Now I like a bikini as much as any man. But whislt a lot of women wear them, most women simply don’t have the body for them. So here’s why I think swimsuits are more suitable for women.
1. A swimsuit has more coverage than a twopiece bikini set. The stomach area is not especially attractive and the swimsuit does a great job concealing it.
2. A swimsuit is more stable and will be less likely to fall off, reveal breasts or other body parts.
3. Swimsuits are more archicterual and come with more support, although bikinis have differences, none are very different.
4. Swimsuits are available in custom designs, and shapes. For someone not sure, there is even the option of a monokini. Usually it’s a swimsuit with a part cut out and therefore more revealing than a standard swimsuit but still a one-piece.
5. Women look better in a swimsuit. Larger women shouldn’t wear a bikini, whislt younger women often do, it’s tricky to find a bikini that looks good. Swimsuits are therefore the safest option for anyone who doesn’t have a perfectly toned body, or isn’t 8 years old.
VISITORS to Bulgaria will notice that alongside the Cyrillic alphabet, mashed carrot, and powerful rackia, the country is noted for its traditional yet glamorous women.
Although we will see women in Western Europe still sometimes wearing feminine dress, it’s more of a fashion statement as opposed to regular uniform, because the rules on dress have loosened considerably.
Typically, Bulgarian women dress in a noticeably more feminine way. That means typically longer hair, modest dress, and make-up. And it’s far more common that women in Bulgaria wear tights or stockings underneath their trousers and skirts, in all weathers. As in many countries, the ordained dress code for professional women has included strict guidelines for what women should wear to the office.
As in Japan, Spain, Eastern Europe, Bulgarian women still dress in a more formal and professional way.
I wondered if there were other reasons why Bulgarian women are more likely to cover their legs. Was it the weather? I couldn’t discount it, although it was not particularly cold when I was there.
Was it because there are factories in the city where nylons and stockings are manufactured, making them more affordable than in other cities? That may be a more likely reason.
To try to understand the phenomenon more closely, I visited a small, kiosk in the city centre selling all manner of ladies hosiery. At around 6:30, the store was attended by an old, somewhat matronly lady of about 55. I was aware that my visit was greeted by some surprise, but I wasn’t put off from browsing through the various items on display.
There were dark, tan, and flesh coloured tights in various denier. In the end, I purchased the pair (*pictured below). Not knowing the word for stockings, I couldn’t exchange my purchase for what I really wanted. But it was a nice experience all the same. I imagined how it must feel to wear fabric that clung so sensuously close to the skin. To be aware of it and to be have to adjust it now and again, as women often did.
At the end of my trip, I was still not to sure if women really wore stockings more commonly, or it was just the ones I encountered that did. But it was true of various women I encountered. The expensively dressed glamazons entereing a state function in the government building definitely were wearing stockings or tights (an expert would be able to tell either way). And the last Bulgarian women to really impress me, could well have been wearing stockings under her official airport uniform – if only she hadn’t been behind a desk.
And so, I came away from my trip with a greater appreciation for the women I had met, if only for a very short period of time.
You can spread out more. And there is more space next to you due to one seat kept empty, in most economy cabins there are three seats in each row, with a narrow gap for the aisle. Sit on the aisle and you have people knocking your shoulder as they walk past. There is a gap between the seats Business, meaning you won’t be given the least popular middle seat.
With economy, you also tend to be closer to the engine, and this makes for a noisier flight. All seats in business are nearer the front, but you will still hear some of the engine noise.
Faster check-in
You have your own queue for checking in and boarding. When I flew economy from London, I was able to self-check in. That was not the case when I came back by business. The second time, I had luggage to check in. Business class gives you 2 bags you can check in, whereas in economy, you pay for all your checked luggage. Something I really appreciate is being able to board with just a small bag, and I don’t want to have to worry about any liquids being thrown away. I was very pleased when I watched the ground staff member carefully wrap a tag on my luggage marked ‘priority’ and the bag was well looked after with no damages on the other end, something which won’t always be the case when travelling economy.
