MscleLovr

@Lucky I agree with @nycman I rank it as highly as a previous production of Streetcar I saw in London - IIRC in 2014 - which had Gillian Anderson as Blanche. That was a stunning production with thrilling performances by the lead actors.

Did you mean to reveal your ID this time @ThroatCummer?

Trust me on this: you are not, you are in the first flush of physical lust and romantic affection. And No, you don’t know - just because he says so may mean he’s polite or he’s from a different cultural background (Hispanic?) or he may be as giddy as you are. You haven’t said anything about your experiences and prior relationships. Perhaps you were rather alone (or lonely) before you met him. Also you haven’t said what country he’s from. I’d strongly suggest you go slowly. And in response to your questions: Take the time to get to know him fully. Stop paying him for his time (and services) and see how that plays out. Do not buy him an expensive gift just because you “make a lot more money”. Rather, you should get him a thoughtful gift (maybe a book he’s wanted to read) - something that shows you’ve listened to him and thought of him. See if he reciprocates. Bear in mind the golden rule - everyone behaves at their best in the early meetings - so see him in a variety of settings, watch how he handles other people, ask yourself if he’s kind, and check online that he’s honest (there’s a lot of information online so check that what he tells you is accurate and truthful).

I really enjoy ‘Beef’. I’ve recommended it to everyone I know. But like @jeezifonly I would not binge-watch it. For me, the greatest pleasure is to watch 1 episode per evening.

FWIW @jessmapex my approach was different. I first worked out what my level of spending would be for a comfortable retirement. Then I tripled it. That gave me my target retirement income after tax. It allows for inflation, tax changes, currency fluctuations etc. I also assumed I’d earn only 3% after tax on my capital. I suggest you do your own calculations and use modest or conservative rates of return as everyone spends differently and enjoys life in myriad different ways. Also everyone’s health and views on longevity will be different. You did ask about comparative spending. I’ve been retired for a long time, but in my 50s, I was very sociable. I dated a lot of nice young men and I spent readily. My annual ‘hobby’ (or wellness) spending peaked at about $70000 but most years it averaged $15-20000. I don’t regret it as I had a great time. Now I’m older, I still save (ie don’t spend all my pension income) and my investment income is automatically reinvested.

It’s sad that such a great and long-standing performer has died. I opened a topic on him in the Live Theater thread, but I thought I’d mention it here too as this has more visibility. I wonder if our Australian posters know whether Barry will get a State funeral? He truly was a national treasure. Moderator's comment - As you anticipated the topic in the Lounge has attracted all the comments, so I merged the two threads. Mike C.

Just FYI @Jim_n_NYC that the show “Guys and Dolls” (well-reviewed and mentioned above by @Lucky) has had its run extended until February 2024.

Sad news that the marvelous comic/entertainer Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna Everage “Melbourne housewife” and Sir Les Patterson “cultural attaché”) died today. I saw him perform many times over the years. There was always riotous laughter throughout his shows. Barry Humphries: Dame Edna Everage comedian dies at 89 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65328507

I saw their debut recital of this one evening at the Royal Opera House. She’d sung several arias solo earlier. I agree (and I was lucky enough to see her perform on stage many times). Certainly she was viewed as that in Catalonia. I was once at Barcelona airport when she came off a flight, and I was staggered by the public response on sighting her.

That would make a wonderful marketing headline. Allow me to thank you, not only for the boost to the UK tourism industry but also for adding to London’s huge surplus derived from the service sector.

I’m not bothered about “pet peeves” as even the nicest guys seem to have some. And I prefer to know a guy’s likes and dislikes upfront: the info helps me choose someone compatible.

Not weird at all. That happened to me once when seeing a masseur in SF. After the first few scratches, I politely asked if he would stop and file or buff that nail smooth. When he resumed, it was better…then I was again scratched. Repeated my polite request; he said he’d dealt with the problem and carried on; I was still scratched at times. At the end, I left no tip and he hassled me for one.

Thanks for posting the above @Lucky I hadn’t seen the article. Personally, I didn’t rate the production of “Medea” but we have tickets for “Streetcar” next week. Luckily we did not buy tickets for “A Little Life” - the run is now sold out - as the reviews have been scathing (eg “2* melodrama”) tho James Norton is praised for his stamina and bravery as he’s nude for many scenes. Of course, many of these plays won’t be running in September when the OP plans to visit. There’s a useful UK website www.atgtickets.com where I often purchase tickets. Also the National Theatre has its own website for both its upcoming plays and those that are or will be running in commercial venues www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

