Poo yai Posted by palmisano on Jun 16, 2011
Today I’m going to talk about Poo3 Yai2 ผู้ใหญ่. Poo3 means ‘person’ and Yai2 means ‘big’. Generally, ‘poo yai’ means ‘adult’. You start off as a child (dek1 เด็ก), work your way up to teenager (wai1 run3 วัยรุ่น), and after a few more years you’ve made it.
Bangkok Video (Part Two) Posted by sasha on Jun 14, 2011
For day two in Bangkok, join me on a temple hopping cruise with stops at Wat Indrawiharn and Wat Phra Kaew. Next up, cruise over to Chinatown to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes as people gear up for Chinese New Year. Finally, a stop on the legendary Khao San Road for drinks and street…
The real way to say something tastes good in Thai Posted by palmisano on Jun 13, 2011
When we go out to eat, or eat over at a friend’s place, often times we’ll be asked ‘how is the food?’ If the food tastes good, the answer is easy. But what if it doesn’t and you find yourself in a moral battle between honesty and politeness? How do you respond to this question…
Losing Face Posted by palmisano on Jun 11, 2011
The concept of ‘losing face’ and ‘saving face’ (เสียหน้า sia5 naa3) will take you years to get used to, particular because western culture frowns upon it. But if you are going to keep your mental sanity from the constant attacks of cultural shock, and wish to truly integrate yourself into Thai society, you must both…
Bangkok Video (Part One) Posted by sasha on Jun 4, 2011
You’ve read about my trip to Bangkok… now see it! This first video features a trip to the Chatuchak weekend market, a cruise down the Chao Phraya River, and a nightcap at the Moon Bar at Vertigo with fantastic views of Bangkok.
The Way of the Wai Posted by palmisano on Jun 2, 2011
I’m will assume that my readers know what the Wai is, the motion where you clasp your hands in a praying motion to say ‘hello’. At least, that’s what you are told when you first come to Thailand. However that’s very much an oversimplification, to the point of being almost completely wrong. It’s actual a…
Bright Lights, Big City… Bangkok! (Day Two) Posted by sasha on May 30, 2011
For our second day in Bangkok, we headed out to do some temple hopping. Arriving outside of the Grand Palace (พระบรมมหาราชวัง), we were informed that a special ceremony was going on and that the grounds would not be open to tourists for another couple of hours. Thankfully, we didn’t have to come up with alternate…