CHOGM

[Sarongman]

Acronym for Commonwealth heads of Government Meeting or, more cynically, Chaps Holidaying on Government Money! I append the photo, as the host for this year, Sri Lanka, despite human rights problems is, for the next six months, the chairman of the Commonwealth. You will notice how mine host stands out in his white dress against the dreary sea of grey suits. Charlie's suit probably cost more than most of those there but, in the end, it's still a dreary suit.

CHOGM.jpg

[Jack Williams]

To tell the trouth, I've never worn a sut in my life.

[Kirbstone]

I've never worn a sut either! However, A lot of professional activity I get up to requires me to wear something smart like a SUIT.....a trouser suit.

Tom K.

[norstdresses]

you are so lucky. A suit is the most uncomfortable garment I have worn. Here in Botswana, for all official meetings with or without air-con you are requested to wear suit and tie.
I remember my work stay in Yemen. Our official outfit was long and white. No pants at all

have a nice dressed weekend

[Jack Williams]

Well as a disparaging epithet, we always used to call them suts!

[skirtilator]

I've never worn a sut either! However, A lot of professional activity I get up to requires me to wear something smart like a SUIT.....a trouser suit.

Tom K.

A suit is for penguins only and only something smart if you turn it into a skirt suit with tights.

[Milfmog]

A suit is for penguins only and only something smart if you turn it into a skirt suit with tights.

I believe the Taliban always deal in absolutes too.

In my opinion, your statement is no more sensible or tolerant than that of the "men can't wear skirts" brigade. I will reserve the choice to dress as I please, whether that be a suit and tie, t-shirt and jeans, a kilt, a skirt or nothing at all. It's my choice, not yours, and I will choose what feels right for the time and place.

Have fun (and allow others to enjoy themselves too),


Ian.

[skirtyscot]

A suit is for penguins only and only something smart if you turn it into a skirt suit with tights.

Nonsense, man! You could have a long skirt suit and wear socks.

[Sinned]

Since when did you see a penguin in a brown jacket, yellow shirt, tie and yellow trousers? If you did then it was an extremely rare one!!!! I agree with Ian that someone so bigoted to say that you shouldn't ever wear trousers is as bad as those who say that you shouldn't ever wear a skirt. Like Ian I reserve to wear what I want when I want ( MOH's permission granted ) whether it is shorts, trousers, suit or a skirt/kilt. Those of you that don't ever want to wear trousers then that's fine - it's your choice but please leave others of us to wear trousers or a suit or a skirt whenever we feel like.

I have had a thought for a while that if I were to ever order another suit ( I have outgrown some of my existing suits ) that I would order a skirt to go with it - jacket, waistcoat, trousers and skirt. I try and imagine the tailor's face with that order! ( I presume that a tailor who can make trousers would find a skirt a piece of cake. )

On a lighter note MOH has got some extended hours in the run up to Christmas so I should get a little more skirt wearing outside in. If I, as a skirt wearer, are different to 999,999 who don't then surely I am one in a million!

[Sarongman]

If Fiji hadn't been expelled from the Commonwealth, because of the military dictatorship of Admiral Bananas in Pyjamas(Frank Bainimarama), there would have been a well tailored skirt suit in that photograph. I still have the desire to go there and order a suit from one of their good, and reasonably priced, tailors.

[skirtingseattle]

I just returned from 2 weeks in Myanmar (formerly Burma) where the vast majority of males wear the lungi (pronounced there as: LONE gee). Males wear pants predominantly in Yangon (formerly Rangoon) and Mandalay, and in other parts of the country wherever there was a requirement for an official work uniform, like hotels and banks. I wore a lungi about 50% of the time and hiking pants with the zip off legs the other 50%. Short pants were a pain because of the need to cover up frequently when visiting the various religious sites - and it didn't make sense to put it on and then take it off. In addition, to be respectful of the modesty requirements of the locals, it would not have been entirely appropriate to dress and undress in public by taking the lungi on and off.

I have to say I was really happy to be wearing an un-bifurcated garment in the hot and humid weather. The last time I was wearing a sarong was in Sri Lanka in 2009.

If anyone loves South East Asia and hasn't been to either Myanmar or Sri Lanka, don't wait, especially in the case of Myanmar. I know that everything will be different in 20 years as Myanmar is poised to sprint into its economic future very quickly. Myanmar today is like Singapore was 40 years ago and Thailand 25 years ago. Go and see it before the massive sweep of modernization. All of the old practices of the ethnic tribal groups will go extinct as many of the most unusual can only be seen in men and women of 60+ years of age (like the Chin women and full face tattoos, or the Shan women with the neck extending brass necklaces).

Upcoming trips in S.E. Asia will be to Laos and Cambodia (the final 2 countries on our list of the Theravada Buddhist countries).

Chris

[Jack Williams]

I always thought it was back to being "Burma"

[Milfmog]

I always thought it was back to being "Burma"

It rather depends who you ask! The following paragraph (shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia) may help:

In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became "Myanmar". The renaming remains a contested issue.[23] Many political and ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to use "Burma" because they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government or its authority to rename the country.

Have fun,


Ian.

[Jack Williams]

That certainly covers it. I notice the radio news etc here have gone back to "Burma".

[skirtyscot]

They can change the name of their country if they like, but how can they change the English translation of it? Surely that is for us to do, or not. There is no reason why the English name for a country should be the same as the local name. Nobody tells us we should call Germany "Deutschland" or FInland "Suomi".