A separate queue for boarding.
Economy passengers must wait longer because they can’t board first. However, I joined a separate queue for business travellers so I could enjoy more time in the airport café instead of wasting time queuing. I could also have used my business ticket for entry to the lounge, but I couldn’t see the need for it as I knew I was going to be eating and drinking on the plane.
A nicer experience generally
There is more of a sense of being looked-after when in first or business. The flight out had only two crew members in the main cabin. It was obvious that there were more staff out in front. My business flight confirmed this as true. There were four cabin crew in business. I never had to look around to see where the FAs were, and I never felt ignored.
Food and beverage options
I’m used to being given only a bag of crisps and water as a ‘snack’ when I travel economy with British airways. If you want more , you’l need to order online, paying for the privilege so that you can have something extra to eat. Yet in business, I was offered a full meal, bread roll, then coffee. All of this was clearly airplane food, but it was nice to have. It’s true that airlines make sure that economy must be basic so that customers are made to feel more special if they fly business. Unfortunately, the reality is also if you are a business traveller you will have more food than you need. Often this food would be more appreciated by those who are never offered it and sit there going hungry.
Free drinks
The choice of drinks is great when flying on a higher status ticket. I was given champagne, tomato juice, and then wine with meal. I could have had more, but that would have been greedy, I even asked for ginger ale, and that was given to me. And some customers were able to order Baileys. These would need to be paid for in ecomony, so you can factor in the cost of free drinks when you fly Business Class.
Mixing with interesting passengers
In some ways, the business class section of a flight can be like a member’s club. Not that I fly business all too regularly, but this is the impression I have. The passengers I flew with on Saturday were all likely to have been frequent flyers with the British Airways Club Europe membership privilege programme.
When I fly economy, I always worry that I’ll be sat next to someone who either wants to talk too much, or doesn’t want to talk at all. Or just a very boring person that isn’t interesting to interact with. It’s possible that you could meet a better class of passenger flying business. But The downside of business is you might not feel confident starting a conversation with someone who may have a higher status than you.
On my way out, I was talking to a flyer who was only flying out to come back again, all so that he could maintain his status with British Airways Club Europe.
In fact, the reason why Sofia is a popular destination is it’s one of the only airports to allow passengers to arrive at the airport and depart without going through security. No wonder then that there were so many travellers flying business on the Saturday I flew. They had probably gone out on the 7:40 London flight, and come back on the next available flight at 1:50.
More mileage points.
BA have recently changed their points allocation, instead of points being issued per mile flown, you’ll receive points for the number of pounds spent on your ticket.
I’m not expecting many points for my £49 economy ticket, but my return business class seat was 25,000 aveos plus €128 euros. I probably spent too many aveos for the flight, but still, I’ll receive at least 6000 points back in my account for a single outward journey. When you book a flight, the price really depends on so many factors, for example the time, day of the week and the demand for the destination. If you search around, you can fly one way in Business for £300, short haul.
Ultimately, is it worth it?
The price can be very high for benefits you won’t necessarily need. On the other hand, it’s a very pleasant experience that you won’t find in many other places. Because BA cabin crew really enjoy their job, they take pleasure in serving their customers. You can really feel it. I don’t know of any other area of the service industry that is so consistent when it comes to hospitality. BA like to treat their Club Europe travellers members well, because they don’t want to lose them. It may be unfair, but economy passengers don’t receive such glowing service because they aren’t so valuable to the airline.
I’ll continue to fly business when I can, but I’ll be using economy more.
The price difference does not always make sense. With an early morning flight, it’s more common to want to sleep than enjoy meal service on board. If eating is important to you and you don’t want to fly business, you can always bring your own food on the airport it’s the afternoon and evening flights where the service and the food offerings really come into their own. It would be nice to see the standards of economy rise, but I don’t see that as very likely, so that instead of getting the very least in service and food and beverage, you receive something closer to what is given in business class.
