cc review: Adored & Breakfast w Scot

I have just finished watching two G-themed movies: Adored: Diary of a Porn Star and Breakfast with Scot. I enjoyed them both and noticed a thread.

Adored, as scintillating as the title is, is not really about the italian gay porn industry. it's a film about brothers, who used to be estranged from one another. but circumstances would put them together again, only to finally cement that bond only brothers could have. in the process, riki, the porn star, happens to meet a newly orphaned young boy who someone changes his ideas about his life. a short custody battle ensues, but he doesnt get the kid. and soon, the film ends with the sudden tragic death of the porn star.

Breakfast with Scot is lighter. an american film that puts a young tween under the temporary custody of a gay couple. the tween turns out to be a queen in the making. and poses a challenge to the straight-acting couple, particularly the other one who used to be a pro hockey player. little sissy however, endears himself to the couple. so much that they were hesitant to give up the kid when his real brother arrived to get him. this time, however, the couple gets the kid and everybody lives happily ever after.

the PLU as parent. i know a a lot of my friends would want to have kids of their own. i like kids myself. but im not crazy about them. as long as they are cute and cuddly, ill play with them. but once they get into their tantrums, im done with playing. i really dont have as much patience.

i guess i dont have the paternal/maternal gene in me. which is really unlike a lot of PLU's. some of them dream of having kids with their partners, being parents, doing the parent stuff.

well, in a romantic kind of way... it would be nice as a fantasy. but i shudder to think of how the kid will grow up. of having kids tease him for his parents. i wouldnt want to put any kid through that. growing up has its own problems.

id recommend watching both films. =)

IJ Case 13: Public Toilet, Shing Wong St, HKG

I forgot to tell you about this. my friend and i discovered a cruising area in HK island, very near Ladder Street. there's still public toilet that was conveniently tucked away on a nice-looking stairwell linking two streets (one i believe is Hollywood St). we were just walking along and needed to use the loo (HK term for CR). curiously, there were unescorted PLU's around, hanging about. (see that guy on the bench. he's actually cute and looking. hahaha)

it's part of the dr sun yat sen trail, whatever... :)

pagkaing ibon

food for birds
this is what this breakfast is about. and it is so sad that this happens to be the breakfast buffet at the hotel. ARRGGH. but i need to lose the flab fast. or else, i will become a flabcaster.

a body builder friend of mine told me once: if you are starting to eat food that tastes like paper, you are on your way.

small, frequent feedings. and dont complicate your taste buds with multitude of choices. binge on fruits and vegetables if you have to. you need complex carbs that don't lead to spikes in your blood sugar and take longer to burn as fuel.

so many things to remember...

IJ Case 12: Numero Doce, Cebu

On a short visit to the Queen City of the South, my informer brought me to this PLU hang-out along mango ave. numero doce layout reminded me of rainbow project, the bar beside bed malate. open layout with just dance music in the background. my informer tells me that the place gets packed on weekends.

however, he tells me that the good looking, truly discreet cebuanos would not be seen in public. in rare occasions, they make their presence felt in this bar. lucky is the guy who bags such a treasure!

but it was a slow night that weekday. just a few tables with swishy types having red horse.

informer tells me, too, of the explosion of massage parlors in the city, all with extras included! too bad i didnt have time. maybe next time =)

blog character crush

i used to read tiggah's blog because of the racy shots. but when i saw pooh (the lover) pictures, i developed this crush on this mega-hot guy. (di ko lang type nuon eh yung ahit na kilay niya)

in my social networking site, i was surprised to see an add request from a 'generic sounding' name. (for the time being, let's use john doe) not being discriminatory, i approved the request and was also granted the privilege to see his profile pics. i was surprised to see that the pics were pooh's.

two days later, john doe leaves me a message on the site "hey cc. i find you irresistible. hope you dont mind." i was so abso-f**king-lutely thrilled at the thought the it came from pooh. that started the flirt exchange. most recently he mentioned that he was just recently single. pooh and tiggah have broken up? heaven help me!

