10 January
Yesterday, my friend Kik from Chachoengsao came to Bangkok. I agreed to meet her at Siam. My cousin Gook would join us later.
It was Kik’s first time to Siam Square and all the shopping centres. When I met her, she was at Siam station. She was standing by the 7-11 store which was probably the only thing familiar to her and gazing fearfully at the skytrain she had just left. She had been crying because she’d never been to downtown Bangkok before and was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to find her friends in such a big city.
“Well, why didn’t you phone me then?” I asked.
“Oh, Pi Ben…cannot!” she wailed. “Kik is afraid that Pi Ben is with his girlfriend and she will be angry with me! Perhaps she does something bad to Kik…Pi Ben, Kik want to pee!”
I took her to the toilets in Siam Paragon and she gazed wide-eyed at all the glittering window displays. Then we went to meet Gook at the rather more down-market MBK centre. We went to the food court on the 5th floor. Kik could bear it no longer. She dug out her mobile phone and started ringing her friends.
“Noi, Noi! I’m at MBK in Bangkok!” she burst out. “Yes sir! It’s so very high-so mark mark! Farangs everywhere…”
This evening, my cousin Bow asked me to help her with her course work. She had taped herself interviewing farangs on what they thought of Thailand for her project and she couldn’t make out what they had said. I told her to send me the sound file via msn messenger. The tapescript was funny. It made me realize why some farangs had such a hard time here in Thailand. When they spoke to her, they made no effort to slow down or simplify their speech.
Bow (reading slowly from her prepared text): Excuse me, please. Do you have five minutes?
(Man with strong east London accent). Yes.
Bow: My name is Bow. I am doing an interview project on how feel about Thailand. What is your name?
(Man with strong east London accent) Uh, David.
Bow: What are you from?
David: Uh, I’m from London, England.
Bow: How long have you been in Thailand?
David: Uh, eighteen months?
Bow: How many times have you come to Thailand?
David: Well, bout four times, I think. Yeah, I think four times.
Bow: The first time why did you come?
David: Uh, holiday, I think.
Bow: What about this time?
David: Umm I’m studying.
Bow: What are you interested in most about Thailand?
David: Umm oooooh erm…(pause) erm Buddhism aaaand the food…everything! Weather…lots of things.
Bow: What about other thing?
David: Sorry?
Bow: What about other thing?
David: Other things. Ummm I don’t know…my wife huh, alcohol…er…what else? What else is there? Just relaxing really.
Bow: Before you come, what’s your idea about Thailand?
David: I thought it wouldn’t be as developed. I thought it would be…no roads and nothing…but this was years ago…well, I came here eight years ago and now there’s roads and you know…things. I didn’t think it’d be as developed as it is. It’s very developed…
Bow: How about now?
David: What do I think about it? Erm..(pause) Sorry, can you ask the question again? What was the question? Start again…
Bow: (confused) Before you come…uh and now…uh
David: Oh right! So what I…sorry..(long pause) Oh, what do I think about it now? Oh right! Well, I think it’s great. Has everything here that I want, erm…nice like I say, nice weather, good entertainment everything…I can…a lot more relaxed here…than in London…so…
Bow: How long will you be here?
David: Uh ‘til I finish my degree, I think… three more years maybe…but then I might stay, I dunno.
Bow: Do you think you will come back again?
David: Yeah.
Bow: It’s been very nice speaking to you. Bye bye.
Yesterday, my friend Kik from Chachoengsao came to Bangkok. I agreed to meet her at Siam. My cousin Gook would join us later.
It was Kik’s first time to Siam Square and all the shopping centres. When I met her, she was at Siam station. She was standing by the 7-11 store which was probably the only thing familiar to her and gazing fearfully at the skytrain she had just left. She had been crying because she’d never been to downtown Bangkok before and was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to find her friends in such a big city.
“Well, why didn’t you phone me then?” I asked.
“Oh, Pi Ben…cannot!” she wailed. “Kik is afraid that Pi Ben is with his girlfriend and she will be angry with me! Perhaps she does something bad to Kik…Pi Ben, Kik want to pee!”
I took her to the toilets in Siam Paragon and she gazed wide-eyed at all the glittering window displays. Then we went to meet Gook at the rather more down-market MBK centre. We went to the food court on the 5th floor. Kik could bear it no longer. She dug out her mobile phone and started ringing her friends.
“Noi, Noi! I’m at MBK in Bangkok!” she burst out. “Yes sir! It’s so very high-so mark mark! Farangs everywhere…”
This evening, my cousin Bow asked me to help her with her course work. She had taped herself interviewing farangs on what they thought of Thailand for her project and she couldn’t make out what they had said. I told her to send me the sound file via msn messenger. The tapescript was funny. It made me realize why some farangs had such a hard time here in Thailand. When they spoke to her, they made no effort to slow down or simplify their speech.
Bow (reading slowly from her prepared text): Excuse me, please. Do you have five minutes?
(Man with strong east London accent). Yes.
Bow: My name is Bow. I am doing an interview project on how feel about Thailand. What is your name?
(Man with strong east London accent) Uh, David.
Bow: What are you from?
David: Uh, I’m from London, England.
Bow: How long have you been in Thailand?
David: Uh, eighteen months?
Bow: How many times have you come to Thailand?
David: Well, bout four times, I think. Yeah, I think four times.
Bow: The first time why did you come?
David: Uh, holiday, I think.
Bow: What about this time?
David: Umm I’m studying.
Bow: What are you interested in most about Thailand?
David: Umm oooooh erm…(pause) erm Buddhism aaaand the food…everything! Weather…lots of things.
Bow: What about other thing?
David: Sorry?
Bow: What about other thing?
David: Other things. Ummm I don’t know…my wife huh, alcohol…er…what else? What else is there? Just relaxing really.
Bow: Before you come, what’s your idea about Thailand?
David: I thought it wouldn’t be as developed. I thought it would be…no roads and nothing…but this was years ago…well, I came here eight years ago and now there’s roads and you know…things. I didn’t think it’d be as developed as it is. It’s very developed…
Bow: How about now?
David: What do I think about it? Erm..(pause) Sorry, can you ask the question again? What was the question? Start again…
Bow: (confused) Before you come…uh and now…uh
David: Oh right! So what I…sorry..(long pause) Oh, what do I think about it now? Oh right! Well, I think it’s great. Has everything here that I want, erm…nice like I say, nice weather, good entertainment everything…I can…a lot more relaxed here…than in London…so…
Bow: How long will you be here?
David: Uh ‘til I finish my degree, I think… three more years maybe…but then I might stay, I dunno.
Bow: Do you think you will come back again?
David: Yeah.
Bow: It’s been very nice speaking to you. Bye bye.
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