Fridae

Born in 1963 in a small Canadian prairie town called Nipawin, inconveniently located halfway between Vancouver and Toronto, he moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to pursue architecture. But after four years of project management, he decided to leave it all, "doing nothing but going to raves and lying on the beaches thinking of entrepreneurial things to do with my life".

Eventually, himself and two friends opened a small studio gallery called Meli-Melo Artists Alliance where they could -- paint, draw, photography, host exhibitions, etc. He also started Norm Yip Photography.

He recently photographed some high profile celebrities such as Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez when they were in Hong Kong.

About Norm

æ: When did you realise you were gay? What was the process like?

norm: I realized I was attracted to guys at the age of 10 or so -- when I just hitting puberty, but the attraction at first wasn't very sexual. It was more the male form, the way a guy's legs moved when running, or the way a guy sat on the school desk in smart kick-ass kinda way. So it was an aesthetic beauty that was forming in my mind.

I remember I was attracted to one particular guy -- a now famous hockey player in Canada whose name I will not mention -- that got me very curious as to what his body looked like. He was very good looking, blond-brown hair. We were playing Lacrosse (an native Indian game) and he could move like the wind. Very lithe and effortless, much like a deer. I never did see him in the showers!

So this attraction to guys remained in my mind. It was a part of me and I thought nothing of it. I never voiced it to anyone nor did I think it was unusual. It was not until I read a Watchtower leaflet that it dawned on me that having an attraction to a person of the same sex was 'sinful', and that you could be sent to 'hell' for this. (To those that do not know what Watchtower is -- it's a small leaflet distributed by the Mormons or Jehovah's Witness...I don't remember which, but you get the meaning...it was pure radical 'Bible trash' to infiltrate people with nonsense and fear.) So at age 14 or so I became as they say 'closeted'.

æ: Are you out to family and friends? If yes, could you tell us something about it? Is it an important factor in your life?

norm: My father passed away very recently and my mother still hopes for me to marry. I love them both very much and perhaps this year, I will talk to my mom about my sexuality. I feel however, that she already knows about me. Seeing as how she lives in Canada and I in Hong Kong, it makes it easier for her not to know about me.

But yes, I do feel that the family is deeply important to our well-being and own understanding of where we come from. It is the closest thing we have to our beginnings and it would be unfair to deny it. For a time, the family was unimportant to me and my life didn't seem to necessitate it, but after my father's death, my feelings have changed. I feel that if Love is expressed with prejudice, without fear, then you have done what you have done -- all else is a facade for something that does not exist.

My one sister is straight; my two younger brothers are also gay. We all know about one another and it's....ahem....fabulous! We all have different tastes in guys so we never need to worry about fights at the bars. They love big burly guys with hair all over and mustaches while I go for the young lean/muscular types. I am the only one however that has any attraction to Asians. No, my brothers and I have not slept together nor do we have any desire to do so.

æ: Do you believe in monogamous or open relationships? Are you in one?

norm: I believe you should do whatever you feel is right for yourself. If you're in a relationship that has been mostly monogamous and feel up to exploring new territory, then go ahead and do. Try to talk it over with your partner first. I believe that life as we so call is for the potentiality and possibility of experience. Many times, to know see what colour blue is, you have to see red next to it.

Currently, I am not in a relationship with anyone. Anyone out there that would like to date me, let me know.

æ: What kind of underwear person are you?

norm: My favourite briefs to date are white medium-high cut Tommy Hilfigers, my younger brother introduced them to me and I've been a fan of them ever since. When I go to sleep, I wear inexpensive plaid boxers made in China.

æ: What's your favourite CD?

norm: Pop charts: the first album by Jennifer Lopez On the 6 (Emilio Estafan Jr. deserves a lot of credit on this....)

Blues/Jazz: anything by Maxwell; Cassandra Wilson's New Moon Daughter

Meditation/New Age: Yoga -- Mind Body Soul Series by LagoonWest

Bar/Lounge: Buddha Bar by Claude Challe and Costes (la suite) by Stephane Pompougnac

æ: What kind of pet do you have? Why?

norm: Goldfish. I used to have names for them, but they kept dying and I kept buying new ones. Finally, my tank has settled and the water seems chemically or organically rich enough now to sustain them. Final count is seven, which includes one black one -- it's supposed to represent me according to my Feng Shui master. Yes, I may be called superstitious. Why do I like goldfish? I simply I like them, it gives me joy.

---

æ: Have you ever encountered prejudice because of your gender/sexuality? How did you deal with it?

norm: Growing up in Canada being Chinese was my first experience at experiencing prejudice. I learned very quicky at learning how to protect myself. I built a shell around me and didn't let it down. Towards sexuality however, I don't recall any specific experiences being directed towards me.

æ: In the context of being an Asian gay or lesbian, do you have any personal role models/inspirations?

norm: I have people that I admire for their talent, drive and integrity and I do not look at them from the point of race, gender nor sexuality. They are Madonna, Tina Turner, Herb Ritts and Stephen Hawking.

æ: What advice would you give to someone who is trying to come to terms with his or her sexuality?

norm: You must have heard of the Biblical expression 'Know Thyself'. There is nothing more to it. Finding out about your SELF is one of the most fascinating experiences that Life offers us. It challenges us with new jobs, inspires us to create, speaks to us to change, invites us to new cities and temps us into relationships.

If you repel the very being of Who You Are, you will deny your SELF the very experience that life has to offer you. A person said to me... 'The very thing you are afraid of is the very thing you KNOW you should do'. I concur completely. Look at your life as if it were a movie� and you, yes YOU, are the Director. Well then... DIRECT! You have been given full directorial permission to do exactly as you want, as you desire, as you feel. And when you know this little secret, you can do ANYTHING. Without fear, without fail, without restriction. Remember... there is nothing for us to learn, but to experience.

Apr�s Interview

æ: Tell us something about your first sexual experience?

norm: For some reason, people think that the first sexual experience is supposed to be very special or meaningful. Well, it wasn't for me. Here goes.... I was living in Toronto at the time and very excited and scared about making my appearance at a disco/bar named 'Chaps'. Donna Summer, Village People and a couple of beers later, I spotted with pale-faced guy with longish dark brown hair staring and smiling straight at me. I run, or shall I say want to run. I mean, he's looking at me!!

Well, as it goes, this guy ended up at my dorm a couple of hours later where I'm staying. He's Jewish, 27 and drunk; I'm all excited and ready for action while lying naked next to his body. No more than two minutes goes by and waddaya know? He falls asleep on me! What the fxxxxx! That's my story. Poor directorial debut isn't it?

æ: What is your favourite fantasy?

norm: When I was just a young lad, maybe 10 or 11, I remember this one particular fantasy where I was being cohersed by a group of teenage guys to perform sexual acts on them. How marvelously innocent I say...

æ: What is your kinkiest experience?

norm: It happened very recently. It wasn't 'kinky' -- it was just so different than anything I'd experienced before. He's in his 20's, young, fresh, almond eyes, prominent nose, fully lips, tanned and lean. It was like a theatrical performance -- Japanese/German influence if you can imagine... Lights, camera, action. A surreal yet very real performance of cock-teasing, of rejection, of desire, of sexual lust, of gentle persuasion, of acceptance, of giving in, of fear and denial. No music, no words, no moaning, and nearly fully clothed the whole time. I'm still spinning from it....

æ: What's the stupidest pick-up line you've ever heard?

norm: "You know... I have a pet dog Rover that I take on a walk every morning..."

æ: Which is sexier, mind or meat?

norm: For me, one doesn't go without the other. But if it's on impulse...of course meat first!