Thread: From Laos to Turkey - A Christmas story :)

Originally Posted by Topper

Simon, do you worry about being accused of teaching stuff like free thinking the government might imprison you for?

I totally steer clear of discussing anything political. Usually, the topic of conversations with my students is 'A = ant and B = big'. To be honest, if this junta wants to levy false charges against a person and jail them, then they can just do it!

^yes, it's best to stay clear of political issues if you're a foreigner there. The former UK ambassador to Myanmar has been in the news lately. Hope to see some pics from Yangon, Simon. Pics of the countryside too, if & when you're allowed. Best of luck in your new life there. Take care & keep a low profile.

(@topper - same goes for you - stay clear of PH politics)

^ are you getting your ill gotten gains in cash you'll need a forklift

Originally Posted by david44

perhaps to rejoin Candy in both senses

I think Simon enjoys life too much for immolation

Originally Posted by malmomike77

immolation

"WHOOSH" ?

.... to Thailand....... (but just for a moment!)

I was teaching fine in Yangon, but the air quality is shite! (which is why it is not my preferred location to teach in Myanmar).

Last week, I went down with pneumonia. The local private hospital wanted to admit me immediately, but Burmese hospitals don't fill me with confidence. I staggered onto a plane and got treated at St. Louis Hospital in Sathorn. The doctor there said he had treated several cases of pneumonia from Yangon recently.

Anyway, I am resting on a beach in Samui, but as soon as I feel well enough, I will try to return to Myanmar for work, but not in Yangon! My family/ex'es tell me that I am mad, especially compared to the safe and serene life on Samui. However, there are personal reasons (I made a promise to myself in 2012 on my first teaching job in Myanmar), why I will try to get back to Myanmar to help with teaching etc.

Still coughing up huge amounts of sticky green phlegm (bit too much information there maybe...)

Your hat is pretty restless Simon

Originally Posted by Simon43

Anyway, I am resting on a beach in Samui, but as soon as I feel well enough, I will try to return to Myanmar for work, but not in Yangon! My family/ex'es tell me that I am mad, especially compared to the safe and serene life on Samui. However, there are personal reasons (I made a promise to myself in 2012 on my first teaching job in Myanmar), why I will try to get back to Myanmar to help with teaching etc.

I hope you recover quickly Simon. Maybe keeping healthy needs to be a higher priority?

Originally Posted by Simon43

I am resting on a beach in Samui

Did Candy's top wash up there? Or are you heading to the Fool Goon Party on neighbouring Koh Teerak?

"Bring me the Head of Alfredo Candier?"

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - Wikipedia

Originally Posted by david44

Did Candy's top wash up there? Or are you heading to the Fool Goon Party on neighbouring Koh Teerak?

"Bring me the Head of Alfredo Candier?"

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - Wikipedia

Alas, poor Candi, I knew her well. Her body parts are spread between Laos and Turkey

I'm feeling much better, only coughing 1,000 times each day now, which is a huge improvement.

There is a job available in Taunggyi, capital of Shan State. I'm being considered for it, (probably because no one else is mad enough to want to go there). I like Taunggyi a lot, and it's outside the smog of Yangon, although of course colder than the latter, due to being perched atop a hill.

The population in the town has increased dramatically, due to IDP (internally displaced persons) fleeing the fighting in other regions of Shan State. But Taunggyi is still well within the safe zone region.

Originally Posted by Simon43

But on the latter point (health), there is a serious problem looming. Some might know that I have Aspergillosis, which apparently is common in parrots (useless fact #100). It's fungal spores in one's lungs, and I picked this illness up some 25 years ago. It was the real reason why I moved to Thailand all those years ago. Well, although it's a chronic disease, I've kept it at bay by living in hot and humid countries such as Thailand and Laos.

Since moving to Turkey, I have been shocked about how cold it is (duh... it's winter Simon). Cold weather is fine for me, but not for my lungs, and I've been suffering from the effects of my underlying illness. I'm going to have to see how things go as the weather improves in the Spring, but right now I have to protect myself from the cold air with a woolly scarf wrapped around my mouth whenever I leave my house.

