#that little meatball was behind some HARD WORK and DEDICATION

[vancilart]

mwa

[rozenmich]

Tae, The cat. Introduction

~Ladies and Gentlemen, peers, mah dudes.

Welcome to the shitshow. Sorry I already failed. I'm supposed to just inform you that the content below is full of profanity, dumb jokes and shounen ai content. That means romantic cutely sweet guys being gay. Cause this is my love story. Or some shit like that. So go ahead and enjoy.

Or hate it. I don't know. I'm not your mom. So far actually it's just about me and my bestie. But we will get there people. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Do please show your love if you are interested in my story, cause even tho I find it creepy. God. Or more like the loser writing this story, likes attention and it's a deeply flawed person with no self esteem.

So yeah

-Love, Tanner

~

"Tae... Tae!..." Her voice was being suffocated by the loud music coming from his headphones. He was staring to the table in front of him, a blue tray with food siting between his arms. Suddenly a third arm appeared slamming the table scaring the living shit out of him. But he immediately recognised the caramel brown flawless skin of his best friend Isabella, God damn her and her naturally soft skin, who then pulled from the cord of his headphones, them falling on his shoulders, Tae pouted following her with his grey eyes as she sat on front of him, she seemed upset. He could tell by the way the strand of hair in the top of her head curled, and not really from the wide eyes, heavy breathing and frown she was dedicating him.

"Dude! What the hell?!"

Yeah she definitely was upset, Tae's dyed light blue and pink cat ears lower themselves in guilt as he realised what was wrong. He quickly grabbed his phone and pause the music. They usually walked to the cafeteria and had lunch together, but Isabella, a teacher's pet, was talking with the science fair coordinator and Tae after class just went his own way.

"I'm sorry man, I-" Tae began explaining but Isabella shaked her head shushing him while she took a bite of her mash potatoes, She knew Tae had trouble reading people, he was clueless when it came to normal human expressions, but she was the exception, they had known each other for so long that Tae knew by heart her other tells about her mood and her usual triggers, so she could guess what he was about to say.

"Man, it's not only that you left me behind. You have being distracted lately. Are you Okay?" The tone of concern in Isabella's voice scared Tae, and also surprised him. He tilted his head trying to think how to phrase his worries as he grabbed a fork and started eating with her.

"It's San Valentine's Day soon..." Tae started explaining looking at his food, avoiding her gaze "I usually don't care too much but. It's the first time I will spend it completely alone eating Cheetos on my pyjamas while playing Final Fantasy all day. That's a really sad thing to do in a day for friendship and love you know?"

Tae had just started living on his own, no family, no roommates. And he felt unexpectedly lonely.

Isabella open her eyes in surprise, hearing those words coming out of shy, scared of people, awkward Tae was truthly amazing. Isabella thought that the scenario Tae just described would be heaven for him, but she wasn't one to dismiss the worries of her best friend.

"But Final Fantasy are all about friendship!" Isabella joked which made Tae just look at her like 'seriously?' with a smirk as he still found it funny, she thought about it for a moment leaving the joke behind.

"Since when you became a sad cliche? Tae, come on, I would totally crash at your place if you want me to!" The young girl said with a soft smile trying to cheer him up, Tae looked at her lifting one of his cat ears in interest.

"Mmm? I thought you where going to this concert with your boyfriend"

Isabella chuckle softly and shrug. "Yeah that was the plan. But he didn't want to go once he heard who the band was and where it was. I can't blame him, he's not the one for those kind of things." Isabella pulled her backpack from her back and started rummaging through it. It was blue and was full of pins with nerdy puns and chemical symbols, just the sight of it gave Tae a headache as school wasn't exactly the favourite thing in his life. Finally Isabella handed him a ticket.

"Maybe we should go after all. I didn't thought about inviting you sooner since I thought you don't like this kind of music either"

Tae was one hundred percent more into foreign pop music and indeed heavy rock wasn't much of his style so he was a bit doubtful at first. He grab the ticket and inspect it more carefully. Late at night, some shady basement, several bands from town but different schools...

