GammaGlobulin

4 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Have these near my house, never seen an animal move so fast

Yes.  These guys really can move.  BUT, these guys are OBVIOUSLY just too cute and benign.  I was talking about the larger lizards that look very fierce.

By the way...do you have any explanation for the purpose of this guy's super long tail?

Obviously, there must be some reason for this adaptation.

Think about it.

Here in SE Asia, we can see wondrous things that we never saw before.

Probably, any child where we come from would be enraptured by having a lizard with such a long tail available just outside his home.

Lizards like this, you gotta pay much money for, where we come from, I suppose.

On 7/22/2021 at 11:36 AM, ChrisKC said:

Allow me to add an additional comment to my previous one.

 

This doesn't have to be all or nothing. Living in the city or the back of beyond are extremes and I think some middle ground might be another option. There are many thousands of places all over Thailand that can be really quiet and peaceful and could definitely be considered rural in a local sort of sense! One can find such places less than 10kms outside even large towns. No problem about main road traffic, general amenities, hospitals or shopping. And remember, that Internet shopping is an added benefit these days to obtain things not easily available locally.

 

I have lived in beautiful places just 20 kms from Chiang Mai City for example, with beautiful mountain and lake views with other houses and stuff scattered around enough for you feel at peace.

This is probably the VERY BEST CHOICE for most farang, I believe.  Where are you living....?  Mae Rim, or where?

By the way....  My reason for posting was that....

Originally, as I mentioned, when I first arrived here, I really enjoyed having these large lizards hanging on the walls outside my house, probably because their presence reminded me that I was in the "jungle', and I appreciated this very much.

However, as months went by, I began listening to so many "stories" from my Thai friends, concerning their fear of being bitten by one of these animals.

I had thought that these were just benign and extremely beautiful creatures.

I loved to have them around me, just to enjoy their colorful glory.

Hopefully, I can get back to my former view of these reptiles.

Maybe I will need to check this out with a true herpetologist.

Tks for the input.

(Also....PLEASE....I hope you will not make me cringe by mentioning the obvious similarity between the terms herpetologist and herpes.  Let's not be infantile.  Thank you.) 

3 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

The smaller ones are Chingchoks?

 

Yes.  Jinjok.  I had forgotten the Thai word.  Tks.

6 minutes ago, sezze said:

Don't be afraid of them . They loud , do go to the toilet quite often ( and pretty large for it's size ) , do eat tons of critters . I heard Chinese people a few y ago payed quite some money for them , but i never got it confirmed . They do not bite you unless you want to be bitten , like never put your hand in front of a croc also . They will run away from you , they are very similar to other geckos , only larger . They aren't very shy , but if you try to catch 1 you certainly need to work a bit and then yes , they certainly can and will bite if given the chance , and it does have very small saw like teeth , so it can go through your skin and you might put desinfectant on that afterwards .

OK...  but...  as I mentioned...

a.  Duke

b. Jinjok

Two types.

OBVIOUSLY, the Jinjok will never bite you, obviously.

However, the Duke, when they get quite large, then one might think they have some potential to bite.

SO....then why are all my Thai friends so fearful of them????  They must know more than I do about this.

The reason I ask this question is because....  In this past, I had always been quite pleased to have them around me, while I was outside studying at night.  However, after listening to so many "stories" from my Thai friends, who should know, then I have become somewhat fearful of these lizards, as well.

HOWEVER, if I could be sure that my original thinking about these lizards is correct, that they are just very beautiful and pose no risk to me...then...I could just go back to being more comfortable with having these creatures around me, and enjoying their presence. 

This is the reason for my original question.

Such beautiful animals, as I guess anyone should be able to easily see.  So, maybe it is a local sort of myth that they might pose risk, if one were to just study with them, at night.

Tks for your reply.

Life in the countryside is good.

If one is polite and very respectful of everyone in the village, then one can still get smiles here.

Also, farm girls are very kind.

(I MEAN KIND in the politically correct sense of the word!  Please do not misconstrue my meaning here.  They are just KIND, without any meaning other than this.)

When I first came to Thailand, I often studied outside my room, and I would normally see several types of lizards clinging to the walls all around me.

In Thai, there are basically two types that you will hear about, in passa Thai, one being the DuGe, which is fairly large, and the other being the the smaller one, and I forget the name of that one. The smaller lizard will stay inside your house, and eat mosquitos and other insects that you might not want in your home.

