On The Street

“It’s pretty confronting”, a friend and I concluded about our (separate) experiences of visiting the red-light area of Amsterdam. As you walk around Amsterdam there are half-dressed women in shop-fronts offering themselves to (often) groups of men. I don’t have an issue, at all, with sex work as a legitimate form of employment, but sex work doesn’t come without its problems, including drug abuse, exploitation, and (sometimes) slavery.

“Most sex work now happens via this”, Elliot, our tour guide noted today, holding up his mobile phone.… Read the rest “On The Street”

9.00pm Friday in Sydney

Even on a Friday night, it can be hard to find somewhere to eat in Sydney after nine o’clock.

This is not a new thing, but it seems to have worsened since COVID, with many restaurants closed.

I remember arriving in Rome a few years ago, and the incredulity of the waiter to my assumption that at 9.30pm I was already “too late” for a meal. He just didn’t understand why I would even think that.… Read the rest “9.00pm Friday in Sydney”

Fresh Views

There were two thirty-something guys walking down a street in Darlinghurst this morning. As I watched them walk, and then stop for a cuddle and a kiss, and then walk again, I remember once being like them.

There was a moment in my relationship with Damien when we hadn’t seen each other for a couple of weeks and we embraced and kissed quite publicly outside a local pub in Surry Hills. As a carload of young blokes in a car drove past they yelled out “faggots”.… Read the rest “Fresh Views”

Open for business

After catching up with a mate last night at my “local” pub, I caught the bus to Darlinghurst for what I thought might have been the return of Harbour City Bears. The regular Friday night gathering doesn’t appear to have returned yet. Instead, there was a mixed crowd of people, and boy was it packed. After gaining entry I looked around, and quickly decided there were too many people for my liking, and so I left immediately.… Read the rest “Open for business”