Hawaiian

38 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Taglish, it's called. Hate that accent. Me, I'm still charmed by Thailand and Thais. Online 90-days, in and out from Immigration in 15 min last year. Still not expensive. Yeah, I think I'll just continue enjoying living here. Looking out over Pattaya Bay now. Bit hazy, but Koh Larn easily visible, waiting . . . .  

 

But I sense a happy marriage between yourself and the Philippines. Filipinos, as devout Catholics, never think about money and will just love you for being your natural charming self. Lovely country, tranquil weather at all times, great roads. Probably should have moved over there long ago, like maybe a week after you realized that Thais speak Thai, where you could have enjoyed sitting in the dark or hoping your internet would return rather than posting trash about Thailand week after week. Also, the healthcare system is gon' do you lots of good as well. English, man!???? 

 

Do you have schedule for departure? It appears you can go ahead and leave just any time now: Asia Today: Philippines allows foreign travel to resume. 

"Tranquil weather at all times"?  Don't think so.  Typhoon season is hell.  Most of Mindanao is rarely subject to typhoons, but the Muslim insurgency is something to worry about.  I was there when Pinatubo erupted.  Unable to fly out because of the ash.  Wait list a mile long.  Luckily we had knew someone at the airline to move us to the top of the wait list. Then there is Mayon and Taal volcanoes that can be threats. 

9 hours ago, Traubert said:

Perhaps you'd like to inform them then?

 

https://english.sina.cn/buz/2020-10-16/detail-iiznezxr6281244.d.html

They already know.  This is why they have published these altered statistics.  Can't make the CCP look bad.

5 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

and Putin.

 

BTW, I wouldn't eat the 'pork' that the US is trying to sell Thailand. I don't even think the Thai's eat much ears, lips, tongue, intestines, etc...   The 'pork products' are scraps that most of the world doesn't eat. Thai's actually do use those discarded pieces of the pig. I am led to believe.

There are Thai dishes that specifically call for what you label scraps.  And you would be surprised how many other ethnic foods contain these so-called scraps.  The problem with the processing and canning of  these products is the nitrates that are used as a preservative.

1 hour ago, Traubert said:

Wouldn't. Not won't.

China has lost 100 million pigs to the African swine fever, a third of their pig population and recent floods have made the situation worse.  Pork prices have skyrocketed increasing the demand for imported pork. 

34 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Quite. It's probably full of growth hormone anyway. Thats why the Chinese wouldn't buy it.

Not true. U.S. pork sales to China are on the rise.  The Chinese now own Smithfield Foods, a major U.S. pork producer

Kevin, thanks.  Will do.

I am looking for a wood carver that can do wood portraits from photographs.  I lost contact with a guy that did work for me in the past.  This is not for a business, but rather for wood portraits that are displayed in a small not-for-profit museum in Hawaii.  I know Ban Thawai is the place and will be in Chiang Mai this November.  If any member can recommend someone or has a relative that does this kind of work and is interested please email me.  Willing to pay a fair price for good workmanship that replicates the photos submitted.  Thank you.

Maui's economy started with the whaling industry and was gradually replaced by sugar and pineapple which have been replaced by tourism.  In the past much of the medical care was provided by plantation doctors and clinics.  The hospital system is in turmoil because of a dispute with the government hospital workers union.  They are fighting over privatization of the state hospital.  And the state is stonewalling the construction of a new private hospital because it will compete with the state hospital. 

One reason for the shortage of medical doctors in Hawaii is the high cost of living and a state government that is in bed with the two major health insurance providers.  Thank goodness I have medical insurance that let's me go to any doctor without a referral.  It also helps that my PCP is "local" and went to same private school I went to.

30 minutes ago, Farang99 said:

There must be 50 ways to leave your lava ? 

Hawaii is not much different than other locations around the world that have to deal with active volcanoes such as the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.  We happen to live in an older geological area of the island that is relatively safe from lava flows.  The present activity is located in one of Kilauea's two rift zones which is around six miles wide and extends from the summit to the ocean.  Anyone living in this hazard area knows the risks.

