Greensprout

The major investigation that is launched at my big three retailer starting with M whenever you bring a receipt to "customer service" after checkout showing that you were overcharged the displayed price. Long, long, perusals of the receipt where the error has already been circled. Pow-wows called with numerous people attending. Much quiet hemming and hawing. More staring at the receipt. Long, long foot dragging. Multiple photocopies made of multiple documents. Outgoing phone calls. (Bangkok? The Prime Minister?) After waiting an inevitable 20 minutes you will somehow get your money back, but what you will never, ever get is an apology.

Thai people who have a question for you but spinelessly ask a Thai person nearest themselves

Hands down Ritter Sport regular dark (50% cocoa). Lindt has an icky butter taste to me and a greasy texture. I don't care for Ritter's higher cocoa content versions, and their milk chocolate is not as good as Cadbury, in my opinion. But Ritter Sport regular dark is truly sublime.

Imho, any common milk brand in Thailand besides Meiji is gross for one reason or another. That said, Meiji's low-fat product also tastes strange and unsatisfying. For many years I have bought Meiji regular (full-fat / dark blue label) milk simultaneously with Meiji non-fat milk and mixed them at home. All you need is a container that can hold 500 ml. Pour half of one box/bottle into the container. Refill the half-empty box/bottle with the other milk, then refill the new half-empty box/bottle from the container. Done in 3 minutes and it's great tasting low-fat milk. I never buy Meiji's own low-fat milk anymore. It's just weird stuff. Something not right about it.

This week's Matlock 2024 episode 15 I just love the ending of this episode. The great music, Barry Manilow's Mom sitting anxiously on the bench doing the right thing (terrific acting), and Maddy's hard working starting to come to fruit for the good of the world. Wonderful feeling!

Tailgating as a national compulsion

Gals with large breasts. Actually, pretty much gals in general.

Oh, I really thought I had read this in Things That I Like. Too bad. Oh well. Come to my town. Unlike other places, guys here are loathe to take off their shirts. What a bore.

Possibly. Not likely. Not many whities in this town at all. And what visiting adult would not automatically look at the cash register themselves if they did not understand? Does a visitor think she is saying "What do you think about the political situation in the US?". Common sense is more present in front of the counter than behind. No, this widespread thinking (or rather lack thereof) and behavior are engrained from culture, not learned from experience.

Cashiers who see your white face, seal their mouth like a clam, and lean *way* around the cash register with their little arm to point at your purchase total. Honey, I'm not the one with a deficiency here. Usually I look at them as if puzzled and deadpan คุณเป็นคนใบ้หรือครับ (You're mute?)

The oh-so-fine Grab driver who was passing though 7/11 at the same time as me this morning. Be still my beating heart.

Individuals and groups of people who stand in narrow corridors of foot traffic and block the flow, oblivious to the world around them.

Sehr gut, but then how much was the shipping? And how does that work in the hot season? I used to manage on one (little) square of their regular plain (50% cocoa) dark a day (by far the best dark of any major maker), and I will again someday if I have to. I at least need one square for after I [cough]. It is my post-nookie cigarette.