sipi

Hey OP. I don't want to sound patronizing or a smart-ass. What I am trying to say is....be careful.

I have lost good friends from Australia, New Zealand and Holland by having them visit me here. Their concept of Thailand isn't what Thailand really is. The glossy brochures, photos, videos and emails don't justify what the place is really like. Really pick his brains and ask what he would like to see, then let him know the possible downfalls. Sure Ayuthaya is interesting, as long as it isn't sweltering humid heat ,or if he doesn't have a tummy upset and needs a toilet in a hurry. The small things can ruin a holiday, and a friendship.

Has he traveled extensively before, used a squat toilet, sat on a long haul Asian bus for hours at a time?

Please don't lose a friend over this.

Have fun....

He is coming from California...

Possibly he might be a little disappointed with the beaches and diving here as a comparison; possibly, possibly not.

Does he want to do more of the same, or try something new?

I am thinking definitely immerse him in Isaan culture, possibly something unique along the Mekong. River cruise, long boats??

And the river Kwai region, for sure.

Other than that, you both seem intelligent Gents. Ask him directly and plan accordingly.

I can't cook. My long-suffering wife spoon feeds me.

Having said that, I try hard to BBQ occasionally with limited success; or to toss a part of an animal into the oven and pray it doesn't become a burnt offering.

It isn't worth starting an entire thread about this (and why should I when I have dear friends on TVF who actually know how to cook), but....

Rocket grows like a weed around our place.

Can anyone offer some Rocket recipes?

Tuk hates it, it does have quite a strong flavor which I quite enjoy in small doses. I put a little into a salad, or onto some steamed fish occasionally; but that is my limit.

He is acting CC.

i just wish i would have more time...and soon i will buy him a Thai T- shirt to accomplish the mission his father hasn't done so far...

Hey CC. Please give Uncle Phil and Aunty Tuk the honor of buying Uriel his first "been there, done that" shirt.

I can assume that Champers and CC have a wardrobe full of Thailand tee-shirts, and have shat themselves regularly in public....

Anyway.....

the latter one junior chef is doing on a daily base...

Uriel is growing so fast. It gets better by the day CC.

you are so right bro...58 cm and 6 kg...in the old days i spent my money on beer and fags now on powder milk and nappies...but I think i said this before,still a great experience..

As per PM CC, it gets better by the day. My son is 4 and a half years old. I have literally had 40,000 hours of pure fun.

I can assume that Champers and CC have a wardrobe full of Thailand tee-shirts, and have shat themselves regularly in public....

Anyway.....

the latter one junior chef is doing on a daily base...

Uriel is growing so fast. It gets better by the day CC.

I can assume that Champers and CC have a wardrobe full of Thailand tee-shirts, and have shat themselves regularly in public....

Anyway.....

Assume what you like; your thread is still garbage. You can do better. Maybe tomorrow, eh?

Thanks for your input. You have nothing of substance to offer. Goodbye.

Anyway....

Oh come on Gents. This isn't about tee shirts and pooping oneself. Are there any other "Thai myths" we can dispel at the local pub?

I can assume that Champers and CC have a wardrobe full of Thailand tee-shirts, and have shat themselves regularly in public....

Anyway.....

Sipi you drink too much...nothing of the above mentioned things happened to me neither here or back in the old country...except that i was heavily pissed...

Hey I was sober when I thought I shat myself. I was also sober when I never bought a Thailand tee-shirt. I am also sober now...

I have had 3 drinks, anyway,......

I hope you feel better when you sober up. Then you could start a new thread: "The stupid threads we start when we are drunk"

Not drunk. I have literally had a few drinks..

Anyway...

I wanted to grab her with both hands by the back of her M.4 blouse and bodily throw her out of my third story classroom window.

Why would you chosse to be a teacher if you stutter ?? Also you might want to control your anger, you sound like a ticking time bomb. tttick, ttttick.

I appreciate your concern, but the sentence you latched onto was strictly hyperbole, and only included to add color and humor to the story, and to help people understand how it feels to be mimicked in public.

