BOSTON GTG FOLLOW-UP
 

well carol started the report but under a different heading....i thought that maybe it deserved its own heading as well....

well where do i start...first i should say we just got home and we left home 12 hours ago and we only live 30 minutes from the GTG spot...

people started gathering just after noon at the hotel@MIT in cambridge MA....we were about 26 people with heavy representation from the asia board (18) and a few from the europe board...just the opposite of times past...
i should note that we missed old friends but loved meeting new ones...

we had a long table with some displays on it from our travels...they ranged from leech socks from malaysia to a stainless steel table dish from bkk...

guenmai came from LA and we were glad to see and meet her, but still no picture, except one with her face covered in mystery...she is charming...only 1/2 her posse was able to come but we loved meeting them as well...
carol and son brad came from IL and they delighted us all....brad in particular presented an interesting vantage point from his frequent bkk trips...we appreciate their efforts in coming...sorry all we presented them with was rain on their 5 day stay in NE....

bob presented carol, brad and guen with small tokens to commerate their visits here...had to keep up with the jones' in HI...

we had a good lunch and tons of good talk...many people were taking notes for future trips...

two folks came from CT and laurie and eric came from NY....so we had great representation...

several of us took pics...mine will be available after 10-24 as i am away for the next week...carol has some and so does laurie...sorry you will have to wait for them...

some of us did not leave the hotel until 5...karen, carol, brad and I took a quick road tour of boston in the rain...

at 7, andy had a reservation for any of us who wanted to eat at a thai restaurant in brookline, ma...8 of us took advantage of that....it is a "dry" restaurant but they allowed us to bring in wine which we did...sorry to report that we made the most noise in the place...hope we did not ruin others' dinners...we had a blast...
andy and others choose most of the dishes and they were each more delicious than the one before it....a lovely evening....i think it was 10:00 when we left there...

some are calling for a repeat...i think that may be possible in the future....some from the asia board think the next meeting or a future meeting should be in bkk...there we would expect orgy, kathie, gloria, kurosake (sp), JAMES--we will not let him get away with not coming, lyndie, hobbles and all the other regulars to be in attendance...it will be mandatory...

so thats it folks...another successful boston GTG...

I couldn't agree more... it was an extremely successful GTG. Brad and I had a great time, and now we can put names and faces together. We do, indeed, have photos. I'll probably send them off to Bob for posting.

Andy and Bob of course kept us all in stitches with their bantering. The two of them are really good friends. Their wives are gems for letting them have their fun!

My gift was a can of "Ming's Bangkok Chili"... thanks Bob. I really had a good laugh over that one.

The food, the friendships made, and the lively discussions about Thailand were something I'll long remember.

Bob and Karen were so kind, they took Brad and I for a tour of Boston in the car. We saw some lovely parts of this great city. I'm sure I'll be back again to see more of it.

We have sun today, at last, so our 5-day visit isn't all rain! Thank goodness. We're off to Connecticut this morning.

Thanks again, Bob and Andy.

Carol

Thanks to Bob & Andy for organizing the GTG, and thanks to everyone else for showing up: it was a joy to meet each of you.

It was both fun and informative to hear of everyones' travel experiences and plans. I hope to see all of you again, either at another GTG or on the road or wherever. (Though I'm not too sure that I'm anxious to run into either Andy or Kishore in their professional capacities.)

Bob and Andy: Thanks again for organizing the GTG. It was great to meet everyone and share experiences. You made everyone feel most welcome, even those of us who are not regulars on the Asia board!

ditto-great job by Bob and Andy,enjoyed meeting everyone including the travel queens at our table-carol and laurieco and I even managed to shake hands with Queen Guenmai herself !! BTW Gpanda really seemed nice for a practicing attorney but Bob has seen him sober. Great photos and conversation with Rizzuto.It was stimulating and energizing all around

I refuse to participate in this love-fest. While I had a really good time and loved hearing of everyone's travels, experiences and impressions, it goes against my essential being to simulate graciousness. Suffice it to say there were no major screw-ups and no one appeared to be miserable. If I were a better person, I would express my appreciation of the efforts extended by Guenmai, Carol, Brad, Laurie, Eric, Craig and Kishore in attending and adding their positive energy to the GTG. I didn't make any money and earned no Starwood points. The only possible solution to this calamitous turn of events is to schedule another GTG with more gullible victims. Either that or convince Bob to cut me in on his piece of the action.

