GammaGlobulin

There is one important ancillary consideration which should be mentioned, a result which might tragically become one’s fate if one were to keep on dressing DOWN, and keep on “going native” during these hard times. This tragic possibility is one which should have been stated in the Original Post, and one which everyone here should consider carefully. During these times of relatively increased social isolation, we all might be tempted to let our guard down. However, we will do so at our own detriment. Everybody must keep up appearances, both for our own wellbeing, as well as to maintain our social position in our communities. Therefore, let it be said that, while in Thailand, if you want to make your life more pleasant, always dress well, or, at least, dress the best you can dress, given your budget. In Thailand, as in many other places, people actually do judge a person based upon appearance, both sartorial choice as well as basic hygiene. Thai people prefer cleanliness, or the appearance of cleanliness, just about as much as people of Japanese culture, and other similar cultures. Thai people’s perception of people from Japan is quite favorable, for example, due to this elusive aspect of cleanliness. In fact, my perception of people from Japan is very favorable, principally because I love Japanese bathing facilities and bathing practices. Also, Japan has a tradition of wearing very expensive clothing, suits for both women and men. Japanese men love dark blue suits, or did, twenty years ago. The point is, the overarching point of this message is, always dress UP to the best of your ability, in order that you do not dress like a complete slouch, and by so doing, degrade your relative social standing in the community in which you live. When you dress nicely, and only venture forth from your home after being clean-shaven, and smelling sweetly after a bath, then you will be more easily accepted, nay should we say respected, in your community. Most importantly, as has already been intimated in the OP, one should do one’s best to leave one’s house in a tie and coat, and beautiful shoes, if only just for show, maybe once or twice a month. Of course, during this virusly plagued period, you might not actually have a place to go. However, the key point is to just let your neighbors see you with your tie, coat and shoes, maybe once each month, then get in a Grab taxi, and then just go for a long ride, and talk to your driver in Thai. Dressing well in Thailand has many benefits, particularly if one wishes to be perceived as anything other than some sort of bounder. (The term “bounder” is one that is not easily found in most dictionaries compiled 50 years ago, unfortunately.) Always stay well groomed, no matter if you might be feeling a bit of Cabin Fever, and you might be thinking that staying shipshape is not important. In fact, it IS important to remain presentable, if you wish to be treated as human by your fellows. Keep your toenails trimmed, for example. This is an imperative. For example, if you are really fat, and you find it difficult to reach your toenails, then find someone who will cut them for you, at the right price. There are so many other good words of advice one might mention, here, in order to promote good community relations between farang guests and Thai hosts. Who knows where to begin? And, in addition, writing this much is tiresome, though probably necessary.

Speaking of Napoleon Solo, the sartorial king of television spy episodes, so many years ago, where did he have his shoes made? Which shop? Did Solo have his foot measurements "on file", at the shop? No doubt, most of you will agree that, in order to appear well-dressed, a man should begin from the ground up. A good foundation is crucial for achieving a good result, both in the man and in creating a beautiful building. Expensive shoes can last a long time. Always use shoe trees, or have your maid use them, or your man use them, depending upon your persuasion.

