SirHonkersTheFirst

Enjoy the cancer! I stopped being a sun-crazy whitey, and started being a sun-conscious Asian after my first 10 years in Asia. I like my skin melanoma-free.

Vietnam's two main airports are nasty, compared to BKK. Way way way overpriced ($3 for a tin of beerish water VS 50c on the 'outside', water $2-10 inside for a 250ml bottle, 20 US cents outside for a 330ml bottle). Super surly visa and immigration, oftentimes have to take a 5-15 minute bus to/from plane, boring airports as a whole. BKK aint bad, it really aint bad, compared to what VN offers.

"Russian" and "upper class" don't belong in the same sentence.

Taiwan doesn't want them, and they're banned from going to the country. Thankfully.

Ms Zi Yu Wang - send this rubbish back to her country. She can deal with the sex industry there. Uggh. Filth.

Cluezos are in another zone, I steer clear from them. Or brawl them.

Never had a verbal/physical with a Chinese copper in 13 years. Got chatty with the SWAT guys who hung around the underground station near my house, after a few pints. They mind their own. They'll also be without sidearms here, so I guess they're really just "Foreign Police". Had a friend beat the living crap out of four of them back in China, Xiamen, when they got in his face on a quiet street (back in 2005). He was offered jail time or deportation. He left the country. Foreigners will look ignore them. Chinese will do the same. *That said, I never had a negative interaction with a Chinese copper in 13 years, nor a Taiwanese copper in 3 years (wait, did get feisty with some TWN traffic coppers one night). And I was a blustery 20-30 something. Actually got a great selfie of me getting a lift home from a copshop after a taxi driver was pulling tricks, and I told him to pull into the (Chinese police) station. The cops hauled him over the coals, and took me home. He stayed.

TAIWAN NUMBA WAN!

Grab drivers are definitely aware of these mugs. They have expressed to me regularly that the above bozos threaten them. I make a point of asking the price from Point A to Point B with them. Then show them the Grab price. Clowns frown at me. I walk away. They know it's not best to mess about with me (I'm biggish, and mildly crazy).

What a shill you are.

As we say in my country - what a BOX you are. Or if you follow rugby, a complete and utter SIDE.

My few Jewish friends are absolutely blotting their social with their propaganda. When I question them, and point out discrepancies they fly into fits of emotional rage. I have to remind them that I lived in Israel for two years - more than any of them. But, no, I am the Gentile who knows nothing, and is not allowed to have an opinion that differs in the slightest from theirs. I've muted them all for a month, until they calm down.

Sleeping with the US and China - messy, very messy.

Can you handle the truth?

Wang was and is an evil looking creature. I remember him from my time in China. He gives off some sinister vibes.

An Aussie mate and I got bottled from behind in sleepy Xiamen. Then the riff-raff pulled out a solid piece of bamboo (from the bushes nearby maybe, suggesting premeditation), maybe 5-8cm in diameter, a metre long and bashed us while I was down, and my Aussie mate was standing over me. I got plenty of bruises. He had blood gushing from his head. The cowards ran when we shouted "Jin Cha" - "Police!" Cops did come. And carted US off to the cop shop. Told us to sit down in the recetion area. After an hour we walked out - they disappeared into the back of the building. What a sight we were at 5am.

I lived in China for 13 years. I lived in Taiwan for 3 years before China. He is CLEARLY speaking Mandarin Chinese with a mainland accent. If you need me to break down what he's saying I'll give it a go, but it's a beautiful Saturday, and I don't want to waste time in front of a screen.

Get back to me after 13 years in mainland China.

It's an accent that I've taken a disliking to (in all forms). All the more so when the Afrikaners try to speak with an American twang, after convincing schools they speak "American English". They forget to turn it off when they walk out the kindy class. They've also driven down teaching wages, as they're more than happy to accept sub standard salaries. I consider them the (entitled) FOWs of Africa. No disrepect to the OG Filipino FOWs working hard around the world. I guess everybody's gotta make bread, and this is an opportunity for me to upskill and/or walk away from the shambolic ESL industry in Asia. Industry being the operative word, as it a 100% a for-profit set-up, unless teaching at unis and non-profit organizations. It's not just the white South Africans with the chip-laden shoulders, it's the South Africans who have arrived in recent years. I guess they're on the run, from whatever it may be - crime, joblessness, a decaying country. I'd have some sympathy, if they arrived with a more humble attitude. Guess I'm a bit jaded. But I'd rather sit down with a non-South African for a chit-chat and drink/meal, or work and travel and socialize with non-South Africans. That said when I do visit SA, I have a ball of a time. South Africans in South Africa are awesome. South Africans in Asia playing 'Teacher Teacher' - not so much.

Hope he gets the help he needs. That said there has been a massive influx of South Africans into Asia, particularly Vietnam. 20 years ago I was excited to meet and spend time with South Africans, and Africans, being a passport holder of that country. Over time the interest and excitement has faded, and I avoid South Africans altogether. 90% arrive with some sort of inferiority-superiority chip(s) on their shoulder(s). I may as well give up my SA passport, and get my British passport, as I don't identify with 'Saffas' anymore. At least not the ones who pitch tent in Asia. I'll still buy biltong from the Biltong Guy, couple times a year. That is the extent of my involvement with them. I'd rather chat to the Moroccans, Nigerians, Algerians, Zambians, etc. They seem to handle themselves better, without the chip(s), and annoying accent.

Little know fact: after mutiple occasions of mainland Chinese folk causing disturbances mid-air, ALL flights (both domestic and international), if flown under the PRC flag, have air marshalls. Unarmed (I'm guessing), but probably pretty nasty in close quarters hand-to-hand combat. They're fairly easy to spot. Usually the last to get on, with little or no carry-on luggage (domestic flights). Lightly dressed in summer, but ALWAYS with a blazer on. Generally they sit midway down the plane, aisle seat, never accomapanied. For domestic flights I think they might do a few flights a day.

I absolutely do leave reviews (if I'm in the mood). I've left positive and negative reviews. I at least wait until I've left the premises to do so though, as I will do with this AirBnb I'm at. It won't be 100% positive, but it will be the truth.

THIS. I was having some vision issues, and the optometrist referred me to an opthalmologist. She picked up a serious eye infection, attacking the macular. But at the same time she was doing the test, she said "look at me and smile". She instantly booked me into the main hospital - I had Bell's Palsy and encephalitis. If it weren't for her trained eye (excuse the pun) I may have possibly gone down. Vision is still a but shaky from the macular scarring, but she saved my life.

There are no emergency vehicles, and honking is white noise, ignored by all and sundry.

So so so frustrating living in Nam - the incessant honking. It was a pleasure to spend a week in BKK recently. That said, I tune the noise out, and wear earphones nowadays - my stress levels have dropped considerably.