Rogie

In a Yahoo headline the shark is described as being 4 ft long. It looks smaller than that to me! I wonder if it smells of formaldehyde (formalin)? My hunch would be some prankster nicked it from a museum display.

Another great idiocyncrasy of the English language is pronunciation. In fact, the last word in the above sentence is a good example. We say pronouce - pro-nownse but pro-nun-see-a-shun. If you pronounce it as pro-nown-see-a-shun it hardly matters but you are in the minority. However, for many other words, especially those you come across for the first time, pronunciation cannot always be accurately guessed by their spelling.

The article in OUT is headed Where do you find sex? There are certainly plenty of places in Thailand! I haven't been to a 'go-go bar' for a long time with the sole intention of offing a boy. I've stopped going to the bars these days but in the days when I did frequent them I preferred places such as the Telephone or Balcony bars or Dick's Cafe in Bangkok or one of the many host bars in Pattaya's Sunee Plaza. The bars in Sunee in particular were ideal for my purposes. My preference was to visit the same bar on several occasions and get to know the boys working there. Some of them are freelancers dropping in from time to time and some are on the staff so are there every night. In the early days, on visits to Thailand when I first 'discovered' the go-go bars, whenever I went out for the evening I was indeed determined to off somebody and would get frustrated if it didn't work out - but later on when the novelty had worn off I became rather laid back about sexual encounters so I wasn't really bothered whether I offed somebody or not. The above is written as a visitor to Thailand. If I lived there and I wanted to meet young men I would try and meet them in uncommercial settings. That would be difficult as I don't speak any Thai but where there's a will there's a way. Here is what I wrote in the My requirements for a boyfriend thread and were directed primarily at Christian.

True enough, we are short of genuine 'on the ground' info in the new sub-forum, but there is a thread in the Gay Asia forum Any info on the Philippines that ran for six and a half years between '06 to March '13. It was clearly running out of steam so it's a good idea to inject some fresh impetus.

Well, there's a lot of fag ends on the pavement (sidewalk) and in the gutters! It's probably a country where motorists drive on the right, so that eliminates Britain. Could be anywhere in Europe!

That's a good analysis FH. Unlike me you've been to the Philippines, albeit quite some time ago. In the Outrage magazine thread in the OP I deliberately tried to give an overview of the country, trying to give an idea of its size and diversity. The mention of whale watching was a great example of probably dozens of interesting (and maybe even exciting) things to do. Places to go, people to meet, problems to surmount, surprises, unexpected rewards . . . these are the kinds of experiences that interest me. Manila, rather like Bangkok in Thailand, is the launchpad from which to explore the rest of the country. I would imagine, also in a similar way to Bkk, Manila has its fans and those who dislike the city. I happen to like Bangkok but I've also travelled around Thailand too - a lot. Unless you're the sort of person who plans ahead by arranging to meet a guy you've contacted on GR or whatever, landing in a strange town usually requires a lot of 'work' to net results. I would imagine it's the same in the Philippines. I would far rather go somewhere that's a bit of a challenge, let's say the islands referred to as being good for whale-watching, or go snorkelling or scuba-diving and have a great experience there, than stick in the big city with the comforting thought you can have a different guy every night. If some of the adventure the Philippines invites appeals but the lack of male company deters, going with your Thai bf or other likeable young man many be a good way to experience the country. I would assume Thais do not need visas as the Philippines and Thailand are members of the ASEAN group of countries.

Probably! And if it isn't the shortest it's certainly in a tie for it. Rather in the way normally verbose people can be overawed in the presence of royalty, perhaps that's khun Bryanlee's reaction to the sight of Scooby Doo (!?)

I've got to hand it to you Z, that's the most boring photo I've ever seen on this forum. (sorry, obviously something about it's fascinating you, but quite what I've no idea)

That's a shame! There are some fantastic photos of facial tattoos here. Tatoos are as old as the hills and defy any particular logic as to the perceived class of those who go in for them. http://www.designboom.com/history/tattoo_history.html

Now that makes perfect sense. I could be wrong but I think we've had this one before!