Like many of you, I have lived in the tropics, and the subtropics, most of my life, even though I was born in the coldest month of the year, and during a coldsnap in one of the coldest states in New England. New Englanders, by tradition, are relatively straight-laced, and love high collars, always buttoned in order to pinch the neck. And, like many here, when I first moved to the tropics, I noticed that most men preferred to wear suits and ties, mostly expensive. Our footwear was invariably leather, and never Nike. Most guys in Hong Kong would not be caught dead at the office, or even at a sleazy bar, clad in shorts, for example. Those days, suits and ties improved one's mood, and provided one with a sense of worldliness, not to mention a feeling of superiority, which all of us secretly enjoyed, even if we might have denied this secret reality. Not only in Hong Kong did I see so many suits and ties, but also in places like Singapore, Bangkok, Osaka, Korea, and many other common places around the world. I loved, and still do love, cities such as London and New York City which are so-called superior cities, though not tropical, yet. Wearing a suit can improve one’s mood and improve our social interaction with others, and cause us to behave in ways which are considered more civilized. There are just so many benefits to wearing a suit and tie. Yet, most unfortunately, these socially facilitating accoutrements have been nearly lost to the world due to the wave of grunge-based attire. I mean, would it not just be better to go almost naked rather than to be caught in cargo shorts with one of those tank tops replete with numerous company logos emblazoned in disastrous color combinations? Of course, even worse than the cargo-shorts outfit is not having anywhere to go while wearing a suit and tie during this virus plague. Such is the real travesty. But here is my real wish, one undoubtedly shared by many on our forum: And this is to be able to dress up in a well-coordinated suit (or jacket) and a tie, and go forth into this world with nice shoes, and meet others of my persuasion, maybe at my club, or something.. The wearing of suits, coats, and ties is not uncommon in Thailand, Hong Kong, and many other cities. With absolutely no facetiousness intended, I really wish that I could participate in just a few gatherings where men do not dress like deckhands. Is this too much to ask? I mean, it is tiresome enough being quarantined for most of the time, month after month. However, it is even worse when one rarely ventures out, with a mask, and hopefully after being vaccinated, and then be forced to see so many people who have obviously, and intentionally, dressed DOWN, instead of UP. You know what I mean? OK. Normally I do not talk about “Fashion”, but a few days ago, I watched a great film which reminded me just how important is dressing well, and looking good, and trying to act civilized as well as respectful. Maybe you have recently watched the film “Cape Fear” while re-watching probably all the films you have ever watched, while in semi-lockdown. So, anyway, please pay attention to the Lawyer Character, Nick Nolte: Can you see that he is obviously wearing a seersucker suit, from Sears, maybe, which is truly the best thing for Louisiana’s sticky summer weather, and equally suitable for Thailand. And then, please shift your attention to that lowlife Robert De Niro who had no real need to act in this film, Cape Fear, simply because he was obviously only allowing his true self to shine forth. Everybody knows, after Taxi Driver, that De Niro was never acting in these types of films. De Niro has no sartorial sense, whatsoever, as anyone, except De Niro, can plainly see. Well, let’s forget the movie for a moment. The real point is that this film, and others, demonstrates how dressing well and not dressing well can affect our demeanor and where we end up in life, and also our daily interactions with the people around us. Remember how Eddy Murphy’s life improved so markedly just as soon as he began dressing well? Remember Murphy’s famous refrain: “Looking Good, Billy Ray!” “Feeling Good, Louis!” Like most of you, I do not care much about which spoon or fork to use at any formal dinner for diplomats. I just choose chopsticks for almost everything, except the soup at the end of the banquet dinner. Still, I do very much care about attending a beautifully-planned banquet with crisply ironed tablecloths and linen napkins, and maybe an ice sculpture, or two. I like seeing waitresses with long dresses slit up to here. I wish I could wear a Suit and Tie, again, and soon, and often. What about you? And, please remember, always, there is nothing to fear but Cape Fear type barbarism, and also barbaric behavior, in general. Take care, my friends. We will get through these times, and we will rise again, even better than we were before. And, p l e a s e keep in mind that shoes are important. Nike shoes are not for everyday wear. Leather makes one feel better. We shall overcome, if we dress right. I do believe it….. Have a little faith.

I was only suggesting that the best writers are those who wrote for the "Far Eastern Economic Review", and who write for "The New Yorker", and other similar writers who, most assuredly, are lurking here, and rarely post comments.

Seriously though, one should do something one had always longed to do, if one only had the time. Now, we have the time. Who would not wish to learn a new language? Maybe you could learn to juggle, or become an architect. Or, you could learn to sing and dance like Mick.... And, make love with Lisa on stage. Just do something you always wished you had the time to do.

Well, if you have not personally opened up the codpiece, before having your cod, then it is not real cod, and not fresh. I can only assume that this is the reply you were looking for. Congrats.

I wear PINK, one day each week. Monday is yellow. Tuesday is pink. Wednesday is green. Thursday is orange. Friday is blue. Saturday is purple. Sunday is red. I have always loved the color purple. I never have sex, simply because I believe in celibacy.

OK. Maybe try this Black Label, Lisa Fischer, for breakfast, if you love boring tea in the morning... My suggestion is to blast it. Blast it, and wake up your neighbors. Because, Yellow Label tea cannot compare to Black Label Girls, when the colored girls say: Doo do doo do doo do do doo

Be that as it may: Have you ever considered the plight of this cat?:

God knows, I have fallen in love! I am love with this video..... Enjoy, my friends.

Yeah, I know what you mean... In fact, the video I linked is one of the very few instances where Mick Jagger shows his sexy and hairy armpits, which are, in fact, not too hairy. Hope you enjoy the video that I posted.. (not the first video, but the second "official" video.) There is something about Jagger. I am not sure what it is.

