Sorry for the delay in responding.

My memories of French Canadians is all positive. I found them all extremely friendly and helpful. Indeed, the ‘human rights’ lawyer who I wrote about in ‘Mardie’, who was so kind and helpful to me, was a French Canadian.

I also still the recall a lovely, aged French Canadian lady who I was going to stay with as her boarder. It was quite funny as she spoke little English and we conversed in French, me using my schoolboy French. She was so nice, its just stuck in my mind.

This was all along time ago and who knows how they might behave today, but certainly back in 1969 they were nice people, quite unlike their Paris counterparts. Actually, on subsequent visits to Canada, although not to Quebec, I have to say that I found the Canadian people very nice.

Forgive me, but they just seem to come across as more genuine and self effacing than the brasher folk across the border. That’s not to say that there aren’t nice Americans, for of course there are…

As for bicycle riding – well I am thinking about it. The traffic is a bit of a worry, but I may give it a try. Maybe I’ll try to borrow someone’s bike and see how it goes.

Thanks again for you kind comments.

Mobi

I am curious as to your opinion on the differences or similarities of your French experiences between the french peoples of Montreal vs Paris or Quebec vs France? If I remember correctly you spent some time in Montreal,Quebec too.

Just curious is all, no agenda what so ever.

Have you ever consider adding a bike ride to your fitness routine? I have recently decided to rotate bicycle riding and walking as time permits to my daily routine. The old joints aren’t what they use to be and a leisure bike ride is my attempt to relief some stress on them.

Keep up the good work!

Rebel

Ditto on Rogers comments and keep up with the healthy lifestyle. Looks like a pleasant place for daily walks with a mans best friend and of course the dogs too.

Rebel

I also thank you for drawing my attention to the tribute Concert for George of which I was completely unaware. I am currently downloading both the audio CD and the concert – a whopping 4.2 GB’s!

Happy reading…

Mobi

Firstly, thanks for your columns. I tell my wife, when she spots me with one of your pretty ladies on the screen that in fact I am reading a Sunday Times column and I have to put up with the pretty ladies that intersperse the text. It has been fascinating reading over the years and in the past very sad although the randy side of my brain enjoyed all the salacious details. Now I am amazed at the wide diversity of subjects that write about.

Great work on the giving up drinking victory but never ever be tempted to think you have conquered it and be tempted to have just one. Many years ago I gave up smoking for a year. Then one night we had traveled down to a favourite pub on the Surrey downs. It was a beautiful summers evening and someones cigarette was wafting across the garden. At a distance it smelled great. So having beaten the habit I bought a packet of ten (that probably shows how old I am), I proceeded just to have one and then of course it was back to 20 a day and it took me another year to get back on the fag free wagon. I don’t have the same problem with drink although I don’t think I should take the credit. Nature seems to have given me an automatic cut off switch at about 4 pints although when sitting in a bar in Bangkok or Phuket I might force my self to a couple more especially if there is a chrome pole in view.

Anyway, enough of all that. My real reason for writing is that after reading your piece about the Beatles, I thought that you might be interested, if you haven’t heard it already, in a magnificent DVD called “A Concert for George”. It was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall as a tribute to George Harrison shortly after his death. It is rousing, tremendously musical and moving without being mawkish. I think that 9 years on it is still available on line. If you haven’t heard it and you get it, give it some welly.

Thanks again for all you hard work. Very insightful.

Roger

I once upset a well known author and live to regret it…

My apologies, seriously…

slap! slap! (ouch!) ☺

Happy trails.

I get the distinct impression that although you claim to have read all my blog, there must be a strong element of ‘flick reading’ otherwise you wouldn’t have made some of your comments.

In particular, I have no idea where you get the impression that I am obsessed with the number of ‘hits’. Of course, anyone who writes a blog wishes it to be read, otherwise there is no point in publishing it. But over the past 2 1/2 years of my blog, (145 posts), I doubt whether I have raised the subject of my readership numbers more than 3 or 4 times at most, including one simple poll to try and get a handle on reading habits. I would hardly call this an obsession, but there you go….

I also find your comment ‘It looks like after all these years you are finally seeing what LOS is all about’ rather patronising and condescending, considering I first lived here back in the 70′s. If you have read my blog carefully or any of my ‘stories’ you would know that I have lived and worked with ‘real’ Thais in a real Thai environment and speak the language pretty well. I have travelled extensively throughout Thailand, both in those far off days and also during the past ten years or so; in fact I can now say that there is not a great deal of Thailand and its people that I have not seen, lived with, or experienced at one time or another.

My present car testifies to the fact that in the past 3 years alone I have driven over 70,000 kilometres around Thailand, and remember, I do not commute or use my car for work – only pleasure.

Again, read the various articles I have written in my blog through the past 3 years about Thailand, its culture its politics and its people and I fail to see how you could possible think that I am ‘finally seeing what LOS is all about’…

Anyway, we are all entitled to our opinions….

Keep reading… and please don’t ‘blow me out’

On your detractors.
You know alot of what you write is bound to cause offence and you obviously do get derogatory comments. Don’t attack your attackers, it just lowers you to their level. You can refute without attacking. An example was the Australian who bagged your choice of US shows. You turned this into an attack on OZ in general for producing soaps that seem to do well in the UK, that they do well as pop culture in the UK is more a reflection of that culture than Australias’. Not a good look.

On your current situation.
You seem to have found your stride and your recent posts about trips are intersting. It looks like after all these years you are finally seeing what LOS is all about.

Lastly, please do a find and replace on the phrase “blow me out” and replace it with what you should have used , blow me off.
The first meaning to amaze or astound, the second meaning you were stood up. It’s a little thing but really annoyed me for some reason as you use it often.

Al the best, I hope we bump into each other someday.