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Two years in retirement, let’s have a look back.


Thai Spice

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It good to see you view in this matter and I think what you do with all this free time is the key to it all.

realised this when I was in Pattaya not for my self but for other where i was installing video tv boxes, I'd always get chatting to the buyer while i'd be installing the box and i'd find out they are board and spend too much time on the booze.

Many i'd offer a after service and call back maybe a month a so down the line to find the spending all the time on the booze had stopped and they have spare money to do things.

its amazing a little bit of tv and a few movies changed many of them..

I see many blow everything before time and go back home with nothing..

I've never once looked at you and thought your one of them as you keep your self busy all the time. 👍

One of the reasons i've not continued building the house in Udon as when its time to move there it was going to be my project.

I think you need a purpose in life.. 

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29 minutes ago, Lanzalad said:

It good to see you view in this matter and I think what you do with all this free time is the key to it all.

realised this when I was in Pattaya not for my self but for other where i was installing video tv boxes, I'd always get chatting to the buyer while i'd be installing the box and i'd find out they are board and spend too much time on the booze.

Many i'd offer a after service and call back maybe a month a so down the line to find the spending all the time on the booze had stopped and they have spare money to do things.

its amazing a little bit of tv and a few movies changed many of them..

I see many blow everything before time and go back home with nothing..

I've never once looked at you and thought your one of them as you keep your self busy all the time. 👍

One of the reasons i've not continued building the house in Udon as when its time to move there it was going to be my project.

I think you need a purpose in life.. 

Keeping yourselve busy and your mind awake and sharp is vital.

 

 

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Filled my time in the UK with walking and cycling clubs as keeping fit is important.  Also house improvements.

Having a timetable, IE.. Getting up at the same time as when you were working, is important. Good thing about joining groups is you do meet people from all walks of life and form new friendships. Look forward to regular three month break in Thailand. 

As for a partner, hmm not sure I want this full time. Had a Thai GF visit UK for five months, and was relieved when she went home which surprised me. 

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Good post TS , it's been 20 months for me and Its flown by ...

I don't miss working , apart from the social interaction..  have enjoyed being able to watch the footy and cricket WC matches and the TDF in the afternoons , plus I was busy decorating and furnishing a new apartment and getting the snags sorted out , I am still in the process of selling my old home hopefully that completes at the end of this month ... 🤞

I don't get up at 06:30 any more , normally it's around 09:00

I go to the gym , pool and sauna a few times a week , particularly enjoyable when it is quiet during the daytime ..and when the weather improves I'll get my push bike out 

I meet up with my Dad for lunch a couple of times a week 

my main hobby is Family History ( Genealogy )  and I aim to spend more time on that and write up my research so I can share it with other family members 

Plus I want to travel more , not just Asia , there are loads of places I haven't seen in Europe that are on my bucket list 

 

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Sarcasm mode OFF

Nice post TS, what does SITREP mean? I think it's interesting to hear how people handle one of the biggest transitions of their life. Add in moving to another country plus the relationship challenges. Fair fucks to you mon ami 🙂

 

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8 hours ago, Stillearly said:

Good post TS , it's been 20 months for me and Its flown by ...

I don't miss working , apart from the social interaction..  have enjoyed being able to watch the footy and cricket WC matches and the TDF in the afternoons , plus I was busy decorating and furnishing a new apartment and getting the snags sorted out , I am still in the process of selling my old home hopefully that completes at the end of this month ... 🤞

I don't get up at 06:30 any more , normally it's around 09:00

I go to the gym , pool and sauna a few times a week , particularly enjoyable when it is quiet during the daytime ..and when the weather improves I'll get my push bike out 

I meet up with my Dad for lunch a couple of times a week 

my main hobby is Family History ( Genealogy )  and I aim to spend more time on that and write up my research so I can share it with other family members 

Plus I want to travel more , not just Asia , there are loads of places I haven't seen in Europe that are on my bucket list 

 

Thanks mate, and replying to a few of the points you raised :

Social life : Yep, my social life was mainly centered around my job, and working colleagues, so that is a bit a empty void now. Add the fact that a majority of residents here are Australians, a circle I have "culturally" little in common with. I mean, sitting in a noisy sport bar drinking beer for hours while watching sport on TV is not my thing. Most socializing happens now in my "regular french cantine" where at least I can speak my language. 

