Same shit, different ship

[Mendip]

^^ Are you suggesting that I'm at all biased, Helge?

My daughter is already at an age where she is embarrassed about her dad's job... but she doesn't see the big picture.

The oil industry has cleaned itself up tremendously in the past few years, particularity in this part of the world although of course it has been and still is a major contributor of emissions. Things are changing and at least two of our biggest projects at the moment are for carbon capture - pumping CO2 back into depleted oil and gas reservoirs. The shift to renewables is happening of course but it will take a lot of time while there is still such huge demand for our product.

I stand by the observation of fish and marine life abundance around the platforms... and the vast reduction of bottom dwelling fish over the past 30 years. What better data source than 1000s of kilometres of visual subsea pipeline inspections year on year that provide transects of seafloor conditions far more widespread than any scientific survey ever carried out? At times in the past we couldn't even see the pipelines for shoals of cod... now they are barren.

But I still like my cod and chips, so I guess I'm as hypocritical critising the fishing industry as those critising the oil industry while they plan their next foreign holiday?

Why wouldn't you just get all that at Villa Market on your passport runs instead of taking back a load of sweaty cheese from a long haul?

Have you left the wife with no money?

Get well soon Mrs. Mendy

Have you ever felt a block of cheese in your hold luggage after a long haul flight? It's just as cold as though it came straight from the fridge. And try getting Red Leicester at Villa Market, or cracked heel cream for that matter.

I'll pass on your best wishes to the wife... it must have been nasty. I left a perfectly adequate amount of money to cover basic food stuff and the leccy bill (assuming no aircon) but this hospital bill was over 100,000 Baht and exceeded the housekeeping money. I needn't have stayed up in the end as insurance covered all apart from 10k so I wasn't needed.

[katie23]

@mendy - good to know that Mrs Mendy's condition wasn't too bad. I don't know if she eats the fermented raw fish thingy? I've read that a lot of Thais develop liver disease (or similar) because the product could contain liver flukes & they eat it raw - so the flukes don't get killed by heat. (Someone could correct me on this, since I've read it some time ago & can't remember fully.)

@baldrick - thanks for that. I checked the link, it looked interesting. It looks like it could be a specialty training for mariners. The mariners that I know - they sometimes go on long shore leaves to study for their exams, so that their quals increase & get higher pay. Not sure of the specifics since I didn't really quiz them about it.

@willy - yes, the languages of Malays, Indonesians, Filipinos - they all belong to the same language family, together with those of the islands in the Pacific, including the languages of the Maoris from NZ and the Hawaiians & Polynesians (the "out of Taiwan" theory). Re: salamat, there's also "selamat datang" - welcome to a place. Saw it in several places in MY & Indo. Terima kasih.

[cyrille]

I notice you post about 'product', Mendy.

Dirty word, is it?

[ootai]

Thats very interesting. Like in the mining industry you cannot please everyone. Everything is mined. Start with the plate you eat your dinner from.( made from clay) Your knife and made from metal. The pint glass made of sand. Everybody drives a car etc runs an aircon ? So why the mining and oil industry considered nasty?.

I have always liked the expression, "If it ain't grown then its mined."

Mendy
If things get bad and you need help you know you could contact me and I would help. Just remember that if it required me to spend time at your place I would need to use the AC.
I also realise you would need to be very, very desperate before you let me loose at your place. Glad it has all worked out OK.

[Mendip]

I notice you post about 'product', Mendy.

Dirty word, is it?

I hadn't thought about that before... 'product' seems to be a new industry word and I guess it's easy because it covers oil and gas. All the pipelines and cables etc on the seabed are also referred to as 'products'. I don't like that but I'm happy to oblige if that's what the client wants.


Anyway, I thought this morning's chat with the wife was pertinent to an earlier 'discussion'. She's only been home for ten minutes and she's complaining already...

When I'm home our usual electricity bill is about 5500 Baht.

[ootai]

Anyway, I thought this morning's chat with the wife was pertinent to an earlier 'discussion'. She's only been home for ten minutes and she's complaining already...

When I'm home our usual electricity bill is about 5500 Baht.

Finally confirmation that our wives are related.
I think the Govt has increased the unit cost a bit or stopped a subsidy which coupled with the hot weather and using AC's all contributed to the higher bills.