so i tried to verify with mcvie if that really was the case. (i stopped regularly checking tiggah's blog). unfortunately, tiggah's new blog just confirmed that it wasnt the case. they are still very much together.

and my john doe is just using pooh's pics.

fantasy bubble sequence ends here. =(

turning un-G0Y

i'm rethinking my position on arse-play. after enjoying it with old friend, i had a chance to go at it again with uber-muscular guy i met in palawan. this was even hotter because bouncer bottom (bb) was just like those muscle hunks in kristen bjorn's brazil videos! seriously, he was so hot. with big buns that made me crazy just thinking i'd be inside. he's probably the most buffed guy i've ever played with. and it also ended with me f**king him and kissing him at the same time. that's the best position.

and another thing, both of them cleaned up well. so there was no scent of scat anywere. what a turn-on.

wanna know a twist to the story? he dated ex. ex liked him but nothing happened. not because he didnt find ex attractive. but there were just other things that stopped him from pursuing even just sex with ex. too bad because he's a great lay. then again, two bottoms?... they may not have as much fun. HAHAHAHAHAHA

seriously, they became good friends. when he heard my name, he connected the dots and realized that i was the ex my ex was referring to.

and he dated cuba. cuba actually mentioned dating me to him. supposedly with fondness. hehe

and we were in the same party when i was with brandon. and when brandon was introduced him, he was again surprised to hear the name 'cc', this time with model brandon.

so even before i met him, he was already curious who the hell cc was! and despite the negative publicity he's been getting about me, we had a great time.

good publicity or bad publicity is still publi-cc!

IJ Case 11: Palawan II

this was actually my 2nd time in Palawan II, Yale St. Cubao. The first time didnt make much impression because there was an amateur dance contest then. i went back with friends to watch the weekend show.

if you've been around like me, you would have visited the many gay bars in the city to watch the macho dancing and other sexual acts on show. those places looked the same to me: located in old buildings (recto, caloocan, pasay) with low ceilings and dreadful interiors. the make-shift stage was tiny. the toilets were smelly holes with cockroaches running about. but you endure that to watch the performances. which after the initial shock were actually boring and not even arousing.

palawan 2 reminds me of those bars, albeit much larger. but the crowd didnt seem to mind. it was fully packed. the show was just too long, the lip-synch performers were not beautiful nor talented. it was running more on slapstick humor. and they were taking forever to introduce the cast members. and for the first time, i saw the cast going around to get tips from the audience. but there were some points that made me smile: the best actress category dramatization, for one. the show ended around 2am.

i would go back to palawan 2 for the crowd. =) there were no A-listers. more of good B's and C's. 20's to 30's. and contrary to public perception, people were not always in shorts and fllipflops. so there were interesting new faces and nice bods out there. and surprisingly, some of these kids are very aggressive.

during the dancing, it was also refreshing to see almost everyone standing up and dancing to the music. walang masyadong maaarte like bed. and this is a place where you could actually be quite aggressive and just come up to the guy you like. again, not too many posturings so typical of those feeling-gorgeous PLU's in malate. actually a lot of them were there, too.

so this is not included in the must-visit category. more appropriate in the 'if curious' list.

let's pause for a moment

i actually cried while viewing this. sometimes, i need to be reminded of the things that truly matter.

pleasure pressure

the kissing was long and hard. the tongue play exquisite.
we sat on the couch still kissing. i reclined as he lifted my tank top and licked, sucked, bit on my lips. groans escaped my lips.
he made his way down and soon had me inside his mouth. his grip around the base was gentle. he played with the head with his tongue. i watched in fascination. in sheer ecstasy.

we moved to the bed and stripped off all our clothes. the feel of flesh against flesh, my legs, his hips, my chest against his. my lips locked forever with his.

his legs parted slowly but he whispered. "ill sit on you, i need to control this"

i looked at him as he lubed him and me, and slowly, and seemingly painfully i entered him. "dont move. dont thrust yet. let me get used to it." he said with eyes shut. he slowly push his hips towards me, letting me enter him fully.

