This week's music psa is brought to you by smac, who is a source of many cool things. Thanks for sharing this video. It features some pretty impressive beards, a cello, a banjo and one very stylish hat. These folks seem pretty cool. I especially enjoy the use of "natural" percussion.
January 29, 2011
January 25, 2011
I have the best friends in the world...
It's true. I am so blessed to have so many awesome people in my life. I miss every single one of you but it's so great to see what happens with everyone, even when we live in very different parts of the world. Excuse the sappiness but I got the most wonderful package in the mail yesterday. I had to go to Esther's for a meeting and I was immediately accosted by Gax. "Heidi! What's this!?" he yelled "It looks like an LP Record!"
"It says Wall Decoration..." I mumbled, a slow smile spreading across my face as I read who it was from. I opened the envelope to discover this. Thank you sam!!! At first I wasn't going to publicly embarrass you, but it's such a creative gift I couldn't help it.
You can't really see, but the record is of a Bach cantata, all in German and features Dietrich Fischer-Diskau. For the record (no pun intended), the only reason I know who that is is because of Music History II with Dr. strauch. Anyhow, it is pretty amazing and pretty much made my day. somehow things like this have a way of arriving on the exact days that I need a little extra encouragement. so thank you sam. Everyone was pretty amazed. It's funny because over Christmas Gax and I discovered a mutual love for Bach and he dug out some recordings for me. Plus it gave me an excuse to talk about all of the great people in these pictures. It seems like it is so rare to find solid friends like the ones I have. I have been totally spoiled with so many great relationships! You guys rock my socks.
"It says Wall Decoration..." I mumbled, a slow smile spreading across my face as I read who it was from. I opened the envelope to discover this. Thank you sam!!! At first I wasn't going to publicly embarrass you, but it's such a creative gift I couldn't help it.
You can't really see, but the record is of a Bach cantata, all in German and features Dietrich Fischer-Diskau. For the record (no pun intended), the only reason I know who that is is because of Music History II with Dr. strauch. Anyhow, it is pretty amazing and pretty much made my day. somehow things like this have a way of arriving on the exact days that I need a little extra encouragement. so thank you sam. Everyone was pretty amazed. It's funny because over Christmas Gax and I discovered a mutual love for Bach and he dug out some recordings for me. Plus it gave me an excuse to talk about all of the great people in these pictures. It seems like it is so rare to find solid friends like the ones I have. I have been totally spoiled with so many great relationships! You guys rock my socks.
January 24, 2011
To do list and a few cultural items
Get motorbike serviced - check. I meant to do this in... oh, November. But going to a mechanic is intimidating enough in the states. I asked Gax where I should go, and he told me to go to the mechanic next to the gas station. I couldn't find it. Today I finally discovered that it is about the width of an elevator and, of course, I can't read the Thai script on the sign. The mechanic didn't speak English, so I had to mime checking the tires and oil and point to my broken mirror while saying things like "check oIL ka, check TIREs ka, check BRAKEs ka." But my bike has now been serviced and feels like a new machine. Yay! I don't have to worry about breaking down anymore.
Get a haircut - check. I've been putting this for weeks. Going to a stylist is intimidating enough in the states. I asked around and sarah recommended that I go to a place behind Carrefour. But I couldn't find it at first because I was looking on the wrong side of Carrefour. When I finally did locate it, I tried to explain that I just wanted my bangs trimmed and that they were side bangs. The guy seemed to speak pretty good English, but after listening carefully he proceeded to cut them straight across. Awesome. so I asked one of the students what I should do and she recommended a stylist right across the street from the dorm. Went there today and got my bangs cut again and my hair trimmed. They barely spoke any English but one of the customers did, thankfully, and was able to translate for me. They understood better, but they still didn't do it quite right. Both times I expected there to be spray bottles and clips and lots of measuring and checking length, like at my stylist at home. Nope. Both times they just combed my hair a little bit and eyeballed it. Oh well. I give up. Vanity is a vice, isn't it?
Go to the music department - check! I've wanted to do this since November but between one thing and another, I've never gotten around to it. I did go in a couple times but it was during their lunch hour... and a half. But I can use their practice rooms in the mornings. Time to regain all the music skills I've lost.
On sunday I took one of the students (or rather, she took me) to the walking street market again. Once again, it is pretty cool to have your own personal tour guide and this time we went in a lot of the temples and I asked a lot of questions. There were some cool pictures of Chiang Mai in 1926 in one of them. I tried to picture Chiang Mai alongside spokane at that time.
