Idle banter forum

we love postcards, religiously send them out to a growing list of friends, family, and work. I get a simple pleasure from heading to the local post office wherever we are to send stuff out. And we always bring along a stack of postcards from home (San Francisco Bay Area) to share with folks we meet along the way. This last trip we also brought along a small stack of burned music CDs to give away, we have a great collection of music from all over SouthEast Asia, old Thai and Cambodian pop, regional radio transmissions, morlam compilations, folk and ethnic music from Laos/Thailand/Cambodia/Myanmar, fun to share.

Our most recent trip was the first one I did not bring along my trusty Pentax K1000, a sturdy, no-frills workhorse. We had only my wife's digital camera, which was shared, and while I did enjoy the relative freedom of being mostly camera-free for the trip, unencumbered by the bulkier SLR, lenses and film, I am indeed lamenting the lost joy of flipping through 30 rolls of photos--although the savings of about $300 in film processing fees was also a bonus.

Didn't really carry a guidebook this last time out, simply photocopied relevant chapters for the areas we would be in, in addition to the stellar Chamapasak TravelFish Guide, of course.

"This must be a younger person's enjoyment, I grew up listening to the sounds around me, not an artificial ambience!"

Bruce
You are dating yourself. You grow up before the days of the radio or what?

Most of the sounds around me are either bad or boring. I'm all for artificial.

"The absolute worst noise experience is having those little button speakers shoved up the earholes: YUK!"

I like the "noise" from them (since I can select it), but they do get uncomfortable. They're a Godsend though, on the nightbus to Bangkok. That bus (which I must board next week) is sheer hell. Drive about four hours, then, just when I am nodding off, lights go on and we stop to eat!!! 20 minutes latter, wide awake now, lights go off, we depart, and I begin to fall asleep about three a.m. Around 5 a.m. we arrive in Rangsit and I'm getting off. Spend the rest of the day feeling like I'm hungover (maybe I should get drunk - since I pay the price anyway).

My hair is greying too. I don't care though. I don't have to look at it. Most of it's falling out anyway.

Does this give the "hangover" effect I get from most other sleeping agents? I read up on it on the net after you posted, but the warnings there made it sound like a mild version of rat poison. I suspect there was hyperbole in the warning label.

John

Temazipan 10mg works for me. My wife is an RN, and indicated that at that strength, it works for about 4 hours (so if you should awaken during the 1st 4 hours, you'll be back to sleep pronto). I've found that if I haven't used them for about 3 months, yes, i do feel a bit drowsy during the next morning. But, if I've used them within that 3 month (or so) period, I'm OK the next am. But, I only use them sparingly. horses for courses, I suppose.

SBE

My solution has been to try and get to the back of the bus, and if the noise becomes too loud, I ask the driver to turn the volume down. Sometimes works, but when it doesn't, I go and rip the wires out of the speakers. I take the attitude that they don't care about my (dis)comfort, so why should I care about them.

Cheers

SBE

In part I agree with you.

But, I've also found that in mainland SEA, the men grap the front seats and the older ppl and women are left to take the rear. And, these are the ppl that are willing to engage with a grey haired old western 'fart'.

Yep, sometimes rows and rows of speakers. So, if I'm up the back, I just pull the cords out from the back to the front until I get the volume down in the back.

As for bumpiness... If I'm wanting to travel fast, I take a VIP bus. If not, the local buses don't go that fast and bumpiness doesn't appear to be a big problem.

The chuck section... One can never avoid this (even up front I suggest). I long ago worked out that travel sickness is partly because the traveller doesn't keep eye contact with the horizon. So, the more the ppl are engaged in conversation and looking around, (hopefully) the less likely for the big technicolour yawn. I find it odd that ppl who feel sick put their heads down and wonder why they get sicker. Oh, well!!!

Cheers

Allrighty Bruce, I'll give em a try. Thanks for the tip. Hard for this trip to be worse than it already is.