Comparisons

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It rains, the hairdresser´s is empty. There´s a bomb, the flag business skyrockets. And all the kids are out for summer, the teachers out of a job for a few months. It´s funny how some things that may seem so random can affect jobs so profusely. "You don´t seem to have much work today" I commented to Camillo who for the first time in a long while had taken a break to have lunch with Cat and I. "Of course, it's raining." he paused "If you want to do your hair today you get it done and go outside and ruin it."

It's a nice meal after our World Cup sleepover. Last night Cat got her hair done and even though I was a bit upset with Camillo I went over and chilled with them anyways. Afterwards we took my bike and met Eason, Leason (Akun's brother), and Alex for barbecue. Raphael - Cat's boyfriend - met up with us after a bit. The boys seemed to like him even though he couldn't talk with them. Camillo did his best to listen in aas usual to us talk and said it was like watching a movie - much easier than British English. At one point Leason and Camillo were talking about something in Cantonese. Raphael listened to them for about three minutes and then said in English "they must not be speaking Mandarin because I don't understand a damn word." Cat and I laughed and then I told the boys who also laughed. My understanding of everything is getting much better, as is Alex's. He can finally get the drift of what I'm saying enough in English to translate exactly (because I'm saying something he was there for).

After barbecue we all went over to Camillo's to chill. Cat and Raphael were hanging on each other a bit and that coupled with Camillo having drunk a bit made him hang on me too. In the end Cat and Raphael left, Camillo fell asleep on my shoulder for a bit and then the boys went to bed. Camillo's grandmother and I finished watching the World Cup - although I was asleep for most of it and then she laid me down on the couch fully and put a towel over me. I opened my eyes in the morning to say bye to Eason - who was going to work and then again when Michael came in to do the dishes. I watched him and then he leaned against the doorframe and watched me until Leason came out and went to work. Camillo's grandmother then got Camillo up - he, like myself, needs a lot of pushing to get up in the morning so there was a little fighting between the two of them. My back was really killing me from sitting in a funny position on the couch and Camillo's grandmother put a patch of medicine on it which worked like a miracle. Yenson's buddy then came over to cook. We talked for a while about the US - he loves it and no other country besides China. He told me he didn't like foreigners and the way they act, just Americans. "We're foreigners too" "Not you, you're cool."

I spent the day writing subtitles for Toni&Guy movies at the Salon and a bunch of the boys got to see my pictures of people from home. They thought I look a lot like mom, dad was "cool and handsome" and Liz was very athletic looking.

Brian Kinney

• honest
  
• boyfriend - Justin
  
• multi-partnered
  
• best friend with no attachments: Michael
  
• great professional successful job
  
• own apartment
  
• willing to give anything for love
  
• does everything to help others & denies it
  
• hates parents, no siblings
  
• loyal
  
• risks anything for customers
  
• acts like a jerk a lot
  
• not humorous or clutsy
  
• sometimes picky
  
• warm-hearted but rarely shows it
  
• safe except marijuana
  
• only political in business and being gay
  
• loyally gay but non-conformist
  
• 32 years old in PA, USA
  
• tall, blonde,
  
• sexy, fashionable
  
• sex-fiend
  
• artist
  

Camillo Luo

• taught to be honest and only isn't if he doesn't control it
  
• no partner
  
• best friend with no attachments: me
  
• great professional successful job
  
• lives with four people
  
• willing to give everything for art and learning to give it for love
  
• does many things to help others and expects the same in return
  
• doesn't talk much of parents, loves family and brother
  
• loyal and to Salon
  
• risks anything for a customer
  
• acts like a jerk due to culture clashes
  
• own sense of humor, not clutsy but sometimes picky
  
• warm-hearted but enjoys denying it
  
• safe except smoking and drinking
  
• never seen him political (thankfully)
  
• loyal hairdresser therefore not a conformist
  
• 23 years old in Dalian, China
  
• medium height, colors hair, sexy, fashionable
  
• virgin
  
• artist
  

I can't believe I just compared my best Chinese friend to my favorite TV character. The even more surprising part is how uncannily similar the two are. I am Michael Novotny. Brian's best friend who got off once with him but never had sex and was always left lusting for him afterwards. Who besides the kiss shared twice a year has barely any physical connection to Brian at all. I made an entire list and there are only a few true differences between the two boys and other than that it's uncanny. Granted I didn't compare favorite color, animal or type of food but there are many other personality and social qualities that are similar. Now the problem is I have slightly changed the plot to the TV series. It is I who gets the opportunity to move to New York or stay and marry Brian. The only problem is, as I said earlier, I'm Michael, not Justin. And as Michael, Brian barely even thinks of me marrying him, no matter how long I've wanted to. And as Michael, by moving to New York I lose my job and am forced to find another one. One that could be anything else. This also being Michael, I have an opportunity to move anywhere in the entire world. What an insane possibility.

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