JohnBarleycorn

Good Air from Panasonic....

Keeps me from going CRAZY in the heat of the night.

Before I came to Thailand, I knew I was crazy, crazy in so many little ways, nothing major, but still crazy compared to the people I knew in my old neighborhood.  Maybe I was out of step with the culture from which I hailed. Or, maybe the place where I lived before coming to Thailand was not fit for me.

And, after coming to Thailand, I have not exhibited so many aberrant behaviors; In fact, I am sure that I am saner than I was during my past life.

These days, looking via Google at the places from whence I came, I now realize that I was not half as nutz as my old neighbors mistakenly believed.

I am actually far saner than they, just because I have escaped their insane asylum, and they are still amok in it.

Yes, for sure, the people with whom I once spent time, I now realize were mentally infirm.

These days, I enjoy my time drinking tea and communing with birds. Also, I teach on a volunteer basis for free.  I need not worry about the hot weather, nor even do I need to walk around in the noonday sun. I have a very powerful AC which protects me from the vapors.

So, what about you?

Did people judge you crazy before you left your old haunts to travel to paradise?

AND…who are the crazies now?

Take a look back at the way countries are spiraling down. Yet, here in Thailand?  Things are not only good…Things are GREAT!

I am not crazy no more.

But I am crazier than ever for Thailand!

And, inside my room at the moment….The temperature is 22 degrees C.

Burrr…….

And, my thoughts on the Wuhan Virus and social distancing?......

“The whole conviction of my life now rests upon the belief that loneliness, far from being a rare and curious phenomenon, is the central and inevitable fact of human existence.”
― Thomas Wolfe

On 6/3/2020 at 6:37 AM, cmarshall said:

Is ignorance ever better than knowledge? 

 

I started learning Thai at age 60 on my own in the States.  I have continued to study here in Thailand, first at the Intensive Thai program at Chulalongkorn U and subsequently one-on-one at Sumaa Institute.  Yesterday, for example, I had a three-hour online session with my teacher in which we talked about politics, the current situation in the US, the performance of several countries in controlling Covid, Thai expressions, etc.  I was able to express my thoughts throughout, sometimes fluently, sometimes groping for specialist vocabulary.  My teacher taught me several new expressions, which is a current focus of mine: ราดน้ำมันเข้ากองไฟ, หน้าไหว้หลังหลอก (an indispensable phrase which I had learned, but forgotten), and ปล่อยไปตามยถากรรม, discussion of which helped refine my understanding of the niceties of the Thai concept of karma.

 

I am just finishing reading Tongchai Winichakul's "Siam Mapped" in Thai with my teacher which has enriched the academic Thai in my Anki deck.

 

But the frustrations haven't stopped, of course.  The handymen in my building speak with a strong Isaan accent, very clipped.  I can hardly make out a word they say.

 

My Anki deck has 14,271 cards of which I can probably recognize 60% to 70% and cold recall somewhat fewer.  But from Anki I also learned to touch-type Thai nearly as fast as English, which helps a great deal with remembering Thai spellings.  However, I am not fully satisfied with my retention rate with Anki and plan to add memory palace techniques for the stubborn words.

 

Language study is a very fair enterprise.  The more you put in, the more you get out.  

 

In my opinion the best thing about Thailand is the Thai language.  It's too bad so many expats miss out on its unique pleasures.

Anyone as ambitious as you are about learning Thai after age 60....

Must obviously be a Princeton Man.

I am sure that I am not incorrect.

But, am I correct?

Anki is great.

Anki is incomparable.

The developer and maintainer of Anki is also a really nice person....

Sort of an academic in the most positive sense.

My hat's off to Anki, for sure!

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That reminded me of this one. Great movie!

 

Yes.

Wonderful film.

And, this had been on my mind.

37 minutes ago, JohnBarleycorn said:

If you are serious about learning the Thai language, then you should let your mother know.

If she is as wonderful as you say she is, then she will help you learn Thai.

There are very few people in Thailand who are not very willing to help others learn their language.

If you wish to let your mother know that you are serious about learning Thai, then please begin by learning 1000 basic Thai vocabulary words. If you can do this, then I guarantee that your mother will take your Thai-language learning project much more seriously.

