SAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

[bill13060 0]

Well we can use the Asia: East and Pacific (Except China) forum, and Daboyz has started a Thailand thread, but we can certainly start more than one thread there. As for the other groups... I think we are outnumbered!

Laugh. Brushing up om my Tagalog.

Thats how i feel at work!!!!!!

You're going to have to elaborate on that one! Where do you work, and are you saying your surrounded by Filipino's?!

I'm in the military and yes i am surrounded by filipinos. all i hear is tagalog talk all day. i speak more tagalog than thai

[*Robert* 2]

I'm in the military and yes i am surrounded by filipinos. all i hear is tagalog talk all day. i speak more tagalog than thai

Which service are you in? I am a Navy Veteran, and now I'm a Civil Servant working for the Air Force. There are two Filipino MSgt's in my squadron, so I get to hear them speaking Tagalog as well. Like you, it gives me a chance to practice my Tagalog! I only know of one Thai Captain working in a different group than mine, so no chance to talk to her.

[bill13060 0]

I'm in the military and yes i am surrounded by filipinos. all i hear is tagalog talk all day. i speak more tagalog than thai

Which service are you in? I am a Navy Veteran, and now I'm a Civil Servant working for the Air Force. There are two Filipino MSgt's in my squadron, so I get to hear them speaking Tagalog as well. Like you, it gives me a chance to practice my Tagalog! I only know of one Thai Captain working in a different group than mine, so no chance to talk to her.

I am in the Navy. I enlisted in 89, been here ever since. I spent my first two years in Sicily, I did ten years stationed on the East coast and transfered to the West coast back in Apr 2001. June 5 will be my 20 year anniversary. I'm hoping to retire from the Navy in 2012. Hopefully i can get a Civil Servant job when i retire, just have to see whats out there i guess.

Edited April 16, 2009 by will92104

[*Robert* 2]

I am in the Navy. I enlisted in 89, been here ever since. I spent my first two years in Sicily, I did ten years stationed on the East coast and transfered to the West coast back in Apr 2001. June 5 will be my 20 year anniversary. I'm hoping to retire from the Navy in 2012. Hopefully i can get a Civil Servant job when i retire, just have to see whats out there i guess.

Cool! You joined the year I got out to go to college. It was time to go back to Sea Duty, and I was being pushed to take the Chiefs exam, and since trying to get the Navy to send me to college was more trouble than it was worth, I decided to get out after 11 years and get my BSEE from Texas A&M. It was a difficult decision, and the one thing I regret now, is not going back active duty afterwards. I was stationed at NAS Lemoore for 10 years and did 3 WestPacs. 1 on the Kitty Hawk and 2 on the Enterprise. Was on Beach Det at NAS Cubi Pt for over 6 mos which is when I picked up Tagalog! Got out as an AT1(AW). At least by being Civil Service, I was able to "purchase" my 11 years from the Navy towards my retirements and time of service.

Thanks for serving!

[scandal 951]

Thanks for serving!

and another for aggie's service

[Danno2 0]

<-___Ladies and gentlemen

<-___That cuttie to the left

<-___That girl i love

<-___Yes that girl

<-___YES HER

Is comming to the USA this summer!

NOA2 - 4/9/2009 --- VSC-107 days

Edited April 16, 2009 by Danny and Chada

[*Robert* 2]

Thanks for serving!

and another for aggie's service

Thanks, Ron!

Wish I could say it was all my idea, but I was a problem child growing up (I know its hard to believe), and I was told by my father that I had 2 weeks after graduating HS to get out of the house! I started looking for recruiters, and decided on the Navy, since it had both of the things I loved... Ships & Aircraft! As a big "Star Trek" fan growing up, I could only dream of one day ending up on the "Big E", aka the USS Enterprise, CVN-65.

I am proud of my military service, and my continued service to the DoD. I have been working for the DoD in some sort or fashion since 1978, and have always enjoyed it. Now I launch space vehicles for a living!

I traveled a lot growing up with my family, and continued traveling in the military. Because of the military, and my travels overseas, I learned how fortunate Americans truly are, and fell in love with Asia in the process. My first time to Thailand was with my family in 1968, and even as a young boy, I fell in love with Thailand because of the people, the food, and the culture. What struck me most, was the architecture of the Wats and Grand Palace, which I am still in love with today. My second trip back was in 2001 and have spent almost a year in-country and traveled extensively throughout Thailand.

I have done my share of living in “third world” countries, and because of it, never look down on my hosts or take them for granted, no matter where I am living. In my heart, I feel Thailand is one of the best places I have ever lived, and that is why I really dislike anyone saying anything bad about it, and why that is where I will retire. I just hope & pray that all the current problems in Thailand will get resolved.

[Danno2 0]

<-___Ladies and gentlemen,

<-___That cuttie to the left

<-___That girl I love

<-___Yes that girl

<-___YES HER

Is comming to the USA this summer!

