I abandoned the March Madness Bracket for my blog fans (see No TPOL March Madness Bracket. And No One Cares). Next year I may have one for the College Football Playoffs. Here are my predictions for the first weekend:
Friday, Dec. 20: No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame: Indiana with the upset.
Saturday, Dec. 21: No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State: SMU with the upset.
People are sick. People are weird. People are angry. That’s why we have Festivus!
Here are the previous Festivus posts. You’ll notice that the same people have stayed with me through the years, especially the ‘nasty woman’ linmoron. Maybe I should be thankful for their support.
Gringo: Ouch. Made a mistake in coming here. The author (contributor?) of this blog gives off a very unique and unattractive vibe. Nothing in the writing suggests self-deprecation or a wink and a nod.
Thomas: You sound so pompous and insufferable. First and last time reading your shitty blog
Mr Wellwisher: Insufferable and “self deprecating humor” as a form of being pompous. Thomas is 100% right.
Dan: exactly the type of person who’d use a fake rimowa… not even remotely surprised.
MilkeL: You solicit your reader for input and respond with such derision as “the person who doesn’t travel that comments and hides in the basement.” Insulting, to say the least. Do better.
F. Flintstone.: This blog is just a massive moan-fest. Having to walk a mile uphill, big deal. All of 5-10 mins. You complain about Kavos, one of the worst areas on the island for tourists, but you failed to go anywhere else to enjoy the island. Seems a lack of data to make a compelling argument about how shit Corfu is nowadays. I came here expecting a little bit more.
Sam: Posts picture of his face instead of something travel-related. Tell us you’re a narcissist without telling us you’re a narcissist. Why does Boarding Area keep this blogger on their platform? NEVER anything of value posted.
Sam: PLEASE stay away until 2025. Maybe even longer? Keep this garbage out of my boarding area feed!
Bumsi Kiddle: Literally no one will miss you. Your content adds very little to boarding area there’s next to no insight offered, your blog is the definition of an also ran.
TPOL: Then why you commenting?
Bumsi Kiddle: Actually you make a good point there. I won’t bother further. But notice that im the solitary commenter, does rather prove my point.
waylon mcgill: read it .. it wasnt fucking interesting… my shits are more interesting than your posts.
Ralph: So many people seem to be completely uninformed about the nature of TPOL posts. TPOL is the anti-blog. The “stream of consciousness” trumps production value blog. If TPOL was in the MCU it would be Deadpool. Many of the trips involve the same recurring flaws … notably a pathological resistance to researching much less following advice on visa requirements. Many (most?) of TPOL posts are lessons in what not to do. Yet thru it all TPOl is true to himself. He doesn’t pretend to be anyone other than who he is and does. He doesn’t push inappropriate credit cards on his readers.I wouldn’t live my life the way he does. But I respect the way he blogs that life.
Growing up, I had the misfortune of being a Lions and Bills fan. While I have been to Ford Field (see A Lions Thanksgiving), I have not been to Orchard Park. The only time I have seen the Bills in person was in Miami (see Bills Mafia v Fins: Hard Rock Stadium Review).
This weekend the Lions are hosting the Bills in what may be a preview of the Super Bowl. If either advance to the Super Bowl, this may be the last time I see them in action due to the prohibitive cost of tickets (see Bills Lose, But Who Can Afford Super Bowl Tickets?).
Two questions remain: 1)Does anyone have tickets for TPOL? 2) Who do I want to win?
My issue with both teams is the sheer stupidity of both coaches. Let me cite two examples: Last week, the Lions were up by 3 when Mr. ‘Bight Your Knee Caps’ decided to go for it on 4th down on his own 25. It didn’t work out and Green Bay ended up scoring a touchdown and going ahead. It took another ill-advised 4th down conversion for the Lions to win the game.
In the Buffalo-Rams game, the Bills fought their way back from a double-digit deficit. Then Sean ‘Clueless’ McDermott, decided to run the ball on 1st and goal instead of throwing it. The Bills didn’t make it, were forced to burn a timeout, and ended up not recovering the onside kick. The Bills lost. Dan Campbell was commended for being courageous while the media was more fixated with Josh Allen’s stat line than the mismanagement of the clock.
As a fan, I have tried not to become emotionally invested in either team. Whether it be the Music City Miracle or idiotically not kicking a FG to go up in the NFC Championship game, both teams find a way to break my heart. This weekend that will be different. I should walk out a winner. Then again, I wouldn’t be shocked if the game ended in a tie.
Priority Pass Koh Samui is part of the Reunion Tour Trip Report.
After a wild time at another Full Moon Party (see Guns & Butter: Koh Phangan, Thailand Travel Guide (Haad Rin Edition)), it was time to get the hell out of there. One of the most unique airports in the world is Koh Samui Airport. It an open-air terminal with shops, restaurants, and, most importantly, a Priority Pass Lounge.
Priority Pass SamuiBig bearThen riceNow dumplingsBut most important to my restoration were the on-demand coconuts.Disney trolley to the plane
Koh Phangan Travel Guide is part of the Reunion Tour Trip Report.
TPOL’s Guns & Butter Travel Guide is the best way to see as much as you can in as little time as possible. Here’s how it works – A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy. The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa. The guide includes inefficient activities i.e., tourist traps that should be avoided and aspirational activities that are worth doing but may be impossible to see given the constraints of time and resources.
