Our melting pot class of nine (from eight different countries) were introduced to basic Thai greetings, small conversations and how to say what we don't or do like to eat, drink etc. Food will always hold MY interest!
I'm glad I'm at 'toursit Thai' level and was familiar with the most of the words, but will need to practice daily I think, so any new information doesn't go in one ear and out the other. So, no, my head didn't explode today, but I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunities to implode and or self combust, in my upcoming lessons.
I (knew) suspected strongly, that Stray and I had been making language whoopsies since we've arrived in Thailand. Being mostly self or street taught, it was inevitable. Today I put some those blunders to bed while chatting to one of the staff members after class. I'll put them up for display/debate, should anyone be interested or have another opinion or not.
We'd been calling each other miia (wife) and phuaa (husband)...not so polite apparently! I admitted that a security guard taught us these words. Although, not rude, the more polite versions would be phanrayaa (wife) and saamee (husband).
If you read Cooee!, you might already know that Stray alternates between calling me 'beautiful' and 'bad luck', both suay, but with different tones. She assured me that if a farang says someone is jinxed, Thais automatically presume they mean 'beautiful'. I'll let him off on that one.
'Good bye'. I'm a slacker, I stick to sawadee kha for every time of the day, whether I'm coming or going. Stray will often say laa gaawn for good bye, which (I'm told) is generally used if you are not going to see that person again...so not really fitting if you say it to the hotel staff whom you walk past several times a day.
Of course the R/L syndrome was briefly discussed in class and put down to laziness. Because it's been driving me bonkers, I just had to ask "so, R is R when taught in school and turns into an L outside of school?"
"Yes".
Well, I'm off to buy some Hello Kitty stationery, so I can start practicing and plug any potential major leaks forming in my brain.
See what else we're up to at Cooee!