"Maddo Pinku?! Oh for the love of spaghetti with meatballs dude!" Tae's tail started to wave in excitement as he lifted his eyes to look at the other side of the cafeteria where a small group of eccentric people had gather lively talking about something Tae wasn't able to hear from so far away. The girl was obviously the center of attention. The table shined with the glitter of popularity and social status. The girl had way too much eyeliner listening to the bassist yelling the loudest he was all over the place, the drummer which had a face mask resting under his chin to be able to eat, was having a more chill conversation with the guy on the synth trying his damn hardest to not listen to his bandmate's rambling and yelling. Dispite them all going dressed in black they managed to stand out.

That was Maddo Pinku, or at least the girl dressed like a Gothic lolita, the rest of guys where her band mates.

"Yep, That's Taylor alright." Isabella replied with a sweatdrop. Maddo Pinku is just her stage name, but she insisted on being called that to everyone even teachers as she hated deeply the name Taylor. "I didn't imagine you like their music"

"I do!" Tae said turning to her but then shaked his head relaxing a bit "Well not exactly, I like the style of kawaii metal, obviously" Tae made a sign to Isabella to look at him, light blue with pink coloured hair, glasses, a lilac hoodie with a Hello Kitty pattern and some black jeans and finger less gloves. Of course also his cat ears and tail but that was just a biological advantage for his aesthetic. Isabella rolled her eyes with a smile "but heavy music does hit me hard so..." Tae looked back at the ticked and ended up shrugging sliding it into his pocket "What the hell let's go. If we are lucky they end up being terrible and at least we get a good laugh out of the whole deal"

Isabella gasped pretending to be shocked putting her hand on her chest as she laughed, happy that she had someone to go with "Tanner, you evil maniac" Isabella wasn't exactly fan of Maddo Pinku but of music in general. It had a lot more power than people realize.

She stuck her tongue out at Tae, who's full name is indeed Tanner, in a teasing manner.

Tae could relate to Taylor, as he also disliked his name but he didn't had a cool stage nickname like Maddo Pinku for people to call him by instead. But hey Tae was pretty dope too.

Their table was completely empty, Isabella and Tae where nerds, different kind of nerds but nerds nonetheless and their friend circle was... Limited. Apart from Isabella's boyfriend no one else talked to them much unless they had to and they both where perfectly okay with that. It's not that there weren't other gamers in school, geeks or even weeabos, but Isabella and Tae where shy people, and just with one friend was enough, so they never forced themselves to get more. They where sort of invisible most of the time and they found comfort in that.

Isabella had her boyfriend but Tae... Only had Isabella. When he found himself unable to sleep late at night, when Isabella wasn't in class, when he was picked last on the science fair he realised.

He was lonely.

It was completely different, more cold, than being alone. Lonely meant he had no one around to share his happy moments with, and it was starting to weight on him. He didn't want to overwhelm Isabella but he also didn't undestood too well the art of making friends. He wasn't streight up weird however, or 'that' kid, so he still had some hope about making a new friend dispite his struggle to understand people's intentions. He wants to step out of his comfort zone and live the best life he can.

Even Isabella was just a happy accident he didn't plan. After Tae was failing chemistry he was tutored by Isabella and they ended up making a lasting friendship after Tae drag her with him into the vast void of procrastination.

"How did you got this tickets anyways?" Tae asked suddenly which disoriented Isabella for a moment, but she then smiled proudly.

"I won them in a podcast giveaway! I love listening to podcasts" Isabella mimicked being a DJ making a funny face that made Tae laugh.

"Really? I'm kind of surprised"

"Yeah! I like to hear them while im working, the voices make me feel more comfortable"

Tae smiled softly nodding in understanding, he took a deep breath in a bit of relief. The fact that Isabella had a similar problem made him feel a little bit better. There was always the possibility she couldn't relate and ended up judging him a bit for it but Tae knew Isabella isn't that kind of person.

Tae looked up at the band group eating together again, he found himself actually looking forward to it. Not because the band but because he would have a lot of fun with Isabella.

Adventure. Friendship. Music. It was perfect.

More perfect that he could even imagine.

[20kv22home]

The 24th Annual Rural Studio Pig Roast

Hey strangers! It’s been quite a while since we checked in with y’all, and for that, we apologize. This past month has certainly flown by, and now that we have a chance to catch our breath, we can’t wait to tell you all about it!

For those of you that were able to make it out to the annual Rural Studio Pig Roast, thanks so much for coming!! By all accounts, it was a true Pig Roast: an action-packed Saturday full of amazing projects, beautiful weather, delicious food, and all of our friends and families!

