donna

Wifey hated Kuta. The local "cowboys" never left her alone. Even from across the street, while holding my hand, they would yell at her and ask if she wanted a date. They were aggressive and very rude. I for sure will never go there again.

We did stay at Legian and it was much better. And we loved Ubud.

Yeah, i know this is a late reply. Maybe now you guys know how it feels now when the bargirls are calling out to you when you are walking down the street with your wife or girlfriend.

it must be remembered that these cases have been on the go since September.

there are rumours that one hotel is infected, but this is not proven. other rumours are stating that it may be a shopping centre and a large tourist attraction with misters (used to keep guests cool).

people should not panic at this stage, as it is far from the plague proportions that are widely being reported by the media.

And I hope he repays Tracey in full and then some.

Im pretty sure that Tracey wouldnt expect anything in return. She sounds like a gem of a Good Samaritan who wanted to help another human being in need. Hats off to you Tracey. Many would never have done what you did.

wouldnt you love to be on the plane with him on the way home (not).

i would say he waxes his chest these days too.

i stayed in Thailand for 8.5 years all up. I loved MOST of my time there, and i loved MOST things about it. My last two years were spent in Phuket and i became a little disillusioned in the end. more than likely the reason for that was the fact that i worked smack in Patong during those two years. whilst in phuket i made some great friends and remain in touch until now, but in the end, i think it was the sex tourism in my face that got to me.

i have been in Bali for just over 2 years now, and am quite settled here.

When in thailand i did go through stages of 'what the hel_l am i doing here' but i did get over them.

i guess there comes a time in many peoples lives where they move on. and the grass IS often greener on the other side - probably because we cultivate it more.

I'm with you Mig, as I find i am more productive if i shop alone. i can usually get in, get out and have an armful of items if i am alone.

I don't enjoy dining alone, but I do enjoy the occasional splurge with a friend.

Have traveled alone for 3 months and really loved it. In fact, i was rarely alone!

Movies - yeah, i can do that alone, but if i am going to the cinema, i prefer to go with a friend. Then I dont feel so silly walking out red eyed at the end (as usually happens at ANY movie...god, I saw the last half hour of Marley and Me the other day and thought i was going to vomit i was crying so hard).

Gym - prefer alone. For sure.

Spa - prefer alone as i hate the jabbering that some friends insist on when getting massaged.

I went out with a guy once who got out a pocket knife and started cutting up his CHINESE FOOD (which is already cut up in to teeny tiny pieces). SO embarrassing.

dont complain about expensive. here in Bali, we pay around AUD25 for a jar that costs AUD5 'back home'.

nose picking in public grosses me out.

making those sickening hacking noises in the morning pre-spit is nasty.

the fly-doing-up isnt so bad for me, but i dont see why they cant do it before they leave the bathroom.

not washing hands after using the bathroom is just wrong (for either sex).

nasal hair - yuk.

i dont like the bare leg above the sock line and before the hem line either, but thought i was being a tad fussy, so thanks to whoever pointed out that little gem.

too short shorts arent a good thing (again, on either sex).

and the pic of the bodybuilders by lady heather just makes me wonder if that man is looking for his 'bits'.....

I lived in Thailand for 8.5 years and have now been living in Bali, Indonesia, for nearly 2 years.

I was a little tired of living in Thailand and was planning on moving back to Australia, but got a job offer for Bali and snapped it up.

For a woman, I think Bali is better than Thailand (yes, I know I am comparing an island to a nation/kingdom, but please dont jump on me for that)

sick puppies.

now THAT is a nice thing to do. Good for you, sailors.

i dont believe for a single second that the jet ski operators will comply with ANY rules set by anyone.

aha, but you CAN mix comfort and style!

a nice pair of jeans can be super comfy, and stylish as well. sure, you may not get to wear your LBD on the island, but you can still look nice without having to resort to fishermans pants every day.

patsy, you will find that the men on this forum really dont like Michael Hutchence. I started a thread about him a while back saying he is dirrrrty sexy, but so many men jumped aboard saying he wasnt sexy blah blah blah.

well, IIIII think he is! doesnt matter what others think.

im sure the wives of the men on this forum all think that their men are sexy - so it proves that it takes all kinds hey!

going from past experience, somebody has to put up their hand and say "I will find three venues and we will vote on them". following that, a selection of, say 3 dates should be given, and majority vote taken (remembering that you will never make everyone happy).

menus, drink inclusions and the rest can then be decided.

its not a HUGE stress, but if nobody takes control of it now, it will never get off the ground.

besides arranging a formal get together, there is always the option of having an informal one.....just post something like "I will be in XYZ bar on XYZ date at whatever time" and see who turns up. i did that a couple of times in Bangkok and got to meet a whole heap of people.

classic title.

but i have to say, when i lived in Phuket, the injection of seamen was always a welcome sight. very easy on the eyes, and usually such gentlemen too. always made a change from the crusties.

this is a photo of Seonai (in the middle) in happier times. I am sure that the others in the pic wont mind it being posted, as it was such a lovely day for all of us. I remember it clearly.

