Daily Archives: July 10, 2005

Thai Lesson 01 – Shopping

Wat Sala Loi in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) which was built in 1967. Unusual because it has merged Thai style with a modernist viewpoint

Here is lesson one for learing some useful phrases for your holiday to Thailand. Today’s lesson is “shopping”. You should be able to see the link on the right for the radio blog. One of the students at my school recorded the phrases for you so that you can practice repeating after her. Below is the written text.

Don’t forget, to be polite, men should say “krap” and women say “kaa”.

How much is this? – ra-ka tao-rai
That is a little expensive – pang bai nit noi
Can you make it cheaper? – lot ra-ka dai mai
Do you have a bigger size? – mee ka-nat yai gwaa mai
Do you have a small size? – mee ka-nat lek gwaa mai
Do you have a different colour? – mee see eun mai
Can I try it on? – long noi dai mai
I am just looking. – doo yoo na
How much is it together? – tung mot tao-rai
Where do I pay? – jai ngern tee nai

Random Thai Blather

I’m sitting hear trying to come down from my day which was filled with all sorts of adventures related to my Thai addiction. First, as is becoming a habit suitable for a junkie, I checked out Thai Blogs and the forums I am following and then dashed off to the post office to mail some packages to my fan and her mother. The post office closest to me is closed so I dash off to the main office in the next town ( trying to get them there in time for a wedding). There I carefully fill out the addresses in paa sa Thai and then stand in line for a half an hour until it they finally get to me. Oh! The man tells me that I can’t send one of my packages because it is in a box that says express mail and I want global priority and no I cannot mark out the word “express” with the big black marker I begin waving excitedly around. He does sell me a new box, but no the post office does supply tape or ways to make the box functional. And, by the way, here are two custom forms you need to fill out for each package.

Great, I start trying to fill out one of the forms and, at least get one off today. It only took me four forms to realize that never in my life will I be able to cram that much Thai in that small of a space. Suddenly the light comes on and I hop into the car to run over to the Wat which is only 3 blocks away. I had left a bunch of packing material there for the monks and I am sure Ajahn Buasai can fit a bunch of Thai in such a small space. As I am repackaging my one present Ajahn ask me if I have another form. What!? “Oh, I made a mistake, do you have another one?” !!!!! Well, I have to give him credit for being a fast learner and having a perfect “poker face” while he’s pulling my leg this time, instead of the usual ear to ear grin!

Back to the post office to mail the goods! Oy! Their closed, missed ay 5 minutes. Now is my chance to practice Dhamma. Anger, Anger, Anger, but wait this other door isn’t locked and I see humans! “Sorry we’re closed” I’m told as I walk in. At about this point my loving kindness has gone on vacation and I’m starting to ratchet up to a very un Buddhist like conniption fit when one of the ladies behind the counter says she remembers me and she’ll mail them for me! Hurray!!! The Devas were with me today!

Grab some lunch, ok Mexican not Thai, and back to the Wat for my first Thai lesson after about a 6 week break. Ajahn tells me we’ll have to stop at 6 o’clock and met with a lender about some property we’re looking at buying so we don’t have to rent anymore. No sooner do we open our books when some one shows up an hour early and we’re off on “The Buying A Property Saga”
(Be happy I can’t type well as this endeavor is worth pages and pages of lamenting)

A couple of hours of financial talk later and, Thank Heavens, its time to chant and sit in meditation. Refuge at last! Or so I thought. Big burritos, warm summer days and the soothing sound of my fellow practioners were a little to much of me tonight. I swear I didn’t snore, I just got something stuck in my throat!

After our practice I recaped “The Buyinc A Property Saga” and prepared to leave. Ajahn asked me if I wanted to study Thai now and as I began to make sounds about being to tired I saw his “don’t be lazy look” start to come on his face so I made some tea and had a fun hour
punishing my dear teacher with my terrible pronunciation. Bless his heart I really felt much better for getting that little lesson in after such a long lay off.

Now it’s late at night and as I arrive home, happy and satisfied, I check my mail and THERE IT IS!!! A letter from The Department of Homeland Security (I choke writing that phrase). Three months of waiting and here it is, the response to my application for a fiancee visa. With trembling fingers I open the letter, ready to hear the good news that I am that much closer to having my loved one here with me no longer having to talk about and share our lives over the phone or waiting for an e-mail. NOT! “We need more proof that you have met your fiancee within two years of the filing of this application”. 🙁 Oy!

So my dear friends out here in Blog land, the Devas have left me and this is my post office conniption fit! My daughter always like to point out what a unique shade of red my face can get! 😀

Thanks for listening and now I’M REALLLY HAPPY I bought that September plane ticket to Thailand!

Getting closer…

I took my first step towards really picking up and going. I know this may sound silly but I am excited to report that I turned in my 60 day notice at my apartment complex and job. They know that I will be leaving the country for 6 months – 1 year and I have a list of vaccinations that I can’t start getting till middle of next month. I still dont know where I will be working or living but that’s ok. It’s a little scary but all part of the adventure!! I did finally get a laptop and a digital cam gift certificate that I have to redeem so I will have pics of bangkok when Im there.