Taiwan has long gone under the radar as an Asian travel venue. It seems that travellers skip if for Japan, or Korea, or even China. Yet why Taiwan has fewer visitors than these countries isn’t so clear . As well as beaches and mountains, the country has a warm climate all-year round.
It has one of the highest standards of living in all of asia, being one of the economic powers of the post war eras.The country offers free access to internet and western democratic freedoms.
On top of this, the people are noticeably more kind, likely to help and polite, something that really comes across when you spend any time with them
The country might be a bit expensive for a backpacker, but still, it’s similar in price to Japan and more affordable than Singapore.
Here are some places you can visit on your first trip to Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.
Shilin Night Market
Shown recently in the hit comedy, Fresh off the Boat, this is a great place if you want to eat food at night. Just make sure to tell the difference between the good fakes and the bad fakes, or you might end up like Eddie.
Taiwan National University
Founded in 1928, this prestigious research university has 7 campuses & a botanical garden.
Kenting
Although it’s not as famous as beaches in Thailand or Bali, Kenting has many beautiful places for swimming, sunbathing and cycling.
Photo: Alexis JetSetsPhoto: dj.Kaihan
MOONSTAR 360
THE LAST place I have to recommend is MOONSTAR 360. An incinerator is the last place you would expect to find a revolving restaurant! Perched 120 meters up, the restaurant is a great lookout at the city of Taipei. In case you are concerned about the air quality, to make the air quality safe for the restaurant, the incinerator was fitted with special anti pollution devices.
The restaurant uses the power from the incinerator, a great way to recycle all of the city’s waste.
There is a viewing platform 4 meters below the restaurant that offers panoramic view of the estuary of the Tamshui river and its bird reservation, as well as the distant mountain ranges. You can also see Yangming Shan, Kuan-yin Shan and the whole of the Taipei Basin.
Some thing happened since the last few years and I don’t think it’s totally related to COVID , but it doesn’t help. I don’t really enjoy living in England. That’s not a new feeling for me but I’ve started to feel progressively stronger anti-UK now.
Although it’s a bit of an exaggeration, I don’t always feel safe here. Something about the language and the people create strong feeling of unease that often leads to paranoia. When I was driving, I didn’t notice so much, but now I’m taking public transport, I see weirdos everywhere, and it’s very uncomfortable to have to face it directly.
Something I’ve tried to shy away from is exclusive male company, which was easy when I was growing up, but is harder now. I’ve become estranged from many of the women I went to school with, not by choice, but because that is what happens as you grow older. But England has always seemed a horribly aggressive place where violence is simmering just below the surface.
England Football fans are notorious for violence at European tournaments
it’s not just men, but women that I’m scared of, the differences between men and women have gradually eroded to leave a mass of people with little to distinguish themselves from each other.
Take a good look at this lady, she’ll soon be a thing of the past.
As a child, I saw that women wore skirts, and men wore trousers. Yet now is rarer to see women wearing skirts, or stockings, or anything that might make them appear feminine. That is no longer the goal, it’s clear. Instead, coarseness, ugliness and violence is the order of the day.
Take look a the video, and you’ll see that I’m not exaggerating.
The main thing to know about the dating scene is that when it comes to apps, things change very quickly. The apps of a few years ago aren’t necessariliy the ones people are currently using. Even the way we use dating apps has tended to shift as users find they want something else from them. If tinder was seen as a hook-up app ten years ago when it launched. It’s now likely to be used for relationships….in fact most female users on the app will state that they aren’t interested in casual dating.
Such changes can be annoying. Whilst tinder seems to be the most popular dating app, it’s been challenged by Bumble and Hinge. I don’e really see much point in having either of these copycat apps, which result in the same issues of not bringing up quality matches for most men.
The sites that I have found more appealing have come about due to the increading popularity of sugar dating, effectively paid dating but with some commitment to it so that it doesn’t feel totally transactional.
The popularity of ‘Sugar dating’
As strange as it may seem, some people are happy to give money for someone to date them. With ‘Seeking Arrangement’, you can search for users who are often looking for a male to give them a fincanical support, or just a ‘pay per meet’, to use a common phrase. The common question girls ask is how much can you PPM, effectively money for them to meet you, and in most cases, sex is involved – the practical thing to do is to decline because these girls will ask for more money than an escort, and these tend to be the worst kind of girls out there.
