Rogie

Thanks Christian - a really intriguing quiz with excellent photos. I certainly hadn't realised the significance of the 'architectural element' before, although I have seen it but the once, and took some photos as it struck me as very unusual at the time. So, can I answer your quiz? I failed all of them, no idea at all, except D. I knew that one straightaway as I took the klong taxi one day and alighted at the stop where I took photos of the 'element' on the bridge over the canal. I don't have my Bangkok map to hand and can't remember the name of that bridge. It's within walking distance of the Golden Mount as I recall. Merry Christmas! Rog

True The signature is that of Christopher Grayling, the Justice Secretary. As to what it means I guess it means what it says! One or two things strike me as a bit odd, firstly the distinctly old-fashioned phraseology, and second the rather off-putting, browny, colour of the letter. In addition the whole thing looks, in this day and age where more or less anyone with decent software can come up with a fresh imaginative letter or document, very amateurish, and, once again, gives a distinctly old-fashioned appearance. I suspect the 'style' of this letter has been cobbled together by some junior clerk in the Justice Secretary's Department so as to try and resemble the sort of document that might have been issued following either of the World Wars. Witness this comment: So I can't see how they can have simply dug out a pre-existing template from a dusty drawer. Hence my cobbling together comment. I hope I am wrong though! Ultimately does it really matter whose signature is on the bottom of the letter, or whether it looks old-fashioned or up-to-date? Even so, whoever came up with the form of words and general appearance of that letter might have tried a bit harder!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10536246/Alan-Turing-granted-Royal-pardon-by-the-Queen.html http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/dec/24/enigma-codebreaker-alan-turing-royal-pardon http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25495315

Cape versus toga Maybe we should ask Khortose, are you more the caped crusader type or more prone to casting off your toga on the first date? . . . all 6 yards of it !! (about 6 metres for you metricians). Cape Toga

Thanks Trailrider. How long were you in Hanoi? I agree it's a nice city, but in many places felt more like a town to me, but I've only been there once - would love to return one day. I always thought to myself it must've been better in the days before the 'onrush' of motorcys, they were everywhere, but I'm just nitpicking! For anyone thinking of a visit, there is also an excellent thread on this forum. If you read it you'll get various experiences, for example there were mixed opinions among our members as to whether the Vietnamese are welcoming to foreigners. http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/8857-what-to-see-in-vietnam/?do=findComment&comment=67881

Public apology time! I inadvertently referred to Scooby as . . . well it's there for all to see. Obviously, even though I'm not American, Charles M. Schulz has a lot to answer for . . .

Ok, some of you are getting off by claiming to've spotted the latest troll. As for all of us being dunces until up popped some bright spark on TBB, I cannot've been the only one whose first reaction to reading the OP was to hit the report button (so recently advocated by the appropriately-named Snoopy, although to be fair reporting a possible troll post is hardly the most pressing thing a moderator might encounter) - but just like in the Cuban missile crisis I took my finger off the button. I'm with those who've taken the OP at face value and contributed as best they could. No egg on our faces if the doom-mongers are proved right, so what if he's getting off on all this - boy! that'd be some irony in view of his bf's not at all typical difficulties . . .

Clearly you're the appol(o) of his eye

If is is the opposite of isn't, then what's the opposite of ain't? 'cos it's working fine for me!

So if he doesn't seem typical during sex, how about other shared intimacies? Is he a generally affectionate guy, for example does he enjoy kissing, holding hands, having a cuddle, and generally enjoying sharing his times with you. How do you get on in other ways, for example do you argue or bicker, or is he always sweet-natured and loving? I could go on and on in an effort to get a feel for how your relationship is going, but maybe you don't want that, fair enough, you simply asked if your bf was typical, and you've got your answer. But if you want us to comment further, at least as far as I am concerned, I need to know more. Up to you if you want to tell us.

Yesterday I tried to upload a pic into one of my posts (see comment in the Off to Thailand thread). Just tried again and still cannot upload. I tried a few times, in all cases far less than 12MB.

Interesting observation. The Russians were unsmilingly sober and by implication the (non-Russian) falungs were a little under-the-influence and despite that giving off a more pervading feeling of unhappiness. Maybe that's a foretaste of Pattaya life in the not-too-distant future when Russians, instead of flocking to Pattaya en famille, 'spirit' themselves off on their tod to avail themselves of formerly forbidden fruit only to fall into the well-trodden trap sprung by many a falung before them, to which one may add to the "libido, funds and friends gone", stores selling bottles of cheap vodka with 'authentic' Cyrillic script sufficiently tempting to anaesthetise them back into the comfort zone of Mother Russia. Sorry, I went on a bit there, now back to your far more interesting experiences . . . Vinapu, Keep going full steam ahead with your excellent reports. As already acknowledged, your fondness for massages is most impressive! (Mods: I tried to upload a pic to accompany this post but wasn't able to. Anyone else?)

Mystery of rotating Egyptian statue solved I'd love to be able to report I'd solved the mystery, perhaps the biggest on-going mystery since the failure to crack Beachlover's real identity: Rather more mundane it turns out. . . http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/10461987/Mystery-of-rotating-Egyptian-statue-solved.html

Now, where's Jomtien when you need him?

Is this what you mean Koko? So, what was that all about? Was he really so busy he couldn't attend, or is did he just decide to skip it. I read that Kennedy was invited to attend the centenary in 1963 but went to Dallas instead. Wow, it's tempting to wonder in what ways America would've been different now had JFK opted for Gettysburg. . . By the way, good thread on GBT Where were you? Plus a poll on the assassination. http://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6191#p59032 http://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6188&start=0 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/19/obama-addresses-gettysburg-ceremony-on-tape/