PeterRS

And try Lodz the movie capital of of Poland! That is pronounced Woodge!

I was in Brazil only once - a day in Manaus and two in Rio. My first day in Rio was a very hot Sunday and churches were packed. Staying on Copacabana, I took a taxi to the centre and started walking around taking in the sights. After around 30 minutes I heard the sound of someone running toward my back. Seconds later there was a hand over my mouth and another grabbing a small gold neck chain. I shouted for help as best I could. As a nearby church was packed to over-flowing, three men came running toward me. My chain had a very difficult clasp and as the thief ran off, it fell to the ground. I was suprised that the police arrived very quickly - less than one minute. But it had been entirely my fault. I had read several guide books and all said make sure you have no valuables on you. I had been wearing that neck chain for about 15 years and never took it off - only because the clasp was so difficult to undo. I just forgot I was wearing it. In any case it was hidden under my T-shirt. But there must have been a glint in the sun which alerted the thief. I thanked the guys from the church and the police, returned to the hotel, put the chain in the safe and resumed my sightseing. That incident, though, did not spoil my trip if only because I knew I was at fault.

I don't think we know eactly how many Palestinian fighters invaded Israel. What they did was brutality in the extreme and inexcusable. But there are several facts we have to be aware of. Almost 2,000 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed and 251 taken hostage. Reprisals were bound to follow, but the scale of those reprisals, considering some hostages still have not been released, is massively out of all proportion to the scale of the original attack, both in terms of the horrific number of deaths and the near destruction of most buildings in Gaza. We have to remember that in 1993 there was a glimmer of hope when it seemed a two-state solution would emerge. The Gaza Strip had been handed over to the Palestinians after the creation of israel. Under international law, israel has no right to that land. That illeglly ended with the Six-Day war in 1967 when Israel took it over. The plan for a two-state soution remained in discussion but was doomed to failure after Israel's moderate Prime Minister and was hero, Yitzak Rabin, was assassinated by a right-wing Jewish extremist. The stage was set for the eventual take over of the right wing in Iraeli pollitics. It took until 2005 before Israel dismantled its settlements and left the Strip. Israel assumed leadership would be taken over by the Palestine Liberation Organisation. Two years later the more militant Hamas which had never accepted the state of Israel assumed power. Thereafter for years Natanyahu's governments propped up Hamas. He assumed that reducing the influence of the PLO would virtually end discussion on a two-state solution. So what happened in October 2023 is entirely due to Netanyahu. He took his eye completely off the ball. In August 2023 his own security advisers were telling him that security had become weak and Israel had to so something to beef it up - and quickly. In November 2024 the independent Civilian Commission of Inquiry into October 7, which was organized in July 2024 by survivors of the October 7 attack and the families of victims who were either killed or kidnapped, released a report placing broad blame on the Israeli government for effectively bolstering Hamas throughout Netanyahu’s tenure and leaving the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ill prepared for the assault. Although the report named Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, the IDF, and intelligence agencies among those responsible for the security failure, it especially condemned Netanyahu for undermining coordination between the political and military echelons. https://www.britannica.com/event/Israel-Hamas-War But then of course we know Netanyahu had other reasons for not concentrating on his country's security. For years Netanyahu has been facing trial for five different cases of bribery, fraud and breach of trust going back to 2016. Although his trial commenced in 2000, it has still not reached a conclusion. Successive hearings have been postponed for a variety of reasons. Prolonging the war in Gaza and entering into conflicts with other nations ensures that judgement in his trial keeps on being postponed. And all the while the USA backs him. There are many rotten apples in the Middle East. Netanyahu is one of them.

On my first visit to Florence I was in the queue for the Accademia to see Michelangelo's statue of David. Behind me was a group of Australians who I expect had arrived in the city the previous evening. One said to the other - "I thought we are supposed to be in Florence today. It's bloody Fie-renzee. Why are we queuing in the wrong city?"

The wikipedia reference was to just one point - the tenfold increase in the Polish population of the UK. Not having lived in the UK for 46 years, I cannot help. My niece, though, is having a house virtually gutted and rebuilt in London and she is very happy with the workmanship, so far.

