TotallyOz

This week is the premiere of the new Harry Potter. I tried a few weeks back to get tickets to see Transformers at the Imax in Bangkok and drove to the city from Pattaya to see the feature. We got there early and the show was sold out. Harry Potter is also selling out days in advance. It seems if you want to see the movie on any larger screen, you will need to get advance tickets. Odd thing at Siam Paragon is that you go to the Imax booth and they have no good seats left. If you ask them about 2 good rows that have x's in them they will tell you another company has them and they are not allowed to sell them. I asked where this company was and they pointed across the room to another booth. I walked over and got the same tickets for less money. I don't get it? Why would there were 2 different booths that are selling tickets to the same theatre but different rows? If you are going to see Harry Potter for the first few days, get tickets as early as you can!

One of the best shopping centers in Thailand has one of the best grocery stores in the area as well. They have a wide variety of everything you need. I had a pre-made Lasagna a few days back and it was delicious. I also had a rack of lamb that was precooked and only needed warming up. Again divine. They have a large selection of fruits, cheeses, deli meats, bakery goods, etc. They seem to have just about everything you need!

The BF told me his son, 6 years old, had his school closed and his family is taking care of him in the day time. He said many schools in Thailand are now closed. The government has ordered other closures. http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world...i.swine.flu.cnn It seems to me this may do little if the closures are only for a couple of weeks. The end of the report said that Thailand may have as many as 150,000 plus cases of the swine flu.

Duh! http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/11...ref=mpstoryview

Well, as Honest Abe said, "I cannot tell a lie." That said, I'll try not to be too harsh. Three nights in the gogo bars in Bangkok and I have yet to take anyone back to my hotel. Last night I went to EVERY gogo bar in Patpong and then ended up at Tawan. There was not one boy that peaked my interest. XBoys has a few sexy boys but I was there early and the mamasan was a bit pushy and I declined the invitation. The other bars were pretty sad. Dream Boy had only about 20 boys. My favorite bar in 7 years is Future Boys and to say it was sad is an understatement. Sorry, I could go on for a bit but no need to say anything other than all the boys in Bangkok must have gone home to help with family during low season. The stages are almost like a ghost town.

I love Italian food. I grew up with some amazing women who came from Italy who taught me how to cook some of their specialities and at all my parties in NYC, I cooked some great Italian meals. It is hard to find good places in Thailand but I do love Zanotti's! I was recently there and had the Pizza for appetizer and it was yummy. For main course I had the Ravioli with Whit Truffles. I also had desert. All 3 courses were excellent. They tasted good and the atmosphere was wonderful. The waiter even brought a straw that the paper was turned into a rose. The service was excellent and the place was mid range price. A great overall experience. Zanotti's 21/2 1st Floor, Saladaeng Colonnade Condominium,Silom Rd., Silom Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Tel. : +66 2 636-0002 ,+66 2 636-0266 Fax : +66 2 636-0221 email: info@zanottigroup.com

Based on what your have experienced in LOS or that you have seen others experience, what would you say are the best lessons to be learned by someone coming here for the first time?

We ended our bicycle ride in Udon Ratchatani. It was the annual candle festival. It is a world famous Thai festival where the locals parade wax candles carved wood and covered in wax around the city and to wat. The city was alive with hustle and activity. Tons of vendors and artists take part. The night before the festival you can walk around the floats to take photos and see them in the dark lit with light from the street lamps. The next day the actual parade occurs. I had a fantastic time with this and was very happy I got to spend some time at this local festival!

I am looking for the best steak in Bangkok. Any recommendations?

I went to B and N on Sukumvit Soi 12 today and it was pretty empty of boys. There were 5 or 6 guys there max. I picked the same guy who has massaged me in past and he was excellent. The manager told me to please come back as they have been having no customers and were very very slow. B and N is great and the boys I get are excellent. My 25 year old Thai man is excellent and the others I have gotten from there are always good. If in Bangkok, give them some business. Like most other places, they need it and have been consistent for a long time.

