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Tipping would be seen as an insult in Japan. A case of "Do I look as though I need the money?"

The crosswind limitation for a 747-400 is approx 30 knots in wet conditions, so I find it hard to believe the landing took place in an actual typhoon. Maybe there was one in the vicinity but such winds at ground level at the airport would have precluded a landing. If there were a tailwind, the aircraft would need a longer runway. If there were a headwind, the aircraft could be flying too slow. And as I recall, the airline policy was 2 aborted landings and then a diversion. (My father was a commercial airline pilot with Cathay and I'd love to ask him, but he is no longer with us.)

Yeah, there was the old checkerboard with the light stuck up on the hill, and as soon as you saw that, you had to bank sharply. Not really dangerous, just a little scary, especially for the passengers. The aircraft then had to descend quickly, otherwise you would land too far down the runway; maybe that's why the aircraft ended up in the ocean. All in all, a very interesting airport. But what a strange place to build one!

I wonder if that's the same guy I reported on back in January. When I got a look at it back in the room, it was nowhere near as long as it appeared on stage. That was when I started wondering - are some of those "big cocks" fake?? If not, where the fuck did the other 6 inches go?? It was nothing special at all. I now look at them with a fair amount of skepticism. Having said that, there was a HOT HOT coyote dancer who also appeared in the big cock show. He came around amongst the audience showing it to all and sundry. It was definitely real, from what I could feel!

I remember the early days at Tawan when there were young muscle guys, many of whom were quite handsome. My last 2 visits have been disappointing, as they are now just a bunch of fat old guys who make no eye contact at all. They are not averse to trying to sit with you and get a drink, though. I don't think I'll ever go back. And I had a horrible "massage" at Indra Massage across the soi. The boy was 110% straight and didn't want to do anything gay at all.

I can't believe it! Japan's number 1 gay porn star dead at the age of 29!! Read it here: https://bangkokbois.wordpress.com/

I used to LOVE rush hour! I got touched up every morning and evening - and I do mean just about EVERY MORNING and EVENING- oh the train when I was a teenager - and older. hehe. Everyone wanted to touch a gaijin cock. I met a number of guys that way and if I had the time, I was sometimes able to get off the train with them and go their apartments for a bit of fun. Problem was, sometimes I would find myself squeezed up against an unattractive, old guy and I would have to get off at the next station and change carriages. But I soon worked out how to spot cute guys waiting in line on the platform and make sure I could get near them once the pushing started. Or I'd take a quick look as I was being shoved onto the train from behind and try to manoeuvre my way next to someone. After a while, I got to be quite an expert! hehe I reckon most of the guys weren't gay; they were just curious to see if gaijins really did have 12 inch cocks! Oh...the memories! Wouldn't happen now, though.

Fountainhall got in before me! haha His suggestions are right on the button. I always hated July. Everything in the house got moldy and it was horrible. April and September are the best months for tourists. New Year the best for locals. I also agree that Shinjuku is the best place to stay. It's got everything you could ever want. Drop into the Takano Fruit Parlour just outside the east exit, opposite the ABCMart shoe shop and marvel at the most beautiful, perfect fruit you will ever see and eat! And wander around the food hall in the basement of Isetan Department Store, further down on the left. You'll be amazed! And, of course, ni-chome (the gay area) is just a short walk further down the street.

Nikkou? Kekkou!! Thanks, Fountainhall. I visited there often in my early days and LOVED it.

Thanks.

Pole dancing - isn't that what we all do when we visit LOS??

Where do I find the location experts? Are they the ones within TA itself?

I just posted off 2 emails, one to each of the guys mentioned in FH's post. I basically sent the post I made over on SGT, but added a bit more.

Halong Bay is well named. "Halong" to we get back to the shore? I found Vietnam to be absolutely full of scams and touts. It made my 3 trips unbearable, and I won't be going back. For example, I booked the most luxurious junk for the Halong Bay trip. And part o the description of the boat was perfect! It looked nothing like the photo. It was held together with superglue. Just about everything on the menu was deep-fried. At the "attractions" we were frog-marched in one end and out the other, all with great military precision. At the end of the trip, we had to settle our drinks account at the bar. I had drunk 2 Cokes and was charged US$30. When I protested, the bill was halved. One poor family, who only drank bottled water were charged US175!! Another guy got a huge bill and could not pay. When we got back to shore we saw him being marched off to the ATM machine. The staff also had the audacity to tell us that tipping was a Vietnamese custom and then handed out enveloped for the tips. Needless to say, the tips were few and far between. Even the staff at the Imperial Hotel (5 star) in Hue were in on a scam - the same scam I came across in Hoian. You book a coach to come and pick you up. While you are waiting a guy turns up on a motocycle and tells you he is here to take you to the bus. The doorman at the Imperial told me that I had to get on the motocycle, as the bus did not come to the hotel. I refused and, a few minutes later, the bus turned up! I also booked the luxury bus to go from Hoian to Hue. But again, I got the filthy, shitty bus. "Where are the reclining seats??" "Sorry. That bus no come today., Driver sick." These types of scams just went on and on and eventually, they wore me down. Basically, I just got sick of being ripped off. The taxis drivers were especially annoying. I got the distinct feeling that the Vietnamese did not want us there - they only wanted our money. There was an underlying hostility that I had never felt in any other country before. I also felt that maybe they are not yet ready for mass tourism. The staff certainly need a lot more training. I remember the staff in the Imperial Hotel were particularly sour and unhelpful. Having said that, friends who went on an organised tour did not have any of these problems. And Vietnam does have some lovely places to visit. I loved Hoian and Hue. Hanoi was ok for a few days, as was HCM city. The best thing about HCM was the hotel. I stayed at the Caravelle next to the Opera House. The food there was outstanding, as opposed to the horrible restaurant food with all its sickly sweet sauces and not so fresh ingredients. Certainly not "the old Caravel" that Khor Tose refers to! Obviously a different place altogether!

