good morning everyone

[Bpuumike]

good afternoon\

i know this is not Thai related but I was pleased to read this .Melbourne was my home city . I still would not move back as Thailand in my eyes is number 1

Melbourne has taken out the hat-trick when it comes to the best city in the world to live in.

The Victorian capital came out top among 140 cities for providing the best living conditions for the third year in a row.

Adelaide, Sydney and Perth again made it into the top 10 of The Economist Intelligence Unit's liveability survey, with Auckland the only New Zealand city in that group at number 10.

Top 10 cities

1, Melbourne, Australia

2, Vienna, Austria

3, Vancouver, Canada

4, Toronto, Canada

5, Calgary, Canada

6, Adelaide, Australia

7, Sydney, Australia

8, Helsinki, Finland

9, Perth, Australia

10, Auckland, New Zealand

The bottom 10 cities

Tehran, Iran

Douala, Cameroon

Tripoli, Libya

Karachi, Pakistan

Algiers, Algeria

Harare, Zimbabwe

Lagos, Nigeria

Port Moresby, PNG

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Damascus, Syria

Melbourne is a great city but unreliable weather. At least in Bangkok you know what to expect, depending on time of year.

Having been to 8 of them, I think Dhaka should be much higher up the list, though even worse places are not mentioned.

[sceadugenga]

I was in Melbourne one Boxing Day.

It hailed.

[harrry]

I was in Melbourne one Boxing Day.

It hailed.

So you were all boxed up in your room.

The day before probably had 5 seasons in one day to make up for it.

We cannot help it if you are not used to the weather....You do not see much of that when traveling from the pub on one corner to the church on the other in Adelaide.

[sceadugenga]

We have two weathers in Adelaide, hot and dry and cool and dry.

It usually rains on the 31st of most months...

Not a lot though.

[pomchop]

You can retire to Phoenix , Arizona where...

1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away from your house because you found shade.

2. You've experienced condensation on your hiney from the hot water in the toilet bowl. (I like this one)

3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.

4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.

5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.

6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

OR

You can retire to California where...

1. You make over $450,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.

2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.

3. You know how to eat an artichoke.

4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.

5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.

6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought

OR

You can retire to New York City where...

1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan ...

2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.

3. You think Central Park is "nature."

4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.

5. You've worn out a car horn. ( IF you have a car).

6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.

OR

You can retire to Minnesota where...

1. You only have three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup ..

2. Halloween costumes have to fit over parkas.

3. You have seventeen recipes for casserole.

4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.

5. The four seasons are: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road repair.

6. The highest level of criticism is "He is different, she is different or It was different!"

OR

You can retire to the Deep South where...

1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.

2. "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.

3. "He needed killin" is a valid defense.

4. Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Joe Bob, Betty Jean, Mary Beth, etc etc.

5. Everywhere is either "over yonder" or "out yonder."

OR

You can retire to Colorado where...

1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.

2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and so he stops at the day care center.

3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.

4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.

OR

You can retire to the Nebraska where...

1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.

2. Your idea of a traffic jam is three cars waiting to pass a tractor.

3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.

4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at?"

OR

You can retire to Florida where...

1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.

2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars.

3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist, proctologist, podiatrist, or orthopedist.

4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.

5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.

OR YOU CAN RETIRE TO CHIANG RAI THAILAND WHERE

1. Even though you're old and fat you are still told daily by young thai girls that you are a "handsome man".

2. You can rent a big house with a maid and a gardener for less than your association fees in most USA condos.

3. There are two basic seasons: Warm and dry or Hot and Wet.

4. You can have a five course Thai meal for less than he cost of a fried rice in the usa.

5. The biggest traffic problem is often dogs laying in the road.

6. You can have a manicure a pedicure and a two hour massage for less than the cost of a movie and popcorn in the USA.

Edited August 29, 2013 by pomchop

[kevvy]

I was in Melbourne one Boxing Day.

It hailed.

dont tell me you were at the cricket?? i bet you it didnt hail all day , as this is Melbourne.

[kevvy]

good afternoon\

i know this is not Thai related but I was pleased to read this .Melbourne was my home city . I still would not move back as Thailand in my eyes is number 1

Melbourne has taken out the hat-trick when it comes to the best city in the world to live in.

The Victorian capital came out top among 140 cities for providing the best living conditions for the third year in a row.

Adelaide, Sydney and Perth again made it into the top 10 of The Economist Intelligence Unit's liveability survey, with Auckland the only New Zealand city in that group at number 10.

Top 10 cities

1, Melbourne, Australia

2, Vienna, Austria

3, Vancouver, Canada

4, Toronto, Canada

5, Calgary, Canada

6, Adelaide, Australia

7, Sydney, Australia

8, Helsinki, Finland

9, Perth, Australia

10, Auckland, New Zealand

The bottom 10 cities

Tehran, Iran

Douala, Cameroon

Tripoli, Libya

Karachi, Pakistan

Algiers, Algeria

Harare, Zimbabwe

Lagos, Nigeria

Port Moresby, PNG

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Damascus, Syria

Melbourne is a great city but unreliable weather. At least in Bangkok you know what to expect, depending on time of year.

