PaganiPilot

I hear you, man. Got sep/divorced from TH girl in '12, and no trips there since. VN is high on my list, Cambodia too!

You will laugh, but I met and had coffee with Dogster in the lobby of the Novotel Siam Square, one trip there. Really very interesting guy! I think that was '09 or '10. Miss him very much. Didnt have many posters who took my side back then (like yourself!! . I had never known who he was then, just some v cool and literate dude!

PaganiPilot

Hi JW, thanks for the info on Nigel! He was very charismatic in person...I loved him both online n off, altho I felt odd meeting someone "offline"...was my first time doing so.
Before meeting him, He did tell me to look for a fellow who looked like Fred Astaire!! 😂 told him I have no idea what he looked like!! (I think Astaire was who he was referring to).
Nigel mostly stuck up for me as I was often attacked on my personal views...maybe he saw some of himself in my online persona??

Triffitt had a reputation for being outspoken and opinionated. A journalist wrote in 1987: "Nigel Triffit enjoys criticism. He doesn't mind being called rude, enfant terrible or genius. It's bland reporting with no comment that bores him."

I miss you very much, Dogster! 😇😩🙃

jacketwatch

We actually clashed on Fodors, at least at first but that was over and done with by the time we decide to meet up on the ship and you know it was strange but we talked like we were old friends.

He did like the action and told me if there was hot spot in the world he would run to it. Speaking of run-in the got off our ship a few days early to catch another ship that was in our port stop of Piraeus I think. Always go go go.

I could see a Fred Astaire resemblance too I suppose.

Glad you liked the link.

I think we all him him. .

jacketwatch

I am glad you liked the link and info.

Nigel was one of a kind. I think we all miss him,

PaganiPilot

Sad I didnt get to spend more time with him in Bangkok!

Does anyone know if Dogster had any favorite restaurants or places of interest in Bangkok?
​​Could never recall him referring to anyplace specific in his writings.

PaganiPilot

Missed your post somehow! I think thats a good life standard to go by: Go go go.. i have gotten very sedentary, and this pandemic hasnt helped...fighting for that mindset and intend to have it once I get my chit together! Also want to travel often as he did once I get near retirement...probably going to be solo rest of life after experiencing marriage n divorce!! 😂

Congrats on 10k posts, btw, JW

jacketwatch

Wow!. I did not even notice I hit 10k. Thanks for telling me.

I posted this but there was a glitch and the mod said by mistake it went to a arbitrary spam box first to be checked out.

Sorry to hear about the big D but I hope you make the best of it.

I have been going to gym regularly for a very long time and more so now since retirement from FT work in 2014. I left my PT employer 5 years ago and that's it.

During the quarantine period I ordered a kettle bell from Amazon so between that and walks I kept busy until the gym reopened around 6 weeks ago.

Once you start up you get used to it and miss it if you don't go.

What time does a retiree go to bed?

When he wakes up from the couch.

All the best.

Larry

PaganiPilot

Hiya Larry,
Lol! Thanks for kind words. I too lift. Been doing so since '83!! Wont ever stop..
Glad you are keeping up on it. Congrats on being able to retire. Cant see it in my future!!
Great talking with you! 👌🖒
Curt

PaganiPilot

Dbl post

jacketwatch

I saw that too.

I hope that “R” word becomes a reality ASAP.

We were in Bangkok once for a week on our way back home from India but unfortunately my wife had to be hospitalized at Samitivej hospital in Sukimvit for a horrid gi bug she got while in India. It was a 5 day hospitalization. Her discharge was the day we left for ORD so we really could not see much at all.

Some day I hope we can get back and see it for the first time so to speak.

All the best.

Larry

PaganiPilot

Thats totally crazy. Ive gotten sick 2x in Bkk. Blew 3 days of the trip!
​​
I have a feeling they will lift the 2 week quarantine later in October! Tourism is everything.
Keep us posted if you ever go back there!

Thanks alot...hope to retire one day soon...must be nice
Take care and talk later!
Curt

jacketwatch

Will do.

Nice chatting too.

All the best.

Larry

jacketwatch

Yes lets hope for better days ahead.

Nice chatting too.

Take care, Larry

Guenmai

You're welcome.