For me it is about one month. I love it in this great paradise but longer stays I tend to get in a rut. Maybe that is a good thing for until I can retire here, I think one month is about right for me.

The programmers got ahead of themselves. We are working to revert this and things will be back to normal soon. My apologies.

We left Pattaya around 7am to get to Bangkok. We had to get a van as we had our bicycle equipment to take as well as luggage. The van cost 2200 bath or approximately 60 USD for a 2 hour trip. Once in Bangkok we were to meet up with the group of bikers. As we had an hour to kill I had forgotten to get the guys bike shoes and so we took off to go to the Emporium Shopping Center. It is always a mistake to take a car in Bangkok. What would have been a 15 minute walk was even more in a taxi. We took a van to Nong Khai. The trip took about 10 hours or more and we chatted the whole way and listened to music and stopped and ate. We had a van and one truck that will support us on the ride so between the 2 there were plenty of people that needed pee breaks and I was always OK. The dinner at night was at an open air market with food stalls. I had some fried chicken and rice. The guys had noodles. We didn’t get to Nong Khai until almost midnight and I was exhausted. We stayed at the Pantawee Hotel. http://thailand.pantawee.com/ My favorite part of the hotel was the sign on the Men’s bathroom. It was so funny and soooo gay! A naked sailor. We slept the entire night as we were exhausted from the road trip. The next day we woke up and went to Laos for the day. In order to do this trip, you go to Friendship Bridge and then exit Thai Immigration and then take a bus to Laos (only a few minutes) and then go through Laos Immigration. The process take about an hour. Once in Laos, we hired a driver to show us the city. The first visit was to a great Laos’s temple and then we went to the Victory Gate. At the northwest end of LaneXang Ave. arises a huge structure resembling the Arc de Triomph. It is the Patuxay or Victory Gate of Vientiane, build in 1962 but never complete due to the turbulent history. From a distance, it appears impressive, like a monster of concrete. Nowadays this place is used as a leisure ground for the people of Vientiane and the Seventh floor is an excellent point of view of the entire city. We bought a cheap box of chocolates at the market there. Mistake. They were not real chocolate. Beware! We got some friends a 6 pack of Beer Laos as they asked for it and said it was good. Back at the hotel, we met for a river cruise with the group and then dinner. At night, we had to get the bikes ready in the rain. Yes, it is rainy season in Thailand and Isan does not escape this. We got drenched while we got things together. Day 1: Ride from Nong Khai to Pak Khat (63 Miles/101 KM) I was curious to see how the boyfriend would do on the ride as he is not trained and I was very worried he would hate it. Instead, so far quite the opposite. He really kicked ass today. He was one of the first 4 people into each water break and to lunch. He was fast and strong. I was impressed to say the least. I am not sure how much was him doing it to prove to me he could do it an dhow much was he wanted to prove to me he could do it. ☺ The ride was beautiful. We were joined to a group from Udon Thani bike club and it was nice to have 23-25 Thai riders with us. They loved my bike and all wanted pictures with it. We started out in the rain. It rained part of the day and was dry part of the afternoon. The clouds betrayed me as I thought the sun was away but it was just hiding and it came out and burned me red without my knowledge. I now know to put on sunscreen each leg of the journey no mater where rain or not. It was a pretty flat ride today and a short day for us. We finished about 5. Well, I finished around 5. Some got to the hotel at 3 or so. I was struggling as I can do comfortably about 16k a hour. The groups pace is double that. I can’t keep up with that pace and so I usually bike along directly in front of the support vehicle. That does not bother me although I guess I should try to pick up the pace. I had a talk with the boyfriend and his friend today and told them to be sure they didn’t go so fast they would hurt themselves. At the end of the day, the fell onto the bed and went into a coma. The hotel was the Khong Kham Khun. Phone: 042-404080 The owner was nice. The rooms were clean. No Internet that worked. Day 2: Ride from Pak Khat to Beung Khan (40 Miles/64 KM) The ride today was short but hard. We had a lot of rough roads and mud roads. It was the hardest I have toured. I had a hard time with the road today and I got so muddy that my face was not recognizable. I also encountered some of God’s creatures today. It wa an interesting day. The back roads along the Mekong are lovely. We pretty much have a nice visual of the river most days. There are rice fields all along the way with other crops. It Is not unusual to find a herd of cattle along the road grazing. It is not unusual to have every house have a dog that barks when you go by. It is not unusual to have a lot of “hello, hello” yelled from inside a home, business or school. The people in Isan are the friendliest I have met with the most beautiful smiles and everyone laughing and enjoying life. I stopped at one school to say hi to the kids and their teacher came out to talk. They all enjoyed sitting on my bike and some could speak a little English but not too much. The boyfriend and his friend did not listen to my advice today take it easy and they headed off 30 seconds in front of the group and they made a wrong turn. After about an hour, I asked about them and one of the support vehicles went back and found them on a big highway. They did not have to bike as far today but they missed the wonderful red sticky mud. I wondered if they had been told in advance about the shitty road and thought they would get out of it. I still have not come to any conclusion but they were only 2 without mud all over them today.

