simon43

No second inquiry will ever happen because the accused/convicted are Muslim. That is a 'get out of jail/don't go to jail/nothing to see here' card in the UK.... All we can hope for is vigilante justice.

I have zero interest in US politics, but can someone please clarify one thing? Did Trump win the election to be the next president? Yes. So that seems to suggest (to me) that more people want him to be president than the other candidates. Does that mean that all those people that voted for him are idiots? Seems to be that there are a lot of bad losers on this forum....

And start using tasers!!

You are a spy.... 🙂 As mentioned in another thread, my posts from Myanmar are 'on hold' for a few months, commencing from yesterday evening. Why? Because yesterday evening, the retina in my right eye detached! The retina tore in this eye some 6 years ago and degraded my vision by about 10%. So when this event occurred yesterday, I knew how time was of the essence. I was on a plane to Bangkok at 8am this morning, and have had the retina reattached already 🙂 However, I have to rest for a while and cannot travel on a plane (the air pressure in the cabin can affect the eye in some way). But I'm going to use my time in a good way 🙂 My UK state pension starts in June, which means that I do not need to teach in-class for a salary (I also have my online teaching income). So I'm going to spend a couple of months improving my spoken and reading/written Burmese by taking in-person lessons with a nature speaker 🙂 This couple of months will also allow the app developer to complete the update on my learning app, and it will then be back on Google Playstore 🙂 In the meantime, I've been creating new videos that follow the lesson-by-lesson Burmese government (the 'real' government) curriculum.

Thanks very much for your good comments! Actually, my posts from Myanmar are 'on hold' for a few months, commencing from yesterday evening. Why? Because yesterday evening, the retina in my right eye detached! The retina tore in this eye some 6 years ago and degraded my vision by about 10%. So when this event occurred yesterday, I knew how time was of the essence. I was on a plane to Bangkok at 8am this morning, and have had the retina reattached already 🙂 However, I have to rest for a while and cannot travel on a plane (the air pressure in the cabin can affect the eye in some way). But I'm going to use my time in a good way 🙂 My UK state pension starts in June, which means that I do not need to teach in-class for a salary (I also have my online teaching income). So I'm going to spend a couple of months improving my spoken and reading/written Burmese by taking in-person lessons with a nature speaker 🙂 This couple of months will also allow the app developer to complete the update on my learning app, and it will then be back on Google Playstore 🙂 In the meantime, I've been creating new videos that follow the lesson-by-lesson Burmese government (the 'real' government) curriculum.

Yes, interesting video, and they are doing exactly the same as 'farang' are doing. But you know what struck me the most about that video? The terrible air pollution, which you can clearly see in many of the external shots. 'Chiang Mai, a city to die in', sorry! I mean 'a city to die for'

About 6 years ago, the retina in my right eye tore, but did not detach. (Until lasik surgery some 20 years ago, I was very short-sighted in both eyes, about -12, or in medical terms 'almost blind as a friggin bat!') When the tore occurred (I saw blood in my vision), I quickly went to an optician, who checked and said that the retina was still attached. However, my vision in that eye reduced to about 90%, with more floaters than before. The vision has not degraded since that event, and I have had no further events. But the event did create double vision (at a distance). That is, if I look at something that's perhaps 10 or 20 metres away, I see 2 of it! Close one eye and my vision is good and I see a single object. This is the same for each eye that I close, with my right eye vision still good, but a little degraded when compared to my left eye. When I was in the UK about 2 years ago, I visited an optician who recognised this problem, very carefully measured my eyes, and then prescribed spectacle lenses which gave me single-object vision again. (Note that I have no problems with double vision at close distances - I see a single object). So this was great when I returned to Laos, where I was living at the time. Unfortunately, I then fell off my motorbike and broke one of the lenses in those glasses! Despite having the detailed prescription from the optician in the UK, neither the optician in Laos, nor an optician in Thailand were able to recreate spectacles that removed the double vision.. So, for the past few years, I have been walking around and getting a headache from seeing double. I often simply close my right eye when crossing a road for example, so as to give me clearer vision. Walking down steps is also difficult, because I can misjudge the steps due to the double vision. My question: I will be in Pattaya soon for a break. Can anyone recommend a competent optician who is aware of Binocular diplopia , and who might be able to provide suitable corrective glasses for me? Otherwise, I might resort to wearing a pirate patch over my right eye...

