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@MeNoTalk i already asked some pakistan questions here but the answer might be too easily googlable for this new question so i'm holding back but my netbook is bogged down with too many tabs right now

KL is good. rain is putting me off hitchhiking. not sure how easy it will to get from the northeast to penang either.

Masih learn malay language no?

i bought a dictionary today so i can look up masih ...

did i learn it yet? oh yes 100% i'm correcting the locals' grammatical mistakes now

Mark Mayo

11:20 AM

@hippietrail @JoErNanO I have a 3-season sleeping bag and have used it in -10 outdoors, but there wasn't much sleep had that night :/

@andra use case... ok have a look at caravanistan.com. They have pages on caravanistan.com/visa visas or countries and how to get into them etc. So like Seat61 but for visas. How would you use wikidata, instead of just building a custom site like they have?

Relaxed

11:34 AM

@MarkMayo “AnonUser” wants to have his comments cleaned at expatriates.stackexchange.com/questions/3198/… but he forgot to ping you…

KevinC123

Hi guys! I am based in Ireland and travelling to Sri Lanka in January. I have been looking up the vaccinations which should be taken before travelling there but I find that they are quite expensive (Hepatitis B on its own is €120 which is 3 injections, Hepatitis A + Typhoid is €65 and Tetanus is €20). Anybody got any advice on what is essential for travelling to Sri Lanka? Should I be thinking about my health over the price and go for all of them? Should I go for any additional vaccinations?

Relaxed

I thought Hepatitis A and B could be had together

The price seems right, it's similar here

On the flip side, you are protected for life

Beyond that I don't think you should trust us over official recommendations

Typically, no matter the destination, Hepatitis B and Typhoid are only recommended for long stays (during which you could also need to be hospitalized) and risk groups

Tetanus I would have in any case, in France it's recommended even without travel and it's cheap

But you can check the websites for yourself

NHS, CDC, etc. all have travel advice

Incidentally, how old are you? Are you sure you have never been vaccinated against hepatitis?

Some countries have large scale vaccination programs for teenagers now

Mark Mayo

11:51 AM

@Relaxed thanks, took care of it

@KevinC123 check the area you're going to, my understanding is malaria tablets may be worthwhile for there

Also check the CDC page for Sri Lanka - they have a list of vaccines and why you should or shouldn't consider them

KevinC123

@Relaxed and @MarkMayo - Thanks for the advice guys. I have been reading up about it all but thought that I would drop the question in here seen as all of you people enjoy travelling a lot! :) I plan on popping into the TMB on Saturday to discuss it all with a professional but I am extremely happy to have read through the CDC page on Sri Lanka as the Hepatitis B does seem to be unnecessary for my travel requirements.
I am 26 and unsure about the vaccinations I have received from school but I believe that it was the measles mumps shots and influenza?

andra

1:11 PM

Another user bites the dust :( Next to losing rep points it always is disappointing

@MarkMayo I will respond later on your use case. I am in a hackaton now, two brainstorm sessions is a bit to much

JoErNanO

1:47 PM

@KevinC123 Should I be thinking about my health over the price ...? I think yes, always.

However, @Relaxed is right, do not trust us over the official health warnings, and check with your local health service.

0

Q: Best small - medium weekend backpack for Europe

What size (in L) would you suggest to hold basically two nights/three days' worth of clothes? We will be travelling to France and Switzerland and staying with friends, so a big chunk of our luggage will be staying in one place, but we will be travelling and sleeping out in Paris for two nights a...

is this a shopping recommendation or an opinion-based question?

i am torn

hippietrail

3:34 PM

does it rain at the same time every day in KL in the rainy season?

might just ask on the site ...

0

Q: How predictable is the weather in Kuala Lumpur in the rainy season?