The day kicked off with a caravan to Faunsdale where we got to check in on the progress that Anna, Jenny, Grant, and John have made on the Community Center. Everything looks great so far! And while we’re excited for this team to finish, we’re definitely going to miss these friends that have become role models to us!

From Faunsdale, we drove to Dodge City, where the third year students officially opened Ree’s Home! Located right next door to Geraldine’s Home, Ree’s Home is an iteration of Joanne’s Home (20Kv10), with a slightly modified, efficient and square floor plan. Emily McGlohn and Alex Therrien, the third year professors, emcee’d the ribbon cutting event; and Ree’s family was there to thank everyone and take their first steps in the (nearly) completed new home.

At high noon, we headed back to Morisette for lots of talking and lots of tacos. Once we satisfied ourselves with both, we ventured over to the Fabrication Pavilion for the Horseshoe Farm Homes presentation and to see their full-scale mock-up. The drawings and renderings looked spectacular! And their mock-up shows just how hard Sydney, Gavin, Lauren, and Frank have been working to finalize their design and start working on the details that will bring their drawings to life.

Our team left the presentation a little early to head to the Model Home Village where we would be doing our own presentation. Off to a shaky start, the wind had blown our boards off of the plywood stands, and there were tiny termites flying around and permeating the air like humidity. If that was not enough, it was also the hottest time of day; and though we were on the porch, the audience was out in the unshaded yard, after walking a quarter mile to our location.

Nevertheless, after an enthusiastic introduction, a brief run through of all the research we’ve done so far, and the infinite list of thank you’s, everyone applauded and congratulated us on the work we’d accomplished this year. Not only were our friends and families in attendance, but so were some of our favorite consultants and our favorite 20K team - 20Kv21! To the tune of some house-themed music hits (playlist coming soon!), everyone made their way through the Baseline Home and read more about our project before it was time to go to downtown Greensboro to see the Horseshoe Farm Courtyard Project.

Tired, and a little dehydrated, we cleaned up, locked up, and left out of the Model Home Village feeling lighter and brighter. In Greensboro, where everyone ended up taking a coffee break and overloaded the only coffee shop in town, the Horseshoe Farm Courtyard Project eventually began their presentation. Caleb, Claudia, Claire, and Zack wowed us all with their attention to detail and dedication to making this courtyard a positive impact to the regular attendees and visitors at the Horseshoe Farm Hub.

As the sun began to set, we paraded down AL HWY 61 to the Bodark Amphitheater behind Chantilly. Along the way, we stopped by the Woodshop to see the third year’s chairs and boards. Catfish, pork, hush puppies, baked beans, and more Hale County delicacies awaited us atop the hill before we descended to our seats in front of the stage. The Grasshopper String Band played us soft tunes while we ate, before breaking for the Rural Studio Pig Roast Valediction Ceremony.

And what a Valediction Ceremony it was! It was Xavi’s second time hosting, and he did not disappoint. After an inspiring commencement speech from the illustrious Tom Kundig and a few words from Architecture Head, Christian Dagg, all of us fifth-years went up on stage to get “roasted” to death. Somehow, and with alarming accuracy, Xavi was able to recall details about us that even we did not know! Like a detective at a lineup, he called out the bizarre and little-known facts about us in such a way that anyone could tell that he spent too much time looking into this and that he definitely must have had help. To the delight of the crowd, he roasted every last one of us before giving us a hug and our graduation gifts (two books), and ushering us off the stage. Laughter, tears, lots of thank you’s, and more laughter brought us from an orange sky to a navy dusk; and once the sun had given way to the other stars in the sky, so too concluded the 2018 Rural Studio Pig Roast.

When you find out that you’ve been admitted to Rural Studio for your Thesis project, it takes a long time to really hit you. Of course, there’s immediate joy and disbelief - after all, the privilege to study at Rural Studio has been the dream for most of us ever since we applied to Auburn University. But having almost no idea what to expect is an ignorant kind of bliss, and the summer melts away too quickly to get nervous. When you move out to Hale County and begin class with your studio, it still doesn’t quite hit you. The rigor of the projects and the rhythm of this curriculum keeps you on track and motivated to design and detail everything incredibly well and to a high-level of accuracy. It’s so easy to become so immersed in your project and why you’re doing it that you hardly come up for air from August to April. And it isn’t until Pig Roast that we all sit back and look at all the work we’ve done; what we’ve finished on April 28th integrates thousands of hours of charettes, day-long discussions, reviews, critiques, builds, and trace paper, as well as five incredible years of architecture school.