Going to the market with this student is always an adventure. I almost get to see Chiang Mai through Thai eyes when I am with her. Things that seem odd to me are a part of normal life for her, and having her explain them makes me feel more connected with daily life here and how things work. However, it's a bit overwhelming at times. One of my favorite authors, James Herriot, tells a story about a colleague who practically kills him with generosity. His colleague is so big-hearted and generous that he offers James anything that he shows an interest in or compliments: cigars, shirts, you name it. He won't take 'no' for an answer. Unfortunately this generosity is often smothering, especially when Granville and James go out for drinks... You should read it, it's hilarious, and also a pretty good picture of how I feel when I go to the market with this student. she is so eager to show me things and so generous that she wants me to try everything and offers me half of everything she buys. This means I get to try some rather interesting food items.
The first time she eagerly bought me an omelette with bee eggs and fish stomach soup. "Here Pi' Heidi! Try some fish stomach soup!" she says eagerly, her face all anticipation. "Oh! Okay!" I say, trying channel my fear into forced excitement. Because I can't say no. I certainly can't go "eww! disgusting!" Not with her big brown eyes awaiting my approval. And so I eat fish stomach soup, doing my best not to grimace and to give it an unbiased appraisal.
This week it was chicken fingers. But this time we had company. Ozzie, Glory and Ozzie's friend Eric were with us and were uninitiated with this student's sense of hospitality. As usual she went to buy "her" dinner, of which she would expect us to eat at least half. As soon as she set the food down I plunged right in, preferring to find out what I was eating after the deed was done. "Pi' Ozzie! Pi' Glory! Try some chicken fingers!" she says, taking one for herself. Ozzie and Glory aren't quite as "greng jai" as I am (more on that later) and the fear showed plainly on their faces. I meanwhile was pondering on the fact that part of a chicken's foot was now residing in my stomach. The crunchy bits must have been the tendons. Ozzie and Glory however got to consider the full import of this knowledge prior to the actual experience and from their reactions it dawned on our guide that farang may not be all that fond of eating chicken fingers. Ozzie and Glory were good sports and tried it (and later sprang it on Eric when he joined us) and we had a good laugh about it but I had the weirdest urge to kick all my fellow farang under the table. I should have been relieved to have the burden of eating everything I'm offered lifted from me. But I couldn't help feeling that a barrier had been raised somehow.
This nursing student had simply been showing me her Chiang Mai. Her Thailand. Not Thailand for tourists. Not Thailand for study abroad students. Here we were, the only farang in sight, sitting cross-legged on the ground at a short table. This student hadn't been trying to gross us out or even to test us or stretch us. she'd simply been trying to share. she had no idea that it was weird for us to eat this stuff. But now she'll be more self-conscious. I won't get to marvel at her grabbing a snack of chicken fingers as though they were a plate of french fries and casually offering me one. I feel like I've become one step removed from that window into life here. I guess to me, that was worth having to eat some rather questionable things. If that makes sense.
But in other ways, I don't need that window. Thai culture doesn't always feel that foreign to me. Case in point: greng jai. I don't know the literal translation, but everyone warned me about it when I first came. "There's this thing called greng jai... Thai people won't say what they really mean because they don't want to cause conflict." Okay. Well, that is my family. I don't know if it's a scandinavian thing or what, but my family is painfully non-confrontational. For instance, whenever we go out to eat it takes us about half an hour to actually agree on a restaurant, not because we're arguing but because no one wants to have an opinion in case someone else really wants to go to a different place. At the actual restaurant, if someone gets an order wrong, we're not the kind of people to make a big fuss and send it back. No, most likely we'll just eat what gets put in front of us, whether or not it was what we ordered.
