Discreetionary: O party

O party [OH PAHR·tee] noun 1. euphemism for an organized sexual orgy. etymology: O from “orgy” and party, a “a social gathering”.

It’s been quite fashionable to use “O party” as an innocuous-sounding term instead of the more vulgar “orgy” when referring to multi-person organized sex events. Because of the Internet and of websites like Guys4Men, it’s has also been easier to organize such O parties, often held inside private hotel/motel rooms or condominium units. In Guys4Men, you can occasionally encounter invitations to such events posted at the site’s calendar complete with the warning: “please read our health & safety info if you are thinking of attending this event.”

I’ve personally never been to an O party, but I certainly would like to try going to one given a good opportunity. Then again, going to bath houses is almost, but not quite, the same thing, so it’s quite probable that I’m not missing anything.

Got any Discreetionary terms? Send them my way at discreetmanila at gmail.com.

Yossi & Jagger theme song: “Your Soul”

While a significant portion of the local gay blogosphere is gushing over two gay-themed Thai films released in 2007 (The Love of Siam and Bangkok Love Story), let's go back a few years earlier and to the other side of Asia for a different gay-themed film set in the military atmosphere of Israel. Yossi & Jagger is the story of two soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces (Israel's armed forces; it should be noted that military service is compulsory for all Israeli Jewish men and women). One of them is Yossi, a reserved guy who takes his duty seriously, while the other is Lior (nicknamed Jagger after Mick Jagger by his peers because of his rock-star-like charisma), who is quite romantic, playful, fun-loving, and is Yossi's subordinate. On the outside, they seem like really close buddies but in reality, they are lovers hiding their relationship while manning a border outpost near Lebanon. Unfortunately, this film embodies the usual tragic gay movie cliche.

Anyway, instead of showing you a trailer, I'll just let you listen to the English version of the movie's theme song "Your Soul," which is sung by Ivri Lider. Lider is a popular Israeli singer and is gay himself. The original Hebrew version is titled "Bo" (which means "let's" or "come") and is a cover of a song by Rita, a female Israeli artist. Listen to the song because it's absolutely beautiful. While the previously blogged "Nag-iisa, Wala Ka Na" is beautiful in a sad way, "Your Soul" is beautiful in a joyous manner. Enjoy!

The restaurant restroom exchange

I've read a few stories (fictional or otherwise) of guys discreetly meeting each other after eyeing each other across a restaurant by both going to the establishment's restroom. Well, I finally got to experience the same thing recently while I was with a bunch of straight friends who don't know my "other side" in a posh restaurant in Makati. Sitting at a nearby table was this great-looking guy with a great smile and a nice stubbled jaw drinking beer with some of his friends. We both caught each others eyes and eventually exchanged some long meaningful stares.

I guess it's just instinct for discreet guys to gravitate to the restroom when searching for opportunities. And in a restaurant, the pretext of freshening up or answering to the call of nature provides a perfect cover as to why you'd have to temporarily leave the table. In my recent encounter, I simply mumbled an excuse, got up and went to the comfort room (as we Pinoys like to call the restroom) and proceeded to relieve my bladder. I lingered there for a while and as expected, the guy I did the eye equivalent of a footsie with entered the restroom as well. He pretended to take a leak and afterwards stood beside me at the sink counter. We smiled at each other and he introduced himself and I likewise. No, nothing happened (though I would've loved to ravage his lips with kisses). The problem is, that restroom was really not a place to do anything naughty so we just exchanged cellphone numbers and parted ways. Yeah, I know it's a bit anti-climactic.

If there's any lesson to be learned from this, it's that discreet PLU guys can be quite resourceful people. The need to be circumspect in meeting other guys provide us with some unique social skills that straight people would never think of.

Anyway, I'd love to hear if you have any similar stories as well. I'm sure some of you have more steamier encounters to share. Hehehe.

On influential blogs

The eyeball party of the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs of 2008 Writing Project happened last night. There the winners were announced and two three gay bloggers are part of the top ten: AJ of Bloggers Da Who, Brian Gorrell of The Not SO Talented Delfin 'DJ' Justiniano Ocampo Montano II, and Blogie Robillo of Davao Delicious. Congratulations!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank AJ and Richard the Adventurer for nominating Discreet Manila in their pick as one of the most influential blogs. It's a great honor to be mentioned and I really appreciate it, guys.

Looking back at the writing project, it's actually a very tall order that a blog like mine will win in a contest as mainstream as the Influential Blogs project. Discreet Manila serves a very narrow niche and it's unlikely that majority of the people would even bother reading it. Furthermore, even on the off chance that Discreet Manila did win, I wouldn't come to the party to claim my plaque; I'm not ready to out myself to the whole world. There's a particular comfort in hiding in the closet—at least for now. Hehehe.

Akihiro Sato in the Nescafé Rain Jewel TVC

I'm so loving the guy in this Nescafé commercial.

Some simple web sleuthing reveals that the guy is Akihiro "Aki" Macieira Sato, a Japanese-Brazilian model who also had a modeling stint in Thailand. There's also plenty of drool-worthy pictures of him on the web. And I discover that he's been the subject of countless blog posts and news items recently. And why not? He's hot as hell and he's very sexy in the Nescafé commercial above.

Some more links for your reading (and viewing) pleasure:

• "We need a Hiro" from the Philippine Star SUPREME.

• "The Next Model: Akihiro Sato" from INQUIRER.net

• Akihiro Sato at The Daily Model

• Close Up TV Commercial, where I also noticed him but didn't realize it was him

• Akihiro Sato in the Philippines and Akihiro Sato: The Unofficial Fansite, two sister blogs dedicated to the model