The subject of the thread isn't whether people who stutter should be allowed to teach. The subject is why Thais seem to have a lower incidence of stuttering than Westerners.

But to answer your question, I choose to teach in Thailand because I have a degree in English, generally enjoy teaching and kids, it keeps me active, and it's one of the few forms of employment which foreigners can do in rural Thailand. I have been successfully teaching in Thailand for many years, and as I said in my OP, my stutter isn't that pronounced.

Might I add, as long as we are exchanging first impressions of one another, that you sound like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

As a father of a 3 yr. old girl going to school in Thailand I found that comment to be extremely disturbing, understand? Don't try to sugar coat it, you're an idiot. Plain and simple........

And as the father of a four year old; my son goes to school to learn, not to teach. A student does not mimic his/her teacher, full-stop. And a teacher does not mimic his students, full-stop.

The OP is within his rights to be annoyed by his students behavior. To this day, my wife holds her teachers in the highest regard. She would never mimic her teachers, ever; and she is now in her thirties.

I've had a few quiet drinks, and have a few quiet questions; after all, we are at the pub...

Do you own a Thai tee-shirt?

I have bought a few over the years. The odd "beer chang" singlet, or that bizarre off-orange colored "Bangkok" tee-shirt to give to a friend or two. But I never owned one myself until yesterday. Thanks Phaunwhan for a belated XMas present. A black Thailand shirt thank goodness.

Have you ever shat yourself?

Seriously, I haven't.....yet. I have come bloody close a few times, but never actually had to 'clean myself up' so to speak.

I thought I did, a long time ago. Father-in-law, wife and I went off three-up on a Honda Wave to visit Grandma (who has since passed on). Man, I am sure I passed more than a hot-fart. When we arrived at Grandmas I politely refused to get off the motorbike thinking that I had stained my pants. Talk about awkward. When we arrived back home I checked myself, I was as dry as a desert. Couldn't believe it.

Over to you.....

Some pub-trivia..

Do you remember the song "You ain't seen nothin' yet" by BTO?

Well, the singer Randy Bachman couldn't hold a note, so he 'stuttered' the words instead to last the distance, and it became an international hit.....

Edit. Neither of them were Thai....

There are weirdos world-wide.

Thanks everyone for some thought-provoking ideas.

I will definately look at Japan, and possibly NE India....

And of course CM zoo in the meantime.

My wife and I were watching a documentary in English, with sub-titles in English. They were interviewing a man who was involved in a fatal car crash, and he stuttered; so they put sub-titles in. No matter how hard I tried, I could not explain to my wife why they did that; she just couldn't understand.

The Thais that I have met are very articulate with their speech, but I am sure there are many that have problems. Aussies are known as "lazy" spreakers; we shorten every second word to two syllables, and mumble the rest.

My friends wife owns an internet shop, and every time an Aussie walks in, all she can hear is "mmnnn ttrry mmmaaww...". It drives her mad.

My biological father stuttered really bad but I didn't meet him for nearly 30 years as I was adopted by a doctor. I never stuttered, but have always been self-conscious about speaking. I assume it is somewhat learned, but possibly also genetic.

Good news Gents. I have just heard from him for the first time in months. Call the helicopters back to base.

I am thinking at the moment. Fly to Kathmandu and bus to Pokhara. Not really at the snow, but close.

Need some more info on visas etc. Maybe the Japan, Korea option is better.

I didn't even think about Japan. To me the words 'Japan' and 'expensive' go hand in hand. Maybe worth a "once in a lifetime" trip?

Korea.

Yes, Japan, Korea; I didn't even think about these places.

South China??

Japan for safety, nearness, hospitality, quality, and the cultural experience.

Suggest Sapporo in Hokkaido. Enjoy the wonderful nearby hot springs resorts nestled in the snowy mountains. Plenty of nearby ski and snow play areas as well.

I didn't even think about Japan. To me the words 'Japan' and 'expensive' go hand in hand. Maybe worth a "once in a lifetime" trip?