tutsiwarrior

what's the big deal about flip flops? they are the thai national footwear and very cheap...just keep looking and buying at tescos until you can find a pair that 'does the trick'...the discarded ones just give to the BiLs or to other family...

I presently have a pair of Mr Stones from tesco (about thb400) that I wear around in preference to the GBP70 Clarks that I bought in the UK...the Clarks are OK for long distance and appearance but the cheap ones are OK for trips to the market and day to day and they ain't cheap looking...real nice and they hold up well on wet surfaces...but they don't give yer feet much support...but you don't expect any flip flop to do so...

and then at site and a central European boss (in a mud quagmire in a shirt and tie and a ridiculous moustache) criticises: 'your footwear is unprofessional, Mr tutsi...' tutsi: 'oh yeah? then lets trade with yer shiny shoes and I'll go barefoot and then your relaxed feet with my sandals will cause you to relax and fer you not to criticise...'...if ye gotta wear horrible, clunky safety shoes at site then what's the point of shiny formal shoes that kill yer feet?...

foot comfort is a primary consideration when at site or anywhere 10hrs per day and both asian and arab clients realise and always shuffle about in sandals...and they got the right idea...

transam, on Yesterday, 22:16 , said:

I know that it sounds fantastic, transam but it's true!...ye use the family wimmin as camoflage in Thailand...or in the Vietnam case just get one of the well dressed women that you know to accompany you in the filth and squalor of the local market then you become biblical and the sea parts before you...and no one stares!

you guys got it all wrong...it's not to promenade with yer thai lady so much as to go out with yer 'thai entourage'...

now my wife is nice lookin' and her sister is a knockout as are the older nieces but when we show up in a gang at the local market or at the big tescos in Suphan no one notices me and I can hide...

and then a couple of the family wimmin and some of the kids come along to the local market to help carry the veges and the meat and fruit (we're only 10 mins away) and then I am left on me own to admire the market wimmin flesh without notice...when they ring up the bill the only thing that they see of me is the flash of the dough...

pretty sneaky, huh?

now, try that in a small provincial town in Vietnam and ye can forget it as the sight of a westerner down the market was very unusual and people useta stare...and I'd get one of the (hi-so) girls from the site office to come with me to the market for my purchases and then she would shout: 'whaddaya think yer lookin' at?' and then the peasant market women would cower...and then she would say: 'ye got every thing ye want, mr tutsi? then let's get outta here...'...and then I would say: 'thank you for yer help, me lovely...let me buy you some dinner sometime...'...and then she would say (legs crossed and arms folded): 'I ain't one of them market wimmen, ye know ye  bastid...'...

but ye always gotta make use of the available resources...

yeah...I asked a guy in England once what cricket was all about and then he said: 'well, y'see...ye hafta defend yer wicket...'

defend the wicket? hmmmm.....

oh...I agree, how anyone could dare to sell hot dogs without mustard available...

does anyone remember the blues artist John Lee Hooker? his performances were always populated by local artists on the stage with him and there was always the 30 minute boogie with each soloing in their turn...and then John Lee (seated) would shout: 'hot dog! hot dog!' in delight...

my dad was from Tennessee and would shout 'hot dog!' whenever he was enthusiastic...just a southern fella like John Lee...