alvnv
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Posts posted by alvnv
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2 hours ago, macaroni21 said:
I walked through the area. It had a buzz, that's for sure. But what struck me was that in all the re-design, they still kept to the notion that the more concrete the better - very common idea throughout Thailand - resulting a a worse heat island than Bangkok already is. With the humidity (no breeze either) It wasn't pleasant at all. They should have designed for trees and green spaces.
The other thing that struck me was the amount of noise, not just in Siam Square, but on the other side of Siam Station as well, i.e. the Siam Paragon, Siam Center side. Partly, it's the result of the events they put up but I'm sure there's also the reflection from all the concrete.
Trees/greenery would have helped with the noise levels, too
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To each their own… For me, time is more valuable, so rather than taking extra day off, I fly business/first, shower and relax during layover, and arrive refreshed. If the layover is more than 8 hours, I opt for a day room, or a hotel. If it’s less than 8 hours, I’ll try to fit in a massage or spa treatments. I do not do it at the expense of my accommodations, or activities either. More you spend on travel, better the perks accrued, and at a higher rate. Once I’m retired, or on a fixed budget, I may alter my traveling habits. However, at this point I can only take a very limited time off and it’s worth it for me to spend a little extra to travel in comfort.
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I just watched “Uncoupled” on Netflix. It evoked some “Sex and the City” vibes (or, it could be just a confirmation bias as I saw that it was produced by Darren Starr). Overall, I enjoyed it:
- Lonnie and bkkmfj2648
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11 hours ago, a-447 said:
Yes. Upstairs is all business and first class on Emirates.
Business class varies greatly from airline to airline so you have to choose carefully.
For example, I found Lufthansa disappointing and BA has a terrible reputation. Qantas is nothing special, either. Go for an Asian or Middle Eastern airline if you can.
I always fly Cathay Pacific when I go to Japan. I am cocooned in my own little pod by the window, well away from other passengers. They have 2 business class cabins and I sit in the quiet one at the back with fewer seats. And the lounge in Hong Kong is more than adequate for what I want.
As a rule, when the airplane has both, first and business classes, the latter is worse than business class cabins where first class is not offered.
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11 hours ago, vinapu said:
But descendants of first Virginia settlers are no doubt AMERICANS, no ?
No, they neither claim nor are considered Native Americans, or First Nations. As for the term American, even though it’s widely used to refer to US citizens, technically, describes the citizens of both continents of North and South Americas
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2 hours ago, scott456 said:
You and your Filipino bf will be judged in both heterosexual cruises and gay cruises for age difference and race.
Furthermore, if you’re jealous type, you may have a hard time on a gay cruise with your young boyfriend getting all the attention and being hit on constantly.
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57 minutes ago, Lonnie said:
Do they have life in prison in Thailand?
Yes, and I hear it’s quite lively:
Jokes aside, Thailand has both, life sentence and death penalty
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The fact that they invaded and made a home of a part of the South-Eastern Europe almost 600 years ago does not make them European. I don’t want to get into the definition of European right now, because that would be a lengthy conversation. Undisputedly, they are mixed with Europeans, which is evidenced by their appearance (at least, some of them). However, non-native denizens of North American countries do not claim to be Native American. We don’t consider Northern Africans as Europeans either, even though they were part of the Roman Empire; Spaniards did not become Africans during almost 8 centuries of Reconquista. Besides, ain’t nothin’ wrong with being an Asian - this forum is full of Asian-lovers 😉
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24 minutes ago, Olddaddy said:
What airline has the bar upstairs?
Quite a few airlines used to feature bars but it seems to me that they moved away from this practice. In my most recent trips, I only encountered them a couple of times. However, my knowledge is rather limited: if I recall it correctly, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, and South African Airways are the only non-European or North American carriers I’ve traveled on.
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2 hours ago, vinapu said:
I must be old dated but since when
" excuse me "is rude ?
Just like in many couples’ arguments, most of the time, it’s not what you say, but how you say it… Although, there are some phrases that have alternate meanings, i.e. “please advise” in a business email could mean “WTF” or, in the South (US), “bless your heart” could be a socially acceptable version of “f**k you”
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Maintaining status quo indefinitely is impossible. Sooner or later either PRC will take over Taiwan either by force, or through creating fifth column and staging some sort of unification. It could go the other way as well, if CCP loses its grip and PRC becomes ROC, or just China. Unless, of course, desperate Putin unleashes a nuclear war and sends us all to oblivion.
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Hitler and Stalin both pulled their countries out of poverty and created powerful states, but at what cost? It’s easier for dictators to put forth reforms because they get rid of anybody that disagrees with them. The prosperity they achieve is rife with collateral damage: lost lives and generations of their offsprings. The majority of the latter, by the way, do not believe that their “sacrifices” were worth it.
As far as the unequal treaties are concerned, I have a couple of questions. If I’m not mistaken, Russia, by far, holds the overwhelming majority of the land Chinese consider historically theirs. So, (1) how do they feel about Russia selling them resources (at the “deeply discounted” prices) from the territory they deem to be theirs? And (2) how does that influence their geopolitical stance?
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2 hours ago, Olddaddy said:
Filipino food such as Balut?
Every country has some type of dish that is objectionable to non-natives of the said country. Balut is one of such examples. Although I would never eat it myself, it does not stop me from enjoying other Filipino dishes, such as pancit bihon, lumpiang shanghai, lechon kawali, crispy pata, etc.
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Yes, a few years ago I had to call AA to book award flights on QR, but anymore it’s available online. However, there are strange rules in place when it comes to certain city pairs, e.g. there are no award seats between NYC-DOH-BKK, but there are plenty between NYC-DOH and LHR-DOH-BKK. The only options using AA between DOH and BKK is a connection through Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, award seats are available on both NYC-DOH-BKK and DOH-BKK flights using BA.
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QR is notorious for challenges with award seats (or, even $$ tickets) through their codeshare, OneWorld and other partners. The only exception is BA. I was able to find award seats on QR through BA quite easily when AA did not have any availability for the same dates/cities. BA and AA also have strange rules when allocating award seats for each other’s FF programs for the city pairs that they both serve.
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You’re welcome! Bon voyage!
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Have you tried Airbnb? There are well over 1000 options. You can select a house or an apartment, “Entire Place” and “Self Check-In” if you want to avoid contact with the host completely. However, that does not guarantee that there won’t be neighbors watching who comes in and out 🤨 You May have to read through reviews to make sure that it’s private. Good luck!
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A friend in the US suggested B Complex injections for fatigue/lack of energy. In long term, you could try more holistic approach: i.e. adjust your diet (vegetarian vs. vegan vs. high protein) to see how your body reacts. Sometimes, eliminating sugars or watching glycemic index helps. Mediation could also give you a boost of energy. Overall, as we age, we need to listen to our bodies more and modify our behaviors accordingly. Getting enough sleep is also important. So, if you are up all night, shorten the sightseeing to give yourself enough time to recuperate. Cuddling with LT vs. a few/couple of STs a day could do the trick and help alleviate FOMO. Most importantly, don’t feel guilty - it’s your vacation, so you should do what feels right at the moment.
FBI raiding Trump's Florida home
in The Beer Bar
Posted
Lock him up!