Check out the results of my promotional photoshoot with Ron Josol for RICE – Asian Comedy Showcase. Ron Josol is such an amazingly talented comedian, and he really knew how to vary up his facial expressions.
The fabulous David Arnold help take the photos and I did the editing. So many photos to choose from with tons of variety. Can’t wait to get these photos on the poster and other promotional items!
Participating as an athlete representing Canada at Gay Games Paris 2018 was a dream come true. I had last participated at Gay Games Cleveland 2014 where I took home three medals and was really excited to visit Paris for the first time. Everything I experienced in Paris far exceeded my expectations and by the end of my time there, I knew I had experienced a truly life-changing moment.
My trip started out on the Union Pearson Express train from downtown Toronto over to Pearson Airport. What a sweet ride; I love the new train system as it cuts out the long commute to the airport down to just 25 minutes. The UP Express was built for the recent Pan Am Games in Toronto and hopefully Toronto continues to invest in infrastructure moving forward.
Before I move on further, I really want to thank my partner Mike Jancik, without whom the trip would not have been possible. I had decided that after leaving my full-time job last year to focus on comedy that taking an expensive trip to Paris would not have been the best idea. With Mike’s encouragement and support I was able to go to Gay Games Paris 2018 and for that I will always be grateful.
The plane ride itself was pretty eventful. We boarded the red-eye flight to Paris and arrived at 8:00 a.m. local time. There was a woman on the plane who was fairly abusive to the airline staff including assertions they had given her the wrong seat (which was later dispelled when she called her friend to confirm what had been booked). Mike had actually offered to switch seats with her to diffuse the situation but it seemed like she was more in it for the drama than to find an actual solution. In a twist of irony, she ended up seated next to two sets of babies who cried for most of the plane ride, at which I couldn’t help but laugh.
Upon arriving in Paris, our first event was to march in the Opening Ceremonies. For me, this is one of the most important moments of the entire games. To march in with your fellow countrymen and women is truly an honour and you truly feel the connection of being Canadian and truly respected as an athlete. On an outside note, it’s refreshing to be able to answer “Canadian” to the question of “Where are you from?” and not get a follow-up question, which is often the case in Canada (“No, I mean where are you really from?” Aargh).
There were over 60 countries represented and Team China was definitely one of the favourites, as their enthusiasm for the Opening Ceremonies shown through brightly. I would later go on to compete against Team China in multiple sports, as I specialize in racquet sports tennis, badminton and table tennis.
My trip to Paris was split into two parts, the first week consisting of four sports, badminton, volleyball, tennis and table tennis. The second week would be a relaxation week after the Gay Games ended starting with a full spa day including massage followed by a week of exploration in Paris. The first week I rarely saw any parts of Paris outside of the sports venues themselves. I didn’t actually try French cuisine until the second week, as I was worried my stomach would act up by trying new foods during the Gay Games. Mike was sweet enough to book us an AirBNB near Paris Chinatown so that I could eat Asian food the entire first week.
The first team we ran into was Team Australia on the train ride into downtown Paris. Loved that everyone was wearing their team uniforms all over the city.
First sport was badminton singles the day after Opening Ceremonies (Sunday). What a way to start a tournament, as badminton singles is by far the most physical demanding of all my sports. Further compounding the physical demands was that our venue did not have air conditioning and Paris was going through a record high heat wave. On the first day we played a total of 15 hours starting 8 a.m. and not ending until 11 p.m. Many athletes withdrew midway through the day due to the conditions, especially if they wanted to save their bodies for upcoming doubles play later that week. I somehow made my way through the draw and won my quarterfinals match sending me through to the semifinals which were scheduled to be played on Thursday.
After a short sleep, I woke up Monday morning and headed off to my second sport, Table Tennis. Being the reigning Gold Medalist in my division from Gay Games Cleveland 2014, I had high hopes for the tournament. Reality sunk in pretty quickly, though, as I ran into Team China in the first round and was promptly eliminated. On the bright side, it gave me a free afternoon of wandering around the city watching other sports play.
Tuesday was a real turning point for the event and for my life as a whole. My doubles tennis match kicked off the afternoon where I met my randomly assigned doubles partner from Switzerland by way of Indonesia. We toughed out a close two-set match 7-5 6-4 against a very talented team, coming back from a break down in each set. This placed us in the quarterfinals and one win away from a medal (in tennis there is no Bronze medal match, as both semifinal losers receive a Bronze medal).
