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SPOILER ALERT -- Nothing remotely gay but members who've traveled in Vietnam, or just fans of its cuisine, may find it of interest. Excerpts from NY Times When I returned to Vietnam in 2015 — my first visit since serving there with the Army in 1967 and ’68 — I was a bit nervous about how my wartime experiences would match up with today’s realities. One of my biggest worries was how I would react to the food. I’ve traveled the world over the past 50 years, so I wasn’t afraid that the food served in Vietnam today would be too exotic or unpalatable to my Western tastes. But I was also coming with a conviction to do something I had carefully avoided in the ’60s: eating it. Modern Americans, who have lived with Vietnamese cuisine for decades, might find my youthful fear of the local cuisine a bit strange. But America in the 1960s wasn’t just a less cosmopolitan place, with a less adventurous palate; the food I encountered — and avoided — in the field was a far cry from the Americanized pho and banh mi dishes that we think of as “Vietnamese” food today. Those people I encountered in the field, far away from Saigon, led an elemental, communal lifestyle that Thoreau would have celebrated. Most of the population in the rice-growing region existed in pre-modern isolation on thousands of tiny islets that dotted the paddies. One day when I was on patrol, a little girl stopped me and indicated, by sign language, that she needed my help (she spoke no English, and I understood almost no Vietnamese). She wanted me to lift a heavy, solid-wood object that looked like a large plug or bottle stopper. When I did, she pointed to a wooden box on legs filled with a wet, pulpy mass. As I placed the plug into the box, the girl slid an aluminum pan below it and, as the heavy plug pressed down on the pulp, rice noodles extruded from the bottom of the box! Simple, yet effective. Perhaps the most extreme example of a local delicacy that was just too foreign for American palates was nuoc mam — the pungent fish-based sauce used as a condiment on Vietnamese food. These days, nuoc mam can be found in many well-stocked food stores and restaurants here in the United States. But the sauce used so liberally by Vietnamese when we were deployed there — especially the powerful, homegrown version made by those villagers living out in the paddies — bears little relation to the stuff bottled and sold today. Just ask any American soldier who served in Vietnam at that time; it was raw white lightning compared with a fine vintage wine. Tastes change, and mine have certainly matured from when I was a 19-year-old soldier on my first trip to an exotic land far from the familiar customs and foods I grew up with. And nuoc mam is more refined as well, I suspect in part to make it more universally palatable — or at least commercially viable — to the international set. I recently read an online post that described how nuoc mam is commercially produced for modern diners, using anchovies caught in the coastal waters off Vietnam. It is still pungent, but it’s definitely not the foul-smelling, tear-inducing nuoc mam I remember from “back in the day.” I dared to try it during my 2015 visit and discovered, to my everlasting surprise, that it is tasty and inoffensive. But travelers who now flock to Vietnam and other areas of Southeast Asia seeking an “authentic” dining experience need to get out into the more remote countryside beyond their guided tours, and sample the local cuisine doused with nuoc mam the way the locals like it — pungent, powerful and, in so many ways, unforgettable. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/opinion/when-american-soldiers-met-vietnamese-cuisine.html

From NY Times For a fashion model, success is the ability to incite desire. The job requirements often include nudity and feigning seduction; provocation is a lever for sales. In the industry, boundaries between the acceptable and the unacceptable treatment of models have been etched in shades of gray. This has allowed prominent photographers to cross the line with impunity for decades, sexually exploiting models and assistants. The experience, once seen as the price models had to pay for their careers, is now being called something else: abuse of power and sexual harassment. Fifteen current and former male models who worked with Bruce Weber, whose racy advertisements for companies like Calvin Klein and Abercrombie & Fitch helped turn him into one of the foremost commercial and fine art photographers, have described to The New York Times a pattern of what they said was unnecessary nudity and coercive sexual behavior, often during photo shoots. The men recalled, with remarkable consistency, private sessions with Mr. Weber in which he asked them to undress and led them through breathing and “energy” exercises. Models were asked to breathe and to touch both themselves and Mr. Weber, moving their hands wherever they felt their “energy.” Often, Mr. Weber guided their hands with his own. “I remember him putting his fingers in my mouth, and him grabbing my privates,” said the model Robyn Sinclair. “We never had sex or anything, but a lot of things happened. A lot of touching. A lot of molestation.” In accounts going back to the mid-1990s, 13 male assistants and models who have worked with the photographer Mario Testino, a favorite of the English royal family and Vogue, told The Times that he subjected them to sexual advances that in some cases included groping and masturbation. Representatives for both photographers said they were dismayed and surprised by the allegations. “I’m completely shocked and saddened by the outrageous claims being made against me, which I absolutely deny,” Mr. Weber said in a statement from his lawyer. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/style/mario-testino-bruce-weber-harassment.html

You'll find that they'll stop talking if they have your tongue or some appendage in their mouth.

