|
Double goon meet Singapore I'm glad to catch up with you after eating every 3 hours and catching up over drinks without being too plastered
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 16:19
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 12, 2024 18:20 |
|
|
FaceEater posted:Please do find it. Stoked to be in Hue. Already digging it more than Da Nang. Found it! http://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/04/02/10-iconic-dishes-to-hunt-for-in-hue-vietnam/ I had some bomb rear end banh khoai at Lac Thien near the Citadel too.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 16:33
|
|
|
Negligent posted:E: but if someone wanted a sanitised version of asia I would absolutely recommend it Taiwan has the edge on being sanitized Asia while still feeling "authentic", loaded though that term is.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 17:01
|
|
|
Negligent posted:Singapore was poo poo for me, because everyone speaks (sortof) English and everything was super loving expensive. Also, drunk upper middle bogans at Clark Quay. May as well just stay at home I need to visit Taiwan, but I'm pretty sure that Hong Kong has the most insane mix of authenticity and insane international comforts. I remember after visiting Singapore and then visiting Hong Kong for the first time, it was like you could see what Singapore was doing. Making a master-planned, strip mall version of Hong Kong. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Apr 16, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 17:25
|
|
|
Yeah it's a bit stripped down in some ways, but I see it as a distilled version of Kuala Lumpur with diversity. Can't knock its rich history and geographic location. You get food south East Asian fruits and city stuff, go to some old school local hawker center and take your pick of cuisine and spices. Sure it's slightly more expensive and food wise is cheaper than HK. I guess I just like the idea of Singapore of Singapore for Singaporeans where a Hindu temple can be right next to a guan yin temple and everyone worships both temples to get their bases covered in the name of good fortune. Oh and changi airport is close enough to the city
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 17:33
|
|
|
I'll be in Singapore in a few weeks without a lot planned, if anyone wants to meet up just shoot me a pm.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 17:44
|
|
|
E: DOUBLE loving POST
chopbustabrown fucked around with this message at 17:52 on Apr 16, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 17:49
|
|
|
Great! I'm doing a Thailand tour at the moment, been here since April 1st. I love it! Tonight though tried a lady kickboxing muai Thai BUT it turn out it was just kids GREAT!!! We left early and are hanging at the muchly overpriced Bondi Bar (Crows won the AFL today so it's cool) Anyway long story short I am very much enjoying my Thailand experience and would love to chat about it to potential travellers to the Kingdom heheheh
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 17:50
|
|
|
Great double post gently caress
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 17:50
|
|
|
Negligent posted:Singapore was poo poo for me, because everyone speaks (sortof) English and everything was super loving expensive. Also, drunk upper middle bogans at Clark Quay. May as well just stay at home I've been to Singapore twice with different people and both times were really enjoyable. But yeah, it's Asia Lite. It's the Asia for Westerners who are a bit scared of Asia and don't like culture shock or doing lots of travel.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 00:34
|
|
|
Gromit posted:I've been to Singapore twice with different people and both times were really enjoyable. But yeah, it's Asia Lite. It's the Asia for Westerners who are a bit scared of Asia and don't like culture shock or doing lots of travel. I mean not to be 'that guy,' but Asia is Asia whether it's dirt poor on the Mekong or ultra rich areas of Hong Kong.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 05:47
|
|
|
Changi airport is also the only Asian airport I've been approached by a working girl in That's my Singapore experience thanks for reading!
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 06:10
|
|
|
I think I'm like one of two goons in Singapore and it's alright. Hoe this helps.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 06:53
|
|
|
Chantilly Say posted:Changi airport is also the only Asian airport I've been approached by a working girl in Ha! How did that go down?