People have told me that I should assert myself and have an opinion. It's not good to repress your desires or some such. But that's not it at all. When I don't give an opinion or a preference, it's because I really don't have an opinion or a preference. It really is more important to me that everyone in the group is happy with the place that we go. If I did have a preference, and ended up getting my way, I would be unhappy if I knew that someone else was unhappy with that choice. That is greng jai. It's the same with the food orders. If the restaurant messes up my order, and I get the wrong thing, I don't want to make a scene. I don't like being the center of attention for one, and I know that it will probably get the waiter or chef into trouble and they have a hard enough job as it is. Mistakes happen. I make them all the time. Unless it's a food I absolutely loath (of which there are few) I'll probably decide that, well, it's not what I had in mind but it looks very nice too and it will be much easier for all involved if we just keep the peace. Greng jai.
so while there are many ways in which Thai culture is absolutely foreign, there are some things that I find I understand surprisingly well. Ironically I find myself trying to explain "greng jai" to the other volunteers who have been here longer than I have. People really do not get it. Once again, it goes back to values, which is something my brother talks about a lot. People act on what is important to them. Greng jai is not a particularly selfless concept. It's not that I'm trying to be a good person or anything. It's just that I naturally dislike conflict. Avoiding conflict is one of my values. It's not always a good thing. Conflict can be beneficial. sometimes I put up with really ridiculous stuff because of trying to avoid it. But it's how I work.
Get a haircut - check. I've been putting this for weeks. Going to a stylist is intimidating enough in the states. I asked around and sarah recommended that I go to a place behind Carrefour. But I couldn't find it at first because I was looking on the wrong side of Carrefour. When I finally did locate it, I tried to explain that I just wanted my bangs trimmed and that they were side bangs. The guy seemed to speak pretty good English, but after listening carefully he proceeded to cut them straight across. Awesome. so I asked one of the students what I should do and she recommended a stylist right across the street from the dorm. Went there today and got my bangs cut again and my hair trimmed. They barely spoke any English but one of the customers did, thankfully, and was able to translate for me. They understood better, but they still didn't do it quite right. Both times I expected there to be spray bottles and clips and lots of measuring and checking length, like at my stylist at home. Nope. Both times they just combed my hair a little bit and eyeballed it. Oh well. I give up. Vanity is a vice, isn't it?
Go to the music department - check! I've wanted to do this since November but between one thing and another, I've never gotten around to it. I did go in a couple times but it was during their lunch hour... and a half. But I can use their practice rooms in the mornings. Time to regain all the music skills I've lost.
On sunday I took one of the students (or rather, she took me) to the walking street market again. Once again, it is pretty cool to have your own personal tour guide and this time we went in a lot of the temples and I asked a lot of questions. There were some cool pictures of Chiang Mai in 1926 in one of them. I tried to picture Chiang Mai alongside spokane at that time.
Going to the market with this student is always an adventure. I almost get to see Chiang Mai through Thai eyes when I am with her. Things that seem odd to me are a part of normal life for her, and having her explain them makes me feel more connected with daily life here and how things work. However, it's a bit overwhelming at times. One of my favorite authors, James Herriot, tells a story about a colleague who practically kills him with generosity. His colleague is so big-hearted and generous that he offers James anything that he shows an interest in or compliments: cigars, shirts, you name it. He won't take 'no' for an answer. Unfortunately this generosity is often smothering, especially when Granville and James go out for drinks... You should read it, it's hilarious, and also a pretty good picture of how I feel when I go to the market with this student. she is so eager to show me things and so generous that she wants me to try everything and offers me half of everything she buys. This means I get to try some rather interesting food items.
The first time she eagerly bought me an omelette with bee eggs and fish stomach soup. "Here Pi' Heidi! Try some fish stomach soup!" she says eagerly, her face all anticipation. "Oh! Okay!" I say, trying channel my fear into forced excitement. Because I can't say no. I certainly can't go "eww! disgusting!" Not with her big brown eyes awaiting my approval. And so I eat fish stomach soup, doing my best not to grimace and to give it an unbiased appraisal.
This week it was chicken fingers. But this time we had company. Ozzie, Glory and Ozzie's friend Eric were with us and were uninitiated with this student's sense of hospitality. As usual she went to buy "her" dinner, of which she would expect us to eat at least half. As soon as she set the food down I plunged right in, preferring to find out what I was eating after the deed was done. "Pi' Ozzie! Pi' Glory! Try some chicken fingers!" she says, taking one for herself. Ozzie and Glory aren't quite as "greng jai" as I am (more on that later) and the fear showed plainly on their faces. I meanwhile was pondering on the fact that part of a chicken's foot was now residing in my stomach. The crunchy bits must have been the tendons. Ozzie and Glory however got to consider the full import of this knowledge prior to the actual experience and from their reactions it dawned on our guide that farang may not be all that fond of eating chicken fingers. Ozzie and Glory were good sports and tried it (and later sprang it on Eric when he joined us) and we had a good laugh about it but I had the weirdest urge to kick all my fellow farang under the table. I should have been relieved to have the burden of eating everything I'm offered lifted from me. But I couldn't help feeling that a barrier had been raised somehow.