Useful article covering more or less the whole spectrum for the first-time visitor to Burma, but with the emphasis on Bagan. By balloon http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/trip-of-a-lifetime/10219012/Bagan-Trip-of-a-Lifetime.html

Fascinating article on the Thai custom of yantra tattoos. Thailand’s Magical Tattoos http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2013/05/17/cedric_arnold_sacred_ink_examines_the_tradition_of_yantra_tattoos_of_southeast.html

The article in OUT says it's written by you James. My guess would be William's problem was seeing the world through the distorted prism of changes in his personal life, as I believe a man like that isn't going to suddenly become cynical and world-weary on such a superficial level for no apparent reason.

As somebody who only last month visited my first two islands in Scotland (Arran and Cumbrae), a mere 250 miles (400 kilometres) from my home, which has approx 790 islands of which 94 are populated (source: wikipedia), contemplating a country with over 7,000 of them is enough to make my head spin. Using the map on one of the links in the OP, the Phillipines measures about 2,000 miles long north to south, and 1,200 miles east-west at its broades point. That's about 2,400,000 square miles! Of which the majority is water! In a sad week for marine catastrophe - the oil spill off the coast of Samet - I am reminded how fragile the world's marine eco-system is and how mankind has plundered its natural resources for profit. Tourism handled in the right way can be beneficial. I haven't gone whale watching myself but I think it would be safe to say that if every citizen of those few countries that still kill whales for 'scientific purposes' were to go on a whale watching trip, that country's whale hunting industry would collapse.

. http://outragemag.com/ And some useful background: http://www.rainbowtourism.asia/destinations/philippines/ And for those of us that enjoy a good old snorkel every so often . . . Gay Philippines Scuba Christmas Vacation http://www.underseax.com/gay-scuba-trips/philippines.html

Do any of our readers hail from Illinois? Here's a strange tale of olfactory weirdness. First case of man 'sexually aroused by flatulence' http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10207121/First-case-of-man-sexually-aroused-by-flatulence.html

As we haven't had much 'light entertainment' lately in the Beer Bar have a chuckle at some of these. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/10167070/Bob-Hope-his-20-best-one-liners.html?frame=endScreen

The title of this thread had me confused when I spotted it soon after Michael posted it. I thought '911', coupled with your friend's sad predicament, meant it originated at 9-11!

Money belts are fine and probably the best choice if visiting a bar and you want to have your passport on your person. However, my preference would be to leave the passport either in the safe in my room or in the hotel or guest house safe. As the chances of being required to produce the original of your passport when out for an evening's entertainment is pretty remote I prefer to 'take my chance' and leave it behind. At the end of the day you are balancing the likelihood of carrying your passport and risking losing it to being asked, nazi-style, to 'show me your papers'.

I don't see why not. I would certainly be happy to 'try out' such a seat given the chance, and unless I was in some way seriously distressed, the safety aspects would clinch it for me. The cabin crew's seats are rear-facing (admittedly for take off and landing only, although I'd be interested to know the procedure should a 'crash-landing' be inevitable and imminent, I would assume the intention is to give them a 'head-start' over the rest of the passengers) so that's clearly for a good reason. First class passengers having superior seat restraints (seat belts) is wrong IMO. A more comfortable seat, mingling with your confrères in the cocktail lounge and superior attention and exclusivity is what you pay for, but when it comes to safety that's another matter. Economy passengers, like all classes of passenger, should benefit from the best safety features currently available.