When I hitchhiked through KL last year it didn't rain at all so I didn't need to take precautions. I think it was July/August. Now at the end of November there's a big downpour every day and rain is not a plus for hitchhikers. Now I read somewhere that the rain comes at pretty much the same tim...

weather-and-climate malaysia seasonal kuala-lumpur tropical-destinations

MeNoTalk

@hippietrail its southeast asia... forget about prediction...

Masih learn malay language no?

masih means "still".. and tidak at the end means "or not"

so "still learning bahasa Malaysia or not"

it can come in other forms, also very common and useful.. for example:

hippietrail

3:51 PM

yeah tidak at the end is like no at the end in spanish or oder at the end in german

MeNoTalk

"sudah makan belom"

hippietrail

already eat belom

MeNoTalk

belum means not yet

already eat or not yet..

hippietrail

already eat not yet (-:

MeNoTalk

a very common phrase structure..

sudah keluar belum..

are you out or not yet..

and so on..

not sure they use the same in Malaysia, but my guess they do..

hippietrail

3:53 PM

nice it's like a variation of chinese want not want

MeNoTalk

yes..

hippietrail

probably

MeNoTalk

even Indonesians when they English or Arabic they do the same

"you want to eat no"

:)

hippietrail

ah i've not interacted much at home with many malays or indonesians other than ones with really good english

the dangers of travelling through pakistan are bothering me less with this coastal route but the pain of getting a visa to travel overland is started to bother me more

MeNoTalk

@hippietrail couldn't you find a source for that information?

hippietrail

4:07 PM

0

Q: Can an Australian obtain a visa to enter Pakistan by land border while already overseas?

I'm an Aussie and am already travelling in Asia right now. I'm considering the possibility of overlanding through Pakistan. Now rules for getting visas can change pretty frequently and Pakistan is not the most settled part of the world right now, so I feel like all my reading on the Internet is ...

visas regulations borders australian-citizens pakistan

i could find half a dozen sources. spread across the last decade. from people of varying nationalities. not all saying the same things.

MeNoTalk

then go safe.. apply in a consulate..

I have a friend or two there, but not sure they can help in this..

hippietrail

0

Q: Can Malay or Indonesian ever have an /n/ followed by a /g/?

Malay and Indonesian are considered to be very phonetically spelled with the usually cited exception being that orthographic "e" can represent either /e/ or /ə/. In both orthographies the sound /ŋ/ is represented with the digraph "ng". But is it guaranteed that every case of orthographic "ng" i...

phonology orthography malay indonesian

i just want to know if it's against the rules or known to not work. especially if there's an application/interview fee rather than just a fee for actually granted visas

ooh i earned a badge i've never heard of before!

MeNoTalk

4:24 PM

which is?

and btw, you forgot to update your travel.se profile...

@hippietrail according to Wikipedia, only business travelers are entitled for VOA

JoErNanO

@pnuts Come on man, you know this is not a quality answer: travel.stackexchange.com/questions/39067/… :)

CGCampbell

4:41 PM

@Hippietrail Man, Pakistan is one of the most contentious countries in the world and you just wanna go skipping through there all lah de dah.... (I wish I were in your shoes, tbh)

hippietrail

i don't want visa on arrival. well i don't expect i can get one. just want to know if it's even possible to get one since some say i can only apply in my home country.

well i don't know if i want to skip through or skip it yet but hunza south then along the coast looks pretty good and less adventurous than the "classic" hippie trail route

MeNoTalk

@hippietrail why don't you go tomorrow to the Pakistani consulate/embassy in KL...

pay them a visit...

and see for yourself..

hippietrail

was reading a few blogs of various people crossing pakistan borders or travelling through or planning to via bike or hitchhiking and stuff. but none conclusive enough or from this year.

because sometimes going to an embassy gets you unwanted attention and hassle that asking other experienced people is safe from

MeNoTalk

@hippietrail seriously man!!!

hippietrail

i'm scarred from the time the americans accused me of trying to illegally enter when i just went to the us embassy in vancouver to ask simple questions

yes seriously man!!!

