Comments Posted By Brian
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@Kevin To play devils advocate, IMO all relationships are transactional at the very base level.
What do (generic) you want/need from this relationship? What are you willing to give to get that? It may be happiness, it may be security, it may be a comfortable lifestyle, it may be money. And so you will do what it takes to satisfy those wants/needs. In the case you cite above, Mr T and his wife elected to put the other’s happiness above their own because they wanted a loving stable relationship.
I guess I am splitting hairs a bit, and obviously the Mr T/Mrs T relationship is vastly different (and much better) than a girlfriend for hire relationship. In the latter case for example, Anna Nicole Smith was willing to pretend she was in love with the 90(?) year old guy she married in exchange for money and security. In the former case, it is likely that no pretending was needed, but there still was a give/take aspect.
Anyway, just some random thoughts. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 26/May/2025 @ 12:37 am
With the US dollar weakening against pretty much every currency in the world, have you heard any rumblings from anybody (US expats) there in the PI?
The Thai baht has strengthened about 10% vs. the US dollar, so I read some bitching from people (who were already on the edge) about the exchange rate, and how they are taking a haircut when they exchange money.
EDIT: actually see that US –> peso conversion is actually higher than historical averages, but is trending down a bit. About a 5% correction YTD. So, probably not a big deal unless a person arrived at the peak US/peso exchange rate.
» Posted By Brian On 24/May/2025 @ 10:59 pm
Yup, lack of drama can be a good thing.
Dont you have a foreign trip coming up soon?
» Posted By Brian On 24/May/2025 @ 12:19 am
It’s the right time of the day…
Re: video
Generally if you are poor in your home country, you will not be rich in your adopted country. Yeah, directionally, the cost of living will be less, but if you have no backstop, then you are one incident away from a big problem. Said this before, but am always frustrated by people wanting (generic) me to help them because of their own poor planning or poor actions. Always sympathetic but also frustrated.» Posted By Brian On 22/May/2025 @ 1:26 am
Expat vs immigrant; I think you definition is good, but I would add that an expat can support him or herself without working in their new country. They have an external source of income (eg pension, getting a salary from an international company overseas, etc.).
At this point in your stay, what, if anything would have to happen in the PI that would make you want to leave? (want to leave, not be forced to leave) Or even to leave Baretto?
» Posted By Brian On 20/May/2025 @ 1:13 am
Beautiful pics from the top of the ridge. Definitely million dollar views. Pain in the ass to get there however.
Re: video
So, what traits of the nine disqualified you? Age, length of time in PI, marital status. Any of the others? LOL» Posted By Brian On 17/May/2025 @ 1:12 am
Re: finger block maneuver. What is that?
Re: Vitaly No sympathy from me.
Re: stock market. LOL. John, you’re a smart guy. Posting a one week return when the stock market went up is an obvious traveling/misdirection infraction. LOL
To make it fair, lets go back to Election Day:
Dow Jones
Nov 5 43729
May 12 42410NASDAQ
Nov 5 18983
May 12 18708Now, I’m was not a math major, but I am going to go out on a limb and guess that the total return has been negative since President Trump was elected. LOL
(we could go back to inauguration day on Jan 20, but that only makes things look even worse)
As we said before, time will tell. 🙂
» Posted By Brian On 16/May/2025 @ 3:12 am
Good luck with avoiding buying things made in China.
Take a look through your house……………..
Is buying from Bangladesh better? Vietnam? PI?
Anyways, yup, time will tell. Peace out!
» Posted By Brian On 16/May/2025 @ 2:50 am
John, we will have to revisit my and your comments 6 months from now. 🙂 I am not convinced that your sources are unbiased. LOL Go to census.gov and the federal reserve for info on long term trends in GDP, manufacturing investment, manufacturing output, housing starts, money supply, consumer confidence, etc.
I dont disagree that tariff revenue is up, but I am still wondering how tariffs on imported goods will lower prices. : shrug
In the old days, Sweat shop in China makes shirts for $3. Import cost = $5. Sells for $6.
Post tariffs. Sweat shop still makes shirts for $3. Import cost now = $9. Sells for $4??? I dont think so.
Lets say these same shirts are now manufactured in the US. Will the US factory be able to make them for less than the original $5 import cost??? I doubt that also.
Hi tech stuff and critical material. Sure, lets have them made in the US. Basic manufacturing? Doesnt make any sense.
Anyway. I suppose the only thing that will change either of our minds will be data a year from now. LOL I think that TDS is there for both sides (Trump Derangement Syndrome and Trump Deification Syndrome)
» Posted By Brian On 14/May/2025 @ 11:50 pm
Pick any quantitative economic measure (GDP growth, inflation, unemployment, stock market returns, manufacturing, housing starts, M3, etc etc etc) since the election (early Nov 2024) and they are all worse now than six months ago.
