Page 1 of 16 12345678911 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 390
  1. #1
    Thailand Expat
    MeMock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Baan Nok Ubon / outback Australia
    Posts
    11,146

    Q & A with Aging One (his asian experiences)

    Following on the heels of the q&a thread with Captain Sensible about his time running a bar in Kanchanupburi (https://teakdoor.com/famous-threads/1...-cs-style.html (Living and owning a business in Thailand, CS style.)) our next installment is an interview with Aging One. AO as he is otherwise known as is an American who has loads of experience around Asia with many years spent living in Thailand.

    Although AO is a rather settled man now with his wife and twin daughters it hasn't always been the case. Sit back and enjoy the read including time spent in jail in Bali on drug charges.

    Lets start the interview. Anyone please feel free to jump in with your own questions but please try and keep it on track.

    First up AO, welcome - lets start with your background. Where was home in the states and what kind of upbringing did you have?
    News is what someone, somewhere is trying to suppress - everything else is just advertising.

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    Memock, home was actually Saudi Arabia where I was born and lived the first 11 years of my life. I went to 6th grade in Beirut Lebanon. Then my family moved back to just north of San Francisco, and I went to junior high and high school in San Rafael California.
    Living in Arabia I had been around the world 5 times before I was 12. My first flight back from Dhahran to NYC was on a DC3 a two propeller craft. The planes were owned by my dads company ARAMCO. They had the Pullman company put beds in them so the mothers and children could sleep as top speed was about 150mph.

    I was on only child and a bit spoiled but all and all a good kid. I lived for sports, baseball, football, and basketball. Plus the family had a ski boat we took out in the Persian gulf on adventures.
    Growing up in Arabia was like a vaccum. No crime, no bullies no problems at all. We had to take off thursdays and fridays from school, to respect the muslims. Seemed quite strange to go to school on a friday for a long time.
    I adapted pretty well to California, and was soon on the baseball and football teams. Then discovered snow skiing and was in heaven.
    Then I took off for university in Northeast California.
    Last edited by aging one; 23-03-2006 at 04:26 PM.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat
    MeMock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Baan Nok Ubon / outback Australia
    Posts
    11,146
    Wow, so travelling was in your body from a very early age. Did you ever visit Asia as a kid and what impressions stuck with you about this region?

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    Yup was here as a 7 and 9 year old. Loved the Oriental hotel and taking boat rides. Got suits made to match my dads, and had a 6 day case of the runs from eating to much fruit, that was hard to get in Saudi.

    What stuck with me the most is the humidity. I was used to Saudi hot but not to BKK hot. I was happy to get to snow in Tokyo one time, and enjoyed the cool December air of HKG as well. But I would just swim in the pool at the Oriental, take tours with my folks, eat fruit, and 45 years ago send my father on pointless searches for hamburgers, french fries and ketchup.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat
    MeMock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Baan Nok Ubon / outback Australia
    Posts
    11,146
    A rather privileged upbringing you had then?

    So after settling in Calafornia and completing high school did you go onto College?

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    Yup that I did, I took my BA up in Chico California, A California state university there.

    Grew up it was great the first time away from home. Chico at that time had about 30,000 people of which 15,000 were students. The city has a beautiful city park called Bidwell Park, its one of the biggest in the USA, they filmed the original Robin Hood there, and I did love that movie. Studied Sociology, with Political Science and Economics as minors.
    Drank a lot of beer, smoked a lot of good herb, had a lot of nice love affairs with sweet and beautiful co-eds.
    By the time I was in my third year I was a full blown hippie, living in a house with 2 other guys and 3 other girls, it was a great set up, riding bikes to uni was a great thrill.
    The 4th year I got into booking the bands for the uni, and we had some great music. Santana, Charlie Daniels, and Leonard Skynard on the same bill. Fleetwood Mac and who else damn. Loggins and Messina, it was a fun year.
    I started my MA as student body president of the uni!! It was a thrill the hippies took over the university. It was as is unique as a uni, as we as students owned all the cafeterias, printing presses, the radio station, and the Student Union building itself. In 1975 we had revenues of over 4.5 million dollars. So it was hard work as well.
    Got to meet Ronald Reagan at meeing every two months as he was the govenor. Nice but very very cold. Very well protected even as govenor of California.
    But when the year was over it was time for a break, so I took up farming. Leased land about 30 miles oot of Chico in Cohassett Ca. It was about 600 meters up and had a south west face. It was perfect, hot as hell in the day and cooling off nicely at night.

