Apprentices?

[kokopelli]

Matt, an interesting and thought provoking topic you raise especially for someone in their mid-thirties.

 

I will try to answer the primary question but not all the subcategories. 

Yes, since I was in my mid-thirties I have tried to foster/mentor several younger guys over the ensuing years. Not just in Thailand but at home. Sad to say but my efforts were a miserable failure. Or was it that those I mentored were miserable failures?

 

Only consolation is that some of them have had kind words for me in recent years.  One in prison wrote "what would I do without you".  Another always tells me and his friends that I was a great influence on his life and that he wished he listened more carefully and took my advice. Then there was the Canadian (Quebecois) lad who, after a period of 10 years, recently emailed me to say how much a good influence I was on him and that he had now gotten his life back together again. 

 

So, maybe some seeds fell on fertile soil?

[Guest cdnmatt]

I got it..It's a little unfair cos I'm a Mathematics teacher and I used an Excel spreadsheet to fill in the gaps.

The owner of the fish is ... ok, I don't want to spoil the fun..I should email/pm you the solution...

 

Yep, you got it.   I did the same as you, and used an Excel sheet.  I just color coded the pairs (eg. Dane + Tea, Middle House + Milk, etc.), then moved the combos around the grid as a jigsaw puzzle until it all fit.  Then there's only one box left empty, which is obviously fish.

 

I don't think that 2% of the population figure is right.  It has to be substantially higher than that, as it's not that difficult of a puzzle.  Good enough to test someone's basic analytics though.

[kokopelli]

Raw sex and Einstein's Puzzle and Excel spreadsheets have what to do with the subject post? 

 

Guess I should not have taken matt's post seriously.

[Guest ryanasia]

Did your boy get it?

[Guest cdnmatt]

Did your boy get it?

 

Nope.  Didn't even get an answer, let alone the right answer.  However, he did manage to produce 3 pages of scribbled notes of his work while trying to figure it out, which to be honest, is enough to convince me he's still worth my time.  I never really expected him to get the correct answer anyway, but just wanted to see some form of ambition / determination out of him.

[Guest ryanasia]

Honestly Iwould suck your dick for less and do a better job.

[vinapu]

I should email/pm you the solution...

Please e-mail me , since Einstein already solved it and Matt confirmed  why I should bother to unlock door open already LOL 

[kokopelli]

German

[vinapu]

German

German owes a fish? I thought ChristianPFC has a cat , not fish

[kokopelli]

Albert Einstein was German so natural this the answer to his puzzle was another German. It was another Austrian physicist, Schrodiger,  that had a cat.  Christian owns a chicken, a cock and cdnmatt owns a dog.

[Guest cdnmatt]

Huh, so far the biggest success story we've had is, "he tells me thanks for helping, and wishes he would have listened to me more".

 

That's not too encouraging.

[Moses]

cdnmatt, you wrote he likes videogames...

 

may be start here? 

 

What about his drawing skills, writing skills? 

 

Not so far ago one Japanese company published very easy in using game developing tool - check Steam for TyranoBuilder name. Also it is very cheap and if he will drop it - then you will lose nothing. It is also supported by good set of teaching video. No need to know programming or writing scripts for to make light adorable game in 2-3 days. Such game developing will help in understanding algorithms. 

 

Another idea: if he is in computers, but for him is hard to understand programming - may be hardware study? Computer and phone servicing is nice perspective too.

 

And general question: did he make test for choice of profession?

[Guest cdnmatt]

Another idea: if he is in computers, but for him is hard to understand programming - may be hardware study?

 

 

No, he's actually humming along just fine now.  I just had to get a little firm yesterday, and let him know either he starts working at this, or we drop the idea, because I'm not here to waste my time.

 

He's got basic HTML down now though, and is sitting there writing his own web pages right now.  Granted, they look like something an 8 year old would design in 1995 when Netscape Navigator was king, but hey, it's only been a few days so he's humming along fine.

 

Give him a few more days to cement basic HTML into his head, then we can move on CSS, then maybe Bootstrap, Javascript, jQuery, followed by PHP then SQL, and finally LINUX server administration.  Then see where we end up from there, as that's still just the basics. Just beginning still though, and long ways to go yet.

 

He seems quite thrilled about his gay anime web page with pink background though, lol.

 

 

And general question: did he make test for choice of profession?