The real highlight of the whole event though came by way of meeting a group of international Asians from Belgium, Calgary, and Switzerland. After a quick stop-off at the Team Canada event, we wandered off to find some tasty dim sum, which was a lot more difficult to find than anticipated. It wasn’t until nearly 2 a.m. that we found a place but the wait was definitely worth it. We all sat down and shared our stories and experiences and the conversation went long into the night and into the morning. The bond that was built that night will last a lifetime. The conversation truly showed that through our struggles and our triumphs that there is more we have in common than not as we navigate our lives. Truly the most special element of the Gay Games for me is to meet athletes from around the world with whom I would otherwise not have ever met.
My one and only team sport during the Gay Games was volleyball. It was an odd experience not captaining a team, but I was really fortunate in that my captain from Chile was so incredible. He was able to set the tone for a fun environment and our team quickly gelled and played wonderfully against teams who had been together for a long time.
Within our division of 32 teams, we advanced to the semifinals where we lost a close match to the eventual Gold medalists. We then had a second chance to win Bronze that was halted in a close set, losing 26-24 on a backcourt violation (where a backcourt player hits the ball above the net but did not take off behind the attack line).
The loss was especially heartbreaking, as the volleyball tournament ran longer than expected forcing an unexpected disqualification from the tennis tournament. Not to get too deep into it, but I thought I had gotten permission from the organizers at the tennis venue to delay the start of our match by an hour; however, they later were overruled by the tournament director and the message was sent to me while I was on the volleyball court so I wasn’t able to respond. Without hearing from me they had no choice but to disqualify our team, which unfortunately was heartbreaking seeing how upset I had made my tennis partner.
At this point in the tournament, I was at a real low point. Having lost two chances at a Bronze medal in volleyball and then losing a chance at even competing for a medal in tennis. I was so physically and emotionally drained that that I considered not competing in the badminton semifinals the next day, as I only had a couple hours of rest and was worried I would injure myself pushing myself to the highest of my ability without having health insurance in a foreign country.
Luckily for me, Mike once again came to the rescue with a great pep talk that got me up and ready for the badminton tournament.
Unfortunately the day got off to a horrible start as I was barely able to move around the court during my semifinal match and was easily dismissed. Having now gone 0-4 in chances to win a medal I knew I would have one final shot a medal later that afternoon in a winner-take-all Bronze medal showdown against a player from Russia whom I had become quite close to over the course of the week.
The match started off well and I took the first set in a tight contest. My opponent came roaring back in the second set to tie the match. After a full week of emotional and physical ups and downs, I knew I had one set to go to give it my all. The environment was especially difficult as my opponent had several friends cheering him on and I had banished Mike from coming to watch me play that day, as I really expected to play horribly given my lack of sleep and preparation.
The final set came down to the wire and on match point at 20-19, I hit the birdie/shuttlecock on a trajectory that was likely to take it out of the court, tying the match at 20-20. In a dramatic turn of events, my opponent was unable to get out of the way of the shuttlecock which grazed his shoulder and gave me the point, ending the match in dramatic fashion. His friends were very gracious and cheered us both after the final point. I collapsed to the ground and stayed there for a few minutes, as this was one of the most well-earned medals I’ve ever received in my life. The glory of the moment brought tears to my eyes and will be a match that will stay with me for a long time.
With the competitions now officially over I was able to end my week of sport in Paris hanging out with players from around the world (in this case Australia and Germany) whom I had met at previous Gay Games and Outgames. The connection to them after so many years felt completely fresh and I was excited to know that the new faces I had met in Paris would join this group of players from around the world whom I could call friends for life.
I hope to see most, if not all, of them again during my travels and if any of them ever want to visit Canada, I will be more than happy to show them some Canadian hospitality.
Super happy that four Asian women were included as part of Mattel’s new line of Inspiring Women Barbie dolls. More than half of the 19 dolls total were women of colour (12 total). Volleyball champion Hui Ruoqi is personally one of my heroes for her performance in Rio 2016 leading the very young Chinese women’s volleyball team to Gold when they weren’t expected to even medal.
I also totally understand the controversy over the Frida Kahlo doll not representing her likeness properly and without consent from her family. I also get that a lot of these dolls are too slim too represent realistic figures. These are huge, important issues that I hope cause enough of an online uproar to get Mattel to do better in the future.