The landing page of Seeking doesn’t mention paid dating, but it’s at the core of i’s users’ activity.
Money CAN buy love
Now there are people who would never want to do this. The idea that you can put a price on someone and then pay them for meeting would seem to go against common-decency. Then again, frustrated with the other apps which require a match before messaging, I find the directness of the sugar dating apps very refreshing. You can message girls whom you like straight away and be clear about your terms. Then it’s on to the date, and in most cases girls want to meet with you straight away. Try to arrange a meeting somewhere fun, and make sure they don’t ask you for some ridiculous amount of money just to meet you. The women I met were happy to meet for a date without asking for money. After that, if both of you like each other, you can make an arrangement to see them. Most girls in London will ask for an allowance, but you’ll only do that if you are sure about them. It could be something like £300, such a price means that you can only realistically do this if you are very rich. And if you are, what’s to stop you! You can have your pick of some of the best women out there. With tinder, you tend to find matches close to your age. But seeking lets you search for any age, and sugar dating tends to be for younger women and older men.
A site with a similar modus operandi is What’s Your Price? The app allows you to make an offer for a first date, like placing a bid. It’s up to the girl to accept your offer, or ask for a higher price. The fun is waiting to hear back from them. The minimum bid is £5, going up to £500. Then when a bid is countered, you need to bid back at an increment of pounds. Sure, the women are likely to ask for more than you offer, but not always. You can even ask here to suggest the amount she would accept from you. You will get some outrageous requests, like women asking for £500 for a date! Fortunately, most women are more reasonable and will often accept your first offer.
What I like about it is you can offer what you are willing to pay. Most guys can easily afford 20 or 30 pounds, and the money acts as an incentive. With luck, the girl will like you enough to want to meet you the next time for free, and you can look at the initial cost as an investment in their company.
Girls can send requests for offers, and it’s up to you to accept or counter.
The site mentions that you only pay for the first date, and then you meet for free after that. It also doesn’t process any payments, instead making it clear that you pay them in cash, or transfer directly. Now it’s true that you could arrange to meet someone after they accept the amount and then refuse to pay. The problem is that would make you untrustworthy. The girls will expect you to pay what you offered them. It’s up to you to decide on what you think is a fair amount, and then take them on a date somewhere you know you can afford. By refusing to pay the girl the amount you offered, you have a chance that things will turn unpleasant, with the girl likely to accuse you of taking advantage of them. It will be hard for her to see you again after that, and that’s not what you want!
Where time is precious, the site allows people to find who they want with a lot less fuss and allows them to meet far sooner than if they had used the typical apps. This is the best outcome for everyone.
We’re led to believe that Asian escorts are in high demand, and difficult to find.
Actually the truth is something different. If you seek any Asian escort and aren’t worried about the quality, you can find hundreds of women who meet that description. Unfortunately, most girls listed as a ‘23 year student from Japan’ are nothing of the kind. Most of my searches have led me on a wild goose chase as my efforts to find an Asian who matches the idea I have in my head have been frustrated by the cruel reality of a ‘bait and switch’, or a catfish in modern language.
When you search with a reputable escort agency, you realise that your options are fewer. At the top of the business, escorts may charge anything up to £600 per hour. In London, such prices are not unusual, and some girls will go even higher. What you are getting is often not entirely clear, but you won’t have to spend that much for a satisfactory experience with a beautiful escort in London – usually it’s between 150 – 250 for one hour.
Haute escorts offers mostly European escorts, and seeing as it was my birthday in July, I looked through the website for someone whom I hoped could relieve my stress. As it’s the summertime, it seems that most of them are now on holiday. But after a phone call with the secretary of Haute Escorts, I was offered Erika. In actual fact, I hadn’t seen her offered on the website. When I made my initial browsing of the site, I hadn’t seen her profile listed. But since the woman I spoke to had ensured me that I would like someone petite, I felt sure that they were someone I could trust.