MeNoTalk

4:45 PM

that's the US..

you know, security shit..

hippietrail

oh yes i forget people keep telling me how sensible pakistan is and that i'm wussy for wanting to travel there.

MeNoTalk

you are worried about going to embassy.. but not worried about crossing Pakistan.. ooooh white people

hippietrail

also it's a bit like asking on a form and you just get "why do you want to do that". "don't hitchhike just fly" and all that crap instead of answers. (-:

JoErNanO

:D:D:D

hippietrail

if i wasn't worried about crossing pakistan i wouldn't be asking about its safety here

ooooh illiterate people

JoErNanO

4:48 PM

I never thought you'd be so conscious about hitchhiking. Who cares what people will answer.

MeNoTalk

google.com.sa/maps/dir/…

hippietrail

because they waste precious time. like police driving you to train stations when you just want a ride in a car or truck. embassies and their restricted hours are a pain at the best of times.

MeNoTalk

follow these instructions..its a short walk..

hippietrail

so i could go there and waste hours having them try to dissuade me from wanting to go overland

MeNoTalk

go to the embassy.. no one will tell you don't go..

they for sure faced many people who are planning the same route as you..

hippietrail

4:52 PM

or i could ask on a site for travel experts who will wast hours trying to dissuade me from using the expert help and just go waste time with officials and red tape and bureaucracy d-:

MeNoTalk

lol

in 2004 I have made an experiment with my friend in pakistan

hippietrail

man just trying to buy a train ticket at a train station in india is bad enough with their amplified version of british bureaucracy than i'm sure pakistan got too (-:

MeNoTalk

we wore Pakistani costume.. the very cheap one like what poor people wear.. and we went out to expensive places.. lol it was fun..

we were kicked out from everywhere we went.. until we spoke in English..

I still have a photo somewhere..

even the hotel I was staying at "Sheraton Karachi" was aggressive.. the security guy waved from far away that we are not allowed...

hippietrail

shalwar kameez but a cheap one?

MeNoTalk

not sure whats the name.. Punjabi maybe

@hippietrail I will post the photo in facebook in a while..

hippietrail

5:02 PM

please! (-:

i was walking through an area here that made me think it must be a lot like pakistan

all run down buildings. one upstairs window was full of rats. mostly textile merchants. took me ages to find my way back to somewhere i recognized.

CGCampbell

@MeNoTalk is the ipad looking thing used by airline stewards company property, or do they use their own tablet with a credit card dongle?

pnuts

@JoErNanO Yes ;-) I admit I was expecting a flood of -1's but: Q seems on topic (in some respects); I don't have a Close vote; does not seem worth bothering mods with; as far as I can tell my 'A' does answer the question (ie it is not as though I think I might be misunderstanding it) and just might prompt a useful response from OP. tl;dr a crap Q and not much we can do about it?

MeNoTalk

@CGCampbell in what situation you saw it? sky sales?

@hippietrail there is an area in Singapore gave me the same feeling.. forgot the name.

CGCampbell

I was sitting on the back row of an MD on a domestic flight in the us, watching them prepare for service and one lost her dongle and was complaining up a storm about it

hippietrail

i finally came to the other side of the huge maybank tower and once i passed around that i knew where i was again.

it was totally different to brickfields which is the current little india here that i walked to last year. i guess it was a mainly hindu area.

MeNoTalk

5:08 PM

@CGCampbell many airlines are providing their crews with tablets now..

for all kinds of things..

even for on demand services in business and first classes..

RoflcoptrException

Tonight I'm going to the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world :) But I would still prefer a steak...

