Kwaibill

I might question your assertion of “twice” in every metric. On what do you base this? I am nearly twice my wife’s weight but certainly not twice her height, my reach is about 125% of hers, not 200%, and though we have not made any attempt to quantify it I am pretty sure I am not ( any longer ) twice as strong. In my college fencing days I was pretty regularly beaten by smaller, female fencers. . Just saying I think it is an area where the usual genetic disparity does not confer undue advantage, similar to the way I have seen some opinions that women can be superior pilots, e.g.

I do keep my Provincial Hospital admission card with me usually, so hoping that would give a hint if my wife were not there to give direction. She also has a power of attorney for any such situation though not sure that would be of immediate help.. I wonder if a medical ID would be a good idea? As a longtime diabetic I should probably have one anyway. My dear did sign me up for a low cost accident insurance policy which saved us quite a bit when I fractured my pelvis and subsequently a proximate humerus ( shoulder bone ball) , both in falls. The local Chularat hospital did well by me, including the billing. As far as I know they covered everything including several PT appointments afterward. IMO well worth checking out.

My input is more related to the activity than the gender issue per se. Regarding fencing the sometimes advantages imparted by the male physique in sports activities are much less pronounced with the possible exception of fencing with the cutlass. Innate strength is considerably less important than speed and agility when engaging with foil or epe’e. In fact too vigorous “thrashing about” can result in scoring deficit. In my growing-up home town we had a former Olympic fencing coach ( Mr. Jones) and I joined the fencing club at my undergraduate university, so I do have some insight. The “swashbuckling” scenes in films can be faves or vast disappointments when choreographed by subject inexperienced “action” directors.

I used to buy at a Belgian owned bakery in Bang Saray. Lately I have been baking my own, mostly. Only requires about one hour “ hands on” for two weeks worth. Of course I have years experience, but at 70+ not as if I have high demand on my time anyway. As a long time diabetic and cardio patient there are a number of advantages vs “store bought”. Very little sugar or salt in the end product or other health damaging additives. I enjoy playing around with various whole grain options and “add ins” such as seeds, nuts, what have you. A little cinnamon, not really enough to taste, but it helps keep it fresh. Portion control because I bake smallish loaves of what is, after all, a high carb food. And by golly, the flavor of my homemade breads beats anything from the grocery store. One exception is the “Emperor” designation bread. They make an okay whole grain type, and I think one called “Cubic” that Mrs. Kwai has brought home a couple of times, but they still tend to additives I have trouble remembering how to spell. And cheap! Amortize the cost per loaf of a ten kilo bag of AP flour or Indian atta ( whole wheat) and you’re talking in the under a dollar range. My mother at one time baked and in high school we had a great ( also diabetic) baker who made our daily bread, along with fab cakes, etc.

I really do not have any love for Trump but he is the next POTUS and such threats are, IMO, in no way acceptable.

A couple of questions come to mind: What is his previous experience with motor bikes and; Did he even read his “ insurance” policy? My experience included being asked to participate in motorcycle safety training education back home, presumably because I was still alive after years of accident free riding, and also having a decent “ accident” insurance policy which has seen me through a fractured pelvis and broken shoulder… not bike related. My wife enrolled me because “health insurance” per se is simply not possible here.” Oh, you diabetes? Sorry, cannot.”.

Kind of a misogynistic headline. It is not some random “Mexican woman” but in fact the duly elected President of Mexico.

I do, however, plan to take advantage of any programs available to elderly such as myself. If a food bank is available to me why not? I am not in Elon’s bracket, for sure!

Thanks for the advice. I was leaning in that direction anyway as we are not 100% sure of our plans; our first grandchild is due imminently and yay wants to be available here some of the time commensurate with her residency requirements to keep her green card active “ over there”. A whole ‘nother kettle as who knows what the next administration is going to do? I do worry some about my wife’s status as a non-white immigrant and some of the alarms raised about possible financial repercussions re: tariffs, deportations, etc.

My wife has her US visa approved and the time frame for entry is Mid March, so we will be heading out soon. My problem is that my Thai visa based on marriage expires in mid January. Our plans include staying for at least three months stateside then various scenarios of one or both returning to Thai. We will by then have our first grandson here, so there is a natural draw on that front. We are negotiating on a new homestead there which will require some attention, plus I will exercise my Medicare options for among other things a cataract procedure, one already done. I seek advice on my visa options; can I get an extension to cover the gap, or just go ahead and renew (get new marriage visa)? Of course some uncertainty arises with the latest US election. Will my dear wife encounter difficulty as a non-white immigrant? Will announced Trump economic goals, such as steep tariffs and cuts to social programs ( about half our income is from Social Security) sink our tentative plans? I do currently ( and barely) qualify for some low income programs such as our anticipated local food bank. All opinions/ thought welcomed. Majors in theology and philosophy perhaps were not the best academic choices in this regard.😀

Cute kids dealt a bad hand. Does “ go-fund-me” operate here?

My wife for some reason wants to go to the US anyway, and is willing to go back to work to make it happen. I’m not sure frankly if we can afford it anymore, and a bit concerned about tomorrow’s results should a non-white-person discriminatory administration take root. I tried to interest her in thinking about Costa Rica, but no sale. I wonder if a month vacation every six months in someplace like Laos would get the revenue junkies off of ones financial back? Maybe even just a couple of weeks. Anybody know if/ how the “ residency clock” can be reset? I haven’t seen a lot of discussion along those lines.

I did have a card once upon a time when living down Satahip way. Lost along the way but the local here didn’t require it when shopping on line or when I (rarely) went in. Been to a couple of others in other towns as well. It seems to obviously not be a hard and fast rule. I seem to recall similar at a Sams club and one Costco (?) and a few other outlets that have discount card setups, though some of those were an individual cashier using their private card to help out customers.

I pretty summarily quit after a helicopter ride to a cardiac hospital. Took to chewing sugarless gum quite a lot but haven’t heard of anyone “ coding” from that.

Sounds faintly Tibetan, though I believe they mostly put yak butter in their tea.🙂