The local authorities have years of experience in dealing with this kind of disaster and had a heads up from the volcano scientists who warned of a possible outbreak.

This form of depression is often misdiagnosed and inappropriate medications prescribed.  This is why seeing a competent and experienced mental health doctor is extremely important.  After helping a friend recover  from a drug  overdose took I her to a friend of mine who correctly diagnosed her problem.  Today she is my wife and never fails to take her lithium. She often thanks me for turning her life around.

Have you tried using potassium chlorate to initiate flowering? I believe this is what commercial growers in Chiang Rai use.  Because KCLO3 requires special storage and handling I use sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) instead.

5 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

READ the article.  This is not about ANYTHING other than tour group scams.  Nothing else.  Not defective or counterfeit merchandise.  Not about false advertising.  Not about shop ripoffs.  Not about scheming tuk-tuk or taxi drivers.  Not about any of the 1001 scams a tourist might encounter except....  'Tour companies, and only applies to "registered" tour companies (who have to pay fees to BE registered...) at that!

 

My apology.  I meant to agree with phantom finders post.  I know what the article refers to.  Several posters alluded to VAT refunds and defective product disputes as examples of what to expect in Thailand when dissatisfied with a service or product.  Meaning they don't expect any better from TAT. In other words TIT!

3 minutes ago, hawker9000 said:

Nonsense.   Give ME a break !!  Did you even read what this is all about?   Past the title even?  Almost nothing.  'Not even a drop in the ocean.

For those who made comments on defective merchandise and VAT refunds.  I bought a thermos flask and discovered the stopper was defective.  Went to the store the next day and was given a new stopper.  Bought a laptop at The Mall and was asked if I needed documentation for a VAT refund.  Upon departing no problem getting the refund.  Sometimes attitude is very important how one is treated. 

Hawker, I agree about TAT's good intentions, except they need to learn  how to implement this program to make it work.

Never heard of dekopon until now.  An ethnic Japanese farmer in Brazil has been successful in getting them adapted to tropical climates.  After harvest the fruit are stored for 30 to 40 days.  This raises the brix to 16.  You might be interested in this article from the LA Times. www.latimes.com/food/la-to-dekopon-20110217-story.html.  Evidently budwood from Japan carries Tristeza and needs to be cleaned up. 

On 8/8/2017 at 6:33 PM, Thian said:

 

On 8/8/2017 at 1:01 AM, zzaa09 said:

 

Personally, I don't mind it if prepared correctly. Slow roasted is a nice way of taking it - bring out the natural nuttiness.

Traditionally, consumed in the Pacific Islands, as that's where it's native.

Extraordinarily nutritious, providing a number of essential elements.

 

Don't believe it's ever caught on as a staple throughout SE Asia, though will grow here quite well.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=14069.0

 

Here you can buy many different artocarpus seeds from indonesia...these are not in thailand yet afaik.

To avoid messing with the latex I boil the unripe ones  whole for 45 to 60 minutes.  Then remove the skin with a sharp knife.   Now they are ready to slice up and pan fry in chili and garlic flavored butter. You can also breadfruit in lieu of potatoes in making potato salad.  The breadfruit I am accustomed to are seedless Hawaiian and Samoan varieties.  Seedless types are propagated by root suckers.

On 9/29/2017 at 11:03 PM, rickudon said:

Growing from seeds can be hit and miss. F1 hybrids are mainly used for annual veg (also used for some fish), it takes many generations to produce stable parent stocks for the hybridisation. Most fruit trees are selected varieties which are then maintained by cuttings or grafting. New varieties are produced by growing from seeds, but maybe only 1% will be as good as the parent. But it takes years to know if a plant from seed will have all the desirable qualities you want. Grafting is used to get the desired traits from 2 varieties - typically the root stock will control overall size, plus possible disease resistance, while the grafted variety will provide size and taste to the fruit.