Our bill is usually between 250 and 3000 a month but this month hit 4500 so my missus was squawking like a banshee.
I tried to tell her that we had family here and they were using the AC's but she reckoned it was me using the computer. Sometimes I just give up and don't bother replying or arguing

As for using an AC I use ours in the bedroom so I can sleep at night but have it set at 25 to 28 whereas the Thai family like it below 20
For me at 25 to 28 I can sleep without any covers on any colder and I need a cover which to me defeats the purpose of having the AC on.

[misskit]

What happened here?

[Edmond]

^ Mendo's spent the wife and child's aircon bill allowance on kilograms of cheese so now he's barring them from using it.

[Airportwo]

I think the Govt has increased the unit cost a bit or stopped a subsidy which coupled with the hot weather and using AC's all contributed to the higher bills.

Price up 18% and due to rise again next month for 4 months, "Government" showing their contempt for the masses...

[david44]

What happened here?

It's a little miss muffet spat

Mendy the munificent grafting amongst the trolls accused of Weighs and Mean yet his Curds and whey will keep him content in the torrid times in Esan.

Little Miss MuffetSat on a tuffet,Eating her curds and whey;There came a big spider,Who sat down beside herAnd frightened Miss Muffet away

[malmomike77]

I've read that a lot of Thais develop liver disease (or similar) because the product could contain liver flukes & they eat it raw - so the flukes don't get killed by heat. (Someone could correct me on this, since I've read it some time ago & can't remember fully.)

correct

[Reg Dingle]

I notice you post about 'product', Mendy.

Dirty word, is it?

Wasn't the word used heavily in Breaking Bad?

Eddie's right, it does make one wonder what's in that 8 kilo of mild plastic cheddar he's bringing back

[Reg Dingle]

[DrWilly]

As for using an AC I use ours in the bedroom so I can sleep at night but have it set at 25 to 28 whereas the Thai family like it below 20
For me at 25 to 28 I can sleep without any covers on any colder and I need a cover which to me defeats the purpose of having the AC on.

Nonsense, there’s nothing better than having the AC set to 16, an iced room and nice thick duvet and covers on the bed

[Mendip]

^^^ I'm afraid you've lost me here...

Mendo, do they have a skipping rope in the gym?

I highly recommend getting into as part of a weights set.

They won't recognize you when you back Rain-land.

I found a skipping rope in the gym tonight... now what?

I don't want to lose too much weight because I've been online bought a few nice XXL floral summer shirts for my holiday in the UK.

Re: Randy, I'm kinda disappointed in him. I haven't seen SPAM in the ship's breakfast spread.

Btw, salamat = thanks. If you want to up your game, say "maraming salamat" = many thanks.

Here is Randy's typical breakfast spread Katie. I've so far resisted a fry up and usually put something from the midnight meal aside for breakfast time.



Still no SPAM but Randy did serve up this kind of stewed tinned tuna with onion dish yesterday. A Philippine delicacy? He got no "maraming salamat" from me for this offering.



But maybe better than the Norwegian fare on offer yesterday?



I'm always surprised at how many Norwegians are staunchly pro-whaling. Whale meat is one thing I won't eat, along with veal and foie gras.

@mendy - good to know that Mrs Mendy's condition wasn't too bad. I don't know if she eats the fermented raw fish thingy? I've read that a lot of Thais develop liver disease (or similar) because the product could contain liver flukes & they eat it raw - so the flukes don't get killed by heat.

Mrs 'Mendy' eats all that fermented raw fish stuff and when she cooks it up it stinks the house out. It really does smell like a rotting dead animal. Actually, I can add pla ra to the list of things I won't eat.

She's doing OK now and maybe this will serve as a warning to be a bit more careful.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that NE Thailand has one of the highest occurrences of liver cancer in the world, down to the liver flukes in this awful food (and the lao khao of course).

[Joe 90]

I'm afraid you've lost me here...

Manny a decent poster hounded of the forum by Lulu.


Nice workout video " The Slab head shuffle".

Are you enjoying bring back at work Mendy?

I find work good for the soul and bank balance.
Can't imagine being retired...

