Thread: Fasting

I lived a long time 4,000 ft up in the hills of Meghalaya, overlooking Bangladesh (East Pakistan at the time), the whole country spread out before me like a map, the Bay of Bengal a silver slash just below the southern horizon, god, it was a lovely time.

Dhaka was a glistening cluster of factories and smokestacks down river, never dreamed I'd pass through there in years to come.

Did you marry a Sylhetti?

Originally Posted by ENT

Did you marry a Sylhetti?

Nope. Blond, blue-eye, daughter of an American expat. Face of an angel, body of a goddess, soul of a pit viper.

Originally Posted by ENT

Protein, even a spoonful of milk can have disturbing effects on the gut at that first meal, too.

You're not wrong there. There have been cases where well-wishing people have encountered starving people after a famine, and given them protein-rich foods.
The starving people died horrible, painful deaths.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Originally Posted by ENT

Did you marry a Sylhetti?

Nope. Blond, blue-eye, daughter of an American expat. Face of an angel, body of a goddess, soul of a pit viper.

Aaargh! The devil in disguise.
I've fallen for a couple of those too. Not pleasant outcomes in both cases.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Nope. Blond, blue-eye, daughter of an American expat. Face of an angel, body of a goddess, soul of a pit viper.

God, I know that would be somebody I'd fall for too. Dumb-ass. At least I wouldn't have married her.

Originally Posted by ENT

Aaargh! The devil in disguise. I've fallen for a couple of those too. Not pleasant outcomes in both cases.

Read my post above and tell me if Davis thinks I'm calling him a dumb-ass.

Originally Posted by wjblaney

Originally Posted by Latindancer

Originally Posted by ENT

Protein, even a spoonful of milk can have disturbing effects on the gut at that first meal, too.

You're not wrong there. There have been cases where well-wishing people have encountered starving people after a famine, and given them protein-rich foods.
The starving people died horrible, painful deaths.

How long are the fasts that you're talking about? Secondly, it's an obvious fact some people are lactose intolerant even if they eat 24/7/365.

Even a short fast, one week, or being on a rice diet such as a macrobiotic one as I was can make you intolerant of rich animal based foods, especially processed stuff. I'm not lactose intolerant either.

Within 10 minutes I was as sick as a dog, foul guts, the running trots and farted like an old tractor after tasting a single teaspoonful of the sweetened milk I'd prepared for my young son.

Originally Posted by wjblaney

Originally Posted by ENT

Aaargh! The devil in disguise. I've fallen for a couple of those too. Not pleasant outcomes in both cases.

Read my post above and tell me if Davis thinks I'm calling him a dumb-ass.

I hope not, else he might return the compliment, or if you're within his sight, not being a spiteful guy, he'd give you a withering look you'd not forget, I'd guess.

Originally Posted by ENT

Even a short fast, one week, or being on a rice diet such as a macrobiotic one as I was can make you intolerant of rich animal based foods, especially processed stuff. I'm not lactose intolerant either. Within 10 minutes I was as sick as a dog, foul guts, the running trots and farted like an old tractor after tasting a single teaspoonful of the sweetened milk I'd prepared for my young son.

Oh, God. I just fart regularly, man. Then take a great shit. And you know those hoses they have next to the toilets here? I spray that shit and it turns into mush, i've eaten the perfect amount of fiber. I don't want to talk about otherwise bc I do get off track with sugar based or high carb sweets. That's what's so good about the two days per week fasting diet. I come off of it just loving all the high fiber, low sugar foods, with a smattering of fats and protein. It seems since I only have 5 days left before the next fast, I wouldn't have time to fall off the wagon but it hasn't happened yet.

Originally Posted by ENT

I move around Asia a fair bit, currently in Cambodia. Yes Bangladesh is a crazy Muslim ridden place, Dhaka's horrible, dirty, smelly and miserable, but I stay away from there and hang out in the hills, much nicer people, Bhuddists, Hindus, Xtians and animists in my neck of the woods. Meghalaya is only a short flight away, lovely escape, or go by road through Sylhet and Sylchar.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

I didn't mind my two years in Dhaka

What about India? Anything there for me?

Lived there for three years - quite enjoyed it. Always something new to see and do.

Originally Posted by wjblaney

What about India? Anything there for me?

Botulism. Should knock a few more kilos off

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Lived there for three years - quite enjoyed it. Always something new to see and do.

I'm looking forward to a longish stint in India again, up in the hills.
I'd also very much want to visit Kashmir, Lake Srinagar, if the troubles die down there.

I drove from Delhi to Kashmir, then spent a week or so on a houseboat on Dal Lake while exploring the surrounding area. Bought some nice carpets. Good trip.

Originally Posted by BaitongBoy

Welcome back to the Buffalo Board, blaney... There are rules, you know...Call someone if you're gonna stay out past eleven on a school night, ffs... Some people were worried for you, dontchaknow?...

Gotcha.

^ And a fine evening to ya, blaney, me lad...

