a-447

I agree. They were fantastic. However, the other parts were disappointing, as I expected Japan to use the ceremony to highlight its technology. But it's the Japanese way to take a sombre approach to things in times of crisis so I guess I'm not really all that surprised. Friends there tell me that although most people didn't want the games to go ahead, everyone is now watching. And isn't Yuto Horigame gorgeous! So "kawaii". Sponsors in Japan will be lining up to throw money at him and his face will be everywhere. One medal and his whole life has changed forever.

That is common procedure for all commercial airliners. It's called the D check and is carried out every 6 ~10 years, depending on the aircraft type.

Then there's the case of the Air France demonstration flight at an air show where the plane took off and crashed into the forest at the end of the runway.

The bars in Thailand all have CCTV, so if they really wanted to I guess the authorities could see what some of us get up to.

Unfortunately, those gates will slam shut as soon as another variant emerges. I think it's a case of a dog chasing its tail.

This comment does not only apply to Thailand. You could be talking about Australia here, too!

But also a good source of protein!

At the moment hotels would be desperate for clients so they would allow just about anything just to get some business. They'd probably even turn a blind eye if you decided to have sex at the breakfast table! A fat sausage and a couple of eggs, anyone?

The Montien Hotel near the old Soi Twilight in Bangkok didn't allow joiners at all, if memory serves me correctly. In CM I stayed at the Lotus opposite Adams Apple and there wasn't any problem as it was a "gay" hotel. The Meridien Hotel is close to the gay bars inside the night market area so it's very convenient but it's a little bit more expensive than most so you would need to check with them to see if they allow joiners. Obviously some hotels don't want customers bringing prostitutes onto the premises.

I don't think us Aussies will be able to travel to Thailand for at least 18 months to 2 years. I've given up on the idea of a trip bring possible in the near future so sadly bar openings and alcohol prices remain irrelevant. Travel to other destinations such as Singapore may be possible, but Thailand? Forget it!

Unfortunately, whenever I visited (not all that often) that was my experience, too.

That's why I wrote "often." When I asked the old German owner out BBB/Dream boys why drinks were so expensive, he told me it was all about tea money. And Moonlight and Jupiter cater to a different audience - lots of Asian women - who place more emphasis on sexiness rather than just cock.

The cost of the drinks is often a good indication of the raunchiness of the shows. The raunchier the show, the more tea money has to be paid. The bar that was opposite Hotmale had a couple of rimming shows as a prelude to the fuck shows but for some reason they were stopped after just 2 shows.

If I were a regular sauna visitor I would not be happy having to pay more because of my age, nationality or whatever. But from a business point of view it makes perfect sense.

Did you ever go to the gay cinema in Ueno, Peter? We all knew how to get each others' pants down in record time, regardless of the fashion!

I think I managed to rack up around 1200 posts under my old handle, a447a. I see my avatar has somehow become attached to that name, too. Can those posts be added to my new handle? If so, I'd go flying up the chart and have badges coming out of my ears.

That "plan" is nothing new. The government has just gone back to the original solution - vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible. It's what every other OECD country started doing as soon as vaccines became available. Our government was way too slow on the uptake, preferring to repeat it's mantra of "It's not a race, it's a marathon" and congratulating itself prematurely for the way it was handling the virus. It was the states that ended up doing the heavy lifting, Also, people are now rejecting Astra, but unlike other countries, the government did not bother to buy Pfizer and is now having trouble getting its hands on some. Until it does, Aussies are stuck at home.

I don't know what all that stuff means, either. But I just sit back and watch my collection of badges and awards grow. Some threads which were previously blocked now accessible to me. I'm guessing it's because I've made a specified number of posts. Or maybe I have earned a special badge.

Yes. Also there's an unwritten rule that if you get drunk and criticise your boss who is sitting next to you, all is forgiven and there will be no repercussions the next day in the office. It's a way to let off steam and rid yourself of stress and frustration. And it works like a charm!

We can't even leave the state, let along the country. A Japanese friend with Australian citizenship recently applied to leave Australia with his Japanese wife to return to Japan to retire. He was refused 3 times until I wrote an application for him. They returned to Japan on Singapore Airlines. There were only 6 passengers on the flight! Australia is now in almost total lockdown due to the appearance of the Delta variant. If it gets into Thailand it will wreak total havoc and we can forget about visiting for years.

I'm now vaccinated but Australia's roll-out is painfully slow. That means that we reach herd immunity sometime next year if we are lucky. And our borders will remain closed until then. So no overseas travel for us.

I believe the Asakusa 24Kaikan opened in 1912, not as a gay sauna but rather as a place for cross-dressers to meet in secret. Public bathing and gay saunas are in no way related, as PeterRS has indicated. Public bathing is all about social interaction, often based on the Japanese belief that, although their society is hierarchical and everyone knows his or her place, everyone is equal once they take their clothes off, as there is no indication of their status. My friends and I were frequent visitors to the sento (public bath), not because we didn't have our own baths but because we loved to chat with others. I, of course, had a separate interest! And lots of guys had an interest in the foreigner - I often found myself surrounded by guys wanting to see my cock. But I doubt they were gay; just curious.

Destination -Japan Rationale- I consider it my home. Before Covid I was a frequent visitor, often just for a few days to catch up with friends and celebrate birthdays, etc with them. I miss them so much! Zoom just doesn't cut it, I'm afraid. Thailand would be second on my list, I think.

Many countries treat their hi-so / wealthy citizens differently to the hoi-polloi. In Australia, politicians who misuse taxpayers' money by, for example, claiming travel expenses they are not entitled to, do not face prosecution. They just pay it back, along with an apology, and all is forgiven. I wonder what would happen if a bank robber offered to give the money back when he was arrested? Would that be permissible? Probably not!