The 39 Steps

[GammaGlobulin]

My Dearest Friends,

 

No doubt, most of you know something about the role that men (and a few women) from Scotland have played in shaping life in Asia, not to mention the Struan family, of course.

 

Last night, I watched the 1935 film, The 39 Steps, as well as the 1959 version of this Hitchcock film, which is in color.  Personally, I find both films riveting, and also different in entertaining ways.

 

After watching these two films, I watched North by Northwest, which is sort of an amalgam of The 39 Steps., but with a more Rushmorian climax.   I highly recommend all three of these films for your pleasure, if only to watch different actresses, in different periods of film history, remove their stockings. 

 

Of great interest in the first two films are the scenes in Scotland.  In fact, I played several scenes, over and over again, just to see what Scotland looked like 80 years ago.

 

Of these three films, my favorite scene was in the 1959 version of 39 Steps, in which Hannay is flippantly lecturing to a bevy of school girls concerning his dislike of some plant.

 

Do you recall the name of this plant upon which Hannay was lecturing to these boarding school girls under Ms. Fisher's tutelage?

 

===========

 

Here we are in Thailand.

 

And yet, here we are thinking about Scotland, too.

 

Both places end with a "land".

 

And, both places, in my opinion, are exotic.

 

Many people around the world would give their eyeteeth to come to Thailand.

 

And, now, after being in Asia for most of my life, and, presently, without most of my teeth, I would give anything to see Scotland before I die.

 

What about you?

 

Which place is better, Thailand or Scotland....

Or, are both places just about the same....

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[Gottfrid]

But, Thailand is more than 39 steps from Scotland??? What do you mean?

[GammaGlobulin]

3 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

But, Thailand is more than 39 steps from Scotland??? What do you mean?

What I mean is that you cannot measure the distance between two great lands, just by counting steps, my friend.

 

Distance is measured in the closeness of the heart, surely

 

Now, please, listen to this tune, and tell me if you can yet deny the closeness of the heart.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[PoodThaiMaiDai]

Is it on Netflix?  555

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

What I mean is that you cannot measure the distance between two great lands, just by counting steps, my friend.

 

Distance is measured in the closeness of the heart, surely

 

Now, please, listen to this tune, and tell me if you can yet deny the closeness of the heart.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Sorry, man! It just doesn´t work for me. I have listened to it 7 times now. Still can´t find any other way than kilometer to measure the distance between two countries.

[Farmerslife]

Perhaps, you should try watching Trainspotting  the original '96 version. It might give you a different take on a more modern Scotland.

 On second thoughts, scrub that idea. Why spoil an illusion? 

[toofarnorth]

To Mr GG . I have never been to Scotland , I lived all but 2 years of my life ( Before coming out here ) south of the Thames.  The Lake District with my folks around about 1960 and '61 for holidays.

Scotland to me in those days meant rain and in between rain , drizzle. I like the sun which is why I live here.

[GammaGlobulin]

1 minute ago, toofarnorth said:

To Mr GG . I have never been to Scotland , I lived all but 2 years of my life ( Before coming out here ) south of the Thames.  The Lake District with my folks around about 1960 and '61 for holidays.

Scotland to me in those days meant rain and in between rain , drizzle. I like the sun which is why I live here.

Now, having moved to Thailand, you have found the Sun, finally?

 

In Thailand, fortunately, it rains, usually, only in the Raining Season.

 

Enjoy the rest of your life, ... under the Sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ralf001]

15 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

In Thailand, fortunately, it rains, usually, only in the Raining Season.

When is rainy season ?

[Sparktrader]

Buy whisky. Only good Scottish thing.

 

 

[Sparktrader]

7 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

When is rainy season ?

When it rains.

[RayWright]

4 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

Buy whisky. Only good Scottish thing.

 

 

Clootie dumpling, roll and tatty scone, cranachan, cullen skink, 

neeps and tatties, rumpledethumps, Arbroath smokies, porridge with Scottish gravy (that's a wee dram), tablet,  Tunnocks to name but a few more Scottish delectables . And a deep fried Mars bar from The Haven Fish Bar in Stonehaven, washed down with a bottle of "rusty rivits".

