Diary of a farang in Isaan

[pineapple01]

Just to confuse You more there are many dialects of Thai Lao, little digs too from Thais such as Central Plains refer Lao Enclaves, Lao Kin Mar Dam, never see Black Dog in Esarn, No Nose jibes etc in fact enough to send today's Millennial Snowflake into meltdown.  Ive found if you realy want to find any truth here it comes from the realy old,who lived it. One funny tale i experienced, Lao translation via a Thai. A Tree Trunk that had been dragged from the River was being Dressed n Blessed at a Wat for being old and Sacred. This wise Old Sage was Chuntering. Whats He Saying i asked. He say Young People very stupid, that  tree died when Bangkok Rich People build first Dam. A Television/Radio for Education early on?. no way Community open Air Cinemas was the nearest thing when i came here first. 

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Im longing for this, basic yummy Thai food. 

Oh no, I saw that and now I want to go boil some rice.

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Yes. The official Government line is that there is little to no evidence that wearing a mask benefits the wearer in terms of prevention and only very little benefit in passing it on. The numbers now reflect the number of deaths in Care Homes as well as hospitals as they were heavily criticized for not giving the whole picture. They are now intimating that compared to the rest of Europe we stand out because they are still not reporting as we are here. 
 

Nicola Sturgeon up here in Scotland has gone out on a limb and suggested people wear one or cover their mouths with a scarf in public areas such as Supermarkets but I was out shopping yesterday and your 20% was probably about right. 
 

The Government get quizzed on it daily and only yesterday a question was raised that even if there is little benefit surely the fact that people are dying should be enough to change their advice. The answer was that if they  are worn publicly then their availability may harm the front line workers. 
 

Therein lies the real problem. They do provide some protection even if it helps to slow down the passing on, but they don’t want everyone wearing one because the supply and distribution is still not how it should be which is one of the ongoing failures and complaints from the NHS among others. 

If you are that exercised about masks you can make one from cloth. The ones most wear don't prevent a virus, just stop YOUR saliva droplets or sneezes traveling through the air ( if sneezing one shouldn't be out anyway ).

Otherwise, if you can find a dust mask use that.

 

Frankly I don't understand the agro about it. Use a scarf or anything. The masks ordinary folk get are not much use anyway. I laugh when I see Thais using them for pollution as completely useless for that.

Edited May 1, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[Assurancetourix]

I wrote mangoo  " cigars "

 

 

My wife makes also mangoo jam , no sugar added

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Assurancetourix

[Bredbury Blue]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If you are that exercised about masks you can make one from cloth. The ones most wear don't prevent a virus, just stop YOUR saliva droplets or sneezes traveling through the air ( if sneezing one shouldn't be out anyway ).

Otherwise, if you can find a dust mask use that.

...or you can put your wife's bikini panties over you face for an effective mask.

[owl sees all]

9 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

...or you can put your wife's bikini panties over you face for an effective mask.

Making sure to wash them after every use.

Edited May 1, 2020 by owl sees all

[owl sees all]

16 hours ago, owl sees all said:

 

Yes. you are correct. I speak French, German, Spanish, Creole and English. Can't get to grips with the Thai, even after all these years.

I simply have to correct my own post. What I should have said is that I learnt to speak French, German, Spanish, Creole and English.

 

AT has got me worried now. If he goes rabbiting off in French there is little chance of a sensible conversation.

[bluesofa]

14 hours ago, Kadilo said:

I would be interested to know details about your school in Pattaya, how long, whereabouts etc. 
It is my intention to do similar when I finally move over as I’m keen to be able to speak the language. 

I've sent you a pm.

[Bredbury Blue]

14 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Yes, I've read about Puthai before. As you say, not understanding it isn't surprising as it's a different language again.

Phutai are one of the isaan 'tribes' and it's their language. My wife from Sakon area speaks it. No use when going further south down the Mekong to Ubon area of Isaan, but she can converse no problem with it in Vientiane and South down to the laos provinces opposite Mukdahan, but in Luang Prabang she had to speak Thai. Fascinating subject, isaan/Laos and its many tribes and dialects.

 

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Make sure to wash them after every use.

Yes, but after who's use?

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I simply have to correct my own post. What I should have said is that I learnt to speak French, German, Spanish, Creole and English.

