Comments Posted By Brian
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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
LOL. @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
Interesting video. I am a pretty simple guy, but a hard nope on the apartment she is living in.
Like most people, my living tastes and styles have expanded as my disposable income has increased. What would have been acceptable 25 years ago wouldn’t work today. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 25/March/2025 @ 11:38 pm
During my travels, if I got a case of the “walk fasts”, I would go on a plain rice-only diet for a day or two and rehydration with some sort of sports drink.
Most medicines (Imodium, etc.) only treat the symptoms and not the underlying problems, so never did want to take those.
Anyway, the above worked for me pretty much 100% of the time.
» Posted By Brian On 24/March/2025 @ 10:19 am
re: SOB dance contest
Having it every week really reduces the novelty and customer interest. They should move to a once/quarter or maybe once/month.
Familiarity breeds contempt in this case.
» Posted By Brian On 23/March/2025 @ 1:03 am
>I would love to hear the story about that “most unfriendly bar.”
We were staying in the town of Dingle (on the west coast) and went into this local bar. Old guy behind the bar playing chess with an equally old guy.
He had a really strong accent, and spoke partially in Irish, but I made out something about not serving us (and for sure, the bar was not closed). We thought he was joking so just kind of stood there, but he went back to his chess game and ignored us. So, after about 30 seconds, we got the hint and left.
Dont think he liked tourists. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 22/March/2025 @ 11:55 pm
>I guess there is no escaping my Irish heritage.
You should take Swan to Ireland. Spent three weeks there a couple a summer ago. Probably one of my favorite places to have ever visited. Dublin was just okay and worth a visit for a day or two, but absolutely loved the west coast (Dingle peninsula, Galway, etc)
(Visited the most unfriendly bar I have ever been to, but that did not detract from the overall visit. LOL)
» Posted By Brian On 21/March/2025 @ 11:39 pm
>That’s because I have basically quit the bar scene. In my former life I rarely went out drinking, and I just don’t need to acquire any more bad habits at this late stage of my life.
I had to laugh looking at the above quote from your LTG archives. I guess hanging out in bars maybe is not as ingrained in your DNA as you thought. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 20/March/2025 @ 11:31 pm
Re: People leaving the PI. I agree with you. I doubt it is a “mass exodus”. LOL
Exchange rate vs. $ has not changed all that much, and prices are rising everywhere. Most of those who leave came to a place like the PI with little to nothing in terms of savings or potential future earnings. There is really no backstop for a foreigner like that in a SE Asian country.
I think that the biggest reason people leave, and the the blogger does mention it, is medical. For chronic conditions or a major medical issue, I would much rather be in the US or other 1st world country. I am sure that there are trauma units in the PI that will provide western equivalent care, but they will come with western equivalent prices and usually require payment first and then want you to fight it out with your insurance company for reimbursement.
I may have mentioned this story before, but a colleague of mine was in a taxi accident in Thailand. I was called to go help him. He had been taken to a local state run hospital. I found him on a cot in a semi dirty corridor and hadn’t been seem after X amount of time. Got him moved to a private hospital. At that new hospital, I needed to provide my credit card, and later a bank guarantee that he (or the company) was good for any charges.
Fairly frequently, I see notice of a fund raiser for a foreigner that had some sort of medical emergency and needs funds to cover the treatment.
» Posted By Brian On 19/March/2025 @ 1:13 am
Bummer about the eye. Is this something you feel comfortable doing in the PI, or would you trek further afield (e.g. the US) to get this done.
Pretty sure that cataract surgery is a simple operation nowadays, but on the other hand, you only have two eyes, so you certainly dont want someone to f*** it up.
Good luck.
» Posted By Brian On 17/March/2025 @ 1:38 am
>The only exceptions to national park names in my subdivision that I’ve noticed are Alta Vista Drive, Roosevelt Street, and Capitol Avenue.
There is a Theodore Roosevelt National Park in South Dakota. So, maybe Capitol Ave. is the only exception.
» Posted By Brian On 14/March/2025 @ 11:00 pm
Is the Hideaway a late night type of place that starts rocking after your bedtime? Every time you mention it, you seem to be the only customer, yet they keep adding staff. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 10/March/2025 @ 10:56 pm
You mention going up to that house in a 4×4, which made me think; do you use your golf cart at all? How is it holding up?
» Posted By Brian On 09/March/2025 @ 7:40 am
Re: Routines
I bought my folks (who are both retired) a clock that instead of having time, has the days of the week. The clock face is divided into 7 quadrants and the (one) hand of the clock takes 24 hours to pass through that particular day. Bought it because my folks complained that they never knew what day it was as they all ran into each other. The point of the above is that obviously Mama keeps track of the days and knows when to expect you, which kind of surprised me. LOL» Posted By Brian On 06/March/2025 @ 12:13 am
Looks like pretty good long weekend trip. A change of scenery is always nice to recharge things.
In general, relationships are tough. As has been said, “In relationships, guys think their girl will never change… but girls think they’ll be able to change their guy. The funny part is, the guy never changes, and the girl changes way more than anyone ever expected!”
As long as Swan is happy and knows what the max level of your relationship will be, I guess all is good. I am assuming she is aware of your current marital status? If not, she deserves to know.
