Intellectual Stimulation

[seonai]

I realise this may be a difficult one but...... well it's something I sort of thrive on - food for the brain. Where do you all get yours? I am geographically challenged so decent conversations face to face are few. And when they do come, it's a tourist who is leaving tomorrow!!!! Right now I read the Telegraph, The Independent and The Guardian online.

I particularly enjoy the biographies, interviews, opinion pieces, book sections etc.

Anyone know of any other good sources on the web for reading?

Seonai

[daleyboy]

There is only one source of reading really, and your here already

[Thaipwriter]

Well I dont bother these days, it's over-rated anyway me thinks.

I like just to tick over with the usual farang subject orientated natter and the occassional exchange about food with the locals and thats about it.

Ignorance is bliss, i have lived here for a year and i have little knowledge of what has happended in farangland in that time. My mind is clearer for it.

[seonai]

Everyone's different you guys. I am not being snooty, I just get bored and even a little depressed if my brain is not thinking about other stuff! God it's so hard to find the right words on this topic. My life is here but I miss libraries and great chats............. don't all jump on my head please!!!!!!!

[GuestHouse]

I think this is a good question.

My time in Thailand has been spent working so that kept me on my toes so to speak. But I still found that I needed to be doing something else to keep the old brain active.

Studying Thai is of course an obvious choice, but I also joined the foreign correspondents club in BKK and the Siam Society. Both have meetings and lectures on a wide range of subjects.

A hobby can help too. Mine are art based, drawing, painting, photography - something I have always done and something I have always been able to slip into when I have a few spare moments.

It goes both ways of course.

My wife organized lunch at our home here in Rome this past Saturday. Among the guests was a Thai lady working for the UN, the she and my wife sat chatting about politics until late into the evening. They are out for lunch again today.

If you're the kind of person that enjoys interlectual discussion/challenges then I believe they are become extremely important to your happiness and well being where ever you might be.

[TAWP]

I masturbate with a newspaper. ;>

[daleyboy]

I masturbate with a newspaper. ;>

[Boo]

must be a really hot looking paper

[Ulysses G.]

Bangkok and Chiang Mai are full of great bookstores. Many used ones are better than the ones back home.

There is the whole internet and plenty of people around to talk to.

What do you want?

[Boo]

I think the problem is seonai is on a small island with a majority muslim popluation & not many farang around longer than a couple of days. Can be quite isolating & not many bookshops or things to do I'd imagine.

[TAWP]

Oh, I forgot the word '_mentally_' in my previous post.

[donna]

I hear you Seonai! You know I do!

The times you DO get to meet an interesting traveler, they are either leaving the next day, or the meeting is a one-off. The chances of having a good old natter about the news are very slim on an island like the one Seonai and I live on.

Boo is right. We dont have bookshops, and although we live on the same island, the chances of us meeting up are very few and far between. This is due to our working hours.

I find that the internet is my lifeline whilst I am here. Without it I would be crazy.

But that doesn't replace a face to face conversation in any way.

A conversation where you can change the subject willy nilly, where you can disagree with each other and still be friends, where you can laugh until your face turns red are what Seonai is talking about.

Why not try Skype? I have a camera, headset and mic, so I am wired for sound. I talk to my friends for hours at times and love it. The lines are usually clear and you can see each other which is great.

Not quite the same as a real face to face, but pretty ###### close!

[Ulysses G.]

There was just a big article in the International Herald Tribune about Chiang Mai having the best used bookstores in all of South East Asia and it is true.

Take a trip to Chiang Mai, load up on books and then look for internet access out there in the boonies!

[Sing_Sling]

The mind is a terrible thing to waste. Reminds me of the following buzz-saying we had at University: Withering Atrophy . . . (I know, I know)

[TRIPxCORE]

Everyone's different you guys. I am not being snooty, I just get bored and even a little depressed if my brain is not thinking about other stuff! God it's so hard to find the right words on this topic. My life is here but I miss libraries and great chats............. don't all jump on my head please!!!!!!!

Nobody will jump on you for this Seonai. There is nothing wrong with your question. Its perfectly valid actually.

IMO a majority of people in the world are ignorant outside of their lives. To each his own you know. For the rest of us that want stimulation, it can sometimes be a difficult project. Reading the news isnt the only option and besides, thats sort of depressing. No good news ever in the news.

Learning something new is always good. Like someone said earlier, learning Thai would be perfect. IMO learning a new language is one of the best challenges you can give yourself.

[ourmanflint]

I have every sympathy with you, and contrary to previous posts this is hardly "intellect central" is it?

I think the way the ex colonies went about things, was at least in one respect an attempt to keep that level of mental stimulation going, by having meeting houses and social gatherings etc. Those of you who have gone deep thai, must find it difficult. I am impressed!

As for places to read on the net, you can sign up to any one of a number of newsletters, I personally love the PhysOrg newsletter, but that is very techhie and for complete eggheads such as myself!! You can always download one of the many of thousands of ebooks out there, have a look at the project gutenberg site here!