 

AT has got me worried now. If he goes rabbiting off in French there is little chance of a sensible conversation.

Ican;t wait to see the verbal ping-pong:

Frogs versus les roast beef.

[owl sees all]

4 hours ago, pineapple01 said:

<snip>

A Television/Radio for Education early on?. no way Community open Air Cinemas was the nearest thing when i came here first. 

Oh yes! The open air picture show with a projector. 

 

The last one around our parts was about 8 years ago. Technology moved on.

 

Even the music with the dancing girls has died out.

[bluesofa]

4 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Phutai are one of the isaan 'tribes' and it's their language. My wife from Sakon area speaks it. No use when going further south down the Mekong to Ubon area of Isaan, but she can converse no problem with it in Vientiane and South down to the laos provinces opposite Mukdahan, but in Luang Prabang she had to speak Thai. Fascinating subject, isaan/Laos and its many tribes and dialects.

Thanks.

It never occurred to me about it being spoken in Vientiane & Laos. I had always assumed it was only used in Thailand.

Although having said that, nearly all of Issan was part of Laos originally - so that must be Phutai's origin.

[Assurancetourix]

6 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Phutai are one of the isaan 'tribes' and it's their language. My wife from Sakon area speaks it. No use when going further south down the Mekong to Ubon area of Isaan, but she can converse no problem with it in Vientiane and South down to the laos provinces opposite Mukdahan, but in Luang Prabang she had to speak Thai. Fascinating subject, isaan/Laos and its many tribes and dialects.

 

We went to Laos in 2007 in the province of Sayaburi; no problem for my wife who is from Sakon Nakhon province;

Laotians believed that she was Laotian and she never denied them in order to benefit from local rates when we took the bus or the boat.

With regard to the thaification of populations, the same thing happened in France at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th;

children in school playground were prohibited from speaking their local languages, whether dialect or languages such as Breton or Basque.

[Assurancetourix]

1 minute ago, bluesofa said:

Thanks.

It never occurred to me about it being spoken in Vientiane & Laos. I had always assumed it was only used in Thailand.

Although having said that, nearly all of Issan was part of Laos originally - so that must be Phutai's origin.

There is only the south of the south of the province of Ubon where the Thai speak Khmer;

What is also surprising is that Tai Orathai, who is precisely from the province of Ubon, sings either in Thai or in Isaan-Lao; I never heard her sing in Khmer.

[owl sees all]

11 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

We went to Laos in 2007 in the province of Sayaburi; no problem for my wife who is from Sakon Nakhon province;

Laotians believed that she was Laotian and she never denied them in order to benefit from local rates when we took the bus or the boat.

With regard to the thaification of populations, the same thing happened in France at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th;

children in school playground were prohibited from speaking their local languages, whether dialect or languages such as Breton or Basque.

Did the French start up the 'metric' system, which the world uses (except US)? I did read once that there was some reluctance to fully adopt the system in Paris. Led to a few riots.

 

At least we English can take credit for the yearly calendar that the world mostly uses (not Thailand).

 

Thailand has been using the metric system for some time. Fair play to them.

Edited May 1, 2020 by owl sees all

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Did the French start up the 'metric' system, which the world uses (except US)? I did read once that there was some reluctance to fully adopt the system in Paris. Led to a few riots.

 

At least we English for the yearly calender that we mostly use (not Thailand).

I thought the only three countries still using imperial measurements were the US, Burma and Liberia?

Although hasn't the US officially adopted the metric system? They allow the population to choose which they want to use, hence it will never change in reality.

[Assurancetourix]

18 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I simply have to correct my own post. What I should have said is that I learnt to speak French, German, Spanish, Creole and English.

 

AT has got me worried now. If he goes rabbiting off in French there is little chance of a sensible conversation.

In high school, I learned Latin, German and English; the only language that survived ( in my mind ) is English;
it must be said that latin and german are almost the same language;
I learnt modern German, not Gothic German which I knew how to write (without understanding it).
I lived more than a year in Italy when I was a trucker and I did quite well in Italian;( I have almost forgotten everything since, it was before 1980 )
and then in the nineties I made  many long  stays in Vietnam;

relatively easy language since it uses our French alphabet; the intonation accents are all written on or under the vowels, which is much easier than the Thai language.
With us, I speak, let's say rather that I am gibbering Thai because my wife does not speak French or English.
gibberish means talking just enough to be understood; it is a Breton word:
bara = bread
gouin = wine

 

I think the members here from Wales should have the same words.

