Prodigal son returns: The beginning of a Chefs renaissance?

Having now been back in Adelaide for 2 weeks it is probably time that I wrote something new, I am sure most readers will be glad of an end to Chile related postings. However this does leave me with something of a quandary; suitable writing material has become a little hard to come by- Eduardo may have been a dick but he gave me a veritable spring of hardy writing matter.

Today I turn my attention to the beginning of the Iron Chef's new campaign to secure silverware from the Windsor Castle- preferably winning it in emphatic style, but if we grow desperate we'll scale the walls. However firstly I'd like to say how nice it has been to see everyone since I've been back and to those that I still have not seen that I look forward to seeing you soon.

The Chef's new season began in earnest last weekend with a return to the side of the highly talented although equally modest Thearle. Although his absence proved not to be detrimental to the Chef's onfield performances throughout last season, it did herald something of a return to a classic Chef's outfit- old geezers who've been passing through the turnstiles at the Windsor Castle for years could be seen to hold back the odd tear last Sunday as they watched their valiant son don the traditional yellow attire once again. (Better move along- I could risk talking myself up a little too much)....

The traditional line up favoured by Captain "Cleanshaven" Balestrin included Phil, Bucky Reitano, the Greek god Afro, Thearley and the Captain himself. Speculation whether the veteran team could possibly be over the hill didn't deter the Iron Army from attending in force to see their aging charges take the field against what was definitely a sharper and fitter looking opposition.

Unpeturbed and lacking the benefit of a substitute the Chefs rose to the occasion. Captain Balestrin added his name to the score sheet twice, with Thearle scoring on return and Afro being rewarded for one of his many forays into attack also. Phil played a splendid game between the posts although conceding one goal may have detracted slightly from what was otherwise a positive beginning to the season. The Chefs finished 4-1 to the good, asserting themselves as an agressive competitor not to be dismissed this season.

This week's game was a family affair as Afro faced his brother who lined up for Undecided. Spirits were high as Chefs fans and players alike continued to gloat in light of their positive beginning to the season last week. Furthermore the addition of Andre who had been absent last week provided the advantage of a substitute to keep fresh legs rotating onto and off of the bench. Andre proved his worth only minutes into the game, netting the first strike and giving the Chefs the upper hand. Despite the lead the Chefs were looking shaky, Captain Balestrin was quoted after the game as having said "defensive play was sloppy and attackers failed to drop back on occasion, question marks hang over the conduct of players the night before a game- excessive drinking and partying seem to have become a cultural mainstay of our side and disciplinary action could be on the cards; I for one would like to see an end to facial hair". Sibling rivalry seemed to creep into Afro's game, although if anything it only added to the intensity with which he played. Nervous onlookers were later placated however as Bucky scored an absolute pearler resulting from some nice passing- reminiscent of classic Chefs fixtures. Thearle later consolidated the Chef's supremacy making it 3, although Undecided featured on the score sheet twice they were always chasing. The Chefs can be happy with the 3-2 win but go away with the knowledge that work is still needed.

Goalscorers(total as after matchday 2)
Captain Balestrin-2
Thearle-2
Afro-1
Andre-1
Bucky-1

Swing low sweet chariot (decrepit Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus-something-or-other:circa 1965), coming forth to carry me home

Después de cuatro y media meses aqui, el viernes yo saldré de Chile. A ustedes yo les quiero decir "gracias" por todas las veces que ustedes me han escrito. Además, yo le debo decir "gracias" a Chile y su gente.

Durante los cuatro y media meses aqui, yo he tenida una perspectiva muy interesante para observar la cultura chilena; en obvio mis experiencias en Chile han estado definidas por la homosexualidad, las drogas y la prostitución. Yo no olvidaré nunca mi tiempo en Chile, pero más importante no he olvidados mis amigos de Australia.

Adios Chile, hola Australia.

how is the spelling/grammar nick?!

Faithful readers firstly sorry for writing the opening passage in Spanish, it's an unashamed effort at showing off. However I feel sure there are numerous errors, besides which it isn't anything too profound anyway. The time has come for me to bid "adios" to Chile and this posting is only as a way of a farewell to Chile and a thanks to all the readers that have returned weekly to stay in touch and check I am still alive. I express my profound thanks to you all and in the event that my Aerolineas Argentinas flight makes it to the other side of the Pacific in one piece then I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Take care all,
Nos vemos pronto
john

If your queer and you know it and you really want to show it, then you've now got a reason to clap your hands.

This week saw the historic passing of bills in both Canada and Spain legalising gay marriage. In Spain, a typically catholic country the bill went one step further and allowed gay couples to adopt children also (this may have been the case in Canada also, however I have not read anything confirming that).

The stage now seems set for an orgy of similar behavior all over the globe, some prominent gay rights activists in Australia have called for the Raunchy Revolution to begin and in Chile the gayness continues as normal (according to my cohabitant Jorrit the Dutchman, Eduardo had a male prostitute in the bathroom to fix his pipes yesterday). This really shouldn't bother the Dutch though as they were one of the first countries to embrace same sex marriage and as regular readers will I am sure be aware a fellow "blogger" Hoogster of Dutch descent has famously dethroned himself of his closet several times.

After the Dutch set the trend in 2001, Belgium who has to do everything that Holland does (in fact I think Belgium fancies Holland) followed suit in 2003. The Scandinavian countries (who took free love little too far in the 60s and have never looked back) have a system of registered partnerships which just falls short of a marriage, but one can imagine that it's only a matter of time until they take it the whole way.

Recently deposed Australian football coach Frank Farina has in rumours been linked with clubs in the Spanish Primera Liga, citing the ability to stroll sunny mediterranean beaches amongst buff bronzed bodies and watch his latin charges prance about the Nou Camp or the Bernabeu wearing gay hair bands Frank said frankly "the opportunity to coach in Spain would be simply fab but I've also had an approach from Queer eye for the straight guy to take over the role as the FashionFag (horrid green&gold tracksuits for all) so I have to weigh up my options". Later queeried about the prospect of coaching in Canada Frank responded in the negative "too many guys with pasty white legs for my liking", he probably has a point though; pasty white guys in flashy white boots is perhaps not a good look.

Conservatives have predictably been quick to damn the new legislation, in typical conservative fashion damning all the vile sinners to hell. However a spokesman for the devil later announced that hell was getting a bit full and they wouldn't be taking anymore homosexuals since the right honourable Lord Satan desired an equilibrium from all cultural, racial, socio-economic and sexual groups, the spokesman added that they were particularly looking for sinners from white, conservative, middle class homes.

A crisis then seems set to grip decent society, with homosexuals barred from hell (temporarily at least, since it won't take long for hell to fill up with white, conservative, middle class sinners) where are they all to go? Asked whether some could be detoured to heaven St. Peter said that the good Lord was unavailable for comment and that his chief spokesman Jesus was on holiday in Ibiza with a close pal Gabriel, however he did suggest that John Howard might be willing to take some into his fab holiday homes at Baxter, Port Hedland and Villawood.

Radicals have suggested that we could all just tolerate them (the homosexuals, not the radicals). Such suggestions provoked a White House statement in which George Bush declared a war on tolerance citing the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Seduction(WMS) as a threat to our very way of life. But really shouldn't we be striving for a better way of life? is this really as good as it gets? Bring on the tolerance and the WMS I say.