More importantly:  Your mother may not feel comfortable or qualified to teach Thai.  And, if this is the case, then please don't press the issue.  Instead, if you wish to learn Thai, then take advantage of the many resources on the internet.

Basically, what I think is that true dyed-in-the-wool Asian guys will never leave Thailand.

We might retreat to Wyoming or Rapid City, but our heart will be left in Thailand, forever.

On lockdown, even if one can still video-link to women, yet one misses most in these thankless circumstances the scent of a woman, at least in my view.

I do appreciate the scent of a woman just as a woman gravitates to the smell of a man.

Here is a quote which proves my point:

“I’d loved women who were old and who were young; those extra kilos and large rumps, and others so thin there was barely even skin to pinch, and every time I held them, I worried I would snap them in two. But for all of these: where they had merited my love was in their delicious smell. Scent is such a powerful tool of attraction, that if a woman has this tool perfectly tuned, she needs no other. I will forgive her a large nose, a cleft lip, even crossed-eyes; and I’ll bathe in the jouissance of her intoxicating odour.”

1 minute ago, kenk24 said:

just relax and float easily along with the tides... 

It's so easy to relax if you try.

Just don't think about the time going by.

And, don't tell me 'bout your mother.

59 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Sounds like they  have an aerobics  class going on.

A class of only one, but loud enough for a class of 39.

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

I always see the sign for Palm Bay when driving south to visit my sister in Boynton Beach on I95 . and I always tell my wife "there is a TVF member who lives here" and she always say "I know, you tell me the same thing every time" LOL

One of these days i will take the exit and have a look around. Now she wants to go south to a Mango farm and pick mangoes. 

 

After so many years of unquestioned ThaiVisa preeminence, and all it stands for, no doubt there is a TVF member living almost anywhere. Sammy Davis Jr., according to what I have read, read TVF when he needed a little pick-me-up, especially when he was on the wagon.

Well, all I can tell you is that, even by video link, and even at my advanced age, I still feel attracted to women, sometimes more strongly, depending upon the flux of the Moon.

A few days ago, while teaching a young student, I happened upon this sentence:

“The old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought.”

So, I thought about this sentence a spell, after class had ended.

And I wondered if the many favors that women have withheld from me, too often, were denied me due to the waning and waxing of the Moon.

And, then I wondered, are all women similar in this respect, without significant cultural differences?

If you are my age, then you have been denied many favors in this life.

And should we try to be intelligent enough to not blame women, or womanhood, per se, but to attribute our troubles to Earth’s moon, instead of castigating the fairer sex?

And, too, would it not be reasonable to presume that men living in cities might live a more satisfying existence where the Moon holds less persuasion due to tall buildings, and where women are less affected by the light of the silvery Moon?

During this lockdown, I do know that I feel good living by myself, and I am happier communicating with women by video link. For one thing, I find them less tempting. On video they are completely out of touch and also, because their webcams rarely show their short shorts and beautiful tanned legs, I am often less apt to drool in front of them. Instead, I enjoy more meaningful discussions with women when I am less distracted by the parts of them that make them female.

Certainly, I prefer the company of women over the company of men, no matter what the state of the Moon might be, or whether or not these women might be in a position to grant or withhold important favors.

So, are women truly like the sea?

I have yet to see the Andaman Sea. I have heard the Andaman Sea is most beautiful. Wouldn’t it be even more beautiful if it were named the And-a-woman Sea, or the And-an-Amazon Sea?

One thing I do know.  Life in Thailand would not be worth living without both the Moon and also Thai women to dream about while gazing at it.

I am sure that you feel as I.

Right?

1 hour ago, JohnBarleycorn said:

Thank you VERY MUCH for this information. This might be useful.

I was last in Rapid City in 1970, sometime during the month of August.

No doubt this city has changed since then.

As I recall, I was on my way to Wyoming in order to walk around the Devils Tower where I almost stepped on a rattlesnake just after sundown.

Some of the most beautiful country is located in nearby states.

