Howzit from the 'Land of Smiles'

[Troopie]

Howzit, folks! :shakehands:

I'm the new kid on the block (or FNG as I've heard it otherwise described) & so I thought I'd introduce myself.

I'm Philip, & even though I haven't been back to Zim since 1981 (& won't while Grace's hubby is still breathing), I still consider it my home. My passport is British but I'm an African -- although many in the Harare regime might disagree!

Like many who spent any time in that beautiful land, I wandered around a bit after leaving & eventually ended up living in Japan (my wife's homeland) for 14+ years. However, the Tokyo rat race got a bit much & so I now live in Thailand -- & if you ask why, then you obviously haven't been here! :smiley20:

Thailand is a pretty nice place to live, especially for Southern Africans. Strangely enough, life here can often seem very familiar. Consider:

The weather: It's usually pretty warm here, and very rarely cold. What's more, unlike many places, it isn't too humid when it gets hot. The climate is ideal for those who prefer shorts to suits and T-shirts to ties! As it is more often sunny than not, it's easy to spend plenty of time outdoors, with braais being easy to arrange and a sundowner on the stoep an almost daily possibility.

The pace: Life is suitably slow here, with a calendar being more useful than a watch! 'Just now' would be considered urgent in Thailand, and 'now now' ridiculously hasty!
The food: OK, we can't get exactly the same food here (I'd kill for some boerewors!), but we can get biltong -- or Nua Sawan as its known here (Moo Dat Diew if you prefer pork). Also, the famous Thai love of spicy food means there are many dishes similar to Peri-Peri.

Although the oval ball gets very little coverage on Thai TV, it is possible to get MNet satellite TV here and so it is possible to watch Currie Cup, Super 14 and 6 Nations games. I won't miss any of the RWC! Imagine: Sitting on the stoep, a bowl of biltong on one side, an icy bottle of lager on the other, and live rugby on the TV. Sounds like home? Well that's a fairly common weekend for many of us living here in the 'Land of Smiles' -- Struesbob!

If there are any other folks from home in Thailand, or if you'd like more information about life in Thailand, especially in my hometown, Hua Hin, drop me a line. :smiley2:


All the best

Philip
The Thailand Bush Telegraph
For Africans in Thailand -- whether in fact or just in spirit!
Homepage: http://huahinjapan.com/English/tbt.html
(http://huahinjapan.com/English/tbt.html)

[Chel]

hi Phillip, welcome! hope you enjoy the site

[Shayne]

Hey Philip, welcome aboard!

Pork bultong? Not sure that sounds quite like my thing but Thailand sounds amazing. We've got a number of members there (Greenballs etc) working in the tobacco industry who only have nice things to say about the place.

If you need anything or usure about something, just give us a shout.

Enjoy your stay

[Troopie]

Actually, I prefer the pork variety myself -- but then I grew up on a cattle ranch, so beef is something I almost grew sick of!

I forgot another good things about life here -- the prices! The biltong costs about $1.50 for a plate-ful. What's more, the beer that goes with the biltong costs about 83 US Cents -- that's Thailand's #1 beer, about 6.4%. Their profits have shot up since I moved here -- can't think why! :whistling:

I guess those baccy guys are up around Chiang Mai, whichs seems to be the local baccy area. That's a long from me & a long way from the beach -- & too cool for me!

[biffon]

welcome Troopie, i gather from your handle that you were in the Forces... (RLI?) There are a few "old-timers" that wander past every once in a while so im sure you'll fit right in.

[Troopie]

"There are a few "old-timers" that wander past every once in a while"
You cheeky young whippersnapper! Careful, or I'll swipe you with my zimmer frame!
Anyway, I was in the RLI --until my landrover had an arguement with a landmine on the Moz border. Guess who won! Anyway, to quote 'The Producers':
"They won the war -- but we came 2nd!":naughty:


welcome Troopie, i gather from your handle that you were in the Forces... (RLI?) so im sure you'll fit right in.

[biffon]

hehe - catch me if you can!!
anyways my ol man also had a fight with a landmine and came 2nd, fortunately he was on the left hand side and the right front took the brunt... his hearing has never been the same.