BTW, there is a good story about a certain fifty dollars at the evening dinner. It should wait until Bob is back from his current meanderings. I would hate to post the whole sordid mess without providing him with an opportunity to explain his dastardly deeds.

Hey fellas & gals-glad the GTG went off with a bang!

Re Bangers GTG, count us in! Orgy7 to orgyanise??

Bob, wine was returned address unknown, return to sender so we are drinking it now. Shame....

Staying at our favourite hotel in Terrigal for a couple of days so will enjoy it & think of you! All the best.

I am so glad that Eric and I attended the GTG. We had such a great time and it was wonderful to meet fellow Fodorites. Bob, Karen, Gpanda and Beth, Carol, Son, Rizzuto and Craig, I'm happy we got to talk so much and get to know each other. Guenmai, I wish we had a chance to talk more, hopefully next time (and no apologies necessary for dissing Macy's!)

And while Gpanda is on the subject of last night's dinner, it has occurred to me that Gpanda is the only one who saw the bill and told everybody what we owe. Hmmmmmm, makes one wonder....

Thanks Bob and Andy, great job!

Given the quantity of food that was consumed at dinner, I was surprised that a New Yorker did not remark upon how inexpensive the total was. I should have known that a scurrilous plot was being hatched down at the Bob end of the table.

Laurie - Looking forward to seeing you and Eric at the next GTG (and dinner next time with my wife Jeane) - thanks for coming out from NYC and Albany.

Can I come next time? (something we would have said 50 years ago when we missed a sleep-over)
Next GTG (what does that stand for?)
we would love to meet you all. Thanks for the postings...felt like we got to crash the party through the threads

The more, the merrier, in my book. Yes, please come next time. It was great fun! Everyone is so nice, and the Bob/Andy bangering provides a lot of the entertainment!

Carol

In re-reading this post, I see I inadvertently left out Boblax (Kishore)!! It was great talking to you too! Sorry for the omission :-(

JoDo-GTG stands for Grab-the-Grub. Lesser lights think it stands for Get To-Gether. We don't spell that badly in Cambridge.

Before I became an occasional poster on this forum, I always thought GTG stood for "good to go" as in "ready". However, "Grab the grub" works well for me also.

Back in Illinois, safe and sound. We finally had sun our last two days in NE. It was a great 5-day trip. Thanks again, Bob and Andy, for putting it together at my urging.

Craig, I hope Jeane is feeling better. We want her at the next GTG (whatEVER it stands for)!!

Carol

laurie...you have definately hit upon something....i have contacted the dok bua restaurant and they have informed me that the bill was exactly $50 less than what we were charged by a certain attorney....can you represent all the rest of us??

pictures will be available my tuesday i hope...

bob

Bob, can do, but my fee is much higher than the $50 ;-)

Sounds like we missed a great party...did enjoy looking at the pics and putting faces to names...thanks, Bob, for thinking of us in your next get together must attend list!

to have a sharpe ambulance chasser from nyc represent this affected group would be an honor...i think the defense will be quite weak...

Now that Bob has resurfaced, it's time to report his shameful behaviour at the evening portion of the GTG. Without going into detail, he attempted to avoid paying his and Karen's share of the dinner ( about 2000 Baht). When the collected funds came up short, Bob essentially accused Brad of failing to pass along Bob's "contribution". Brad was forced to account for his entire bankroll and only then did Bob confess. He may have retired from banking, but he still wants his percentage.

laurie was questioning the actual price of the dinner??? wasn't she??

Net price was $171. Total including approximately 17% tip was $200. There were eight participants. Therefore, it was $25 per person. You and karen would have been $50. apparently Brad was unwilling to fall for your ruse.

I note that RhkKmk was not disputing his nefarious deeds. He was questioning the accounting. I suspect this is not the first time he has attempted to divert attention from his own actions.

I AM INNOCENT

Methinks the poster doth protest too much. It's not that he tried to avoid the $50 payment, that was to be expected. The worst part was that he tried ti stick Carlo's son Brad, a non-Fodorite with the fault.

I smell a libel lawsuit.

Truth is an absolte defense. Also, I'll remind you of the ramifications of Oscar Wilde's improper libel suit. Plus, how could there be any possible damages to Bob's "reputation"?