I've used them before because I often get rhinitis (spelling?) and a severely-blocked nose. It works well, also gargling with salt water. With this nasal inhaler, you need to tip your head back and allow gravity to do its thing. Certainly worth a try at 49 baht! I just use table salt...

Presumably it's because you're speaking American, not English....

The title states "2 off (sic) my dogs" How many dogs do you have?

[quote] As for safety - well...you're mostly correct if you do what you say, but there's always a small chance of becoming the victim of a crime, no matter how many precautions you take. The security situation in Myanmar has deteriorated since the coup and westerners make easy pickings for those who are desperate. That of course doesn't mean you're likely to be robbed, just that you are more likely to be a target compared to the locals. [/quote] 2 of the foreign teachers at my school had their bags/mobile phones stolen by passing motorbike riders in broad daylight. I always have my backpack straps over both shoulders. Still, if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time etc...

Great photos BB! [quote] Are you a dive instructor? No. [/quote] My guess is that you're working in the oil sector [quote] I'm surprised you've even decided to live in Myanmar given the circumstances [/quote] I had been visiting Kawtaung (at the southern tip of Myanmar) on many occasions since about 2002, to do visa runs. In 2012, and with a completely mad ex-wife making my life a misery, I 'fled' to the safety of Yangon, knowing that the mad bat would not follow me there! I moved 'sideways' in my career from my original space/satellite scientist in the UK, to small hotel builder (in Thailand), and finally to school teacher in Myanmar. I fell in love with the country and its people, but I have never gained a liking for most Burmese food, since it has too much grease/oil and animal genitalia.... Shan noodles is my favorite Myanmar dish. I lived in the brown-shuttered apartment in this photo in downtown Yangon. At any time of the day or night, I have never felt threatened in either Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, not in 22+ years. I attribute this to my belief that no-one will bother/mug/hassle you if you either look poor or look mad! As I tend to combine both attributes, those with ill-intent leave me alone... The first time that I expressed interest in visiting Dala (across the river), the local Burmese warned me that it was dangerous to go there. I went and ended up teaching English for free on my day off from my paid teaching job. Needless to say, I never found it dangerous 🙂 As to the 2 tourists who ignored me at the moat, perhaps it was my mad staring eyes and maniacal laugh as I said "Well hallooooo!!!" that put them off 🙂

Living in south-east Asia for 22+ years, jumping between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Right now I'm teaching in Myanmar, but Thailand is my 'base' and where my families are.

Yes, no curfew in Mandalay, but after dark (8pm), the streets are deserted. I did see 2 'white-skinned' tourists yesterday near the moat at Mandalay Palace, but they studiously ignored my greetings.... My hotel has a 24/7 generator, but (like most hotels), when the mains electricity supply cuts out, so does the hotel wifi router, since it has to reboot. I don't understand why hotels don't put their router on a car battery and inverter to avoid the 60 second reboot! So I also tie in at least 2 different mobile phone networks to my internet connection, to avoid breaks in my online lessons.

[quote] 1. The ongoing and persistent extent of the power outages seems a real ongoing issue, as is the widespread use (at least by mainstream businesses) of diesel generators so they can remain in business when the power goes out. 2. Repeated comments from the locals about how it's "not safe" to go out at night, but no real elaboration of what they mean by that. Not sure if they mean not being out after curfew, or simply not safe because of other reasons, police, military, crime, not sure. [/quote] The power outages are nothing new. There has been a lack of 'energy' in the country for decades. During my first teaching position in 2012 in Yangon, my tenement building had no generator and no battery power. I got used to sleeping in 30+ degree hot summer nights with no air-con and no fan! Breaking of a curfew by a local could no doubt lead to a severe beating and/or jail-time if caught. The level of petty crime/muggings has increased, so obviously a risk after dark. Certainly here in Mandalay, young men avoid going out after dark because of the risk of being picked up by roving military and forcefully-conscripted into the army.

