GALFROMDOWNUNDER UPOVER

Right: "It's very gay!" said friend Justin (also very gay). A reworked jacket by Red Mutha. MOVIE:  March 4 soft opening Hot on the platform heels of reminiscing old times with former roommate Julia Clancey , I followed up next day by attending the soft opening of her brother Andrew's new Lower East Side store,  Any Old Iron. It's been 13 years since I crashed on Andrew's sofa on my way from End to End in the UK, and he's since become a "curator" of men's fashion - vintage, eclectic, avante-garde - 100% True Brit. I walked in the door and noted that Andrew hadn't changed one bit. He's the same warm, welcoming and 'tude-free Andrew Clancey from when I knew him - just a little bit older, like all of us (sigh). His collection of unisex clothing includes the brand Red Mutha from Brighton, UK, which specializes in "reworking" old jackets. Meaning,  take 1 destined-for-Goodwill jacket, do a bit of nipping and tuckin

Reconnecting with Julia in 2007 after 10 years, outside a fashion shop with bike-as-art in the Meatpacking District, Chelsea, NYC.  Update March 4, 2010 MOVIE: Julia's brother Andrew at his  Any Old Iron opening Below: Dec 2010 movie of Julia at Any Old Iron THANKS to Facebook, we can now get the low-down on long lost friends, lovers, roommates, colleagues .. . and inhale their exhaust fumes as they rocket to fame. I've been enjoying Googling the meteoric rise of my former flatmate Julia Clancey , once a hair stylist, now a top British fashion designer. Cameron Diaz, Victoria Beckham, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and a bunch of other starlets now wear her stunning couture threads. My Googling brought back some fond memories that I've enjoyed recanting below ... apologies that there are not more photos of Julia yet - they're currently in Sydney in my mother's closet, a long way from 'merica, but I'll dig them out soon and - with her blessing, share som

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of my maiden voyage to Cuba I've created a ...   Handsomest Man in Cuba Facebook Fan Page And what better way to kick it off than with this utterly stunning photo essay by photographer/editor Carlo Alcos of popular travel writing site matadornetwork.com, who read my book, bought a Bike Friday, and did his own sojourn in 2010. His dramatic shots far surpass my Kodak happysnaps circa 2000. Take a look for yourself ... more Cuba news http://www.galfromdownunder.com/cuba/blog CAMERAS Carlo uses (and you're GONNA wanna know): "A Canon 40D... my two lenses are the Canon EF-S 10-22mm and the Canon EF-S 18-200mm." Rats! big 'ones. I guess I'm gonna have to grow up ... Carlo Alcos : CUBA PHOTO ESSAY 2010 published by  matadornetwork.com My wife and I were sitting on the steps of the Capitolio when I said, "is that...is he...no, can't be." But it was. 10 years after Lynette's excursion in Cuba and here he sti

Namaste! Today I received 6 yoga blocks and 6 blankets thanks to the kind donation by Bike Friday Customer Glenn Martin  (pictured mid-Vasisthasana on Arizona Camp 2010 ) and a kind price break by YogaDirect.com. (As I said in my last yoga post, the ex-studio mats were donated by Laughing Lotus and my training was by Joschi Yoga Institute). It's gratifying to know that a dot com with a word like "direct" in it still has some human intervention to do special things for special people. Thank you Yoga Direct. The special people I'm referring to are the seniors at the Hudson Guild Community Center where I am volunteering a weekly yoga class. So far I've done 2 classes. Abilities range from belly dancers to someone in a wheelchair. It's really making me think about what really works for different bodily limitations. A lady with problematic feet could n ot do Downdog. We did Navasana (boat poses) instead - like a Down Dog upside down - no pressure on her feet a

   A picture paints a thousand gripes. Can you tell what I'm about to rant about on FastCompany.com ? Stand by ... OK, here's the rant: Packaging Design 101: Follow through ... with decent glue .  

A little video of me tramping through the icy streets of NYC for my mother and father (who are sweltering in the heat of high summer Downunder). Ever wondered what it's like to walk through an icebox? Assuming you could shrink yourself down and do just that - this comes close. One thing you gotta do - buy the right boots . This year I blew $100+ on a pair of Steve Maddens that had absolutely, positively, NO zip up the side. Why so? Step in curbside puddle wearing boots with a side zip and you'll soon know - you'll be ankle deep in water. I believe I was on my way to a talk by übernaut Joe Kittinger (first man in space, jumped out of a balloon at 102K feet etc) hosted by Forbes Adventurer Jim Clash .  Joe appears far left, Jim's in the fawn jacket. The jump has been called, "Joe's Giant Step." I tell you, the weather on the way over to the Madison Ave location soon became a blizzard - I felt like Scott in the Antarctic. Jim interviewed me in 2005

  Strolling past this building in Chelsea, NYC, I looked up to see a rolled tube containing a rose fall from a high window. It landed with a phtttht in the branches of a tree, as you can see.  What's the story behind this fallen rose, here on Valentine's Day?  Was it a "To heck with you!" moment? I paused a moment, waiting for an armful of men's clothing to swiftly follow, but it never came.  Thankfully.