This nursing student had simply been showing me her Chiang Mai. Her Thailand. Not Thailand for tourists. Not Thailand for study abroad students. Here we were, the only farang in sight, sitting cross-legged on the ground at a short table. This student hadn't been trying to gross us out or even to test us or stretch us. she'd simply been trying to share. she had no idea that it was weird for us to eat this stuff. But now she'll be more self-conscious. I won't get to marvel at her grabbing a snack of chicken fingers as though they were a plate of french fries and casually offering me one. I feel like I've become one step removed from that window into life here. I guess to me, that was worth having to eat some rather questionable things. If that makes sense.
But in other ways, I don't need that window. Thai culture doesn't always feel that foreign to me. Case in point: greng jai. I don't know the literal translation, but everyone warned me about it when I first came. "There's this thing called greng jai... Thai people won't say what they really mean because they don't want to cause conflict." Okay. Well, that is my family. I don't know if it's a scandinavian thing or what, but my family is painfully non-confrontational. For instance, whenever we go out to eat it takes us about half an hour to actually agree on a restaurant, not because we're arguing but because no one wants to have an opinion in case someone else really wants to go to a different place. At the actual restaurant, if someone gets an order wrong, we're not the kind of people to make a big fuss and send it back. No, most likely we'll just eat what gets put in front of us, whether or not it was what we ordered.
People have told me that I should assert myself and have an opinion. It's not good to repress your desires or some such. But that's not it at all. When I don't give an opinion or a preference, it's because I really don't have an opinion or a preference. It really is more important to me that everyone in the group is happy with the place that we go. If I did have a preference, and ended up getting my way, I would be unhappy if I knew that someone else was unhappy with that choice. That is greng jai. It's the same with the food orders. If the restaurant messes up my order, and I get the wrong thing, I don't want to make a scene. I don't like being the center of attention for one, and I know that it will probably get the waiter or chef into trouble and they have a hard enough job as it is. Mistakes happen. I make them all the time. Unless it's a food I absolutely loath (of which there are few) I'll probably decide that, well, it's not what I had in mind but it looks very nice too and it will be much easier for all involved if we just keep the peace. Greng jai.
so while there are many ways in which Thai culture is absolutely foreign, there are some things that I find I understand surprisingly well. Ironically I find myself trying to explain "greng jai" to the other volunteers who have been here longer than I have. People really do not get it. Once again, it goes back to values, which is something my brother talks about a lot. People act on what is important to them. Greng jai is not a particularly selfless concept. It's not that I'm trying to be a good person or anything. It's just that I naturally dislike conflict. Avoiding conflict is one of my values. It's not always a good thing. Conflict can be beneficial. sometimes I put up with really ridiculous stuff because of trying to avoid it. But it's how I work.
January 22, 2011
Classical Music PSA
Thought about skipping this this week, but I couldn't resist. After all, it wouldn't really be my blog without a little bit of Mozart's Requiem included. The moment at 1:13 absolutely kills me every. single. time.
January 21, 2011
Oliphaunt
For more pictures, click here.
"so there are Oliphaunts, and I have seen one. What a life! But no one at home will ever believe me. Well, if that's over, I'll have a bit of sleep." ~sam gamgee, The Two Towers
"And if you never stop when you wave goodbye..."
...you just might find, if you give it time, you might wave hello again." Why am I quoting "Wheel" by John Mayer? Because you really never know what might happen. I've just returned from the most wonderful day trip with Zoe. As in Zoe from New Zealand who I worked with at Montrose this time last year. Little did I imagine then that a year later we would be in Thailand together. Well, really, little did I imagine that I would be in Thailand period, but there you have it.
Not that the reunion was entirely serendipitous. In true Kiwi style, Zoe has been having her OE, or Overseas Experience. she's just spent several months traveling in Turkey, Egypt, Greece, England and Ireland. Not too long ago, she messaged me asking if I would be around when she stopped in Thailand and of course I said yes. And so it was that yesterday afternoon I drove my motorbike to one of the hostels in town and there, sitting on the veranda, was "Zoicle" as we occasionally called her.
