Learning Thai, Fire And Flight
Back to Thailand culture...
How do you learn to speak Thai?
DO this: Go and fly yourself to a small town where no one speaks English. Immerse yourself in the culture. You'll be forced to understand what they are saying to you. And you'll be forced to speak it. Your basic desire for communication with other human beings will prevail...
The Thais don't know that I speak their language. Often they will be reluctant to approach me because they think their own English is not good and possibly that I can't speak their language. But when they discover I can, it's like the world falls in.
We can communicate.
Maybe it's like seeing html for the first time and in that precious moment, suddenly feeling so awe inspired and pleasured... It happens you know.
Sometimes I'll get someone coming up to me and speaking Thai as if I know it fluently. It amazes me that people would do that. I admire it. I'm forced to learn 'on the spot'.
Or act very politely.
But southern Thai is still tricky to comprehend. It's actually very difficult to understand spoken fast and it feels to me like they've got 10 different ways of saying the same thing. I am trying to learn it.
When I speak southern Thai to people down here they are blown away. It's very funny for them to hear me speak south language.
Remember how I told you I can speak Thai?
I can... until they start going on about stuff I don't know. :-)
Like words for html and computers and routers and how to make a computer do things. All that stuff. Those words I am unfamiliar with...
This is when being in a foreign country can be a challenge. When you need to do business and you gotta get the details right. You need to buy a tool or book a flight somewhere and you need to know...
What are they really saying about this? What extras does it come with? Can I get a cheaper Thailand flight? And... can I get my money back if I need to?
All these important questions. Every farang has a list of these from paying the gas bill to servicing the motorbike to catching a ferry to Ko Samui.
That's when body language comes into play. I have taught myself to be observant of body language. Why? Because I need to know more. I need to know what they are thinking, if they are being honest, speaking the truth, have a deeper reason for associating with me.
It sounds absurd, but believe me, it's important.
I rely on body language because I can't (yet) read Thai and if they speak fast Thai using unfamiliar words about something important to my safety or health or income then I need to know. Like...
Can I really rely on your helpdesk to book me a flight to Chiang Mai?
Hey I'm sure you know what I mean, right?
By the way, my website is now complete...
www.MartinHurley.com
PEACE.
The White Ape
How do you learn to speak Thai?
DO this: Go and fly yourself to a small town where no one speaks English. Immerse yourself in the culture. You'll be forced to understand what they are saying to you. And you'll be forced to speak it. Your basic desire for communication with other human beings will prevail...
The Thais don't know that I speak their language. Often they will be reluctant to approach me because they think their own English is not good and possibly that I can't speak their language. But when they discover I can, it's like the world falls in.
We can communicate.
Maybe it's like seeing html for the first time and in that precious moment, suddenly feeling so awe inspired and pleasured... It happens you know.
Sometimes I'll get someone coming up to me and speaking Thai as if I know it fluently. It amazes me that people would do that. I admire it. I'm forced to learn 'on the spot'.
Or act very politely.
But southern Thai is still tricky to comprehend. It's actually very difficult to understand spoken fast and it feels to me like they've got 10 different ways of saying the same thing. I am trying to learn it.
When I speak southern Thai to people down here they are blown away. It's very funny for them to hear me speak south language.
Remember how I told you I can speak Thai?
I can... until they start going on about stuff I don't know. :-)
Like words for html and computers and routers and how to make a computer do things. All that stuff. Those words I am unfamiliar with...
This is when being in a foreign country can be a challenge. When you need to do business and you gotta get the details right. You need to buy a tool or book a flight somewhere and you need to know...
What are they really saying about this? What extras does it come with? Can I get a cheaper Thailand flight? And... can I get my money back if I need to?
All these important questions. Every farang has a list of these from paying the gas bill to servicing the motorbike to catching a ferry to Ko Samui.
That's when body language comes into play. I have taught myself to be observant of body language. Why? Because I need to know more. I need to know what they are thinking, if they are being honest, speaking the truth, have a deeper reason for associating with me.
It sounds absurd, but believe me, it's important.
I rely on body language because I can't (yet) read Thai and if they speak fast Thai using unfamiliar words about something important to my safety or health or income then I need to know. Like...
Can I really rely on your helpdesk to book me a flight to Chiang Mai?
Hey I'm sure you know what I mean, right?
By the way, my website is now complete...
www.MartinHurley.com
PEACE.
The White Ape
posted by Martin | 1:19 PM
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