  7. #7
    Member
    otherstuff1957's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    25-04-2006 @ 10:47 AM
    Posts
    211
    I know that this is going quite a bit off topic, but it seems to me that quite a few of the Americans here are from the SF Bay Area. AO is from San Rafael, FriscoFrankie is from SF, I'm from Palo Alto... any others?

  8. #8
    born of a jackal
    colourful-era's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Last Online
    15-07-2008 @ 06:05 PM
    Location
    Phnom Penh
    Posts
    2,539
    I'm not from that area but I did go to San Francisco for a 2 week holiday once.


    anyway, greetings Aging One.


    How old are you by the way?

    I guess you must be about 60

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    Palo Alto OT, one of my closest friends has a supermarket there Mollie Stones, quite upmarket. Wish I had of gone to Stanford.

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    8,184
    I hate watching a movie half way through when the cable gives out.

    Continue please or I will cancel my subscription...

  11. #11
    Northern Hermit
    friscofrankie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Chiangmai, Thailand
    Posts
    7,526
    Quote Originally Posted by aging one
    Yup that I did, I took my BA up in Chico California, A California state university there.
    Voted Playboy's top party college more times than all the others combined, BTW. 'Bout the same time you were there I 'magine.
    We just might of had somee of the same girls. Rememeber Busch Bear (or was it beer?) Gardens? (somethin' like that)
    Loved ridin' the scoot up there all during the 70's. Nice Ride, mostly flat smooth road. Plenty of hills and whatnot to trip around in once you got there.
    When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty -- T. Jefferson


  12. #12
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    60!! Damn it!! Nah take away 7 for the honest to god truth. But when we meet the moniker only matches the wrinkles on my forehead.

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat
    MeMock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Baan Nok Ubon / outback Australia
    Posts
    11,146
    Sorry for the delay....

    So you took up farming, I never realised you were a farmer! So apart from weed what else did you farm and how long where you on the land? What was your reason for leaving the farming game?

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    Other than what you figured we grew and raised most of what we ate. We had almost an acre vegetable garden that we fenced in with 7 foot tall fine chicken wire. Then we left a space just to the inside of the outside wall and left a one meter patrol space for chicken, duck, geese, and turkey, it was pure genious not a bug one got in our gardens.

    Did it for two years got enough growing women that I could start to travel, get my MA and figure out what the hell to do with life now.

    The ranch was so nice. Had a four bedroom house on the hill looking down at the Sacramento Valley. It had a beautiful stream through it we could swim in 5 months of the year.

    After two very nice years I got out before others got in.

    Damn a lot of shit happened on the hill. Such as how to get a 1/2 ton buoy that we are gonna use as a water tank to the top of the hill??

    And how to keep the pure Afghani mastiff brought back from Kabul 5 years before by my friend from killing anyone who got out of their cars.

    Kachuk was a born guard dog bread for that and was snuck out of Afghanistan to do just the same thing. But he was too good at what he did. Looked like a polar beer but thinner. But he was thick 65 kilos he was.
    Last edited by aging one; 23-03-2006 at 07:56 PM.

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat
    MeMock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Baan Nok Ubon / outback Australia
    Posts
    11,146
    Sounds like a lot of fun and a lot of stories from those two years.



    What do you mean by this?

    Quote Originally Posted by aging one
    got enough growing women

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    Only females in my major crop. The males are only pests so we get rid of them. Narry a seed was ever found.

    I actually got a free vacation to show some Ozzies how to do it on Wilsons Prom. Spent about two months there going back to Melbourne for R&R. You guys have drive in liquor stores. But when I was there I gave them a buck and got back cents. Damn Oz dollar a long time ago.
    Last edited by aging one; 23-03-2006 at 08:11 PM.

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat
    MeMock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Baan Nok Ubon / outback Australia
    Posts
    11,146
    Ahhh I see, as a farmers son i should have understood that!

    So after being in the states for let's see about 10 years it would seem the travelling bug began to bite.

    Where and why did you go first?

    Oh and btw - don't the usa have liquor drive ins?

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    No liquor drive ins in the states.