On March 19, 2014, I published one of the first posts on this blog, Party Time Worldwide. No need to link the post. Here it is in its entirety:
“I can have fun without drinking,” someone once told me.
Maybe, it is possible but I prefer the alternative.
What’s on your bucket list? (worst saying btw)
I hope Koh Phangan, Thailand.
Stay tuned for the debauchery, worldwide of course.
Ten years later, I have written about said debauchery (see Simply The Best: TPOL Is Ten And #MasterOfWon) which included three trips to Koh Phangan.
Come
Take the speed boat from Koh Samui (see Bangkok Airways [Almost] Direct to Full Moon v. Plane, Bus, Ferry, Boat).
Stay
If you’re going for the full moon party, you must stay on Haad Rin beach. I recommend Tommy’s Resort.
Eat
Green curry by day, green curry by night.
Tommy’s green curryAfter party, green curry HQSmoke?
Though I don’t partake, it is now legal (see Sign of the [Economic] Times: Marijuana Is Legal in Thailand).
Party
Make party (see Full Moon Party Thailand: 3 Times Wasn’t Enough. Maybe Once More?).
Leave
Check out the Priority Pass Lounge at Koh Samui Airport (see Coconut Kingdom).
Return
You know you will be back.
As is tradition, TPOL chimes in with his football playoff rankings. As is tradition, someone comments, “What does this have to do with travel?” Somehow those people don’t understand that you must take trains, planes, and automobiles to get to these great games (see Stadium Reviews).
Here is the list:
Oregon
Georgia: Lost to Alabama and Ole Miss
Boise State: Lost to Oregon
Texas: Lost to Georgia twice
Arizona State: Lost to Texas Tech & Cincinnati
SMU: Lost to BYU and Clemson
Indiana: Lost to Ohio State
Notre Dame: Lost to Northern Illinois
Tennessee: Lost to Georgia and Arkansas
Ohio State: Lost to Michigan and Oregon
Penn State: Lost to Ohio State and Oregon
Clemson: Lost to Georgia, Louisville, South Carolina
Full Moon Party Koh Phangan is part of the Reunion Tour Trip Report.
In 2008, I heard about this magical event on an island in Thailand called the Full Moon Party. I knew nothing about SE Asia, let alone Thailand. I was told it was an epic party on the beach that should not be missed.
In August 2009, as a broke graduate student, I took the budget-conscious route by flying from BKK to Surat Thani. From there I took the slow ferry to Koh Samui and then to Koh Phangan.
After that effort, I enjoyed the nights leading up to the Full Moon party.
Cactus bar: Now closed
Because I had to be in Shanghai for the start of my MBA exchange program (see The Pointless Global MBA: Take 2), I had to skip the actual night of the Full Moon party.
No full moon for Pre-TPOL.TPOL’s Tip: Be careful of authentic Thai Redbull. One is enough for the week.
Advice I didn’t heed my first time around.
In November of that same year, I went back to Koh Phangan for only the night of the Full Moon party. While the beach was packed with people and while the party lasted through the morning, the Full Moon event was not as fun as my first time in Koh Phangan.
Recall: one bucket of Redbull vodka is enough.Morning: still going strong.Didn’t recall: one bucket of RedBull vodka is enough.Alex’s Tip to Future TPOL: The nights leading up to the Full Moon Party are better than the party itself.
Alex’s Knowledge in 2009 and TPOL’s Tip: Unless you want to end up with bandages, do not participate in activities involving fire e.g., jump rope, limbo.
Full Moon 2022
In 2022, TPOL turned 40 and celebrated his birthday by going to his homeland for the first time (see Iraqi Homecoming: My 40th Birthday in Baghdad ). All grown up, TPOL heeded Alex’s advice and booked a trip to Koh Phangan for 4 nights, leaving purposefully on the day of the Full Moon Party.
The first two nights were quite tame. I assume that this was due to post-Covid low travel numbers.
TPOL was the DJThe streets weren’t abuzzAnd the bars were empty.But buckets were still for sale.
While the party picked up the next two nights, it did not compare to the crowds from my previous travels. Nevertheless, I had a spectacular time. This time I did not have buckets of Red Bull and vodka, a surefire way to create debilitating, irrational anxiety the next day. This time I, once again, did not participate in fire activities. This time, like the times before, I left thinking that I am not too old for this shit.
I still love Koh Phangan.
Samoa to Fiji is part of the Bula! Fiji Hub Trip Report.
Have you been keeping up with this trip report? Do you know how many times I have been to Fiji at this point? Although I experienced the best 737 business class flight on Fiji Airways (see Fiji Airways Nadi to Tonga: The Best), there were no Avios available for my flight to Samoa from Fiji. This is what coach looks like should you be interested.
Stay tuned for the debauchery, worldwide of course.
Stay
If you’re going for the full moon party, you must stay on Haad Rin beach. I recommend Tommy’s Resort.
Eat
Green curry by day, green curry by night.
Party
Make party (see Full Moon Party Thailand: 3 Times Wasn’t Enough. Maybe Once More?).
Leave
Check out the Priority Pass Lounge at Koh Samui Airport (see Coconut Kingdom).
Return
You know you will be back.
After that effort, I enjoyed the nights leading up to the Full Moon party.
Because I had to be in Shanghai for the start of my MBA exchange program (see The Pointless Global MBA: Take 2), I had to skip the actual night of the Full Moon party.
