BFD

Went to Saxophone a few nights ago. 100% non-smoking, which I think is fine (even though I smoke). However, if there was one clear-cut benefit to the haze of tobacco smoke in the air, it was that we were spared the disgusting smells of our fellow pub-goers. Seriously, I have not been subjected to that amount of flatulence and armpit stench in a long time.

Again, I feel the law is a good thing, as I want to cut back on smoking myself. Also, having come from Canada, I know that it's a viable and enforceable law (people will still go out for their smokes in the dead of winter). I just wish we could somehow convince everyone to stop farting and start showering.

Merci,

BFD!

Surfing With the Alien - Joe Satriani

BFD!

Thanks for the Yamipod suggestion. I am getting really sick of iTunes. I'll check this one out when I get home today!

Cheers,

BFD!

Alice - Tom Waits

BFD!

I would like to say that I'm open-minded enough to not jump to the 'romantic' conclusion, but the reality is that my mind leaps there immediately.

Something in myself that I'll have to address, I suppose.

BFD!

Satan is My Motor - Cake

BFD!

Took the pseudo-girlfriend (I always wanted to remove that 'pseudo') for dinner and drinks on Soi 11. Bought her a few small gifts. I was at my most charming and witty. This was surprising, since I was still suffering from a bacterial infection and had barely eaten in 5 days. Was later told that it was all over, and that there was no reason for us to continue seeing each other.

Happy Valentine's Day, indeed!

BFD!

Thanks everybody. It turns out it was bacterial. Something to do with bananas in Chiangmai. I've been given appropriate meds and am on the road to recovery. I didn't eat a single scrap for almost exactly four straight days, when I was able to get a peanut butter and jam sandwich into me. Stomach is still a but tender, but I'm definitely getting my strength back. Now, I'll just need to get back to beer-drinking health!

BFD!

Kashmir - Led Zeppelin

BFD!

Gotcha, thanks for the reply. No fever at all, so I guess I'm somewhat clear.

As I said before, backne isn't a new thing to me, but this seems to be more widespread. Again, possibly jumping to conclusions due to the simultaneity of the issues.

Thanks,

BFD!

Hi there, I know these are going to be pretty vague symptoms, but hopefully someone can help me out.

I recently came back from a trip to Chiangmai. I was there from Wednesday to Saturday, staying at a guesthouse that I have stayed at plenty of times before. I've eaten the food there several times and sampled their delightful banana shakes. My last meal there on Saturday was a banana pancake with honey. Came back to Bangkok Saturday afternoon and ate some Kraft Dinner (my Canadian comfort food), and hit the town at about 9:00.

Around about 11:30 (perhaps two drinks into my night), I feel an intense wave of nausea envelop me. Now, I have had my fair share of alcohol-induced vomit-sessions, and this was not one of them. I tried to persevere, but was home by 1:00 or so, and vomited an ungodly amount of brown fluid into the toilet. This was followed by frequent trips to the toilet to expel waste from the other end. This persisted all day Sunday without dissipating, until I passed out from sheer exhaustion. Monday, I was feeling slightly better, but opted to call in sick. Monday night, I felt almost normal, so I resolved to come in to work.

This morning (Tuesday), I woke up and had a much-needed shower. As I felt water run down my back, I knew it felt 'strange'. I looked in the mirror at my back (tough to do!) and saw that I was covered in what looked like 'backne' (acne of the back). I'm not a stranger to this, but this amount was something I certainly wasn't accustomed to.

I'm all plugged full of drugs now, keeping the fluids inside so I can teach. What I'm wondering is if there's any way my symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, backne) could be related? It's Tuesday morning now, and I really haven't eaten anything since Saturday afternoon. I feel 'better', but I know that I'm still not out of the woods.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. By the way, I WILL go to a doctor if things aren't better by tomorrow.

Thanks,

BFD!

My first tape was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soundtrack! It was purple (for Donatello).

That was when I was about 11. I finally bought a CD a year later, and it was Led Zeppelin IV, so you know my tastes improved pretty rapidly.

Currently sitting at 800+ albums and counting.

BFD!

I'm heading to Hua Hin tomorrow with a few of my expat friends. We're all in the 25-27 range and looking for a good place to drink and play guitar. Any recommendations? I suppose this might not be the correct thread to post in, but it's very early and I'm very hungover ...

BFD!

Thanks spot,

It looks a wee bit out of my price range, but I'll keep an eye on the website. Anybody have other suggestions?

Thanks,

BFD!

At least the Oilers are still dominating the Northwest division... oh wait... Well, at least they still have Pronger... dam_n it! Have a pint at the Black Dog on Whyte and warm up with a donair!

