are to me....now don't get me wrong, no tranny sex here, just love hangin' with them.

Paging all trannies!

Tranny, its Tranny form Transylvania! Hello!

Simmer down tranny, no smokin' in here!

Even Rich can shock a hot tranny mess!

But Rich prefers trannies before they put on make up...LOL

After all the fun times at the Bubble Gum bar, we went to the Hustlaball for 2 minutes. No comment. Saturday night turned out to be a lot of fun since we met up with friends at a club called Berghain at Panorama Bar. Cameras were not allowed but I snuck mine in so I will present a few pics I snuck when security wasn't looking!

A quick bathroom pic!

Hot guy dancing at Berghain

After a late night out Rich and I just walked around and got to see Berlin since Rich has never really played tourist there. Later that evening we headed for Tempelhof Airport for a quick flight on Brussels Airlines to Brussels (of course!). We didn't know until we arrived at the airport that the airport was going to close in just a week. I knew there was a fight to keep the airport open, but no one seemed to show up at the city council meeting to voice their opinion so subsequently the city of Berlin decided to shut the airport down. I will not go into the interesting history of the airport, but you can click here on TEMPELHOF and read about it on wikipedia.

In front of Tempelhof

The fabulous Art Deco interior

Miss Thang boarding Brussels Airlines

One last bye bye to Tempelhof from Brussels Airlines

I'm not exactly sure how many European cities you can fit into one day, but Rich and I seemed to fit in Brussels, Antwerp and even Amsterdam into one day! I felt like we were on some straight oriented 10 day tour of Europe being in a new city every day...even our European friends and colleagues made fun of us for being in Brussels and Amsterdam in the same day!

Driving in Amsterdam cannot be done without Tom Tom!

After visiting many retailers in the region I discovered my business was being sucked into the nasty banking crisis we are having in the US! While we were away we had a friend deposit a few checks that Bank of America promises to release the next day, but for some reason they put a 2 week hold on thousands of dollars that we needed. In addition to Bank of America being nasty with money, we also needed some items sent to us via FedEx that was going to cost around $200. I had a total nervous breakdown throwing my phone across the room breaking it. I quickly got on the internet to see how much it would be to fly home the next day. Amazingly a last minute ticket from Amsterdam to Miami and returning to Paris was only $840. So there I was on a plane from Amsterdam to Heathrow and then onto Miami the next morning at 7:20am.

When I arrived in Miami I stormed into Bank of America directly from the airport, luggage in hand, and asked them to release the funds. Magically, the branch manager took off early and I would have to come back the next day. I was so pissed I let off steam at the gym and then went out later that evening to Twist. The next day the manager did release the funds then I went to see my accountant. From that point on all was going well and I was able to get a lot done in the next few days. On Friday I called my mom to find out how all was going to only find out my great aunt was in the hospital. I made plans to go to California Saturday and then return to Paris Sunday but my mom assured me she would be all right, so I stayed in Miami and went back to Paris arriving Monday morning. By the time I arrived in Paris, my great aunt was much worse and the following day I had to fly to Spain for work. So here I am now trying to catch up on work and this blog. My great aunt finally passed away, but by doing so this incident pitted my brother, aunt and cousin against my mother that was acting out towards all of us. Some people never get to know their extended families such as great aunts, but my mother's side of the family is very small and very close. Now that the drama has ended along with my great aunt Betty's life, I can continue to get back to normal, but I promised my family I would go to California for the whole month to help organize everything.....

Trying to enjoy Paris...I'll miss you Aunt Betty!