Here is the image of the the slightly larger variety.

It is this DukGe that makes this very loud and distinctive vocalization throughout the night, outside your window.  Yet, I have never seen one come inside my house.

Most people that I have spoken to are deathly afraid of the larger variety of Dukge.  

They say that once they bite you,  then these lizards never let go.

Even the mention of these lizards makes their skin crawl.  The very view of this animal is enough to send shivers down the spine.

So, are these larger lizards basically harmless?

What would happen if they bit you, and what should you do if they did?

When I first saw one of these guys, up close, I was amazed by their beauty.  I could not believe just how beautiful they truly are.

And so, I just am curious why people here are so wary of them.  Do they pose any risk if you should try to pick them up, for example?

What my landlady told me is that, once they bite you, they just hang on and never let go.

I am not so sure if this is actually true, but now, after listening to several people talk about these lizards, I have become somewhat more fearful, and I am not able to appreciate their beauty, up close, as I once did.

So....what is the REAL story, what are the real facts, about these beautiful creatures?

Should we be afraid of them?

Or, can we just get close and marvel at their beauty.

Pls let me know.

Note: By the way...  this guy, the one in the image that I have posted, is not a large one.  I would say that he is sort of an adolescent who is still in the process of growing to his full size.  Usually, you will see these guys after a rain, when there are plenty of termite ants flying around.

This is a pretty interesting topic for people who live in Thailand, I guess.

So, what is the scoop about these magnificent animals? 

So, anyway...

This is why I would say to Nancy that, flying Business Class, as you do, I would have no part of it.

If you cannot go by Gulfstream, then, really...what is the point of going anywhere?

Am I right?

Many years ago, I did read somewhere that international travel, especially by airliners, was one of the best ways to spread a virus, and its variants, around the world, most quickly.

And so, I just wonder why people would travel during this pandemic which seems to be becoming even more adaptive to infecting humans, as months continue.

How much of travel is absolutely crucial?

And, how much of travel is basically discretionary?

The virus will continue to adapt, and we still do not know the ways in which it will adapt.

There seems to be nothing which is predictive about whether or not the virus will adapt to become more virulent.

However, the more that we interact face to face, and the more we travel, then the easier it will be for the virus to infect more people, whether or not they have been vaccinated, and also the virus will find it easier to come up with new variants, perhaps.  And, even perhaps, to adapt to circumvent the present vaccines.

It is not fair to say that the virus has no intelligence.  The virus is intelligent, just due to the information that is encoded in its genome underneath its protein coat.  

What are the chances that the next variant could become far more virulent?  And what are the chances that the next variant could become even more transmissible than the Delta variant? 

All we know is that travelling around the world, and congregating in airports, and going back and forth to Guam, might not be helpful, I imagine.

Probably, it would be far better to have the vaccine sent from Guam to you, rather than to have you go to Guam.

Even if you have your own G650, I imagine, travel these days is only helping the virus spread and adapt.  I mean, this is just the whole idea behind Darwin's Theory of Evolution, and natural selection.  The world is now witnessing proof of the Theory of Evolution, as we speak.

By the way, in case you might have been wondering, for the guys at the top of the evolutionary tree, here is the beautiful G650.  If you have one of these planes, then please feel free to travel anywhere you like...and more power to you...  Just keep your masks on!

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

It's odd reading these posts because I've never had a noise problem anywhere I lived (12 years, 6 residences). The odd barking dog for a night or two, but that's about it.

Not only odd, but I would say that your experience is EXTREMELY odd.  I have never heard of such a case as yours.

8 minutes ago, Heng said:

An alternative to getting to BKK is to rent a car where you are and simply drop it off with the airport branch of the same company, obviously let them know that this is your plan ahead of time with your pick up/drop off reservation.  That way you don't have to sit in the same vehicle with the some stranger (who might already have Covid) for 3 to 10 hours depending on where you live.    All presuming you're a strong driver of course.