Guenmai

True...the fun is gone. I miss the old Asia forum, back in the days when Katie (?) the moderator was around. She showed up to our Asia forum L.A. GTG here that Filmwil threw up at Yamashiro Restaurant on the hill in Hollywood. A lot of Fodorites flew in and I had thrown a big 3-day GTG here in Pasadena around the year before that one.

We, Asia forum Fodorites, used to fly all over the U.S. (Mainland and Hawaii) to GTGs and the Asia forum was very lively and with chilled out folks. We didn't have the drama of some of the other forums. My GTG was back around 2007, I think it was. I was cleaning out a bunch of stuff here at home a few days ago and came across a stack of extra GTG tote bags that I had designed and given out to attendees to my GTG. Great memories. I just remember that after throwing that 3-day GTG I was exhausted and slept for days. Then, I jumped on an airplane and flew to Seattle for some more R&R as I had always wanted to check out Seattle.

Happy Travels!

jacketwatch

Thank you for that reply.

The number of post on all forums here has dropped drastically. Yes it used to be more fun.

We went to India late January, stayed for a few days to see my wife’s family and shop of course. We then flew to Dubai for a few days, took a 7 day cruise early February , back to Delhi for a few more days then back to ORD. We got very lucky as by the end of February all cruises were cancelled.

Our next cruise is scheduled for September 2021 but now who knows?

All the best.

Larry.

hawaiiantraveler

Kathie! Thinking of you lately. How are you!! Guenmai hope you are doing well. Mango7 nice to see you. Bob I just saw in South Africa but still missing you big guy.

Aloha!

Guenmai

HT: Great to see you post. I've been meaning to e-mail, but have been lazy. I was with the Hawaiian couple from our forum here, but back in January 2020 in Singapore. I don't want to post the names, but you know of whom I'm referring as one attended my GTG here at home.

Anyhow, we had a blast as they dropped by my hotel and then we took a taxi to lunch at Candelnut (Nonya food Michelin star) restaurant. I was also invited to the huge Chinese New Year family gathering at the beautiful home of the wife's relative where they were staying. We had so much fun. And then some days later, we met up for lunch at a mall restaurant where I eat. We've been in touch by e-mail for years now. It's great to have known folks on the Asia forum and unfortunate that there have been those who have passed away. I miss Carol and can still picture her as clear as day, at her serviced apartment in Bangkok where we talked and laughed a lot the month before she passed away here at home.

It's too bad that there's this pandemic now as I wanted to zip over to Hawaii for a weekend and hopefully do dinner again like we did with out other Fodorite around 6 years ago. I actually was back in Hawaii around a year or two after that, but zipped over for 4 nights to take my mom for her 88th birthday, I think it was, as I've lost track as she will soon be 93. She loves going to Hawaii and since I was too lazy to think up a regular birthday gift, I let Expedia do it. Click....cklick....click...done. LOL!!! We stayed at the same hotel where you and wife picked me up when we went to dinner. I've stayed there several times over the years. My late dad and I also stayed there in around 2008/2009 (?) as I also flew him to Hawaii for a long weekend and we had a blast. He loved eating those donuts at that famous Honolulu donut place. LOL!

Take care. Be safe. Hope to see you guys again at some point over in the land of Aloha.

Happy Travels!

live42day

So nice to walk down memory lane and see all these names again. I really enjoyed all of Dogsters posts, read them at least a few times. I was lucky to meet up with Craig in Varanasi, must be ten years ago now. I did do a trip to Vietnam a couple years ago, but did not do a report . I have another big trip planned for a return to Cambodia Thailand and Bali for 9 weeks in October 2022. Hopeful we can do it by then and everything is open
And yesterday I booked flights to Maui for end of November this year, being optimistic for a couple of weeks get away. Fingers crossed
I hope that we are all back to travelling again soon

123Go

I also frequented the Thailand forum in '04-'06 and also found it very entertaining. I haven't been on any forum for quite some time and just recently began thinking about it and coincidentally read this post today. Although I was only seeking advice from these pros and was never part of the gang, it was very enjoyable to read about all the GTG and friendships that many of you shared. Even though I didn't know her it was sad to read about Carol's passing. I've also lost my DH since then so thing never remain the same. That said, the glass is always half full, many happy memories and enjoyable posts, so thank you all for that!