Nasiadai

zzzz wrote: "October is a good time to work out in the yard." Yes, it’s now time to get on with the usual autumn work. It’s time to prepare the garden for winter. 5555

In the last few days of October, it was far too warm for this time of year. We were able to enjoy a few more warm, sunny late-summer days. Around 22 degrees during the day, around 15 degrees at night. But – of course – the days are getting shorter and shorter and the nights longer. Autumn is coming inexorably and in giant strides. That’s why the grass on the lawn, the bushes and shrubs are still growing. And, of course, those pesky weeds! Blimey! Normally, nature gradually winds down its activity at the start of October; the trees and shrubs shed their leaves, and all the plants stop growing and prepare for winter. But this process of autumn setting in is increasingly shifting to the second half of October. So I’ve still got plenty to do in the first week of October. Weeding, pruning flowering shrubs and bushes, and mowing the lawn. I fetched the lawnmower from the tool shed and got it ready to go. And then I mowed the lawn. That’s really hard work for me. But anything that doesn’t kill me just makes me stronger. It’s good physical exercise. After mowing the lawn, I was exhausted; but I pulled myself together and recreated the selfie from The Lovin’ Spoonful’s hit. In their song ‘Daydream’, a lover dreams of his ‘Bundle of Joy’. And so I, too, began to dream once I’d finished my work: And I’m lost in a daydream Dreaming of my ‘Bundle of Joy’ and "I'm blowin' the day to take a walk in the sun And fall on my face in somebody's new-mowed lawn" Yes, except that the lawn I lay down on was my own. I dreamt of Pattaya, the bars, the hustle and bustle, the girls, and suddenly I was much younger again, healthy and full of energy … But then the harsh reality quickly caught up with me. In my daydream, I tried once more to be that young 40-year-old: physically fit, with a six-pack, powerful and ready for anything. I was doing some running exercises and gymnastics on my freshly mown lawn and what happened…? And fall on my face in somebody's new-mowed lawn That’s it. The 1960s, that was the time when I went to a Gymnasium - grammar school - in Düsseldorf and had to learn such horrible things as English and Latin, mathematics and physics and so on. I was anything but a - what do you call it in the Anglo-American world - an A-student. But I could listen to the English soldier station BFBS on the radio. On Saturdays at 11 p.m. there was the Top Twenty Show, the English hit parade. BFBS was my favourite station in the 60s! Because of the Englishand American beat, rock and pop music. One of my favourite bands was the Lovin’ Spoonful from New York. The band’s musical mastermind was probably John Sebastian, who also knew two of the Mamas and the Papas – Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty. My favourite hit was ‘Daydream’. Here’s a live performance on The Ed Sullivan Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpKFmabCjlw or here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7u5SdjDSQQ

’ve bought the flight ticket. I’m setting off from Düsseldorf on 17 November. Now it’s time to pack my suitcase and sort out all the travel arrangements. The most important thing is to get the visa. Everything else is just routine.

zzzz Soi Welcomed, Jomtien. You write: Maybe we will bump into each other on Soi Welcome. yes, good idea. We stay in contact via this board. A meeting for a beer would be nice.

I’m going to pull myself together once more and try to tell you about a few experiences – some little adventures. Let’s see... I’ll be in Krung Thep from 18 November, and then it all kicks off.

This is what the Seabeach Bungalow complex on Tung Wua Laen Beach looked like in December 1995. And good old Charly – back then 46 years young, fit and athletic, full of energy and zest for life, successful in his work, optimistic. This is a very special photo – it’s a collage I made for this girl, this woman. The picture shows Khun Nong, the service girl at the bungalow complex, first in December 1995 – when she was 16 years old – and then in December 2025 – now 46 years old. Looking at this picture, one could philosophise about ‘TIME’ as a dialectical phenomenon; for instance, time as the creator, the enabler of all that exists, and at the same time as the exact opposite – the annihilator, the destroyer, which can be infinitely cruel in its destructiveness. I shall do that at some point, but not now.

A few details: Arrival – probably, and hopefully, 55555 – on 18 November 2026 in Krung Thep Suvarnbhummi. I’ll then stay in Bangkok for a few days – I’m really keen to revisit some of the sights and take some new photos with my camera; for example, the Reclining Buddha at Wat Po, the 30-metre-high Buddha at Wat Indraviharn and a few others. I’ll be writing travel reports, which I’ll send by email to my family, friends and acquaintances, as well as to anyone interested in travelling to Siam, Laos, Vietnam etc. in the near future. On my sightseeing trips, one of my Thai friends – or one of their adult children – will accompany me. As a 77-year-old with a severe walking disability (paralysis of the right side of my body following a stroke), it’s better to have a companion and someone to look after me by my side. In Bangkok, I’ll either head to Soi Welcome in Jomtien or to my beach near Chumphon. I’ve known this beach since 1995 (!!!) and always spend relaxing days there. I also have a number of local friends and am already looking forward to seeing them again. Here is my younger brother on my beach – December 1995.