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 08:44
|
|
|
Finch! posted:Ha! How did that go down? I declined the "we go somewhere, do massage" offer and later saw her walking off somewhere with some other white guy. An hour later I was getting a water from the 7 and she was there buying more hand lotion.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 08:56
|
|
|
Chantilly Say posted:I declined the "we go somewhere, do massage" offer and later saw her walking off somewhere with some other white guy. An hour later I was getting a water from the 7 and she was there buying more hand lotion. Also, I bet Singapore is one of the few places where it doesn't cost anymore to ply your trade and resupply at the airport if that's your gig. Whole loving city thinks it's an airport.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 14:51
|
|
|
Only gripe about changi is the lack of transportation after midnight. At first i was angry that there's no express train to the city but being 15 km away who the gently caress cares But hey plaza premium lounge stocks root beer!
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 15:01
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:Changi's an incredibly well-run airport, I'm surprised that goes on. I mean if they had some organized massage/spa place where it just doo-dee-doo happened to go on that would be very Singapore, but I'm surprised that freelancers (not web developers, for those reading from outside Southeast Asia) roam the place acting the fool and shaming LKY's ghost. In retrospect it's really surprising, yeah, at the time I was tired and stressed and hadn't even made it to Thailand yet so it didn't register quite how odd it was.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 16:02
|
|
|
caberham posted:Only gripe about changi is the lack of transportation after midnight. At first i was angry that there's no express train to the city but being 15 km away who the gently caress cares Yeah, but Singapore is so small and taxis so cheap that you can get a cab to the main areas for ~20sgd. I take more taxis than I should here.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2016 16:49
|
|
|
My problem with Singapore is that every time I've been, I've started to get itchy feet after just a couple of days. Check out Chinatown and the old historic areas, visit Raffles, wander around the marina area, hit up the hawker markets (we've done Maxwell St and some other Friday-night-only one I can't remember the name of), spend a day at the zoo. And them I'm like, hmm what now. Neither my wife or I are particularly interested in shopping, so the whole Orchard Road thing doesn't appeal to us at all. We'll probably visit again at some point in the next six months and I'm honestly not really looking forward to it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 03:26
|
|
|
Shnicker posted:Yeah, but Singapore is so small and taxis so cheap that you can get a cab to the main areas for ~20sgd. I actually prefer ubers in Singapore. Cabbies pick and choose and tend to be major dicks. I was splitting the fare with 2 other guys going into the city late night and when I asked the driver approximately how much would the fare be he just pointed at the meter. I called him out "what, it's your first day on the job and you can't even make a guess?" Fucker. webmeister posted:My problem with Singapore is that every time I've been, I've started to get itchy feet after just a couple of days. Check out Chinatown and the old historic areas, visit Raffles, wander around the marina area, hit up the hawker markets (we've done Maxwell St and some other Friday-night-only one I can't remember the name of), spend a day at the zoo. And them I'm like, hmm what now. Neither my wife or I are particularly interested in shopping, so the whole Orchard Road thing doesn't appeal to us at all. Eat durians, eat fruits, go for the nature walk/hike around the Mc Ritchie reservoir, cycle around the city, there's a few specialty craft breweries and whiskey bars, universal studios, some other museums and go to this island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulau_Ubin But yeah I can see visiting the same city gets old pretty fast. It's not that bad for me because I just hang out with goon friends for dinner caberham fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Apr 18, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 03:44
|
|
|
My mom and cousin are coming to visit in June. I know it'll be the rainy season, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Does anyone have any good hotel recommendations for Siem Reap and Penang? I'd like to spend $60-$80 per night ideally, but a little more for a much nicer place would be fine too.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 03:45
|
|
|
Shnicker posted:My mom and cousin are coming to visit in June. I know it'll be the rainy season, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Siem Reap I would pick Landing Gold Villa Siem Reap - it's a little off from the city centre but nice and not sleazy. More of a family location Penang my family friend runs a real estate conglomerate and boutique hotel but I don't know the name
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 03:53
|
|
|
In Penang we stayed at this place which was pretty great: https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g298303-d6582174-Reviews-Betel_Nut_Lodge-George_Town_Penang_Island_Penang.html It's not luxurious but it was definitely comfortable enough. Probably 10-15 minutes walk from the main historic part of Georgetown, and directly across the road from one of the best char kway teoh places in Penang. And the manager was a super-helpful, super-chatty guy who was so disappointed we couldn't find his favourite restaurant that he escorted us all the way back across town to find it (and then discover we couldn't find it because it was closed for a private function  ).
