unicorn
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Posts posted by unicorn
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I went to a party last night, which was a birthday celebration for a friend, given by another of his friends (my fiance and I didn't know the party-thrower couple previously). To my surprise, they asked us to take our shoes off before entering the house. I always wear shoes with custom arch supports, since, when I don't I can develop a case of plantar fasciitis, which can cause foot pain for months. The treatment can necessitate painful injections, physical therapy, and the wearing of special boots.
Taking off shoes before entering a house is not the custom in the US (one of the couple was Asian, so I'm guessing the request started from him). Also, their house, newly moved-into, didn't have any stools or places where I could take the weight off of my feet. I just kept my weight off the foot which has been the culprit more often, and thankfully I'm OK. The next day (today) I went online to see if there have been any scientific studies demonstrating any illness or medical condition which would be less frequent in houses wherein people take their shoes off, and there doesn't seem to be any science behind this custom (presumably, stubbed toes are more frequent with shoes off). This seems to be all a matter of tradition--presumably traditions which predate the invention of the vacuum cleaner.
I remember traveling to homes in Japan, where guests are requested to take their shoes off, and are provided with slippers. However, they provided no slippers. I understand in Japan that (1) shoes can tear up tatami mats which often cover the floors, and (2) tatami mats are difficult if not impossible to vacuum. This couple just had a hardwood floor, though.
Should this couple have given fair warning to guests regarding their no-shoes policy, given that it's not the custom in this country? Provided shoe covers of slippers? Usually in the US, it's just assumed that one is not going to show up at a party in dirt-laden hiking boots that one wore on a recent hike. Separately, how should I approach this problem in the future? Should I just carry slippers in my car, then, if unexpectedly asked to remove my shoes, explain that I have a medical condition, and can go back to the car, get the slippers, and then transfer the shoe inserts into the slippers upon my return?
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10 hours ago, reader said:
From Thai PBS World
On CEOWORLD magazine’s list of “World’s Best Countries To Visit In Your Lifetime 2024”, Thailand is ranked top, according to Government Spokesman Chai Wacharonke.
The ranking is based on feedback from over 295,000 readers, making it the highest level of participation in the magazine’s history.
According to CEOWORLD, Thailand offers a diverse range of experiences, such as wild nightlife, delicious food, vibrant art and culture, great shopping options, winding rivers and canals, Buddhist temples and night markets. Visitors can also visit more peaceful locations in Bangkok, such as Bang Krachao Island.
The rankings are:
1. Thailand, 72.15%
2. Greece, 67.22%
3. Indonesia, 65.15%
4. Portugal, 64.32%
5. Sri Lanka, 60.54%
6. South Africa, 59.76%
7. Peru, 59.76%
8. Italy, 57.77%
9. India. 57.65%
10. The United Arab Emirates, 57.38%
Oh, of course. Because Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the UAE are so much more interesting than Egypt, Cambodia, France, Turkey, or the US.... 😄 That has got to be the silliest list I've ever seen. It just shows what some tourist offices are willing to pay to get on silly lists.
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2 hours ago, Thomas_88 said:
... When I asked the guys, it never was in my first message, maybe you could send some messages about other stuff & after a few messages you could ask him again.
No thanks. Even if I hadn't tipped him, it would have only taken seconds to provide a yes/no answer. Not to answer a question someone has, in effect, paid you in advance to answer is, at least in my mind, rather rude. I unsubscribed and won't be attempting any other contact.
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I don't understand those people who are closing down all of these university campuses. While I agree that Netanyahu is a war criminal who should be locked up, I don't see how occupying and closing down university campuses is supposed to help the cause. It just seems to embolden BN, who called the protesters "antisemitic thugs." It definitely doesn't seem to make anyone more sympathetic to their cause. All I see it doing is punishing and antagonizing people who are not in the decision loop with BN. I could understand protesting at Israeli consulates, but Colombia University? It seems irrational to me. Opposing BN doesn't mean one supports Hamas, and opposing Hamas doesn't mean one supports BN. I'm sure there are plenty of Palestinians, Muslims, Jews, and Israelis who don't like either Hamas or BN.
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3 hours ago, floridarob said:
It's been like this for years...yet the US, airlines do what they want and blame weather or ATC
Will weather or ATC be valid excuses against the refunds? Those do seem out of the airlines' control, unlike "maintenance," a frequently cited non-excuse. However, the weather or ATC excuses, I'd hope, would need to be validated.
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4 hours ago, JKane said:
Well, I pulled the trigger. Exploratory 5-night trip mid-May. The Beer Hotel I mentioned (but if I really hate it I could just go somewhere else). Direct, nonstop flights from LAX as they're not long I just did economy. ~$900 incl. hotel.
Wow. That's way under your $3000 budget. Good luck, and let us know how it works out (what you visit, and so on). To answer a previous question of yours, which it doesn't look like has been answered yet, Uber, but not Lyft, operates in Mexico. Ubers are usually allowed to take passengers to, but not from the airplane terminal, so you'd have to walk to a nearby place if you want to hail an Uber. Taxi fares are regulated, and are usually less expensive than Uber fares. I'll usually first get a price from Uber, then get into a taxi to ask its price, making sure it's under the Uber price, which it usually is. Ubers do have a safety advantage, though, as your ride is recorded and monitored.