I always marvel at how well Burmese women can balance items on their heads. Years ago, my school in Yangon had a special race on sports day for all the female admin staff to run while balancing a large bunch of bananas on their heads (no hands allowed)! I was amazed at how fast they could run without dropping the bananas. Anyway, today being Sunday and not too hot, I decided to walk from my hotel to the palace and moat, then up and down Mandalay Hill (all the way to the top pagoda), around the moat on all 4 sides, and then back to my hotel via the food shops. It was about 16 Km in total, but a very nice walk. Near Mandalay hill, there were various oxen carts with Burmese women and their offspring dressed up in beautiful clothes. They were happy for me to take some photos. Then the procession of carts set off along the road, with Burmese music playing. As I slowly climbed the 1,729 steps up to the top of the hill, (and then the same down again!), I could hear this music becoming more faint, to be replaced by the Buddhist chanting of a group of women who were praying at a pagoda hall about halfway up the hill. All in all, it was a nice way to spend a Sunday morning 🙂 I made my way to the Ocean food mall at Diamond Plaza. One issue that I have about food in Myanmar is that a lot of the food is not really very healthy! I like to eat fresh salads, but I'd need to buy the vegetables and prepare the salad myself. This means that those vegetables are somewhat 'withered' after a few days. No muesli either for breakfast. I tend to survive on fresh fruit and Shan noodle salad, but I don't think it's ideal in the long-term...

Jeez..........

Yes, Happy New Year to you as well. The problem with the Tatmadaw is that when they see me (a foreigner), they come over to shake my hand.... I haven't yet learnt the Burmese for 'sod off!' and it no doubt wouldn't be appropriate to utter that phrase 🙂 I must say that the hotel that I'm now staying in has a wonderful view of Mandalay Hill and the pagodas, about 4 km away from me. I wish I were an artist, since it would be good to paint a picture of the green hill and golden pagodas in the background, and the somewhat-ramshackle buildings in the foreground.

Tommy was jailed for contempt of court, because he refused to be silenced over his documentary about a bullying immigrant..... I've seen the documentary and the facts of that case. That immigrant bully should (IMHO), be deported from the UK.

Today is January 2nd and back to school. Except it's not! I got up at 6am, prepared my lessons, walked 40 minutes to school, only to find that the school bosses decided to take today and tomorrow as extra holiday, except no-one bothered to tell me lol. Oh well, no problem, back home and relax. I took this photo of some nice paintings on the wall of an empty house - very nice I went out to the print shop in Mandalay. There are a lot of police about with long guns, plus some fighter jets screaming over the city. Probably some new year fighting close to the city (the last reported fighting was only 13km away...)

Yes, most locals do stare and many total strangers come up to me to say 'Mingalaba' 🙂 On my 5km walk in Mandalay today and in the supermarket , I saw no foreigners.... I probably don't look like a visiting tourist either.... (thanks ChatGPT for the image).

I can find Myanmar beer at many shops and cafes/restaurants. But like most of the local Burmese, I won't buy it because of its ties to the military. (Were it not for those ties, I would drink it by the gallon!)

As it was New Year's Day, and a school holiday, I took a wander along by the palace moat. The banner above the road was a hopeful wish for a happy year, but I doubt if that will become true... The building shrouded in green on the left of my photo is the Hilton hotel, currently closed (like most tourist hotels). A memory that I have of Yangon are the many street booksellers. Burmese people are definitely keen on reading all manner of books. These bookstalls were set up by the moat, almost opposite the Hilton. There was an eclectic range of book titles,in both Burmese and English languages. Novels, history, Buddhism, Christianity, medical and law books - you can find almost whatever you want here, (but sadly I couldn't find a first edition of George Orwell's "Burmese Days"...

Yes!

I lived there for quite a few years. Don't visit in Jan-May >> too much smoke pollution! My goals for 2025: - Improve my Burmese language skills - Travel more within Myanmar (if I have enough time off from work) - Ramp up my educational charity (if $ allows!) - Try not to get killed in the civil war....