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 04:58
|
|
|
Chantilly Say posted:I declined the "we go somewhere, do massage" offer and later saw her walking off somewhere with some other white guy. An hour later I was getting a water from the 7 and she was there buying more hand lotion. That's hilarious. Even funnier if she were killing time waiting for a flight by turning some tricks, or was it pre-emigration? Oh, Singapore... Shnicker posted:My mom and cousin are coming to visit in June. I know it'll be the rainy season, but I'm sure it'll be fine. I really like both Muntri Mews and Muntri Grove in Georgetown, Penang. They're owned and run by the same guy and are excellent. Muntri Mews has a cafe and Muntri Grove has a pool, but they're close enough together so that it doesn't really matter. The location in the heart of the UNESCO area is within walking distance to a whole bunch of awesome stuff. I'll be there again in July. Can't wait. Finch! fucked around with this message at 07:55 on Apr 18, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 07:51
|
|
|
Haha this was in the terminal while I was between flights so she actually may have been on her way somewhere. She said she was going back to Vietnam to see her family and maybe that was true
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 07:58
|
|
|
In MPS and LAX I felt like I had to give out handjobs just to buy lunch.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 08:00
|
|
|
simplefish posted:Can I ask what your experience of the Minsk is? Like cost to buy, how much to fill a tank, how far it goes, how often you have to swear at it/pray to the machine gods to get it running in the morning? As a motorbike trip in SEA becomes more and more realistic, I think I should start getting idea of what's what Short answer is $300 plus $50 for a mostly full tool kit, helmet, spare carburetor, drybag ($75 in itself back home, already a steal), helmet, quality raingear, and a few other useful bits like maps and such. Only had two days where it wouldn't start. Both were electrical problems with old worn out or damaged or rusted connection in wires from the generator. Good not great on petrol, I'll run through about 4 - 6 liters a day in a 200ish km day, roughest average. Petrol is 15000 dong/L, so $0.68/L. Mileage seems good. Factor in a bit of 2stroke oil in the mix for cost as well ($3.50/liter, and a liter blends in at 25:1, so 25 liters gas to one liter of oil.) Longer answer to the rest of your points consists of just asking you how much you like motorcycles and maintenance by yourself, and how much time you have in case of break downs. Knock on wood but I haven't had anything really go wrong while riding other than a chain break at the master link. I have however spent about the cost of the bike in preventative/maintenance type poo poo including new clutch, new transmission chain and cogs, new rear suspension, rebuilt front suspension, new tires, a couple electrical repairs, and various roadside on the spot mods or repairs. Plus buying various spare parts and oil along the way. This bike comes with a majorish caveat: most mechanics in the south want nothing to do with a Minsk, and finding spare parts requires some real legwork sometimes. So your willingness/ability to do poo poo yourself should really be a consideration alongside your willingness/ability to dig out mechanics and parts suppliers for Minsks. All of that to roundly say that I've spent the last month seeking out mechanics, doing daily once overs on the bike, hunting parts, and meeting all kinds of Vietnamese Minsk enthusiasts who have all helped in some small way on the journey North, whether through advice or wrenching or actually becoming a friend. It's a hell of a way to learn the culture in a bit of a sidelong way. If you want simple punch and go, are short on time, a Minsk that hasn't been fully restored by a pro is probably not for you. If you have time, money, and/or like to work with your hands or figure our motorcycle problems or talk shop or hang out with pretty cool Vietnamese folks, then read Digbys Minsk Manual cover to cover for more. Edit: I really do like the bike by the way. But it scares me some to think I'm a bit undequalified in case of breakdown. Digbys manual makes it obvious though that most things can really be fixed on it with a rock and some wire. I have the luxury of being able to ride around the country at a relative snails pace (~40 days total South to North) so breakdowns are not awful for scheduling purposes really. And you see more of the country and talk to a million people along the way on this bike. Or a million people that hate your loud smokey rear end antique bike. Whatever. Ally McBeal Wiki fucked around with this message at 11:10 on Apr 18, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 10:58