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7 hours ago, reader said:
But what about other dogs' balls?
Although my bitch has been fixed, male dogs like to lick her pussy, especially this one chihuahua (my dog weighs around 25 kg).
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3 hours ago, Thomas_88 said:
May we know if Clark was the creator you wrote about in your first post?
No, it wasn't Clark. As I mentioned in my OP, the creator I PM'd and tipped lives in LA. I won't say who it was, as I don't want to possibly send any business to his OF.
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Looks as though a number of statues have been put in since I was last there...
https://lifetraveledinstilettos.com/11-unique-and-quirky-statues-you-can-only-see-in-prague/
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I suspect it must have been installed since the last time I was there, probably some 12 years ago...
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When I heard that they were building (now have built) a suicide barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge, I assumed it would be like other ones I've seen, such as this bridge in Toronto:
Or on top of the Empire State building:
I was shocked when I recently saw what was recently installed:
This new "barrier" seems to be completely ineffective, since whoever jumped into the nets could easily jump again from those nets. When I googled as to whether anyone had actually been saved by that barrier, I didn't find that anyone had, but did come across this article by a psychiatric RN:
https://www.statnews.com/2023/05/10/golden-gate-bridge-anti-suicide-net-cost/
"...Spending $400 million to save 30 people a year is a misuse of funds. The current population of the Bay Area is about 3.3 million. While money certainly can’t buy happiness, at $120 per resident, $400 million can buy an awful lot of therapeutic help and crisis intervention for those who need it — particularly given that 85% of those who choose to jump from the Golden Gate live within an hour’s drive of the bridge...".
Delving into the subject further, I found that even effective barriers, such as that on that Toronto bridge, don't lead to an overall drop in suicides.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897976/
"...Although the barrier prevented suicides at Bloor Street Viaduct, the rate of suicide by jumping in Toronto remained unchanged. This lack of change might have been due to a reciprocal increase in suicides from other bridges and buildings. This finding suggests that Bloor Street Viaduct may not have been a uniquely attractive location for suicide and that barriers on bridges may not alter absolute rates of suicide by jumping when comparable bridges are nearby...".
It seems to me like a sad mis-use of funds--big $$ which could have helped people simply wasted away.
- vinapu and Marc in Calif
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3 hours ago, Thomas_88 said:
Yes, I've sent many messages to OF creators, including porn stars (Clark Reid: https://onlyfans.com/theclarkreid ), always with a tip. They all replied, including Clark, I even asked some if they would meet a "generous" fan in real life. The ones I asked that replied to it, nowadays I include a two US$ tip because I think many OF creators get a lot of messages with a one US$ tip.
I actually tipped him $10. Just rudeness. Where does Clark Reid live?
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Have any of you sent messages to an OF creator? I subscribed to the account of a local porn star (who lives here in Los Angeles). I sent him a message with a tip, informing him I lived in his area and asking him basically if he'd be amenable to escorting. Notwithstanding the tip, he didn't even answer yes or no, now two days later. I've never PM'd someone on OnlyFans before, so I don't know if this lack of response is typical, even when I paid him to read my message.
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15 hours ago, Mavica said:
... You'll need some ability to speak / understand Spanish, though...
I've been to quite a few countries whose language I don't speak. Due to the language barrier, the OP may want to go on more guided tours, and group tours can be done quite inexpensively. I don't think he'd have any trouble visiting the museums and castle and Chapultepec park, for instance. Teotihuacan probably needs to be visited by tour in any case, and there are plenty of English-language tours. I think that a lack on language skills would make it difficult to bargain for the trajineras on Lake Xochimilco, but, since he's traveling alone, it might come out cheaper to take a group tour anyway. I often use the Get Your Guide website to find tours, when I'm not using Tours by Locals (in other words, for group tours).
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I always found CDG a bit of a mess. Not quite as bad as LHR, but not easy to get around, either. DFW is at least as big, but so easy to get around. Are other posters enthusiastic as CDG as Skytrax seems to be?
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This hotel specifically caters to gay clients, is in the Zona Rosa, and it goes for just $351 for 5 nights including a full buffet American breakfast. I would strongly recommend this over the bad neighborhood hotel. It also has AC and 4*, unlike the other hteol. For any hotel, I would e-mail them prior to ask what their policy is on guests.
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19 minutes ago, floridarob said:
...These flights don't offer anything great for first/business.... not like going to Asia/Europe.....I would look for price and spend the saved money on guys or hotel...
I guessed that maybe the reason he saved all of his money for the premium cabin might be that it's uncomfortable for the OP to sit in a main cabin seat. If that's not the case, I most certainly agree that I'd save the $$ for the hotel. If legroom is the issue, many American Airlines "Main Cabin Extra" seats (i.e. the exit rows) have even more legroom that some 1st class seats, and it costs only a bit more for non-premium customers to buy those seats, compared to a first-class upgrade. If seat width is the issue, though, then 1st class always wins out.