[Bianca]

Welcome Troopie! Hope you have some fun here! :)

[Troopie]

hehe - catch me if you can!!
anyways my ol man also had a fight with a landmine and came 2nd, fortunately he was on the left hand side and the right front took the brunt... his hearing has never been the same.
As the poem says, "Fools, for I also had my hour, One far fierce hour and sweet," refering to the Smithy days. It's (almost) worth growing old to have lived through that. It couldn't last, of course -- but like the cherry blossom back in Japan, it was lovely while it lasted. Me, nostalgic? Hell no! Why wouldn't anyone like modern day Zim?:smiley35:

[Bugzy82]

Welcome Troopie! Hope you enjoy the site as much as we do!

[nightape]

Welcome Troopie. Thailand sounds awesome!

[Shifty]

Howzit and welcome Troopie.

I loved Thailand and really want to go back for another visit. Fortunately I arrived at the very beginning of spring, so it wasn't as hot as it could have been.

Nevertheless it still felt like a sauna though when I first stepped off the plane into that blanket of heat.

[Poison]

Hello and welcome to the site Troopie..

Hope you enjoy..

[Troopie]

Howzit and welcome Troopie.

I loved Thailand and really want to go back for another visit. Fortunately I arrived at the very beginning of spring, so it wasn't as hot as it could have been.

Nevertheless it still felt like a sauna though when I first stepped off the plane into that blanket of heat.

I don't blame anyone for loving this place. The wife & I first holidayed here around 8-10 years ago & kept coming back. Then, whilst travelling from Bangkok to Singapore by train, we found Hua Hin -- & immediately decided to retire here. However, the Tokyo rat race became too much & so we moved into our retirement home early.

Right now, the winter (if you can call it that) is over & we are slowly building up to the hot season -- which is precisely that. March & April will see plenty of days when the temp goes over 40c! However, it isn't humid & so if you cling to the shade, it's OK! Bangkok is warmer than here, plus we do have the sea breezes.


Oh, & as 'Nighttape' said, Thailand can indeed be awesome. It beats the hell out of most places I've considered for my last few years. Mostly sunny, mostly warm, mostly friendly, mostly safe -- & cheap enough to have a good life on not too much!:smiley20:

[Shayne]

Surprised Poison didnt ask about the She-men

[zambezilover]

Yes he does get overexcited on the odd occasion


Surprised Poison didnt ask about the She-men

[biffon]

hehehe oh the banter!! gotta love it! :D

[sally]

welcome to the site!!
I have been to bankok a few times, we saty in salom which is close to pat pong! for those who dont know....thats were you have the pingpong shows etc!! the one thing you did forget is the thai massages, they are the best and so cheap!! the shopping is also amazing, but i only did it once at MBK. I also do believe the gems and stones are also really cheap there, so next time i go i will be buying a few!!!

[Troopie]

welcome to the site!!
I have been to bankok a few times, we saty in salom which is close to pat pong! for those who dont know....thats were you have the pingpong shows etc!! the one thing you did forget is the thai massages, they are the best and so cheap!! the shopping is also amazing, but i only did it once at MBK. I also do believe the gems and stones are also really cheap there, so next time i go i will be buying a few!!!

I must admit that even though we're less than 3 hours from Bangkok by car, I very rarely go there -- maybe 3 times in the last 18 months. Of course I do miss some things only a big city can provide but not that often -- & Patpong isn't one of them. Hua Hin may be small but it has it's own mini-Patpong -- or so I'm told. I haven't been to check, needless to say:whistling:.

Thai massages are indeed excellent. However, go easy if you're a novice. A true Thai massage, as done by the blind folk, can be a real killer if you're not used to it. They hurt muscles you didn't know you had! However, I recently tried a local parlour where the lady seemed to judge my needs & limitations & changed the degrees of pressure to adapt. Excellent! What's more, the rooms were comfortable, the decor was lovely, & the reception desk spoke good English. I shall return.

