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Yep, that's fine by me. Unless the topic is exhausted, it will eventually return to the OP.

I came for the trip report but got a couple of valuable history lessons about a country I am not particularly familiar with, despite 2 trips there, They made great reading. Thanks.

Yep Lots of girls on the streets at night outside the hotels, but no guys. I didn't bother with otot-otot. I figured that with the fast ending around 7, by the time the guys had eaten it would probably be too late for any action, as everybody seems to leave the sauna around 9. I'd only have an hour at most. Also, the clients would be mainly Indians. I've found them very unattractive in the past - overweight and aggressive. I much prefer the Malay guys.

That's what you get when you elect an unqualified, uneducated, unsophisticated pathological narcissist real estate agent to be your president. How the American people can sit idly by while one unhinged buffoon single-handedly destroys their economy and sends the global economy down the toilet is unfathomable to me as an outsider, watching this chaos from 10000 km away. But now it's personal. My retirement funds are tanking and the Australian dollar is rapidly falling against foreign currencies, affecting my up-coming trip to Japan and China. It's by no means the end of the world for me - I'll survive. But many are now facing a dreary retirement after working all those years. For fucks sake, what further proof do magats need that Trump couldn't give a shit about them?

You never know, Peter. Maybe she was.

The Monkees came to Japan in the late 60's. I still remember how I almost came in my pants when Davy told an interviewer that he had to have his pubic hair shaved for an operation. We were all shocked as we'd never heard mention of pubic hair on TV.

I don't know if anyone actually does. I certainly don't. But I do read his posts.

You're right - I am. Must be the lighting.

I think this is quite common. I wish I had a dollar for every guy who bottoms or sucks cock, but who asks me not to tell his friends in the bar. I once met a guy from Super A who had the most beautiful bubble -butt. I was dying to fuck him but he insisted he was top only. Oh well, I thought, I'll off him anyway and just spend time in bed, admiring and playing with his butt. Imagine my surprise when he asked me if I wanted to fuck him! "Sshh...don't tell anyone in the bar." Before I knew it he had his butt up in the air, doggy style, waiting for me to enter. At first I thought he was just gay for pay and was smart enough to realise he could double his chances of an off, and double his money, if he offered up his butt to customers. But he absolutely LOVED being fucked! When I stopped to take a breather he'd continue moving his butt on my cock, moaning with pleasure. Of course, I offed him every night during my trip and also on subsequent trips. He is now married and has 2 kids!

OMG! The likeness to me is uncanny! 😅

"In the 1930s, many justified Hitler’s rise: He’s a strong leader. He loves his country. He’s fixing the economy. He’s just saying what others won’t. By the time the world acted, it was too late. History shows how dangerous complacency is. Before the war, Hitler had widespread support—not just in Germany but across the world. Many ignored his extremism, excused his rhetoric, and believed he was just a ‘tough leader’ restoring order. The German economy had been battered by the Great Depression, and Hitler promised to rebuild it—through military expansion, nationalism, and scapegoating entire groups of people. Many powerful figures chose to look the other way: 📌 Industrialists and corporations backed him because he promised to crush unions and drive economic growth. 📌 Religious leaders supported him, believing he would restore traditional values and fight against communism. 📌 Western leaders appeased him, hoping that conceding small demands would satisfy him. 📌 The media and public ignored or downplayed his extremism, convinced he was just another politician playing to his base. The cost of inaction? Tens of millions of lives lost. 📌 Over 70 million people died in World War II. 📌 6 million Jewish men, women, and children were murdered in the Holocaust. 📌 Countless civilians, soldiers, and entire nations were devastated. Fast forward to today—we see the same dangerous pattern with Trump. He undermines democracy, calls for mass arrests of political opponents, incites violence, and shreds the rule of law. He praises dictators like Putin and Orban while attacking allies, spreads disinformation, scapegoats marginalized groups, and fuels division—all under the banner of ‘saving’ his country. His presidency has been a masterclass in corruption and authoritarianism—firing inspectors general, silencing scientists, gutting social programs, weaponizing federal agencies, and attempting to overturn elections. His reckless policies have widened inequality, gutted environmental protections, alienated allies, and emboldened dictators. This isn’t alarmism; it’s reality. Democracy isn’t self-sustaining, and leaders like this don’t stop themselves. If we don’t act—as Canadians, Americans, and global citizens—the consequences will be catastrophic."

Although I didn't take this thread off topic, I plead guilty to participating in discussion which does not completely relate to the OP, but one which I think I know a lot about. It's what happens all the time on discussion boards like this. Once the topic has been exhausted, people move on to something else - just like we do when having a normal conversation.

I imagine you are 100% correct. And it makes sense, as there is strength in unity.

Yes. Stand in the doorway of the smallest room in the house - I.e. the toilet - is the advice we were always given.

That would be a feeling they'd be used to, given their customer base! 😂

August 12, 1985 was a dark day in Japan - I remember it at though it happened yesterday. Adding to the sadness was the fact that singer Sakamoto Kyuu of "Sukiyaki" fame (what a stupid title!) died in that crash. He had many hit records in Japan, was a talented actor and TV personality. In fact, he was the first real TV star. Here's something you may not know about him - teenage boys related well to him as, like many of them, he suffered from terrible acne problems but carried on regardless!

Important decisions are made, of course, just like in any advanced economy - but only at the top and only after long discussions which drag on forever. Once a decision has been reached on an issue, a meeting is then called to ostensibly discuss that issue and, surprise surprise, a consensus is reached! And everyone can quickly move forward together in lock-step. And, of course, you'd have to mention the Japanese workers' diligence, exceptional skill based on a very good knowledge of what their job entails (knowledge gained from rote learning), attention to detail, willingness to work for lower wages than those in the West, dedication to the company over the family, blindly following instructions without dissent, no pesky interfering unions to worry about,..........the list goes on.