Summer is drawing to a close; autumn is on its way. Today is the autumnal equinox. The sun is directly overhead at the equator today. On this day, there are exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. From now on, the days will gradually get shorter and the nights longer. Temperatures are slowly but surely plummeting – we usually get the first night-time frosts in October. I’m starting to make my travel arrangements for my four-month winter holiday in Southeast Asia – from mid-November 2026 to mid-March 2027. I’m desperate to escape the German winter again and fly off to the sun and warmth. I hope everything goes well, and that I’ll spend some relaxing and enjoyable months in sunny SEA whilst Germany sinks into rain, ice and snow and its self-inflicted and wilfully brought-about collapse continues to come to a dramatic head economically, culturally, scientifically, technologically and in terms of education. 5555 hahahaha

Thailand has changed its 60-day visa rule. The 30-day rule now applies again.So I’m going to apply for a 3-month visa. I want to spend the winter in SOA again from November 2025 until the end of March 2026. So almost 4 months again. I’ll be spending most of my time in Siam. I’ll also be popping over to Laos or Burma (if the situation there improves). For that, I’ll need a visa. The new visa regulations – from summer 2026- as far as I’m aware: there’s now only the 3-month visa for ordinary (German) tourists.

I can hardly believe it. Are these really recent photos of this American aircraft carrier? Judging by the photos, this aircraft carrier is a massive heap of scrap. How can that be? Coss writes: "Did Hegseth sack all the maintenance staff in the military?" Yes, one might think so 5555

I have had my first and most important doctor’s appointment. The internist told me I could fly – to SEA for four months to spend the winter there; from mid-November 2026 to mid-March 2027. My blood pressure and circulation are well under control. Now I’m going to buy my flight ticket and start making travel arrangements. Regards

So let us beam ourselves once more to sunny California – to LA and San Francisco – and listen to the Mamas & the Papas and Scott McKenzie. I’ve chosen this music video because the images it shows perfectly reflect the optimistic, life-affirming spirit of the times and the prevailing aesthetic of that era. That applies to both songs. Let us indulge in those sweet, irretrievable memories once more. John Phillips, the songwriter and musical mastermind behind the Mamas & Papas, has written timeless pop music with these two songs; these two songs capture the spirit of an entire era – the 1960s.

And I listen to music every now and then! Of course, our great German classics – Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, etc... But naturally also the rock and pop music we all love, from the 1950s right up to the present day. I’ve got loads of favourites there. When I think of your name ‘Old Hippie’, one group from the 1960s springs to mind in particular – the Mamas and the Papas. ‘California Dreaming’ and ‘Let’s Go to San Francisco’. Yes, the wonderful Mamas and the Papas! They whisk us away from cold, grey, wintry New York to the much warmer and more pleasant Los Angeles. It’s an optimistic anthem of the 1960s ‘Flower Power’ movement. It was immediately followed by John Phillips’ song ‘San Francisco’, which Scott McKenzie turned into a global hit. Sun-drenched songs full of confidence and hope for the future, which made me blossom as a 16- or 17-year-old back then. The flute solo in the middle of the song sounds very ‘Mozartian’, somewhat reminiscent of the flute part in *The Magic Flute* … well, anyway. Even today, I often lose myself in this pop music and revel in these sounds and melodies. For me, the Mamas & the Papas are among the all-time greats of 1960s pop music, alongside the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Byrds. So let’s transport ourselves once more to sunny California – to LA and San Francisco – and listen to the Mamas & the Papas and Scott McKenzie.

Dear Old Hippie, I understand – even as a non-native speaker – the, if I may say so, somewhat disparaging humour and the slightly derisive irony in your post. It’s all right, no problem. I’ll reply in my own way. Everyone wants to reach a ripe old age, but nobody wants to grow old (with all the usual illnesses, niggles, and physical and mental limitations that come with old age). I try to stay fit for as long as possible through daily physical and mental activities. So, during the summer months, I tend to our garden; mowing the lawn, weeding, and so on. I go for long walks. I also read for a very long time and a great deal; partly on my computer or laptop, reading (German) newspapers, news magazines and various blogs. And I read books; partly fiction, but also challenging academic literature, for example by Habermas, Sloterdijk, Luhmann and Adorno. And I maintain social contacts – family, friends, etc. All of this helps me to stay physically and mentally fit.

