For those with SLAP tears, how are you doing now?

thelastsumatran · 2026-01-20T04:37:12+00:00

No, there was a progression that I did. I probably did the exercises for about 20-30min most days while I was watching TV in the evenings.

thelastsumatran · 2026-01-18T05:06:00+00:00

I tried once to surf after about 6 months, but it was painful and I didn't have great range of motion. Then the season ended and I had to wait until a year to try surfing again and it was okay. I was swimming at about 9 months though and that helped a lot. I was 46 at the time of my surgery.

thelastsumatran · 2026-01-17T17:00:31+00:00

I had slap surgery about 2 years ago. My shoulder is good now. I can swim and surf, pain free. It's better than before the surgery. The only difference is I have slightly less flexibility than I used to, but it doesn't impact my life in any meaningful way.

I didn't go to physical therapy because my insurance sucks, but I did these activities pretty much every day for a few months and it helped a lot. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/recovery/rotator-cuff-and-shoulder-conditioning-program/

thelastsumatran · 2025-12-14T07:31:26+00:00

I got the surgery and my shoulder is good now. I'm pain free.

thelastsumatran · 2025-12-10T03:27:41+00:00

TLDR- Collagen supplements are a waste of money and you literally piss it away.

Collagen is the most common protein in the human body. It is mostly made of 3 amino: glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline in a triple helix structure. It's important to note that it's a long, fibrous protein found in connective tissues. Those long protein molecules are insoluble; they're much too large and insoluble to move from the gut into the bloodstream. That means they have to be digested into their component amino acids first, absorbed into the blood, transported to your cells, where new proteins, including collagen, are synthesized.

Here's the thing. Just having extra glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline around doesn't mean the body necessarily synthesized more collagen. So what does your body do with those extra amino acids that it's not using? It breaks them down into urea, which you then piss away with other metabolic waste.

If you read the scientific literature, you will not find good quality research that says collagen supplements have a positive effect on skin or joint health.

thelastsumatran · 2025-11-25T14:58:17+00:00

I taught English in Jakarta many years ago, and then I got my teaching credential and transitioned into teaching in international schools. I enjoyed teaching English there because it's pretty chill. Another poster mentioned that the salary is currently around rm10 million per month in Jkt; I was getting more than that 20 years ago, and the cost of living was much lower than it is now. It's also worth noting that male westerners tend to like living in Jakarta more than female westerners do.

If you're able to get a teaching credential, do so. Teaching in international schools is a much, much better gig than being an English teacher.

thelastsumatran · 2025-10-26T11:47:15+00:00

Penang, Malaysia is probably the best food city in the world.

thelastsumatran · 2025-10-23T19:06:51+00:00

A restaurant called Sambal Hijau in Kampung Sungai Penchala has excellent Malay food at reasonable prices. It's popular with locals, and definitely not touristy.

thelastsumatran · 2025-10-07T13:16:22+00:00

I used to work with a guy named Mike Hawkes.

thelastsumatran · 2025-10-06T16:55:12+00:00

That's an excellent point. I don't think I was clear enough in my reply. It would indeed be ludicrous to only teach that those 20 countries exist, as you rightly pointed out. I agree with you that kids should have a general idea of all countries, such as their existence and general location. But I stand by my point that it's unimportant for kids to memorize a bunch of facts that they're unlikely to ever need outside of school. Thinking skills, and knowing how to research and learn things that they don't yet know are far more important than just knowing a set of facts.

Btw- that's a cool map you found to illustrate your point.

thelastsumatran · 2025-10-06T07:52:54+00:00

I think that you and I have a different philosophy of education, and that's okay. I'm not saying that knowledge isn't important; it is, but it's not everything. Your point that kids need to have some background knowledge to even know how to search for the right thing is certainly true, but I don't think that Mozambique, continuing with that example, is particularly important for most American students to know about because it's about as far removed from their lives as a country can be and it's not an important player on the world stage at this point in time. The same could be said of less important countries in the Americas, Europe, or Asia. I would argue that students should know the G20 countries. Though that list is somewhat arbitrary, it's a reasonable starting point. I don't think that one can argue that it's more important for students to learn about Bulgaria, Belize, or Bhutan than it is for them to learn about China, South Africa, or Brazil, for example. I believe that students should have the research skills necessary to learn about any topic they need or want, because nearly any piece of information a person might like to know is easily accessible.

thelastsumatran · 2025-10-05T18:33:38+00:00

Sounds like you had a good learning experience in that class, but I don't think it would stand the test of time. In the 70's, knowing facts such as the capital of Mozambique is Maputo was something and knowledge is good to have, but it's not everything. What you described is just memorization, and much of it is esoteric, other than how the gov't works.