» Posted By Brian On 05/March/2025 @ 12:23 am
>DS, Trump is a better option than Harris, and the majority of Americans agree with me on that.
Putting on my @Kevin hat: Trump got a “plurality” of the vote, but did not get a “majority”. He received less than 50% of the votes cast. So, technically, the majority of voters did not agree. The majority voted for someone other than Trump. Same as in 2016 and 2020. LOL.
But, the election is over and I think that the good or bad any president does cannot realistically be assessed for at least 50 years. Gives time to look at things dispassionately rather than emotionally. E.g. tariffs – maybe short term good, long term terrible (or vice versa).
I think that Truman is a good example of that. During and immediately after his presidency, he was looked upon pretty unfavorably. With the passage of time, his terms are looked upon more favorably.
» Posted By Brian On 27/February/2025 @ 8:58 am
Looks like a good, albeit, tough trail. Unfortunate that your friend had some difficulty. But, if not used to steep trails + heat + humidity = not feeling good.
Curious how new hashers come into the group. You mention the latest one pretty much had no clue about what was going on. I would have assumed she would have known somebody who would have given her tips, etc. The Hash group doesnt seem like a group that someone would randomly join. #shrug
» Posted By Brian On 26/February/2025 @ 12:05 am
Re: Lahar – are they doing anything with it like mixing it to make cement or just trying to clear the area and reclaim the land?
Re: traffic. Never been to Manila but I thought Jakarta would be on the top of the list. Up until just a few years ago, Jakarta was the largest city in the world without a subway system. They finally got one line running, but still a mess.
While I was in Indonesia, Jakarta used to require vehicles entering the city during rush hour to have at least 3 (or maybe 4) people in the car or they would ticket you. Just before that zone, there would be a bunch of street urchins that cars would pick up, pay them a XX rupees to have them ride in the car to the city center so the car would meet the occupancy requirements. LOL
Bangkok sucks but they have actually done a very good job in expanding the subway system.
Realistically however, traffic sucks in any of those cities on the list.
Re: talent show video. Audio wasn’t too good, but I give the girls who sang credit for trying that. The others didn’t really show much talent; languorously moving around on stage to music. Guess it is no different than work for them. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 23/February/2025 @ 1:19 am
I’m with Swan in that I like my hikes pretty challenging. Looks like it was a nice walk through some of your less traveled areas.
Interesting (at least for me LOL) to see what foods make up your daily intake. Good on you for keeping your daily calorie count low, even with the beer intake.
» Posted By Brian On 22/February/2025 @ 2:53 am
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Re: Travel – as @Aaron asks, I also thought you were thinking of a trip back to Korea. I think you mentioned you were going to Vietnam, correct?
I would think that the PI has direct flights to all over Asia and Australia. Its a big world out there with lots to see. Just need to overcome the intertia. 🙂
» Posted By Brian On 20/February/2025 @ 1:22 am
>Yep, that’s the problem with tats–they don’t age well!
Never been a fan of tattoos, especially on females. A tattoo that seemed like a good idea when you are 20 possibly doesn’t seem as good an idea when you are 60.
A doctor friend told me: “I’ve seen a lot of naked people and have seen a lot of tattoos. Ive seen a lot of good tattoos and a lot of old tattoos. But I have to see a good old tattoo!”
» Posted By Brian On 18/February/2025 @ 10:06 am
That highway walk does look like it sucks. Traffic doesn’t seem like it is moving too fast, but I guess it would be fast enough if one of those cars hits you.
» Posted By Brian On 15/February/2025 @ 12:36 am
Re: Your house in the states.
Dont mean to pry but I thought you wrote about the saga of selling your house in the US. I assume this is a different one, or maybe I misread your earlier post regarding this.Re: All dressed up…
Probably just the lighting/reflection, as I assume that in your business portrait behind you, you are not wearing a red suit and have red tinged hair. LOLRe: Embassy
I have been trying to photograph every embassy and consulate in Bangkok. Chance to wander around various neighborhoods, etc. Haven’t been yelled at yet, but always try to be discrete, especially when photographing embassies of places such as China, Iran, etc.» Posted By Brian On 13/February/2025 @ 4:05 am
Re: Burning season. You mentioned burning season in a post a couple of days ago. Does it have much effect on the air quality? Bangkok has been getting slammed over the past 1-2 months. AQI regularly hits the high 200’s+. Burning season and alot of the problem comes from neighboring countries. In that respect, I assume the PI would not get hit quite as hard as it is an island.
» Posted By Brian On 12/February/2025 @ 1:08 am
Re: trail apps. I have been happy with All Trails to track my walks. I think it is pretty accurate on both distance and elevation.
I also use Far Out for specific trails and the two match up well.
» Posted By Brian On 11/February/2025 @ 12:46 am
«« Back To Stats PageJohn/Kevin, have you tried the live octopus in Korea? Tried it once from a vendor on the beach in Busan. Copious amounts of alcohol prior to eating the octopus no doubt helped with the courage to try it. LOL. Read afterwards that there are a few people a year who die from doing that. :eek
» Posted By Brian On 11/February/2025 @ 12:33 am