@mindcorrosive Hi, cool to see you again. Where are you at the moment? :)

hippietrail

order a steak

you might get the oldest steak in the world d-:

RoflcoptrException

Then I get a tofu steak...

probably

MeNoTalk

tofu... :/

hippietrail

fermented tofu (-:

RoflcoptrException

5:16 PM

As long I do not get century eggs, I'm fine

hippietrail

century eggs are not as exotic tasting as they are looking

mindcorrosive

@RoflcoptrException moved back home in Bulgaria, it has been a wild road trip from Scandinavia to the Balkans

hippietrail

that would be a fun trip to hitchhike

RoflcoptrException

sounds great @mindcorrosive

Next spring I probably have to go to albania, and if so, I'm planning to come to see you in Bulgariaa :)

hippietrail

albania was great to hitchhike in. have to do that again (-:

JoErNanO

5:36 PM

@pnuts Yes but I see no point in answering a low-quality question with a low-quality answer. And I know you are frustrated about all these visa questions, so am I. Point being though all you need is a reference to the information you quote and the answer quality magically increases.

More so if the question is actually not a standard "do I need a visa" but rather a "I am in Schengen what do I do?" which is imho way more interesting.

RoflcoptrException

@hippietrail I'm not so much of a hitchhiker, but more a driver who sympathizes with poor and lonely hitchhikers

mindcorrosive

@RoflcoptrException you're very much welcome!

MeNoTalk

@mindcorrosive you moved permanently?

mindcorrosive

@MeNoTalk for now

MeNoTalk

@mindcorrosive did you learn the language?

hippietrail

5:41 PM

in albania one ride i got was in a bmw convertible

mindcorrosive

@MeNoTalk as a Bulgarian, I believe I can speak Bulgarian quite well ;)

MeNoTalk

I mean Swedish :D

or was it Norway?

mindcorrosive

yeah, I know Swedish quite well, particularly reading and speaking

MeNoTalk

nice

this is the best benefit of travelling..

hippietrail

both bulgarian and swedish have suffixed definite articles - so you are lucky d-;

hmm maybe i should go to malacca

Gayot Fow

6:01 PM

Does anybody remember the thread about someone being served an IS82C?

MeNoTalk

@GayotFow travel.stackexchange.com/questions/38765/…

Gayot Fow

@MeNoTalk thanks, The Commons published a paper today about why that form is WORSE than the standard expulsion forms, which are the IS151A and IS151B.

MeNoTalk

I am really lost in this topic.. do not know what is it about.. visa questions are not my favorite ones..

pnuts

@JoErNanO Happy to see an example (on TSE or here) of how that particular Q should be answered. (Bear in mid OP is not registered so may never respond to a request for clarification.) Visa Qs seem a distraction but I am content to ignore those that do not interest me (a few do) – my ‘A’ was not an attack on them! A mickey-mouse A seemed at least ‘closure’ of a kind, as I think deserved. SO offers “unclear what you are asking”.

Gayot Fow

Sadly, it's my only niche where I can contribute. My travel knowledge only leaves a small area. US, Europe,some SA

MeNoTalk

6:07 PM

US, Europe.. that's not small..

I hate visa questions because I am here long enough to have answered so many of them..

Gayot Fow

Not small geographically, but most questions want Africa or the Far East

MeNoTalk

I am even the second top use for schengen.. but now i avoid these questions..

Gayot Fow

Mostly, I like that the visa questions are about travel, and NOT asylum or discretionary cases. I really dislike those

JoErNanO

@pnuts So your point is that the question should be closed because it's low quality? Mind you, you are probably right. But that's what flags are for, no? ;)

MeNoTalk

but since visas are essentials to travel.. i do not think it is possible to ban these questions.. also i think 90% of these questions can be easily answered with a simple search

a simple timatic search will do

but there are some complicated ones.. like the one you mentioned before..

Gayot Fow

6:11 PM

Invariably they deal with getting bounced or a refusal.

MeNoTalk

i myself have a limited knowledge to travel.. cities.. food.. and so on..

my knowledge is purely technical... aircrafts.. air-travel...

pnuts

@JoErNanO Only in part that (I am happy to leave that to those who may VTC) but "poor quality" is not a specific flag reason and I felt/feel not worth bothering a mod (about which I admit I have been told off elsewhere on SE!)