Those at the top make the decisions - everyone else just follows. So it's not as though nobody ever decides anything. The decision is usually a collective one so that no singular person can be blamed if something goes wrong. I've often wondered where Japan would be today if they actually got their shit together and became more organised. Her competitors on the world stage should be grateful for the ongoing chaos.

I had no idea that Thailand was susceptible to earthquakes. And that begs the question - how safe are the buildings, especially the old ones like the Tarntawan Hotel? Not very, it seems, given that the new building under construction collapsed so easily. I've experienced lots of earthquakes but n never really felt afraid, as the buildings in Japan have great antu-earthquake technology and are considered to be safe. But it's why I haven't made the trip to Xian to see the terracotta warriors. I don't trust the Chinese buildings in a big earthquake.

Yes, Peter. You're spot on. At school we never asked questions; we sat there and absorbed what was being taught. We were never asked our opinions or to look at a problem and analyse it. All analysis was done by someone else. We were specifically taught not to think, but to follow. There was certainly no chance to think out of the box, as the lid was shut tight. Young people today are pushing back, but I think this is only during the short time between school graduation and when they finish university. As soon as they enter a company, they are dragged back into the system. You can see this lack of thinking and decision-making in action every day in Japan. The daughter of a friend is a high school teacher in Tokyo. I visited her school to give a talk to her class and afterwards I wandered around the gym during a sports lesson. Four kids were playing badminton. I asked if I could have a go and got the typical response - they held a meeting trying to decide what to do! Eventually, one of them approached me and politely refused. It's because they had to ask their teacher what to do, and she was nowhere to be seen. The same happens if you go to a restaurant and make a small change to the menu. Individual desserts were listed on a menu in a coffee shop. I ordered a piece of cake and asked for a scoop of icecream on top. As expected, the waitress was taken aback and didn't know how to reply. Here's a customer not sticking to the rules! She went back to the counter, had a meeting with the staff and then came back and told me I'd have to order the icecream separately. So I did. And when she brought my order to my table I picked up the bowl and tipped the icecream onto my cake! "See? This is how it's done," I said with a smile. But the lack of decision-making ability and thinking out of the box was there for all to see during the earthquake of 1995. Teams of rescuers with sniffer dogs arrived from various countries but were held up for a day at the airport, wasting precious time, because nobody would make the decision about what to do with the dogs! Had it been a western country I'm sure Quarantine would have said, just get the dogs down to the disaster area so they can do their job - paperwork can come later. But there was nobody in authority at the airport willing to make that decision by himself. Numerous meetings would have been held before the decision to release the dogs was finally made.

I remember passing by I think it was 2 9-Teen massage places on my visit to Bangkok last year. I spotted a gorgeous guy sitting outside. As I had just had sex I decided is come back later in the evening and grab him. When I turned up, he was no longer there, so I chose another guy, only to be told they had a rotation system and that they would choose the masseur for me. I didn't bother and never returned. Sorry but if I'm paying, I'll choose.

Sorry, Mac, but I have to disagree with you here. The Japanese language has various levels of politeness and you have to be very careful to adjust your language to suit the social status of the person with whom you are talking. This is why they use name cards. The name itself is not so important - it's the job title indicated on the card which matters. That tells you exactly what level of polite language you need to use.

Consider it yours! 😋

No, don't do that. You're only punishing the boys for the mamasan's annoying behaviour. I say to the mama-san that 'keun nee kon dee-ow. Kop khun krap." which means (or at least, I hope means) 'I want to be by myself tonight. Thanks." I then wave her goodbye with a friendly smile. If they come back I totally ignore them. I just pretend they're not there and do not acknowledge them in any way. It works for me.

I still remember the first time I met O. I wandered into Nature Boy and he came over, greeted me with a huge smile and asked if he could sit down. So he pulled up a stool and sat facing me. Within seconds his hand was up my shorts and he had his equipment out on display. - So, you're from Isaan. - Yes. How do you know? I looked down at his cock and we both laughed. There's definately something in the water up there! I love a big, fat uncut cock and I was in heaven as I felt it quickly rising to the occasion. We drank, chatted and groped each other for about an hour and then headed over to the Rose. At that time I was top only, as is O, so no fuck - just suck and 'chuck'. It was a case of wash, rinse and repeat for a number of years - an hour groping in the bar, followed by a session at the Rose. Then I learnt how to bottom. We went to the hotel one night and I asked him to fuck me. He was very surprised at first but before I knew it, the condom we on and he was all lubed up. To be honest, I was terrified at what was about to happen. I had not had a lot of experience as a bottom and had only been topped a few times. The first time was in Japan and the cock was rather small. Now I was facing a monster. O could see I was worried but he assured me I could do it and that he'd take it slowly. And he did. And it was wonderful! And I was in love!!! Of all the guys I've been with in Thailand - and I've met some truly wonderful guys - O's personality has been a stand-out. He is quiet, unassuming, gentle and soft-spoken. He was far from being just a big cock on legs. But on one trip back to Bangkok, I rushed to Nature Boy, only to find that he was now the manager of the bar and could no longer go with customers. I was devastated. I noticed a car parked outside the bar. When he told me it was his, the first thing that came to mind was that he must have a sponsor or a boyfriend now - probably a farang. So now I'm guessing that this is how he has managed to open what at first was just a restaurant, but now seems to have expanded into a karaoke bar as well. I always thought a guy like him would meet someone sooner or later. If I were living in Bangkok I would have certainly asked him to be my boyfriend and would have looked forward to travelling the world together. Guys like O deserve all the good fortune that come their way and I wish him all the best.