Self Justification

[kblaze]

for what it's worth I also enjoyed the post, mainly because I like your writing style

[DonJuanDemarco]

Someone send a runner for Prof Fart, I am out of ice.

[ProfessorFart]

You got it dude!!!

[neverdie]

Besides getting a good laugh from this post and all the subsequent groanings after, Im still a little confused 'fart' why do you bother?

Havent you heard, "Up to you, up to them".....who gives a tincus if someones attempting to catch a taxi in the wrong place......not me & the only time I bother helping people is if they come and ask me something, normally at which time I find the best option is to play dumb and mutter some words in Swahili or some other obsecure language...(Im an Aussie looking Aussie, so that really parks em).

I find going out of ur way to help people in the street, generally only ends up causing you problems.

Would you like me to post a couple of lines about what a legend I am or perhaps dont need me to justify my existance here?

[IanForbes]

I also enjoyed the original post by professorfart... on several different levels. First, it was well written in a humourous manner. Secondly, I could identify with the story and got a visual picture of the situation.

Thirdly, it touched on a situation I've observed many times myself.

I also eat in Thai speaking cafes where English is seldom heard. I get lots of laughs from the staff with my attempt at the Thai language and we take it all in good fun. There are so many different dialects that nobody can learn them all. Northern Thai can be quite different from the south.

It's too bad that some people didn't get the point of the original topic. It had to do with people being so full of their own importance that they refused help when they obviously needed it. The OP didn't go LOOKING for people with problems, it was the normally helpful Thais coming to ask for his help. And, he reluctantly did as they wished despite the person in need acting huffy because they couldn't solve the problem themselves.

I've found that carrying a small Thai phrase book helps where I can point out the question written in Thai. Trying to translate it in speech from the written book is a near impossibility. Nothing in Thai is ever pronounced as it is written. Another thing that happens is Thais WANT to be helpful, but DON'T want to lose face. They will sometimes give you an answer that is totally wrong if they THINK that is what you want. It can lead to some funny situations.

[ProfessorFart]

I bother because if I never then I'd get endless agro.

I'm afraid that when I'm out and about I am the 'farang'

Just to update the post...I blew out again!!! Lost me nerve plus had half an eye on the footie.......

[ProfessorFart]

Plus neverdie. I'm stealing the word 'tincus'

I like it and shall use it as my own!!!

[ProfessorFart]

Double posted due to sausage fingers.

Apologies!

Edited October 14, 2009 by ProfessorFart

[neverdie]

^ ohh so ur the 'farang' to blame for all of this

I am sure you are the only one on this forum that has become 'the farang' at various times.

ps: you need to understand the word tincus before you use it & must understand like so many other things I actually have copywrite on it .....ohhh and Im not 'the farang', im 'the man' (or little boy as my real friends know me)

[ProfessorFart]

I don't care what 'tincus' means. It rolls off the tongue nicely and I have stolen it!!!

I'll reply more tomorrow, as I'm praying for a Uraguay goal at the mo!!

Thanks to all who have replied thus far!

Tincus

Fart!

Edited October 14, 2009 by ProfessorFart

[eek]

Prof emissions, if you are your namesake, maybe thats why the people dont want you hanging around!

[IanForbes]

Prof emissions, if you are your namesake, maybe thats why the people dont want you hanging around!

Eek, we are ALL old farts to the young. All we can do is laugh about it. The easiest way to diffuse a sticky situation is to smile and make a joke about it, and agree with the aggressor. Then smile, shrug and saunter away. The young adults are often too uptight to be seen hanging around with the elderly. By contrast, the children just love us because we are just as crazy as they are.

[bkkjames]

Ooops!

Touched a few nerves already!

Just to clarify a point; The post is not about language skills, nor is it a "I'm the best Farang in Thailand' post.

If you want those knob waving contests go to Soi Cowboy on a Friday afternoon with the 'Stickmanites' and wave it around!!!

It's about those who seem to want to tell you why they are the 'best farang in Thailand' before the final 'o' of 'hello' is out of one's gob!

Friday afternoon, get your facts straight, I usually don't show up until 8pm.

[GarryP]

I think it was Neverdie that said it, which is strange, but likewise I do not offer to help when unless asked. People standing at the side of the road reading a map do not always appreciate the offer to help them on their way. Perhaps they enjoy being lost. The fun of not finding what they are looking for perhaps. If they ask me to help, no problem I will, but no help sought no help given seems to be the best. They can stay lost for all I care if they are too shy to ask. Also, when offering to help, you feel pretty stupid when it turns out they cannot speak your language. Not everyone speaks English.