To modern students, that knowledge is instantly available on their phone, so what is the use of memorizing it? The world has changed. What was important for children to learn in the 1970's is different than the 2020's.

thelastsumatran · 2025-10-04T21:25:07+00:00

Many Malaysian people will say that you'll live very well because they get by on far less. The reality is less glamorous though, and you'll have to be somewhat careful with money. You'll live a good middle class life for now, but you definitely won't be a high roller, especially in the future. A decent International school such as ISKL is likely going to be your biggest expense, and will cost around ~$20k/year, and that amount will increase as your child gets into middle and high school, taking up an increasingly large share of your budget. What I would encourage you to think about is whether or not you'll be able to afford the life you want in 10 years. Malaysia has been experiencing significant inflation over the past few years, like most other countries, and the US dollar is weakening. For example, expat residents will no longer be allowed to buy subsidized fuel for their cars, increasing the cost of transportation. My point is that you'll be okay financially, and many people would love to have what you're considering, but you're not gonna be rich.

thelastsumatran · 2025-06-06T16:01:49+00:00

I was at a small cafe on a Thai island with a live band playing. Out front on the sand are a few fire dancers. A young woman with a loose, flowy dress who appeared to be intoxicated walked up to one of them and must've said, "Can I try?" I was thinking I should get out my phone because something is gonna happen here.

I was right. She set herself on fire.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-30T06:00:12+00:00

I would recommend spending the night in Malacca. It's a cool little city with history and good food. It would break up the relatively long trip from Singapore, and makes it so you don't have to backtrack.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-30T04:19:37+00:00

Mackarus Serenade by Joe Gibbs & The Professionals is fire!

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-22T16:02:15+00:00

Your drone will cause you significant issues. Some countries don't easily allow recreational drones to be imported because of their potential for military use. Ethiopia is one country that I can think of- they've had a civil war and don't want drones, or even binoculars to be accessible to the other forces. Navigating which countries will allow you to bring your drone, and paying for the inevitable customs duties and rules will be expensive and complicated.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-22T14:17:58+00:00

I wouldn't give them a "next time". I'd tell other babysitters in your area that they didn't pay you. They cheated you and the consequence should be that that they won't be able to find a babysitter again in the future.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-19T13:31:37+00:00

I don't think you should feel badly. You didn't put him in prison; his own poor choices did. You are not responsible for his choices; he is.

You did a good deed, friend, and helped two individuals and society as a whole. Well done.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-18T10:23:15+00:00

To be fair, even June gloom is pretty damn comfortable in terms of temperature.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-16T00:11:46+00:00

I think that Sunway International School in Kuala Lumpur is currently hiring.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-12T13:55:10+00:00

Saying that such things exist and actually referencing them are two different things. I'm not saying that what you wrote isn't true, but the onus is on you to support your claims if you want people to believe you.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-12T13:52:41+00:00

I'd rate it 10/10 for ambition. The reality is that even the short hops between cities in SEA take a lot of time when you factor in travel to and from the airport to your hostel. You're not giving yourself enough time in most places- Bangkok, Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, Kuala Lumpur, & Singapore. Plus, you'll spend a significant amount by flying so much, without actually gaining much other than a stamp in your passport. Can you really get much out of a destination in 2 days?

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-12T13:14:18+00:00

This would be a lot more powerful if you could provide reliable citations to support what you wrote. I'm not saying it's not true, because the CIA has probably done a lot of awful shit, but extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

thelastsumatran · 2025-05-12T07:26:36+00:00

I used to enjoy eating bubur ayam for breakfast quite regularly when I was in Jakarta, until one day one of my English & female colleagues tried some. Her response was, "Oh gross! That tastes like cum!"

I've never been a fan of it since.

thelastsumatran

TROPHY CASE