Searching for Pablo

Knowing Thai

May 7, 2007

It's disorienting to be in another country and you don't speak the language. Thailand is especially difficult because they don't speak English well, a downside of its nationalist policy I guess. Even the shows on cable television are dubbed in Thai and the subtitles are also in Thai. Wtf!

I think it's only here where you couldn't be so smug about knowing the English language well. Filipinos carry that distinction around like a badge of honor everywhere they go but here, I just feel so illiterate. I can't go beyond the Thai phrases "Sawasdee Krap" and "Korp Krun" for hello and thank you and that's on me. That's my badge of shame.

Thais are pretty friendly and the place is not every expensive (not cheap either) but I just know something, somewhere along the way, would be lost in the translation and in this case I'm reduced to a bumbling fool flaying my hands in a desparate attempt to get my message across.

Somehow, I just know that I'll have to use my hands soon and slap somebody silly.  No translations needed there. That's universal.

 

 

 

Posted by searchingforpablo at 8:30 pm | permalink

Previous Comments

You’ll make it through beb. You still have more than 20 days to learn the language and get your act together (cross fingers!) hehehe

Posted by chill whiner at May 8, 2007, 7:23 pm

very universal. translates to: ‘this dickhead wants a brawl! and wants a castration too!’ or ‘tarantado to ha naghahanap ng away! mga ka-baranggay tayo na’t pagtulungan siyang ihagis sa tuktok ng galit na bulkan!’

universal. don’t mind me i’m blithering.

Posted by liz at May 16, 2007, 11:22 am

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