Getting up : still 06.00 am for me. And 07.00 am I am in the pool. But I have been an early raiser all my live. Wake up in the jungle residence even a bit earlier, thanks to my mate Ahmed !

Travelling : Having travelled extensively during my "career" I am tired of it now, and really not motivated.

 

Edited by Thai Spice
Grammar
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On 1/15/2020 at 12:58 PM, Thai Spice said:

33)     Staying with your partner 24/7 :

For people having had a nomad professional lifestyle, this IS quite a challenge !  And even for people who had a more “regular” 8-17 job and every evening at home. I have known several couples who struggled seriously with this part, even in the West.

It is a big difference seeing your companion every weekend, or even every evening and being 24/7 with her. In my case I apprehended it a bit, but as we still have our regular separations when the Miss is in Java and me here alone, I makes for nice breaks appreciated by both and it works.  Here again a reasonable age difference probably helps as well !

 

 

Moving from Country to Country ---- I have done that since I was out of school ... all over Europe, South America and Asia -- for over 25 years and I am still going strong ... it has been an adventure and would not change a thing ... except some of the crazed women I have been with -- or just maybe I made them crazy -- never mind though

Staying with your partner 24/7 --- this has been easy for me -- the only women I have ever cared about is Beach gal ... she is so easy to be around ... but,  I still take off to BKK a week or 10 days a every month .. she is cool with it ... no problems ever with her ... I think I would go crazy tied to a woman 24 * 7 * 365 .. no way .. I could never handle that ... I need to feel free and when ever I get the urge just get away ... this has nothing to do with Beach gal -- nothing .. she is a life time keeper for me ...

I have been alone my entire life .. that feels normal to me .. never answering to anyone or caring for their feelings ... just living on my terms .. my way .. being free ... ( sounds selfish - I know ) -- in life I am not a man with a lot of words .. talk is cheap I have always thought ... so that is why I have always avoided anything serious .. to much drama, emotions and talk from all woman .... and it is a waste of time ( IMHO ) to wait and see when the going gets tough .. will they get tough also ?  Most won't ....

Don't know what compels me to being by myself and do whatever I want to do ... but, Beach Gal has made a significant change inside me .. and for the better ...

 

Edited by code_slayer_bkk
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Great thread TS but I'm loathed to get involved right now. 9 months since finishing work and the main purpose of that was to spend more time with the TW based in Sweden. 

I've considered hi jacking Codes thread re the drug addiction of an acquaintance of his and have been encouraged to do so by the occasional bm... But I think it's asking to much of me or the bms to get involved. Even though I have no choice. 

Let's just say taking care of a mother who has bowel cancer along with a long term drug addict who don't give a shit for anyone unless it's herself doesn't bode well for a year off work by myself. 

And being made guilty for being away from my wife for a couple of weeks is taking its toll. 

Let's just say my part time retirement, a sojourn, hasn't turned out as I expected. 

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4 hours ago, Aqualung said:

Great thread TS but I'm loathed to get involved right now. 9 months since finishing work and the main purpose of that was to spend more time with the TW based in Sweden. 

I've considered hi jacking Codes thread re the drug addiction of an acquaintance of his and have been encouraged to do so by the occasional bm... But I think it's asking to much of me or the bms to get involved. Even though I have no choice. 

Let's just say taking care of a mother who has bowel cancer along with a long term drug addict who don't give a shit for anyone unless it's herself doesn't bode well for a year off work by myself. 

And being made guilty for being away from my wife for a couple of weeks is taking its toll. 

Let's just say my part time retirement, a sojourn, hasn't turned out as I expected. 

Bro .. keep the faith ! 

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I attended a Pension 'workshop' put on by my employer, options, different scenarios etc. 

They said amongst other things, people retiring and then being with their partner a lot more, led to a big surge in divorce or break up. So said you have to be aware and plan for such. 

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5 minutes ago, Krapow said:

I attended a Pension 'workshop' put on by my employer, options, different scenarios etc. 

