language lessons

every once in awhile, the idea of thai language classes makes its appearance in my brainstorm of ways to keep myself entertained aside from work…then my day to day experiences just living, eating, wandering on the beach remind me that i’m HERE in THAILAND. ha! language school, schmanguage school.



let me tell you how i’m practicing my thai. emily’s guide to learning a language: wander around by yourself. bypass the inviting restaurants that scream: WHITE girl! ENGLISH speaker! WESTERN food eater! come to me! instead, wander quite uninvited into the areas of picnic tables on the dirt across from the beach that bear very few indications of being a restaurant at all, let alone actually being open, or open to serving to clientele like me, for that matter. it’s hard not to feel uncomfortable barging into these areas, because many clearly double as the family’s home in the back. but hey, get over it. stare at the all-thai menu for some time, maybe deciphering a word here and there. inquire in your best thai about your favorite -and few- meals you order in thai. wait smilingly and innocently despite possible looks of whatthehellisthisgirldoing…soon, they realize you’re happy to be there! in thailand, at their eatery (whether it was open or not), and in their company. get invited to sit with drunkhappyoldthai man (only other customer/husband of the cook/my new “buddy”!) add sangsom and soda, and let the language lessons begin! after becoming incapable of looking politely confused at everything the drunkhappyoldthaiman says in slurred thai, and learning some new words from the other nice lady cook, say goodbye to your two new friends (“om” and “noi”). come back on set day (wan sao, aka saturday) loaded with new happy phrases to test and a new dish to order blindly from the unreadable menu!