It’s clear @Unicorn that you have had a hard time adjusting to retirement and miss being granted respect by the indigent patients in the clinic you used to reference so often. I do feel, however, you could be more mature and just disagree politely as an adult. Your ponderous responses, with inappropriate illustrations and quoting large chunks of Wikipedia, simply come across as snarky and dismissive. I certainly hope that you are not the same in person. From living in Spain, owning property there and dealing with officialdom. Not so. As I stated, there are 3 languages that have official status (Castilian, Catalan and Galician). There are indeed Spanish citizens who are intransigent and dislike being spoken to, or having to read menus, in Catalan when they visit Catalonia, the Balearic Islands etc. I have witnessed several such linguistic arguments. If you had read carefully, you’d acknowledge that I stated it is “deemed a dialect”. The language of the Basque Country (Euskadi) has been controversial. Some separatists have sought official status for it. There was considerable disruption some years ago in the National Parliament when some tried to use it in a formal session. The language spoken in Galicia (Gallego) is officially recognised. But it’s simply absurd of you to include Aranese. I can’t recall the exact figure from the last census but less than 4000 people speak it. All of whom would readily respond in Catalan. Similarly, Catalans and Occitan-speakers in France easily understand each other. When to my surprise, I met some Occitan-speakers in southern France, we chatted easily in Catalan and they told me they often switched to Occitan when they were dealt with rudely by French citizens visiting from other parts of France.

To answer the OP, I learned at a language school in Barcelona. Immersion is a good way to learn quickly but it is tiring. It is generally held in Spain that the Catalans have the purest accent in speaking Castilian (Castellano) and that is why schools in Barcelona were recommended. One small point. Spain has 3 official languages: Castilian, Catalan and Galician. (The Basque language, Euskadi, is deemed a dialect).

Most models have Instagram pages. I know Ben Lins does. Have you thought of sending DMs on IG to guys that interest you?

You do know there are two different ways to over-ride that feature and reach a person, right?

I agree with this. I have a small number of good friends. My “acid test” for friendship is whether I could call them at 2am asking for help and know they would respond.

Yes, there are lots of hourly hotels in Buenos Aires. Locally such hotels are known as ‘telos’. Several of them are located on a side street near the cemetery in Recoleta. Locals do use them. Access to them is easy and no-one blinks if you’re a gay couple rather than a heterosexual couple. Over the years, I’ve used several. The room sizes and amenities do vary - eg some have mirrored ceilings - but all were clean and had showers etc. I always paid in cash. I can’t comment on rates as I haven’t visited since pre-pandemic days. The fee is certainly much less than you’d pay in the US or Europe. Of course, it’s much easier to negotiate if you speak Spanish well. If you only speak English, be sure that you specify the currency: prices in Pesos are often shown as $ while prices in dollars may be shown as USD. I think it’s important to note that like other nationalities, Argentines enjoy being treated with respect and they dislike crass behaviour. As I alluded to earlier in this thread, I have paid high fees in the past. I once had a ‘holiday romance’ with a local heart-throb. He was an actor, a very handsome man who I happened to speak to in the street, and we hit it off. He looked after me regularly for most of my month-long stay. My point is that tho his fee was high, the time it bought was far in excess of the time you’d get in the US or Europe. I still fondly recall a 4day weekend when I took him to the beach in Uruguay - he was a passionate and loving companion, and I had a great time - where I paid all our costs and afterwards asked him what he needed. He asked for US$300 and I gave him US$1000. If you do a search, there’s lots of info here on Argentina.

For anyone who, like me, wondered about this production Sweeney Todd Broadway Tickets | The Official NY Theatre Guide WWW.NEWYORKTHEATREGUIDE.COM Get tickets to Sweeney Todd on Broadway from the official New York Theatre Guide. See Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford in this bloody thrilling...

Yes. Don’t get wound up over this. You’ll waste time and energy if you overthink why a provider has reacted this way to you. If, in the future, there's a point when you’d like to meet the guy again, send him a short message with your date/time. If he responds, you’ll know you’re no longer ghosted; you will become a client. If he doesn’t respond, move on.

Wouldn’t that depend heavily on where the OP and the masseur are based? It seems to me that such a video would be rather compelling evidence if law enforcement became involved…

Ben Murphy - an actor I saw in the 70s in ‘Alias Smith and Jones’. He had long hair, such a pretty face and a smooth muscled body.

There are so many providers in both cities and there are constant newcomers. You will have a huge choice of men interested in earning dollars. Assuming you speak Spanish and can make yourself understood in Portuguese, spend some time looking at the men on the usual sites/apps.

My memory is good and I remember the encounters but not so much how they began. At their place, guys mostly greeted me barechested and in jeans. There are, however, two encounters (2 different guys) where I have excellent recall of how they began. Earlier I’d expressed to each guy my interests (kissing with tongue, topping, getting oral to completion) and my desire to exercise my dominant streak. 1. I saw the first man’s good fit body when he opened the door, dressed only in classic white briefs. He lowered his head modestly as I entered. My hand lightly brushed his bulge and he promptly French-kissed me. 2. I’d already had an excellent first date with the other guy. He had a superb physique from playing various sports. Greeting me, he hugged and kissed me. He was clad only in a white C-IN2 jockstrap which I commented “looks as if it’s spray-painted onto you”. He then surprised me. He dropped to his knees, unzipped me and he sucked my engorged cock until I blew my load in his mouth. On our first date a month before, I’d disclosed that I dreamt of a guy starting a date by sucking me off (‘just a kiss, no talk, I unload and then I can relax before round two’) and he decided to greet me this way.