The presence of young Chinese guys on Twilight (and also on 4) certainly drew my attention on last trip. They come alone, in groups and are a far cry from the package tourists who occasionally pass through behind a flag bearer. They appear to be seasoned travelers and very much at ease. Thanks for an entertaining report. Now go out and pamper yourself.

Seldz, hope your trip is progressing in a good direction. Don't blame yourself because many of the boys may simply be a bit overworked this time of year and the exhaustion can show in their attitude and performance. One of the reasons I time my visits to avoid the holiday period. Some complain that they dislike low season because they feel intimidated if they find themselves the lone, or one of few, customers in a bar or massage shop. I view it more as an opportunity: the boys may have to lower their standards while I get to raise mine.

From NHK News Settlers from China are displacing Thai businesses in their own backyard. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20180111194542984/

From Straits Times BANGKOK - Several areas of Bangkok were flooded on Wednesday (Jan 10) as torrential rain caused chaos on roads in the Thai capital, affecting hundreds of office workers during rush hour, the Bangkok Post reported. The pre-dawn thunderstorm slowed traffic to a crawl on Lat Phrao Road, a major road in the capital, with floodwaters surging to 20cm deep along a 400m stretch of the road. Pedestrians were also affected as footpaths near the road's Tawana Market area were also submerged in floodwaters, the paper reported on its website. Bangkok's Bang Kapi district was flooded, with the water reaching 30cm deep at a carpark located in the district, damaging many vehicles, The Nation reported. Heavy traffic due to the floods was also reported at Sukhumvit Road with water levels there measuring between 15 to 20cm, the Bangkok Post said. In the north-eastern Kalasin province, the temperature had dropped to 16 deg C, with locals resorting to lighting bonfires in order to keep warm. The freak weather is set to bring more rain to Bangkok and the upper regions of Thailand throughout the day. A "rapid drop in temperatures" is also expected on Thursday, with Bangkok and the nearby provinces expected to see the mercury falling by 4 to 6 deg C. The cold spell is expected to continue until Jan 15, the paper said. http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-downpour-causes-floods-and-traffic-chaos-in-several-areas-of-bangkok

At the risk of repeating myself, GC is as much a social club for the guys as it is a hands-on bar. But happy to see that your evening ended in bliss.

Think your best bet for a satisfactory experience (especially for newcomer) is Arena or Banana Club. (not unusual for first-time visitors to pick up a food-related bug).

An 800 baht omelette! Not what i think of when I think of street food. And this pic of Jay Fai (from Eater website) looks more like a small restaurant than the typical Bangkok cooked food vendor. I think it's hard to top Vinapu's zero-star nominee, Pat Pong's Foodland restaurant where it's difficult to spend 100 baht for your choice of eggs. And when your appetite is sated, you're only steps away (in any direction) from the other pleasures of your choice.

Excerpts from the Independent (UK) Raan Jay Fai is known for its crab omelettes Receiving a Michelin Star may be one of the highest honours bestowed on a chef - but for one street vendor in Bangkok, life, before she received the star, was preferable - and she would like to give the star back. The vendor, which can be found on the corner of Soi Samran Rat in the Phra Nakhon area of Bangkok, used to be relatively inconspicuous. Now, since receiving her one Michelin Star in December, the vendor is hard to miss - because the line for her food wraps around the block. While this may sound like a good thing, for Supinya Junsuta, who goes by Jay Fai, the attention has been unwanted - and unwelcome. According to reports by Eater, the distinction has “drawn the attention of tourists, foodies, and even a couple of curious tax department officials to Raan Jay Fai’s small space.” And now Jay Fai, the 72-year-old chef whose crab omelettes are responsible for drawing the crowd, wants to give the star back because, in addition to the crowds, the star has caused other annoyances. Fai said: “Many people come just to see and take pictures and not necessarily to eat.” http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bangkok-street-vendor-michelin-star-raan-jay-fai-give-back-a8150341.html

