TotallyOz

I figured. 20 is a long time. But, when reliant on others, it is a short span. Too many I know have not planned for their future and live one paycheck to the other. It is now more common that most think.

What two years? It was 20 years. And, when you have kids and a family, money is eaten away fast. Esp. if someone else is controlling that money. I am not defending not saving cash. I am just saying, often not easy.

Once, there was a man with a generous heart and a quiet strength. He met a young man many years his junior—someone struggling, someone in need of kindness. What began as a helping hand became a partnership, a love that endured for twenty years. Through all of life’s trials, they stood side by side. The older man provided stability, a home, and love; not only to his partner, but eventually to the partner’s three children, whom he welcomed as part of his family. They built a life together, not in the eyes of the law, perhaps, but in every way that matters. They shared meals, holidays, bills, dreams, and worries. The older man worked hard and paid for everything, trusting that love was enough. But love, sadly, is not a legal document. When he died, everything changed in an instant. There was a will that left everything to charity. There was no life insurance policy with the partner named as beneficiary. The bank accounts were locked. The partner and the children, once wrapped in the warmth of a secure life, found themselves suddenly adrift, cold, and cast aside. No inheritance. No protection. No safety net. Just grief, bills, and uncertainty. And so the partner, after twenty years of care, now sleeps on the street. His children go without him as he did not have the skills to survive. The man who once promised to look after them is gone. This is not how love should end. Let this be a cautionary tale: if you love someone, prepare. If you build a life with someone, protect them. Have a will that helps and protects them. Share ownership. Name your partner as beneficiary. Talk about the future, not just in dreams, but in documents. Because death comes for us all, and love alone won’t keep your partner warm once you’re gone. Only foresight, planning, and legal protections can do that. Love well. And love wisely.

I will say I watched for the tears. She was the best crier on TV. My entire family watched and kept saying, just wait for the tears. LOL. Little did I know back then....

So sad. I loved Jim and Tammy. Very dramatic and as a kid, I related. PTL: “Praise The Lord!” or more accurately, “Pass The Loot!” They built a Christian Disneyland because nothing says “Jesus died for your sins” like an amusement park. OMG

I grew up listening to him and those like him. Hatred was in their hearts. Oral Roberts went into his Prayer Tower and said God said he would die unless he raised 8 million. He did. My aunt was one that sent him money. But, her mother also went into a cave for 5 weeks as the "end of the world" was coming. It didn't. And, they were saved. Praise be!

Absolutely amazing reports. Thank you for sharing. Da Nang is one of my favorite places to visit and I was able to spend a week there recently. My favorite pizza place is 4P's. Their Par Ham is awesome with homemade cheese on top that melts over the pizza. I normally get a half/half with 5 cheese the other half.