PS I have never seen tincus used in such abbreviated form before.

Edited October 15, 2009 by GarryP

[henryalleman]

Bangkok is a capital.

If bangkok wants to be prosperous, bangkok needs to learn english to bring in revenue, or said bangkok will end up selling noddles for thais and rice and feel like issaan

English speaking foreigner in thailand, has brought money to spend, people have to accomodate him.

There is NOTHING more than this on this topic, no foreigner should have to learn more than 2 words of thai unless they really want to.

That is why anyone half sucessfull or educated in thailand is trying very hard to learn english. I mean even the bargirls know they need to speak ok english if they dont wanna end up being rice/noddle broke ladies. If they know this, why don't you? Oh yes, you are proud of being a 30k baht a month teacher living the 'hardcore' thai life because regressing to the 1600 years is the only skill you've aquired in your life?

Are you for real? Never read such a bunch of nonsense in a few lines. Maybe you not realize it but the colonial era is over.

Its just common sense and politeness that you try to speak the language of the country were you are living.

That is why anyone half sucessfull or educated in thailand is trying very hard to learn english. I mean even the bargirls know they need to speak ok english if they dont wanna end up being rice/noddle broke ladies.

but your statement above beats them all. In fact its the bargirls who speak better Englisch than there more educated sisters.

In my family there are several high ranked civil servants and directors in privat companies, all of them have a very limited knowledge of English en they don't need it in there carreer. because they work in Thailand. One familymember is one of the biggest exporters of prawns, well he don't speak one word of English.

Btw, did you ever traveled in France, Italy, Spain and try to speak only English?

[gvallee2]

Bangkok is a capital.

If bangkok wants to be prosperous, bangkok needs to learn english to bring in revenue, or said bangkok will end up selling noddles for thais and rice and feel like issaan

English speaking foreigner in thailand, has brought money to spend, people have to accomodate him.

There is NOTHING more than this on this topic, no foreigner should have to learn more than 2 words of thai unless they really want to.

That is why anyone half sucessfull or educated in thailand is trying very hard to learn english. I mean even the bargirls know they need to speak ok english if they dont wanna end up being rice/noddle broke ladies. If they know this, why don't you? Oh yes, you are proud of being a 30k baht a month teacher living the 'hardcore' thai life because regressing to the 1600 years is the only skill you've aquired in your life?

Are you for real? Never read such a bunch of nonsense in a few lines. Maybe you not realize it but the colonial era is over.

Its just common sense and politeness that you try to speak the language of the country were you are living.

That is why anyone half sucessfull or educated in thailand is trying very hard to learn english. I mean even the bargirls know they need to speak ok english if they dont wanna end up being rice/noddle broke ladies.

but your statement above beats them all. In fact its the bargirls who speak better Englisch than there more educated sisters.

In my family there are several high ranked civil servants and directors in privat companies, all of them have a very limited knowledge of English en they don't need it in there carreer. because they work in Thailand. One familymember is one of the biggest exporters of prawns, well he don't speak one word of English.

Btw, did you ever traveled in France, Italy, Spain and try to speak only English?

Sorry but the guy selling fried rice with prawns is NOT the biggest exporter

It is not because you're english is horrendeous because of lack of education that the rest of the world is the same, looking at how you write, you'd have no idea that your 'high ranking family(LOL) could speak english.

Any business in spain france and italy, speaks english to a certain extant. I have travelled a ton, third world, first world. Only thai and japan had people having trouble with the english language, but thailand's tourism % are going down by the years, Their PIB is going down, Their civil rights are going down, Their quality of life is going down

English is not my native language, but english is the reason i can have the freedom of someone who worked 60hrs all their life but i am in my young 20's. If i had not learned english i would be making a cheap salary wih no way out. Same goes for thais. Those who learn english to a certain extant have the change of accomoding foreigners thus making a lot more money, they also have the choice now to do international business may it be on ebay, in the import/export world, in working outside the country or even selling prostitutes on the side of sukhumvit to foreigners While his good brother who cant speak a word of english is selling sumtam and living in a tin foil shaq paid for by english teachers who live the hard way.

just my gf's sister brother. Her boyfriend spoke no english before, he was in the travel business. Good for him, he could live. Now with acceptable english, his business grew 500%, his websites gets so many hints, repeat customers because he understands what you say. Even with the bad economy and the lack of tourist, hes getting to be one of the biggest in his area. While your official(probably in charge of bangkok's plumbing, hence they sit in a room and look at 'hang in there' cat calendars all day to collect that 'high ranking' 25k baht a month) are just getting poorer and poorer vs inflation

Edited October 15, 2009 by gvallee2

[bonobo]

Joke posts aside, let's try and keep this  on-topic and not let it morph into a English-as-the-world-language thread.

