Pengwings – travel, culture and coffee – Alternative blogs about travel, culture and coffee

November 26, 2019November 27, 2019

Put The Needle On It: a Self-Indulgent Post About Life as a Gay Man in the 21st Century Thinly Veiled as a Review of Dannii Minogue’s Neon Nights

I recently watched a great video from a breadtuber about how he realised he was bisexual, which made me ponder my own journey to discovering my sexuality. I never did the big coming out thing – I told friends pretty early on, and updated my family on the information once I started dating a man. … Continue reading Put The Needle On It: a Self-Indulgent Post About Life as a Gay Man in the 21st Century Thinly Veiled as a Review of Dannii Minogue’s Neon Nights

November 2, 2019November 2, 2019

Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist Is Not A Slur

I’ve had a busy couple of days dealing with various forms of abuse on Twitter as a result of a meme I made. Referencing a Cillit Bang advert, the meme was made to reflect on my belief that Joanna Cherry, MP for Edinburgh South West, is a trans exclusionary radical feminist – as well as … Continue reading Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist Is Not A Slur

January 21, 2019

Ian’s Travel Favourites: The Listicle Nobody Asked For (January 2019)

I hate listicles, but there reaches a point where you haven’t written anything for yourself (at least not online) for a while and you just want to put something out there. I don’t get asked enough about my travel favourites, so I’m just going to thrust them out into a world that doesn’t care. Be the … Continue reading Ian’s Travel Favourites: The Listicle Nobody Asked For (January 2019)

October 3, 2018

It’s None Of Your Damn Business: Politics, Travel And Making Friends

Let me set the scene. It’s a warm September evening. You are sat by the Danube gazing over Budapest and enjoying a local beer. Next to you is a random new friend you’ve made from Couchsurfing or the free tour you went on or a dating app (we’ve all been there). You’re having a good … Continue reading It’s None Of Your Damn Business: Politics, Travel And Making Friends

October 2, 2018October 2, 2018

David’s Toe: How Authentic Does Your Holiday Need To Be?

I’m currently planning a trip to Italy and something in the Wikitravel article for Florence caught my eye. The Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze is a popular art gallery in the city with tourists because it is where you can see the Statue of David. Entry costs vary depending on if there’s an exhibition on and … Continue reading David’s Toe: How Authentic Does Your Holiday Need To Be?

September 5, 2018September 5, 2018

Falando Português: Does Moving Abroad Make Language Acquisition Easier?

“Tô tão sozinho, Sozinho mesmo, Meu único amigo, É um cachorro de pelucia Moro em Lisboa, Mas não gosto de Lisboa, Quero uma nova vida No Peru, na Indonésia ou na Grécia – ‘Um Fado’ de Ian R Close Above is a fado I created to describe loneliness and dreams of where I would like … Continue reading Falando Português: Does Moving Abroad Make Language Acquisition Easier?

September 4, 2018September 4, 2018

Latte Art: It’s All Just A Pretty Lie

I love coffee, and having worked as a barista in a couple of those pretentious, hipstery specialty shops I can also make a pretty good cup too. Sadly my delightful sarcasm and cutting banter was just too much for management and, indeed, customers and my relationship with well-crafted bean water had to come to an … Continue reading Latte Art: It’s All Just A Pretty Lie