Gayot Fow

@MeNoTalk I always read your stuff. There's a few here with really good credibility, which I like :)

MeNoTalk

the ones that impress me with their knowledge in travel in general are: @MarkMayo, @hippietrail, @jpatokal, @kateGregory and @doc.. excuse me if i forgot a name or two..

2

Gayot Fow

Me too

MeNoTalk

6:14 PM

@GayotFow thanks :)

Gayot Fow

Do any of you guys use the new Wolfram search? It is BEYOND awesome for some searches!

MeNoTalk

never heard of it

Gayot Fow

Well get ready to knock your socks off

wolframalpha.com/input/?i=uk+visitor+

MeNoTalk

in interpreted "visitor" as total visitors of the country.. why not "visitor" as a person who wants to visit..

JoErNanO

@MeNoTalk You mean people being rejected visas, or just people sitting on their sofa thinking about visiting UK?

MeNoTalk

6:19 PM

total annual visitors..

Gayot Fow

It will mature

MeNoTalk

yes.. i like it so far..

JoErNanO

I don't understand your point. :)

MeNoTalk

@JoErNanO neither did I, Lol..

i was talking about the wolfram engine..

if you open the link you will get it..

JoErNanO

I did. It shows total annual visitors. Then you said in interpreted "visitor" as total visitors of the country.. why not "visitor" as a person who wants to visit... What did you mean? :D

MeNoTalk

6:24 PM

i meant..

if i was a person who wants to visit UK, and i was looking for materials to help me explore the UK..

i simply would write "UK visitor"

then it shows me the total annual visitors... i should be able to change the interpretation..

Gayot Fow

probably it is not that mature yet

JoErNanO

ah now I get it

Gayot Fow

@pnuts what was the question of low quality?

JoErNanO

travel.stackexchange.com/review/low-quality-posts/23669 this one

Wolphram is a number crunching service, that's probably why they show you statistics rather than information.

MeNoTalk

@JoErNanO they also can show statistic of the place most visited...

just an idea..

but you are right, stats is what it is for..

Gayot Fow

6:28 PM

Weird, I put a question into META about people who ask YES/NO questions!

MeNoTalk

@JoErNanO no only stats: this

Gayot Fow

@MeNoTalk keep the link...

pnuts

@GayotFow JoErNanO beat me to providing the link but I have deleted my 'A' since it no longer (thankfully) fits the Q, since JoErNanO's edit.

JoErNanO

@MeNoTalk True but that's like writing: wolframalpha.com/input/?i=uk

it's a statement, tell me about this programming language/country

rather than a "numerical" question tell me how many people visit this country

MeNoTalk

yup, but "top visited places in UK" should give stats, instead it doesn't and just show the UK...

JoErNanO

6:32 PM

:D:D

true

MeNoTalk

i tried all possible combinations "uk visitor(s)", "top places in uk", etc.. not getting my desired information.. but as @GayotFow it will mature in time.

if @andra was here, he would make a wikidata query to provide the data i want ;)

JoErNanO

Where is @andra when we need him? :D

Gayot Fow

@MeNoTalk Anders Hejlsberg also invented Turbo Pascal, which is a pretty decent track record if you include c#

MeNoTalk

yes..

he also worked with the java team if i am not mistaken...

Gayot Fow

Love to spend some time in a pub with him. He must be brilliant

MeNoTalk

6:37 PM

i heard a scientists joke in a bar yesterday..

let me find it..

fonund it: 8crap

pnuts

@GayotFow I tried “israel visitor” where the latest figure seems 6 yrs behind the latest available but also about 1/3rd down on that from the Tourism Ministry.

Gayot Fow

This one is awesome...... wolframalpha.com/input/…

with the graphic ellipse!

MeNoTalk

this is awesome as well: wolframalpha.com/input/?i=pizza

Gayot Fow

@MeNoTalk very nice

JoErNanO

The foods distributions!

MeNoTalk

6:51 PM

i am hungry and they are still baking