pgs

Ahhh - HOME PRO....

For the Aussies that haven't been to one, it's like a cross between Bunnings & Hardly Normal.

In come sections over-priced (HN sections), others selling crap (Bunnings sections), but entertaining staff.

TW decided we should visit one - think it was around Korat somewhere - staff following us around, offering to give/get me a basket or trolley for the few things I was carrying.

Always declining, then one bright spark pointed out that I was carrying stuff & it would be easier in a basket or trolley, and he'd happily go get either.

Watching his face as the satang dropped when he was told: the more I can carry, the more she will buy. I have other places to go, a basket or trolley is not needed - but thank you.

Better than a Mastercard ad - priceless.

:-)

My take for a more enjoyable TV experience:

Ignore the negative as much as possible. .

A neutral comment is positive.

A positive comment is a like.

Spend more time on FB.

A bit like women logic meme on the interweb.

Or the 'Thai Logic' cartoon from The Pattaya Mail in 2006 (Life in Fun City - MJB)

"Darling, don't get upset, I will try to explain Thai logic but I'm sure your brain will explode."

Keep up the great 'toons MJB - I appreciate them immensely.

You forgot the entertainment value of the forums. It's much like the bar scene from the original Star Wars.

I'm not a 'Star Wars' fan, so wouldn't know about the bar scene. For the record - I don't bother with Star Trek, either.

However, yes - they can be entertaining.

One of the best ones for me was the list of how TWs behaved in their new host countries.

TW uses a Samsung tablet with Bluefire Reader for her Thai ebooks.

One of the recent upgrades (it seems) made the image files of the covers show up in the Gallery.

Despite being told to ignore them, her hot-headedness deleted a few of the pics - now the covers are not showing in the Bluefire Reader. Yes, I'm also just *so* surprised at that.

Until now, she had no 'recycle bin' type app on it - does anyone have any idea how to get the covers back to where they should be?

As the books are downloaded, then cannot be downloaded again according to their tech support.

Android version 4.01 (I think - Jellybean)

I can live with most of them, but I draw the line at dipping my fruit in chili salt.

... or my sausage ...

.

Is that dipping your sausage in your fruit or your sausage in chili salt?

Quite happily, I am well looked after by the family and the village - at on least 'our' side of the temple. I know more of the people on this side than on the other, but I am fairly sure most of them know which family I am with.

I've been considered a local & part of the family since the first visit. The 2nd visit clinched it. To my understanding, there are about 20 foreigners in our area, some permanently & some drop-ins. I am still a 'drop-in'. In the 10 years since I started going there I have seen maybe 2 of them, but neither speak. It seems most of them visit, lock themselves in the houses & send the wife/gf out to get food & booze - then only come out to head home. Really, I consider this their loss.

The 2 sisters (both in their 50's) still in the village drop by each morning for hugs & kisses, and again through the day when time permits. If the wife goes out & I decline to go also, the closest sister checks that I am ok for food at lunch/dinner & will either bring something or take me home to dine if I haven't bothered making something yet - and yes, I do cook.

When Thai mum died a few years back, her two remaining sisters offered to jointly take mum's place in my life - I was very attached to her. As I usually arrive in the dead of night, their homes are usually amongst the first I visit in the morning. They live next to each other about 3 streets from us. I'm told the younger one has short arms & deep pockets - not something I've ever seen. Her kids she will make something for, or let them get their own. She will go buy something for me. The older one is crippled from age, bent over and a little slow moving. Most of her day is spent on a low seat preparing silk for weaving. She moves at a surprising speed when I open the gate. Thai's might not be a 'huggy' type group, but this old one hugs like there's no tomorrow. :-)

Money - I am not asked for it & am rarely allowed to pay for anything, although I do generally find ways to replace what was spent on me.

Within the family I have never been "falang" or son-in-law or brother-in-law. It's always been my son or my brother. We are family, not in-laws.

By the locals that know me, 'falang' is sometimes used as a reference - usually preceded by 'the good'. More often it is ...'s son, or ...'s brother.

*

The 'visiting friends' issue Sandman77 has I can relate to.
2 hours with my friends in AU is far too long for her, but 7 or 8 hours with her friends at home is fine. The only up side is that her non-English speaking friends will at least try to converse with me - and keep the beer supplies up.
It's not that I don't like her friends, most are quite nice & treat me well - it's just that visiting at their homes is like being on a cruise-ship - when you've had enough it's a bit hard to leave.

I just leave the trolley with the items in it at the checkout, and go home. Then i tell the TGF to go and do the shopping

Why in the world would you be out shopping in the first place. If the old lady is sitting at home while you go out shopping ..... not judging, just saying.......