NOA2 - 4/9/2009 --- VSC-107 days

Edited April 16, 2009 by Danny and Chada

[*Robert* 2]

Danny... Modest na!

Congrats on getting your hardcopy NOA2!

Edited April 16, 2009 by roi_aggie

[AaronLV 12]

Congrats Danny. It will go really fast now!

[scandal 951]

<-___Ladies and gentlemen,

<-___That cuttie to the left

<-___That girl I love

<-___Yes that girl

<-___YES HER

Is comming to the USA this summer!

NOA2 - 4/9/2009 --- VSC-107 days

Danny ... Chada....

That's absolutely WONDERFUL news!!!! I'm so happy to hear that you got it! I had a feeling you were getting close, glad that today's the day.

She must be ecstatic, as must you be.

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!

:star: :star:

:dance: :dance:

[scandal 951]

I traveled a lot growing up with my family, and continued traveling in the military. Because of the military, and my travels overseas, I learned how fortunate Americans truly are, and fell in love with Asia in the process. My first time to Thailand was with my family in 1968, and even as a young boy, I fell in love with Thailand because of the people, the food, and the culture. What struck me most, was the architecture of the Wats and Grand Palace, which I am still in love with today. My second trip back was in 2001 and have spent almost a year in-country and traveled extensively throughout Thailand.

I have done my share of living in “third world” countries, and because of it, never look down on my hosts or take them for granted, no matter where I am living. In my heart, I feel Thailand is one of the best places I have ever lived, and that is why I really dislike anyone saying anything bad about it, and why that is where I will retire. I just hope & pray that all the current problems in Thailand will get resolved.

So, while we have very different life experiences, what struck me in the above para's is how much resonated with my own.

I am entirely a non-military kinda guy- I let my kid brother do all the action-hero stuff on behalf of our family; he was in the Israeli army (Givati) and has stories to tell.

However I've also lived and traveled quite extensively throughout the world. And I do feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to live "here" as opposed to "there". I'm actually very conflicted about what "here" means to me. Sometimes I mean generally "in the Western developed world of free societies". Sometimes I mean much more particularly "Canada+US", the two countries I feel very strong ties to and who's cultures are so very similar, and yet so subtly different. And sometimes I find myself feeling obnoxiously patriotic to one or the other. Apparently I've decided that I really feel more American than anything else, so here I am in the US, petitioning to bring my fiancee here and start our life together here. We openly discussed the other options: Having her join me in Israel, where I was living at the time we met, Having her join me in Canada, where I grew up and spent the majority of my life, or even the option of my joining her in Thailand. I'm happy with the choice we've made. I have the greatest respect for the values and freedoms that America represents. No doubt, there are many shortcomings in this country. But I feel very strongly that no other country on Earth has gone to greater lengths to protect and promote liberty and freedom throughout the world. The graveyards of Normandy and Arlington and countless other cemeteries and ocean-depths are testimony to this.

Like you, I am mesmerized by Thailand. I love the food, the architecture, the grace, the natural beauty of the north and the islands to the south, and even the nuttiness and insanity of the place. I love the stark contrast of the 'anything goes' liberal attitudes towards katoeys and homosexuality in general against the relatively strict and traditional attitudes towards displays of public affection. I find the reverence for the Royal family very moving, although my western liberalism is disturbed by the strict enforcement of a law I see as fundamentally undemocratic, regarding disrespectful speech regarding the King. (e.g. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...oryId=99855383)

Thailand has the basis to emerge as one of the Asian tigers - along the lines of South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. It has the educational institutions, the infrastructure base, the work ethic, and the natural resources to be a very prosperous nation. Those nations had GDPs and growth rates comparable to Thailand's a few decades ago. The difference between those countries and Thailand is largely due to the crippling corruption that saps enterprise and initiative. It is so sad to see it from the outside. I hope that Thailand does emerge from this crisis for the better, and begins its long march towards its potential as a strong, free, prosperous society with its own unique and wonderful culture. I will be thrilled to be able to visit there regularly with my wife-to-be, and perhaps one day spend our retirement years there.

[*Robert* 2]

Well said, Ron.

I wish you would post the same over in the new Thailand Thread, especially about the laws regarding disrespectful speech regarding the King. I guess that's why I get so up in arms when someone says anything bad about the Royal family, because I respect those laws. American's forget that our "freedom of speech" is not upheld worldwide! Even my wife, when I had her read some of the posts was shocked, and worried that "someone" would track the IP address' and go after anyone saying anything negative towards the King!

[Danno2 0]

Danny... Modest na!

Congrats on getting your hardcopy NOA2!

Yes thats me in full dork mode. I'll be intolerably happy for days so I'm apologizing in advance...

[*Robert* 2]

Danny... Modest na!

Congrats on getting your hardcopy NOA2!

Yes thats me in full dork mode. I'll be intolerably happy for days so I'm apologizing in advance...

Not a problem Danny! I remember what it was like!

Reality Check: The fun has just begun! B)