So, yesterday I went for lunch at the little restaurant near our house where we eat at least three or four times a week. It's a small, informal place with no more than ten ordinary Thai food items on the menu; stuff like fried rice, noodles, etc.
They ask me what I want and I do my best to say, "kana moo krap". Now, of the ten items on the menu there is only one that is even remotely like "kana moo krap". It seems that there is no way they could misunderstand what I'm saying and yet both of them (husband and wife) look at me as if I'd just ordered Beef Wellington or something. Finally, I get it straight, but it took a while.
Today I went to Da Mor (The Mall). I'd finished my shopping, but the baguettes were not yet out of the oven at Yamazaki Pan so I headed downstairs for a beer. I wanted a draft beer so I said, "bia sot". The lady wrote something down and then said, "Wi' Aye", which I took to mean, "With ice?". I nodded "yes".
A few minutes later she arrives with a bucket of ice and large bottle of Beer Chang. Somehow my "bia sot" got understood as "Beer Chang".
Finally, it's time to leave Da Mor so I head for what must be one of the most chaotic bus stops in Thailand. You really need to be able to read Thai to get anywhere from here. The first bus I see is going to Sung Noen and points beyond; way too far for me. But, the bus tout asks me "bpai nai" so, hoping they might let me off at my stop I say, "Saef Won" which is how I think Thai's pronounce "Save One" which is the very English name of the flea market near my house. Again, the guy gets this baffled look on his face as if I'd asked for a ticket to Jupiter or something.
How many years does it take before you can actually pronounce things in a manner that ordinary Thai's can understand? I've been with Ms. B over two years now and even she can't understand my Thai most of the time.
Give up or keep on plugging?