[katie23]

@mendy - nice breakfast spread there by Randy - I approve! Yes, that way of cooking tuna is popular in PH - I like it, esp if it's a little bit spicy. The famous brand here is "Century tuna hot and spicy" - it's good with rice. If I had all that free food available everyday, I would probably gain weight ASAP. I remember my neighbour's son (a maritime stident) - after he returned from his OJT on an international ship, it was obvious that he gained weight. He said there was lots of food onboard, and he particularly liked Nutella. (Nutella is pricey here in PH.)

(I don't eat a heavy breakfast anymore, just coffee w/ milk and an egg. The coffee will have 3 tsp of oatmeal in it. I occasionally have cheat days and I don't deprive myself of food when I'm on hikes.)

Re: the pla ra, PH has a similar product, which is "bagoong" . I think they cook it before bottling & selling, so it's not raw anymore. I'm not fond of it and have never bought it. There is also fermented shrimp paste (alamang), which I occasionally partake of. It can be bought raw or cooked, but is usually eaten as cooked or mixed in a dish. It can be used in replacement of/ in addition to salt.

Re: whale meat, I think I'll taste it (just for the heck) but won't eat it anymore afterwards.

[DrWilly]

Whale meat is one thing I won't eat, along with veal and foie gras.

Bloody hippy. You're missing out on one of the finest foods known to humans!

[Edmond]

I found a skipping rope in the gym tonight... now what?

Top man, Mendo.

You get much better at it amazingly quickly.

I'm at the stage of having to set a timer, as opposed to counting as no one can possibly count that fast.

If you're doing weights, start each set with 200 skips, 6-8 sets and yer sorted for the day, don't be put off by how bad you are, after one week you'll be flying. The blubber will just melt off you.

Chest day here today.

3-5 minutes skipping. Abs crunches, delts, pecs, triceps x 6.

That clothes washing girl will be salamating you to within an inch of yer stilton.

[malmomike77]

If I had all that free food available everyday, I would probably gain weight ASAP.

you have to lay down fat for the lean times Katie

[Mendip]

^^ Actually I've just remembered that I didn't find a skipping rope really... I made it all up. They don't have one on this boat.

Sorry about that Eddy, I feel like I've wasted your time.


Tonight we were at Oseberg.



It gave me a chance to try out this 'Night' mode on my camera. It didn't make a lot of difference to be honest. Maybe I need a 'Fog' mode?

[Edmond]

Sorry about that Eddy, I feel like I've wasted your time.

Any time Eddy gets to be annoyingly self-righteous, is never a waste of his time.


Cool pics.

That bottom one kinda looks like a still from an alien world sci-fi movie.

[DrWilly]

Actually I've just remembered that I didn't find a skipping rope really... I made it all up.

Mind you, I'd say the same to keep the lunatic off my case too!

[Edmond]

^

Just finished set 3 of 6 here, will update the fitness thread immediately afterwards.

Feel the burn. Feel the endorphins.

hounded of the forum by Lulu.

Wasn't a member way back then, but a apparently it was a masterclass of 'hounding of.'




A


Masterclass.

[BLD]

@mendy - nice breakfast spread there by Randy - I approve! Yes, that way of cooking tuna is popular in PH - I like it, esp if it's a little bit spicy. The famous brand here is "Century tuna hot and spicy" - it's good with rice. If I had all that free food available everyday, I would probably gain weight ASAP. I remember my neighbour's son (a maritime stident) - after he returned from his OJT on an international ship, it was obvious that he gained weight. He said there was lots of food onboard, and he particularly liked Nutella. (Nutella is pricey here in PH.)

(I don't eat a heavy breakfast anymore, just coffee w/ milk and an egg. The coffee will have 3 tsp of oatmeal in it. I occasionally have cheat days and I don't deprive myself of food when I'm on hikes.)

Re: the pla ra, PH has a similar product, which is "bagoong" . I think they cook it before bottling & selling, so it's not raw anymore. I'm not fond of it and have never bought it. There is also fermented shrimp paste (alamang), which I occasionally partake of. It can be bought raw or cooked, but is usually eaten as cooked or mixed in a dish. It can be used in replacement of/ in addition to salt.

Re: whale meat, I think I'll taste it (just for the heck) but won't eat it anymore afterwards.

I used to enjoy green mango with a bagoong mix to dip it in.lovely