They said amongst other things, people retiring and then being with their partner a lot more, led to a big surge in divorce or break up. So said you have to be aware and plan for such. 

I'm planning on overcoming this in our retirement years by me mainly staying in Australia and the missus moving back to Udon Thani fulltime.

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11 minutes ago, Krapow said:

I attended a Pension 'workshop' put on by my employer, options, different scenarios etc. 

They said amongst other things, people retiring and then being with their partner a lot more, led to a big surge in divorce or break up. So said you have to be aware and plan for such. 

I saw this a lot. Specially in our construction sites environment were even married, even working on a project in France, you're away all week. A bit like a long haul trucker. 

And at 60+, after each person getting used to his/hers freedom and individual livestyle, suddenly beeing together full time is a challenge.

It went easier than I expedected for us, probably because both of us had a rather wild live before (after all we were both expat and single) and when we decided to settle down together one of the first things in the "agreement" was that we both stopped that livestyle, and switched to "good old papa and mama". And it worked.

4 minutes ago, thegrogmonster said:

I'm planning on overcoming this in our retirement years by me mainly staying in Australia and the missus moving back to Udon Thani fulltime.

To each his own, but that it in my view exactly the opposite of "enjoying together a relaxed retirement", which was our target.

 

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1 hour ago, Thai Spice said:
To each his own, but that it in my view exactly the opposite of "enjoying together a relaxed retirement", which was our target.

 

Like yourself I came to the conclusion awhile ago that Thailand would not be a place where I could live full time. At this stage of her life the wife wants to return to Udon Thani when she retires.

 

We have around 10 years before this happens and a lot of things could change. We may even end up splitting our time between Thailand and Australia. I would like to spend a couple of years travelling around Australia while the wife has no interest in this. For our entire 18 years together we have led reasonably separate lifes even though we get on well most of the time.

 

I actually prefer my own company and like doing things by myself (except for sex).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by thegrogmonster
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17 minutes ago, thegrogmonster said:

Like yourself I came to the conclusion awhile ago that Thailand would not be a place where I could live full time. At this stage of her life the wife wants to return to Udon Thani when she retires.

 

We have around 10 years before this happens and a lot of things could change. We may even end up splitting our time between Thailand and Australia. I would like to spend a couple of years travelling around Australia while the wife has no interest in this. For our entire 18 years together we have led reasonably separate lifes even we get on well most of the time.

 

I actually prefer my own company and like doing things by myself (except for sex).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Clear, and fair enough.

 

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1 hour ago, thegrogmonster said:

Like yourself I came to the conclusion awhile ago that Thailand would not be a place where I could live full time. At this stage of her life the wife wants to return to Udon Thani when she retires.

 

My Mrs  is totally determined to build a house ( more hi so than the rest of the village) picked a picture off the internet and wants that one regardless that the orientation is all wrong you will rip you car door open on the gate  post getting in from the narrow lane , even after suggesting she gets a mirror image .that is just one reason it won't work

Told her till I'm blue in the face ( have no desire to retire in Thailand ,even less up in the eastern brown zone ) and it's 15 years till she retires

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16 minutes ago, Nickrock said:

My Mrs  is totally determined to build a house ( more hi so than the rest of the village) picked a picture off the internet and wants that one regardless that the orientation is all wrong you will rip you car door open on the gate  post getting in from the narrow lane , even after suggesting she gets a mirror image .that is just one reason it won't work

Told her till I'm blue in the face ( have no desire to retire in Thailand ,even less up in the eastern brown zone ) and it's 15 years till she retires

A lot can happen / change in 15 years....

Impossible IMHO to plan that long in advance. 

 

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10 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

A lot can happen / change in 15 years....

Impossible IMHO to plan that long in advance. 

 

She's getting it built in about 4 months when we go back ( her for a month me for 10 days) 

Her plan is to get it started asap ,she's got 4_500k in her account right now and about another 100k coming at end of the month

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8 hours ago, Nickrock said:

She's getting it built in about 4 months when we go back ( her for a month me for 10 days) 

Her plan is to get it started asap ,she's got 4_500k in her account right now and about another 100k coming at end of the month

 

Just a thought maybe your wife has other plans closer to the present.

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