razor55red

Munich, definitely. Enjoy a Weißbier while you're at it.

I've always been satisfied to watch others eat it from a safe distance...

I was the guy on the travel board. Glad you decided to read the book, and you make some good points. Nobody really knows how much was fact or fiction, but I've read from some serious sources that he was really involved in the underworld in Bombay, he really did live in a slum and worked as a "slum doctor", did escape prison in Australia, and was really in Arthur Road prison. That alone gives him all the credibility I need. I'm pretty sure all the characters in Luipold's were loosely based on people he met in Bombay, which, in the 80's was a wild west city. Karla was pure fiction. One of my Indian friends said it was the best description of Bombay during that time period that he had read.

If you watch any current GDR videos, you'd think he went off his rocker, but who knows. Like in film and music, I try to separate the source from the product, but it's not always easy (or adviseable). He doesn't come across as the same guy who wrote "Shantaram". He did write a sequel, "Mountain Shadow", which wasn't as deep (nor as long) as its predecessor, but he does tie the story up

If you are interested in Bombay, please check out "Maximum City - Bombay Lost and Found" by Suketu Mehta. He uncovers the Bombay underworld through interviews with killers, crime bosses, victims, and the police. He describes the absurd beauracracy, police corruption (much worse than that described in "Shantaram"), political corruption, the role of the mafia in Bollywood, the Hindu/Moslem conflicts, and a lot more. Great book, though the author does seem to ramble a bit at times. It's worth a read.

I have to go along with this guy. How about "Seasons in the Sun"? "Brandy"?

Wait a minute there. "Honey" is sacred, and Bobby Goldsboro is an American hero. My parents were older (born in the 20's) and I grew up with easy listening music. It also has its place

My personal opinion, since we live ca. 3.5 hours from Garda, is to go to the Como area. The lake at Garda is beautiful, but everything on Garda is filled with Germans, the traffic sucks, and you have a bunch of outlet stores that attract lots of people. The surrounding area, however, is indeed very nice. Just my 2 cents...

Also Hibernation.

Please see my comment above. There's a positive way to criticize, and there's a negative way. Our goal should be - at least in my mind - doing our best to stay positive, whatever the situation. That in no way means being weak or being a pushover. I think of it like this: do I want to help alleviate a situation or make it worse? And please never forget that our actions affect ourselves as well as others.

It's not hard to understand, if you want to. Bashing someone - especially when they're down - doesn't lead to anything but suffering, for the person bashed and, just as important, for the one doing the bashing.

It's the difference between constructive and destructive. There's a way to practice tough love without injury.

Man, I am so sorry. After re-reading my post it's clear I left out some critical info: I'm in Germany and both my wives are German. That was totally misleading... But we have been to SE Asia a lot and know some successful transplants who made it work. Also a lot of stories like yours about guys getting ripped off.

You're a good dude, giving for the right reason. That's all that counts.