[Assurancetourix]

23 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Did the French start up the 'metric' system,

I do not know if it was the French who transmitted it to the whole world except the US, Burma and Liberia as wrote Bluesofa;

what I know is that this system was adopted during the French Revolution, therefore from 1789 to 1794;
in Thailand, it's a bazaar;

for example the "tanks" which carry water are American system ,

they do not contain 20 liters but 18.9 liters

 

Now I know :

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_System_of_Units

Edited May 1, 2020 by Assurancetourix

[owl sees all]

10 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

I do not know if it was the French who transmitted it to the whole world except the US, Burma and Liberia as wrote Bluesofa;

what I know is that this system was adopted during the French Revolution, therefore from 1789 to 1794;
in Thailand, it's a bazaar;

for example the "tanks" which carry water are American system ,

they do not contain 20 liters but 18.9 liters

All the pipework in LOS is confusing. Some pipes are 25mm whilst others are 1 inch. Some 1 1/2 inches others 40mm. Anything to do with water seems bazaar.

 

Today, during our home-teach, Milly asked what the calibrations on the metal ruler opposite metric were. I told her inches and parts of. It's a difficult world out there.

[bluesofa]

25 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

I do not know if it was the French who transmitted it to the whole world except the US, Burma and Liberia as wrote Bluesofa;

what I know is that this system was adopted during the French Revolution, therefore from 1789 to 1794;
in Thailand, it's a bazaar;

for example the "tanks" which carry water are American system ,

they do not contain 20 liters but 18.9 liters

 

Now I know :

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_System_of_Units

There are different imperial standards too.

In the UK where we still use the 'pint' - only for for beer, that's 20 fl. oz. (fluid ounces). In the US, a pint is 16 fl. oz.

 

edit: Oh, and a US gallon is only 0.83 of British gallon (4.54 litres)

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by bluesofa
Addendum

[bluesofa]

12 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

All the pipework in LOS is confusing. Some pipes are 25mm whilst others are 1 inch. Some 1 1/2 inches others 40mm. Anything to do with water seems bazaar.

 

Today, during our home-teach, Milly asked what the calibrations on the metal ruler opposite metric were. I told her inches and parts of. It's a difficult world out there.

Oh no, she didn't use the ruler to measure the distance from her grandparents' house to your house did she?

Will she have enough time - school is supposed to start in July apparently.

[pineapple01]

I must shamefully admit that after all my time here i dont like Thai Food or the Language. I rather like the French Language because i can talk and exercise at the same time.????

[pineapple01]

I mentioned in the Motoring Section. The Word still rolls on Wheels made by the GOOD OLD INCH.

[owl sees all]

6 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Oh no, she didn't use the ruler to measure the distance from her grandparents' house to your house did she?

Will she have enough time - school is supposed to start in July apparently.

No bluesofa, she didn't. That's what google earth is for. Anyway. it's only about 20 metres.

 

July eh! I'd like them to be off for a whole year. Mildred is my only friend here in LOS. Save me some dosh too!

 

Gonna wander outside and see the progress with the new super-highway running past the MinL's. Then it's off to the farm. Yes sir!

[Assurancetourix]

About cigar and jam mangoo ; the beginning

 

 

[Odysseus123]

4 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

I wrote mangoo  " cigars "

 

 

My wife makes also mangoo jam , no sugar added

 

 

 

 

Ah..the new Ikea look-"Rustic Isaan" with a dash of Albanian sophistication..

 

Many thanks as I have been waiting for the new catalogue to come out????

[pineapple01]

Anyone remember the name of that Rocket Fuel Pineapple hooch they made around Yasothon,?

[bluesofa]

40 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Ah..the new Ikea look-"Rustic Isaan" with a dash of Albanian sophistication..

 

Many thanks as I have been waiting for the new catalogue to come out????

Ha ha ha! I love the phrase 'Albanian sophistication'  - surely an oxymoron there!

[Assurancetourix]

Just now, bluesofa said:

surely an oxymoron there!

but then why use the word Albanian?
Thai would have been enough ....