November 2024
By Chris Chi
Sharing stories about us
| Hello beautiful people, The first snow fell in Brussels in November. Just in a few hours, the roads turned white. I couldn’t believe my eyes. In my memory of almost 20 years living in Brussels I don’t remember this has happened before. The world that we are living is changing. It’s been a tough November, as the temperature dropped. There was amper sunlight. I have been worrying about my plants. I am a first time plant daddy. So my worried are legit. I hope they will survive the winter, especially when I am traveling. These plants have brought so much life in my apartment. On the other hand, we are approaching Christmas. I used to be on the road during holiday reasons. This year is kind of different. On Christmas, it means one year has passed since my husband left. I don’t know what i means and how I will feel, but I am looking forward to being with friends in Berlin again. And I hope you all have nice holiday plans and something looking forward to. |
MEMORY
| Can I call it “a memory”, even though it just happened not more than 4 months ago? What is the standard or definition to classify it? You drove in las montanas de Anaga which had been standing there for 3 million years. We were above the clouds, almost 1000 meters above the horizon. There’s no reason to be sad or lament over life’s hiccups when facing this magnificent. That night we stayed in your van on the motorway next to the beach. You said it would be so nice to wake up the next morning and watch sunrise at the beach. That night, at dinner in a local restaurant in a village nearby, you asked me about my husband who passed away recently. We were having lambs, a delicacy, you proudly recommended. We both share the passion for good food. In French, we should say “bon-vivant” or in Dutch, “bourgondier”, meaning people who enjoy the good things of life. We had a fantastic vacation together. “This makes me feel like traveling more.” You confessed to me. And I was in euphoria, “Let’s travel together. I will show you the world.” In the coastal village of Los Silos where we spent the last remaining days, we went to do grocery shopping and cooked. In the morning, we sat on the terrace for breakfast. I made your coffee. You drizzled olive oil on the toasted bread, placed some ham, and sometimes slices of avocado on top. “Hmm, it’s delicious.” It’s exactly this small happiness that I wanted to last forever even when the weather was grey and rainy. Our second last day was spent in the volcano of Teide. We took the last-minute decision to do the star gazing tour at night. On top of Teide, in the darkness, we saw thousands of stars over our head, listening to the stories told by our guide. Do you believe that our essential form is pure energy. In this life, we happen to take the form of “life”, the organic form of ourselves. One day, we will return to that energy form and travel in the universe. So we can end up in one of the stars, or take forms of other matters. No matter what, we will exist for the eternity. So, all our emotions are the manifestations of the energy that connect us all. Now in Brussels, sometimes I could see stars in the sky. And I think of you and him. You on this planet, and him on one of these stars. We called each other since that trip, as if it’s the most natural thing to do. 2 months later, you came to Brussels. Now my home has memories of you. You napped on my sofa, slept in my bed, and played music with my speakers. “Mi carma hule a ti”, a phrase that I adored. “It’s very romantic.” You said. “But I am not that romantic.” Perhaps, all these experiences and moments, in my head, are simply fabricated fantasies. I was living them in my own personalized way. And equally, you, in your own way. They might converge or diverge. “Leave it to the destiny.” I thought. “We are so different, Chris.” You told me while we were lying on the sofa that day. I was fully aware of it. “Isn’t it a good thing that we are different?” I asked you and myself. I realized that you were going to leave me, not just physically going back to your home in Gran Canaria, but exit my life. Whatever we had for the last months was coming to an end. “A beautiful encounter.” I think I am gonna call it from now on. “Fight for it.” You told me. You returned home the next day, had a stopover in Madrid and continued to fly to Gran Canaria. During our next call, you seemed to have figured out how it should be. I don’t think I had ever seen you so serious until that moment. “This is not going to work.” “You don’t ask me questions about me and my life.” “I don’t feel like opening up to you and sharing the things that I do with my friends.” Just like that, this was the end. Officially. It’s an amicable breakup. Neither of us disappeared as we had feared. “Write me a letter.” You told me. Now I am doing it. I think we both understand each other, our different journeys in this life, our different needs, our different personalities, and our different visions of love and sex. It’s a “beautiful encounter” because we have given each other warmth and care, in a way, love too. For that, we should feel grateful. This triumphs the sadness and the bitterness. I am at the crossroad in the middle of my life. As my psychologist put it, this might be the most enriching period of your life. I have and am still learning a lot about life and love, and most importantly myself, my capabilities and emotions. True. I am not the same Chris in the past. And yet, still with my doubts, my contradictions, my conventions, I feel that I have never been so true to myself as now. And you, my beloved “cabron” is still that bird who wants to fly free and high. You should chase after the dreams that you have. So should I. There will be moments when we feel tired and lost, but It’s only temporary. There will be moments when we want to linger on the ground for a bit longer, seeking accompany and comfort in others, until we reach the final destination. I will be here for you when you need. And we will always have this memory of our beautiful encounter. |
DOMENICO IN BRUSSELS
The summer of 2020 was a whirlwind of confusion. Fresh out of university, I found myself trapped in the monotony of lockdown, unable to pursue my dreams or experience the “normal” life I had envisioned. Living in a small suburban town felt increasingly suffocating, and I constantly found myself asking, “What should I do? How can I break free from this cycle?”
Then, something unexpected happened. My face began appearing in the inboxes of close friends and family in ways I had never intended to share. Suddenly, the people around me started questioning who I really was, and I found myself wondering not just who I was, but where I wanted to end up. How could I emerge stronger from this? We all make foolish mistakes, especially when we’re exploring our identities and sexuality. But these actions don’t define us – what truly matters is how we respond to life’s challenges.
It was during this time that the path ahead of me began to take shape. Professional opportunities started to come my way, and a brief stint in Rome showed me that there was so much more to life beyond that mistake. I finally had a chance to make my voice heard and follow my dream. And now, here I am, living in Brussels – a city that has opened up new opportunities, introduced me to new people, and offered me unexpected experiences. I’ve finally found my community, and for the first time, I truly feel like I’m a part of something larger.
Over the past three years, my relationship with my body and sexuality has evolved gradually. When I was living in Italy, I was always very open and adventurous with my sexuality, eager to explore and never letting any new experience slip away. But it’s only recently that I realised what was truly missing – a deeper connection with intimacy, something that can’t be shared with just anyone. This journey of inner discovery has marked constant growth in both physical and emotional awareness. This photoshoot was a meaningful step in my self-discovery – a chance to reconnect with my inner self and rebuild the relationship with my body and sexuality, which had been shaken by my last breakup. As I look to the future, my hope is to never lose the curiosity to challenge myself, to continually step out of my comfort zone, and to embrace whatever comes my way with open arms.
GUILLERMO & SPENCER
| Guillermo & Spencer are an American couple living in Sweden. When they were visiting the Netherlands and Belgium, I had a photoshoot with them before my trip to Gran Canaria. It was not exactly a fantastic sunday, but in their hotel room, it was pretty hot. |
FEATURED ARTIST: Pancho Assoluto
Photos by Pancho Assoluto
Tale of Men EVENTS & COMMUNITY
I have created a whatsapp community to bring people who share the same interest together. In this community, there are groups for models based in Belgium, Berlin and and Paris, and also for naked events organized by Taleofmen in Brussels. There is an even fun group for people to share nudes.
Because the last truth or dare naked event was so popular, I will organise a 3rd one on 14 December. It’s really a fun way to get together and socialize, in a friendly and respectful atmosphere. Of course, there is intimacy and sexual tension as well. Only for the free spirits who are open-minded.
More information about the community and the events here.
TALE OF MEN ZINES
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