ChrisP24

The Italians have a phrase "Il Dolce Far Niente". Not intended as a way to live all of the time, but to balance your time to include just enjoying the moment without having an immediate goal. The Italian phrase il dolce far niente translates to "the sweetness of doing nothing". It's a central part of Italian culture and can refer to a range of activities, such as: Enjoying a coffee with a friend Watching the waves at the beach Sitting on a park bench and people-watching Reading a book on the couch The philosophy behind il dolce far niente is that: Spontaneity and adventure can bring joy, pleasure, and meaning Filling your time with structured activities can cause you to miss out on something wonderful You should balance structured activities with time for il dolce far niente Some benefits of il dolce far niente include: Appreciating the details of your day Stepping back from the world's chaos and hustle Enhancing creativity and well-being Il dolce far niente doesn't mean completely unplugging or taking a sabbatical. Instead, it's about making small changes in your life that can lead to bigger changes in the long run.

Gotta have someone to lick his wounds....

Don't tell my mum. She thinks I'm working online down there. And my online friends think I'm a digital nomad. Just kidding. I've never been to Vietnam. And my mum passed many years ago.

Good, reflective original post. I read something long ago about marriage that stuck with me, and that was after the initial romantic love wears off or at least matures, marriage is in its essence an economic, social and reproductive partnership. Although it has been many years since I've had a girlfriend (I'm open to it but my wife won't let me, which creates a considerable logistical obstacle), it occurs to me that perhaps having a longterm girlfriend naturally matures into something similar, part of which is a logistical partnership. There are hopefully other aspects too such as emotional support and intimacy. Figuring out what the purpose/benefit of the relationship is to both parties is probably the key to keeping it balanced. Both people might not want entirely the same things, but being willing to meet the other person's needs in exchange for getting your needs met seems healthy enough. To OP, can I ask, how did the five relationships end, who ended them, and is there any commonality to how and why they ended?

Well, actually that depends....

I just completed this quiz. My Score 57/100 My Time 105 seconds  

I think you may be worrying way too much. It's probably quite difficult to find a tenant to rent an entire three-story building, and you've been fortunate to have a good tenant for whom the building works so well that they've made a successful business out of it, and it appears that they may well continue to be your tenant for many more years. Add to this the fact that they continued to pay rent even during the pandemic. As successful business owners, your tenants have a strong interest in making sure that there are no mishaps like what you are worried about. You have insurance, they have insurance, and both of you can get more insurance if you are still worried. But if you really can't stop worrying, maybe consider selling the building. It's probably at peak value right now in light of having such a good long-term tenant and the associated secure revenue stream in place.

Using AI to post seems akin to throwing mud up onto the wall and then posting pics of whatever pattern it makes, as if it were your own meticulously-crafted artwork.

For some reason I am serially amused at the geo-targeted ads based on my IP address that result in me seeing advertisements for things like oceanside resorts in my home state -- which is 100% landlocked. Or clickbait ads that use a recognizable photo of a place that claims to be in my city or state, but isn't even in my country. Sometimes I think that those ads must be intentionally targeting people too stupid or unaware to notice, so they're more inclined to fall for whatever B.S. is being pitched. But then I think of the impact on our younger generation - - they are constantly being lied to or targeted for scams every time they go onto the internet or social media, and some of our kids spend a lot of time on the internet. From the time they first get their first cell phone, they start getting scam texts and calls. I wonder sometimes if that is twisting their view of the world so that they see the world as a place full of liars and scammers, to the point where they never form the concept of humanity being good and people generally being decent and honest.

An "expert" is someone who learns more and more, about an increasingly narrow topic, until at some point they know absolutely everything about nothing at all important. Similarly, perhaps when a person gains more and more free time, spent on increasingly frivolous activities, at some point they have all the time in the world to do nothing at all useful.

If my goal were to show 65k+ being actually transferred to a Thai bank account during each calendar month without any disruption, then if it were me, I would have everything go to my U.S. bank account during the month, and I would transfer my monthly living expenses of 65k+ on the 1st of each following month. That way you're not at the immediate effect of any issues with the pension payers or various payment processors. And if there are any issues, you have the rest of the month to complete the transfer and you also have as a source of funds a month of cash in your U.S. bank or brokerage account.

Good idea, house-sitting for an out-of-country foreigner might be ideal if OP can find that. Not sure how to advertise for that or where that would be advertised. It's a long shot but maybe someone here knows someone in CM. Best wishes to OP and his wife.

I didn't vote because your question is about your GF specifically. So, you visit for a month each year. You enjoy that, she enjoys that too, or at least tolerates it for whatever benefit she derives from it. You didn't say what that benefit is for her, would it be correct to assume that it's financial support whether you are there or not? In any event, clearly one month per year is enough for her, and the "marriage" was an unofficial local ceremony to placate an older relative, with the added benefit of keeping you hooked. This sounds a bit like a timeshare situation - - you only get to stay and enjoy the facilities during your brief alotted time, but in between you still have to pay ever-increasing monthly maintenance fees and occasional special assessments. And when you annualize it you discover that the accommodation is rather expensive for what you get, all for the illusion of ownership. And your unit most certainly does not sit around empty waiting for your next alloted time slot to come around. On the other hand, if you haven't been sending financial support, then maybe it's not a bad arrangement - - you both have someone you know and like with whom to spend a month together each year. And you each have the other 11 months to do whatever you want enjoying your separate lives. That is not necessarily a bad arrangement as long as both people see it that way. Maybe you can strike a fair balance by coming around to her way of thinking, and check to make sure that your financial resources are allocated accordingly. But if you want more than that, then it looks like that will have to come from another partner. And it's going to be very hard to find a partner who views the relationship as full-time and/or exclusive when you can only visit one month per year. So your current situation might be the best you can expect unless you find a local lady (local for you) or move.