Sitting on a folding chair with a lap full of fried catfish, while taking a deep breath under the stars, in the shadow of Chantilly, in the middle of nowhere, with your teachers and your townspeople, among the classmates that turned into friends and the teammates that turned into family, in early summer a week before you graduate, while everyone sings along to the unfamiliar but catchy tune of “One Meatball” as it fiddles out into the night, it finally hits you: where you are and what you get to do and what a privilege it all is. It hits you like fireworks.

Teary-eyed and yours,

The 20Kv22 team

[beertengoku]

{:en}

Yggdrasil Brewing The Bottom Line

While it’s a bit soon to be reviewing a brewpub that doesn’t brew on site (at the time of writing), Yggdrasil Brewing brings something new to an area desperately in need of some craft beer. The guys behind Yggdrasil Brewing (Davido and Xavier) know their stuff and what they are promising to bring besides craft beer (think ciders and meads!) should provide something new for people to drink. The eight taps are varied enough for even the die-hard beer hunter in terms of variety, but the distance from the station is a little bit on the far side. If you don’t mind that then it’s worth a trip to try something new. Yggdrasil Brewing is completely non-smoking and has no table charge. We’ll definitely be back though to try some of the in-house beers once the brewery is up and running.

Yggdrasil Brewing The Full Review

Heavy Metal and craft beer – perhaps Yggdrasil Brewing is only the third place in Japan (after Thrash Zone Yokohama & Thrashzone Meatballs) to offer up this combination. The owners behind Yggdrasil Brewing – Davido and Xavier – also have a long and storied history with craft beer in Japan, having worked on some collaboration beers with Yorocco Beer, for example, their Motorhead-inspired beer Yorocco Ace of Space and the Sakurament Nightmare, and also with Barbaric Works. They have also had some experience running a bar in Japan when the only of Hatagaya’s Gremlin bar disappears to leave them in charge – and the bar still remains in one pice. It was only natural then that a brewpub would soon follow-up.

Situated about ten minutes from JR Hiratsuka station, Yggdrasil Brewing is a shining beacon in the wilderness of the area. Hiratsuka, probably more famous for tanabata, where once a year where the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively) occurs. There is an annual three-day festival in the area along the shopping street where massive crowds congregate to drink and party. Yggdrasil Brewing is a bit further away but offers up space for 16 people, with six seats at the counter and also some tables dotted around the walls for around 10 people. The whole of the bar is non-smoking, though the outside area is open for smoking. Yggdrasil Brewing also does not have a table charge system going either.

There are 8 taps at Yggdrasil Brewing with all of them being dedicated to domestic craft beer at the time of writing. The beers come in two sizes: small (about 270ml) at ¥600 to ¥700 and regular (about 380ml) and ¥800 to ¥900. Their beers are priced at the lower of the spectrum while the guest beers from across Japan are at the higher end. Their is no happy hour on at Yggdrasil Brewing nor are there any take out beers; however, that may change in the future during the festivals and events held in the area.

The food at Yggdrasil Brewing lends itself heavily towards French inspired food, but we didn’t have any when we went, but once the brewery is up and running, we’ll try some.

Yggdrasil Brewing Details

Open: Wednesday to Friday 17:00 – 23:00 Saturday 15:00 – 23:00 Sunday 15:00 – 22:00

Closed: Monday / Tuesday

Happy Hour: None

Phone: 0463-73-8282

Homepage: http://www.yggdrasil-brewing.com/

SNS: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

How to Get to Yggdrasil Brewing

The closest station to Yggdrasil Brewing is JR Hiratsuka on the Tokaido Main Line and also Shonan-Shinjuku Line. It’s about a ten minute walk from the station.