BFD!

Sorry BFD, Black Dog had a fire! Well, more smoke than flame but....

Black Dog had a fire?! Was someone just fed up with the cold and tried to create a little warmth? Man, there are easier ways to do it!

You say 'more smoke than fire', so my worry is alleviated a little bit. I hope it's in full working order by the time I visit in July.

BFD!

Hi folks,

Does anyone know of a place near Onnut (or near the BTS, really) where I can get a fried musical keyboard repaired. It's a keyboard from Canada, and it got plugged in without a voltage converter.

First of all, is it a lost cause? It won't power on with (or without) a voltage converter and it doesn't even work with batteries.

So, anybody know of an electronics wizard who can take a look at my keyboard?

Thanks,

BFD!

Hello folks, apologies if this is the wrong forum.

I'm looking to buy a musical keyboard. I'm looking to spend somewhere in the 5-15k range (depending on make and model). Does anyone know of any music stores in Bangkok that will actually list their products online? I'm a careful shopper and I like to sit for hours, racked with indecision as I agonize over a few dollars.

Needless to say, the high-pressure salesmanship in most stores in Bangkok really stops me from taking my time and I usually just walk out empty-handed. I know, I know, it's a different culture and I should just accept it, but I just can't stand someone following me around and looking over my shoulder.

So, any accurate websites out there for musical instruments in Bangkok?

Cheers,

BFD!

Yeah, please post some more details about this library here. Didn't think I'd come across one in BKK.

BFD!

Regardless of those drawbacks, I'll take plus 30 over minus 30 for the rest of my life and not regret the decision. I can deal with having to put ice in my beer if it means that I'm not literally risking death by walking outside for more than 15 minutes. (Actually, in Bangkok I guess I am risking death, but it's not from the weather...)

Here's your typical morning in January in Edmonton:

- Wake up, curse the alarm clock, and throw off the three blankets I use to keep warm.

- Stumble to the shower (you can see your breath at this point).

- Take a scalding hot shower and then sprint back to your bed and dive under the covers, shivering.

- Wait twenty minutes.

- Start the car 20-25 minutes before you have to leave. Understand this isn't just because Alberta has a lot of oil and we feel

like wasting it (although, for some people, that is the case); in Edmonton weather, your car will quickly break down if you

just start it and go, like you can here in Bangkok.

- Get dressed in your winter best (two pairs of socks, usually one thin pair of gloves followed by a thicker pair, toque [or woolknit cap ], heavy winter jacket, flask of Crown Royal in pocket.

- Usually, I'll forget that the car has been plugged in all night and I'll drive away, ripping the extension cord from its socket on

the side of the house.

- Make your way to work (100km/h if there's no ice or snow on the road, 25km/h is more likely in January, though), praying

that your car will continue to function.

Man, now I don't mind having to dodge elephant turds and drunks on my way to work!

BFD!

At least the Oilers are still dominating the Northwest division... oh wait... Well, at least they still have Pronger... dam_n it! Have a pint at the Black Dog on Whyte and warm up with a donair!

BFD!

No seriously, has anyone got the opposite experience, i.e. a person you know improved greatly, good sides have grown and overwhelmed the bad ones while living in Thailand?

If I could engage in some self-reflection for a moment, I'd say that being in Thailand has made me a better person. One poster mentioned the God-complex regarding approaching women and I'd have to say that it can be a good thing, to a point. Of course, any confidence that gets close to arrogance is a bad thing, but realizing that you aren't an ugly, inept fool can do wonders for one's worldview. Sure, many of the 'bargirls' are simply stroking egos to get the wallet to come out, but not every girl is a bargirl (thankfully!).

I was one of those awkward, shy, sarcastic fellas back in farangland, and I didn't realize what I had to offer as a person until I came to Thailand. Again, the God-complex thing is definitely bad, but an injection of confidence has seriously changed my life. I was back in farangland for Christmas, and many people commented on how self-assured I was, how I had seemingly 'found myself'. I hope they weren't making up a euphemism for arrogant pr*ck!

BFD!

1. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

2. Ween - The Mollusk

3. Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve

BFD!

I concur about the size of the breakfast at the Dubliner. I have never successfully finished it (and I'm not a small guy).

Points against the Dubliner are the two (2) times I have had a small cockroach crawl onto my plate during breakfast. I realize TiT, but it's still gross...

BFD!

I, too, would like something like this. If anyone has any information about this, please post it or PM me. I'd very much appreciate it, since my laziness is becoming the stuff of legend.

BFD!

Enthroned Darkness Triumphant - Dimmu Borgir

Good old classic Scandinavian Black Metal.

BFD!