19 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Sounds like you had a interesting life 

 

It's still an interesting life, I'm not dead yet!

Soi 6 most afternoons. 

4 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

I still live with my Thai wife in the same properties in Bangkok and Rayong I was living in 20 years ago. We have been together since 1984, and married in Taiwan in 1990. The only thing that has changed, sadly, is that my closest friends have all died. Tempus fugit...

 

Condolences to Tempus's widow.

4 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Sounds like you had a interesting life 

Sounds awful

I was in college, young and no money 

Where I was exactly 20 years ago? Looking in my diary:

- on the toilet for p....g, hoping it would also work 20 years later !

1 hour ago, kevin612 said:

I was in college, young and no money 

Young Dumb & full of .....C

1 minute ago, georgegeorgia said:

Young Dumb & full of .....C

 

  You are allowed to say it , its not a banned word

15 hours ago, 2baht said:

Was you sat or was you stood?

Back in the day I was walking, and learning.
And what I learnt was that things can always get worse.

Much worse.

I was reading Thaivisa

16 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Francis Crick....

 

You just can't get much more famous than this....

never heard of him

3 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

never heard of him

You have now.

The world is full of learning ooprtunities, and only the most thrawn turn them by.

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  You are allowed to say it , its not a banned word

 Custard

11 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

 Custard

Who doesn't miss school dinners?
"Are you sure you want gravy with your chocolate sponge?""

In 2004 I was doing exactly the same things as I do now...  cummuting several times a year between Bangkok, Sukhothai and Chiangmai.

Unfortunately my old hotel in Bangkok (The Honey) is now a construction site with a 14 meter hole in the ground.

My farm in Sukhothai has a nice modern house in it as opposed to the shack back in '04.

My old hotel's in Chiangmai have changed names - the Montri to just plain "M" and Rydges to the Amora.

 

If we go back another 20 years to '84. My old(er) hotel in Chiangmai was the Anodard and I'm really happy to see it ain't changed much.

Twenty years ago in Thailand I was walking everywhere, drinking way too much and enjoying the company of friends. Unfortunately about 75% of my farang friends that lived in Thailand back then have passed away. I'm living between Australia and Thailand so get the best of both worlds. I may be retired now but I thought the world was a better place back in 2004.  Of course Boxing Day of that year was the exception.

20 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

This is very important what you wrote because you are taking about a job ..back then ...that gave you work life balance enough for you to train in triathlon ,...so the question is was it Monday to Friday work training times were ? and the most important question....did you WIN the triathlons?

Fast forward 20 years and .....your life your fitness is not the same?

2004, good times but I prefer to be looking ahead 

 

But, since you asked. Win? That would have been nice.

 

My most memorable win was a seven race points trail running series in NZ I never finished higher than 3rd or lower than 7th, consistency enough to win the series title on points. Later I was a full-time competitor for eight months, self-funded and no regrets, a fantastic experience in both countries. 

 

2024 I'm 2-3kg heavier than my 2004 weight. But much more than 2kmh slower. 44km on the bike following a friend's 18yr son yesterday put me in my place speed-wise.

 

Always active in sport it's been the one 'constant' in my life - I was introduced to my wife at a surf lifesaving competition, great common interest, neither of us compete in 2024, rather we participate. Tomorrow 5.30am we're in a fun run event, #5 of a series of six, final one on the 18th.

 

I'm part way through a 1000km February cycle challenge.  Sea kayaking with daughter #2 this morning.

 

2004 training was before and after work, as an hourly rate contractor I had flexibility around hours of work and as most clients were UK the time difference from nz meant often working irregular hours. My most recent contract role 2022 was similar, 32hr/wk was ideal.

 

 

     I was living in northern Virginia, in the 'new town' of Reston.  Working at a community college library but also buying condos, fixing them up while living in them, and then selling them.  By then I was probably on my 6th flip.  In the next year I would retire but continue to work part-time at the same library, while also doing a few flips, for another 5 years and then move to Thailand in 2010 with my Thai partner, now spouse.   Life has been good for us in Pattaya and it was a good decision to move here.

Right here, same wife, same home, same job with annual increases, biggest change is I'm 20 years older. 

In 2004 I finally a very early retirement from work. Later that year my then wife and I made our first trip to Japan for a few weeks as a reward for hosting a few dozen Japanese students over the years. This trip led to my love of Asia and later S.E. Asia including Thailand. Other than that, just living a normal domestic life in Australia.