{:}{:ja}イグドラジル ブルーイングは平塚駅から１０歩きに５分内。２０１８年１０月に開けました。

イグドラジル ブルーイングのインテリア

素朴な落ち着いた空間です。

席は１５個ぐらいです。テーブルで８人ぐらいをすわれます、カウンター席は６個ぐらいです。

チャージはありません。

店内は禁煙です。

Wi-Fiをあります。スタッフにパスワードを頼みます。

イグドラジル ブルーイングのビール

タップは８本をあります。全部はクラフトビールです。クラフトビールは国内からと国外からです。ブルーパブですけどインハウスのビールはまだ作るませんです。

グラスは２種類：スマールは２７０mlぐらいです。値段は６００円から７００円までです。レギュラーは３８０mlぐらいです。値段は８００円から９００円までです。

テイスティングセット・ビールライトをありません。

ハッピーアワーもありません。持ち帰りビールもありません。

イグドラジル ブルーイングの料理

フランス風です。

大きな料理と小さいな料理もある。

前菜はチーズ、ソーセージ、をみたいです。

BeerTengokuの感想

平塚はクラフトビールをなにもありませんからイグドライルブルーイングは大歓迎です

イグドラジル ブルーイングの情報

営業時間: [水～金]17:00～23:00（食べ.L.O. 22:00・飲み L.O. 22:30）[土・日]15:00～22:00［日］11:00～22:00 （食べ.L.O. 21:00・飲み L.O. 21:30）

定休日：月曜日・火曜日

ハッピーアワー: なし

電話番号: 0463-73-8282

ホームページ：http://www.yggdrasil-brewing.com/

SNS: Facebook ・Twitter

イグドラジル ブルーイングの生き方

平塚駅は東海道線は「JT 11」です、湘南新宿ラインは「JS 04」です。

{:}

{:en}Yggdrasil Brewing in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa{:}{:ja}イグドラジル ブルーイング（神奈川・平塚）{:} {:en} Yggdrasil Brewing The Bottom Line While it's a bit soon to be reviewing a brewpub that doesn't brew on site (at the time of writing), Yggdrasil Brewing brings something new to an area desperately in need of some craft beer.

[feedblogspot]

Type of Venue: Restaurant, Wine Bar Cuisine: Modern European food Highly Recommended: Arancini ‘del giorno’, Baked Meatballs, Mozzarella ‘fiore di burrata’, Ricotta Gnocchi, Squid Ink Spaghettini, Tiramisu Alla Pentola

His reputation precedes him, with many considering him to be a leading proponent in the world of modern Italian cuisine. Following his every creative move with bated breath, long-time fans are always excited to discover what Joseph Vargetto’s next culinary project is. After having worked in some of Melbourne’s best restaurants, and alongside Michelin-starred chefs in Italy, you would expect a feeling of intimidation when being graced with his presence. On the contrary, Joseph’s humble nature and reserved mannerisms portray a man whose hard work and persistent dedication has paid off… traits which parallel the commanding, yet comfortably elegant venue of Massi.

Often introduced as the ‘little brother’ of Mister Bianco in Kew, Massi is beautifully named after Joseph’s second son, Massimo. Inspired by local restaurants and wine bars relatively untouched by tourists in regional Northern Italy, Joseph wanted to bring a piece of that Italian culture back with him to Melbourne. From the rustic wood-panelled surfaces, to the vibrant artwork displayed around the venue, and the perfectly positioned table settings, Massi represents the merging of the old world and the new, within an intimate wine bar setting that caters equally well to a casual lunch as it does to a special occasion.

High ceilings emanate a sense of grandeur that resonates with the 100-year-old heritage listed building in which Massi resides. Unmistakably European in its ambience, the whole concept represents Joseph’s proclivity for testing the limits of Italian cuisine, without losing the essence of his cultural heritage. Supporting the notion that Italians love their wine, the Little Collins Street restaurant and wine bar is lined with wine bottles, both behind the bar and along its surrounding walls. The wine list boasts labels primarily sourced from Italy, with the rest coming from France, the U.S.A. and throughout Victoria and Australia. The cocktails also follow the Italian theme, with the Summery Aperol Spritz and Autumn-friendly Mandarino Spritz both great recommendations by staff.

Mandarino Spritz ($18.00) (Melbourne-sourced Don Giovanni Mandarino Liqueur, Montenegro, soda, mint) + Aperol Spritz ($18.00) (Aperol, Prosecco, soda)

The food menu focuses on Sicilian cuisine whilst subtly introducing flavours and techniques inspired by other regions throughout Europe and Australia. Regional produce is treated with respect in the elegantly-plated dishes, whose hint of organised chaos is detected in the bold flavours and generous servings. As all finer dining restaurants should, an offering of complimentary bread with Il Fiorello olive oil (obviously, imported from Italy) and salt is provided to each customer at the start of the meal.