If he needs to have a place to bring men in for sex, he could buy a room at one of those "motel by the hour" places you mentioned (I'm sure the escorts know where to find such places). I once picked up a man at the beach in Acapulco (many years ago, when it was safe), and the Hilton would not let him through. We had to find a sex motel to do the deed. If one intends to bring a guest into the room in Mexico, one should always ask about their policies before-hand. Some places will allow the visitor if said visitor will leave his government-issued ID (i.e. citizenship card) at the front desk, to be collected on his way out.
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Well, did you realize that Mala Vecindad means "bad neighborhood" in English? 😉 The neighborhood is indeed a tad spicy, and you'll need to take the metro to the Zona Rosa unless you want a long walk. It goes for $20=$30 a night. I don't think it has A/C, but those who stay there seem to be happy enough. Its reviews are generally positive on Tripadvisor.com:
"I love the concept of making something mexican and modern at the same time. I love the place, the decor, the blankets, everything is very hipster and at the same time very mexican. The breakfast is gooood and plenty, not like the regular artificial eggs and apple in plastifoam that you find in hotels of this price. The street is not elegant but you are literally 50 mts from Metro Revolucion, half a block from the metrobus and 3 blocks from Monumento a la Revolución. Ah, and 20 minutes walking distance to the Zocalo. I found some comments in Booking of people complaining about the location, and yes is a tough"barrio" but nobody bothers you directly. If you want to try the real Mexico (not the tourist version of Condesa and Polanco) you can go to Caldos de Pollo (big plates of Chicken soup around the corner of the Hotel) and the Cantina about 30 mts (the food is ok, the drinks are good and cheap, and you have a jukebox to put some music, is the real deal with working people and bureacrats getting out of the job). The hotel has Great value for your money. Want to pay more for nothing go to Condesa. Want to get a real taste of the country, stay here...".
Well, if you take a taxi from the airport, the taxi driver will probably get a chuckle when you tell him you want to go to the Mala Vecindad! 😄 Oh, barrio is another word for neighborhood (essentially synonymous with vecindad).
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If you have extra time, take the bus and spend 2 nights in Taxco. Executive bus travel in Mexico is very comfortable, reliable, and safe:
Note: 270 Mexican pesos is about $16 US.
https://etn.com.mx/english/servicios-a-bordo.html
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1 hour ago, JKane said:
...Mexico City seems the easy choice but I was just listening to a story about how horrible the water situation is there (that it's undrinkable...
There are very few countries for which it's safe to drink from the tap: US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, most of the EU (not all), UK, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore would be the only places I can think of off-hand. We were even advised not to drink the tap water in Qatar, and that's a pretty wealthy country. Anywhere else you use bottled water, even to brush your teeth. Water pressure won't be a problem at any hotel with at least 3* (usually). The Mexico City subway is very efficient and cheap. The gay life is centered in the Zona Rosa. When I went to MC, I stayed at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma, which was one of the best hotels I've ever enjoyed, but it might be a bit pricey for your budget (and you'd have to take the metro to the ZR, or a rather long walk). If you want to be closer to the action, the Galeria Plaza Reforma is in the Zona Rosa, and you can get a nice room for $140 a night (4* hotel). I'm assuming, that as an infrequent traveler, you don't have status with any hotel chains.
When we travel to places where I don't know the language or need help with logistics, my fiance and I have had great experiences with Tours by Locals. They charge per guide, though, not per person, so are rather pricey if traveling alone (best if 2 to 4 on the trip). If you don't like being in a big bus tour, though, it's certainly more personable and flexible. In terms of what to see, Chapultepec park is a must. Assuming you get a reasonably early start, you could visit its castle, anthropological museum, and modern art museum in one day. The anthropology museum is one of the best in the world, so I'd plan on 3 hours there. Do the national palace, cathedral, Templo Mayor, and Frida Kahlo museum on another day. Do not miss taking a day tour to Teotihuacan (usually done as a group tour), which is a world wonder.
In terms of gay guides, you might find one on:
https://www.travelgay.com/mexico-city-gay-tours
Once you have your dates firmed up, you might want to contact an escort on your favorite website such as rentmen.eu to ask if they'd be up to being hired as a tour guide, I suppose.
Taking off shoes before entering a house
in The Beer Bar
Posted
Well, after my 2nd bout, I went for quite a few years without a problem (wearing arch support), then stopped wearing arch support insoles, and developed a 3rd, horrible bout shortly thereafter. I have never worn shoes without them, ever since. These are what my podiatrist recommended. She did not recommend compressions socks, nor have I seen any studies to show these are effective at preventing PF. With respect to Vinapu's suggesting that I either decline the invitation or address it in advance, we were surprised by the requirement as we showed up at the door. This surprise was complicated by the lack of furniture/place to sit. My feeling was that in places where such requests aren't customary, the shoeless requirement be addressed before we leave (preferably when extending the invitation). I understand cultural differences, but in the US, wearing shoes indoors is the cultural norm.