I do think that may not be wholly accurate. There are approximately 680,000 people born in Poland presently living in the UK. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. According to wikipedia, the Polish population in the UK has increased more than than tenfold since 2001. Polish is the second most spoken language in England! Last year a study reported that the average age of Polish immigrants to the UK now is from 18-35. Although London was a primary base for overseas Poles, Scotland has a significant Polish population, especially in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Many settled in Scotland during WWII.

I have twice visited the Sistine Chapel - once before and once after the restoration of Botticelli's and Perugino's end-wall fresco and Michelangelo's stunning ceiling frescos. But until I saw this Associated Press photo today, I never associated it with the deliberations to elect a new Pope. The frescos dominating the space are so awesome in their power and magnificence the chairs laid out for the cardinals seem almost for ants. I wonder how they can concentrate on the serious business at hand when there is so much to see and be amazed by in those frescos. The sense of space is also much greater than I can remember. Of course we do have to remember that the frescos and indeed the chapel itself is not merely a work of art, it is an exercise in propaganda intended to convey the magnificence and the permanence of the Catholic Church. That Church was at that time riven with controversy. The 'heresy' of Martin Luther and the split with Henry VIII of England essentially founding two new religions. The instigation of the Inquisition and in most cases its horrific consequences. The flowering of the Renaissance with its glance backwards to a golden age before Christ. The sack of Rome in 1527 by troops commanded by the Holy Roman Emperor. Then, after all the frescos were finished, the election of Paul IV in 1555 which was a total disaster for moderates in the Church. But at least it had the Sistine Chapel as the centre of the glory to its God. photo: Associated Press/The Guardian

This might work with a click and paste https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/money/lawrence-canadas-pm-humiliated-trump-today-but-not-as-much-as-trump-humiliated-himself/vi-AA1EitJk

The outbreak of hostillities between India and Pakistan has forced airlines either to reroute flights or cancel them altogether. THAI Airways has rerouted European flights. China Airlines has cancelled five European fights. Korean Air is operating flights over a more southerly route and adding refuelling stops en route. Almost all airlines have stopped overflying Pakistan. Some flights are operating into India. Lufthansa's Franfurt Delhi flight takes a more southerly route and approaches Delhi from the south rather than the west. If you have a fight to or from Asia in the next few days, best to check the latest situation with your airline. https://globalnation.inquirer.net/276056/after-india-pakistan-clashes-airlines-cancel-or-reroute-flights

Love this recent news video which shreds Trump in so may ways.

I often read that Conclaves preferred to elect older Popes. The reason was to ensure that a new Pope would not have time to change the Church in new directions. So anyone in his 60s has a lot going against him. But in the 20th/21st centuries only three Popes have been older than 70 when elected - John XXIII, Benedict XVI and Francis - two reformers and one arch-conservative. Yet the three longest serving Popes - Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul II - were all appointed in their 60s, one conservative nd two assumed to be reformers although both ended up as conservatives. Some of the supposed front runners this time around are in their 60s and assumed to be reformers. If appointed, will they change their tunes and stop reforms in their tracks? Interesting to see who will be elected and how He will reign - although at least some of us may not be around to assess that reign.

My comment was a response to @Keithambrose previous post about Scotland and Wales. I wonder if you ever saw the glory of many of the English cathedrals. A dozen years ago I had planned to meet up in the south of England with one of my closest friends and his wife. He was sadly seriously ill to the point where his doctor would not let him fly from their home in the USA. One of his last requests to me was that I visit some of Engand's cathedrals and send him photos. Many of the glories of these buildings are less in their size but in the detail inside each. Here are just a few. I have only captioned three. The magnificence of the Abbey at Sherbourne, formerly a Cathedral The imposing majestic height of Ely Cathedral near Cambridge with its unique octagon feature Part of the large stained glass window featuring the kings and queens of England in Canterbury Cathedral

You are indeed the exception! And thankfully so otherwise we would not have been able to read such detailed reports on other parts of the region.