My drinking and constant partying carried on until mid-March 2020. Then COVID-19 hit, and that changed everything. Since then (March 220), it’s been the end of drinking and partying; even here in Germany. When I flew back to Southeast Asia in November 2022 (after the two-year COVID break), we weren’t drinking anymore (not even my Thai mates), and I wasn’t hitting on the girls either. At Nana Plaza or in Pattaya, I was just a spectator, no longer an active monger 5555 Since November 2022, I’ve been nothing more than a quiet, passive connoisseur of the bar scene. Yes, times are changing. 5555

Coss and MPih, Thank you for your reply. Yes, ageing is a dreadful thing. It keeps narrowing down the possibilities and options you have. After my stroke in December 2012, I flew back to Siam for the first time in October 2014 (following rehabilitation and early retirement – I couldn’t work after that). I even humped the girls at Nana Plaza. I’ve also written about it here on this forum. And I was still drinking! I partied and drank with my Thai friends (now all retired generals) whilst reminiscing about old times. For instance, about their year at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg, when they attended the General Staff Course. One evening we were at ‘Brown Sugar’, a jazz bar in Bangkok. We had Khun Fah with us – my girlfriend at the time, who came from the family circle of one of my friends. She managed our shared petty cash 5555 and looked after us. When she took the bill at around 2 am and saw the total, she burst out and shouted (in Thai): “Are you guys completely mad!? I had have to work for three weeks to earn the money you’ve drunk away in one evening!” One of my Thai friends tried to translate her indignant outburst into German - his voice was thick with a drink. But I told him: “Kwanbun, I understood Fah perfectly well.”

I still haven’t bought a flight ticket for the coming winter season; I’m still hesitating. I am now 77 years young, physically and organically in perfect health, as medical examinations consistently show. But my nervous system is a complete shambles; I suffer from autonomic dystonia and, increasingly often, episodes of high blood pressure reaching life-threatening levels. I still have two appointments with an internist and a cardiologist in the next days. Whether I return to Bangkok will depend on the outcome of these medical assessments.

What on earth is this? Someone’s asking about me. What a surprise! Where is NASAIDAI ? started by Kiwi. I’ve remained very active and full of life throughout all these past years. However, since December 2012 – so for 14 years now – I’ve been severely limited by a devastating stroke (paralysis of the right side of my body). Nevertheless, from October 2014 until last March 2026, I was always in SEA; for periods of between 5 and 4 months; during the European winter months from October to the end of March. As far as I can remember, I also posted travel reports here on this forum; mostly in detail and always with photos. But then Flashermac and Marcel passed away; that was a heavy blow for this forum. 1. During those years, I mainly posted on the website run by Alex the Scot (The Rockhouse – LK Metro, Pattaya). But Alex stopped for health reasons and returned to Scotland with his family (as far as I know). 2. I also posted very regularly on the Secretsboard until the Secrets company in Pattaya closed down and moved to Cambodia. 3. And there’s also a very lively German-language forum where I was very active until two years ago. So, that’s it in a nutshell.

I am horrified and saddened. Khun Sanuk is dead. I cannot comprehend it. I knew him personally. We met a few times in the old ‘Woodstock’ (Nana Plaza; I think Rainbow 4 today). Once the New Zealander Stickmann (Paul) was there. That was an interesting round of talks. I would like to thank you in retrospect for founding and managing your Sanuk boards, which gave us the opportunity to exchange information and discuss. Lieber Marcel, ruhe in Frieden = Dear Marcel, rest in peace. A final greeting Nasiadai alias Bakwahn . Charly

Part 2: Where from and why this hatred, this resentment of a successful society, of a people that always stands its ground in a hostile environment? The left-green milieu deeply hates any form of "being better", of "being superior". All forms of differences between people, groups of people or nations are linguistically and socially constructed and do not exist in reality. All people are equal, all cultures are of equal value. If there are nevertheless serious differences, this is justified with a rather one-sided attribution of blame to the culture and history of the West: imperialism, colonialism, racism, oppression, exploitation. In the case of clear differences within a society, it is allegedly systematic social disadvantages. The unsuccessful or clearly less successful group is always blameless. The blame always falls on the better, more successful, more capable. In our case, our own German culture and its strengths are criticised, even downright put down. This left-green-woke concept of culture no longer contains any normativity. Self-denial, even pathological self-flagellation and cultural relativism lead to abysmal hatred of one's own society, which is still extremely successful at the moment. Hence this anti-Israelism in the left-green intellectual milieu. Israel is proving to be the most modern, successful, creative and innovative society in the entire Arab world. At the same time, it is the most endangered, and I think this endangerment has increased rather than decreased. Again and again, and in every respect, Israel proves to be the superior nation to its hostile Muslim neighbours. Hence the hatred, the anti-Israelism in the left-green intellectual milieu. Live from Buxtetown on the Esteriver - 14 October 2023 - 6.55 p.m. local time Nasiadai