If authorities in Pattaya want to crack down on something that will have a positive effect on the community, it would be hard to find a better example than reckless driving. Three people killed and the sum of their ages is estimated at only 65 years. You might lose your money and your heart in the bars, but you knew that before you went in. These poor souls lost everything in a few seconds of mayhem totally devoid of any pleasure. What a waste. From Bangkok Post CHON BURI: A Russian man riding a powerful motorbike with a Thai woman on the backseat ran into a South Korean pedestrian, killing all three of them, in Pattaya beach township early on Tuesday. The triple-death crash occurred on Pattaya Road heading to Jomthien beach in front of Soi Pattaya 7 in tambon Nong Plue, Bang Lamung district, shortly after midnight. Police and rescue workers called to the scene found an unidentified Thai woman, aged 20-25, unconscious on the road with serious injuries. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but died soon after. A 22-year-old Russian, identified as Aleksandr Zakharov, was found dead in a pool of blood. The body of a South Korean man, identified later as Yongseok Choi, 20, was found nearby. A totally wrecked Kawazaki Z900 motorcycle with a Chon Buri licence plate was lying about 200 metres away. Witnesses told police the motorbike was travelling at high speed with the Thai woman riding pillion. It hit the South Korean man as he was crossing the road with other people. https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1392918/three-killed-in-tourists-big-bike-crash-in-pattaya

I've used terms like "otherwise straight" or "Thai straight" to try to convey this situation which is think is becoming more common as the ratio of straight to gay guys on the game seems to be increasing. My definition of straight in LOS has evolved to mean not feminine in role or demeanor. It doesn't preclude them from having--and frequently enjoying--the sex. However, doing anything they consider girlish or in the domain of a ladyboy they (thankfully!) reject. That doesn't mean that as they become more comfortable with the customer that they may feel freer go with the flow of the moment. They are, after all, behind closed doors and the inhibitions can drop away quite unexpectedly. That they may go home to their girlfriends later makes it--for me--all the more satisfying.

Just read a447a's latest post about a 2,000 bht proffer at Bonny and now I see it again at Nakarat. This appears to be concerted high-season pricing because I understand from a few boys that it was particularly busy over the holidays. These were not the going rates in early December when 1200 would have been gladly accepted for 1 hour. I believe that a bit of negotiation would produced a more agreeable figure. I suspect that the guys figure that they're unlikely to see most of the first-time customers again. But when the crowds dwindle regular pricing returns. In retrospect, no different that what the airlines and hotels do during periods of peak demand.

GoldMember wrote: "We check out. He escorts me to the motor taxi. We both get emotional and cry. That was to be expected. Chemistry was intense between us. I give him a big hug and kiss, tell him that I love him, and that hopefully I will see him in a year or two. I go on the motor taxi, and tell him to take me straight to The Prince. Drama is over. I have about 7 more hours till heading to the airport." ---------- Loved the emotional scene after checkout but extol the fact that you were able to keep your priorities in order and proceeded directly to Prince.

Excerpts from South China Morning Post It took the creators of the documentary Boys For Sale more than a year to fully win the confidence of the male prostitutes, owners of gay and lesbian bars and operators of the notorious urisen parlours that dot Tokyo’s 2-chome gay district. Once they had been accepted – producer Ian Thomas Ash admitted the entire budget for the first year of the project was spent on alcohol to smooth introductions – the full seedy and contradictory nature of Japan’s commercial male sex scene was laid bare. Boys For Sale has won four film festival awards this year in Los Angeles, South Africa, Mexico and Ecuador, and had its Japan premiere on November 26 as part of Tokyo Aids Week 2017. And Ash, who has worked on a number of hard-hitting documentaries in Japan in the past 15 years, admitted he was shocked at what he discovered during the making of the movie. “We started working on the idea more than 10 years ago and the production process took four years,” said Ash, who was part of a six-person team that included director Itako and Adrian Storey, who served as director of photography. Ash said it was impossible to get an accurate grasp of the number of young men working as male prostitutes in and around 2-chome, as many operate online and are “delivered” to customers, but 1,000 seemed a reasonable estimate, according to Ash. The other surprising discovery was the number of young men who had come to Tokyo from areas hit hard by the earthquake, tsunami and meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant in March 2011. Another revelation in the movie, which uses animated sequences to depict parts of the story that were impossible to film, was that many of the young men who provide sexual services are not themselves homosexual. “To them, it is just a job,” Ash said. “And it was surprising to me that they talked so openly with their girlfriends about what they did for a living. I do not want to generalise about what is acceptable to Japanese women but the men that we spoke with said their girlfriends said they had no problem with their jobs.” And as the manager subsequently of an urisen bar, he explains the advice he doles out to young men who are unable to get an erection when they are with a client and what they should focus on. “Money,” he says. “Making money will get you hard.” http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2127079/boys-sale-dark-world-japans-gay-prostitution

Thanks for taking me someplace I'll never go on my own. Your narration and impressions truly convey what it's like being inside the ropes. You managed well to sidestep the potential pitfalls and zeroed in on getting the best out of your experience. That's a lesson all us can benefit from regardless of our age or experience level. You were indeed fortunate to have the ideal mate for the trip, and he you. Your adventures couldn't have come at a better time for those freezing back here in north America or the EU. Wouldn't we all. LOL

I never flush down my chosen medicine; I savor it.