Hmm...

Simon, forgive me for dragging this up but wasn't your choice of location in large part related to you condition, strikes me that Yangon with its pollution and the cold hills of Shan aren't going to improve your health

Originally Posted by malmomike77

Simon, forgive me for dragging this up but wasn't your choice of location in large part related to you condition, strikes me that Yangon with its pollution and the cold hills of Shan aren't going to improve your health

Yes, you are absolutely correct. I'm fighting against the health issues to try to work in my preferred destination. It might not work out..

When I lived in Yangon in 2012, I had no lung problems. But the air pollution seems to have got worse. When I lived in Naypyitaw, I travelled to Taunggyi every few weeks, including in the coldest season. Again, I had no health issues. The idea is to wrap a warm scarf around my mouth if outside in cold weather. (This may not work)

Alternatively, I have a job offer in Surat Thani. Any sensible person with reasonable sanity would choose Surat Thani (at least for it's climate), over Taunggyi. I however, am clearly not a sane person!

I need to see if Taunggyi actually comes up with a decent offer, the details of it, and also the current situation as regards the civil war. Taunggyi has a Tatmadaw (Burmese military) garrison in town, so it will be one of the last places to fall (I need to check if the school is located next door to the garrison!!)

Probably a stupid question but have you tried cough suppressants Simon?

Originally Posted by Joe 90

Probably a stupid question but have you tried cough suppressants Simon?

Medically, those are not advised, because it is better to be able to cough up the phlegm to clear one's lungs. (I am not a doctor, but Google is...)

Originally Posted by Simon43

Medically, those are not advised, because it is better to be able to cough up the phlegm to clear one's lungs. (I am not a doctor, but Google is...)

I've had a horrendous cough in the past think it was bird flu much worst than covid and the tissue separated from my ribs through excessive coughing, bought an over the counter suppressant and normal service was resumed in a few days.

Originally Posted by Joe 90

I've had a horrendous cough in the past think it was bird flu much worst than covid and the tissue separated from my ribs through excessive coughing, bought an over the counter suppressant and normal service was resumed in a few days.

I've had 'these lungs' for about 30 years now, so am very familiar with pneumonia, bronchitus and the general feeling of illness associated with them. TBH, I am in fine health for 99% of the time, with no lung problems at all.

Anyway, decisions, decisions (I seem to remember being in a decisions, decisions situation some months ago..)

I present to the forum my choices, and the pros and cons:

1 - Stay where I am in sunny Samui. Don't take any job, but simply continue with my online teaching, for which the demand by students is more than the hours available to teach. Earn about $3,000 tax-free... But the downside is long hours in front of a computer screen, isolation of being stuck indoors every day just teaching, teaching.

2 - Stay in Thailand and teach at a school during the day, then do some online teaching in the evening/weekends. I have a job offer to teach primary grade 3 from a regional, private school. Mixing in-class and online teaching is my preference. But my offer salary is only around 45,000 THB.

3 - Return to the school in Yangon where I left 3 weeks ago when I became ill. Yes, the school wants me back (this smacks of desparation on their part maybe!). I would earn about 90,000 THB for easy KG teaching, plus free modern apartment etc, AND then also I can do my online teaching in the evenings/weekends. It's the most financially-lucrative solution. The downside is that although teaching 5-year old kids is fun, I'm hardly a spring chicken... Also, both the school and my apartment are on the edge of the city, with little chance to enjoy the sights and sounds and smells of downtown Lamadaw/Yangon.

4 - Return to Myanmar, but to a different school. I have a similar (financially) offer from a foundation college in central Yangon, preparing students for entry into UK/US universities, with courses in English and electronics/engineering (sort of HND grades). I'm not sure about accommodation - the school usually has to lend funds for this because Yangon landlords insist on 12 month's payment upfront.

I hear that the e-visa system has been disrupted in the past week for UK nationals, perhaps because the junta were not invited to QE2's funeral (they are a sensitive lot..) But I guess those issues will be sorted.