Who does not like The Color Purple? Jagger was always very COOL, in my opinion. Jagger could meet with US Presidents, and they would always feel flattered. (Also, Jagger had beautiful teeth, back in the day.)

PAL, not poll!!!! Mick Jagger Pal.

You guys are becoming lazy. Why can't you do better? Has the virus attacked your brain, and your very being? Everybody knows that, before the virus hit us, TV was amazing, in some respects. So, if the very talented writers are not willing to come out of the woodwork, then what is the point of living? WE are a community of MANY, and there are some writers here who can write rings around almost anyone. So....Why have these good writers become so lazy? Are they too old and decrepit? IF these writers do not soon begin, again, to write interesting stuff, then surely it will be a shame. Almost in every case, I prefer to read, rather than write. There are some truly great writers here. What happened to them? Where did they go? Maybe they are hiding out in the Thailand jungle. Oh well,...grab us a Mick Jagger, pall, and let us not worry about it.

Come On, Dover... Move your bloomin whithersoever!!!

Whatever happened to the wry and biting humor, the spice, which was once typical of life here? Did it evaporate? Have all the guys with a brain lost their brains, and their wit? Surely, this forum has improved, immeasurably, during recent many months. Yet, still, improvement of this forum should not go hand in hand with the loss of wit. Otherwise, our meetings here, and what we choose to write, will soon ossify. Cannot anyone write anything worth reading? Yes, some people can. So, why don't they?

I am, I think, a bit sorrowful for posting this post, in that I have tried my best, yet no one here cares, much. For example, no one here, except only a very small minority, seems to be true romanticists, and only one or two of you cares about the lost age of Romanticism. Still, occasionally, only one or two of you, in this modern world of ours, these days, post amazingly, and beautifully written, humorous comments, which inform me, and everyone else reading this forum, that TV is still ALIVE AND WELL! IF, those who have a gift, do not continue to post a few comments containing delicious humor, with supreme brevity, then....what will be the point of reading comments, anyway? I am telling you: Don't get lazy. Don't become complacent. If you do not post interesting comments, then you deserve what you will get. Try to be more like Sir Noël Coward when you post your comments here, I think. BEFORE you post anything: Try to determine if your post might contain a little bit of CHEEK and CHIC, as well as some pose and poise. Thank you.

OK. Just, please remember.... Selfless love is the best kind, and the kind least likely to get you, or her, into trouble. I think I mentioned previously: In the book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the author describes various forms of love. Maybe, if you have time, then you might be interested in reading this single chapter, which I thought was quite a good one. Self-help books, are usually drivel, IMHO. However, this single chapter, written by Stephen R. Covey, concerning forms of love, might be an exception to the rule, and you can decide for yourself. I have no opinion what might be best for others, nor do I suggest what others should read, but only care, for myself, and what I should read.. Take care.

Please... Always be respectful of women, and you shall reap unexpected rewards even beyond your belief. Never a truer word was ever spoken. I love women.

My Dearest Friends and Compatriots: We all know the myth of Pygmalion who attempted to create the perfect woman from a block of stone, and then, to his chagrin, fell in love with his creation. Far fewer mortals around the world may have read the multipicious accounts of the average and most common man who came, and still comes, to Thailand in order to coax, mould, and shape the apple of his eye into the woman of his dreams. Most of us, in our wildest dreams, have some picture in mind of our ideal woman, whether buxom or not, super intelligent, or not, sweet smiling, or not, sweet smelling, or not, tall or short, docile and subservient, or not. Personally, I always am happy to take potluck, and live with it, rather than to try to shape my lovely into becoming a woman that she wishes not to be. As you may or may not know, I am in love, albeit from afar, with a woman who can sometimes stir my loins, just by the sight of her, or even an innocent text message. I would never wish to change her, not in any way, or, otherwise, she would not be she. In my case, love is blind. I would not alter her personality, for the world. But, what about you? Do you play the Dr. Higgins to your Doolittle? Or, are you able to just be In Love, and accept the apple of your eye, as she is, maybe even with a few wormholes? The most important aspect of True Love is that it is so very BLINDING! No matter the warts, if any, anytime, and everytime, I gaze upon my heart's desire, my toes tingle, my respiratory rate increases, I begin to exude juices, and I can feel a huge hit of dopamine in my brain. So, I ask you: If you are like me, and you exude these juices every moment you are close to the woman you desire most, then why try to fix what is not broken? True Love, such as this, is both rare and precious. Still, I can understand another’s point of view: Maybe you think that….IF you were to return to your home country with your beloved, and IF you were introducing her to your mother, then you might be first contemplating taking the Dr. Higgins approach. However, I MOST STRONGLY discourage you from doing this….BECAUSE….Love is Love. If you are in love with a beautiful Doolittle, then trying to change her will end in failure and disaster. Now listen, My Friends, to what I am telling you. I have taken several Asian women home to see my mother. And, I never tried to change any of these girls, one iota. They are what they are, exotic and beautiful, and, at the time I took them home, I would not have changed them for anything. Cultural diversity is bliss. And I love women who remind me more of Lamb Vindaloo, rather than cornflakes in the morning. Oh, where have you been Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Oh, where have you been Charming Billy? I have been to seek a wife She's the joy of my life She's a young thing And, so, also, says my mother! And, my mother invariably loved the exotic women I brought home. So, the lesson is this: Never try to change your beloved woman from Thailand. Otherwise, you will be doomed to a morbid and unhealthy existence, day after day, for Eternity. Mark my Words, Friends. And: Good Luck to you!