The details were relayed by text message and a time and location was fixed. Then we settled the price, and the agency explained that the total amount would cover the cost of the taxi to the hotel.
As I was getting closer to my appointment, I entertained ideas about my meeting with Erika. I still didn’t know her appearance…. As a rule, I like to know before I book a model. I dilly-dallied, before my curiosity led me to search for Erika, typing Erika Asian Haute escort, the search soon led me to a escorts page with a girl who matched her likeness. Soon, I was convinced that Erika was the girl I wanted to spend my time with, especially, as I was looking for someone that had the elegance and sexuality I was seeking.
For me, it’s not just enough that she is Asian. She needs to have the mindset and the personality to make the sexual encounter erotic, enjoyable, memorable. The pictures revelaed someone very busty, but with her face partially concealed. It was also hard to guage Erika’s age from the photos.. An old profile from four years ago listed her as being 24, which meant she would be in her late twenties now. She would therefore be an experienced escort, rather than a woman new to the scene. With age, you notice that some women become inured to the experience, but it’s always my hope that I can meet an escort who still finds the job pleasurable and has not become too cynical.
By Friday morning, I had re-confirmed with the agency that Erika would come to my hotel and I was just waiting to receive the room number. I should say that communications with Haute agency had been very positive and they made the experience very smooth from our first telephone call to the on-the-day meeting.
After a slight wait at the desk, I had checked in and got my room key-card from reception. I then let the agency know the number and it was a quick journey up to the room. I dumped the bags and was about to use the in-room kettle, when I heard a knock on the door. Usually, it’s a member of the hotel staff, or room service. But this time, the person standing in front of me was Erika. I had a quick look at her and led her into the room.
Erika was a lovely, pale-skinned Chinese women, possibly early thirties although no older than that.
The first thing I noticed was her extremely long hair which came below her waist. She was wearing a light summer dress with a light brown trench jacket and light brown men’s style shoes. I was caught off guard temporarily by the fact that Erika was now here with me and it was about to begin, I hadn’t even thought of what I could say to her.
I had the money prepared in an envelope and then handed her the amount requested on the website. *
By this time, Erika had shrugged off her jacket which I hung up on one of the hangers in the wardrobe. By now I could see that she was very busty and her breasts were pushing out her dress. She gave me a full-on kiss although her tongue did not come out all the way. The next thing was to put her on the bed. Without any trouble, I removed her dress and let it fall to the floor. With my free hand I caressed her silky hair and enjoyed the luxurious feeling of it. I was feeling a variety of pleasant sensations that were almost overpowering, the most significant detail was having a sensual Asian woman alone with me and fully focused on pleasing me.
After kissing some more, I asked if I could lift her up and put her on the table night stand. Erika agreed, and as she is very light, I had no trouble lifting her up onto the counter.
She was wearing a tight black corset style bustier that kept her breasts mostly concealed. I had to pull them out and get a better look at them.
As a breast-lover, I’ve seen a lot of breasts in my time. I’m aware that Asian women aren’t the most endowed in this area, and I often feel somewhat short-changed if they aren’t. What I can see is that Erika had one of the most impressive chests I have ever seen. Light cream in colour with pink arealoe, they jutted out and sat perfectly outwards, her bodice had made slight indentations where it had pressed against her tits. I pulled the bodice down but I didn’t take it off completely, putting my hands between her legs and exploring her incredible upper body, gently kissing her nipples.
Erika made light moans and I took this as a sign to move her back on to the bed. I explained that I like to be dominant, but I also like to be dominated in return. She pulled on my nipples and then sucked and bit them, whilst I pulled down on her hair and felt my way down to her lower body.
Erika is a gentle, very light girl who is here to please. Unlike some Chinese escorts, she is very graceful and polite. Hence why she is a high-class escort rather than a 60 pound an hour girl on a vivastreet ad; when you spend more money, you can really see the difference. Another rarity for an Asian SW is her English speaking ability. Erika’s high level of English denotes an educated woman who no doubt has many qualifications and could easily have a professional career on the side. I will say that her fluent English also makes it far simpler to discuss matters related to sex and there is no chance of anything being ‘lost in translation’.
