How Do You Reply?

[a2396]

I am from Ameri-KA and Flori-DA. Florida and USA they don't know. End of story.

[zzdocxx]

I come with the whoosh of the sea.

[SeanMoran]

It can be fun to play on the generalisation of the usual question; the omission of the "Which country" specification, but it's not so condescending, I reckon, if I add the word "Australia" somewhere in there at the end of the answer. It's pretty obvious what is being asked, so the name of the minimart I've just been to or the hotel where I'm staying of the tambon I've just moved from only really makes me look like a dimwit if I don't finish off with the name of the country I escaped from.

[mahtin]

When the province and its principal town share the same name confusion is inevitable.

[CHdiver]

I usually tell them I am from London

Answer: Ohhh, you are English?

Me: No I am Pakistani

[IMA_FARANG]

I'll tell you a true story about "Where you come from?", "Where you work?", and "sudden understanding". This story happened about 30 years ago...so I guess I'm safe in revealing it now.

Back about 1980 I when I was working in Saudi Arabia I took one of my vacations in Bangkok. Now, as you might have guessed one of the prime purposes of being in Thailand was "female companionship" or rather the distinct lack of it while working in Saudi Arabia for a six months at a time.

Anyway I was in this massage place, with a sweet young Thai girl, who was giving me a bath. She had previously asked me the, "Where you come from?" question. I replied I as from America. She understood that. Then she asked the, "Where you work?" question. I said Saudi Arabia...but that drew a blank. I then said "Saw-oo-dee", thinking she might understand that. Still she had a blank look on her face.

She continued washing me, wearing little than more than a loose robe that concealed nothing. Not having seen such a sight for six months, my male resposes started to take over.

Then, glancing down at my obvious erection, a sudden look of understanding came over her face. "Oh", she said,"Saw-oo-dee!"

Sudden understanding achieved!

True story.

[SeanMoran]

"Oh", she said,"Saw-oo-dee!"

Sudden understanding achieved!

True story.

Adds a whole new meaning to the question, but don't let me get too risque here.

[IanForbes]

"Oh", she said,"Saw-oo-dee!"

Sudden understanding achieved!

True story.

Funny how that works, isn't it.

Yah gotta love Thailand for its many imperfections and misunderstandings.

[bina]

is la eeel...... (israel)... then i get asked if i ve seen camels, or, if i know ling, daeng, lek blablabla who work in 'tomatoes, peppers, flowers, cucumbers' in , followed by a -long list of very badly pronounced moshavim--- near- then a list of major israeli cities, badly pronounced that are about three hours away from the named moshav/kibbutz...

then they ask if im muslem and why do people wear those funny little hats (yamulkas) and who are those people that wear all black and big hats (the thai call them 'phra' but ive explained that they are just very orthodox religious 'yuu' (jews)...

then they ask if i know: yossi, asaf, chaim, moshe..... who they worked with a few years ago (yossi , maniac. chaim good good, number 1) .... then they realize that im born american so being a jew/israeli and yet from america creates a long converstaion piece for them. (it all reminds me of old folks here that when u say your frmo boston , ask u if u know so and so who lives on elm street... )

and also, asked a bit shyly, if i can arrange them a visa to go back or get one for america....

the more drunk the questioners are, the more they repeat themselves with the same questions.

i just smile and answer. tart, sarcastic answers dont translate well although sometimes out of bordom i do answer sarcastically for my own pleasure.

bina

israel

[Spee]

Tigerfish queried ...

"How Do You Reply?, when asked, where do you come from."

I always say "Central Thailand Forum!"

Actually I usually say "everywhere and nowhere" because I'm always on the move and haven't had a permanent residence too often. Then I return the question. People usually like to talk about themselves rather than listen to someone else talk about themselves. So I let them. Dale Carnegie 101.

[toptuan]

...then I ask where they from....Can they eat bland food?

Thais are usually dumfounded when the farang asks for "phet mak" (very spicy!) at the restaurant.

[Tonto21]

How Do You Reply?, when asked, where do you come from.

To separate me from the tourist crowd, with a twinkle in my eye, I always give the name of my local village and province in Thailand. Things seem to always go better after that. The touts and money boys/girls drift away, and the genuinely friendly Thais come out of the woodwork. Of course, after that come the next obvious questions: "Are you married?" "How much money do you make?" etc. etc.

Yep, I do the same.....

[NALAK]

I remain puzzled by Brits who insist they're English. And care about soccer clubs and ales. I insist I'm from Texas ,

try telling a Thai where Briton is, they all know England because of the football. as for the ale thing well we have been doing that for thousands of years, you got to admit Texans love their ales and sport the same as us. i loved Texas by the way San Antonio and South Padre island in particular. the welsh, scottish, and Irish have their own languages and currencies (except wales). wales scotland and ireland have their own parliaments unfurtunnatly we English do not. we all have our own flags and national anthems. totally differnt cultures. i think now a lot of it is the present goverment drove a bit of a wedge between us by creating seperate goverments where by there polotitions can vote in our parliament and our polotitions cannot vote in theirs.thats my take on it anyway.

shame Texas spawned George W

dont like ale and footy next you will be saying you dont understand our passion for a good Ruby

[NALAK]

i was in a bar the other night and the girl asked me where i come from so i said England, 5 minutes later she asked me again so i said pratet Angrit. she then goes off on one saying i lied to her before because i said English, memory obviously came back as to where i said. i drank up and left. Angrit = England DER

[PhilHarries]

I also remember when a Briton was a member of the original Celtic Inhabitants.