We had a great time. she only had a couple of days in Chiang Mai, but that made it easier to know what to do, especially as I was a bit nervous about my knowledge of tourist activities here. After a quick lunch, I decided we had just enough time to make it up to Doi suthep. In the interest of saving money I decided to try taking her up the mountain on my motorbike. I was a bit nervous about this however, because I only have an automatic and it's overdue for a visit to the mechanic besides. But I decided we would give it a try and my reliable Mio came through. It hasn't failed me yet.
It was great to have a bit of a travel companion and it's always fun to show people around a place that you are familiar with and they are not. After Doi suthep I showed her a couple of other impressive temples in the city and then we went to the weekly spaghetti dinner at Esther and Rob's (again in the interest of saving money). It was strange to have my co-workers from this year meeting a co-worker from last year. I think the world really is getting smaller. Afterwards we wandered a couple of the local markets and I pointed out some of the more interesting food items as well as some of the more appetizing ones.
The only thing Zoe had mentioned as a must-do was to see some elephants. My original plan was to motorbike to one of the nearby elephant camps, since taxis are so expensive. But Zoe managed to find a really good tour package through her hostel and booked both of us on a half day excursion. sometimes having experience in the tourism industry comes in handy. Our group was truly international with citizens of spain, Oman, Australia and New Zealand of course. I was the only American. The camp was about an hour's drive north of town. Our "tour" started with an elephant "show" of sorts in which I witnessed elephants doing everything from playing soccer to playing the harmonica. After this I actually got to ride on one of the elephants. It kind of happened by accident. I was just hanging around and one of the trainers (mahout?) told to hop on. The day also included an ox cart ride, bamboo "rafting," and an elephant ride through the jungle. It was so surreal to be sitting atop an elephant(!) in Thailand (!) reminiscing about the backpackers and Franz Josef with Zoe (!) I had a great time, as did Zoe. We returned to Chiang Mai just in time for Zoe to catch her bus back to Bangkok en route to Phuket. We said our goodbyes, but only casually. After all, who knows where we might meet up next.
Not that the reunion was entirely serendipitous. In true Kiwi style, Zoe has been having her OE, or Overseas Experience. she's just spent several months traveling in Turkey, Egypt, Greece, England and Ireland. Not too long ago, she messaged me asking if I would be around when she stopped in Thailand and of course I said yes. And so it was that yesterday afternoon I drove my motorbike to one of the hostels in town and there, sitting on the veranda, was "Zoicle" as we occasionally called her.
We had a great time. she only had a couple of days in Chiang Mai, but that made it easier to know what to do, especially as I was a bit nervous about my knowledge of tourist activities here. After a quick lunch, I decided we had just enough time to make it up to Doi suthep. In the interest of saving money I decided to try taking her up the mountain on my motorbike. I was a bit nervous about this however, because I only have an automatic and it's overdue for a visit to the mechanic besides. But I decided we would give it a try and my reliable Mio came through. It hasn't failed me yet.
It was great to have a bit of a travel companion and it's always fun to show people around a place that you are familiar with and they are not. After Doi suthep I showed her a couple of other impressive temples in the city and then we went to the weekly spaghetti dinner at Esther and Rob's (again in the interest of saving money). It was strange to have my co-workers from this year meeting a co-worker from last year. I think the world really is getting smaller. Afterwards we wandered a couple of the local markets and I pointed out some of the more interesting food items as well as some of the more appetizing ones.
The only thing Zoe had mentioned as a must-do was to see some elephants. My original plan was to motorbike to one of the nearby elephant camps, since taxis are so expensive. But Zoe managed to find a really good tour package through her hostel and booked both of us on a half day excursion. sometimes having experience in the tourism industry comes in handy. Our group was truly international with citizens of spain, Oman, Australia and New Zealand of course. I was the only American. The camp was about an hour's drive north of town. Our "tour" started with an elephant "show" of sorts in which I witnessed elephants doing everything from playing soccer to playing the harmonica. After this I actually got to ride on one of the elephants. It kind of happened by accident. I was just hanging around and one of the trainers (mahout?) told to hop on. The day also included an ox cart ride, bamboo "rafting," and an elephant ride through the jungle. It was so surreal to be sitting atop an elephant(!) in Thailand (!) reminiscing about the backpackers and Franz Josef with Zoe (!) I had a great time, as did Zoe. We returned to Chiang Mai just in time for Zoe to catch her bus back to Bangkok en route to Phuket. We said our goodbyes, but only casually. After all, who knows where we might meet up next.