One of the musicians that helped make MTV and change the course of the music industry has died in LA. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/...kson/index.html

I heard a rumor that the owner is converting this into nice apartments. I have not confirmed this but think the location is excellent and would be a great addition to Pattaya. I really like the old group that was at the hotel and if they decide to do apartments, I'm sure they would do it in a wonderful fashion.

For the price and consistency, Salt and Pepper Restaurant in Soi Day Night 2 is the best value in Pattaya. The menu is Thai and the owners are easy to deal with. The place is clean and easy to have conversations and watch the street traffic for those heading to Tut Com. The food is good and always prepared well. I normally have the steamed fish which is not on the menu but it is great. They also make a good cup of coffee. The restaurant is directly next to the old Flamingo Hotel and right across from the Mosaik apartments.

Things sure changes since my last visit to Sunee. Several bars closed and others have started. The gogo scene is not as thriving as it once was. The streets seem quiet. Many of the boys had to switch bars as theirs closed. From what I have seen: Most of the boys from Minou and Sundance are now at Villa Rouge. Most of the Jim Jimmy James boys are at Tom Yum. Most of the boys from Nice Boys have shuffled around to all the bars. I have heard that many went to Crazy Dragon but the 2 nights I was there this trip, I didn't see them. I am also an early bird so they may not have showed up yet.

By Joe DeCapua Washington D.C 22 June 2009 There's been a breakthrough in AIDS research. Scientists have found out where HIV, the AIDS virus, hides when it's under attack from anti-retroviral drugs. So far, the drugs have managed to keep HIV at very low levels in the body. But they are unable to get rid of the virus completely. Scientists have been searching for places where the virus could hide. Now, they believe they have found them. The discovery could eventually lead to better treatments and perhaps a cure. Professor Rafick-Pierre Sekaly, scientific director at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute in Port St. Lucie, Florida, spoke to VOA about the difficulty in finding HIV's hiding places. "We had some clues, but nobody had been able to identify precisely the cells in which it was hiding," he says. Assumptions were wrong "Everybody went with the assumption that by using more and more potent drugs that target the virus that we were going to be able to get rid of it. And in fact what we found is that that will never work," he says. He says a different approach is needed to eliminate the virus. "You have to target not the virus, but the cells in which the virus is hiding. And that I think it is a very different concept than what everybody has been pushing for. That clearly is a major finding that we have got to the table," he says. So, where is HIV hiding? "HIV is hiding in a cell…that can remain in your body for the rest of your life. It's a very important cell in the immune system. This is the kind of cells that are called memory T-cells. They are the cells that carry the memory of seeing an infectious disease," he says. When a person is vaccinated against a particular disease, these memory T-cells remember how to respond if that pathogen is somehow introduced into the body. They then launch a very specific attack. But, they are also the perfect hiding place for HIV. "So, we honed down on these cells, identified precisely as the cells as the ones where the virus was hiding," he says. Like a chameleon "It's important to understand the virus evolves. It kills the cells that can mount the immune response… and it hides in those cells that remain in the body for the rest of your life…. And so it adapts like a chameleon," he says. Now that HIV's hiding places have been discovered, what's next? "I think what we need to do now, and that really is going to be…our major challenge, is really to find drugs that can kill the cells in which the virus is hiding without affecting the memory T-cells that are good for the body," he says. He says he's "quite optimistic" researchers will be able to develop such drugs "because we've already gone a long way in targeting specifically those cells." Sekaly says there's a "long way ahead," however, to find such medications, "but at least now we have a target." He says advances in science in recent years should help speed the search. http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-06-22-voa32.cfm