So what would be the most logical decision/choice? And what would be the choice if I were to 'follow my heart'?

well Simon after you've been to the doctor and he's cured your chronic indecisiveness and itchy feet then;

1. surely your health comes first and that should influence your choice of location.
2, have you a financial plan rolling up to retirement; how many years you need to be salaried and earning how much
3. how much does your charitable work mean to you and how can you factor that into your plans/location.
4. your long term aspirations - retire to where? when? etc

strikes me you aren't going about this in the mostly logical manner and perhaps that is why you find yourself hopping from place to place

Originally Posted by malmomike77

well Simon after you've been to the doctor and he's cured your chronic indecisiveness and itchy feet then;

1. surely your health comes first and that should influence your choice of location.
2, have you a financial plan rolling up to retirement; how many years you need to be salaried and earning how much
3. how much does your charitable work mean to you and how can you factor that into your plans/location.
4. your long term aspirations - retire to where? when? etc

strikes me you aren't going about this in the mostly logical manner and perhaps that is why you find yourself hopping from place to place

1 - Of course in bad health, then all bets are off.
2 - My financial plan is to have no financial plan. I have an assured, modest UK pension which will kick into play in a few years from now. The modest amount is much more than I currently spend each month. I do not plan to have ten's of thousands in the bank. Why have money in the bank when you can't take it with you when you die?
3 - My educational charity work is important to me
4 - I do not plan to retire. If my health is OK, then I will keep working until I drop dead. The thought of playing golf in my dotage is my worst nightmare

The hopping from place to place in the past year is more down to circumstances of Covid rules, local twatish police who don't like my ham radio hobby, and yes for health reasons. The Covid restrictions are all but over. I can avoid twatish police by not indulging in my radio hobby. But why forego an interesting and legal hobby because of some local twats? I can avoid health issues by sitting quietly on a sunny beach in Samui and living a helathy and totally boring life. That is not for me. (As an aside, here in Samui I have been watching the local expat/Thai pensioner couples in the supermarket etc. I'm sure they are having a great time. But I am used to the 'wild side'. So long as my health allows, I have no intention to toe the line and to adhere to the norms of pensioner life. For me, riding my motorbike through the Shan hills and helping with the education of students in Myanmar gives me much more satisfaction than playing golf in Samui.

Originally Posted by Simon43

For me, riding my motorbike through the Shan hills and helping with the education of students in Myanmar gives me much more satisfaction than playing golf in Samui.

well given that won't get easier with age and your charitable work is currently a priority then i think you've answered your own question, unless i'm missing something

@Simon - what, you don't want to have tens of thousands of dollars so that you can build another hotel? That will keep you busy and will help you avoid golf!

You have led a very exciting/ unpredictable life in the past few months. You have changed countries more often than I change my... p... pens!

My 2 cents: if teaching face-to-face & charity work are important to you, then return to Myanmar (either in Yangon or the other place). Then when you reach pension age (I dunno - is it 62, 65, 67 or 70?) return to Samui (or another island in TH) and teach online at your leisure.

But of course, your health is important. If your lungs can't handle the air/ climate in Myanmar, then choose another place. Another point to consider is availability of good hospitals.

Good luck on your decisions!

Originally Posted by katie23

You have led a very exciting/ unpredictable life in the past few months.

that's female for you aren't good nesting material

^I think Simon43 has built & sold his nest (hotel) several times now! He has also "flown over the cuckoo's nest" (had a cuckoo wife).

I think the only nest that Simon will be having in future is the one with Candy ver. 2.0.

Originally Posted by katie23

^I think Simon43 has built & sold his nest (hotel) several times now! He has also "flown over the cuckoo's nest" (had a cuckoo wife).

I think the only nest that Simon will be having in future is the one with Candy ver. 2.0.

I don't think the Myanmar junta is into sex shops and sex dolls. I suspect that even my reliable sex-doll supplier in China might be unable to secretly deliver a Candi II to Yangon!

Yes, really it's all down to my health, and how fussy my lungs want to be. I have nothing to lose by returning to Myanmar. If my lungs complain loudly, then retire early to Samui with online teaching by the beach...