oh it's been quite sometime. felt so good. as he relaxed, we changed positions, on the side, on his fours. and finished off with him below me as i thrust my pelvis over and over. i was kissing him as pushed inside. he was groaning. "do you miss me... i miss you so much"

"lets come together", as he jerked himself while i was inside him.

and i couldnt hold it anymore. i whipped it out and jerked and came on his chest as he was coming himself.

exhausted, i laid flat on the bed. "ill take a shower." he said as he left.

as i heard the water in the distance, i read my mobile

"hi cc. mis u so much. ill sleep na. ingat jan. mwah mwah"

it was moony. something tugged at my heartstrings.

cc situationship?

a few months back, i blogged about 'situationships', a term i heard from a friend who just visited manhattan. i found it so SATC-ish (ranks up there with frenemies and modelizer, SATC jargon!)

cc and moony were cuddling. cc got on top of moony, kissing him lightly on his belly as moony caressed cc's hair. cc looked straight into moony's eyes.

"i really, really like you, moony... i feel great being with you.... i love looking at you, kissing you, hugging you."

moony looked at cc, waiting to hear more.

"but i'm scared of commitment.... a part of me is still enjoying this single life. i'm not sure if i can already give it up."

"i'm not asking you to give it up, cc."

"yeah, yeah, i know." cc laid his head on his belly and looked away.

"are you happy where you are, cc?"

"well, yes... sometimes. but i also long for something more... stable."

"it looks to me like you are happy. and that's the only thing important for me now. i want you to be happy."

cc lifted his head, looked at moony eye's... those beautiful chinky eyes, so frank, so honest, so sincere.

"moony, i've been thinking... maybe we could get into some kind of relationship...

... with no commitments.." he looked at him, half expecting a mild reaction of distaste. but there was none.

"cc, isn't that what we have now? we are not committed. and i don't expect commitment."

"you mean that? you don't expect commitment? don't you wish that someday, it would be US?"

moony sighed. "i want you to be happy. and if being in this non-committal 'thing' will make you happy, then i'm happy."

moony cupped cc's face in his hands and gingerly looked at him. "cc, im already so happy just being with you, just spending time with you."

"but you'll get hurt, moony. i... i can't promise anything. and... i might.... i will... still have fun."

"would you get hurt if i played around, cc? what if i also played that game, how would you feel?"

"i'd get hurt. yeah. i'd get hurt. but i'll just bite my lip because these are the terms of the 'arrangement'."

moony laughed. "terms of the arrangement? when did we sign the contract? you're so funny, cc"

"i know i'll get hurt. sooner, later, i don't know. but hurt or pain, it's part of it. even if we had a real relationship."

"yeah. but it's a different kind of pain..."

"of course, cc... but, i'm happy now. i'm happy where i am... with you, here. and i hope you are, too"

cc lifted himself so he could kiss moony lightly on the lips. "i'm happy with you, too, moony..."

that thing called lurv by jetblue

i am posting here a post by jetblue, a reader i met in nyc two years ago! he's thinking of starting a blog. and after reading this, i definitely think he should!

that thing called lurv

As i mentioned in my facebook status update earlier, some of my friends are in varying degrees of heartbreak.

One just broke up with his boyfriend of six years who's in manila so he's focusing all of his energies onto boyfriend #2 in new york. The other is in a drama-filled on-and-off soap opera with a white guy who treats him/her (im not really sure) like dirt but he/she is holding on hoping the 5th time's the charm. The third is totally clueless and jumps from one guy to the other wishing to get a wedding proposal on his next first date hence the tailored armani suit. And the last is your classic late bloomer playing catch up on relationships who is certainly headed for an electrifying emotional defibrillation. At least twice a year.

I cant help but ask myself after hours of listening to their sob stories - which I'm obliged to do cause they were all there when it was my turn to play drama queen - why do we even bother? All this anguish cannot be worth it, right? Relationships, even at their best moments are ridden with stress. And pain. And wrinkles. So again, why do we even bother?