By the time I was 22, I’d already read most of the books that would stay with me for life. I didn’t read for escape. I read to make sense of things, to find beauty, structure, complexity. The stories that stuck weren’t simple, and they didn’t offer easy answers. They asked the right questions, and they never talked down to me. Ulysses, by James Joyce, hit me like no other. It was strange, dense, full of detours but also funny, earthy, and oddly intimate. Joyce turned a single day into something vast. I didn’t understand everything, and I wasn’t supposed to. That was part of the point. Life isn’t meant to be neatly packaged, and this book made peace with that. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, I read late at night in bed (on a waterbed if you remember those). It was a quieter kind of adventure; one that didn’t shout. Bilbo wasn’t brave or strong, just curious and quietly stubborn. He was the reluctant traveler and I was the excited traveler and through him, I yearned for adventure. There’s a quiet comfort in that kind of hero — someone who doesn’t look for adventure but rises to it when called. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, was extra credit. I read it and wrote a report. But it didn’t feel like schoolwork; it felt like discovery. Hamlet’s voice was unlike anything I’d read. He thinks too much, speaks in riddles, wrestles with grief, with guilt, with meaning. I didn’t have his burdens, but I knew the feeling of turning things over in your mind until they burned. I wrestled with the guilt of being gay and this story helped. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell, was required reading in Grade 11. I expected melodrama. What I got was something raw and absorbing. Scarlett O’Hara is willful, maddening, unforgettable. The book showed how survival can be its own kind of courage, even when it’s messy. She was the ultimate drama queen and having watched the movie 20 times, reading it was truly wonderful, and I understood why my mom loved the movie so much. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, pulled me in with elegance. Wilde’s writing is so smooth. The story stayed with me because of what it didn’t say out loud; the rot beneath the surface, the cost of charm, the masks people wear. It was a short book, but it left a long impact. Much later, I read Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, by Louis de Bernières. I was older. It was a gift from my best friend. What struck me most was its tenderness. It sees people clearly, flaws and all, and forgives them anyway. I needed that forgiveness myself as my religious guilt created issues for me for 20 years. These books helped shape how I see things, how I think, how I listen, how I notice what matters. They stayed with me because they respected the reader. Even the version of me that was still figuring things out. And, 40 years after reading most, I know I have not figured things out completely but the journey has been an adventure. Like Bilbo, I was a reluctant traveler, not in real travels but in reading. Tolkien removed that reluctance from me and Wilde swung the doors wide open for me to see the possibilities.

So sad! He was excellent!

I prefer Rio! @gd85

You have some sexy guys!

Was in Vietnam last year and had a blast. Amazing country and beautiful beaches.

PeterRS you are really talented and we are all thrilled you are posting again. Your posts are always informative and insightful!

Members who are disrespectful are banned from posting on the site. Happened twice today. More to come. This is a gentleman's forum.

Fabulous information! Thanks all!

Be very careful of Zoo. If this is the one that was at Punawitti BTS last year, it is a rip off. I think they have opened 6 or more shops with same boys listed and do nothing.

It was all removed as most was outdated. Most of them were taken from inside the forums anway.

@Latbear4blk sure. Great post. Thanks for the great detail.

The new URL for the forums is simply gayguides.com not gayguides.com/forums You may get issues if you go to this. My apologies in advance if any issues or the downtime.

I have seen them in Bangkok but the best was walking street in Pattaya. She was a true expert.

Admittedly, I first read this post and thought, "oh my, has reader gone back to see one of the ping pong pussy shows and the lady got a hole in one." I know you think I jest. But, I have seen it. I've seen even more bizarre in Crazy Dragon years back when a guy pulled 100 razor blades out of his ass. Oh, well, to each his own. I'm happy that so many are crazy about Tiger. I've always enjoyed watching him play and as an expert golfer myself, I still yearn for that hole in one. (although I did have a hole that was filled with one last night but I don't think that is the same thing)

BTW: I think I met the love of my life again yesterday at JJ Market. But, it wasn't a boy this time. Beautiful white cockatoo. I could not stop thinking about him all night. Just hoping when I return next weekend, he has been sold.

LOL Not referring to you at all. Everyone thought I was just bullshitting when I said that. But, I knew. You know, sometimes you just know. At my age, I don't get many chances and 3 years is a lifetime. I just hope for 3 more months and I'll be happy. (But, still I am as cautious as a hawk)

I love Tailor on Ten.

Back a few years ago, I said I met the love of my life at Tawan. Well, there were many naysayers. But, here is the thread: So, skip forward a few years, we are still together and doing great. He has been an amazing addition to this old man's later life. He keeps me busy, on my toes, and entertained. Not easy to do, but sometimes, you just know on the first meet. The BF of over 20 years, I knew that day. And, we are still together (kinda) as he has a farm now and lives with his family but talk daily. When I call, he comes that day. When I need him, he is there. When he needs me, I'm there. As for the love of my life, he has been a true joy. Don't let the people tell you that romance dies at a certain age or that every bar boy is the same. They are not. They are often diamonds in the rough and it takes patience, love, attention, and money.