There are a thousand ways to keep a curious mind active.

[Patsycat]

Get a webcam and SKYPE as said earlier!! Its fun and doesn't cost very much. Even talk to other TV members this way!!

[jdinasia]

hmmm you'd be amazed what is online to read .... google Great works literature online .....

read the NYT .....

but hel_l if you are that far away from civi .... make some friends online and plan weekend gettogethers some place .... your town ... or a short trip away ....

I run down to patters to talk to my best friend in Thailand 1 or 2 times a month .... and we chat online daily

same with other friends ....

hel_l it aint just about "intellectual stimulation .... sometimes it's about getting stinking drunk with a friend!

[Jim 50]

I bring my reading material with me. Bangkok bookstores are pretty good, there is a good one at the new mall, Paragon I think the mall name is over at Siam.

As far as stimulating conversation, opportunitios are very limited.

[skylar]

Why not do a course by correspondence? It might be solitary, but it would give you something to do.

[pomchopkao]

after a decade and a half in TH still find the place stimulating, them folks here sure behave/do things differently.. so living here is always food for thought 4me at least

then the Net, same as TH, not a day passes that something new, again for me, pops up

boredom, never! - not enough time to do it all, always!

[nagasaki]

I realise this may be a difficult one but...... well it's something I sort of thrive on - food for the brain. Where do you all get yours? I am geographically challenged so decent conversations face to face are few. And when they do come, it's a tourist who is leaving tomorrow!!!! Right now I read the Telegraph, The Independent and The Guardian online.

I particularly enjoy the biographies, interviews, opinion pieces, book sections etc.

Anyone know of any other good sources on the web for reading?

Seonai

I must admit, I have thought of moving to Thailand and 'retiring', am in UK and mid forties, i could just about do it know financuially, but one of the things that stops me is precisley that, what would I do to fill my mind, and I think this is important, from a personal perspective I have a reasonably challenging job in I.T. although have no academic\intelectual hobbies other than the od pub quiz! and i am not a book reader by nature, my hobbies being sport orientated.

Not being able to find anything 'meaningful' mentaly to fill my time would be a real problem (I am aware that 'meaningful' is a personal thing), I really don't fancy teaching English (aint got a degree anyway) I would probably end up spending far to much time in bars, which is not a good thing, I tend to be a UK weekend binge drinker, but not in a trouble making way, and would be quite happy keeping up that tradition, I simply don't know how I would fill my time Monday to thursday especially in the evenings, have spent a bit of time in LOS but this is realy holding me back in terms of making the big move, and I dont want to drink myself to an early grave

I dont think I have made great any points in this reply just if any people whi find themselves in a similar position have handled it

[Patex]

seonai,

Why look at it from a negative viewpoint?

Thinking about one subject one day/week/month/year/life can be more nutritious than all the "intellectual" fast-food served by authors and journalists...

Learn the language from the people around you and start to discuss your thoughts with them .

This will keep you mentally busy for a lifetime .

Have fun, Patex

[otherstuff1957]

http://www.gutenberg.org/

I recently discovered the site above! The books there are all out of copywrite, so most of them are older, but there's some interesting stuff there. Even with a slow, dial-up connection it's easy to download a complete book in just a few minutes.

[kat]

Books and the internet are my lifeline. There are so many incredible sites on the net -- endless researching. I recently discovered a couple of good sites where I can view and download other people's photographs. As a result, I have been totally inspired to start taking photographs again, and to talk to other creative people from around the world.

You live on an island where interesting foreigners come and go; have you started a book exchange, or maybe a diary where travellers can share their experiences with one another? Even though they are coming and going, you can still share a lot and gain creative, intellectual, and even spiritual stimulation from them.

Learning a language is a good brain exercise.

Write.

Start a new interest: I like taking photographs. Maybe you like to grow things, like a garden. Lately, I have been thinking about all the wonderful opportunities I have been wasting here, because I am now planning to leave in the next 3 to 6 months.

You know what springs to mind? Learning how to do Batik, learning Muay Thai, and learing how to really meditate. I also wouldn't mind going home knowing how to make a really great green curry.

Is there something that you really want to learn more about?

[Insight]

http://www.gutenberg.org/

I recently discovered the site above! The books there are all out of copywrite, so most of them are older, but there's some interesting stuff there. Even with a slow, dial-up connection it's easy to download a complete book in just a few minutes.

Cheers otherstuff, that's a great link!

[taxexile]

I masturbate with a newspaper. ;>

you should try tissues , its less messy and you wont get ink all over your knob.

[Maigo6]

I masturbate with a newspaper. ;>

At last, an honest poster.

[Phano]

IMHO it is a modern day life challenge. As they say with lots of truth, an idle mind is the devil's workshop.

[Mighty Mouse]

Have you looked at downloading E Books? There are thousands out there.

Stimulating on-line conversations can be found in selected chat rooms.

Stimulating face to face conversation can be found in social clubs, sporting clubs etc. where members share a common interest.

The most intelligent conversations that I ever have, are those that I have with myself. No disagreements, no arguments.