Mind you, Im just as guilty as the rest of them. In my ripe old age of thirty, Ive been through enough bawl-your-eyes out,really REALLY heavy post-breakup scenes that would put julia roberts (or judy ann santos) to shame. Endless nights on the phone with your boo-hoo crew, wondering why oh why it had to end this way and drowning all your painful memories in tubs of caramel ice cream and gaining more pounds than you care to admit.

But eventually the hurting ebbs. And it stops. You take a really long shower and you realize you're a hot, smart doctor with an almost-six pack and a smile that can send a dozen pudendal nerves on fire at the club and you get over it. And for a time you're free as a phoenix, dancing to your heart's content and knowing almost every cute boy's email address within a ten mile radius on craigslist. And you're happy. That is, until you fall for the next guy.

Deep down, I think its just in our nature to look for somebody who will be there for us - constantly - in ways that our friends and families never could. Someone who will see all of our imperfections yet think them endearing, and who will hold on despite our busy schedules, mood swings and smelly scrub suits thinking all the while that "hey, he's worth it." Its easy to blame hallmark or hollywood for perpetuating the notion of forever but we haven't really stopped buying it. And that is why the number one movie of all time is still Titanic. Deep down, we all WANT to believe that someone out there was made for us, who will gladly choose to sink beneath the icy depths of the ocean just to make sure that we survive.

So what's my point? Im not really sure now. I was on my way to the clinic this morning when I felt the familiar pangs of writer's diarrhea so i had to let this out. But anyways,I have to conclude this because gym is calling and I need to get a haircut. So again, why do we all persist and insist on falling in love despite the almost 98% chance of ending up getting hurt? I have no effin idea. But am I willing to take that risk again knowing what I know and seeing what I've seen?

For the right person (and by that I mean orlando bloom)... absolutely.

A Quick Chuckle...

i so enjoyed this forwarded email!


They're Back! Those wonderful Church Bulletins!
Thank God for church ladies with typewriters.
These sentences (with all the BLOOPERS) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

------------ --------- -----
The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
------------ --------- -----
The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon
tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'
------------ --------- -----
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of
those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
------------ --------- -----
Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at
someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care
much about you.
------------ --------- -----
Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
------------ --------- -----
Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving
obvious pleasure to the congregation.
------------ --------- -----
For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery
downstairs.
------------ --------- -----
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the
help they can get.
------------ --------- -----
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the
church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
------------ --------- -----
A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music
will follow.
------------ --------- -----
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is
Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
------------ --------- -----
Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of
several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
------------ --------- -----
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be
recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
------------ --------- -----
Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased
person you want remembered.
------------ --------- -----
The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and
gracious hostility.
------------ --------- -----
Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
------------ --------- -----
The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may
be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
------------ --------- -----
This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across
from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
------------ --------- -----
Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies
are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. Is done.
------------ --------- -----
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would
lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
------------ --------- -----
Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use
the back door.
------------ --------- -----
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare' s Hamlet in the
Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend
this tragedy.
------------ --------- -----
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church.
Please use large double door at the side entrance.
------------ --------- -----
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last
Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.

summer picks

the palette is pastel, against white and sand. cotton, linen & knits...

and for evenings, pinstripe or beige blazers to complete the look

when i travel, i like looking for local brands/designers with medium price points, with styles that i fancy. recent finds: bangkok - dapper & z homme; beijing - cabbeen & shirt style. brands i love (international): japan - uniqlo, muji, denmark - jack & jones/selected.

good choice of textiles, designs i agree with (not too edgy), good workmanship

uniqlo u.s. is pricey and quite limited. shop in hk or china. uniqlo has better apparel choices for men, though.

muji is more lifestyle with apparel. love the japanese deconstructed look. reminds me of philippine brand anonymous when it was still around.

jack & jones/selected, i've only seen in beijing. turns out to be a danish brand more popular in europe. the colors are great. they have great outerwear.

i saw a lot of violet hues in the collections of different brands, made darker with black & dark gray pairings. not too summer-y for me.

yun lang

the war within

there exists this war in me. reason has declared feeling as the enemy.