Just a minor but important question, please:

Why would you wish to return to the US at this time?

a.  Travel at this time, I would imagine, might be more risky than just staying in place, due to the risks of travel at this time, and the possibility of being exposed to the virus during travel.

b.  Do you not think that the best policy, and the safest decision, would be to just remain where you are, and avoid travel during this period of time???

c.  Travel, even in non-Covid times, for example, driving down to BKK, also has risks, which might be even greater than remaining in place.

d.  Of course, if anyone might need to return to the US for emergency personal reasons, or for pressing business reasons, then one might need to bear these risks.

e.  However, for the average bloke, who is already in Thailand, would not the safest policy be to just remain where one is, and just practice social distancing, as much as possible?  Would this not be better than galavanting around the world, for, seemingly, not good reason?

f.  I believe, someday soon, we will get this vaccination supply problem sorted out.  We will.  And so, why embark in some extreme journey, which might just waste time and expense?

Sometimes, we become overly stressed about the news.  And watching the news might lead us to engage in behavior that is not entirely logical.

So...If there is some valid and important reason to begin a journey around the world, then maybe this must be done.

However, as for the virus, would you not say that the best policy is just to stay in place, and try to calm down, and also to enjoy your existence during the minimal lockdown, and just ride it out, and be happy?

It seems to me, though I might be wrong, that spending so much money to leave Thailand at this particular time, and crowding the airports, and the hotels, might be riskier than cooling it, and just going with the flow...

What do you think?

One other thought, about Roth's NEMESIS book:

In this book, Roth's final book, as far as I know, just before this great author died, he used the Polio epidemic in New Jersey as a backdrop in order to discuss various other important topics which I found riveting.

Therefore, you can read his book, NEMESIS, on two levels.

Nemesis is a very satisfying book for old guys and old girls.

If you like Roth, then you will love this book.

I read this book a few years ago, before Covid hit us.

I can just about GUARANTEE that you will not be disappointed.

And, I am sure that you will come away from the reading of it feeling better than you do now, even if you feel great right now.

One other thing:  One thing, I think, Roth is a genius at is producing very long and coherent sentences, no matter how long they might be.

Roth's sentences are so amazing.

After reading Nancy's post, I thought to myself....If I were sitting at the beach in Guam, in front of the Hyatt, under an umbrella, then what might be the books that I would take with me.

In truth, I guess, I would just need to take all the books of Philip Roth, and just read as many as possible before I headed back, from Guam, to Chiang Mai.

Doing this, would not be a waste of time, for sure.

20 minutes ago, madmen said:

Don't do it! 

Try not reading TV for a month and you will see the sky is not really falling 

Actually....honestly speaking.... I have tried to not read TV for many years, and then I came across Nancy's post.

OK, if you really want to know my honest opinion, I think TV is what you make it.  There are some really smart guys on TV who post some thoughts which are not unimportant, and which might be helpful to the community.

And then, if you read TV the wrong way, then it might be a lot of nothing, just because you chose to read the wrong posts.

At any rate, I would guess that TV is still the best you can find in Thailand, however you must pick and choose what you read.

If you want to just make an <deleted> out of yourself, just posting nonsense, or posting ironical statements that most readers find offensive, then....sure....you are bound to be let go.  Alternatively, if you wish to just be less edgy, or post with much less irony, then, I guess you can submit posts forever, until you die.

In my opinion, from reading a few TV articles and much TV content, I would say that TV is not really meant to be super serious.  And, ALSO, I think that the moderators here keep the content in check, so that it is both readable and also not too far out.

Maybe, in other words, posters here just must keep comments within the bounds of decent decorum and also make comments which do not cause general readers to feel too uncomfortable.

===========

So, anyway....

After reading Nancy's post about traveling to Guam, this brought back memories about my several trips to Guam, and just how bored I was there.

And, if I were to go to Guam, then I would definitely prepare for my trip by collecting enough books to be read at the beach at the Hyatt, under an umbrella.

One more thing:  The beach at Hyatt is really not that good.  It is small.  Compared to the beach at Naples, Florida, for example, there is no comparison.  Also, in Naples, Florida, we do have a symphony orchestra, even though rinky-dink compared to Vienna.

The beach at Hyatt is OK, for sitting, and reading.

No worries if you will go there.

By the Way....I have a VERY helpful suggestion of a book to add to your reading list....as you navigate your TREK back to USA shores....

The title is:  NEMESIS

Author:  Philip Roth

This is one of this best books which was written at the end of his life.  Roth should have been awarded the NOBEL for literature...yet, he was unfairly passed over, maybe for political or other reasons, too unmentionable to be discussed here.

