Whoof that was a tough one to witness. I felt like your nom was an excellent one, in choice of nominee as well as content of the statement. I hope it won't get you down! VQuakr (talk) 16:58, 10 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]
You've done so much to improve the user experience on Wikipedia due to your active effort. You've always been better at Wikipedia than me. This space won't work as well without you, but for each of us there comes a moment. I'll live in hope that you grow uncomfortable without us. Until then, know you've earned my friendship and respect. I'm so proud to call you my wikifriend, a rank you joined when you opposed my first RfA twelve years ago. You were right then, and I have every reason to suspect you're right these days. BusterD (talk) 17:34, 14 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Hello again. You are no longer active now, which is a shame, and it's sad to see another old sparring partner ScottyWong retiring too. But I was pondering whether to attend the Wikimania in Singapore and, as you're based in a nearby country, wondered whether you are likely to attend. As we both attended the HK Wikimania together, it would be nice to know whether there will be any familiar faces there.
If not, I may content myself with virtual attendance as it is otherwise not a good time to travel from the UK. So I'll look out for you in that astral form too.
Society benefits from all your efforts with WP:NPP, Kudpung, but so few people know that you are the knight in shining armor/armour behind it. This barnstar is a small token of thanks for everything you have done to make it successful. Rosiestep (talk) 17:21, 4 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Do you remember me Kudpung? I was the tenth signature here and I believe you sent a message on my talk page back when I was just a stupid newbie getting into trouble. A lot's changed since then but we remember you still. Hope life is going good for you outside of WP. Fathoms Below(talk)20:30, 10 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Fathoms Below. I do remember because I had already significantly reduced my activity. It was about a closure or something. I hope I was giving you good advice though I don't remember what it was about. I see you are an admin now, congratulations. Keep up the good work! Kudpung กุดผึ้ง (talk) 20:51, 10 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Heh, my RfA was a mess of my own making. Hopefully it'll be the only major train wreck of 2024. Not sure about how much you've looked at but we've had a handful of other good things happen. Hey man im Josh, Novem Linguae, and Clovermoss have also been promoted in the meantime. May I say congratulations to them on your behalf? Or you can talk with them yourself of course. If this is too much chit chat I'll leave you to your guide. Fathoms Below(talk)21:25, 10 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hope life is treating you well. Was just thinking about you, thought I would pop bye for a virtual cup of tea. Not sure if you knew or not, but I moved to the Philippines about a year ago, currently in Davao, Mindanao but about to move to another major island. A linguists dream, with 7000 islands and over 120 languages that are often somewhat similar and overlapping, heavily influenced by Spanish and English, among others. Over a dozen different Cebuano variants alone (usually called "Bisaya" (Visaya) by the locals). Of course, I haven't learned any of them, most everyone speaks a little English (barely) and they get confused or find it humorous when I speak the local Dabawenyo variant. As for haggling (the most important task), Cebuano has almost the same numbering system for money as in Spanish, y yo hablo poco de español. They have a different numbering system for counting things, oddly enough. Why two number system, I have no idea. Anyway, I'm sure you would find it all curious. Being the only Hispanic culture outside of the Americas, it's been a delightfully confusing journey for an old Texan. Dennis Brown - 2¢12:08, 13 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hi old friend! No I didn't know but I've been pretty much out of touch for a while. I never would have imagined you leaving the US. At least in the Philippines they write with Latin script. Here in Thailand it's a very different kettle of fish. Having never been colonised there's very little foreign influence in the language food, and culture. After 25 years one gets used to it though. If you think Cebuano and Tagalog are a challenge, the you should take a look at Thai script and figure out a language that has no tenses, no direct words for yes and no, dozens of different personal pronouns and a system of plurals that needs dozens of plural 'particles' to be learned depending on the class of noun. But as I said, after 25 years it kinda rolls off the tongue. Up here in Isaan we speak Thai to be posh and Lao at home. They are mutually understandable with a difference about the same as Spanish and Portugese or some dialects of Catalan. Do you have a good broadband connection where you are? Enough for a chat sometime? Kudpung กุดผึ้ง (talk) 12:52, 13 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Infrastructure isn't the best here, but it works most of the time. PH lags Thailand in infrastructure noticeably. But as you say, they use Latin script, English is actually an official language here and all contracts are required to be in English, making the transition easier. I had considered Costa Rica, Panama and Thailand but PH won out on language, culture and people. It easy to be an expat here, they love all things foreign, especially Americans. (except in SW Mindanao, where there are still issues). Visa is easy here. I burned out from the job and life (and the 2nd divorce), sold most of the business, doing remote, part time work only for a year or two more. Sold everything that didn't fit in two suitcases, including the house. Very liberating experience to own nothing but the clothes on your back and a laptop. Dropped almost 3 stones worth of weight this year (105kg to 87kg, aiming for <80kg), quit smoking, eating healthy, walking several km a day, etc. Feel better than I have in 20 years. I knew my lifestyle in the US was toxic, but after a year, I see how it was actually killing me. Absolutely no regrets. Dennis Brown - 2¢00:07, 14 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The Thai govt. likes the money we bring into the economy but their visa system is very anti-expat and life for expats can be very expensive like the annual visa fees, health insurance (if you can get it), and medical care. With the exception of Singapore, one of the world's most expensive micro states, we do have probably the highest standard of living in SE Asia (that's why so many Filipinos migrate here - they get good jobs in private schools as English teachers), but despite my efforts, I could not get even my university students very interested in Wikipedia. Literacy, like in the Philippines, is high, much above the world average but because the language is so limited and clumsy, they don't don't like to read or write very much. University educated people have a relatively good command of English but that does not mean you can get around the country very easily without speaking some Thai. If you can speak some Thai, it will be more than most Thais can speak English. Have you been following WP:ACE2024?
Not following ACE. I'm debating my participation after 18 years. After a year of no longer running the business, I find I need more purpose and enwp isn't it. Literacy is an issue here in PH, 25% of children never go to school, although some of those will still learn how to read. World literacy rates are exaggerated for every country, including the US, UK and here. If you can't afford transportation to school, you are just out of luck here. It is common to skip a year or two on the way to getting a HS diploma, due to hard times in the family, but they take pride in finishing. The same percentage of kids graduate college as in the USA, but a degree gets you about $10-15 a day in wages here and is required for basic jobs, like a sales clerk in a mall department store. You can double that if you are highly fluent in English, working in a call center. Many laborers work for $4-8 a day. Minimum wage is technically about $10 a day, but it doesn't work out like that. What they need is more capitalism, but foreigners can't own property or a majority stake of a business here, at least without some legal voodoo, so there is no incentive for outside investment. The Visa system is easy here, arguably the easiest in the region. Dennis Brown - 2¢02:09, 14 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Education is well catered for here. Everyone goes to school, no one lives very far from their nearest school, elementary schools are within walking distance and high schools at the most are a short bus ride away. Students enjoy going to school. The problem is with the teaching methodology. It's all by rote and teacher centred. People have seen the recent movement on my talk page and some are hoping that I have returned for good. In reality I'm just peeking round the door but I might make minor corrections to articles on-the-fly. Check your mail. Kudpung กุดผึ้ง (talk) 03:54, 14 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