January 15, 2011
January 6, 2011
mai khao jai
Break is over, sadly. I had a very restful two weeks in which I was able to explore some more of the city, read a lot (though not as much as I had planned) and reflect. It was all very much needed and has left me feeling better prepared to tackle 2011. But who knows how long that will last. Clarity never seems to stick around for long in my experience. Okay, I stole that from a John Mayer song. But it's true.
With the recommencement of the semester begins my formal education in the Thai language. It's an "intensive" course that meets for three hours every morning. Once I begin my other duties I won't have any trouble filling my time.
The class is small, about 15 or so, half of which are older farang men with Thai wives. At first I didn't even register this. I innocently thought they were all here on business or something. But others are not quite so naive as I am, and also less self-conscious about asking personal questions and well, it's a bit suspect that they are just now taking a Thai class after having married a Thai woman. At least they've gotten around to it. Anyhow, it's a bit weird to share a classroom with a bunch of older men. In general it's quite an international group. Americans make up the majority, but that's only because of our volunteer group. China, Taiwan, France, Germany, Australia and Canada are also represented. Plus the Philippines but that's Rochell, another of the volunteers. But even if it is an odd class dynamic, I still really enjoy being part of an international setting. It's a cliche but I'll say it: Americans ought to travel more. I realize travel is expensive, but I really feel that we are far too insulated, and we're the ones who lose out.
Having just completed tesol training, my brain is in pedagogy mode and I'm afraid I'm guilty of picking apart my Thai professor's teaching methods. On the one hand, she does a good job presenting language in a logical way, getting everyone to talk and adding an element of fun to the class. However the way she gets everyone to talk is pretty aggressive and often the fun is at the expense of a student. Perhaps this is cultural but if I were less confident my first day of class would have been terrifying. I've just internalized discussions on creating a safe speaking environment so maybe I am hypersensitive. still, I can't imagine using the same tactics with my Thai students. I wouldn't have had any left, I'm pretty sure. I'm sure I'm being overly critical, but I kind of see it as my job to assess different teaching practices so I can improve my own.
As far as learning Thai goes, it's hard and it's not hard. Thai intimidates people because it is a tonal language that uses a lot of sounds we're unused to making. But the actual structure of the language is very simple. There are no verb conjugations, which makes it very easy, and statements are "subject, verb, object" just like in English. In general there aren't that many rules to follow, which is something else that I think freaks people out a bit. We don't know what to do with the freedom. But I'm beginning to see the logic of it. I'll try to explain.
The hard stuff - Thai has five different tones: high, low, mid, rising and falling. Actually this is a bit deceptive as I think it's more nuanced than that, but it's an easy guideline to go by. The length of a spoken word also makes a difference (just to complicate things further). For instance, the word "khao" means "rice" with a long falling tone, "enter" with a short falling tone, "white" with a long rising tone, and "he" with a short rising tone. I'm sure it has other meanings with mid, high and low tone. It sounds like a totally foreign concept, but really it's just like music notation. We already use the percussive aspect of sound to create spoken language, why not the melodic aspect? I've been complimented on my ability to distinguish between the tones and on my pronunciation several times by Thais and all I have to say is "thank you Ear Training."
The other tricky thing is some of the "percussive" aspects of speaking (my term, there is a legit one but I can't remember it) are different. In English we only end words with the "ng" sound but in Thai you can begin words with it. Also, there are several sounds that are in between ones we use in English. Often these have to do with aspiration, or whether or not we release breath when making the sound. Phonology has given me a bit of a grip on this, as have voice lessons. Now I'm far from having perfect pronunciation or from hearing all the new distinctions in sounds, but just understanding that there is a distinction goes a long way in taking the mystery out of the language.
The easy stuff - Thai words are generally one syllable, or combinations of one-syllable words, which makes them easy to memorize (although I do love long words, oh German how I miss thee). The monosyllabic nature of Thai explains the development of tones, or vice versa. Basically, it goes together. It also fits well with the lack of complicated grammatical structure.