if feeling has his way, id be getting into a relationship soon. i am feeling very strongly for him. i thought that the distance, the time spent away would lessen the longing. but i miss looking at him. i miss kissing him. i miss holding him tight.
something always reminds me of him. his face pops in my mind. and it doesnt help that im surrounded by all these chinese. his chinito eyes i miss so dearly.

reason is telling me that i've felt this way before. and that the feeling passed. he's too different from me. just too different. and far from the ideal that i used to hold dearly. yes he has a good heart. but so do a lot of other guys, guys more like me. besides, why would i want to give up the freedom? the joy of clandestine encounters, the thrill of the chase of a gorgeous stranger...

my head hurts. my heart aches.

and with each passing day

... i am beginning to learn that love knows no age, no profession, no inequalities.

maybe just maybe i will be able to let go and just let love

what i really want

let me try to recall the lines...

at first you were like wine, you intoxicated me.
but now you are like bread, i hardly taste you.
but you sustain me.

i love these lines, written by a filipino poet. the title, the real lines, the author escapes my alzheimer's mind.

i am reminded of this reading joaqui's latest post about finding your rice. he talks about the interesting conversation he had with a friend, and rice being symbolic of the lifetime partner.

my take on this: yes, we all want to experience the lightness of being that comes with experiencing the first taste of love. but we have to realize that after all that fades, when we come crashing to the ground of the mundane and the real, do we still see that love as the one who will sustain and be sustained?

and with this awareness i realize that what i really want in my life is not the rollercoaster ride but the stable journey of an old jeep on its way back to home.

Mayo at Disyembre, Ang Pagtatapos

and this winds up the long discussion, probably one of the longest fabcasts EVER.



Listen here: (26 min)

Download this podcast (right click and save - 24MB)

just friends

i met up with hike buddy a few days ago, visiting hk. he was looking much better than the first time i met him. his hair was different and he had a mustache that fits him. he was grateful for the favor i did for him, so he treated me to dinner. and in the course of the conversation, i got to know that he really just saw us as friends, and nothing more.

i had to admit that i still had a tremendous crush on him. because on top of the physical attraction, he was also fun to talk to. and he seemed like he was having fun, too. and the fact that he went hiking with me and skinny dipping made me more... hopeful. everytime he'd drop by manila, he'd give me a call to check if we could meet up. so i was beginning to paint this romantic picture of him despite the long distance (he is based in hk)

well, bubble burst with that dinner. in not so many words, hike buddy really looked at me as a pal, a chum (dated word) he could hang out with. and even if i wanted to push the envelope, i decided not to. better off to be just friends.

i noticed that there have been quite a number of guys that i've met in the months i've been single whom i found very interesting and attractive. the few times i've gone out with them confirmed how much i like them. and also how futile it was because the interest was one-way.

the nice part, though, is that they appreciate my friendship and would like to keep in touch. however, if there really is no other point than friendship, i begin to lose the urgency to meet up with them and sustain the friendship. i really have enough friends!

so the point of the post? there is a process of natural selection when it comes to relationships. i am the type to simply accept this and let 'nature' take its course, confident the love will come in due time...

commune by the great wall

this place is a must-see. amazing architecture/interior design in beijing, near the shuiguan area of the great wall. if you are into modernist architecture as art, this is as good as it gets. we were able to eat lunch at the terrace lounge. unfortunately, i didnt get to tour the villas. we didnt have time. but i would greatly recommend that.

must visit, must experience (right after climbing the great wall!)

Mayo at Disyembre Part II

and here is how that discussion continues... and im put on the spot!... enjoy!