Despite those issues, it still makes me incredibly happy to see Asian heroes being represented in media, and I hope this is a step in the right direction. Hopefully the next generation of Asians growing up in North America can see more heroes who look like themselves. I also like that their Asian features show through such as bone structure, eyes, nose etc. and the dolls aren’t just carbon copies of the traditional white Barbies.
Hui Ruoqi is definitely the doll I want the most. The way she played in Rio will inspire future volleyball players for generations to come. The doll does a good job of capturing her facial structure, though the jersey itself doesn’t look too realistic likely due to licensing issues. Like most of these dolls, the arms are far too thin along with the overall figure. It’s especially bad here since Hui Ruoqi is an athlete but her doll doesn’t show much of an athletic body type at all.
Yuan Yuan Tan is Principal Dancer at San Francisco Ballet and Guest Principal Dancer at Hong Kong Ballet. The doll does its best but her facial features are definitely softer in real life while more exaggerated in doll form. Those arms, though, are distractingly thing. Ballerinas are already so thin, wonder why Mattel felt the need to make her arms even thinner in the doll.
Chloe Kim won hearts and minds of Americans with her performance and personality during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Not a bad likeness at all for her doll. It’s great that they have her covered head to toe which is representative of someone participating in a winter sport.
Glad to see a Chinese actress being represented here, as Chinese cinema is a huge business across all of Asia. Until North America does a better job of representing Asian characters and not just whitewashing them by having Scarlett Johansson insultingly play a Japanese woman (trapped in the body of an ethnically white Android?!?) this will have to do. The doll itself doesn’t really look much like her unfortunately. Definitely the most white-looking doll of the bunch.
Welcome to my first-ever red carpet coverage from the Oscars 2018 90th Academy Awards. Lots to dissect below and hopefully my typing speed can keep up. I won’t be posting all dresses and suits, just the memorable ones (both good and bad).
Oh Viola Viola. What were you thinking? This pink number and blown-out hair looks like a bad ’80s prom nightmare. Fire your stylist immediately!
Not a good look. Just not a good look. The giant bow in front makes Nicole look even thinner than she already is. Nice earrings, though. Not sure about that hair colour.
Love the gold detail in Lupita’s hair. Overall a nice, regal dress doesn’t quite stand out as either best or worst.
Ooh, love love love. It’s hard for Gal Gadot not to look stunning but this dress is shiny and fabulous in all the right ways. Reminds me of an elevated flapper dress. Love the necklace being accentuated with the simple hairdo.
Love the ice princess theme with the white dress and frosted trimmings and crystal clutch. Especially love the bottom of the dress. Not sure this dress gives Margot much shape, though. Also don’t love the hair, doesn’t seem like it’s been elevated enough for such a huge event.
Man of the moment, Chadwick Boseman, can do no wrong. Showing all the men how it’s done. No tie needed! Great shoulder print, long jacket and fabulous zip-up shoes.
I love Whoopi and I love Christian Siriano, but somehow the combination of Whoopi in a Siriano dress does not work at all. On the bright side, I do like her hairstyle being pulled back and different from what we’ve seen in the past. The dress fabric, though, is all kinds of boring; kinda like cheap curtains or bedspread gone wrong. And why on Earth is she wearing sunglasses?
Okay folks, we have a winner! Taraji P. Henson absolutely stunning in a black dress. Damn she looks good; completely steals the show and the red carpet. I’ll be thinking of this dress for days.
Love the boldness. I didn’t know who St Vincent was before tonight, but now I know her name and won’t forget her. This dress will end up on multiple best dressed and worst dressed lists. It’s one of those statement dresses that might take a few weeks or months for people to actually decide who they feel about it. I actually like most of it except the bottom of the dress. Not sure it needed that extra flourish.
Laura Dern’s been having a great year, especially loved her in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I kinda get what she was trying to accomplish with this dress. The symmetry with her hair parted balanced by the strong right shoulder. Still don’t love it though. Material comes off super plain, especially down the front middle.
Such a gorgeous woman. Not sure about this dress, though. Reminds me a bit of Bollywood but without the flair. The wet hair look doesn’t help matters.