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Lived there for three years - quite enjoyed it. Always something new to see and do.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

I drove from Delhi to Kashmir, then spent a week or so on a houseboat on Dal Lake while exploring the surrounding area. Bought some nice carpets. Good trip.

That took 3 years? Sorry, sorry, sorry. NO JOKE INTENDED.

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Botulism. Should knock a few more kilos off

Another one of your subtle jokes? This is what the Mayo Clinic says about botulism:

All types of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies.

And about the type of botulism that worries me (see my reply below to ENT):

Foodborne botulism. The harmful bacteria thrive and produce the toxin in environments with little oxygen, such as in canned food.

Originally Posted by ENT

I'm looking forward to a longish stint in India again, up in the hills.
I'd also very much want to visit Kashmir, Lake Srinagar, if the troubles die down there.

I'd love to do that. I heard there's been some recent troubles as well, dammit. But what does longish mean to the wanderer? A place to live for awhile?

I am in the planning stages of a trip to Ladakh, which is also in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir but prolly much easier/quicker to get to than Srinagar. Leh (altitude 3500 m) would be the starting point. Very direct and cheap flights. Nonstop Bangkok to Delhi and about the same flight duration as Bangkok to Kathmandu (3-4 hours, something like that). One overnight near the Delhi airport and then catch an early flight to Leh (an hour) the next morning.



The goal is a mountain called Stok Kangri (elevation 6,153 m (20,182 feet). The upside is that it's easy (trekkers with no climbing experience attempt it every year) and beautiful. The downside is that the whole environment, from Leh to Stok Kangri and back, is desert. And high altitude desert is the hardest climbing environment I've ever been in. Pequeno Alpamayo in Bolivia rises above the Bolivian Altiplano, which itself is 3,750 meters (12,300 feet). And nothing but blue skies. That means no humidity which in itself is enough to cause a bloody nose from day 1. Not to mention radiation from the sun due to the lack of atmosphere and lack of water in the atmosphere and then there's oxygen deprivation. At the airport where you land to begin the trip the effective oxygen percentage is about 13% whereas at sea level it's about 21%. And that's in the capital city of La Paz. But, oh, what a beautiful mountain.

I like this pic i found online bc: you see the guy in the foreground? He has to climb way down from where he's at before a rock climb just to begin climbing the ridge in the background that's level with his current location. What are the two little dots on the ridge to the top in front of that big rock?



So this is Stok Kangri:



What do you guys think of Indian food?

(Davis says ignore any advice from Dillinger. Is there an ignore button somewhere? )

Botulism, think botox.

Mad women and fairyboys think its the bees knees, until their faces start to look like photoshopped funnies.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

I drove from Delhi to Kashmir, then spent a week or so on a houseboat on Dal Lake while exploring the surrounding area. Bought some nice carpets. Good trip.

Dal Lake, you're right, I stand corrected.

I often think of being there, it's a defo on my to do list. Another area in Himalaya I love is Sikhim, been there a couple of times and have some Lepcha and Tibetan friends there, near another lake with houseboats, Khecheopalri about a hundred k or so away from Gangtok.

Subsisted on a diet of meat, chupatis and alu dum, momos and soup along with tsampa and buttered salty Tibetan tea and oranges whenever they were around. Attend some of the melas, the girls are really pretty ...

Did you stumble across the reputed tomb of Jesus there?

Originally Posted by wjblaney

What do you guys think of Indian food?

Love it, I was raised on Indian foods, and I cook a mean Assamese curry.

Heh...Blaney, I see you've got food on your mind, mate...

Originally Posted by ENT

Botulism, think botox. Mad women and fairyboys think its the bees knees, until their faces start to look like photoshopped funnies.

Everybody laugh. Ent is funny. 555

Originally Posted by BaitongBoy

Heh...Blaney, I see you've got food on your mind, mate...

Of course, good nutrition, but not hunger. I'm also thinking about ENT's rambling on and on about BMs. Especially the first one after a fast. I'm waiting...

Originally Posted by ENT

I think that's his problem.

(see above quote to BB 'bout nutrition)

Originally Posted by ENT

I gave up a lot of things in my more recent past, or at least moderated my consumption thereof.

That's exactly what fasting is about. Giving up food.

Originally Posted by ENT

The whole thing with eating, consuming and having to have things is based on hankering, wishful thinking, fantasizing over what you think you want. Desire.

That's definitely not my motivation. I believe fasting is a healthful activity and will lead to many health related benefits. Starting with less desire for food following the fast.

Originally Posted by ENT

Buddha pointed out that all suffering comes from desire. True.

Buddhism simplifies everything too much.

Vedanta attributes five causes of suffering, and these are: (1) loss of contact with the real that is the center of our being, the Atman; (2) ego; (3) attachment; (4) aversion; and (5) clinging.

Originally Posted by ENT

Once I

Crikey ! ENT has died.....carked it, mid-story ! Right here on TD.