Why I Don'T Teach My Gf English

[Thaddeus]

Sounds like you suffer from very low self-esteem if you won't teach your gf English, just so you can keep her dependent on you. Unbelievable!

Why is it unbelievable? The people entrusted with the welfare of all of Thailand won't teach their charges, the Thai people, English.

Do they all have low self esteem?

Either low self esteem or scared of being overtaken, yes, I happen to think they do all have one of those traits.

[mark45y]

Sounds like you suffer from very low self-esteem if you won't teach your gf English, just so you can keep her dependent on you. Unbelievable!

Why is it unbelievable? The people entrusted with the welfare of all of Thailand won't teach their charges, the Thai people, English.

Do they all have low self esteem?

Either low self esteem or scared of being overtaken, yes, I happen to think they do all have one of those traits.

I think if you follow up the chain of command you will find that assumption false. It would never occur to them. Everything is fine. I got mine.

Or on a local level, which seems more understandable. Do you really think I have low self esteem or think my GF will overtake me? She is just not important enough in my scheme of things to really think about that much.

My first wife left me. We had no children, she didn't work and I paid for everything.

She was gone for two weeks. I didn't call. She came back after two weeks. “Did you miss me?” “I didn't know you were gone. Did you go someplace?”

I went to work every day. Stopped for a beer at the pub on the way home. Got home and watched hockey on TV. It has nothing to do with self esteem or fear.

It is just not that important.

I am not one of these old guys who labor under any false delusions. She isn't in love with me. I pay the bills. If I stopped paying the bills she would be gone in a NY minute.

[DoubtingThomas]

Now I control what my GF knows ... I don't teach her about celestial mechanics... I don't teach her a lot of things I could teach her

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to

adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it

louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will

tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the

vertical. We can roll the image; make it flutter. We can change the focus

to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity.

For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is

nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a

great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which

reaches from the inner mind to the outer limits.

(Intro to

The Outer Limits,

1963)

Yea, well I'm still upset the Brits left Nassau. Nassau was a great place. I had my first honeymoon in Nassau. My first stewardess. So many firsts. I made my first Hollywood movie in Nassau.

Colonialism was not that bad a deal.

Sure I may be a bit controlling, but last time I checked the man who pays the piper gets to pick the tune.

Hollywood movie...? care to enlightend us?

If we ever meet I'll tell you.

Yeah, sure mark45y, you'll tell us. Well here's one for you to tell us. Since you're so verbose elsewhere, and since, according to you, you speak Thai like a local, how come I see no posts from you under "Thai Language". Just wondering. Probably too busy working on your next movie.

Hey, one quick thing, because I have to run. The President just called and tells me he has the energy companies under control so he's ready to go ahead with my cold fusion process. I need to decode it all first; I wrote the algorithms the CIA uses so I know they'll never crack it; it's in Tibetan anyway (I had a spare five minutes one day and decided to study it; interesting language, as I am absolutely certain you know), so by the time I'm finished it will probably be teatime. Nothing like a nice cuppa at 4pm. I expect they already asked you to take a look.............

Anyway, you wrote "I know how you feel. Some days I feel sufficiently ridiculed. Once, I even got accused of plagiarizing an article that I had written under my real name. I had copied it from a draft I wrote years ago. I had to take the flak of plagiarism or divulge my real name." Now, is that the plagiarized article I caught you out on or is it another one? Care to enlighten us, or are you about to claim you wrote every effin' article that's ever been published?

I expect you got an Oscar for the movie. Keep it on the mantelshelf do you?

[ozzieovaseas]

O.K. Mark45y, last one, you pompous ass.

If the best you can do is complain about the colour I used, you are indeed a desperate man, and in dire need of new specs. Anyway, it's all rather irrelevant, isn't it.

The major problem I have with your posts (and it is clear that I am far from alone) is that you post some pretty outrageous remarks. Nothing unusual in that, you say, there is certainly no shortage of stupidity on TV, so what makes you different? You are different because you try to justify your posts and your position with outrageous claims of degrees, life experiences and knowledge, painting yourself as some sort of sage, peering down on the rest of us poor unfortunate unknowing, inexperienced plebs who you imagine, I'm sure, to be bowed at your feet, hanging on every wise word. We're not. At first, people like you can be funny, but in the end it becomes tiresome. A laugh at your next claim of an unlikely experience quickly deteriorates into a yawn. The British term for someone like you is "capper". It doesn't matter what somebody has done, you've done better. Cappers can be fun, because you can usually wind them up and extract the next outrageous claim from them to order; no need with you, just wait and out it spews.

Furthermore, you take a supercilious, condescending, patronizingly dismissive approach towards other posters who are just exercising their right to make a comment and express an opinion. You do this through your "I'm getting on in years, I have more degrees than a thermometer, I screwed Jackie Onassis in the strip club I was running while working under deep cover for mossad and James Bond was modeled on me" approach. It's tiresome dude, give it a rest. Only newbies or stupid people believe you anyway.