[Tod Daniels]

2. Bloody stop listening to Kiss. No one on the planet will want to shag you if they catch you doing that!!!

Hey there, lighten up; I resemble that remark.....

Go easy casting aspersions at KISS.

ANYONE who can sell 80 million albums based solely on ultra-simplistic rhythms, mind-numbingly repetitive hooks and/or chorus's, which BTW provide the perfect backdrop for a totally incredible stage show replete with blood, fire, smoke, more explosions than you would care to count, and still to this day sells out arena after arena (even on this latest tour), can't be all bad now can they?

Anyway, I felt the need to "justify myself" (and the fact I wear KISS t-shirts nearly every day I've been here since arriving over 4 years ago).

Please feel free to slag off the ever smiling, yet diminutive indigenous natives, the mindless foreign sock puppet “wanna-b-thais” with their (in)significant thai other in tow, the plethora of tourists, or anyone else for that matter, but NEVER EVER disparage KISS.

That is just plain mean spirited…

[mrtoad]

Great reply Todd, that has made me grin.

[Maigo6]

Great reply Todd, that has made me grin.

Yep, it made me wanna 'rock n' roll all night, and party every day' .

[mrtoad]

Great reply Todd, that has made me grin.

Yep, it made me wanna 'rock n' roll all night, and party every day' .

and put make up on?

[TAWP]

If anyone helps me when I am in the need of it I will appreciate it.

The only reason I can think of as to why the gents in the OP protested about being helped is that they somehow perceived it as a loss of face.

So they had picked up something Thai atleast, if not language...

[neverdie]

Great reply Todd, that has made me grin.

Yep, it made me wanna 'rock n' roll all night, and party every day' .

and put make up on?

Actually Toad, I was watching a program on them the other night and that was one of the biggest mistakes they ever made, taking their make-up off go figure.

Ohh and I have absolutely no doubt that Maigo wears plenty of make-up and plays dress up when hes alone.

Anyway the one part of the OP's original post that I don't understand is that he seems to suggest that there is a right and wrong place to catch a taxi in Thailand.... In my experience they stop/start/drive anywhere at anytime, so how can there be a wrong place to catch a taxi????

Edited October 15, 2009 by neverdie

[IanForbes]

Anyway the one part of the OP's original post that I don't understand is that he seems to suggest that there is a right and wrong place to catch a taxi in Thailand.... In my experience they stop/start/drive anywhere at anytime, so how can there be a wrong place to catch a taxi????

There is no right or wrong place to catch a taxi, but there ARE places where taxis are more easily found. I've seen that many times along Sukhumvit and even in Chiang Mai. There will be a few places where the taxi drivers hang around to chat. Otherwise you have to try and flag one down driving by.

[neverdie]

I guess it all comes down to where you are living Ian. I prefer to drive on roads where there are NO taxis, however I must admit that i like it when I'm out and about somewhere and I decide I want to take a taxi somewhere & within 2 milliseconds of having the thought a taxi crosses ur path.

[villagefarang]

I don't care what the OP said. I just like the way he said it

[ProfessorFart]

Neverdie,

I wrote "the worst place" to get a cab; as Ian writes, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' spot, just 'good' and 'bad' spots to get a cab.

Living around here I know which is which and the gent in question was definately in a 'bad' spot.

They never stop at the bus stop here!!!

Don't slag KISS off to my pal Jeff either. He gets very shirty if you do. Or Aerosmith for that matter...

[Spee]

Bangkok is a capital.

If bangkok wants to be prosperous, bangkok needs to learn english to bring in revenue, or said bangkok will end up selling noddles for thais and rice and feel like issaan

English speaking foreigner in thailand, has brought money to spend, people have to accomodate him.

There is NOTHING more than this on this topic, no foreigner should have to learn more than 2 words of thai unless they really want to.

Methinks you sound like one of those people seeking justification. Exactly how many international capitals have you visited? Of the ones I've visited (10 or 12+), English has only been the common language in two. Why would anyone want to have a reasonable expectation to seek justification in having English as the common tongue simply because they are there? To me, seeking justification for one thing or another in Thailand seems to be more of a personal confidence problem than anything else.

[TAWP]

True that English hasn't been the language in most capitals I have visited. However, most still had signs in Latin letters...

Just a side-note.