Hello again from the City of Angels,
I have just had my fourth Thai lesson. I can already speak like a native! NOT!! Actually I am progressing well. The tonality in the Thai language is much like that in the Chinese language. I am surprising myself with my ability to both hear and speak with the correct tones. It must be the excellent teachers that I have. My school is called Baan Phaasa Thai which translates to Thai Language House. I am in a somewhat accelerated learning situation. I am taking 4 hours per day and studying as much as I can stand to after class. I have been studying from 1-2 hours at home besides taking the class. For my homework due today I had to read a short story and answer questions about it in Thai. Usually 1-2 hours of my class time is spent with virtually no english spoken. I have become expert in saying, "pardon", "please say it again" and "speak more slowly please".
My teachers have also been very good about helping me with cultural questions. In Thailand, the "wai" is similar to bowing in Japan. Perhaps you have seen the staff in restaurants putting their hands together as if in prayer and bowing. There are 4 "positions" for a wai. The first is reserved for younger people generically showing respect for older people or perhaps for those coming into the restaurant with whom they are not familiar. The hands are held below the chin and the bow is not deep. The second is used for more "honored" people. For this "wai", the thumbs touch the chin and the bow is a bit deeper. Perhaps your boss or someone to whom you perform some service would receive this "wai". The third is reserved for one's parents, grandparents or extremely honored older people. The thumbs would touch that spot between your eyes. The bow is deep and held briefly. The last is for the King and Buddha. The thumbs touch the top of the forehead and the bow is correspondingly deep. Why is this important to know, you might ask. Good question! Basically so you don't seem like a fool. It is very impolite to "wai" to someone younger. They feel uncomfortable. As a student, I do NOT "wai" to my teacher. Even though I am older, it seems a contradiction to me not to show that respect. But I am told I should not. Good lesson learned.
It is good to settle into a routine. My classes run from 10-12 and 1-3 Monday through Friday. I say classes, but it is really one on one tutoring. One of my teachers is getting her MA in English Lit at Chulalongkorn University. She speaks better English than most Americans. At least she knows the difference between your and you're.
Last week after making my school selection and finding an apartment, I went with my friend, Paul, to Chom Thian (Jomtien). It is a funky little beach town with some great restaurants and golf. I had a few days to kill before my class start date could be arranged and it seemed like a perfect way to pass a few days as I got settled in Thailand. The weather was mostly good and the food was superb. We went to my favorite restaurant. It is located in an off the beaten path village and is built out over the ocean on stilts. We were the only farang. I thought farang was the same as the Japanese term gaijin. It actually means westerner. Gaijin means foreigner in general. Farang (often pronounced falang) is specific to westerners. Another lesson learned.
I posted three images from the trip to Jomtien. We earned an early Heineken one day by climbing almost 200 wet and slippery steps to a temple on top of a hill. Buddhist temples are called Wats. The images are from the ascent to this Wat. Unfortunately I do not know the name of the Wat since the name was written in Thai and neither Paul nor I reads Thai (yet). It had rained recently and the steps were covered in HUGE copulating millipedes, snails and various other jungle type flora and fauna. Fortunately NO snakes. The view of the surrounding countryside was excellent.
I had a question from the last posting about the Lacquer Pavilion. It was built sometime in the 17th - 18th century originally on the Chao Praya River between the ancient capital, Ayudhya and Krung Theep (Bangkok). It was moved to its present location at Suan Pakkad Palace around 1950-52. The outer walls are sculpted wood and the inner walls are painted gold on black lacquer. It is the only one like it in Thailand.
What's coming next? This week I'll focus on my language lessons and make plans for the trip to Cambodia. Additionally I plan to meet with some local business people and to arrange a meeting with a trade specialist at the US Embassy where incidentally I'll try to figure out a way to expedite my vote. That's all for today.
Sawatdii Khrap,
Andy
PS - City of Angels??? Krung Theep is the Thai name for Bangkok and it means City of Angels.