Seonai was a great lady who shared a lot with me when we were living on Ko Yao Noi together. we helped each other remain sane at times, i can tell you!

just last week i was talking to Seonai on skype, and some of her last words to me were:

So, know that I'll always have good memories of you and just enjoy thinking of the fun times you had with me... won't be long now dear

Sorry hon please keep your spirits high and always remember that every negative has a positive okay XXX

Here its 1am... let's see how it goes. Very proud of the way you've created a life for yourself

positive to the end.

I am sure that Seonai is at eternal peace now. I will be holding up a Vodka and Tonic in her honour this evening.

May you rest in peace and come back to haunt those who deserve it! I expect you to jump on the end of my bed every now and then to let me know you are OK (Seonai did say that she would do that).

sweet dreams.

reading this thread breaks my heart. knowing Nampeung personally and having shared a lot with her, it will be hard to imagine this planet without her here.

Sheryls post was one of the most compassionate and thoughtfully written posts i have seen ... ever ... on this forum.

Nampeung has put up with this disease for some years now, and I cannot say just how I would be handling the fact that my passing is just around the corner.

As I am not in her position, I can only say what I THINK I would do if I were in the same boat.

I would want my family around me, and I would want to laugh with them and share fun memories of years past.

I would want to enjoy my favourite foods as often as i can (i often say that if anyone finds me dead with an ice cream spoon in my mouth and melted chocolate dribbling down my chin, they can be happy in the knowledge that i was happy at that moment).

from what i have been told, the moment of 'passing' is very peaceful and not one to be feared (although, sitting here now, it scares the crap out of me, but if i were in Nampeungs position, the feeling will probably very well be different).

I am not sure where we go after we pass on, but I DO believe in 'ghosts' (for want of a much better word). I do believe that people who have passed can pop in every now and then, even though i have never experienced it for myself.

to Nampeung, i say that you are a strong woman and i know you will fight to the end. get rid of all the bad stuff and be happy. Tell Ziyo that you love him every day, as well as your other family members. pass on all the 'life' information you can to him, and be comforted in the knowledge that so many of us love you.

such sad news Wolfie. may your dear dad rest in peace.

you could also try destination-asia.com

i live in bali and am based in Sanur. i really like the area as its a bit quieter than Kuta, and the hassle is considerably less. in fact, i rarely get hassled at all. one small trick is to whack some earphones in your ears - even if they arent connected. people just think you cant hear them!

there are plenty of villas around with private pools. i highly recommend The Kunja, The Dusun or The Villas. another option is Bali Ayu Villas. cheap and cheerful in a good location.

for sightseeing, i think the best thing to do is climb Mt Batur for sunrise. awesome.

you have to to go Tegalalang for the rice terrace views.

ubud for Babi Guling at Ibu Oka's restaurant.

Taman Safari & Marine Park for a fun day out.

Waterbom Park for an even MORE fun day out!

Walk along the boardwalks at either Kuta or Sanur beaches. really lovely.

June/July usually have fabulous weather (its the opposite of Phuket weather) and those months usually also see the Kite Festival in Sanur. some of them have tails 50m long and they fill the sky. really cool.

some of the temples on the island date back to the 9th century, so if its history and culture you are after, Bali certainly has that.

restaurant wise, Bali has some fab places. i recently went to Kayuputi at St Regis and it was absolutely stunning. sure, it nearly bankrupted me, but the experience was divine.

Sarong Restaurant in Seminyak is wonderful with a beautiful design and great food.

Nutmegs at hu'u is another great restaurant with a romantic atmosphere.

Breeze @ Samaya is also a lovely beachfront restaurant who serve great sunset cocktails.

Hope some of this helps you!

Menjangan Island for some great snorkeling or diving.

i live in bali and have an IM2 broadband 3.5G usb modem which i bought from Indonsat, the national provider. it works OK for me.

what hotel are you staying at? they may very well have free WIFI anyway?