Be as this may, I still highly recommend this book to those who might get bored wending their way back home.

Roth, as you all know, was truly an amazing author.

And, during these hard times, sometimes it is comforting for us to read about history, and the days of our callowed youth, back in the day.

No need to thank me, but I just think you might gain some comfort from reading this book by Roth.  I think it is one of his best, and it might just help you to ward off boredom at a time when you are most bored.

Take a look at it; this book will not disappoint you.

Also...thanks to Nancy for writing about her travels these days...because....I have been thinking about what she is doing....these days.

Just now, AwwYesNice1 said:

 

Yeah Guam is really old hat compared to a night out in Vienna.

I think retired military are given base privileges there, where they can seek out those intelectual Officers you mentioned. 

Yes.  The guys from the US Army War College.  Super smart.

30 minutes ago, AwwYesNice1 said:

 

So no qualms about Guam?

for the uninitiated that is....

 

  

As I stated, I am qualmish about Guam due to the fact that it is boring.  If you rent a car, there is no where to drive it, unless you just go back and forth to Walmart 20 times each day.

Guam has this giant outcropping cliff, about 100 meters off the ocean, near the Hyatt. This is some sort of famous park.  And, you could just sit there all day, if you want. I guess that Nancy will be doing much sitting there, and reading, too. Which is a good experience.

Then, you have your food-court food offered throughout the island, which is similar to Hawaiian food-court food.

Yet, you will not be able to attend any music recitals or presentations like you might find in Vienna, from my experience.

Mostly, you will need to be satisfied with things like grass skirts and native singing, which can be interesting, too.

As I stated....  The really smart guys, in my opinion, can be found at the military base in Guam, among the officers, and especially their wives.

Yet, everybody on the island is restricted from entering the base unless they might work there.

Guam is the nearest place to go to get a vaccination.  And....NANCY is totally smart about doing this.  I completely agree with her choice.

I am only saying that you need to take books with you, when you go, in order to protect your sanity.

Because, what good is it to visit Guam in order to get vaccinated, for physical health reasons, if one should lose their mind in the process, due to grass skirts and boredom?

One thing about Guam:  This is a very small island.  There is actually very little to do there.  If you rent a car, then you can drive around the island on the single road which circuits the island in a very short amount of time.  If you would wish to do so, then you might easily drive around the island about 10 times in one day, easily.

The only interesting place, on Guam, probably, is the US military base.  However, you will not be allowed into the base.  Probably, in my opinion, most of the interesting places on Guam are located within the US military base.  No doubt, there are some smart people there who might be interesting to talk to.  But, if you cannot get in, then, maybe, you will need to just read by yourself, and enjoy the beach at the Hyatt, etc.

There is the governor's house grounds, which you can visit, and this provides a very beautiful overlook to the ocean and good scenery.  However, one can only stand and look for so long before getting somewhat bored with it.

Guam is a very boring island, in fact, unless one has obligations for work reasons, in order to keep one busy, because this is actually not a tourist island.

Regarding the food available there, I really doubt that any gourmand would be willing to rave about the offerings.  Basically, you get typical food-court food, which is filling, yet not noteworthy.

It might be worth visiting the University of Guam, however, and I am sad that I did not do this, as far as I can recall, during short visits to the island.

One thing I missed out on was a scene such as this....

Guam is a place that might be good for a hermit who was doing some sort of internet-based research and who did not want to be distracted from his/her work.  Probably, Guam would be good for doing a PhD dissertation edit, or maybe for someone who wanted to teach via the internet without distractions.

These days, I would guess, the usual tourists are not visiting Guam, and this is a definite PLUS.  IF I had the luxury to fly direct from my home without going through an airport, just using my private Gulfstream G650, then I would go to Guam, get vaccinated, and then, I would just sit on the beach in Guam, and ruminate concerning the very many mistakes and wrong turns I have made in my life.  And then, after this experience, and after being fully vaccinated, I would vow to do better with the rest of my life.

Guam can be a very good experience if we use this experience wisely, I believe.

Best to all here,

Stay well, and get vaccinated if possible.

On 7/19/2021 at 10:42 PM, NancyL said:

I'm in Guam right now.  Came in on July 5 from BKK through Narita via ANA booked through a code share with United Airlines, the big player in Micronesia.  I booked business class, which was a real waste for the Narita-Guam portion since they're using a 737 now.  ANA Business class from BKK to Narita was great, however.  