 

heh, no, I highly doubt it.  Before he came here he was quite adamant about wanting to become a chef and start a small restaurant in his village.  That then changed into software development, so we'll see how it goes.  At least give it a few more weeks until he has a better understanding of what's involved, and he'll know if he wants to do it or not.

[Guest abang1961]

I am so glad to hear about his "growing" enthusiasm.

There is no need to rush in order not to "frighten" him/

As an educator myself, it is better to take things slow and built up accordingly.

[kokopelli]

matt, suggest your rename your post to "my wannabe bf is all fucked up". Wish I never had posted a reply to your original post and will remember that in the future. 

[KhorTose]

I met a well  educated, middle class Thai young man, whose only goal in life was to meet a nice man and become a loving housewife.  So I married him, and now he is gainfully employe

[Guest ryanasia]

matt, suggest your rename your post to "my wannabe bf is all fucked up". Wish I never had posted a reply to your original post and will remember that in the future. 

 

Seems a bit harsh.

[Alexx]

I met a well educated, middle class Thai young man, whose only goal in life was to meet a nice man and become a loving housewife. So I married him, and now he is gainfully employe

I've met my fair share of that type in Bangkok over the years, too. Some of them even twice, before they took off with their foreign husband and after they returned. To be brutally honest, I think my problem is that I quickly get bored of them. Or flipped around, I'm unworthy of these saints.

 

On the other end of the spectrum are the hopeless yaba addicts. Never a dull day with them, but I learned to stay away from them for my own protection.

[Guest cdnmatt]

matt, suggest your rename your post to "my wannabe bf is all fucked up". Wish I never had posted a reply to your original post and will remember that in the future. 

 

What crawled up your ass?  Apologies for replying to specific questions / remarks made towards me, instead of just ignoring those people.

 

If you have more to add to the discussion than your original reply, then by all means, go for it.  This thread has changed multiple directions already, so no reason you can't do so again.  Definitely won't get any complaints from me.

[kokopelli]

What crawled up your ass?  Apologies for replying to specific questions / remarks made towards me, instead of just ignoring those people.

 

 

 

You.  You started off an interesting post and then, on your second post, you wandered off topic which started a cascade of irrelevant replies (Einstein's Puzzle, Raw Sex for example and your "boyfriend" ) although some posters did try to stay on topic. 

Of course, derailing topics is always an ever present peril, however, you, as the OP. should have guided discussion back on topic rather than let it fragment. 

[Alexx]

On professional or high-traffic boards, I'm sympathetic to the complaint that derailing threads causes a waste of time and energy to those readers specifically interested in certain topics. But here? Please!

 

It is basically the virtual equivalent to a coffee house, where we meet like-minded people to have conversations with them. One thing leads to another, our experiences and views are all over the place, and I think it's a blessing that this board isn't over moderated. Long may it last, I say!

[Guest cdnmatt]

Of course, derailing topics is always an ever present peril, however, you, as the OP. should have guided discussion back on topic rather than let it fragment. 

 

You do realize that me as OP is just as relevant as you as contributor, right?  And right now, as contributor, you have turned this into a soured thread. because you're being the grumpy man for no reason.

 

Why not post something that you believe is more relevant and is of more interest to you, and steer the thread back onto the direction you perceive it should be on?

 

I don't know what else to post regarding mentoring young guys.  What else do you have?  For the guy I have, it's either he decides it's not for him within the next couple weeks, or we have a very boring 6 months ahead of us while he gets up to speed.

[kokopelli]

Maybe you have the right approach matt,  I think I will ask my Thai bf to keep the floor clean, go to the store/market for me and I will take care of him. Sounds like like a houseboy/maid than an apprentice to be mentored.

 

No, I did not turn this into a soured thread; that was done by others who posted on topics having little/nothing to do with your original post.

 

Mentor, a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son Telemachus.

 

 Houseboy is typically a male domestic worker or personal assistant who performs cleaning and personal chores. The term has history within British colonialism, military contexts, as well as in the Gay community.

[Guest cdnmatt]

Well geez, and here I was thinking I was being quite generous.  I guess I could start an accumulating debt with him that I require he pays back with interest, or demand sexual favors, but I'm just not that type of guy.

 

He seems quite comfortable here though. I even took his shackles off a couple days back, and he still says he wants to stay here forever.  Must have been the drugs I gave him...

[witty]

In an apprenticeship it's quite acceptable to do regular menial tasks especially when it involves full board & lodging. Any sexual interaction is strictly consensual.