Part 1: This inflammatory and anti-Israeli reporting by most of the journalistic mainstream, which has spread and taken root in the public broadcasters (e.g. Arte-Journal, 3Sat-Kulturzeit) and has virtually become the norm, raises questions. I do not call this disgusting opinion-making in our German Mass media anti-Semitism, but anti-Israelism. So why this astonishing anti-Israelism in the left-green intellectual milieu? A brief comparison between Israel and the surrounding Mohammedan states: On the one hand, small Israel, economically, scientifically-technically, culturally and militarily vastly superior to the surrounding Mohammedan states. It is a functioning democracy according to the Western model. The rule of law and legal security apply, and there is a prosperous, efficient economy with an acceptable level of prosperity. This is how I know Israel from newspaper articles and media reports. Yet Israel spends about 25% of its GDP on national defence. We in Germany don't even manage 2 %. On the other hand, there is the Islamic cultural area, which has produced political systems, economies and ways of life characterised by oppression and coercion, intolerance and lack of freedom, by intellectual desolation and economic poverty and wretchedness. From Morocco to Egypt, from Turkey to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia, there is only backwardness, poverty and, in some cases, misery. The Islamic states have nothing to be proud of in the international competition between nations, economies and cultures. They have nothing to show for their achievements but poverty, backwardness and hopeless inferiority. Looking at the pyramids and the gold shrines of their pharaohs, the Egyptians should realise that they have passed themselves through: From the very top to the very bottom. So much for my stocktaking.

For better understanding, a short note on the mass media situation and the influence and shaping of opinions in Germany. For the past 15 to 18 years, left-green-woke topics and views have formed the mainstream of our mass media (print media as well as radio and television) in Germany. This left-green-woke journalism dominates 80% of the reporting and thus also the formation of opinion on central political issues and social developments. This does not only concern news, political talk shows or political reporting, but goes deep into cultural-relational reporting, even into TV crime dramas. left-green-woke shit reigns! on the war in the Middle East after the invasion of Israel and the Hamas massacres of Israelis.

Last weekend there was a wine festival in the old town on Carlplatz. Winegrowers from German wine-growing regions such as the Moselle, Rheinhessen, the Middle Rhine, etc. offered their wines. We were there in the late afternoon and had a few glasses of different white wines. By the way: The pubs, beer bars and bistros are a huge beer festival all year round. The people of Düsseldorf and their guests and visitors drink by the hectolitre.

Late summer in Duesseldorf; wonderful. Still pleasant temperatures during the day between 20 and 23 degrees; plus cheerful weather with lots of sunshine. Rhine bank promenade I enjoy every day and every evening I thank my Lord for giving me another wonderful day on this earth of ours. We or I alone - as the case may be - stroll along the Königsallee - Düsseldorf's magnificent boulevard, about 750 m long, which ends in a large curve in front of the Hofgarten and a small lake. Ultra-modern business and office buildings have been built here in recent years. We sit down, take a break and look at the water and the park in front of us. We enjoy the lovely view to the full - oh, you beautiful city. You are beautiful and sexy like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot or the German super-mannequin Claudia Schiffer in their younger years. Here's a look at the Köbogen. (All pictures were taken by professional photographers - I borrowed them from the internet.)

These are famous verses from Goethe's "Faust", which I had rehearsed beforehand during the hours of waiting; as you can see, I was well prepared. She was quite surprised, stopped and laughed at me: "Yes, mein Herr, what do you want?" she asked snappishly. "May I invite you, my beautiful girl, to the nearby ice cream parlour?" I had asked my mother to pay me a few marks pocket money in advance; she withdrew the money from the then slender household budget. To my surprise, the girl agreed and we strolled the 250 metres to the ice cream parlour. We introduced ourselves to each other, told each other what else we did, what interests each of us had, etc..... Guys, what can I say? I'll cut a long story short. It worked out wonderfully with this girl. We spent a blissful spring and summer together; oh yes, sigh. In January of the following year, her family moved to another city and I was left alone. Well, sometimes that's the way it goes. Now comes the nostalgic look back; about 8 years later. I was now 26, in the middle of my studies, when I went to this pharmacy once again. The old pharmacist had long since retired, but nothing else had changed. I was standing in front of the medical center and the memory of this girl and our love experience came back to me. As far as love adventures were concerned, a lot had happened, e.g. back in my military days with a village beauty, a student nurse or recently with a fellow student from university. "What is my doctor's assistant doing today? Is she married? Does she have children?" Oh girl, you made the darkness of my schoolboy life light then, When I held your hand, you cast your spell over me. Oh girl, my girl. That's what ran through my head and a lot more. But shortly afterwards I said to myself, you are only 26; you still have your life ahead of you and hopefully there will be many more love affairs and pretty girls for you. That's exactly the difference between an 18 or 26 year old doing a melancholic nostalgic look back and a 74 year old reminiscing about an affair with a Bangkok girl. The young one still has several decades of future ahead of him, the old one has no future at all. The old one can at most take stock of everything that has happened or not happened in his life.