 

Was able to get to BKK from CNX on July 4 on Bangkok Air.  That's a thing of the past, now, isn't it?  Don't know how I'm going to return to CNX when I get back to BKK and serve out my quarantine, however.  

 

Hi Nancy,  The reason I set up an account on ThaiVisa is that I wanted to reply to you concerning your posts regarding the proactive and quite major/costly steps you have taken in order to obtain a vaccine.  I found your post extremely interesting, and your post has sort of been on my mind.

I guess very few people living in a place where the Pfizer or Moderna is available for free might have gone to such lengths as you have done in order to get vaccinated, and there are, indeed, so many in the US who could get this vaccine for free, within a few minutes, just by walking down the road to their nearest pharmacist or hospital or clinic.  This makes you wonder a bit, I believe.

I am somewhat familiar with Guam, and there is really not much to do there, on the third day.  I am sure that you have brought with you some good books.  Guam is a beautiful island, and this is true, however, I suppose you will not be able to visit the philharmonic in Guam, due to the Covid restrictions on the island, which I most certainly agree with.

I commend you for taking the bull by the horns, and spending the money and the time to ensure that you are vaccinated.  Personally, at my old age, I dislike travelling by air, and I guess this excursion to Guam must have been a real challenge for you, as well.

Being on Guam, other than the philharmonic, you can visit Walmart, of which there is only one, as I recall.

Also, you can lease a sailing yacht and sail out through the channel into a wavy sea, which requires real seamanship.

Maybe, if you have time, you can visit the other island, near Guam, in Oceania, Saipan.  The economy is not good there.

Anyway, I do hope that you will post more about your visit to Guam, as I am quite interested, and this is really the only reason that I registered on the ThaiVisa website, just because I wanted to ask for more information from you.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Your friend, as always. (You seem a very smart lady, for sure.)

You need to find a HOUSE...not a condo...if you want quiet.  And, you need to choose carefully the location.  Watch out for the roosters in the morning, noon, and night.  It might take you years to find a quiet place.  It's just a matter of luck, and trial and error, and this can require years.

On 7/19/2021 at 10:42 PM, NancyL said:

I'm in Guam right now.  Came in on July 5 from BKK through Narita via ANA booked through a code share with United Airlines, the big player in Micronesia.  I booked business class, which was a real waste for the Narita-Guam portion since they're using a 737 now.  ANA Business class from BKK to Narita was great, however.  

 

Was able to get to BKK from CNX on July 4 on Bangkok Air.  That's a thing of the past, now, isn't it?  Don't know how I'm going to return to CNX when I get back to BKK and serve out my quarantine, however.  

 

Hi Nancy,  The reason I set up an account on ThaiVisa is that I wanted to reply to you concerning your posts regarding the proactive and quite major/costly steps you have taken in order to obtain a vaccine.  I found your post extremely interesting, and your post has sort of been on my mind.

I guess very few people living in a place where the Pfizer or Moderna is available for free might have gone to such lengths as you have done in order to get vaccinated, and there are, indeed, so many in the US who could get this vaccine for free, within a few minutes, just by walking down the road to their nearest pharmacist or hospital or clinic.  This makes you wonder a bit, I believe.

I am somewhat familiar with Guam, and there is really not much to do there, on the third day.  I am sure that you have brought with you some good books.  Guam is a beautiful island, and this is true, however, I suppose you will not be able to visit the philharmonic in Guam, due to the Covid restrictions on the island, which I most certainly agree with.

I commend you for taking the bull by the horns, and spending the money and the time to ensure that you are vaccinated.  Personally, at my old age, I dislike travelling by air, and I guess this excursion to Guam must have been a real challenge for you, as well.

Being on Guam, other than the philharmonic, you can visit Walmart, of which there is only one, as I recall.

Also, you can lease a sailing yacht and sail out through the channel into a wavy sea, which requires real seamanship.

Maybe, if you have time, you can visit the other island, near Guam, in Oceania, Saipan.  The economy is not good there.

Anyway, I do hope that you will post more about your visit to Guam, as I am quite interested, and this is really the only reason that I registered on the ThaiVisa website, just because I wanted to ask for more information from you.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Your friend, as always. (You seem a very smart lady, for sure.)