I took a taxi yesterday to get to Bangkok to go shopping. I got several quotes and finally just got a guy off the street. He charged 1k each way and was willing to wait for us as we went shopping. To me this seemed low. He paid for tolls each way and waited for us about 5 hours or so in Bangkok. I did tip him well. I am curious for those of you that drive, about how much of his expenses are in gas? How much profit would he make if I didn't tip?

If the economy sucks, you can't tell it at Siam Paragon. I went to Bangkok yesterday with the BF as we had to go to Probike to buy some bike shorts, gloves, helmets, etc. We then went to Siam Paragon to see The Transformers and I wanted to see it on the IMax screen. We got there 4 hours early and the movie was already sold out. We got tickets for the regular movie theatre as opposed to the IMAX. It was sold out as well but we found 3 seats available. This was a 5 PM showing. It was I think the largest capacity theatre I have seen anywhere and tickets were 220 baht each. There was not one seat left. We had tickets in the balcony which required us to take a elevator up once inside the theatre. The place was gianormous. The movies were packed going in and coming out. It was like wading through a sea of sardines. The food court was also packed and seats full to capacity. All the activity was 90 percent Thai. It seems that the economy is tough but there are still many that have money to spend.

Strike halts all SRT trains By: BangkokPost.com Published: 22/06/2009 at 10:21 AM The labour union of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) began a nationwide strike on Monday in protest against the state enterprise's restructuring plan. Labour union president Sawit Kaewwan said all SRT employees had stopped working, halting all rail services across the country. The employees oppose the SRT's plan to allow a private company to manage the operation, he said. The labour union had previously submitted a proposal to the SRT board on ways to improve organisation and solve debt problems. The board's privatisation plan would lead to higher fares, he said. Mr Sawit said the duration of the nationwide strike would depend on negotiations with the government and SRT governor Yutthana Thapcharoen. Mr Yutthana said he was informed of the strike plan on Sunday night. He thought some groups of employees might not understand the purpose of the restructuring plan. He would meet Mr Sawit for talks on Tuesday at 3pm. Negotiations were possible, but railway employees must not inconvenience the public, he said. The governor insisted the restructuring plan would not mean the privatision of the state enterprise, which would set up two companies to oversee its assets and the Airport Link rail project. Train travellers can call the SRT hotline at 1690 for assistance, he said. Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum said free public bus services were being provided at the stations where trains had come to a halt in various provinces. The minister said he had no problems with the labour union nakoing its feelings known, but the members must abide by the procedures of the SRT. He was willing to listen to the union's suggestions. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/...rike-nationwide

In another thread it was suggested I rent a bicycle for my friend and ride around Pattaya. I asked my hotel for places that rented bikes and they did not find any place in Pattaya. Anyone know of shops that rent bicycles? The motorcycle rentals are on every corner but I have been unable to find a good bicycle shop.