Oh REALLY! You wouldn't like to let on how the <deleted> hel_l they built Stonehenge and why? Only it's been puzzling a good few academics for a good few years.

I realised that TV members were, in general, not exactly spring chickens but I didn't realise there were some genuine fossils amongst us.

btw what was Boadicca like? Was she the raunchy chick she's made out to be?

[Chaimai]

How Do You Reply?, when asked, where do you come from.

To separate me from the tourist crowd, with a twinkle in my eye, I always give the name of my local village and province in Thailand. Things seem to always go better after that. The touts and money boys/girls drift away, and the genuinely friendly Thais come out of the woodwork. Of course, after that come the next obvious questions: "Are you married?" "How much money do you make?" etc. etc.

Yep, I do the same.....

Me too - especially in beer bars. I also show a picture of my GF and say "and this is my wife".

It certainly does not affect the amount of 'attention' one receives.

[PeaceBlondie]

My first daughter was born in San Antonio, and will never move out of Alamo Heights. I worked on South Padre Island; the twins live in Brownsville. I've been to England and Scotland and Republic of Ireland, where my kid lives. I lived in Puerto Chiapas, too.

[zzdocxx]

I also remember when a Briton was a member of the original Celtic Inhabitants.

Oh REALLY! You wouldn't like to let on how the <deleted> hel_l they built Stonehenge and why? Only it's been puzzling a good few academics for a good few years.

[BlackArtemis]

America or "Sa-had-rat", Which is great because most Thai's have realized us American's have no interest in soccer

I have no problem telling my nationality to anyone. And to be honest the only people who seem to have a problem with my nationality are other farangs who are unable to realize that 1 person does not equal nor represent the entire government of his home country.

[nevermore93]

If it feels like a genuine conversation starter, I always say "America", but being from a small northwest town can be difficult to explain. Most Thais seem to understand California and New York, but have little knowledge of everything in between.

For the girls, peddlers, and panhandlers I always say "Taiwan". Technically, it's the truth because it was my last place of residence, but certainly leaves them with a funny look on their faces and not much to say.

I did however have one girl come back at me in fluent Mandarin and kept me on my toes for a few minutes.

[prakhonchai nick]

Me too - especially in beer bars. I also show a picture of my GF and say "and this is my wife".

Is it correct Chaimai that you have a different picture for every bar?

[bifftastic]

I remain puzzled by Brits who insist they're English. And care about soccer clubs and ales. I insist I'm from Texas ,

It's mainly because the word 'British' isn't used in Britain too much, it isn't specific enough. Politicians use it because they kinda have to.

Football clubs is because we're brought up on it, it defines our 'tribe'. In a conversation with another Londoner, I can understand so much about them when they tell me their team.

When asked in Thailand (often my g/f is asked not me!) I say Pom bpen khun Angrit khap, she says Angrit, London

If asked by other foreigners I say London, other English people I say East London.

When I went to Myanmar from Chiang Saen, they copied my passport and I was handed a 'one day pass' with Northern Ireland written in the 'country of origin' box!

The British passport, in case you didn't know, has The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the front and the 'Northern Ireland' bit is on the bottom line so they wrote that

btw, any Scots, Welsh or Ulstermen/women, what do you say in Thai? I can't imagine khun Angrit being all that popular with you?

[gotlost]

When I'm asked where I'm from I tell them Chiang Mai, being farang the look on their face is priceless particular if they are Thai and I'm in the states.

[Maestro]

A true story about a Thai tourist in the USA.

American: Where are you from?

Thai: Bangkok

American: In what state is that?

--

Maestro

[Maestro]

… I insist I'm from Texas ,

Another true story, from my visit to Turkey. On a small tour bus, about 12 passengers, a man says to me:

This bus is like the United Nations. You are from Switzerland. Your wife is from Thailand. The couple over there are honeymooners from France. The guy behind me is from Israel. The man sitting next to him is from England. And I am from Texas.

--

Maestro

[OZEMADE]

I usually tell them I am from London

Answer: Ohhh, you are English?

Me: No I am Pakistani

I thought everyone from London was Black and drove a bus,especially if you are English.

[Spee]

My first daughter was born in San Antonio ...

Same here, if Texas ever secedes from the union, we are eligible to change citizenship to the country of Texas. Wouldn't that turn some heads!

[bifftastic]

Wow, I never thought about that.

Now Im glad Im not from UK (I mean England).

Never thought a simple question it would create that much hazzle.

just to be clear

The UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain (which contains the countries of England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland,

the nationality of a citizen of the UK is British. There are many citizens of the UK who are not English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish.

Hope that clears things up

[JSixpack]

I usually say "the moon" (phra jan), 'cause they don't really care where you come from. What do they know about any other country?

Sometimes I say "Buriram." They don't believe it (rightly) and insist I must have a wife from Buriram.

[Atmos]

In a tourist/retail area "I'm from Chalong, live there" to clear the pest salespeople. Otherwise I'll admit to NZ (it's near Australia)

my English friend's wife here has invented 'Land-land' where 'we' all come from

"You know, they all same England, Switzerland, New Zealand".

somehow Thailand was exempt, must be a separate island off the coast of Land-land.

The downside to this was the disappointment when she managed to introduced me to a man who wanted to meet me - he too was from Switzerland. I think they have a shared border with my own New Zealand, but a different language.