Having been to 8 of them, I think Dhaka should be much higher up the list, though even worse places are not mentioned.

i lived in Vancouver for a while, and that city is better than Melbourne , my opinion of course. cities all around the world is what you make of them

Edited August 30, 2013 by kevvy

[Big Gary]

good afternoon\

i know this is not Thai related but I was pleased to read this .Melbourne was my home city . I still would not move back as Thailand in my eyes is number 1

Melbourne has taken out the hat-trick when it comes to the best city in the world to live in.

The Victorian capital came out top among 140 cities for providing the best living conditions for the third year in a row.

Adelaide, Sydney and Perth again made it into the top 10 of The Economist Intelligence Unit's liveability survey, with Auckland the only New Zealand city in that group at number 10.

Top 10 cities

1, Melbourne, Australia

2, Vienna, Austria

3, Vancouver, Canada

4, Toronto, Canada

5, Calgary, Canada

6, Adelaide, Australia

7, Sydney, Australia

8, Helsinki, Finland

9, Perth, Australia

10, Auckland, New Zealand

The bottom 10 cities

Tehran, Iran

Douala, Cameroon

Tripoli, Libya

Karachi, Pakistan

Algiers, Algeria

Harare, Zimbabwe

Lagos, Nigeria

Port Moresby, PNG

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Damascus, Syria

Melbourne is a great city but unreliable weather. At least in Bangkok you know what to expect, depending on time of year.

Having been to 8 of them, I think Dhaka should be much higher up the list, though even worse places are not mentioned.

i lived in Vancouver for a while, and that city is better than Melbourne , my opinion of course. cities all around the world is what you make of them

Off topic but I like your little photo of your Sandman, Kevvy from Melbourne from Gary from Benalla.

[kevvy]

hi gary

having a great day , the sun is shining and life is good. wow, Benalla !! i lived in wang for a long time as well. use to go to Benalla many times, how much has it changed in the last few years , it looks great . I wish I could bring my cars over here , but i couldn't.

[kevvy]

Last night the wife and I sat down to watch a new movie called "Now you see me"

The movie was great and at no time were we bored with the acting or storyline.The FBI faces the case of an illusionist gang that rob banks and while performing they give the money to the audience . A crack FBI squad in a game of cat-and-mouse against the world’s greatest illusionists, who pull off a series of daring bank jobs during their performances, showering the profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the FBI.I can see a bit of Ocean's 11 in it.

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are completely wasted in roles that hardly make sense. But overall really enjoyed it.

I give his movie a 6.5/10

[sceadugenga]

Strangely enough my current video entertainment is a BBC series called Coast.

A team of academics follow the UK coast line with wonderful camera work and even the driest historical and geographical data is presented in an interesting manner.

[kevvy]

Strangely enough my current video entertainment is a BBC series called Coast.

A team of academics follow the UK coast line with wonderful camera work and even the driest historical and geographical data is presented in an interesting manner.

good morning

the BBC bring out some excellent documentary's , I will have a look at the series .

Planet Earth

was amazing series.David Attenborough was the narrator and set out creating a body of work which became a benchmark of quality in wildlife film-making. Director and executive producer Alastair Fothergill, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s very best wildlife filmmakers as usual done an excellent job.I have this series , try and watch it .

[sceadugenga]

Maybe we can swap some day Kevvy.

I like David Attenborough, but I keep in mind that he works with things that are already strange and exotic.

The ability to show the mundane as something interesting also takes a special skill.

The current popularity of the topic about the small creatures that live in our gardens is an example; we use our cameras to make them something rightfully fascinating.

[villagefarang]

Scea, if you haven’t watched the Planet Earth series in High Def, you are in for a real treat. I have the MKV file on a hard drive somewhere, if you are interested.

Edited September 1, 2013 by villagefarang

[kevvy]

As a kid, while visiting my Grandfather., he took me to a movie called "how the west was won, an experience I never forget. After watching it I been bitten by the film bug.I think film is to get you into another world, you could be in a galaxy far far away or in some fairytale or you can take a part in a bank robbery.That is what I love about film , you can escape from the real world. I spent many years in the film business when I was older.

[kevvy]

Scea, if you haven’t watched the Planet Earth series in High Def, you are in for a real treat. I have the file on a hard drive somewhere, if you are interested.

VF

It is one of the best series I have watched on BLU-RAY. Truely amazing I am lucky enough to have my own theatre room to enjoy the films.

[kevvy]

Maybe we can swap some day Kevvy.

I like David Attenborough, but I keep in mind that he works with things that are already strange and exotic.

The ability to show the mundane as something interesting also takes a special skill.

The current popularity of the topic about the small creatures that live in our gardens is an example; we use our cameras to make them something rightfully fascinating.

I can get a copy to you on disc (blueray) I will be up in December if you want to meet for coffee. merry Christmas ho ho ho

[sceadugenga]

Scea, if you haven’t watched the Planet Earth series in High Def, you are in for a real treat. I have the MKV file on a hard drive somewhere, if you are interested.

Sounds interesting, what size is it VF?