The reason I so much love Jack Bruce is because.... He played right up to the bitter end. Takes guts to do what he did.

Strangely enough, this preference is actually, occasionally, true, and some Thai women prefer to hang with men from foreign lands. The question is, why. AA. Is it because you are more handsome? BB. Is it because you are more romantic? CC. Is it because you are perceived as being more exotic? Erotic? What is the reason? Why do you think Thai women love you so much? Are you more caring? Do you think you enjoy pillow talk more than most? All women love pillow talk, for example. There is no simple answer, and no single answer fits all cases. And, therefore, what is the reason that Thai women will cross cultural boundaries and seek out foreign men, and fall in love with a foreign stranger? Each of you, those who have fallen in love, might have a different answer. Maybe, the answer is that cultural barriers no longer count, much. Maybe, no one much cares about cultural barriers, these days. Or, is is that, you are both exotic and erotic?

My Dearest Friends, I am writing here, now, simply because, last week, one 75-year-old reader replied to a topic of mine, so thoughtfully and kindly. I was sincerely touched by his short comment. No doubt, I can supremely identify with it. Being 75, after living three-quarters of a century, is not for the faint of heart. I thought I might even faint, reading his comment, because his comment reminded me of what the world once was, filled with people of greater respect, and true class, typical of those living before the Great War, and before several other wars. I know that one of my greatest faults, posting here, is to never come to the point, or to, seemingly, rarely come to any point, for that matter, and also to use too many commas, maybe up to about ten, in just one sentence. So what is the point? The point is that, while reading this post, you are probably sitting down at your breakfast table, wondering what you are doing with your significant other, while she sits opposite you, as she stares at her phone, and you are reading this post on your phone, rather than reading The Times, or the New York Times, and being puzzled by what you are doing, in fact, and wishing you did not need to continue doing the same old thing, every day, and maybe even for years to come, before you finally call it quits. If you might be asking the point of this topic, and if you have read up to this sentence, I really often wonder what you are eating for breakfast of a morning, while reading topics such as this on TV, every early morning. Maybe you are not in Thailand, and you are thinking that you wish you were in Thailand. I am in Thailand, and thinking that I am blessed to be here, every morning of my life. Like you, sometimes I often consider the question: What am I going to have for breakfast? Probably, this question might similarly be on your mind, even though, being in a different time zone, you will have decided this question before me, each and every day. My guess is that you are living in a place where GMT is your real time. One thing for sure, is that I will not have a copy of the Times delivered to my door, tomorrow morning, 08:00 GMT, which is a shame, really. I know that most of you love English Breakfast tea, the traditional blend, to start your mornings. How do I know this? Easy. I have been reading your posts, here, for years. English Breakfast tea, for me, is a bit too bitter, and too much like coffee. Might I suggest Lipton Yellow Label, instead? I am not a Tea Snob, even though I have spent most of my life drinking and loving tea. Each to their own, just as preference for music should be each to their own. Besides tea, I have definite preferences for breakfast, as I am sure is the case with you. My favorite breakfast fare goes like this: Lamb Vindaloo (large bowl) Half-pound Stilton cheese Jasmine rice (large bowl) One suckling roast lamb, splayed out on a platter Fried dumplings stuffed with Chinese cabbage Suan La Tang The New York Times of yesteryear. (These days, the NYT is a rag not worth reading.) Anyway, wherever you might be, if you are 75, then you are extremely lucky. You have had the best of it, while it lasted. And, maybe, you will live to see the end of it. Much love to all of you good guys on this forum. I am not sure just how much longer we will be able to continue meeting this way. Take care, my friends. Best to all of you, for sure. Regards….. Note: Enjoy your tea. Tea is the simple pleasure in life which is inevitably always underrated. Many good men have died just to ensure our right to drink tea in the mornings. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Have a nice day!

