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RE: Top 3 Ridiculous Questions by Friends Back Home (Notes from Under the Tatami Mats–5 … My Adventures in Japan)
"Oh, you're in Bangkok? Where's that? China?" <<< Every other time.
"Oh, you're in Bangkok? Get out now, they have coups there."
"Oh, you're in Bangkok? Are you there for sex?" <<< A few times!
"Oh, you're in Bangkok? That must be horrible."
And then every so often:
"Oh, you're in Bangkok? Lucky you, I need to escape from XXX too."
And then there are the people that have been here or are travelers, and then I get to hear their story :)
Exactly, for each one of those comments!!
And there's one other response that kinda makes me smile wryly. When I ask certain people back home about how their life has been going, and they start telling me about this, that, and the other ... and never stop.
I've lived overseas for a few decades now, and some of my friends / acquaintances have rarely, if ever, asked me anything about my experiences overseas. It's like they can hardly see beyond the borders of the country, let alone the borders of their own experience.
Re the question about "there for sex?", as a man, I've had that question asked of me more than once. I used to reply that Thailand is much more than a few well-known "red-light" districts.
Recently, I learned that the sex business in many western cities (NYC, LA, London, and more) is much larger and much darker than in Thailand. It's just that, in the west, it's all "Hush, hush" (except for Amsterdam).
In Thailand, it's a simple fact of life, and for most people, nothing to be overly concerned about or to be ashamed about.
So true! I am always so shocked by how open my Thai friends are on the subject of sex. And yes - no one from back "home" cares what I am doing. It is very freeing. I just sent you an awesome kid from Myanmar - from up north somewhere. He wants to speak English and see the world. I know you will like him and he will work hard. I'm his new mom. Please try to get him to post photos/text about his location. I think he has talent and I think he will get interest.
Re feeling "free" in here in Thailand, Shane McGowan of the Irish band The Pogues has a lyrics that goes ... "Thai Thai Thai Thai Thai! I am free!" (That states the same sentiment pretty clearly, doesn't it? ☺ ) ... https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/pogues/sayonara.html
And another fine Pogues song about Siam ...
Summer in Siam
Re the Myanmar guy, please tell me his name / ID, and I'll keep an eye out for him.
His name is @sattpaing. I told him to take local photos and he did it. He is now sending me text in fb messages and it is pretty good. I keep telling him to reach out to you. He is shy. He is passionate, talented, and driven I think. His English is not bad at all. He is trying to write without google translate and doing good with it.
Thanks for the music. I will try to listen, but I am on red alert today. I still have not paid the rent in either country and I finally got interest to my weight loss posts here and I am writing huge posts for this daily now. My website will be down for non-payment in days <<< copying like a madwoman...