If it fits on a flash drive I'll just swap you for a new one... as an Apple man I would imagine yours would be clean but you wouldn't want it back after it's been attached to a Windows machine.

[villagefarang]

Scea, if you haven’t watched the Planet Earth series in High Def, you are in for a real treat. I have the MKV file on a hard drive somewhere, if you are interested.

Sounds interesting, what size is it VF?

If it fits on a flash drive I'll just swap you for a new one... as an Apple man I would imagine yours would be clean but you wouldn't want it back after it's been attached to a Windows machine.

There are 11 episodes in .mkv [720p]. They still look great on a big screen TV, though B-Ray would be better. The size is around 385 MB per episode and the folder says 4.21 GB. Not sure if I can squeeze that onto a thumb drive or not. I could easily burn it to a DVD if I have one laying around somewhere. I haven’t burned anything in ages, though.

[sceadugenga]

DVD will be fine if it will fit.

[kevvy]

for all those who like stick animation films this little gem is great

it is called Para Norman .I could not believe that Frankenweenie got nominated for awards instead.It is a tale of zombies and witches, but turns the whole formula on its head to really get at the heart of what it is to be a kid who feels like an outsider. Add in some jokes that range from stupid to outstandingly clever,

ParaNorman is far too good to be a movie for just kids,which is why way more adults need watch this film .

maybe I should open a movie topic.

[sceadugenga]

I think we have one somewhere Kevvy, I'll have a look.

[asiaexpat]

Just made my first trip to CR so I can understand why this tread is so long. Not a single expat (farang) woukd even say hello. The locals are also pretty standoffish unless doing business of some sort. I walked most of the meung to get the flavor and was impressed with the city and the easy traffic, but was saddened by the lack of friendliness and cost of goods. Guess I will stay put in Bangkok and make occasional trips to CR. Enjoy life folks.

[kevvy]

Just made my first trip to CR so I can understand why this tread is so long. Not a single expat (farang) woukd even say hello. The locals are also pretty standoffish unless doing business of some sort. I walked most of the meung to get the flavor and was impressed with the city and the easy traffic, but was saddened by the lack of friendliness and cost of goods. Guess I will stay put in Bangkok and make occasional trips to CR. Enjoy life folks.

I think if you say hello and nothing comes back there's the feeling of having been forgotten or rejected.

Why not say some passing compliment or a general comment. So if you immerse yourself in activity to avoid saying hello, just make a comment about the activity. 'I hate/love doing this' or something. That doesn't necessarily need a reply, but they can if they want. I am sad you feel this way . I don"t live in CR , I am looking forward to the day I do . And if no one says hello to my wife and I so be it , I am certain I will say "Hello" first.

[villagefarang]

Just made my first trip to CR so I can understand why this tread is so long. Not a single expat (farang) woukd even say hello. The locals are also pretty standoffish unless doing business of some sort. I walked most of the meung to get the flavor and was impressed with the city and the easy traffic, but was saddened by the lack of friendliness and cost of goods. Guess I will stay put in Bangkok and make occasional trips to CR. Enjoy life folks.

Sorry to hear you didn’t have a great time here. I suppose any community takes a little getting used to and Chiang Rai is no different. Being a stranger in a small community can be a little bit uncomfortable in the beginning.

Not that it would have any bearing on how you feel, most of us who live here won’t be found walking the streets of Chiang Rai, as we drive into town to run errands and then return home. Many of us are drawn to the countryside and not the bustling social life in town.

Having lived in Bangkok myself for 30 years, I can understand your feelings if you are single. Without a loving partner to share my life with, I doubt I would have made the move up here 6 years ago.

[sceadugenga]

I usually smile and nod at friendly looking people and always respond to any sort of greeting.

The problem is world wide, not many people greet strangers any more and an ethnic similarity does not a friend make.

[kevvy]

still here guys

took the wife out to a wonderful Italian restaurant for her birthday and it was romantic and wonderful food.

It was such a great week for us and we are still smiling . I hope everyone has a good week like we just had.

kevvy

P.S VF still is that really you in the new avatar....

[villagefarang]

P.S VF still is that really you in the new avatar....

Funny, my old avatar seems to be back today. My wife changes her image often and complains that I use the same picture for too long. So I dug around to find this one. I was trying to use the same image across different platforms, FaceBook, Google+, etc. Maybe it will come back later today or I may have to reload it.

That shot was of the old me before I became VF so I must have been 53 at the time. I seem to remember that day being a playdate at a friends home studio. My wife often worked as his makeup artist, he and his girlfriend, were our favorite couple to hangout with.

He snapped a few shots of me between shots with the girls. You sent me on a trip down memory lane, remembering things I don’t often think about, so thanks for that. You may have even given me inspiration for a new blog post. I haven’t been writing much lately.

edit: Picture seems to be back again.

Edited September 29, 2013 by villagefarang

[kevvy]

Dont tell me you want all of us to post older pictues of ourselves wow now that would be interesting have a good day vf

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[villagefarang]

Dont tell me you want all of us to post older pictues of ourselves wow now that would be interesting have a good day vf

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I am not in the habit of wanting anything from anyone but it is a little late in the day for me to try and pretend I am anonymous.