My pictures from Asia & S. Pacific from 1980s

[pandabear]

http://losinger.altervista.org/photos.html

I've started the arduous task of scanning in my old photos, and uploading them to my website. Have a look, if you like.

So far, I have uploaded my pictures from Tonga, Samoa, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. I still have a bunch to go.

[Jester]

Really great pictures. Saved (stole) some.

I liked Samoa pics especially. Looked like you had really hit your stride by then.

BTW here's one of your scripture quotes I thought appropriate for some of the times some of us here on HA get our dander up:

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

--Buddha

[Rock]

http://losinger.altervista.org/photos.html

I've started the arduous task of scanning in my old photos, and uploading them to my website. Have a look, if you like.

So far, I have uploaded my pictures from Tonga, Samoa, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. I still have a bunch to go.

Wow! Thanks so much, I love this kinda stuff. Keep putting em' up.

[pandabear]

Burma is done.

http://losinger.altervista.org/burma.html

[Ghost]

.

[pandabear]

Yeah, it was a great time. I've got too many health problems now to live as I did then. You have to do it when you're young.

[Repatriate]

Nice pics. I love time capsules like this. Thailand must have been awesome back in the 80's.

[pandabear]

Thailand, during the 1980s, was a paradise. I suppose that things have changed a lot since then.

Outside of Bangkok, they used to have a lot of these samlors to ride around in:



According to AnAmericanInBangkok, the samlors no longer exist.

And, back then, you could hardly turn around without eyeing some deliciously beautiful girl. The obesity epidemic may be taking its toll, even in Thailand, from what I understand.

And, back then, you could have one of these



for 60 baht ($2.40).

Hong Kong and Macau are now up:

http://losinger.altervista.org/hongkong.html

My best picture: The World's Ugliest Dog

[pandabear]

By the way, South Korea was also something of a paradise during the 1980s. From what I've heard, the quality of life for foreigners in South Korea has deteriorated significantly since then.

[zboy1]

By the way, South Korea was also something of a paradise during the 1980s. From what I've heard, the quality of life for foreigners in South Korea has deteriorated significantly since then.

Yes, it was! I visited Korea twice during the 80s, and people were so wonderful to me, even though I couldn't speak Korean during that time. But I learned a lot when I was there.

I was invited to hang-out by my grandparents neighbor's son, who was about the same age as me; we went to parties and he even took me to his youth group. I got to know a group of wonderful Korean kids there. A day before me and my siblings were set to leave Korea to go back home to U.S., they came to pay me a visit and say their goodbyes to me.

Neighbors were very close and friendly to each other; there was also a very strong spirit of being a Korean that still exists (somewhat) to this day. Also, Korea was very cheap and not as expensive as it is now. The women seemed much more humble and kind than they are now; forget about Korean women, today: they are so different now, it makes me sad...

Winston frequently talks about how his life changed when he went back to Taiwan, after suffering the hell that was his youth growing-up in the U.S. of Gay. I could say the same thing happened to me, and that was one reason why I became a frequent world-traveler growing-up--because I knew the world outside of the U.S. of Gay was so different--and better--than back home.

[hammanta]

Wow impressive pics. As Ghost pointed out, you are a lucky one to experience these cultures before they were somewhat spoiled.

Tonga and Samoa have always intrigued me. The tribal island aspect seems so enticing. At times I find myself wishing I was born 150 or more years ago so I could see cultures for what they were, untainted by western influence.

[pandabear]

China is up:

http://losinger.altervista.org/china.html

1987 was a great year to visit China--the country had only recently opened up to outside visitors, and there wasn't much in the way of bourgeois, decadent accommodations. Canton had one, new, fancy hotel (which almost didn't let me in). Also, the air was very breathable. I visited Canton, and the supremely scenic area of Yangshuo and Guilin, which inspired a lot of the Chinese landscape paintings. There were lots and lots of bicycles on the streets back then.

[Ghost]

.

[pandabear]

Altervista has an upper limit of 15 Gb of transactions, and I've exceeded it already for this month. I'm adding on more countries, and should have them up next month.

In the mean time, I set some of my Tonga pictures to music.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G8Ef-dLf0w

[WorldTraveler]

I could only see your King of Tonga videos. I'd love to see the others. What were you doing to visit so many countries and islands back in the 1980s. I'm trying to scan my old travel pictures too. It's a laborious task.