Complimentary Bread

A large selection of appetisers and entrees showcase ingredients that are in-season, and sourced organically and regionally where possible. Arancini ‘del giorno’ (of the day) are a mingling of eggplant and mozzarella which delivers a subtlety of flavour that melts in with the perfectly cooked risotto, encased within a crisp-fried coating that laps up the accompanying aioli.

Arancini ‘del giorno’ ($4.50 per piece)

A must-order when dining at Massi is Joseph’s signature dish, the Baked Meatballs. Using a recipe that has remained by Joseph’s side over the years, the meatballs tenderly fall apart in the mouth, and are generously doused in a tomato sugo whose balanced seasoning and sharp intensity lingers on the palate, igniting a feeling of admiration that only food of this calibre can generate. The supplementation with couscous, capers, onions, pickled chilli and spiced gherkins may seem simple, but their individual textures and the salty-chilli kick further elevate the flavours of this amazing dish.

Baked Meatballs ($18.00 for 4pcs)

Arriving in the shape of a money bag, Mozzarella ‘fiore di burrata’ retains a meltingly delicate softness, drizzled with the zingy salsa verde, sprinkled with a dusting of olive, and finished with carta de musica (thin, crisp bread) to produce a cohesive dish that puts on display a compilation of ingredients that would normally accompany the hero of a dish, but this time, they are the hero.

Mozzarella ‘fiore di burrata’ ($21.00)

If you only try one main dish from the menu, do not go past their pasta. Ricotta Gnocchi are dainty in size and delicate in texture, interspersed with shredded braised wild rabbit and a deeply rich tomato sugo to bind everything together. The simplistic finish with a single wedge of lemon adds a sharp contrast that simultaneously cuts through the richness whilst also enhancing it.

Ricotta Gnocchi ($29.00)

Squid Ink Spaghettini proves to be the standout dish, filled with medium-sized clams, garlic, chilli and olive oil. Although quite restrained in its level of chilli, the addition of onions contribute to the sauce’s caramelisation, fusing beautifully with the flavours of the sea.

Squid Ink Spaghettini ($29.00)

For a refreshing side dish, the Heirloom Tomato Cesare is paired with olives, croutons and an anchovy dressing, whereby the use of anchovies is nigh undetectable. The level of excitement when eating this salad is partly a result of the mixture of red, yellow and green tomatoes (each of which elicit a uniquely distinctive level of sweetness), and partly due to the fresh, herb aroma of basil sprinkled throughout.

Heirloom Tomato Cesare ($9.00)

For me, no Italian meal is complete without something sweet to finish with. House made Tiramisu Alla Pentola arrives as an individual serving, sitting inside a miniature copper pot. Although I usually prefer an equal ratio of sponge and cream, I thoroughly enjoyed the abundance of cream in this tiramisu variation, as the mascarpone cream’s sweetness is expertly balanced with the flavour of espresso, enhanced by the generous powder of cocoa garnished on top.

Tiramisu Alla Pentola ($16.00)

Cannolo similarly arrives as an individual serving, with a crisp and flaky shell filled to the brim with sweet ricotta, blackberries, white chocolate and freeze dried cherries. A perfect example of a savoury-sweet item, this dessert leans more to the savoury side, which is ideal for those who can’t handle too much sweetness.

Cannolo ($7.00 per serve)

Producing traditional Italian food with contemporary flare, Massi takes modern Italian to the next level. With a dining room that feels spaciously intimate, its humbling to discover that the kitchen in which Joseph and his kitchen team operate is significantly more modest in its confinements. Walk down a few steps to see bright lights above the countertop pass, observe a split-second’s view of Joseph and his team in their element, and feel the kitchen’s hot temperatures, before continuing on to the unisex bathrooms (where the provision of softly folded hand towels and scented hand cream continues the customer’s finer dining experience). Arriving back at the table, I take a second to reflect. It takes a team of people to provide such a memorable and enjoyable lunch experience as I had at Massi on this day. But it takes just one person to have a vision.