Will things get better. Remains to be seen. IMO, tariffs dont work in today’s world, especially with manufacturing. It is laudable to want to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US, but not realistic. Why is it better to pay $25/shirt because it is made in the US t-shirt.as opposed to paying $5/shirt if it is made in China? The world is too interconnected. I fail to see how tariffs will decrease prices. Explain to me like I’m five how this happen. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 13/May/2025 @ 11:39 pm
RE: your 2007 blog post and your commenters.
Someone has to make the first try at reconciliation. It might as well be you.
» Posted By Brian On 12/May/2025 @ 11:54 am
Re: Matching shirts – that is such an Asian thing, usually foisted upon the male side of the couple. I remember a while back, my girlfriend at the time thought it would be cute to wear matching shirts. She thought it was cute. Me, not so much. LOL
Re: Brian – nope, must have been another Brian. I like football but never have been involved in any fantasy football leagues. Though I do remember watching a couple of Super Bowls in Korea – sitting in a bar and drinking Bloody Mary’s at 7 am or so on a Monday morning.
I think we mainly crossed paths in Dolce Vida. If you remember, they had the really really steep staircase leading up to the bar. One night, going there for a drink, and found a western guy crumbled at teh base of the stairs. Face bloody, etc. after falling (drunk) down the stairs. Bunch of people gathered around him. He laid there for a minute, got up, mumbled something about being okay and staggered off into the night. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 09/May/2025 @ 11:27 pm
Surprised that you didnt ask about Marissa. Seems like it would have been a natural thing to talk about with her sister. :shrug
Is the rainy season coming at it usual time? Generally, Thailand is beginning of June, but there has been a lot recently so coming a bit earlier than normal.
» Posted By Brian On 08/May/2025 @ 1:41 am
I think not just the PI, but pretty much all countries, a person will always be an outsider. Learning a language helps, but still are still nuances to a country that will always label you as an outsider.
It’s a bit frustrating in the US that people talk about immigrants and “why dont they just integrate into US society?” It is not that easy and the people making comments like that are generally those who never have spent significant time overseas.
» Posted By Brian On 06/May/2025 @ 1:03 am
Re: music video. Usually try and guess what song you will have based on your post content. Lots of song references in this post. LOL. The song you picked was one of my guesses however.
re: Russian/US vlogger. No sympathy for him. But, I do disagree with the guy who made the video saying that the “problems that Vitaly accidentally got himself into. Etc.” no, it wasn’t an accident.
re: Picture wall. Any thoughts of making a trip to the US and reconnecting with various folks there? Maybe treat Swan to a tour of the US?
» Posted By Brian On 04/May/2025 @ 2:10 am
Re: Martin – hope he recovers (and I hope he had insurance.)
Too bad about Joakim. Looked pretty young. Medical issue or accident?
Good news regarding Scott.
Anyway, quite the emotional roller coaster of a day. At least, this was not of your own making. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 29/April/2025 @ 11:30 pm
re: Scott: Positive thoughts to him. Could be a long journey ahead.
Re: Barretto award: Depending on what the criteria were, it could either be an honor or a slap in the face. LOL. Or maybe the competition was pretty much non existent. Peripherally, it reminds me of the joke about an ugly girl visiting an all guys school. She is not much to look at, but compared to what else is available, she is a beauty.
Re: memes – dont normally weigh in on politics, but I do have to ask. LOL Do you agree with President Trumps current policies on tariffs and international trade in general?
» Posted By Brian On 28/April/2025 @ 3:06 am
@Kevin beat me to it. LOL. I was just about to point out the square area of a 16″ circle vs a 10″ circle. But, if you got two different toppings (and they would not have done a half and half for you), then I guess it worked. In any case, what is a few pesos? Not like paying more for food and drink than you should bothers you. (Just blowing you shit John)
» Posted By Brian On 27/April/2025 @ 5:24 am
Re: Your encounter with the Korean police back in ’07.
First time in Korea (early 2000’s), i was working in a small town on the west coast. The first time I saw a drunk driving checkpoint, the initial method the cops used (I assume for screening purposes) was to have the driver breath into a paper cup, which the police would then smell. Ick! With all the garlic and spices that Koreans eat, that would have been a pretty disgusting duty.
» Posted By Brian On 24/April/2025 @ 11:14 pm
However things resolve, I hope that you can find peace with it.
» Posted By Brian On 24/April/2025 @ 11:04 pm
Is this the first Easter Mountain Easter Weekend climb you have missed since you arrived in the PI?
There will be other (cooler) days to do it.
» Posted By Brian On 22/April/2025 @ 11:05 pm
Quite the adventure. Brings to mind the saying, “Man plans, God laughs”
Appropriate for your hike on Good Friday. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 20/April/2025 @ 12:34 am
Glad to see that all of the health indicators are pointing up.
Re: Crash test video. Yeah, it is very cool how car safety has improved over the years.
