One thing that happened while I was in Vilnius is that I was approached by a middle-aged scruffy looking guy. Scenarios that begin this way end in various ways, depending on where I am. In NY, it would be someone asking for change, or wanting to sell me the homeless-produced newspaper, or a tourist asking for directions. In Poland, it would be a drunk guy, possibly yelling at me for religious purposes. In this case, what happened is that we made eye contact and the guy said, quite distinctly, "bzbzzbzzbiboo."

I don't get it. If You're sick, and You know You're sick, You get help. You don't go around sneezing on people. Why don't people use the same logic with mental illness?

So, I'm sure to be disgusted with most responses to this question, but here goes: In how many places, do You think, at a party full of upper class, high status, mover-and-shaker politically-active guests, would it be typically to hear a sentiment expressed thus: "You look so womanly the gays would never forgive us! Ha ha ha ha!"

My golf "pro" confirmed today an instinct that I have had in the past several years in Poland. The women are fluid, relaxed, and learn fast; the men are uptight, power-focused and rigid.

I woke up this morning feeling not quite altogether what I would call good, due to what some might consider excessive drinking yesterday.* I stumbled around my small room for a while trying to orient myself and started dreading getting dressed and prepared to exit my room to find some anti-hangover type mechanism such as breakfast outside. "Get dressed, eat, come back? Or wait till the walls start spinning less? But how will the walls steady if I don't eat? With force of ha ha ha will? What if breakfast ends at 10am and I've missed it? Why can't I just stay here for another long while and then find food? Why did I drink so much? Since I'm having trouble focusing on anything at all before I eat, how will I get dressed? Why doesn't this room have coffee at least?"

In the midst of this muddled-thought jamboree my eyes fell upon a plate of fruit and desserts I had apparently brought with me when I returned to my room last night. It was then that I realized, and said to myself, aloud, "I'm a genius."

* I wonder if I drank more or less than the married dude who kept propositioning me. Jesus, people. We're at a wedding.

I was thinking recently about how people who don't take care of their bodies seem to lose the capacity to imagine that the functioning of their bodies can be a source of pleasure. I'm not sure about this theory, because certainly people derive loads of pleasure from eating. Ha. But anyway I think it makes them reluctant to use touch as a method of communication. Blah blah blah.

I spent a wonderful few days in NYC last weekend at L&J's wedding. It was truly a warm happy and stressfree occasion. One of the wonderful aspects about it was the emphasis L&J placed on the idea of marriage equality. The first thing the celebrant said was that while NY state allows L&J to be married, it prohibits it for plenty of our friends, and that we hope that will soon change. In lieu of favours, donations were made to a non-profit working for LGBT rights. There were gay couples dancing and, as the night wore on, PDA'ing on the dancefloor*.

Imagine, then, my dismay, upon my return to Warsaw, when I noted a friend of mine, in circumstances I won't detail, creating most unnatural constructions to avoid indicating to others that his life partner is a man. Goddamn.

* I fear this was due to a precedent I myself took part in setting, so, You know. Don't hate.