The Transcendent Rainbow Cafe - social space for LGBTI members

[Paul]

It would be so great to have a thread here where we can chat about almost anything. We can have fun, tell jokes, share stories, you name it!

There's a "BB Cafe" thread in the general area where lots of people chat daily and have established some nice light hearted conversations, it's treated as if it's a real cafe, there's even virtual baked goods and coffee!

Let's create a chat here for anyone to join, in particular the GLBTIQ community to let their collective hair down and chill out. It's a safe space to be yourself.

We just need a name 🙂

[Doolhof]

Fairy Bread...excellent! I was asleep for most of last night so I couldn't get up to too much mischief while sleeping, so I will have a double serve of Fairy Bread please.

Years ago I worked in child care and ran a playgroup. We had an end of term party. I told one girl she was to ask her Mum if she could make Chocolate Crackles for the party. It was so cute teaching the girl how to say chocolate crackles.

At that time I was having a lot of trouble with my memory. May have been due to Chronic Fatigue/old age/menopause /whatever.

Anyway, one day a 4 year old boy came in for playgroup and I could not remember his Mum's name. I asked him and he said his Mum was Mum. I asked him what her other name was and he said Mummy. I then asked him what other people called his Mum and he said My Mummy. Smart boy! I had to ask her what her name was!

By the way, the fairy bread was excellent! Cheers.

[Paul]

Giggle!

That's awesome. Mum, Mummy, My Mummy. These all make sense!

Did you get any of the kids to ask about fairy bread (or toasters)?

Paul

[Gruffudd]

I did manage to cater for an early childhood educators event with fairy bread and mini chocolate crackles - feeding 80 people for $10 with no complaints. Turns out that adults love kids party food...

[Doolhof]

That is totally amazing feeding 80 people for $10.00. Excellent job.

I have been making my nieces Birthday cakes almost yearly since they were born. They used to love them covered in hundreds and thousands.

Then they loved it when I made marbled or rainbow cakes (maybe I will make one for this café!) I would make a chocolate and a plain cake mix, then separate the plain cake mix into about 4 different bowls and add food colouring to make different colours. With the chocolate, I would add extra cocoa to half.

Then I would put spoonful's of each colour into a cake tin and gentle swirl it around slightly with a fork or spoon to make a rainbow effect in the cake.

My niece asked me to make her 21 year old boyfriend a marble cake for his birthday. I purposely used different shades of blue, green and purple. The funny thing is that my niece had meant a marbled cake of plain and chocolate! The cake had a gorgeous blue icing as well. The guy was very kind and said that he loved his cake and thanked me for making it for him! Ha. Ha.

That was a cake he might not have forgotten in a hurry!

[Gruffudd]

There are days when I love being queer and even if I could I wouldn't trade it for anything. Sometimes I can see just how lucky we are to be part of such diversity and to hear and witness different stories. You know being queer has taken me places and introduced me to people that I would never have known otherwise. 

That purple and blue cake reminded me of the night of my seventeenth birthday which happened in the Philippines. The sunrise methodist youth group took me ten pin bowling in the big city of Cabanatuan. On the lane next door there was a group of gay boys who would have been in their early 20's. I couldn't help being just a bit flirty. I got warned off by the girl that I hadn't figured out had a crush on me, but there was no stopping it, we were going to join both groups together and enjoy my birthday. So after sunrise being thrashed by the gay boys we headed over the road to the cafe for some purple trifle and ice-cream with cheese in it. I found out that most were at university training as teachers and doctors, there were dreams about going to America, and one was caring for his brothers and sisters after their parents were killed when Mt Pinatubo erupted. They had such passion for life and to be included was a big thing for them. Then the adults arrived to take me home before I got up to no good. They waved goodbye, such nice boys.

I can think of so many times that I have met the most fabulous people because I'm queer and I feel rather lucky.

So tonight I am sharing with you all, purple trifle...

[Paul]

Awesome story Rob.

Thanks for the purple trifle. Om nom nom nom nom.

Wait *pokes out tongue* Ifff my tunnng purffle?

[Gruffudd]

That would be the cheese in the ice-cream... 

[Gruffudd]

Some Abercrombie arrived in the post today, and in there as a red tshirt with white rings around the caller and sleeves. Its funny what stirs the memory. I hadn't thought of it when ordering, but the boy who got away used to wear a tshirt like that. 

It happened in 1999 and I think we did party like it was 1999. Where it started I can't quite say because I didn't figure out that he liked me back until it was too late. We met on Platform 2 of Spencer Street Station boarding the train to Adelaide with the other LaTrobe queer students. I was the strange kid from the country and the rest were from the city campus. He was tall and had striped pants and that red tshirt on. He smelt like old books and exuded that super educated cool vibe that might just be the opposite of my super daggy persona. The train journey seemed endless, I spent hours watching the rows of pine trees and flat expanses of paddock illuminated by the full moon and the lights on the side of the train. At some point near Adelaide I woke up my head in his lap. I wanted that moment to last forever. But it was a bit awkward I guess. During our time in Adelaide he introduced me to the wonder of scrambled tofu, which might just taste better because of that. He talked about Che Guevara and how one day he wanted to move to Argentina. I don't think I cared what he talked about as long as he did. We flopped over each other and slept in a knot on the return journey. In the months following we bumped into each other at one of those trashy nights that started at the Builders Arms and ended up going down hill (literally) to the Peel. He invited me back to his where I discovered again how good it felt to wake up next to him. And still I hadn't figured out he might like me. Then one day he left. Bordered a plane to Argentina to go and live with his mate Che. 

I dream of visiting Argentina now and of what might have been. Although the memory is probably perfect as it is.

So anyone want some Scrambled Tofu on Soy and Linseed toast? It's vegan, and has solid Marxist principles (if that is possible with food)

[Doolhof]

The love that got away and the possibilities that will never be realised...

Not knowing what side of the fence you really should be on...

Confusion over who you really are...

Life keeps on happening. One day ends and another begins.

Do you question what could have been or do you move on and create a new future?

The soy and linseed toast sounds nice. I might dip it in butter, sprinkle it with sugar, put it int he oen for about 15 minutes and then dip it into that purple trifle!

[Doolhof]

Oh dear! There was a bit of a glitch with that last sentence!

It was supposed to read "put it in the oven"