1975: 26 car deaths/100K population
2023: 12 car deaths/100K populationRe: tourist visa
Surprisingly painless and the fact that they are so lenient. Are there economic requirements for you (i.e. have to show proof of monthly income, etc.)?. Do you have to leave the country at all? Could you just get continuous 60 day visas forever if you so chose?» Posted By Brian On 18/April/2025 @ 12:18 am
Re: Filipino culture taking over.
Havent really noticed it when I am in Thailand. Seems like East Asia (Korea, Japan, etc.) still predominates.
Re: ……and I had no choice about losing the life I loved in Korea.
I know from a relationship standpoint, there is a lot of mental baggage, but I am guessing that economics was not the reason? You are in a small town in the PI, I am assuming you could somewhat replicate that in Korea, while keeping within your budget? I am guessing some things would be more pricey, but you would save in other areas.
» Posted By Brian On 15/April/2025 @ 11:05 pm
LOL on the (made up) story.
Yeah, I guess at some level, all relationships are transactional. Be it money, fame, security, looks, etc.
I guess the true test would be to have those circumstances change that attracted the girl in the first place and see if they stick around.
Famous? Become a nobody.
Have money? Lose it.
etc.» Posted By Brian On 14/April/2025 @ 1:08 am
Re: The Chicken Shots food venue.
What the heck is a chicken shot? Chicken strips – okay. Chicken wings – okay? Chicken shots – ?????
re: Picture of the old man/young girl
Yup, money is one of the greatest aphrodisiacs. LOL. I think they did a show in the US a while back – something like a spin off of the Bachelor. Never watched it, but it was called “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire”. The catch was that the female contestants thought they were vying for the attention of some rich guy, who actually was pretty much dead broke. You can guess how the relationships went after the ladies found out. Guessing that situation has played out numerous times in places like Thailand, PI, Vietnam, etc.
» Posted By Brian On 12/April/2025 @ 11:22 pm
Re: I was going to buy her a welcome back drink and asked how much for a single. She told me they had changed their prices and only offered lady drinks for 250 pesos. Nope, my rule is no more than 200 pesos.
Blowing you shit, but I remember you posted something (maybe from the “Story of My Life” series?) about either a scouting trip or the early days of your time in the PI. You sarcastically laughed at the expats who bitched about paying an extra X pesos for a beer or other drink, which in the grand scheme of things is chump change, and you said you would never be that guy. LOL
You truly have localized!
(Having said the above, I would probably do the same thing in your shoes. More the principle of it than anything else.)
PS. Hope the doctor visit went well.
» Posted By Brian On 10/April/2025 @ 10:51 pm
LOL. I have to agree with Kevin.
To be brutally honest:
HAVING to drink every night seems to put you into alcoholic territory.You tend to fall back on the fallacy that “it is in my DNA. I grew up going to bars with my father, part of my culture, etc.” But then you will post something from the “story of my life” where you talk about not going to the bars, not needing nor wanting that lifestyle, so it is not always something that you NEEDED to do.
Would you/could you go a week? a month? not having any alcohol and still function/enjoy going out in the evenings? (A day would not be a realistic test.) If not, then yeah, another tick mark in the column pointing towards alcoholism.
(Maybe we should have your faithful readers each kick in a few $’s and if you make it a month without alcohol, we donate the proceeds to the charity of your choice in your name)
Like a lot of people, I enjoy going out for an evening and enjoying a beer or three. But if for some reason, alcohol was not available, I would be okay and have the same amount of fun.
On the positive side, you dont drive and generally are not in situations where it is a major issue. But, as Kevin points out, you can only roll the dice so many times before it does cause a major fuck up.
They say that in order to solve your own problems, you have to recognize you have a problem. Pretty sure you are not in that position at the moment.
Regardless of what brand, etc., having ~10 beers a day seems excessive. But, you’re an adult and nothing I (or Kevin or Swan or anybody else) can say will have any effect until you believe yourself there is an issue.
Anyways, just my 10000 foot view from someone who had a couple of conversations with you in Dolce Vita, ironically over a couple of beers! LOL
Re: You video – currently on a trip to Spain, and the video played here with no problems.
» Posted By Brian On 07/April/2025 @ 11:12 pm
I am sure you will hear from @Kevin on learning a language if you are resident in the country, and I tend to agree with him.
However, at the speed of which technology is advancing, “learning” a new language will get even easier.
I have a pair of translation earbuds that I have they are not too bad. On a recent trip to Taiwan, I found them to be about 75-80% accurate. BIt of a lag in the translation, but certainly better than nothing. Regardless, there is still no substitute for taking the time and making the effort to learn the language of where you live.
Let me ask you – are you okay with people who move to the US who never learn to speak english? Or should they be accommodated by having forms, menus, etc in their native tongue? 😛
» Posted By Brian On 02/April/2025 @ 4:39 am
«« Back To Stats PageLOL. @Kevin beat me to the comment about Mama’s glasses. The tape fix seems to be growing ever larger.
Any idea of her age? Probably younger than I think.
» Posted By Brian On 26/March/2025 @ 10:40 pm