I love Jane Fonda; actually just binge-watched the new season of Grace & Frankie last weekend. This dress and styling, though, manage to make Jane look like a Disney villain. The exaggerated shoulder and harsh angles aren’t doing her any favours unfortunately. Nice implementation of the Time’s Up pin.
Looking fabulous wearing the same dress she wore in 1962 when she won an Oscar for West Side Story. Being able to wear the same dress and still look fabulous 56 years later is just absolutely remarkable.
Oldest person nominated but still showing some flair with a lovely print on his shirt. Alert to other male stars, please give some effort to stand out. It’s not that hard.
Gorgeous long dresses. Love Ashley’s gorgeous colour and simplicity punctuated with beautiful necklace and earrings. Mira’s hair and dress kinda go together but doesn’t come off overly memorable. Looks like the two will be representing the #TimesUp movement, so it’ll be interesting to see what they have to say during the broadcast.
Girlfriend went bold, which I totally understand. Not sure it’s a dress I would’ve chosen, though. The full-length draped sleeves reminds me too much of the Adams Family and kinda dates her look. Great jewelry though and the clutch purse is a nice accessory. Hairstyle is nice touch to show off that gorgeous necklace.
Beanie Feldstein from Lady Bird looking absolutely gorgeous. Love the detail in the dress and the gradient flowing to the bottom of the full length. Nice understated accessories including earrings, bracelet and rings.
Damn Adam Rippon is killing it in this Jeremy Scott tuxedo. Men are usually dressed so boring at these events so I definitely appreciate Adam’s attempt to mix things up. Love how his chest harness is a great (intentional?) call-out to the LGBTQ community.
Just watched Chris Rock’s new comedy special Tamborine on Netflix. It’s amazing that after all these years and after all his success he is still funny as hell and on top of his game.
Chris Rock displays his social awareness and biting humour, never shying away from difficult topics and putting his spin on them. He opens his special taking on police violence against black men in America and doesn’t let up from there.
Even more courageous and spectacular is his retelling of the breakdown of his marriage and his role in its downfall. Chris Rock pulls no punches and doesn’t deflect any of the blame. It’s his examination of his actions and his role in his own misery that makes his story so relatable, warts and all.
I can’t say enough about Chris Rock as a comedian or his influence into making me want to express myself through standup comedy. He’s truly one of a kind and I’m seriously gonna pass out if I’m ever lucky enough to meet him in person someday.
Hard to believe but before the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, there had not been a single openly gay male athlete compete at any previous Winter Olympic Games. I had to double-check my facts before posting because I couldn’t believe what I was reading but sure enough, this odd fact was confirmed by multiple news outlets (and Wikipedia).
Overall there were 15 openly LGBT athletes competing in Pyeongchang 2018 (four men and 11 women), which was up more than double from the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where seven openly LGBT women competed. Staging the Winter Olympics away from Russia, where the homophobic Gay Propaganda Law was passed in 2013 didn’t hurt either, so hopefully this is an upward trend.
Three of the four openly gay men competed in figure skating: Eric Radford, Adam Rippon and Jorik Hendrickx. Gus Kenworthy competed in slopestyle. All four men left their impact on the Winter Games and will forever be remembered as pioneers.
First up is my fellow Canadian Eric Radford, who became the first openly gay male athlete to win a Gold Medal at the Winter Olympic Games as part of Team Canada in the Figure Skating Team Competition. He followed up that victory with a Bronze medal in Pairs Figure Skating.
Another figure, Adam Rippon, from the United States may have been the breakout star of the entire 2018 Winter Olympics. He opened the games with a Bronze medal in the Figure Skating Team Competition, but it was his off-ice personality that truly won him a legion of new fans. From his total pwning of VP Mike Pence to his hilarious tweets, he has undoubtedly assured himself a healthy post-skating career. Before the Games were halfway through he already had offers from NBC to commentate.
The third male figure skater who was openly gay, Jorik Hendrickx, finished 14th competing for Belgium.
Not to be outdone by his compatriot, slopestyler Gus Kenworthy made a huge splash with his statements on the appointment of VP Mike Pence as the leader of the United States delegation before the games and ended with his statements on First Daughter Ivanka Trump showing up to the closing ceremonies. Though he failed to medal at this year’s Winter Olympic Games, having previously won Silver in Sochi, Gus’ onscreen kiss with his boyfriend Matthew Wilkis’ will go down as one of the highlight moments of these Olympics.