I think most of us reading this thread would agree that a foreign visitor to any public place in the country they are visiting should respect local customs and traditions. That would not necessarily mean the same as following such customs; for example when visiting a Buddhist temple there is a plenty of leeway. Apart from taking off your shoes and dressing conservatively, you can choose to follow or not. So, in Thailand, Burma, and Laos I have found equal enjoyment visiting a temple whether on my own or together with a local person. In my own company I wander around soaking up the atmosphere - and it can be very atmospheric, to hear large numbers of monks chanting (so much so that a deserted monastery feels a little two-dimensional IMO) - taking a few photos perhaps and relishing the peace and order of the place. When I'm with with a native person I follow his lead. If he is making an offering I am happy to join in, and so on. In such places as we have been discussing in this thread, however, I believe we ought to follow the cultural norm. So just as it would be rude and probably get you booted out if you went into a hot pool in Taiwan or its equivalent in Japan wearing board shorts and hadn't taken a shower beforehand, so it would if you went naked in a sauna in Thailand. Even in saunas frequented by many falung wrapping a towel around yourself whilst fully visible is expected. Quite why differences in attitudes to public nudity should arise is a fascinating topic for discussion. As FH describes, the way it evolved in Japan meant nudity made perfect sense and is still commonly found in public bathing. In the west, and to take Britain as an example, as already discussed it was the norm to bathe in the nude as long as bathing was a single sex activity. Britain nowadays is a very prudish nation when it comes to public nudity; unless you are a practicing naturist (attending a specifically naturist event at your local swimming pool for example) you will be expected to cover your privates. But other western countries seem to have managed the transition a lot better. One thinks of the Scandinavian countries where the love of the sauna is part of those country's tradition, whether it be single sex or mixed company. On a leisurely tour around Finland one summer in my campervan I had stopped by a lake to admire its beauty and tranquility, when a car drew up, and a woman and her early teens daughter got out, stripped off and ran into the water stark naked. That would never happen in Britain!

I'd love to visit this place, I'd certainly do so if I ever go to Taiwan. Thank you for the meticulous directions. As far as public nudity is concerned, from your description FH, it sounds to me as though the Taiwanese (or do they like to be referred to as Chinese?), have it just about right. As far as I am aware, in many western countries (particularly before a time when every household didn't have the luxury - we take so much for granted nowadays - of its own supply of running water) when visiting the public baths men and boys were quite happy to perform their ablutions without having to worry about being seen in their birthday suits. Of course, men and women were strictly segregated in such places. I would imagine the 'modern' requirement towards covering up happened as a result of mixed bathing becoming the norm. This certainly applies to swimming. However, some traditional components retain their single-sex sessions, for example turkish baths, in which case nudity is quite acceptable in my experience. The reason why I say the Taiwanese have it just about right is that enjoying the facilities such as at these hot pools is, and please correct me if I am wrong FH, greatly enhanced by not having to don such a superfluous item of clothing. However, that does carry a risk that some may not respect the space and privacy of others, and seek to take advantage. Every bather has a responsiblity not to overstep whatever bounds tradition dictates. Thus FH refers to 'very little action' in the steam room. That to me seems fair enough, as what goes on in the steam room (assuming it is a proper one with very poor visibility) could be thought of as semi-private, or semi-public, depending on how you look at it. The steam room is quite tricky because IMO the visibility has to be just good enough to ensure any 'action' is taking place with the full consent of both people. If the visibility is next to zero that's as good as a groper's charter. Hopefully the Taiwanese would not take advantage of that, but the behaviour of some falung in places such as Babylon tells me they would! So I believe in such places as these excellent traditional hot springs there is a fine balancing act going on. Provided the users of such public places respect and know their responsibilties towards each other, long may they flourish.

Fascinating Two figures can be made out - otherwise the person filming has it all to himself!

Quite often around the world in cases like this the 'bad news' stories that make the headlines are an aberration, affecting only a handful of people at most. Phuket is different. The bad news stories are not an aberration at all, they recur with predictable frequency. That article quoted in the OP is quite good, it mentions many of the things tourists need to watch out for. That episode with the French tourists was an absolute disgrace. A new low in the register of Phuket's fall from grace. Most readers of GT are well aware of Phuket's shortcomings and can decide for themselves whether to visit or not, but to read about first-time tourists being abused in these ways is quite dispiriting to those of us who love the LOS. I am reminded of the saying: Nice to touch, Nice to hold, But, if you break it, Consider it soul'd! OK, I changed the last word, but Phuket has lost its soul IMO.

I'm not convinced! Mine isn't one of those!