My Dearest Friends, Would you not wish for a more stress-free lifestyle which is far easier to attain than conversion to vegetarianism, if only you had the encouragement to adopt it? I am talking about a better way of life which can improve your wellbeing, one which requires little need for relinquishing your well-known passion for the consumption of charcoal-burned hamburgers or thick Kobe steaks. I am speaking, now, for the first time on TV, about the important topic of Celibacy. Particularly, I am exhorting you to follow my lifestyle, and thereby improve your lives, immeasurably. I think you know that I have read a few topics on TV, concerning lovesickness, and all the heartache concomitant with it. So many topics on TV involve love-related issues, and love gone wrong. Everybody knows that guys here are sometimes hurting due to misplaced feelings of love. Please let me tell you about my last and final experience with loving: My last experience with loving is now foggy, yet it was the year 1999. It was in the cab of an Isuzu truck, and I recall that we were driving through mountainous roads late at night, some place on an island province off the coast of China. Pete Segar was playing in my head. We were getting hot and heavy. She was a black-haired beauty with big dark eyes. Funny how you remember the Isuzu, and the seats of the truck, sitting way up high. We were parked above a cliff, with the Pacific ocean far below. Funny how we began humming a song from 1962, simultaneously. Sweet summertime I never used her, but she used me, workin’ on our night moves. I woke that night to the sound of thunder. How far off, I sat and wondered. Then, with autumn closing in, my memories of her were growing thin. Where was I? Celibacy. I know that most of you, though not all of you, will recognize my escape from the yoke of hormonal servitude to my sexual need as being truly triumphant. Am I being facetious? Not at all. I am free now, free as a bird, without any thoughts for birds, other than for my continued love for birds, if only platonically speaking. If you want to truly be free, like me, free of the yoke of your uncontrollable hormonal passions, then do what I do, and do as I say. Never give in to the call of the sirens, for carnal pleasure. Instead, enjoy women’s company as you would the Bronte Sisters, all three or four of them, at once. Believe me, you will be a happier man if you do. Celibacy is a lifestyle which I highly recommend. I would not suggest this lifestyle to you if I had not personally practiced celibacy for more than 20 years, with positive results. Take or leave my advice, if you will. I am only asking that you first try celibacy for 20 years before reaching any final judgement. You cannot, in good conscience, criticise a lifestyle unless you have first tried it. Physical love is like chocolate ice cream. One scoop is never enough. One scoop leads to another scoop, and another, and another, and the next. Where will these endless helpings of chocolate scoops ever end, unless one just swears off ice cream all together, and gets free. I am free. Free at last. God almighty, I am free at last. Wish you the same. Complete Celibacy is the only way. (Take just one scoop, and you will fall off the wagon of love, and be lost forever, maybe.) Stay celibate, my friends. Stay Strong!

I have a different view of Thailand than most of those who were born post-1955. I do not want to get into particulars here. All that I might say is that, now that I am rapidly approaching the end of my life, I have become sentimental about my times in Thailand, pre-1971. As we increasingly become aware, due to extreme overpopulation and inundating, overwhelming pollution, our beloved world which we once knew is now a distant memory. And, maybe the sea is rising. Some might say that things will get better, and that people in Thailand will ride Musk’s rockets to Mars. But I think such a thing may not happen in my lifetime. I really do not know what will happen during the next five years. All I know is that you can book your launch on a site like ISILAUNCH. So, the question is, do I really want to launch myself into orbit, so soon, before I die? I mean, I already know that I will be up there in space, eventually, for free. And, therefore, why should I pay to ride with Musk? Note: For those who might wish to get to space SOONER, then.... You can go onto one of Musk's sites and BOOK a LAUNCH. I will not provide the link to BOOK a LAUNCH, simply because I do not advocate going to space before you are ready, and before you have lived a full life down here on planet Thailand.