|
|
|
Shnicker posted:My mom and cousin are coming to visit in June. I know it'll be the rainy season, but I'm sure it'll be fine. I always pimp the Velkommen over there, but while it's hardly a poo poo guesthouse, it's also not an international style hotel. Definitely cheaper lol.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 14:52
|
|
|
When I was in Siem Reap I stayed at the Borei Angkor. Nice pool and restaurant but on the expensive side.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 15:00
|
|
|
Thanks for all the suggestions. They're much more meaningful to me than trying to sift through all those websites and ratings. On top of that, I'm so used to traveling more frugally and less comfortably than my mother is so sometimes it's hard to change the way I look at what I want to book.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 17:26
|
|
|
1) I was planning on spending 4-5 months in SEA. My job predictably isn't super happy about this, but they gave me an option of taking 1 month off then working 3-4 months remotely. Should I do this? Is working remotely going to suck? My office is in NY, but I think I could get away with overlapping ~4 hours of their schedule (I would still work fulltime). I'm in a pretty good industry so I don't think I would have trouble finding a new job if I come back. But it would also be good to come home with _some_ money. 2) Am I going to get weird looks/lovely treatment if I have a mohawk?
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2016 22:50
|
|
|
Velkommen GH Siem Reap is what you're after then. It's away from the center a bit, but taxis are cheap and the place is quiet.
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2016 03:20
|
|
|
Pie Colony posted:1) I was planning on spending 4-5 months in SEA. My job predictably isn't super happy about this, but they gave me an option of taking 1 month off then working 3-4 months remotely. Should I do this? Is working remotely going to suck? My office is in NY, but I think I could get away with overlapping ~4 hours of their schedule (I would still work fulltime). I'm in a pretty good industry so I don't think I would have trouble finding a new job if I come back. But it would also be good to come home with _some_ money. A few years ago I spent some time working on Koh Tao, Thailand. Basically, I was running my branch of the family business here in Australia from Thailand. It started as an experiment to see if was actually doable, and it was successful enough that we now encourage our employees to travel and work if they can. It was a bit easier for me as the time difference isn't as great between Adelaide and Thailand as it is between New York and Thailand, but it was still a consideration. 6am phone calls were not uncommon. Now, I'm biased, but if I were to spend a great period of time working remotely again I'd do it from Koh Tao - again. The only big concern is Internet reliability, but it was fine back in 2012 using 3G and I know there have been some improvements in both cellular and wired Internet infrastructure since then. Koh Tao isn't the cheapest or most authentic place to be working from, but it worked for me: I could work, scuba dive, eat, hike, exercise, party, meet great people, and always find a distraction or a motivation. Travel to other places was fairly easy and the medical facilities nearby on Koh Samui are excellent. There are at least two Facebook groups for people wanting to find either a place to live or a tenant: Koh Tao Rooms For Rent and Koh Tao Bungalows And Rooms, as well as at least one rental services company with a website full of stale information, Bua Management. It's not easy to tell how up to date the website is but it's a good indicator of prices and has some good photographs. I lived in a place that's very similar to this one, which didn't have a view but was otherwise perfect for me. On a place like Koh Tao, nobody will care about the mohawk. There are loads of other options for places to base yourself, but I'm not familiar with them. Good luck 
Finch! fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Apr 19, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2016 03:27
|
|
|