I found out, through experience, that Tripadvisor indeed does contain bogus reviews. Before a trip to Vietnam I checked my hotel reviews on TA. There were a number of recent reviews highlighting a scam going on in the hotel. Against my better judgement I decided to trust the GOOD reviews, I guess I did so because the hotel was in a perfect location. However on arrival, I found the scam to be true. "Sorry, have probrem with room. But we have other hotel you can stay." Just like reviewers had said. I, and many others, were left arguing at reception, but, in the end, could do nothing about it as we had all pre-paid. As it turned out, if you had not yet paid, you got the room you booked if you threatened to go to another hotel. Us pre-payers ended up in a dump across town whilst they sold our rooms to other guests. Got paid twice for the same room! I let the internet hotel booking site know but they did not post my review. It may have stopped people pre-paying and so the booking company would have lost revenue. I posted about my experience on TA and, low and behold, the very next day there was another review by a "guest" who said the exact opposite of what I'd written! Amazingly, he had gotten an upgrade to an even better room! And the breakfast was a buffet of gourmet delights! And there was no exposed electrical wiring in sight! And the rooms were immaculately clean! And the T.V. suddenly worked! etc. etc. How could a hotel change so quickly?? I reported it to TA but to no avail. Afterall, they get their booking commisions, too.

I went to their website yesterday and tried to post a comment on the article. But, alas, I kept getting an error message. But I will keep trying. The editor who employed this bozo should know that he is writing crap.

Yep, spot on! The magazine is getting its "reports" on the cheap. Shit, the guy doesn't even bother to google anything.

The flight attendant goes through a certain procedure to enter the cockpit, locks the door and waits for the pilot to return.. He/she then re-opens the door for the pilot; it's a bit of a complicated procedure. The remaining pilot must also put on an oxygen mask until the other pilot returns if flying above a certain flight level. There can surely be no other industry as strictly regulated as commercial airlines. So don't worry, Nirish! It's all good!

I said the story was pretty unbelievable. But then again, there's the story about the Russian pilot who let his son fly the plane - into the ground. So I guess nothing is impossible. It just seems hard to believe that the cabin attendants could sit in a cockpit with alarms going off left, right and centre and do nothing about it. And I would have imagined that the cabin crew themselves would think it unusual for both pilots to take a nap.

It's just that some of your posts are impossible to understand. You did not work hard to educate me, I can assure you. I was educated in a non-English speaking environment, so please don't think you've paid for any of my education. My parents paid. Oh, and I also worked hard. Very hard. And I am now enjoying the fruits of that hard work, something I would not begrudge anyone, no matter on which board they choose to post.

Probably very little. Just too difficult to believe.There is a system in the cockpit (Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System) which monitors pilots' reactions. If, for example, switches which should be used are not used, a series of warnings appear on Eicas, followed by audible warnings. If both pilots were sleeping, the alarms would have gone beserk.

The angle of attack is wrong. Therefore, he lost air flow over the wings and stalled. At least, that is what the video seems to show. I think anonone is correct - the AOA may have changed due to sudden cargo movement. And the pilot's cause is hampered by the fact that he needs to climb quickly. The 747 is a heavy, lumbering aircraft with very slow response times. He is too low to the ground to have sufficient time to save the situation.

It may also be worthwhile to bite the bullet, open your wallet and find a place closer to the action. Living so far out, whilst cheaper, may be limiting the action a little.

Yes, I think so. But remember that the vast majority of younger people are agnostic, gay or straight. And I agree with you that religion is fake. It is manmade; i.e. made by men, not women, to reflect the societal positions of both. That is why men pray in magnificent mosques, whilst their wifes pray in an unadorned back room down by the toilets. It is why women, not men, wear the hijab and burka.It is why there are traditionally no women priests, only men. I always wondered how seemingly very intelligent people could be religious. Until, that is, I saw a BBC documentary on the workings of the brain. Apparently, neuroscientists have found a part of the frontal lobe which deals with religion and superstition. In some people, this part of the brain is well developed and predisposes them to religious belief. I must be totally lacking that part! And, of course, religion is not based on any universal truth; it is based on where you were born. Not many Buddhists in Saudi Arabia!

Ouch!