From Asia One When it comes to getting around Bangkok, we usually think of taxis, tuk-tuks, and skytrains. But there's another way to travel that doesn't involve gridlock or large crowds. It's boats. The Chao Phraya Express Boat system is reliable and efficient - the boats run on a fixed schedule, and all piers along the river are clearly marked in English and Thai. Here's our pick of the most interesting pier stops found along the scenic 21km route. Continues with pics http://www.asiaone.com/travel/hop-boat-get-these-bangkok-attractions

From Bangkok Post The Land Transport Department will launch a new app on Jan 25 aimed at improving safety for passengers. Department director-general Sanit Promwong said the Taxi OK app will be ready for download and operational starting from that date. Riders will pay an extra 20 baht for using the app to call a cab, he added. https://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/local-news/1391814/new-taxi-app-aims-to-boost-safety-convenience

Lifestyle, Health and Wellbeing Here's why you should not have penis whitening surgery While Thailand is seeing a surge in men going in for penis whitening surgeries, doctors have warned people paying for the expensive procedure that the treatment risks infertility and its effects are temporary. Last month saw more than 100 men making a pilgrimage to The Lelux Hospital in Bangkok which began offering the unconventional treatment six months ago. After a surge in the its popularity experts have warned the procedure could cause infection scarring and, in rare case, infertility. Director of Thailand's Department of Medical Services Dr Mingkwan Wichaidit said that a penis is bound to return to its natural color since the human body will continue to produce melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its distinct tone. This means that over time it will reverse the expensive laser treatment. However, side effects, she added, could include infection and serious scarring. Dr. Mingkwan noted there was still no evidence to suggest the process was 100 per cent safe on any kind of genital area. To further it all, Deputy director of the Health Service Support Department Dr. Thongchai Teerahattayakorn added that penis whitening could potentially affect men's fertility. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/060118/heres-why-you-should-not-have-penis-whitening-surgery.html

A447a wrote "So off I want to Golden Cock. The guys I had so much fun with on previous visits were nowhere to be seen. A new guy came and sat with me. He had been drinking and so was very affectionate. It didn't take him long to get the goods out. Unfortunately, they had a karaoke night and the boys, including the one sitting with me, were more interested in singing then entertaining any prospective customers. My guy grabbed the microphone and sat next to me "singing". It was unbearable, so I got up and left." ----------- Was he a Lao guy, about 22?

Veggie. Had a late evening flight on last departure so I went to Madrid for mid-afternoon lunch. Usually get beer with it but Madrid had a Wednesday wine special (100 baht) so I had that instead. And it was a generous pour.

It's all part of the learning curve. Sounds like you had a great dance partner who fulfilled your desires in that department. Agree that 2:35 is a disappointing time to realize that your other desire would go wanting. But since I don't think that was discussed in advance, he's free to make his departure at will. Think I would have stayed with the 2500 and omitted the taxi bonus. When you factor in the other costs (1900 if I caught them all), it's a 5,000 baht event. But you found an enthusiastic dance partner that eluded you the other night and will have a good memory.

Think I'll stick to a pizza at the Madrid. From Coconuts Bangkok Dinner In The Sky Thailand, a culinary experience high above the city skyline and hosted among the stars officially launches its inaugural flight in Bangkok today. This is the first time this global phenomenon has been made available to Thais and international visitors to Thailand. Featuring the world’s only suspended high-altitude dinner table, guests are seated securely at a height of 50m where they enjoy a four-course gourmet dinner with astonishing views of the Bangkok skyline. Dinner In The Sky Thailand is located between The Emporium Shopping Complex, the Benchasiri Park and Dinosaur Planet (right next to BTS Phrom Phong). The launch program includes a Gala event joined by VIP and media guests, and celebrities including Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Ms Plernpit Muenpon, Executive Director, Information Technology Office, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Woody and his Friends. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/food-drink/dinner-sky-takes-off-thailand-first-time-ever/