We all know that the Holy Spirit is not what moves the Cardinals as they sit in the glorious creation that is the Sistine Chapel. They meet days in advance, engage in what are essentially political dialogues and encourage others to vote for their favoured candidates. They form cabals! Today CNN provides evidence of a large dossier handed out to cardinals. Titled “The College of Cardinals Report,” it offers profiles on around 40 papal candidates, including a breakdown on where they stand on topics such as same-sex blessings, ordaining female deacons and the church’s teaching on contraception. The subtext: Choose a pope who will take the church in a different direction to Pope Francis – whose progressive reforms angered some conservatives. The project has been led by two Catholic journalists, Edward Pentin, who is from Britain, and Diane Montagna, from the United States – both of whose work appears on traditionalist and conservative Catholic news sites. Montagna has been handing the book to cardinals entering and leaving the pre-conclave meetings, Reuters reported . . . The report was compiled in association with Sophia Institute Press, a traditionalist-leaning publishing house based in New Hampshire, and Cardinalis, a magazine based in Versailles, France. Sophia Institute Press publishes the radically anti-Francis “Crisis Magazine” and in 2019 published the book “Infiltration,” which claims that in the 19th century, a group of “Modernists and Marxists” hatched a plan to “subvert the Catholic Church from within.” Meanwhile, Cardinalis regularly features articles on prominent conservative cardinals. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/06/world/cardinals-pope-conclave-dossier-candidates-intl

But Hong Kong has no postal codes!

Nice story but pretty certain it's apocryphal. The opera at Bayreuth builds its own scenery in Bavaria! There is also the true story of London Bridge which was discovered to be sinking with one side sinking more than the other. Someone on the Council had the idea of trying to sell it. An American entrepreneur from Missouri decided to buy it, paying US$2,460,000 for it in 1968. It was reconstructed in Havasu Lake City. Arizona in 1971. Rumour at the time assumed the entrepreneur thought he was buying the more famous Tower Bridge and not any old common or garden bridge! That's a small number! The Scottish city of Aberdeen has 29 city namesakes around the world including 18 in the USA, one in South Africa, one in Hong Kong and 2 in Jamaica. Confusing!

Headline on today's BBC website - Americans used to be steadfast in their support for Israel. Those days are gone https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4n90g6v9qo Given Israel's actions against the general population in Gaza and elsewhere, is that surprising? 52,000 murdered in Gaza - a great many being women and children. Major preventions re aid for the general population. No more need be said.

The weather is often so bad they usually swim! 🤣 No anthrax reported from what I read.

1. No. I've been there a few times since 1983 but could never live there. And i still think that few retirees there spend much time each year jetting around elsewhere. 2. Same as you - I'm generally a big city guy. But for quite a few years I also loved travellng around, often to smaller places both in Thailand and other countries. Much less so now. But then I'm happy to do so being based in Thailand. I would not be happy doing so were I based in Bali. I've never been keen on travelling in other parts of Indonesia.

It looks like Trump is trying to do almost what Japan has been doing basically since the Meiji Restoration. After the fall of the shoguns, Japan had to open up to trade. This meant accepting some foreigners. This increased as it employed specialist skills from overseas in building up its military forces. The start of the economic boom in the 1960s and 70s also saw a need for foreign labour, most permitted temporary resident status only for five years. But it has almost always been temporary. It's hard for many peoople to accept that a country which was closed off for a quarter of a millennium should be concerned about cultural differences. But this is certainly one reason why successive governments have been concerned about balancing its cultural identity with opening its doors to foreign workers. When I worked there in the early 1990s, I was the only foreigner in a company with around 45 Japanese. Even though it was the branch of an American company and all the managers spoke pretty good English, little things were always being put in my way to make it clear that although I was working in a Japanese office, I was not Japanese. I had a good friend who happened to be the CEO of the UK textile company Courtaulds. One evening I invited him and his wife to dinner. I explained my frustration at these little niggling annoyances. He said I should pay no attention to them as it was just part of Japanese business culture. Even he in his very senior position was subject to the same frustrations! Japan very quickly has to do something to cope with its very low birth rate and rapidly ageing population. The government cannot sit on its thumbs and hope the situation will just go away.