Listen: (36 minutes)

Download this fabcast episode (right click and save - 33.2 MB)

IJ Case 10: Chakran, Bangkok

I deliberately wanted to avoid Babylon. Only because 'been there, been that.' =) so the next on the list of recommendations was chakran. i was scared at first that i wouldnt be able to find it, while riding a cab with a driver who didnt understand english. but when i got the road right, i immediately knew i was in the right place, with cute thai PLU's milling around another cab right outside.

it's smaller than babylon but had a warmer feel to it. i heard that mostly locals frequent the place. though i did see some foreigners (whites) around. though smaller, it was still spacious and multi-level. it was afternoon when i went there so people were few. on the average, some of the clients are actually quite attractive, some were buffed. it even had a gym where the clients were ACTUALLY working out. not like some of the saunas i know in manila. hehe

the layout of the place is nice. at the ground level, is the outdoor pool, flanked by structures on three sides (the main building, with the room-maze and gym, the cafe (actually more like a verandah by the pool, and the wet floors area (separate). the wet floor itself has a semi-outdoor layout, with a jacuzzi behind a divider and the maze-steam on the left and the dry sauna on the right. showers at the back complete the area.

i just found the steam room TOO dark. i couldn't go around because i couldnt see. most saunas are like these actually. which is why i welcome sanctuario in malate. the steam room gets natural light and the walls lining the maze are punctured with holes (glory???)

i went there on 'underwear or speedo day'. so my poor underwear was soaking wet. everybody was walking around in underwear. by 7pm, i noticed that the jacuzzi area was closed off, and it was filled with foam! there was a FOAM PARTY!!! but clients have to be stripped naked to enter the area. that was fun! first time for me to be immersed in a pool with foam and bubbles all around. it was a QAF scene!!!

i was spotted immediately by an attractive local. (he saw me first. hehe) and at the steam room, he made known his interest. he was my companion the entire time. and we had a good time chatting.... but it was very difficult trying to understand him. they really have a poor command of the english language.

"you should ohder dewiwery..."

"huh" de-what?"

"dewiwery... like piza (sic)"

"OOOH. DELIVERY!"

nevertheless he had some nice stories to tell. and it as hot. we got on twice that time. hehehe.

would i recomm this over babylon? hmmm. you need to visit both if you're in the area! and sharpen your listening skills as you talk to the locals.. it is quite a challenge.

IJ Case 9: Alexander Spa & Sauna, HK

The proximity of this sauna to a major shopping mall in the area is a definite plus. it was very easy to find (beside langham place hotel). the reviews seemed encouraging. in the interest of IJ, i visited the sauna.

it is small, typical of most HK saunas. it is a part of a chain that includes ABC, Gateway and Hunk. and pretty much, it looks similar. i believe it is one of the newer saunas. it still looks well maintained and clean. but again, it's really small. the wet floors however still accommodated a maze-like steam room. and in the afternoon, it received natural light (which i find refreshing). i was surprised to see a lot of guests, considering it was still a work day. mostly local twinks though. and though i do not find them particularly... appetizing, i managed to find a suitable partner. and quickly, i took care of business.

if you like the other branches, you'd enjoy this, too, being new and all. i still like towel club better. =)

the kite runner

that island vacation did me some good. short as it was, it was enough to revive a drooping spirit. of course, the astronomical price of the gastronomic delights notwithstanding (about P1,500++ per meal!) the best part was being able to finally start and finish a novel!

it's been so long since i got caught up in the beauty of a well-written novel. only because its been SOOOO long since i had the time to read. but with that vacation, i got to experience again the emotions and imagery i associate solely with reading. i felt again the adrenaline rush as i vicariously lived the lives of the characters. ad i was able to visualize again the scenes in my mind, as accurately painted by a good writer. it's totally different experience... something both rewarding and enriching.

the kite runner gave me that wonderful experience again. the prose is quite direct. yet the images remained rich. the storyline was compelling. there were twist and turns that were surprising. the complexity of the relationship between amir and the kite runner was very thought-provoking. the unwavering loyalty (is it borne of a master-servant relationship, or is it because of friendship?) , the ghastly and scheming betrayal (what would one risk for friends, for subjects, for servants, for employees?)

my only criticism - i felt that it all tied up too neatly in the end. everything fell into place too perfectly. the kite runner's son has to be rescued for self-redemption, sociopath child becomes taliban master in the confrontation.

but these pale in comparison to the praise of prose the book deserves.

the joy of reading. i hope everybody finds the time to indulge..