As Sally said, I didn't include everything in my list of why living here is just so damn'd good, as I wanted to send a message, not a book! Rest assured that unless you are extremely fussy or just puritanical, you won't regret visiting Thailand. & if that visit should tempt you back for a long-term (=permanent) stay, welcome to the club!:smiley20:

[sally]

I agree with the thai massages, the first time i had one i almost died, and could hardly walk after, i have a thai massage downstairs from me, and the guys are amazing, needles to say, if i am not in bangkok having a thai i have one from down stairs at least once a week!! I now fall asleep!!
The only thing that i dont like is the smell as you walk out of the airport, its nasty, but there are so many beautiful places in thailand, one being Kosamui (sp)!! I love going to thailand, it is definatly a must for everybody!!

[Troopie]

I agree with the thai massages, the first time i had one i almost died, and could hardly walk after, i have a thai massage downstairs from me, and the guys are amazing, needles to say, if i am not in bangkok having a thai i have one from down stairs at least once a week!! I now fall asleep!!
The only thing that i dont like is the smell as you walk out of the airport, its nasty, but there are so many beautiful places in thailand, one being Kosamui (sp)!! I love going to thailand, it is definatly a must for everybody!!

I remember a beach massage I used to use near Cha Am, about 20km from where I live. The ladies who ran this made every new customer work his way through the levels of massage so that by the time you reached the muscular old lady who ran the place, your body was ready for it. I'll admit that it took me a few days to reach her but it was worth it! Trouble is, many of the genuine Thai massage places (& there are more cowboys than in a John Wayne film!) assume you're experienced & go straight to full throttle! That's why it's worth paying a little extra to get someone who knows enough English to understand what you need. However, bear in mind that even the less cheap massage places only charge about US$8-10 for 90 minutes or 2 hours, so "paying a little extra' is a relative term! When choosing a local massage place, a recommendation is very important!:smiley20:

As for the smell -- welcome to the 3rd World! Anyway, it's not as bad as Calcutta or (very sadly) present-day Harare! The wife & I first went to Koh Samui about 12 years ago, when it was much quieter. However, even then, it was very touristy, visitors being the only local industry. I have heard that it is much more developed now & therefore even more touristy. Hua Hin used to be the stop on certain Bangkok-Koh Samui flights but very few if any HH folk ever flew further south. In fact, the Bangkok flights now terminate here.

I agree that Thailand is a must see destination. However, if you find the right part, the right resort, then returning home might be very difficult!:smiley19:

[Nyala]

Hi Troopie. It sounds like you have a real bond with your new home - thats good because it's hard to be happy in Zim now. It's so sad that we have all had to look for another home somewhere else in the world but also so good that the world is so big and diverse that most of us have found what we're looking for - the things Zim couldn't give us anymore. Being a true Rhodie, I must say that theres no place like home and no matter where we end up, Zim is "home", albeit diffierent to what we experienced growing up.

So, after all that, welcome to the site and I hope you enjoy the banter and bull***t that goes on.

[Troopie]

Hi Troopie. It sounds like you have a real bond with your new home - thats good because it's hard to be happy in Zim now. It's so sad that we have all had to look for another home somewhere else in the world but also so good that the world is so big and diverse that most of us have found what we're looking for - the things Zim couldn't give us anymore. Being a true Rhodie, I must say that theres no place like home and no matter where we end up, Zim is "home", albeit diffierent to what we experienced growing up.

So, after all that, welcome to the site and I hope you enjoy the banter and bull***t that goes on.

Having lived in Asia for most of the 26 years since I sadly left the old country (with Mugabe's boys visiting my only just vacated flat), I'll agree that I have got used to accepting 2nd best. Of course Thailand is not, cannot replace Zim & my spiritual home will always be in that unhappy land. I tried Japan & although there is no way anyone would retire there (prices too high, far too many people), it did help me finance my semi-retirement. Thailand has a few downsides, like a stupidly nationalistic (semi-xenophobic) government, poor infrastructure, & some very lazy locals, but life here does have its compensations. The weather is fine & predictable, prices are low, the beaches are grand (& mostly shark free), the food is good & crime is relatively low -- not Japan low but lower than London, helped by not being dumb enough to abolish the death penalty!!