I have just had my fourth Thai lesson. I can already speak like a native! NOT!! Actually I am progressing well. The tonality in the Thai language is much like that in the Chinese language. I am surprising myself with my ability to both hear and speak with the correct tones. It must be the excellent teachers that I have. My school is called Baan Phaasa Thai which translates to Thai Language House. I am in a somewhat accelerated learning situation. I am taking 4 hours per day and studying as much as I can stand to after class. I have been studying from 1-2 hours at home besides taking the class. For my homework due today I had to read a short story and answer questions about it in Thai. Usually 1-2 hours of my class time is spent with virtually no english spoken. I have become expert in saying, "pardon", "please say it again" and "speak more slowly please".
My teachers have also been very good about helping me with cultural questions. In Thailand, the "wai" is similar to bowing in Japan. Perhaps you have seen the staff in restaurants putting their hands together as if in prayer and bowing. There are 4 "positions" for a wai. The first is reserved for younger people generically showing respect for older people or perhaps for those coming into the restaurant with whom they are not familiar. The hands are held below the chin and the bow is not deep. The second is used for more "honored" people. For this "wai", the thumbs touch the chin and the bow is a bit deeper. Perhaps your boss or someone to whom you perform some service would receive this "wai". The third is reserved for one's parents, grandparents or extremely honored older people. The thumbs would touch that spot between your eyes. The bow is deep and held briefly. The last is for the King and Buddha. The thumbs touch the top of the forehead and the bow is correspondingly deep. Why is this important to know, you might ask. Good question! Basically so you don't seem like a fool. It is very impolite to "wai" to someone younger. They feel uncomfortable. As a student, I do NOT "wai" to my teacher. Even though I am older, it seems a contradiction to me not to show that respect. But I am told I should not. Good lesson learned.
It is good to settle into a routine. My classes run from 10-12 and 1-3 Monday through Friday. I say classes, but it is really one on one tutoring. One of my teachers is getting her MA in English Lit at Chulalongkorn University. She speaks better English than most Americans. At least she knows the difference between your and you're.
Last week after making my school selection and finding an apartment, I went with my friend, Paul, to Chom Thian (Jomtien). It is a funky little beach town with some great restaurants and golf. I had a few days to kill before my class start date could be arranged and it seemed like a perfect way to pass a few days as I got settled in Thailand. The weather was mostly good and the food was superb. We went to my favorite restaurant. It is located in an off the beaten path village and is built out over the ocean on stilts. We were the only farang. I thought farang was the same as the Japanese term gaijin. It actually means westerner. Gaijin means foreigner in general. Farang (often pronounced falang) is specific to westerners. Another lesson learned.
I posted three images from the trip to Jomtien. We earned an early Heineken one day by climbing almost 200 wet and slippery steps to a temple on top of a hill. Buddhist temples are called Wats. The images are from the ascent to this Wat. Unfortunately I do not know the name of the Wat since the name was written in Thai and neither Paul nor I reads Thai (yet). It had rained recently and the steps were covered in HUGE copulating millipedes, snails and various other jungle type flora and fauna. Fortunately NO snakes. The view of the surrounding countryside was excellent.
I had a question from the last posting about the Lacquer Pavilion. It was built sometime in the 17th - 18th century originally on the Chao Praya River between the ancient capital, Ayudhya and Krung Theep (Bangkok). It was moved to its present location at Suan Pakkad Palace around 1950-52. The outer walls are sculpted wood and the inner walls are painted gold on black lacquer. It is the only one like it in Thailand.
What's coming next? This week I'll focus on my language lessons and make plans for the trip to Cambodia. Additionally I plan to meet with some local business people and to arrange a meeting with a trade specialist at the US Embassy where incidentally I'll try to figure out a way to expedite my vote. That's all for today.
Sawatdii Khrap,
Andy
PS - City of Angels??? Krung Theep is the Thai name for Bangkok and it means City of Angels.