Note: I dined as a guest of Massi. Thank you to Jo, and his excellent team on their generous hospitality throughout our experience.

Massi 445 Little Collins Street Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9670 5347 Email: info@massi.com.au Hours: Mon 11am-4pm, Tues-Fri 11am-late, Sat 5:30pm-late, Sun Closed.

  If you love Italian food, you'll love this place: Massi, Melbourne. Type of Venue: Restaurant, Wine Bar Cuisine: Modern European food Highly Recommended: Arancini 'del giorno', Baked Meatballs, Mozzarella 'fiore di burrata', Ricotta Gnocchi, Squid Ink Spaghettini, Tiramisu Alla Pentola

[leatherbeacon-blog]

Leather Series - Beacon's Travels

Leather Series - My Travels Goal of this series: Over the past year or so, I’ve been having evolving thoughts on people of color, women, femme, GNC (gender non conforming) and trans folk in the leather and kink community, “old guard vs new guard” and what that debate actually means, leather contests, how they are run and what they mean to the community, who and what is leather and what we as leatherfolk should be doing. My intent is to share my thoughts on these topics and to encourage discussion. My travels: I've had the opportunity and privilege of traveling across California and to Cleveland for three different leather events, back to back to back. Starting with IMsL/IMsBB in San Jose, then off to CLAW in Cleveland and finally International Olympus Leather (IOL) in San Diego. I was a virgin to all three events and all three events gave me new experiences and a new understanding of leather and the leather community. Since IMsL/IMsBB I have been thinking through my growing understanding of leather and the leather community and I have teased that I will be sharing my thoughts, for what they are worth, with Facebook. Over the next several posts I will be doing just that. I don't claim to have a perfect understanding of Leather and of the community, I acknowledge I am still young in my journey, but this is my understanding as of now. I hope these posts will create a dialogue so that we a community may have a better understanding of Leather and of each other. TL:DR - Yesterday I was asked "you've gone to all these events, what have you learned?" I've learned the leather community is better when there is a seat at the table and space for everyone: men, women, GNC (gender non confirming), femme, trans, etc. IMsL/IMsBB - International Ms. Leather/International Ms. Bootblack This event has had such a profound impact on my understanding of Leather and the leather community, more so than I possibly could have imagined. I flew into San Jose late after the first night of the contest had already started. I made my way into the main room and watched the contestant introductions and listened to the speeches (more on the speeches later.) My first impression upon arriving? It's kind of great to be at an event where men aren't the focus. Let's be real, men have access to a lot of shit, especially in the leather/kink community. Don't get me wrong, I am a proud gay man, I love being with other gay men, and I respect and cherish our spaces and our events, but sometimes it's refreshing to see and experience how others express their leather. Whether they be women, trans, gender non-binary, gay, lesbian, straight, bi, pan or anyone else who doesn't subscribe to a set societal category. Being that this was an event for women, I could have walked the halls, the vendor mart, the hospitality suite and not be acknowledged and I wouldn't have been upset because I didn't expect to be acknowledged, just as women aren't acknowledged at men's events. And yet, everywhere I went I had women coming up to me telling me how glad they were that I was there, that men were there supporting their event. They even sold "Men of IMsL" shirts. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't been to many men's events that have "Women of ____" shirts. It was such a fun, positive event all around. Every few hours a different group would host the hospitality suite. The folks from Alaska had Alaskan salmon, jams, and even bear meatballs....yes, bear. I ate bear at IMsL. Onyx was invited to host at the hospitality suite as well and we had so many women coming up to us saying how glad they were that we were there. I can go on and on about how fun and positive the event was, but what it comes down to is acceptance. Every gender representation, ethnic group and sexual identify was out loud and proud at this event. I didn't see anyone shamed for expressing who they were. Everyone had a chance to be themselves and to be celebrated for who they are and what they give to the community. If you are preparing your leather calendar for 2018, I would highly recommend you write in IMsL/IMsBB before anything else. One last thing: Girl Complex, you took me to church for the first time in years. Praise be!!! CLAW - Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend I've been excited about going to CLAW for years. CLAW has, for better or for worse, become overrun by puppies. Naturally, it seemed to be the perfect event to take my puppy to for his first big leather event. Before I go any further, I have to gush a little bit and talk about how incredible my puppy is. He's loyal, supportive, caring, kind, sadistic, patient, can be the most submissive pup or the most Dominant man. He's