Why? Guaranteed to be cheaper..

I'm sorry but I really don't know which country you are from but in the West,normal people don't get up at 5:00am!

Normal people in Western countries work from 9:00am-5:00pm,they don't get up when it's still dark and fall asleep on their feet for the rest of the day!

'Normal'? Hmmm. Could you define that?

My 'normal' day starts about 3am. TW might be at 7. She needs at least 8 hours sleep - closer to 20 if possible, I do quite ok on 4-5 hours & have done for more decades than I remember.

If you are living in Thailand or other hot countries, 'normal' there won't necessarily fit your idea of it. Altering your sleep pattern to suit the climate isn't such a bad move. You may find it difficult to start with, but after a while it becomes... Normal

The niece and nephew are quite charming kids but a dog would be so much more fun...

I've told her to tell her sis to put them in to board at school.

I've been told that as long as they're native bred, they're acclimatised to the heat.

the dogs or the kids?

;-)

If I gave it any really thought, the only part of being called 'farang' that might bother me is that they are associating me with the French (farangseet) -- if you ran into any Western male a hundred years ago in SE Asia, he was almost certainly French which is at least one theory on where the word originates.

that one wouldn't bother me either - being part French.

As long as they don't call me late for dinner, I don't worry what they call me.

Falang, Farang, Loong, Loong-Lang... interesting variations of my real name... whatever.

As long as they are happy to see me.

What about those like myself that don't have an avatar,,, should we be banished into the "who gives a xxxx" group?

Are you from Queensland?

If you're not an Aussie, you may not understand...

Mrs has a 7" Samsung which she gives quite a beating to, I have an Ainol Novo Fire at about 1/2 the price. Great machine, never missed a beat. Would be nice if it had the GPS in it, but it isn't essential. The Ainol Venus / Myth is also a good runner.

Read more often than log in - way more often. That helps decide it the topic is really worth responding to.

General, then Isaan forums. Sometimes Chiang Mai & occasionally Bangkok. Others only if I'm looking for something in a particular area.

I set up a FB page with a fake name & an email address that was given to no-one I know.

It has no photos of people or anything that can be connected to me.

The list of 'people you could know' FB sends out to encourage linking regularly contains 8 - 10 people that I do know.

If I haven't used any even remotely identifiable details, and details that no-one I know could know, how does FB generate a list containing so many people that I do know from a DB of supposedly multi-millions of people?

The email being used has no people listed in the contacts, and does not connect to any of my regular email accounts.

All I can put it down to is some variant of spyware used by FB.

Anyone got any ideas?

Most likely its information you entered. For instance, if you put where you work/worked it will seek out others that worked there too. Its all about the information you provide to them.

and multi-millions you say? not even close!

1.06 billion monthly active users (MAU) as of December 31, 2012

It has a fake name & an email address used for FB only.

No personal info - not even made up.

It contains nothing that can be connected to me.

As for their 1.06B users - I know sufficient that use several FB accounts/names, so multiply that out & the real mumber comes down a lot.

I set up a FB page with a fake name & an email address that was given to no-one I know.

It has no photos of people or anything that can be connected to me.

The list of 'people you could know' FB sends out to encourage linking regularly contains 8 - 10 people that I do know.

If I haven't used any even remotely identifiable details, and details that no-one I know could know, how does FB generate a list containing so many people that I do know from a DB of supposedly multi-millions of people?

The email being used has no people listed in the contacts, and does not connect to any of my regular email accounts.

All I can put it down to is some variant of spyware used by FB.

Anyone got any ideas?

Are your age and location entered crrectly

work or schooling?

Maybe using the same machine and having to do something with the other facebook cookies?

otherwise, it's tinfoil hat time

age and location are incorrect. Location they could get from the IP at time of setup.

NO information apart from the very basic falsehoods to setup.

Nothing about school, employment, friends, family, habits. hobbies - essentially nothing they can use for marketing.

I set up a FB page with a fake name & an email address that was given to no-one I know.

It has no photos of people or anything that can be connected to me.

The list of 'people you could know' FB sends out to encourage linking regularly contains 8 - 10 people that I do know.

If I haven't used any even remotely identifiable details, and details that no-one I know could know, how does FB generate a list containing so many people that I do know from a DB of supposedly multi-millions of people?

The email being used has no people listed in the contacts, and does not connect to any of my regular email accounts.

All I can put it down to is some variant of spyware used by FB.

Anyone got any ideas?

Good question pgs I am sure the resident TV experts will come up with a fantasy good answer??