Pie Colony posted:1) I was planning on spending 4-5 months in SEA. My job predictably isn't super happy about this, but they gave me an option of taking 1 month off then working 3-4 months remotely. Should I do this? Is working remotely going to suck? My office is in NY, but I think I could get away with overlapping ~4 hours of their schedule (I would still work fulltime). I'm in a pretty good industry so I don't think I would have trouble finding a new job if I come back. But it would also be good to come home with _some_ money. Now, I've kept startup hours for 18+ years now, and it's completely do-able, especially if you're younger, but what you won't think of immediately is how many times you're going to be like, "Ah poo poo, I can't ________ because I need to be online at 21:00." That could be taking a trip, going to a movie, going to a pub quiz, going on a date, having a few beers, etc. As Finch! said, it's completely do-able, though part of our market is Australian and most of Australia is a much easier time difference to deal with than America. Just a little annoying that you wake up and they've already bombarded you, heh. Most people won't give you a second look with the mohawk, especially in urban or touristy areas. Unless you're visibly Thai, or South/East Asian of any kind, you already look weird locally - and who cares what tourists think, right? If you're showered and not wearing fisherman pants you'll already stand out among the backpackers. Wouldn't take any formal business meetings with it, and I might tamp it down if I needed something from a public official (e.g immigration), but otherwise I can't imagine it coming up. In rural Thailand you'll be gawked at openly if you're not Asian anyway, so if you catch that happening, the mohawk might account for 1-5% more open mouthed staring than usual, heh, but it's going to be incidental. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Apr 19, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2016 04:33
|
|
|
I'll be in Bangkok on the evenings of June 8 and 9. Will you be around for beers? I'm not sure how we've managed to not meet yet.
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2016 05:25
|
|
|
Finch! posted:I'll be in Bangkok on the evenings of June 8 and 9. Will you be around for beers? I'm not sure how we've managed to not meet yet. Think I will be, yeah. Can't see anything weird on the calendar. Let's plan on it!
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2016 05:32
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:It's because you don't exist! Ha. The stealth mode is strong  Sweet, let's do it. I'm 90% certain that I'll be in Bangkok for a few days before heading to Samui for a night and on to Tao for a few weeks. I haven't been to Bangkok for a while - since the 2014 coup - so I'm going out of my way to spend a little while there this time. I'll probably stay at my regular digs at Siam Square.
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2016 06:17
|
|
|
So I'm moving out of the US on July 1st, going to go see some family in the UK for a couple weeks, and then after that, I have a decent amount of money put aside (about 10k USD) to go traveling, and with the addition to some freelance web design work and possibly some work-for-shelter type stuff, I want to see how long I can continuously travel before settling down in the UK. I decided on heading to SEA after spending a couple weeks in the UK, and maybe a couple weeks in the EU, one because it seemed like a place where my dollar would be stretched the farthest, and two because it seems like a complete 180 culture wise compared to Idaho. I've been living a very boring and standard life the past 10 years, ready for a change. Is there a country in SEA that's best to start in, maybe to slightly ease into getting used to the weather/culture/whatever? Or does it even matter? I'm trying to figure out what country to fly into from London Gatwick (unless there's a better airport you guys would recommend in northern europe/UK?). Thanks Edit: I'm dumb and didn't read the OP enough. Looks like Thailand would be the country to start off in? ddiddles fucked around with this message at 18:44 on Apr 19, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2016 18:12
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 12, 2024 18:20 |
|
|
ddiddles posted:Edit: I'm dumb and didn't read the OP enough. Looks like Thailand would be the country to start off in? Yep. Just fly into Bangkok, then do a nice big loop through Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos. Northern Thailand has quite a few interesting towns/villages to hop around. Maybe head over to Burma to experience a less modern and touristed part of SE Asia. If you have more time, make your way down to Malaysia and Indonesia. With 10k USD you should be able to last a year or so.
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2016 20:11
|
|