How Learning a Language Makes You Stupid Again

Take, for example, this conversation:

I would like a coffee.

We do not have any coffee.

Then I would not like coffee.

Good.


Or, for your consideration:


Do you like pink?

I do not like pink.

But you are korean?

Yes.

Do you like pink?

I do not like pink.

Koreans like pink.

I do not like pink. I am Korean.

I do not understand. Goodbye.

Club 7

This is where Josh and I hang out when we are feeling cheap. There is a lawn (which is part of an office complex, but no one seems to mind) across the street from our local 7-11 (you might think that 7-11 isn't very Thai, but you would be ever so wrong). So we buy beers at the store and then lay in the grass and drink beer and talk about how we don't ever want to go home. I'm sure if we spent too much time here we would discuss how we wanted to go home, but we haven't gotten to that point yet.

Klong Toei Market

This is the market where Thais go for, well, everything. Need a motorcycle fender? And some superglue? And a pair of gigantic cotton panties? And a kilo of red curry paste? And a live chicken? This is your place.

This is my favorite stall- the curry paste vendor. I love that there are like six different kinds of red curry paste.

These will make your face implode.

Mmmmmm... crabs. Wrapped for my protection.

OH GOD THE FOOD!

Glass noodle salad with peanuts, shrimp, ground pork and cilantro. Tastes like I might never come back to Washington, DC.

Sticky rice.

OH GOD. Som tam with tiny field crabs in it to flavor it like crab. You don't actually eat these crabs, but the crunch of the green papaya and the heat of the chiles combines amazingly with the lime and fish sauce dressing.

Wat Sutthat

A wat is where buddhists go to believe in magic, the same way that church is where christians go to pray to their dad. Summing up religion is easy!

Entrance to Wat complex.

This guy should be a cartoon character, preferably one that sells cereal to children. "Captain Chanachitporn's Chocolate Chomps", or the like.

That's a big Buddha. Don't get in his way.

Roof!

One of these things is not like the other.

Sunset over Bangkok

อนุสาวรีย์ ชัย / Our Neighborhood

This is the view from our apartment balcony. I use the word "apartment" loosely. Bed in a room might be more appropriate.

This is the actual monument our neighborhood is named after. In Thai you say ahnusawarichisumanipum. Or rather, Thais say that. I just point at a picture of the monument and then throw my hand up in the air. As if I just don't care. Jump around! Ok, that got derivative.

Ma ride.