I'm no techie but i would guess that it has something to do with the IP address that is somehow embedded in emails that you have sent and been received by persons who have given Facebook access to their email accounts -- rather insidious if that's the case.

Not an unreasonable concept.

While the PC's IP doesn't change on the network (and it's something that would be reflected on many home/soho networks), the modem's IP should change as I often turn it off for 2 - 3 days, causing it to reset it's external IP.

At least, that's how I understand it's supposed to work.

I might be in line for a new foil hat.

I have had 4 suitcases damaged by Qatar airways in the past 6 years.3 times when i arrived at LHR,and they just gave me a replacement case.

Once here on arrival in Bangkok.At Bangkok the handeling agents took my details and dispite contacting them several times did nothing about it.

Then i contacted Qatar airways in Doha and a financial settelment was made.

Perhaps when the new airport opens the transfer baggage will be done more gently.

Good luck,but don't give up.

So i guess you did not have any travel insurance. Travelling "Cheap Charlie" does'nt always pay !

I see more comments on TV about travel insurance than I've ever seen in my life. What's the deal with that? I'm old enough to have been around, heavily traveled, never had travel insurance, never wish I did, I have no idea where or how to buy it even if I wanted it, and I'm not even sure what it's for. What am I missing? Is this a European or a Brit thing that us Americans haven't figured out yet?

For those of you who trumpet the merits of travel insurance, take a moment to add up how much you've paid in premiums over the years, then calculate how much you've received in benefits. Can you honestly say this is one of life's necessities?

One accident is all it will take for you to understand - unless you are incredibly wealthy & have little to do with your $.

I set up a FB page with a fake name & an email address that was given to no-one I know.

It has no photos of people or anything that can be connected to me.

The list of 'people you could know' FB sends out to encourage linking regularly contains 8 - 10 people that I do know.

If I haven't used any even remotely identifiable details, and details that no-one I know could know, how does FB generate a list containing so many people that I do know from a DB of supposedly multi-millions of people?

The email being used has no people listed in the contacts, and does not connect to any of my regular email accounts.

All I can put it down to is some variant of spyware used by FB.

Anyone got any ideas?

I only get mad when *I* have to speak to another expat / tourist. Particularly another Australian.

Happily, I don't seek out other Aussies to chat with; so there is little chance of making you madder than you already are. If I wanted to chat with Aussies, I could stay in Sydney. There are still a few Aussies in Sydney, just a bit hard to find.

In another land, I expect to have time with the locals, not so much with the foreigners.

Article in the travel section of today's SMH about the DF rules for booze:

Grounded by liquid laws

: February 2, 2013 Date

Knowing when to buy is critical if you don't want your duty-free alcohol confiscated when boarding, writes Michael Gebicki.

The scene: an inspection point at an international departure gate in an overseas airport. Security staff examine the carry-on luggage of passengers about to board a flight to Australia. One has a bottle of cognac confiscated and is apoplectic. She bought it from a duty-free shop inside the airport where she boarded her previous flight, she says. Here's the docket, stapled to the outside of a sealed bag. But the officers are stone-faced. She and her cognac will not board this flight together.

It's a common experience, repeated hundreds of times daily at airports around the world. For several years, passengers have been restricted in the liquids, aerosols and gels (LAG items) that they may have in their carry-on luggage to a maximum container size of 100 millilitres.

However, once past the security screening point of an international airport, you enter the glittering world of duty-free shops, where alcohol is not packed in 100-millilitre containers. Buying is easy, but getting to drink it is another matter. While the staff behind the duty-free counter at one airport are happy to sell you a bottle of liquor, security staff at another airport are liable to wrench it from your hands. The bite usually comes when your itinerary requires a transit stop.

The problem arises from the restrictions countries impose on inbound aircraft governing the carriage of LAG items.

In the case of Australia, according to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport's TravelSECURE website: "Australia requires airlines to put in place procedures at overseas airports for flights to Australia ... In general, the only liquids, aerosols and gels that are allowed in a passenger's carry-on baggage are ... duty-free liquids, aerosols and gels purchased at the airport and delivered to the boarding gate for the passenger. No other duty-free will be permitted (that is duty-free bought at Heathrow will not be permitted through Singapore)."

How do you make sure you and your duty-free alcohol remain close friends? The fail-safe way is to buy when you arrive at your final destination. Most international airports including Sydney and Melbourne shunt arriving passengers through a duty-free chicane. Another option is to buy your alcohol on-board the aircraft on the final leg of your journey - but the choice is limited.