    After two years on the farm I took up an offer from a partner in the business. He was actually the guy who brought Kachuk back from Kabul.

    He suggested a quest to find the best herb and the best beaches in South East Asia. So Thailand, Nepal, Malaysia, and Sumatra were on the plan.

    First was Bangkok Thailand, Landed late at night at Don Muang and took Pahonyothin Rd into BKK. As at that time there was no Wipawidee Rd, or a tollway. The taxi driver said 300 baht and Liberty Hotel. So off we went to Pradipat Rd in Sapan Kwai. Woke up to a red sunrise and decided to go for a walk. Now this was Jan of 1978. Shorts, T-shirt, and sandals I was ready to go. But as I am walking enjoying the cool morning air I see people in jackets, blankets and even oil drums with fires burning. It was 20 degrees celsius and the Thai's were freezing, having come from 8 and 10 degree temperatures it felt glorius to me.

    Went around the corner and ran into a mahout and an elephant. Scared the poop outa me, I damn near walked right into him. After the initial shock wore off I had a nice couple of hours eating street food and feeding fruit to my new buddy the elephant. It was then I knew I wanted to see an elephant in the wild and ride it.

    My friend finally got up and said "lets go to the river, I have been here before and its just a short walk" Ha what did he know. We started walking and after a long while saw a big oblisk ahead. Turned out to be the Victory Monument. He said "This means we are close" I was happy as it was now 1pm and we had been walking a couple of hours.

    We continued on and found Chula University and Siam Square. ""We should be at the river by now" Jerry announced. "I dont think there is a fcuking river in this town" I replied, pissed off that we had been walking 3 hours now and no river was in sight.

    To make a long story short we gave up, having never found the river, went back to the hotel, smoked some of the ladies we had snuck in had a swim, and then that evening discovered night market street food. When I think back then, that I ate two plates of Kway teo Radna, and 50 sticks of Mu Satay I just laugh, back then I carried 10 kilos more than the present.

    We then found the old BKK bus map, and decided to try the river again tomorrow.

    I again woke up early and discovered that coffee shops here are not at all the same as back home.
    Last edited by aging one; 24-03-2006 at 01:14 PM.

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat Storekeeper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Jomtien
    Posts
    11,943
    Quote Originally Posted by aging one
    No liquor drive ins in the states..
    Got them all over the place in Ohio mate.

  20. #20
    Thailand Expat
    Marmite the Dog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    08-09-2014 @ 10:43 AM
    Location
    Simian Islands
    Posts
    34,827
    Where's MeMock gone?

    I hope he's not been washed away in the deluge or we'll not get to hear the rest of Pop's tale.

    Do you have any old piccies Pops?

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    Not to many marmers, a few of Samui 20 years ago. The rest burned up in the big fire in the Oakland hills fire of 1990. Was storing them at a mate house and the fire hit.
    Dang really SK drive in liquor stores. Well they dont have them in Cal, Oregon, Washington, or Neveda I know that for sure.

    I am not sure if they even had drink driving laws in Oz 25 years ago?? Memock?

  22. #22
    Thailand Expat
    Marmite the Dog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    08-09-2014 @ 10:43 AM
    Location
    Simian Islands
    Posts
    34,827
    Quote Originally Posted by aging one
    Not to many marmers, a few of Samui 20 years ago.
    Well, bring them over and I'll scan them in for you (if you want).

    Shame you don't have one of you like this.


  23. #23
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,634
    I had one mate!!! But thats a ways away!!

    Yes I will try and get over for your help, and a bit of a tutorial as well.

    Thanks again for last saturday night!!

  24. #24
    Thailand Expat
    Marmite the Dog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    08-09-2014 @ 10:43 AM
    Location
    Simian Islands
    Posts
    34,827
    Shhh! Keep it quiet mate!

  25. #25
    Thailand Expat
    MeMock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Baan Nok Ubon / outback Australia
    Posts
    11,146
    Great first experience of Bangkok. Can you describe a little bit more what it was like back then. I mean there was obvioulsy no MRT or anything like that.

    What was your impressions of the thai people then? How much was it for a street feed, coke, beer etc etc.

    I can imagine there werent too many westerners around so what were the taxi drivers, touts like back then?

Page 1 of 16 12345678911 ... LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •