Farangs Who 'go Native'.......

[Shah Jahan]

You know you've gone too native when ...

1- You're not invited into the lao kao 'circle' because you hog the bottle

2- You carry fresh chillis around with you as a condiment

3- You wai soi dogs

that soi dog may have been your older brother in the last life

[bangsue]

it sounds like the villagers sneering at him are not people he should be too concerned about.

you see a lot of people in the uk sneering at people from other cultures, but they are usually fairly thick and most people from other cultures are encouraged to not be too concerned about them either.

[Neeranam]

Incidentally, when my GF said that they were laughing at my friend behind his back, she got it wrong in the translation. Actually, they, a lot of them, were SNEERING! Not as some of you have suggested 'LAUGHING KINDLY' at his antics........ This came out in a discussion I had today, with her English speaking Sister.

So when you want to find out what the villagers say you ask your girlfriend. When you want to find out what your girlfriend is saying you ask her sister.

But your native friend, (an old dog who learned new tricks?) could just talk directly to whoever he wants.

It's that why he's gone native, because he doesn't need a translator to speak to his gf? In fact he doesn't even need a translator when he speaks to your girlfriend. Furthermore if you wanted to speak to your girlfriend your friend could translate for you.

Ouch, that's gotta bite, I can see why you type in bold now.

[garro]

Lucky dog, have you really thought this through?

If you were a local who would you sneer more at-

- a westerner who learns the local language and customs and tries to be respectful

- or a farang with a Thai gf who can't even be bothered to learn the language

be honest now

[chinthee]

Incidentally, when my GF said that they were laughing at my friend behind his back, she got it wrong in the translation. Actually, they, a lot of them, were SNEERING! Not as some of you have suggested 'LAUGHING KINDLY' at his antics........ This came out in a discussion I had today, with her English speaking Sister.

So when you want to find out what the villagers say you ask your girlfriend. When you want to find out what your girlfriend is saying you ask her sister.

But your native friend, (an old dog who learned new tricks?) could just talk directly to whoever he wants.

It's that why he's gone native, because he doesn't need a translator to speak to his gf? In fact he doesn't even need a translator when he speaks to your girlfriend. Furthermore if you wanted to speak to your girlfriend your friend could translate for you.

Ouch, that's gotta bite, I can see why you type in bold now.

[observer21]

it sounds like the villagers sneering at him are not people he should be too concerned about.

you see a lot of people in the uk sneering at people from other cultures, but they are usually fairly thick and most people from other cultures are encouraged to not be too concerned about them either.

Ok, but if  - for instance - a white Brit started to mix within a 100% asian community in the UK, and started to dress and act  accordingly, wouldnt that be a little odd?

[terry57]

Incidentally, when my GF said that they were laughing at my friend behind his back, she got it wrong in the translation. Actually, they, a lot of them, were SNEERING! Not as some of you have suggested 'LAUGHING KINDLY' at his antics........ This came out in a discussion I had today, with her English speaking Sister.

So when you want to find out what the villagers say you ask your girlfriend. When you want to find out what your girlfriend is saying you ask her sister.

But your native friend, (an old dog who learned new tricks?) could just talk directly to whoever he wants.

It's that why he's gone native, because he doesn't need a translator to speak to his gf? In fact he doesn't even need a translator when he speaks to your girlfriend. Furthermore if you wanted to speak to your girlfriend your friend could translate for you.

Ouch, that's gotta bite, I can see why you type in bold now.

got to give that one to you maddy as you pulled the <deleted> rabbit out of the bloody hat there my pommy friend.

[bangsue]

it sounds like the villagers sneering at him are not people he should be too concerned about.

you see a lot of people in the uk sneering at people from other cultures, but they are usually fairly thick and most people from other cultures are encouraged to not be too concerned about them either.

Ok, but if - for instance - a white Brit started to mix within a 100% asian community in the UK, and started to dress and act accordingly, wouldnt that be a little odd?

same scenario in reverse? might seem a little odd, but i wouldn;t sneer at them.

would you?

[bangsue]

it sounds like the villagers sneering at him are not people he should be too concerned about.

you see a lot of people in the uk sneering at people from other cultures, but they are usually fairly thick and most people from other cultures are encouraged to not be too concerned about them either.

Ok, but if - for instance - a white Brit started to mix within a 100% asian community in the UK, and started to dress and act accordingly, wouldnt that be a little odd?

same scenario in reverse? might seem a little odd, but i wouldn;t sneer at them.

would you?

in fact, dont a lot of thais behave like westerners? speaking english, listening to western music, wearing western clothes, eating western food etc?

[bkkmadness]

it sounds like the villagers sneering at him are not people he should be too concerned about.

you see a lot of people in the uk sneering at people from other cultures, but they are usually fairly thick and most people from other cultures are encouraged to not be too concerned about them either.

Ok, but if - for instance - a white Brit started to mix within a 100% asian community in the UK, and started to dress and act accordingly, wouldnt that be a little odd?

same scenario in reverse? might seem a little odd, but i wouldn;t sneer at them.

would you?

It's not at all the same scenario in reverse, the Brit's in his home country.

[bangsue]

it sounds like the villagers sneering at him are not people he should be too concerned about.

you see a lot of people in the uk sneering at people from other cultures, but they are usually fairly thick and most people from other cultures are encouraged to not be too concerned about them either.

Ok, but if - for instance - a white Brit started to mix within a 100% asian community in the UK, and started to dress and act accordingly, wouldnt that be a little odd?

same scenario in reverse? might seem a little odd, but i wouldn;t sneer at them.

would you?

It's not at all the same scenario in reverse, the Brit's in his home country.

yes. sorry thats what i meant. a reverse scenario where someone in their home country took on elements of an arrival from another country.

[bkkmadness]

Well I grew up in E. London and used to be able to swear quite well in Indian.

[bangsue]

well yes, i meet a thai guy from my gf's work and he always takes the trouble come over and shake my hand.

i could take the piss out of him, but i see it as a friendly gesture and it helps me to feel welcome here.

[observer21]

it sounds like the villagers sneering at him are not people he should be too concerned about.

you see a lot of people in the uk sneering at people from other cultures, but they are usually fairly thick and most people from other cultures are encouraged to not be too concerned about them either.

Ok, but if - for instance - a white Brit started to mix within a 100% asian community in the UK, and started to dress and act accordingly, wouldnt that be a little odd?

same scenario in reverse? might seem a little odd, but i wouldn;t sneer at them.

would you?

It's not at all the same scenario in reverse, the Brit's in his home country.

yes. sorry thats what i meant. a reverse scenario where someone in their home country took on elements of an arrival from another country.

Asian communitys in the UK are british also.  But they have their own culture - it is definatley odd, from a western perspective, for a white brit to adopt asian culture (odd as in not normal - unusual - strange - bit of an oddity, the odd one out -  etc etc.)

[bkkmadness]

And something else I don't get, why does going native mean flip flops and lao khao etc. ?

In Bangkok I know loads of thais, majority of the time they wear shoes or trainers, they drink foreign brand booze and eat all sorts of foods, be it Thai, Japanese, Italian whatever.

I guess 'going rural' is a more appropriate term. And if you think of it in that respect, if you live in a rural community it makes sense to go a bit rural right?

[macb]

mmmmmm As usual the Topic has de-railed into a somewhat polite knock at each others pronunciations or interpretations of quotes or typing skills:

[bkkmadness]

mmmmmm As usual the Topic has de-railed into a somewhat polite knock at each others pronunciations or interpretations of quotes or typing skills:

Where?

[terry57]

mmmmmm As usual the Topic has de-railed into a somewhat polite knock at each others pronunciations or interpretations of quotes or typing skills:

can you please not interupt mate, as maddy is on a roll.

[WaiWai]

And something else I don't get, why does going native mean flip flops and lao khao etc. ?

In Bangkok I know loads of thais, majority of the time they wear shoes or trainers, they drink foreign brand booze and eat all sorts of foods, be it Thai, Japanese, Italian whatever.

I guess 'going rural' is a more appropriate term. And if you think of it in that respect, if you live in a rural community it makes sense to go a bit rural right?

Good points, BKKMadness.

The "Western" jeans & T shirts & trainers look has become fairly universal casual gear amongst the more affluent; indeed, such gear is the uniform of the consumer society. The farang-gone-native has good & sincere intentions, no doubt, but it's not hard to imagine that he could begin to look ridiculous.

Have to wonder what the Indians thought when the Hippies invaded their country in the 60's , going shoeless when they could afford shoes ...

[chinthee]

And something else I don't get, why does going native mean flip flops and lao khao etc. ?

In Bangkok I know loads of thais, majority of the time they wear shoes or trainers, they drink foreign brand booze and eat all sorts of foods, be it Thai, Japanese, Italian whatever.

I guess 'going rural' is a more appropriate term. And if you think of it in that respect, if you live in a rural community it makes sense to go a bit rural right?

Good points, BKKMadness.

The "Western" jeans & T shirts & trainers look has become fairly universal casual gear amongst the more affluent; indeed, such gear is the uniform of the consumer society. The farang-gone-native has good & sincere intentions, no doubt, but it's not hard to imagine that he could begin to look ridiculous.

Have to wonder what the Indians thought when the Hippies invaded their country in the 60's , going shoeless when they could afford shoes ...

Yes, this thread should be renamed "gone rural upcountry" or something. Going native in Bangkok could be driving a top line Merc or beemer, lowered and customized, and wearing designer duds, and only speaking English around foreigners.

[bangsue]

it sounds like the villagers sneering at him are not people he should be too concerned about.

you see a lot of people in the uk sneering at people from other cultures, but they are usually fairly thick and most people from other cultures are encouraged to not be too concerned about them either.

Ok, but if - for instance - a white Brit started to mix within a 100% asian community in the UK, and started to dress and act accordingly, wouldnt that be a little odd?

same scenario in reverse? might seem a little odd, but i wouldn;t sneer at them.

would you?

It's not at all the same scenario in reverse, the Brit's in his home country.

yes. sorry thats what i meant. a reverse scenario where someone in their home country took on elements of an arrival from another country.

Asian communitys in the UK are british also. But they have their own culture - it is definatley odd, from a western perspective, for a white brit to adopt asian culture (odd as in not normal - unusual - strange - bit of an oddity, the odd one out - etc etc.)

yes i agree that would seem odd, but that wouldn't be someone trying to fit in with a new culture, that would be someone trying to unfit themselves from their own culture. so maybe slightly different things in play there.

[tso310]

No way am I going native. Not bothered about language, religeon or food but I refuse to support Man Utd.

Edited July 5, 2007 by tso310

[nidge]

No way am I going native. I refuse to support Man Utd.

My father-in-law had a Man Utd bath towel and he didn't know it was anything to do with football. Does that mean he's not really thai?

[Gary A]

I was invited to go native today. I went to the farm to watch them plant rice. The wife and some of her workers invited me to join them. My wife pays 150 baht per day. I told her that I wouldn't work for that. To add further insult, she told me "GOOD" because I wasn't worth 150 baht per day.

[Neeranam]

mmmmmm As usual the Topic has de-railed into a somewhat polite knock at each other's pronunciations, interpretations of quotes, or typing skills:

Edited July 5, 2007 by Neeranam

[gburns57au]

I know a guy similar to the one the OP was on about...and yes, they do laugh at him, not kindly behind his back...he has had his fair share of problems there as well with the Thai and the other farangs.

It is fine to try and integrate into your new society, learn the lingo, eat the same food, wear the same type of clothes even...they will not laugh (much) at you for trying. But they will sneer at you for trying too hard and not learning....inappropriate wai-ing after you have been there for 2 or 3 years will be seen as you taking the piss. Inappropriate behaviour will not be excused after you have lived there for a few years.

I think it was Garro who said it best....you will be respected more if you just be yourself.

Be yourself and assimilate into your new society...dont try to convert yourself into something you are not.

You are not Thai, You will never be Thai.....so just be yourself.

[chinthee]

mmmmmm As usual the Topic has de-railed into a somewhat polite knock at (one another's) (NO-each other's) pronunciation(No plural s), interpretations of quotes, or typing skills: didn't know how to do strike-throughs

[gburns57au]

mmmmmm As usual the Topic has de-railed into a somewhat polite knock at (one another's) (NO-each other's) pronunciation(No plural s), interpretations of quotes, or typing skills: didn't know how to do strike-throughs

Edited due to error

Edited July 5, 2007 by gburns57au

[bkkmadness]

I was totally confused when MacB first made that post, now I realise it was a self fulfilling prophecy.

Edited July 5, 2007 by bkkmadness

[Zeid]

No way am I going native. Not bothered about language, religeon or food but I refuse to support Man Utd.

hahahahahaahahaha