She asked to see my cock and then pulled my trousers down and released it from my briefs. Despite Erika’s dazzling body, I was not fully erect (something I put down to the heat in the room more than anything else). She went straight for a blowjob, making a firm seal with her mouth until I was fully hard. She continued for a good five minutes and then she moved to find a condom which she quickly rolled on my engorged penis.
I had a close look at Erika’s vagina. It was pale, like the rest of her body, and completely shaved, not even a trace of stubble anywhere. I then placed a middle finger at the entrance of her pussy but she insisted that I only touch the outside, I was a little disappointed.
I then asked if she would mind that I suck her toes – a fetish of mine – and she agreed. I was delighted by this and I jammed her feet into her mouth – she is a size 4 so this wasn’t difficult.
With Erika moaning more, I wanted to get it in, but I wasn’t fully erect, so she sucked me off again. As I grew hard, she put a condom on and entered her, but I couldn’t get the right angle and Erika needed to guide me inside. I was slightly worried at this point as it can be very frustrating for both the woman and myself when my dick is only partially erect.
I tried to get on top of her but I was feeling too sweaty in this position. We went back to the table and I stood up behind Erika in front the mirror – I should have used it sooner! It was great to see Erika’s magnificent breasts in front of me and the reflection of her serene face. Finally, I was fully hard.
We went back on the bed and moved her legs apart for doggy-style. I plunged into her and gave her several hard thrusts. The sound of her light orgasmic moans nearly made me cum but I stopped myself and moved her on to her back. I was able to get deeper this way and listened to Erika’s feminine cries of passion. Her legs are slim enough to be placed on my shoulders, as I was about to cum, I did something I normally never do.
The cum-shot in porn is usually directed on the face or chest, and I knew it had to be on Erika’s tits. Soon, I could feel my orgasm pulsing, so I flicked off the condom and let my cum flood out over her body. The cum shot across her right breast and the sounds of Erika’s surprise made me ECSTATIC. It was much more semen than I can normally produce in a solo session, which I put down to Erika’s skills and my overall horniness at being deprived of such a woman in my life.
The main part of our time was nearly over, but I wanted to experience a massage, and Erika gave me one (although she didn’t have any oil). I would have loved a happy ending, but I was in detumescence, so I let her continue the massage and returned the favour to her, which she very much enjoyed.
I asked her a little about her personal experiences of men and how long they normally last. Perhaps I could have asked if she enjoys it, but I didn’t venture this question.
A knock on the door sent Erika under the covers, but it was room service delivering a birthday dessert.
We shared the chocolate mousse together, and the conversation moved to her work and her general life. I was and still am intrigued to learn more about Erika and what drives her to do this work. I would also enjoy learning about her intimate desires and what she enjoys doing sexually. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Erika, her delightful personality and natural warmth makes her easy to love. We talked a little about her life and whether she can have a relationship. Like everyone, this is not easy to achieve, and much harder for an escort. I am looking forward to getting to know Erika more – and on our next session I intend to do exactly that.
Date of booking: Friday, 9th July
Place: London Kensignotn Hilton.
*Erika’s price is £150 an hour. £200 for an outcall which included taxi fare. If you have an incall, you never know exactly what time the girl will be ready. There are pros and cons to both.
When you join the Hilton Honors program, you can save points which can be redeemed for future stays, it costs nothing and it won’t take long to move from a bronze to silver. I managed it in less than year.
How to make the most of a holiday in Thailand’s bustling capital city.
Plan your itinerary
Make sure you have an idea of which areas you want to visit before you go. For example, Bangkok is massive and a short trip will only let you do so much. Choose an area you are most interested in, and plan your stay accordingly.
Choose a hotel in a suitable area
Find a centrally located hotel with easy access to the city’s attractions. This is the best way to explore the city. Pick busy Sukhumvit if you are interested in shopping, nightlife and contemporary design.