Ye canny beat it!

[ChrisP24]

15 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

Buy whisky. Only good Scottish thing.

 

 

That and bagpipe music, after imbibing of course.   The accent is pretty cool, too especially if they are pi$$edoff.   And on your side.  

Edited May 3, 2022 by ChrisP24

[RafPinto]

On 5/2/2022 at 10:58 AM, PoodThaiMaiDai said:

Is it on Netflix?  555

No, on HornPub.

[RafPinto]

11 minutes ago, ChrisP24 said:

That and bagpipe music, after imbibing of course.   The accent is pretty cool, too especially if they are pi$$edoff.   And on your side.  

I lived in Aberdeen.
After 10 years still couldn't understand a word what people from Peterhead were saying.
That's just 30min north of ABZ.

[StayinThailand2much]

On 5/2/2022 at 5:06 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

Many people around the world would give their eyeteeth to come to Thailand.

 

And, now, after being in Asia for most of my life, and, presently, without most of my teeth, I would give anything to see Scotland before I die.

I feel the same. Lived a big chunk of my life in Asia. But hope to, one day, travel to Scotland for an extended time. Loved Neil Oliver's documentary series about Scotland's history. This and the TV show "Outlander" make me wanna travel more in these parts of the world. 

Edited May 3, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

[Lacessit]

I've been to Scotland once, for a month, playing golf.

While I enjoyed the experience, no desire to see it again. I coined the acronym ABC when there, i.e. Another Bloody Castle.

Edinburgh, Perth,Glasgow. Speech in the last was incomprehensible.

 

I think the Scots invented whisky to take away the taste of haggis. Bagpipes were invented to be played at funerals, because the dead did not have to listen to them, and 18 holes of golf was invented for serious whisky drinkers, as it took 18 nips - one on each tee - to finish a bottle.

 

The Scots have always been well known for engineering skills, copper wire was invented when two Scotsmen had a tug of war over a penny.

 

Photo is the Meiklaur Hedge, longest in Scotland. Planted by a Scotsman who was killed in the Battle of Culloden

[toofarnorth]

17 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

Buy whisky. Only good Scottish thing.

 

 

Did I read years ago the JW Red Label was Scotland's biggest export because no one in Scotland liked it ?

[RafPinto]

17 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

Did I read years ago the JW Red Label was Scotland's biggest export because no one in Scotland liked it ?

NO.

The scottish women.

[StreetCowboy]

17 hours ago, RayWright said:

Clootie dumpling, roll and tatty scone, cranachan, cullen skink, 

neeps and tatties, rumpledethumps, Arbroath smokies, porridge with Scottish gravy (that's a wee dram), tablet,  Tunnocks to name but a few more Scottish delectables . And a deep fried Mars bar from The Haven Fish Bar in Stonehaven, washed down with a bottle of "rusty rivits".

Ye canny beat it!

I'd gone over the border for my first job, and one of my colleagues was regaling us of his culinary adventures on a trip working in Glasgow, for example.  He'd had enough of fish and chips, and saw that the chippie sold pizzas as well.  "I'll go for the healthy option - Pizza, no chips."
"Oh no! He's dropped it in the deep fat fryer!  He doesn't seem bothered, he's just stirring it about..."

You can wring the fat out of a deep fried pizza like water out of a sponge, but he was recounting that tale five years after, so it can't have been that bad for him.  Although, to be fair, I've not heard from him these twenty years since... 

[GammaGlobulin]

23 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

I'd gone over the border for my first job, and one of my colleagues was regaling us of his culinary adventures on a trip working in Glasgow, for example.  He'd had enough of fish and chips, and saw that the chippie sold pizzas as well.  "I'll go for the healthy option - Pizza, no chips."
"Oh no! He's dropped it in the deep fat fryer!  He doesn't seem bothered, he's just stirring it about..."

You can wring the fat out of a deep fried pizza like water out of a sponge, but he was recounting that tale five years after, so it can't have been that bad for him.  Although, to be fair, I've not heard from him these twenty years since... 

You have regained your stride, sir.

Truly, an example of your former glory, eight years ago.

Congratulations.

 

We shall overcome, and you have.