 

Lemon can grow well from seed. Custard apple very well (only took 3 years and got a  crop of about 20 fruit for the first time this year). But generally speaking fruit trees grown from seed will take 5 or more years to mature and even when they flower, you may get no fruit (we have a mango tree in our garden, maybe 30-40 years old, flowers every year but never seen a fruit on it in 7 years). my experience of Citrus in Thailand is that most trees do not live very long, whether grown from seed or cuttings (actually air layered). My B-in-law seems to have about 10% of his trees die each year, myself only ever got one lime tree to fruiting, which it did for 3 years before dying. All other plants expired within 2  years of planting into the ground, so will keep in pots/rings in future. Mandarins have always died on me in their second year, but wife has fingers made of herbicide, she usually manages to kill most of my seedlings whenever i am away in the UK ..... latest was 2 mangosteen which i had nursed along in a pot in the shade for 2 years, she thought they needed more sun - dead in 1 month.

 

I have grown bell peppers from F1 hybrid stock. Not brilliant, but did at least as well as last 2 varieties i tried. 

About your citrus trees being short lived.  Tristeza (citrus quick decline) can be avoided by rootstock that is virus resistant.  Another killer is huanglongbing (citrus greening) which is spread by an insect.  In Thailand mandarins are highly susceptible.  One of the first signs are fruit that have green splotches.  For tristeza there usually is no warning.  The trees die overnight.

Here in Hawaii all the nurseries use rootstock known to be tristeza resistant.   So far there are no known cases of HLB (citrus greening).  Sorry about your mangosteens.  I consider them understory plants and have always provided shade even when put in the ground removing protection gradually.

There is a youtube video on grafting avocados by Ty McDonald of the University of Hawaii Extension Service.  Part 1 is the introduction  and Part 2 is the actual demonstration. Ty's video is even better than one of his live demonstrations I attended.  Not sure about the link, but if you search hard enough you can find it. There are closeups and clear explanations of the process. 

A few comments from Hawaii.  The green emerald variety may actually be Greengold which a selection from Sharwill seedlings.  Sharwill is the main commercial cultivar in Hawaii.

I was taught that large seeds  usually give the healthiest root stock.  Also when grafting leave the tip of the bud exposed.  In other words, don't cover the tip with tape.  If kept in a shaded, wind free area. the bud should not dry out.  As one poster suggested, covering with a thin clear bag might be helpful.  Just make sure condensation doesn't rot the bud.

17 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Being off trump's radar, and no doubt Thailand is in that position, can definitely be seen as an advantage. Hopefully, patriotic Americans can find a way sooner or later to force trump to resign or to impeach him, so this dark and dangerous trump phase can be thrown into the dustbin of history. 

If you love America so much why aren't you living in Obamaland?  Maybe your participation in Hillary's campaign would have made a difference.

Disaster waiting to happen.  As a retired contractor, I have to agree with mania.  Would never allow my workers to do anything to jeopardize their safety. 

Farcanell, pray tell me  at what airport were " lays" given.  Quite sure you meant leis.  Some visitors ask insulting questions like, "What kind of money do you use here?"  Others are downright rude and need to be put in their place. Are you one of these?

52 minutes ago, honoluludave said:

About 15-20 years ago Hawaii changed the direction of their tourist industry and started going after the high end Japanese tourist. And now most middle class American simply can not afford a Hawaii vacation. Even many long term residents are leaving because of the cost of living. High end tourism is a two edge sword. Yes you are making more money from your tourist industry. But the cost of living will go up accordingly

Unfortunately you are correct.  To afford a vacation in Hawaii many are patronizing the B&Bs that are popping up all over Hawaii.  Spiraling land values have helped contribute to the high cost of living.  I deeded one of my homes to  my  youngest  son because I  know he loves Hawaii and its unique lifestyle.  Also my granddaughters just adore my Thai wife who works at a 5-star resort.  She just loves Hawaii and has adapted very well to local culture.

Yes, Hawaii is expensive, but we would not live anywhere else.