 

 

Sorry, but I forgot to mention a word of advice for those who find themselves in Wyoming after sundown, and trapped by rattlers:

If you find yourself in complete darkness on a footpath with the hiss of rattlers ahead, and no return back the way you came, in order to save yourselves, do as I did.

Search in your pockets for all the coins you have.

Then prepare yourself and throw all your spare change at the where you think the rattlers might be.

And then, run straight towards the rattling sounds as fast as you can, using long strides

If you don't get bit, then you can thank me on this thread, sometime in the future.

I will still be here waiting for your replies.

The snakes in Wyoming prefer lying around on footpaths after dark in order to keep warm during the cool nights

They become upset when disturbed.

It would be wise to carry some sort of lantern with you when you go see the sights in Wyoming after sunset.

16 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

 

I have 27 acres in Maine up in the north of the state. Internet can be tricky in very remote areas. However even relatively populated areas of Maine are still sparse. Incredible state one of my favorite in the USA. Mountains, breathtaking coastlines, forests, lakes anything you could ask for. 

 

Land is absolutely dirt cheap there and you can even still get lake front for not too much if you want that. Most of the current problems on the news aren't a factor in life in Maine. It's a little too cold for me in the winter. I am from Minnesota but don't want that kind of cold again. I will spend my summers up there some day. If work from home keeps up sooner rather than later.

 

Maine would be like returning to paradise compared to CM in my opinion. There are actually birds in the forests. 

Driving from Chateau Frontenac to Maine in January, this is the place to see snow.

There are also plenty of spruce trees on the way.

13 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

@JohnBarleycornI'm not going to get into the pros and cons of moving back, but Internet.

 

Try to find a location small enough that the Comcast's and Verizon's aren't interested in, thats where you tend to get competition.

 

Here in South Dakota we fall into that category, and hence we have two competing Gigabit services for $79/Month, Midco & VAST, and thankfully not a Comcrap or Verizon to be seen!

 

We personally use Midco 1Gig, but I think they are both much of a muchness

 

Thinking about it Spearfish SD might be a place to look. Small town, very beautiful, both Midco & VAST have service.

 

You are close enough to Rapid City that when you crave Thai food we have a great restaurant here in town run by two of my wife's friends. 

 

The weather is good, yep snow in the winter, but NO it's not North Dakota, and the summers are hot.

 

You could probably very easily be a hermit there

Thank you VERY MUCH for this information. This might be useful.

I was last in Rapid City in 1970, sometime during the month of August.

No doubt this city has changed since then.

As I recall, I was on my way to Wyoming in order to walk around the Devils Tower where I almost stepped on a rattlesnake just after sundown.

Some of the most beautiful country is located in nearby states.

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Yes the original title of the OP just got up and walked away ....lol

There is nothing wrong with having an editor.

In fact, writers worth their salt should all have editors in order to improve their scribblings.

In this case, my original heading has been much improved.

I feel only gratitude to my editors for their vigilance.

17 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

i am an American. I don't know you but there is a real good chance you are going to hate the USA.

Maybe if you have 127,000 a month $4000 USD and can find a small town in rural America like Nevada or Montana. But you still have to interact with Americans everywhere you go. You might need a car and drivers license. Labor is expensive, health care is expensive and visiting the doctor is a cold horrible experience. you will need to stand in line at the pharmacy. you will still need to go grocery shopping. the same thing every time. OVER AND OVER. and if you can't shop or drive yourself your costs will sky rocket. no massage, no street food, and no one will talk to you and it will be the last time anyone smiles at you.

 

believe me i get the hermit thing but there is much to consider returning to the USA. 

    

No it won't.

I will smile at myself in the mirror.

There is ALWAYS that!

I doubt that I will hate the USA.

I am rather liberal in my thinking.

I even can accept sugar plum fairies.

I don't need to be one to enjoy them....right?

7 minutes ago, steven100 said:

can i come with you

All who abide by the law are most welcome.

I lived here, too.

This is where I slept with cobras.

Snakes everywhere.

Mostly poisonous.

Typhoons aplenty every summer, and some were super.

I lived here, too.

This is where my cat, Tippy, almost jumped out the window of the 10th floor of our dormitory.

She would have survived the fall.

She was a good cat who sometimes attended Logic classes.