Thread: So long but not Goodbye

Sounds like you are going to the right part of CA....

now forget those beers and drive on up to Hopland and get yourself some Red Tail Ale....

Congratulations JPPR2!! 5 years is a good while to live outside ones own country , esp L.O.S! At least you've got your gal with you. At present, I can only hope to achieve what you have done. All the very best!

Update; Landed and already drinking ice cold Widmer Bros Hefeweizen beer. Weather 74 degrees.


Had a BS event at US Immigration at SFO. My gal friend was processed as a first timer however they pulled her aside with 5 other immigrants and made them sit in a room. I sat for about an hour then got irritated and chased down a immigration officer. Upon meeting the Immigration interviewer guy he told me she had the wrong visa. I said she applied for the B1/B2 tourist, why is it bad. The foker had the balls to assume I was marrying her and called her my fiance and that she needed a fiance Visa. I went off on the guy and told him that she is my friend visiting why would he assume I am marrying her. Anyway after I ripped his ass(God its good to be back and able to confront people) he went in and gave her 6month visit Visa, apologized and we were on our way.

^stereotyping

Originally Posted by JPPR2

Anyway after I ripped his ass

Of course you did.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

Update; Landed and already drinking ice cold Widmer Bros Hefeweizen beer. Weather 74 degrees.


Had a BS event at US Immigration at SFO. My gal friend was processed as a first timer however they pulled her aside with 5 other immigrants and made them sit in a room. I sat for about an hour then got irritated and chased down a immigration officer. Upon meeting the Immigration interviewer guy he told me she had the wrong visa. I said she applied for the B1/B2 tourist, why is it bad. The foker had the balls to assume I was marrying her and called her my fiance and that she needed a fiance Visa. I went off on the guy and told him that she is my friend visiting why would he assume I am marrying her. Anyway after I ripped his ass(God its good to be back and able to confront people) he went in and gave her 6month visit Visa, apologized and we were on our way.

Glad it worked out. Sounds like you got one who was slightly less of a dickhead than the norm. As long as she honors the terms of this visa (i.e. doesn't work, study, overstay, etc), getting subsequent visas (if required) will be a piece of cake. After my wife's (then gf) first trip, the next time she went in to get a visa about a year later, they gave her a ten-year, multiple entry, which she used for multiple trips over a 9-year period until we got married and she got her citizenship.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

as the NY Steaks are slowly searing in 70 degree weather and no mosquitoes attacks

Uh huh.....


Mosquitoes Management Guidelines--UC IPM

More than 50 species of mosquitoes occur in California......

.....several species readily attack people and can transmit microbial organisms that cause human diseases such as encephalitis and malaria. The mosquitoes of major concern in California belong to the genera Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles.

and don't forget the vicious bees, coming to a BBQ near you

or the fire ants, nasty

or the poison ivy...

Originally Posted by DrAndy

or the poison ivy...

No poison ivy west of the Rockies, only poison oak. Termites maybe, never saw any fire ants in Northern California either.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Glad it worked out. Sounds like you got one who was slightly less of a dickhead than the norm.

The guy was a schmuck and as someone said stereotyped that all Thai women coming here are planning the big marriage and US Passport. Of course it didn't help that another Thai gal who flew alone got stuck as she blew it during the interview and said she was hoping to marry her BF she met online but had arrived on a B1 Tourist Visa. I am not certain but my friend believes they denied her entry and sent her back home. I am not really sure as I left.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

More than 50 species of mosquitoes occur in California......

Depends on where you live most definitely up north. Nice thing is they are only present for a short few weeks and done.

Originally Posted by DrAndy

and don't forget the vicious bees, coming to a BBQ near you

or the fire ants, nasty

or the poison ivy...

Where in the Hell are you BBQ'ing Drandy that Bees attack you with fire ants and you catch poison ivy? HAHAHAHAHA. Most of us BBQ on a patio in the backyard.

Now in fairness I have camped out a lot and if you cook back woods you might get a few yellow jackets bothering you depends on what you cook.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

Where in the Hell are you BBQ'ing Drandy that Bees attack you with fire ants and you catch poison ivy? HAHAHAHAHA. Most of us BBQ on a patio in the backyard

just my imagination

never seen any myself

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Originally Posted by JPPR2

Where in the Hell are you BBQ'ing Drandy that Bees attack you with fire ants and you catch poison ivy? HAHAHAHAHA. Most of us BBQ on a patio in the backyard

just my imagination

never seen any myself

Fair enough... I had this vision of you wheeling your BBQ pit into the forest, through poison ivy shrubs, over ants mounds underneath a bee hive and having you a nice dinner.....

For my American friends...........

Originally Posted by JPPR2

(God its good to be back and able to confront people)

Glad to see you made it back to the land of the free

Originally Posted by dirtydog

California or Thailand? Yep, I would choose California to live, just too damn poor though

What's so good about California? (I once worked with a squaddie who waxed lyrical about it - I've never understood what the appeal of America is supposed to be.)

Originally Posted by CaptainNemo

Originally Posted by dirtydog

California or Thailand? Yep, I would choose California to live, just too damn poor though

What's so good about California? (I once worked with a squaddie who waxed lyrical about it - I've never understood what the appeal of America is supposed to be.)

The biggest thing (California wise) is the weather, mild temperatures, low humidity, consistent, loads of leisure activities that you can take in any time. But make no mistake, this all comes with a price. Some are worth it, some are not.