A phrase I've often heard uttered in my time here is that "Thais are lazy." Thai students are lazy. Thai employees are lazy. There are fish in the rivers, there is rice in the fields. Why work hard? This is the general perception of the Thai mentality and I've already heard my Thai teacher use this concept in explaining the brevity of the Thai language and its lack of structure. And it fits, but I don't quite see it as "lazy." As I've discovered in learning to drive in Thai traffic, there is a certain method to the madness. There is a form of logic at play. You could call it the path of least resistance, but I don't think it's quite the cop out that implies. It's a type of smart. It's the path of least resistance because it doesn't make sense to expend unnecessary energy. It's the same type of smart that all those boys in high school who I thought were so dumb had. They were always goofing off while I was diligently and responsibly trying to memorize all the Presidents or whatever I thought I was supposed to do. It's the type of smart that sees the easiest way from point A to point B. I do not naturally come by this type of smart, but I admire it greatly.
Those high school boys, who I thought were so dumb, often (though not always) excelled in the subjects and activities they thought were important. Even the ones who really were complete losers got the high school experience they were looking for. And that's it really, isn't it? People act on their ideas of what is important. I'm a rule-follower at heart, even if I do occasionally get halfway through something and realize I've been doing it in the most inefficient manner possible. All because I wanted to do it "properly." In some ways, I think Thai people have it right. The lack of traffic laws for instance. I'm not a complete convert but it certainly is nice not to have to sit at a red light, waiting for the stupid thing to turn green when there isn't another soul at the intersection. The freedom to choose allows me to exercise my own logic and creativity, which, ironically, is what the American workforce is supposed to be famous for. I'm beginning to wonder if it's so much that or if it's simply that we're willing to work our butts off just because. Not that I'm any less a believer in the value of work or have lost my good old yankee work ethic. There is something to be said for being thorough and there is something to be said for following the rules. Often they are there for a reason. But it's like with the body of Christ (dang it, I never can get away from religious illustrations, but I did just lead chapel today). Each member has its own function and we need all the other members. We need people of different abilities and perspectives to tell us when we're being stupid.
I was going to blog about chapel as well but I think I'll leave that for a separate post. Basically, learning Thai is cool. It's interesting to me how language can be a window into culture and vice versa. It's especially interesting when you think about how language and music are connected. Yes I am a dork, but I enjoy it. I'll finish by explaining the literal meaning of "khao jai mai." "Khao" is "enter," "jai," is heart, and "mai" is like saying "right?" so the Thai word for "understand" literally means "it enters your heart." Makes a heck of a lot more sense than "understand" if you ask me. What am I under and why exactly am I standing? Maybe I comprehend whatever is under the stance you are taking... That's a stretch. I like "it has entered my heart" a lot better.
With the recommencement of the semester begins my formal education in the Thai language. It's an "intensive" course that meets for three hours every morning. Once I begin my other duties I won't have any trouble filling my time.
The class is small, about 15 or so, half of which are older farang men with Thai wives. At first I didn't even register this. I innocently thought they were all here on business or something. But others are not quite so naive as I am, and also less self-conscious about asking personal questions and well, it's a bit suspect that they are just now taking a Thai class after having married a Thai woman. At least they've gotten around to it. Anyhow, it's a bit weird to share a classroom with a bunch of older men. In general it's quite an international group. Americans make up the majority, but that's only because of our volunteer group. China, Taiwan, France, Germany, Australia and Canada are also represented. Plus the Philippines but that's Rochell, another of the volunteers. But even if it is an odd class dynamic, I still really enjoy being part of an international setting. It's a cliche but I'll say it: Americans ought to travel more. I realize travel is expensive, but I really feel that we are far too insulated, and we're the ones who lose out.
Having just completed tesol training, my brain is in pedagogy mode and I'm afraid I'm guilty of picking apart my Thai professor's teaching methods. On the one hand, she does a good job presenting language in a logical way, getting everyone to talk and adding an element of fun to the class. However the way she gets everyone to talk is pretty aggressive and often the fun is at the expense of a student. Perhaps this is cultural but if I were less confident my first day of class would have been terrifying. I've just internalized discussions on creating a safe speaking environment so maybe I am hypersensitive. still, I can't imagine using the same tactics with my Thai students. I wouldn't have had any left, I'm pretty sure. I'm sure I'm being overly critical, but I kind of see it as my job to assess different teaching practices so I can improve my own.
As far as learning Thai goes, it's hard and it's not hard. Thai intimidates people because it is a tonal language that uses a lot of sounds we're unused to making. But the actual structure of the language is very simple. There are no verb conjugations, which makes it very easy, and statements are "subject, verb, object" just like in English. In general there aren't that many rules to follow, which is something else that I think freaks people out a bit. We don't know what to do with the freedom. But I'm beginning to see the logic of it. I'll try to explain.