Or alternatively staying close to the river gives you easy to the city’s cultural highlights like the reclining Buddha and Wat Arun.
Choose your budget.
Are you a backpacker? Bangkok has dozens of affordable hostels, and they tend to be in the slightly more interesting, gritty parts of the city. On the other hand, hotels along Sukumvit of course have better connections to the transport links. You get much more for your money out of the centre, and these areas come with the city’s most affordable places to eat. A luxury hotel will be comfortable but will put you at a distance from other travellers and can be isolating. Then again, staying in a dorm means less privacy and comfort.
How much do you want to do?
A day trip with careful planning can include, a visit to the royal palace in the morning, A floating island in the afternoon, then dinner and a show or clubbing in the evening, but you won’t have the energy to do that every day.
Are you here for the red light shows?
Then avoid certain areas and choose a place to stay with access to cheaper hotels, massage and go-go bars, such as Silom.
You can easily avoid the Red Light district, however, others will want to plan their entire trip around it.
If you are on a family trip, think about the places which are suitable for children. Bangkok has parks, zoos, and resorts where children can play happily.
Learn Thai.
Take the time to learn the beginner phrases in Thai, making it easier to get around and be understood.
Earlier this year, Low-cost airline Scoot announced that they would start flying to Bangkok direct from Gatwick, the first time that the carrier has made such a long-haul flight leaving from a London airport.
You can now fly to Thailand from the South Terminal, avoiding the chaos, delays and stress of a journey from Heathrow.
I was very happy when I found a one-way ticket with this airline for the price of £407.
Scoot was established as the budget arm of the prestige airline Singapore Airlines and I was intrigued by the idea of a no-frills alternative to SAG. My experience was mostly positive with a few caveats.
Avoid lengthy queues by arriving five hours before departure.
This is one of the last scheduled departures from Gatwick, with only TAP (Portugal’s flagship) and Wizz Air making flights after this. So no wonder that the airport was mostly closed in terms of shops and bars by the time most people were checking in. Tip: buy something in advance unless you want to eat the really terrible food that is on offer at this time.
Flight departure time: 23.05
There is currently one weekly flight; depending on how popular the route is there may be more. For now, it’s clearly a service that is going to be well-used.
I managed to avoid standing around in the queue at check-in by finding a stand that was open at the terminal at 6pm. They were happy to print my boarding pass. I needn’t have worried about loading any luggage as the weight was under the max weight of 10kg.
Come half past nine, and most people were still queuing for check-in. A downside of a budegt airline that charges extra for checked luggage means most people were taking their luggage on board, also causing more queues to go through security and boarding the plane.
We queued up at the gate, where we we intructed rather rudely that we had to wear a mask, these weren’t employees of the airline but airport ground staff. There was a wait until everyone had their passports checked and then we were ready to board.
We had to wait at the gate to have our passports checked by non-Scoot staff.
With people taking most of their luggage with them , there was a buildup of passengers waiting in the gangway, looking to stash their luggage anywhere they could. Staff were busy with boarding staff , so there was only so much they could do to help. Meanwhile, I took my seat in 13C and I was starting to wonder if the plane would ever leave.
The boarding process
The seat
The seat itself was fairly standard in terms of legroom but the headrest was not particularly pronounced and was hard to lean back in. It took an hour for the plane to be fully loaded and every one boarded.
Unless you pay for the extra-legroom, you will be sitting in a standard economy seat.
Entertainment
In terms of inflight entertainment, you’re strictly limited to what you bring with you. In economy, you won’t have any screen. Suffice to say that if you want to browse the net, you need to pay them for that, even charging your mobile comes with a charge, no pun intended.
In all honesty, I wasn’t too disappointed by that, I was looking to get off to sleep soon after the plane reached cruising altitude. On the other hand, I could see my passenger feel that he was having to pay a lot in extras for using the wifi, charging his phone and then paying for a meal on board and drinks.