incredible. During CLAW, we got to "share" a pup that we have our own independent relationships with. It brought me so much joy to see my pup go from being submissive to me, to dominant to our shared pup. Seeing him run around the vendor mart like a kid in a candy store, looking at all the leather that no, he didn't want to buy, he wants to make. I would ask him about a piece, trying to buy it for him and instead he would say "no, I can just make it myself when we get back". And you better believe he's already in his shop working on incredible designs of his own. Everyday he makes me more proud and makes me strive to be a better Sir for him. Onto the event itself, after a couple weeks of thinking on the event, I've come to the conclusion that I didn't enjoy the event itself. I loved getting to see my friends, both again and for the first time. I loved the POC in leather panel by Tyesha. I loved spending time with my pup and our shared pup. But the event itself, meh. First of all, there wasn't enough time. If I go again, I'm going to have to arrive a day earlier and not volunteer. Between volunteer shifts for all three of us and many of my friends who were also volunteering, it was hard to feel connected with anyone that was there. That's not a fault of the event, just something to consider in the future. Critiques of the event: I felt, note I'm not accusing, as though the event had a forced masculinity to it. From the marketing, to the music selection, to the promotion for the pool parties (not blaming the hosts), to the playspace. To me, it seemed like it was a weekend embodiment of "Masc4masc". As for women at the event, the majority of them that I saw were either bootblacks or volunteering behind the scenes. The ones I did see, seemed to be downplaying their femme side or at least not expressing it. Same goes for the male femmes or GNC femmes. To go a little further and address specific concerns: The pool party. I understand that last year's pool party was held at the host hotel, which was at a different location than this year's hotel which doesn't have a pool. I get that. That being said, given that there were two other official CLAW hotels, which did have a pool, it seems like the possibility could have existed for CLAW to hold the pool parties at those hotels as opposed to at FLEX which is cis-male only. I could be wrong. But I would hope that the board at least considered the optics of removing access to women and trans men for the pool party. Next is the play space. The way it was advertised as "7 play spaces, the most of any year!" I assumed it was going to be 7 different suites or some combination of rooms at the hotel when in fact it was just an office with a handful of smaller offices. Before CLAW, I was critical of the event for having 7 male only play spaces and not a single pan play space. Given where the play space was located, I understand why it was male only. In the future, I would encourage CLAW to consider either moving the play space or at the very least, dedicating a suite or a meeting room in the host hotel as a pan play space. I am one gay man who would attend a pan play space. There were some other elements of the event that didn't make it as enjoyable as I had hoped. All in all the event was, meh. It won't be on my calendar for next year, perhaps it may be in the future One last thing: Watching Ray feed my puppy donuts was the cutest thing ever. Gainer porn IRL. IOL - International Olympus Leather I didn't know much about this event going in, other than my half boyfriend was competing and I was voluntold to help them with their fantasy scene in the contest. The first night featured a few musical numbers by a woman who has been singing at AIDS benefits since 1983, bless her. She was the sweetest woman with a kind heart, a rogue tooth and a pair of breasts that did everything they could to pop out of her shimmering gold top. Between the opening act and the tireless emcee for the weekend, this was the most fun I've had at a contest since IMsL/IMsBB which was the most fun contest I've been to maybe ever. More on that in a later post. One of my favorite aspects of the event was how familial it felt. All of the former IOL titleholders and producers who helped put on the event acted like family. They supported each other and teased each other just like family. We always talk about how the leather community is a family. IOL displayed that perfectly. I'm so glad my half boyfriend Matt is now a part of that family. Watching them compete and connect with their fellow contestants was such a joy and privilege. You are enough. One last thought: Singing along to "When you're good to mama" from the musical Chicago with a room full of queer leatherfolk has to be one of the best things to ever happen in my leather journey thus far. In conclusion: I've been so spoiled to be able to attend so many Leather events so far this year, with a few more to go. Meeting other leatherfolk from across the country (and the world) and seeing how other communities through contests and events has opened my eyes to just how big and impactful this community is. When we are doing leather right, we are supporting each other, creating space for each other, loving each other, beating, fisting and fucking each other. It's a beautiful thing. I'm so happy to be a part of this wonderfully perverted community.