Not nearly a valid comparison, in my view. Bangkok is a huge city compared to anything in Bali - population well over ten times the size of Denpasar. Sure, it also probably has at least ten times the number of tourists. But you cannot compare a major city in a very large country with a far smaller one on a relatively small island. Also, my own view - I'm sure not shared by many others - is that I would primarily be interested in Bali, its landscapes, its people and basically its Hindu culture which is quite different from the rest of Indonesia. I would not wish to retire to Bali and then spend my time jetting to other parts of Indonesia. Do most retirees in Pattaya spend a lot of time jetting around to other parts of the region?

I was only in that part of Vietnam for 10 days in 2020 before everything closed due to covid. But the moment I arrived in Da Nang airport, I had approaches from the apps. As I was going immediately to Hoi An and then Hue, I was not able to meet a guy in Da Nang for a week. But he was amazing. Mid-20s, liked westerners, knew the area like the back of his hand, spoke near perfect English, wanted to come to the hotel - and we had a great time for my remaining two days. He even came to the airport to see me off! He was not an MB. Just a guy trying to run a small business who enjoyed sex. He wanted no money. All I bought were coffees, simple lunches and dinners and some lovely cocktails in the hotel bar. If there was a long term visa, I am certain I would really enjoy retiring to that area of Vietnam. But I would plan on learning some basic Vietnamese.

35 or so years ago I would have jumped at the chance of selecting Bali as a retirement haven. That was before I saw the unfortunate changes as a result of mass tourism in 2005. It remains a beautiful island with over 4 million inhabitants but only has around 30,000 foreigners living there - and some of these are from Java. That's a big enough pool to make friends. But selecting the place to find an apartment or small Balinese house for me would be the most difficult. Personally I would loathe Denpasar, Nusa Dua or Kuta and other built-up areas as a place to which to retire. I'm also not sure i would like to be on an island that annually attracts nearly 6.5 million tourists with the majority coming from Australia (by far the largest) and India.

Land ownership is different in the cities and the countryside. In the former, ownership of land is not possible. In the latter, special land cooperatives own the land. In effect, though, Chinese can only own the property built on the land. I believe the lease period for residential ownership is 70 years. Property prices have skyrocketed since the government started to permit private ownership only around 30 years ago. Gradually that set off a boom in home construction, one which spiralled out of control partly due to demand. House prices in some cities are now mega. An 80-square meter apartment near the centre of Shanghai will set you back US$886,000. Down payment requirements can often be s high as 80%. On the outskirts of the city, the price plummets to $200,000. In Beijing, the average price across the whole city is around $310,000. Perhaps surprisingly, mortagages are not popular in China. Only 18% of buyers tap into the mortgage market. In 2012 whereas the Chinese mortgage to GDP ratio was just 15%, in the USA it was 81.4%. Even though average wages in China are well below western standards, families and other social connections provide the finance to enable home purchase. Despite their high price, something like 90% of the country own their own homes. One reason is that Chinese are among the highest savers in the world with a savings rate that equates to almost 50% of GDP. This is one target of President Xi's government as it tries to get the economy back on track. Get people out and spend more of their savings! https://breznikar.com/article/how-people-in-china-afford-their-outrageously-expensive-homes/1781

I'm not sure he ever had much of what we would term sense. As I have written in another thread, his mentor from the time he started in business was the ghastly Roy Cohn. Described as "one of the most reviled men in American history," Cohn was a lawyer of the most notorious kind, a tax cheat and swindler who counted mobsters as well as Presidents among his clients. He was indicted four times for stock-swindling, obstructing justice, perjury, bribery, conspiracy, extortion, blackmail and filing false reports. Three times he was aquitted and the fourth ended in a mistrial "giving him a kind of sneering, sinister sheen of invulnerability." Trump is following the Cohn playbook virtually to the letter. "Deflect and distract, never give in, never admit fault, lie and attack, lie and attack, publicity no matter what, win no matter what, all underpinned by a deep, prove-me-wrong belief in the power of chaos and fear."