I have been to almost all the US states except some far eastern seaboard places. it really all depends on what you want out of where you live. I will speak about California, as I lived there for 46+ years.

lucky bastard, those beers look good, but that pizza looks like shit, something you would find in Thailand. Not sure it would taste any better.

Try a NY pizza instead

^ Don't listen to that Belgian poofter, that Pizza looks great, but that beer looks like shit.
I had some excellent American beer last weekend.
Rogue yellow snow.
A crap name for a brewery and a beer, but as good a beer as I've ever had.

Having visited California on holidays for the 3rd time last year....I wondered how hard it is to learn Spanish language? Is it harder than Thai? Seems most residents speak Spanish there now as their principal language......which really surprised me. I found a number of people working in the tourist areas couldn't even understand English! One guy told me they were going to move the Mexican border up to near Las Vegas soon, and make the Southern California part of Mexico?

Originally Posted by Roger Ramjet

Having visited California on holidays for the 3rd time last year....I wondered how hard it is to learn Spanish language? Is it harder than Thai? Seems most residents speak Spanish there now as their principal language......which really surprised me. I found a number of people working in the tourist areas couldn't even understand English! One guy told me they were going to move the Mexican border up to near Las Vegas soon, and make the Southern California part of Mexico?

I heard that too. Ceding Southern California to mexico.
Could be as early as next year after the elections.

You came to Los on your own terms, gave it a good shot, and now you have left on your own terms. Kudos, JPR. We've never met, but I'm sure you are the type of guy I would think Thailand should have more of- shame we lost ya.

Do keep in touch, for the benefit of those of us marooned here in looneyland.

Originally Posted by Roger Ramjet

I wondered how hard it is to learn Spanish language?

It is a very simple and easy language to learn. Most have little problem picking it up quickly.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

those beers look good, but that pizza looks like shit

Originally Posted by Koojo

that Pizza looks great, but that beer looks like shit.

Damn. I guess I should throw them both away. The Beer is always good, The Pizza was not a 10 but a solid 7 and WAY better then anything I have had while I lived in Thailand. I do agree, i'd much further enjoy a NY style pie then a breaded up deal. But here was the real beauty..It was FREE!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by sabang

You came to Los on your own terms, gave it a good shot, and now you have left on your own terms. Kudos, JPR. We've never met, but I'm sure you are the type of guy I would think Thailand should have more of- shame we lost ya.

Sab Thanks. I appreciate the comments. I am certain I will be back but it will be quite a few years from now. Doubt I will do a full timer again. but being honest, Not sure what TL will be like 6-8 years from now. Hopefully the the conversion dollar to baht becomes favorable again. When I came it was 38, now 30 and Thailand's COL is soaring. That concerning if you are living on a fixed income.

Originally Posted by bsnub

It is a very simple and easy language to learn. Most have little problem picking it up quickly.

I speak a great deal of spanish, always have and it is very easy to pick up, way easier then Thai. Plus if you hang here long enough "Spanglish" becomes the norm. And it is true, It is getting to the point where I am looked at like a foreigner in California.. In fact there was a stat about 3 years ago that showed only 11% of Californians were native. I was born and raised here.

The gal that came with me thus far is a pretty much overwhelmed. The weather, clean well maintained houses, no garbage, nice roads, the myriad of different makes and models of cars, no sickly Soi dogs, She tripped out on people walking their dogs and having to pick up the dog shit and put it in a bag. She is in the mode of comparing everything price wise which I am actually finding quite interesting. Its been about a wash but weighted towards cheaper here. Some things cheap in Thailand are expensive here and the other way around. Meats are way cheaper here as are almost all your fruits; melons, apples, peaches, strawberries etc are significantly cheaper(Sorry no Durian...Thank God). However coconuts are 10x more here then in Thailand. Electronics are all cheaper. As we know rent is far higher. avg apartment is $850 to $1000 a month where as TL can hover in the $300 to $400 but the apartments here have full 1 bedrooms with full western kitchens, so you do get more.

I will post some comparison stuff for folks as I get the info together. The biggie right now for her is I am picking up a used Toyota pick up truck tomorrow that in TL would be near 500k baht, here is 200k. Difference is not diesel but reg fuel. I'd like a diesel fuel ride but midsize trucks here are all fuel.

More to come.

Originally Posted by terry57

Originally Posted by JPPR2

But I will say this. If your entire life is built around co dependency and having a women in your life then that will always be a problem I guess. I like having a gal friend to share but not going to much deeper then that.

I am not going back to the US for a woman as I did not come to Thailand for one. I left single and am returning the same.

I like this guy, he has his shit together , free thinker, independent and able to go it alone.

Smart enough to leave the door open to his own country, a winner in other words.

Cheers mate and all the best to you.

I thought that until I found the right one.

Originally Posted by Latindancer

Originally Posted by JPPR2

I will say seeing all the fat ass's around will be hard to look at but I will have my Thai gal friend with me and she is petite. I just need to keep her out of the Mc'D's. Taco Bells, Burger Kings or she might quickly find herself with some junk in her trunk coupled with muffin tops. If that happens she is on a plane home... I feel it my obligation to save her from it...

My friend's wife was hinting about what she wanted for their upcoming anniversary.

She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds."

He bought her a set of bathroom scales.

That is a great joke. Thanks.