Food
The flight was catered by it’s charming all Asian cabin crew, and most of the food is chosen when you make your booking. I was offered my food at midnight when they brought the trolley through, but then they gave me the option to have it during the second meal service ,this was an easy decision as I had already eaten a few hours before. The next morning, I was given my diner and I have to say it was really tasty and better than any of the options avialble on similar budget airlines.
Next I ordered coffee, which sadly was offered in a cheap poly-cup with no branding, as if to make up for this, they gave me a box of tiny but delicious cookies. Then when I clumsily set the cup on the floor, leaking most of the contents, I was given a replacement cup. Any snacks you buy can be paid for by cash or card. To be honest, I don’t think you can do this with BA. And even if you get change in SGD, its satisfiying to be able to use the leftover notes in your wallet .
The cabin crew
The staff are all quite young, and as I said before, exlcusivley Asian . I don’t mind this, to be honest it’s more authentic like this. The women in particular were beautiful, let’s not pretend that this doesn’t make a difference , it really does. I can forgive low level of entertainment if the staff are young, attractive and like their job. Staff on board were either Japanese, or Chinese, or perhaps from Singapore. But all were more than able to speak English to passengers.
Mostly attentive service from the flight crew.
The verdict.
The flight was a long and difficlut journey based on the length, the lack of comfort in the seat, and the fact that I was sat near small children. I can’t blame the airline for that last one, although it would be great if they could seat children a distance from most other passengers who just want to admire the ladies doing their work, stare out the window or make witty conversation. I would use Scoot for short flights, but going all the way to BKK in one long haul was a bit too much, especially in my crappy economy seat. Still, I arrived at my landing on time, and there were no other carriers making the same journey for a similar price. So there you have it. if you think you can withstand the lack of comfort, give Scoot a try for your next Thailand trip.
How to have a WMAF relationship (and not be creepy)
The best thIng ABOUT WMAF relationships is that each party is trying something new – learning about each other’s respective cultures. All this can mean that it’s possible to be carried away by the sheer novelty of it.
Many WMAF couples become so enraptured with each other that they can ignore the fact that other people may not see their union in such a rosy light. The fact is, it’s not always so warmly accepted. The strength of the attraction has seen some people complain that some white men have an Asian fetish and look to sleep with as many Asian women as possible.
And unfortunately, a fair few in the west are seemingly so triggered by the sight of an Asian woman with a white guy that they assume it must be coercive and even exploitative.
The good thing is, you can avoid this happening if you abide by these rules. First, don’t be someone who only talks to girls because of their race or ethnicity. If you do this, you will find it harder to see their individuality and that also means you will be more likely to attract an Asian woman who is only attracted to your race as well.
Seek out the Asian women with similar personailities, likes and dislikes. Definitely don’t fall into the trap of thinking that ALL Asian women are going to behave in a certain way.
You don’t want to be the guy who expects Asian women to be always submissive, quiet and well-behaved.
Avoid making attempts at getting to know everything about where she comes from. That’s too eager, a mistake I made several times, and then I learned my errors. You can talk about your own culture as much as you like, but you do not need to impress upon them how knowledgeable you are about her country.
Be aware of the stereotypes so that you know how to disprove them right away. You will hear a lot of outdated ideas, live with them. People will point out that Asian women are out for money, looking for a passport. These unfortunate ideas are slowly disappearing, but you never know when you might hear them from someone who needs to be more sensitive!
Avoid making making assumptions like, ‘Asian women are supposed to be like this’ or , I thought Koreans were supposed to respect their elders’. You’ll most likely end up arguing about it. Most people only start thinking about their identity when it’s brought up, and Asian women are no different in this regard.
Show people how positive your relationship is. For example, a lot of white women take their husband’s last name. flip conventions on their ass by taking your wife’s Asian name. then people can see how much you reall love, honour and obey her.
Choose an Asian women of approximately equal attractiveness to your own. If you marry an Asian woman of much higher attractiveness, the disapproval will be so great, you’ll never live it down. So go for someone of about the same level of desirability to your own.
when I was there.