I have visited my wife's province in the Philippines many times (Northern Luzon), and think it would be totally livable for a foreigner - - IF - - done with the wife's extended family as a framework and backstop for engaging with locals. And yes not all families or family members are good to have around, but a good family can make life so much easier, safer (and enjoyable!). That said, I personally would not want to live in the province, even short stays have me bouncing off of the walls by the third day craving something new to see. It all sounds quaint and relaxing until actually there on the ground and reality sets in. At least that has been my personal experience.

In recent years I've started referring to myself as an old guy, especially when around younger people. Because when I was their age I perceived people my current age as old. I don't feel old, but from their perspective I am, and I simply recognize that from their perspective, they're right. Doesn't bother me.

I just completed this quiz. My Score 40/100 My Time 72 seconds  

I searched and could not find the answer to this with regard to forum functions, so I'm posting the question here on forum functionality/how do I do this? Is there a way to block or opt out of specific sub-forums so that they don't appear in my "unread content" feed? Specifically the political soapbox sub-forum and possibly a couple of others. Thanks and I hope I've posted this question in the right area.

1. You put ice in your beer, even at home and indoors. 2. (related) you've tried all of the domestic and regional import beers and have your favorites solidly ranked into a fixed hierarchy. 3. (also related) you know the holidays and school day hours where alcohol sales are prohibited. And also where to find places that don't adhere to them. 4. You know how to cook several of your favorite Thai dishes, and where to shop to find the proper ingredients. 5. When in Phuket you know which aisles all your favorite items are located at your closest Super Cheap. 6. Your food pantry and fridge contain cans and bottles mostly devoid of your home country language on its labeling. And at least one of them is fish sauce. 7. You can ride a scooter in traffic through a roundabout without any change of speed, or any increase in heart rate or blood pressure. 8. You can tell the difference between 1 baht and 5 baht coins just by feeling them in your pocket. 9. You often buy full meals at 7-11 and even look forward to them. 10. Touts and scammers no longer bother even attempting to engage with you, even if they never saw you before (they just instinctively know you're immune).

LOL, another good response would be "not for you but I'm good for me". Once of the several resolutions I made when retiring a few years ago was to prioritize doing things for my own enjoyment. I worked all those years sacrificing and postponing my own joy for the betterment of other people, so now it's time to focus on myself and my immediate family, plus occasionally help a few deserving people out here and there where a little bit of time, effort or resources from me go a long way for them.

The five populated U.S. territories have been on my bucket list of places to visit, beyond cruise ship stops or airport transfers. Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Not sure if I would want to live on any of them, but you never know until you try it on for size. I've spent time on Puerto Rico with the military, which is a different experience from staying there as a resident, but to me it seemed very much like a Spanish-speaking counterpart to the Philippines, on many levels.

Oh Crap. I clicked on that link and now they're probably going to show up in my facebook feed and "friend" suggestions for the next several years..... Warning to others: if you click on it, do it incognito or even better on a throwaway device using a VPN. And then go take a long shower with Lava soap. To spare you a click, it's a facebook group of old gay and LGBTQ++??!! men who meet for coffee and....whatever. Not judging of course. 🙄

Yep. With full respect to Karl Mulden, I haven't used travelers checks since before 1980. It was kind of a racket, you give them cash, and they give you paper which never expires, but they have use of your cash until you spend them. American Express stopped issuing travelers checks long ago, but they still honor any old ones floating around out there, and are happy if you continue delaying redeeming them, and especially happy if you lose them and forget about them and never redeem them at all. Also one of the many joys of traveling to SE Asia is changing western currency for that huge wad of local cash, I call it my "Gangsta Roll". It stays in the hotel safe of course, with only enough cash on my person for my anticipated day's expenses. And of course using cards for larger expenses such as hotel, air fare, etc. If I had local bills such as utilities, then I suppose a digital payment method would be the most convenient and reliable, with the added benefit of having a good audit trail.

Well, it would be understandable if you forgot.

Perhaps I am a minority but I enjoy Gamma's posts and think he would be interesting to talk to over coffee. That said, I've noticed that the Gamma threads follow a pattern, they start with a long, thoughtful post from him that is a bit (or more than a bit) of thought-streaming, but not too hard to follow, and is often interesting and intelligent in my opinion, and distinctively honest in a way that only the truly self-aware can be. And with some satire mixed in that some people miss. And then shortly afterward, another short post from Gamma with a couple of follow up thoughts, usually before anyone else can reply. That shows that he doesn't edit his posts much before posting, and there is more that he thinks of to add to the topic. But then, detractors post, Gamma reacts, and the discussion is brought down toward the level of the detractors. So, while I look forward to the Gamma threads, I've learned generally to just read the initial few posts, except on those rare occasions when one draws some discussion from others who are actually thinking and contributing to the original topic, which I often find to be interesting and worthwhile, but that sadly seldom attracts others who spend any time to grow the spark or even keep it going.

My first thought at the pic as that he looks like crap. But then I see that he is 80? He looks quite good for 80. Inasmuch as he stole the identity 27 years ago, that would pre-date many of the modern databases, so his info just got loaded in as they were implemented. I doubt the same thing is possible or at least more than extremely rare today from a western country, without paying a lot of money and knowing who to pay it to.