The Puea Thai Party has ridden to a major victory in the Sakon Nakhon by-election on the back of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The rival Bhumjaithai Party was humbled before the popularity of the former prime minister in the northeastern province yesterday. Just 90 minutes after counting began at 4pm, with Puea Thai candidate Anurak Boonson ahead with a healthy lead over rival Pitak Chansri, Bhumjaithai Party leader Chavarat Charnvirakul called a press conference to concede defeat. The unofficial results released last night after all votes were counted showed Mrs Anurak sweeping all five districts in Constituency 3, winning 103,277 votes to 47,300 votes for Mr Pitak. "I accept that Thaksin's phone-in addresses to those kamnans, village heads and community leaders played a crucial role in helping Puea Thai win today's election," Mr Chavarat was quoted by Thai News Agency as saying well before all votes were counted. Thaksin addressed supporters in Sakon Nakhon's Ban Muang, Charoen Sin, Kham Ta Kla, Sawang Daen Din and Song Dao districts by telephone during the campaign. "Thaksin fever is what we cannot do anything about," Bhumjaithai spokesman Supachai Jaisamut said. "They've tried to convince the voters Thaksin is the real leader of Puea Thai." TNA said Bhumjaithai had lodged a complaint against Thaksin's involvement in Puea Thai's campaign. A defiant Bhumjaithai deputy leader Boonjong Wongtrairat was quoted as saying the results of this by-election did not guarantee victories for Puea Thai over Bhumjaithai. Anurak Boonson of the Puea Thai Party celebrates her victory. CHANAT KATANYU "This election is neither a benchmark for the result of every election to come in Isan [Northeast provinces] or a gauge of any party's popularity in this region," Mr Boonjong said. "This is just the beginning and we have to work harder [to win]." Chalerm Yubamrung, a key Puea Thai figure, was quick to claim yesterday's victory over Bhumjaithai. He announced his party had won just 30 minutes after the counting had begun. But he conceded the by-election was a tougher fight than in past elections. Mr Chalerm, who led the Puea Thai campaign in the by-election, said his party had won because northeasterners still love Thaksin and his efforts to resolve poverty in the region when he was prime minister. The Bangkok MP expected Puea Thai to win any poll it contests pushing the Thaksin issue. "Yes, of course ... I've always said the people still love Thaksin. This is a victory of the people and it will show the world that the people still love Thaksin," he said when asked about the implications of the outcome yesterday. Puea Thai will come up against the Chart Thai Pattana Party next, in a Si Sa Ket by-election being held this coming weekend. Mrs Anurak said Thaksin had called to congratulate her since before the vote count began. Election Commission chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said the Sakon Nakhon by-election was satisfactory. He said the estimated turnout was between 60% and 70% and his office had received only seven complaints. Most of the complaints concerned the illegal transportation of voters to the polling booths in the advance vote last weekend and the EC expects to conclude its investigations within a month. The EC should be able to endorse the Sakon Nakhon by-election within a week. Meanwhile, about 11,100 voters turned out yesterday in Si Sa Ket to cast their vote in the advance vote before the by-election in Constituency 1 this coming Sunday. Leaflets containing messages attacking Bhumjaithai's de facto leader, Newin Chidchob, as betraying Thaksin were reported to have been disseminated in areas of the constituency. A similar tactic was used in Sakon Nakhon before the lead-up to that by-election. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1890...-by-a-landslide

We are going to be working on upgrading the Forum Software this week. There should be no disruption in the forums but just in case, I wanted to let everyone know the process. First we make a backup of the forums. Then we will install the new software and put in all the old posts and make sure everything is transferred over. It all sounds pretty easy to me but having dealt with programmers for years, I never know what to expect and will apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

I had asked about the bowling next to the cinema in the new shopping mall. No one had been so I went with the BF today. Some good news to report. They didn't have the obnoxiously loud music that Blu has. The lanes are nice and the place is well lit. The cost is lower than Blu as well. The games are 80 baht a game up until 2 PM each day. On weekdays they stay 80 baht until 5PM. At 2PM on weekends and 5PM on weekdays, the games go to 100 baht per game. They have a great special that I'll be taking advantage of. You can go at 11PM and bowl until 2AM for 200 baht per person. I think this is a great deal and will be doing this soon. They do have food and they have a place for smokers outside to sit and look at a nice view of Pattaya Beach and the ocean. This is a very nice addition to Pattaya and I'm glad they added it.