BelgianBoy Posted August 18, 2004 Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 You must be joking, mate... North Korea jack Actually I was there in 1985 for 10 days. For work. But sanuk was provided, i.e. a woman was assigned to me for the whole period...... I could talk for hours on those 10 days, unbefuckinglievable stuff happened there. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted August 18, 2004 Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 lazyphil said:<<I can always drop in to Thai>> You mean Thailand!! (I've been wanting to say this for a while now, I cant contain it any longer!) Isn't it normal to say "Thai" for Thailand? I hear it everywhere, from Thais too. Isn't country's official name "Muang Thai"? Japanese write it even shorter - "Ta - i". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiery Jack Posted August 18, 2004 Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 No need to tell me about Japan being hot and steamy this year, skipper: I live there, and, yup, I've been sweating like a pig in a slaughterhouse wagon since late June. Not often that a week in Bangkok mid-summer gives you a chance to cool down... As for the Japs calling Thailand "Tai" ? fuck them. They call the UK "I-gi-ri-su" (or "Eikoku" if they're over 50 and talking about the war) and twist Xmas into 5 garbled syllables: "Ku-ri-si-ma-su". My Jap ex-missus couldn't even pronounce my name right (or spell it ) even after we'd been wed for a few years... (But that's not why I got rid of her. : I rest my case re. my previous point on the Nips not being able to speak English. Great country, though. I wouldn't live anywhere else. jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted August 18, 2004 Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 Fiery Jack said:No need to tell me about Japan being hot and steamy this year, skipper: I live there, and, yup, I've been sweating like a pig in a slaughterhouse wagon since late June. Not often that a week in Bangkok mid-summer gives you a chance to cool down... I rest my case re. my previous point on the Nips not being able to speak English. Great country, though. I wouldn't live anywhere else. jack Let me guess - one reason might be - the booze retail at Yamaya (except beer) is 50% of duty-free prices in Oz? Even better fared compared to UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted August 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Coming from a hot climate, FJ, I'll take the humid weather you are describing over a 'temerpate' Winter any old day. Even the short, mild version of Winter that we get here annoys the living shit out of me - bring on the 40 deg C days !! Beer just doesnt taste right in Winter. As for SEA's predominately equatorial climate, I cant get enough of it. Its sitting in a bejak in downtown Jakarta with half the world's quota of unroadworthy vehicles belching fumes into my oesophagus that annoys me ..... How Adik lives there full time is a complete mystery to me :: Be happy - the Japanese have strict road rules and some understanding of terms like 'air quality'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Hi BB we have time :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Hi Artiew, My interest in Asia is confined to SE Asia. And I have so far been to Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. Loved Laos and Cambodia and I shall definitely revisit those 2 destinations. Although I have been spent a couple of years in SE Asia with a lot of spare time on my hands I never really ventured far away from my "comfort zone". Reason being that I have been married to a thai woman during the entire period I have been coming to SE ASia, and she wasn´t too keen on visiting other countries. In fact I never once managed to have her accompany me when visiting neighbouring countries except for 1 days stints to Myanmar and Laos. I studied thai when I first visited the kingdom in ´92 on a 6 months trip and being able to speak the local language meant a lot to me. When I visited Cambodia I was just another clueless tourist fresh off the bus, didn´t really appreciate that although I did like the country and the population. Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia are definitely on the to-do-list. Now I just need to convince the missus that the cuisine and shopping of these destinations are second to none ! Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted August 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 HI HG, Its been mentioned a few times before that many Thais see no need to leave their own country, when they already have it so good compared to the rest of the world :: I found each country had something a little different to offer, but its hard to beat Thai food, so I can understand her reluctance on that score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 artiew said:I'm also very keen to see Shanghai, possibly the most modern city on earth. From backwater (in Western terms, anyway) to glistening mega-city in under ten years - incredible stuff. Shanghai is nothing more then one more 3rd world mega city. It has the usual "glistening" skyscrapers next to the most unimaginable poverty stricken slums, Mercedes on the road next to little pedal powered trucks hauling bits of cooking coal, and all the other disparities found in 3rd world countries. Nice place to be an expat or tourist, but I wouldn't want to be a regular working bloke there. To call it the most modern city in the world is ludicrous artiew said:Several years ago, I commented to a work colleague that China would be the next economic superpower, and he pooh-poohed the idea, saying that they had millions still living in abject poverty. Seems that his memo didnt reach the Chinese. There are some 1.4 billion Chinese, probably 1 billion of them live in abject poverty on a barely subsistence level. All the economic zones are crowded along the eastern seacoast; virtually all of them with check points to keep that billion out. Until the Chinese learn how to honour a contract, deal honestly in business, stop cutting off their noses for a quick profit, pay their workers instead of walking away with the money, wait their f*cking turn in line, and host of other sh*t business practices and corruptions they will never be a economic superpower on the world stage. In my opinion, they will be what they are now for a long time to come, namely a place that produces medium quality items for export, absolute crap for domestic markets, and a place that international companies do business in with their fingers crossed and minimum exposure. Having lived in Singapore, KL, Bangkok, and Beijing over the last 6 or so years, I would go back to Singapore in heartbeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted August 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 Shanghai is nothing more then one more 3rd world mega city. It has the usual "glistening" skyscrapers next to the most unimaginable poverty stricken slums I guess LA and New York have none of those problems ? Everyone in London is cashed-up and looking good ? Man, I need to relocate ..... Describing Shanghai as the 'most modern city in the world' may be a stretch, but its all about image. Not too many tourists want to visit the slums of any city : they will come away with the vision of the skycrapers, and I'm sure that's exactly what the city fathers would hope for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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