The hard stuff - Thai has five different tones: high, low, mid, rising and falling. Actually this is a bit deceptive as I think it's more nuanced than that, but it's an easy guideline to go by. The length of a spoken word also makes a difference (just to complicate things further). For instance, the word "khao" means "rice" with a long falling tone, "enter" with a short falling tone, "white" with a long rising tone, and "he" with a short rising tone. I'm sure it has other meanings with mid, high and low tone. It sounds like a totally foreign concept, but really it's just like music notation. We already use the percussive aspect of sound to create spoken language, why not the melodic aspect? I've been complimented on my ability to distinguish between the tones and on my pronunciation several times by Thais and all I have to say is "thank you Ear Training."
The other tricky thing is some of the "percussive" aspects of speaking (my term, there is a legit one but I can't remember it) are different. In English we only end words with the "ng" sound but in Thai you can begin words with it. Also, there are several sounds that are in between ones we use in English. Often these have to do with aspiration, or whether or not we release breath when making the sound. Phonology has given me a bit of a grip on this, as have voice lessons. Now I'm far from having perfect pronunciation or from hearing all the new distinctions in sounds, but just understanding that there is a distinction goes a long way in taking the mystery out of the language.
The easy stuff - Thai words are generally one syllable, or combinations of one-syllable words, which makes them easy to memorize (although I do love long words, oh German how I miss thee). The monosyllabic nature of Thai explains the development of tones, or vice versa. Basically, it goes together. It also fits well with the lack of complicated grammatical structure.
A phrase I've often heard uttered in my time here is that "Thais are lazy." Thai students are lazy. Thai employees are lazy. There are fish in the rivers, there is rice in the fields. Why work hard? This is the general perception of the Thai mentality and I've already heard my Thai teacher use this concept in explaining the brevity of the Thai language and its lack of structure. And it fits, but I don't quite see it as "lazy." As I've discovered in learning to drive in Thai traffic, there is a certain method to the madness. There is a form of logic at play. You could call it the path of least resistance, but I don't think it's quite the cop out that implies. It's a type of smart. It's the path of least resistance because it doesn't make sense to expend unnecessary energy. It's the same type of smart that all those boys in high school who I thought were so dumb had. They were always goofing off while I was diligently and responsibly trying to memorize all the Presidents or whatever I thought I was supposed to do. It's the type of smart that sees the easiest way from point A to point B. I do not naturally come by this type of smart, but I admire it greatly.
Those high school boys, who I thought were so dumb, often (though not always) excelled in the subjects and activities they thought were important. Even the ones who really were complete losers got the high school experience they were looking for. And that's it really, isn't it? People act on their ideas of what is important. I'm a rule-follower at heart, even if I do occasionally get halfway through something and realize I've been doing it in the most inefficient manner possible. All because I wanted to do it "properly." In some ways, I think Thai people have it right. The lack of traffic laws for instance. I'm not a complete convert but it certainly is nice not to have to sit at a red light, waiting for the stupid thing to turn green when there isn't another soul at the intersection. The freedom to choose allows me to exercise my own logic and creativity, which, ironically, is what the American workforce is supposed to be famous for. I'm beginning to wonder if it's so much that or if it's simply that we're willing to work our butts off just because. Not that I'm any less a believer in the value of work or have lost my good old yankee work ethic. There is something to be said for being thorough and there is something to be said for following the rules. Often they are there for a reason. But it's like with the body of Christ (dang it, I never can get away from religious illustrations, but I did just lead chapel today). Each member has its own function and we need all the other members. We need people of different abilities and perspectives to tell us when we're being stupid.
I was going to blog about chapel as well but I think I'll leave that for a separate post. Basically, learning Thai is cool. It's interesting to me how language can be a window into culture and vice versa. It's especially interesting when you think about how language and music are connected. Yes I am a dork, but I enjoy it. I'll finish by explaining the literal meaning of "khao jai mai." "Khao" is "enter," "jai," is heart, and "mai" is like saying "right?" so the Thai word for "understand" literally means "it enters your heart." Makes a heck of a lot more sense than "understand" if you ask me. What am I under and why exactly am I standing? Maybe I comprehend whatever is under the stance you are taking... That's a stretch. I like "it has entered my heart" a lot better.
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