Oliver / TGICB
Oliver or TGICB was a fellow JET, an American in Japan whose LiveJournal became part of daily JoaFruit life. Our friendship grew through public comments and very long phone calls. During one I folded 2 loads of laundry, changed my sheets, brushed my teeth, went to the toilet twice, made and consumed a banana-soymilk smoothie, trimmed my pubic hair and changed into my bed clothes. Join the magnificently multitasked phone call →
We discussed planned addictions, pious abstinence, postmodern-queer identity, monogamy and relationship stress. I responded by asking whether queer identity involved cardigans or zipper hoodies, then warned him that I did not trust his current boytoy. At the KISSJAPAN launch in Osaka, our conversations lasted until 6am. By the end of 2003 I had assigned every gay-gaijin friend a specialist subject. Oliver’s was cross-cultural miscommunication and relationship stress. Debate postmodern queerness and planned abstinence → Attend the KISSJAPAN launch → Inspect everyone’s specialist subject →
In January 2004 I took the ferry to Matsuyama, where Oliver showed me the city’s thriving gay centre, consisting essentially of Bar Seek and young J-boys singing terrible pop songs. We stayed in a love hotel decorated with orange leather, a huge ceiling mirror and a glass-walled bathroom easily large enough for energetic sex. Not for us, I insisted. My body was a temple and Kenken was waiting in Tokyo. Tour Matsuyama with Oliver aka TGICB →
We could also have a proper public row. When I asked JoaFruit contributors to help finance the site, TGICB called it a “pity party” and, with sound logic, said the weblog was fundamentally about me. He proposed free hosting and non-profit support, which was irritatingly practical. Joa wanted sympathy and a rescue operation; TGICB brought a cheaper hosting plan. I called him simplistic, insensitive and full of bullshit. He remained my old trout. Attend the great pity-party funding argument →