Finally, you can buy from the duty-free shops in the airport before you board the aircraft that will take you to your final destination. If you do, you need to make sure your purchases are packed in a security tamper-evident bag (STEB), with the invoice attached on the outside. At some airports, such as Singapore's Changi and O.R. Tambo in Johannesburg, you will not be allowed to collect your LAG items at the point of purchase. Instead they will be delivered to a collection point somewhere close to your boarding gate.

Note that you should only buy your duty-free alcohol at the stop immediately prior to your final destination. For example, if you buy duty-free alcohol in London and you're on a flight to Australia that stops in Abu Dhabi, you will not be permitted to board your next flight in Abu Dhabi with your alcohol even though your purchase might be properly packed and documented.

So what happens to all that confiscated booze? Airport staff will tell you it's disposed of. Hmmm

Actually this is an important issue. I have named my partner my executor in my will and given instructions for her to complete my funeral arrangements and would like to know if that is sufficient for the Australian Embassy to release my body to her. She will have enough to worry about without dealing with too much stupid red tape.

You're no fun - red tape is what the Aussie gov't does best.

Face it, they're hopeless at anything practical/useful.

Here's the Aussie Gov't take on this:

http://www.travelsecure.infrastructure.gov.au/

http://www.travelsecure.infrastructure.gov.au/international/lags/index.aspx (29 June 2012)

Restrictions for inbound flights to Australia

If you want to purchase duty free items when travelling internationally you need to be aware that these items (if packed in your carry-on baggage) are subject to the same restrictions as other liquids, aerosols and gels.

Australia applies restrictions for flights both to and from Australia. Australia requires airlines to put in place procedures at overseas airports for flights to Australia, to ensure that passengers do not have liquids, aerosols and gels in their carry-on baggage in excess of the restrictions. In general, the only liquids, aerosols and gels that are allowed in a passenger's carry-on baggage are:

• liquids, aerosols and gels in containers of 100 millilitres or less, in one resealable bag. The four sides of the resealable area should not add up to more than 80 cm (e.g. 20x20 cm or 15x25 cm);
  
• duty free liquids, aerosols and gels purchased at the airport and delivered to the boarding gate for the passenger. No other duty free will be permitted (e.g. duty free purchased at Heathrow will not be permitted through Singapore); and
  
• liquid, aerosol or gel products supplied to the passenger onboard the aircraft after departure for Australia (e.g. cans of drink supplied in-flight or duty free purchased on board the aircraft).
  

Passengers flying to Australia should be aware of the following:

Do Don't

Only carry liquids, aerosols and gels in containers of 100 millilitres or less, packed in a resealable bag. The four sides of the sealed area of the bag should add up to no more than 80 cm.

Don't have liquids, aerosols or gels in containers larger than 100 millilitres in your possession. You will have to surrender these at the security screening point in order to board your aircraft.

Purchase duty free at your last airport before Australia, but make sure it is delivered to the boarding gate. Alternatively, purchase duty free items onboard the last leg of the flight to Australia.

Have your duty free items in their sealed plastic bag ready for screening upon arrival at the Australian international gateway airport transit screening point.

Don't carry duty free purchased at another airport through the screening point, as it will not be allowed on flights to Australia. You risk having to surrender these items. Only duty free delivered to the boarding gate will be allowed onboard flights to Australia.

Did you know?

• You may be subject to secondary screening at the boarding gate by the airline, which may include a bag search.
  
• The aviation security restrictions that limit the quantity of liquids, aerosols and gels that passengers may carry in the cabin of an aircraft are not the same as the quantities covered by the Customs duty free allowances.
  
• From 1 July 2012 advanced liquid explosive detection equipment is being introduced to the eight Australian international gateway airport transit screening points being Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney Airports. If your flight transits through an Australian international gateway airport en route to your final destination, you and your liquid, aerosol and gel products (including duty free) will be screened at the transit screening point.
  
• If at the end of the screening process your liquid, aerosol and gel products (including duty free) are unable to be cleared, items will need to be surrendered for disposal. If your items are cleared you will be able to take them onto your next flight. For more information visit the inbound transit requirement page.
  

It's far easier to not be disappointed if you expect nothing.

Sometimes it can be frustrating knowing you have the right gizmo at home for whatever you're trying to do here, but you're not at 'that' home where it is; you're at 'this' home where it isn't.

There are times when you have to make do with what you have.

The lifestyle here is a bit different to what I'm use to in Sydney these days - bit closer to when I was a kid. Still not really a problem. Just getting mentally realigned with how things were.

Rule 1: Be happy with what you have.

Rule 2: Be sure you have plenty.

:-)