Finally let's clear up a few points, Mr. Know-it -all.

1. You're right. The link doesn't work. Not sure why, here it is again. www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-13790.html this one works. What I find amazing though is that you are so arrogant as to effectively deny your plagiarism using the excuse of the link not working. You know you nicked it, so the link is hardly relevant, now is it? It would have been honorable to hold up your hands and say "O.K. you tumbled me, fair cop" Oh no, not you. Honor? What's that? Prediction; you'll claim the link lifted it from you. Ha!

2. I lived until very recently in Thailand, for 6 years. Working, not pussy chasing. I own a property in Thailand. I'm in the US now and I (we, of course) may or may not move back. Probably not because the Thai schools have idiot teachers like you so the kids are better off in the US. No doubt you know that, I'm sure that between the CIA and FBI jobs you were a School Principal.

3. I don't give a sod about you trotting out and trying to impress us all with the Thai school grade system. We can all Google it, we don't need your help. I could just ask my Thai friends, which I did. They didn't start English until 8th grade and their teacher was worthless (probably you). So they left school with poor or non-existent English. Of course. They seem to have found it easier to learn though than your bird.

4. I have not led a boring life, far from it. I never said I did, but your arrogance is such that you see criticism as envy. Let's see, am I envious that I didn't knock someone up when I was 16. No, not at all. I am happy to comment on issues without trotting out my (real) life experiences to justify those views. You need to back up everything with your private little fantasies. You won't stop. It's who and what you are. I could write back to you on TV every day for the rest of my life but it would make no difference. You are, like the frog and scorpion fable, programmed to sting. You can't help it.

5. I am responding to wot you rote. I didn't pull it out of my a*se. It's there, in B&W. You wrote it, not me. The pink I used reflected your 20 years in Key West with the bum boys.

6. I don't know you. How on earth can I find you personally offensive? I find what you write to be offensive, I am insulted that you think that I and other TV members are so stupid as to believe your fantasies. I suspect that if I did know you I would find you offensive, but it would not be for long and I will never know you anyway, so who gives a toss?

Then you cap it all by reverting to type. Mr. Scorpion raises his sting and tells us all about the time he topped Ted Turner. You are such a bloody pillock it is barely believable. See my earlier comment about bait. None needed with you.

I won't dignify your last comments. Suffice to say I am more than happy with my situation, will sure as shit not be lured by such an amateur as you into revealing it. I find it incredibly sad if it is true. But, true to form I'm sure it's all boll*cks anyway. I think I can safely speak for the majority of TV members by saying that not one of them would exchange their situation for yours, pretend or real. You are a sad example of inhumanity.

The link works thanks. Off hand it is some historical data about Thailand. If I posted some historical information from it without listing the source sorry. This is Thai Visa and not a doctoral thesis. I really don't feel the necessity to document all of my source material. I figure you can Google if you want to.

Currently Thai school children take English lessons for 12 years. I'm right you are wrong. I know this because I have taught over 1000 Thai school children from kindergarten to high school. I didn't Google it.

I was never a school principal. The farthest I got was professor and department head of a college in the US.

You do make one interesting point, "You are different because you try to justify your posts and your position with outrageous claims of degrees, life experiences and knowledge. "

That is absolutely correct. I justify my ideas with my life experiences. I really tire of hearing peoples opinions without any life experiences to back them up. Not only is it phoney but it is boring. Let me give you an example. I was attending a course in college about the stock market. Each of the students had to do some paper trading for the length of the term based on the principles we learned in the class. Our grade was determined by the amount of money we made from our paper trades. It was a good course and the grading system made sense to me. However I had questions about the instructor. I asked him if he was so smart why was he teaching? Why wasn't he rich? Apparently it was not the first time he had heard the question. He put a slide in the projector that listed his brokerage trading account. Not only was he well off, he was quite rich. He owned a seat on the Chicago Board of Trade among other things.

I guess it left an impression on me. To this day I am impressed by people who not only have an opinion but also the life experiences to back up that opinion. If you don't have life experiences education is the next best thing. I know a lot about Australian aboriginal kin terms and Ethiopian land transfers not because I have ever lived with Australian aborigines or Ethiopians. I studied it in school. If I didn't mention that I had a degree in cultural anthropology you might think it odd that I knew anything about aboriginal kin terms or Ethiopian land transfers.

If you choose not to believe my life experiences that is of course up to you. Another poster mentioned that he was a fluent Thai speaker and also read and wrote Thai after only being in Thailand a year and having no formal training in the subject. I don't believe him. I studied in a Thai college and have lived in Thailand for a long time and I know how hard it is to read and write Thai and speak it fluently. I don't think a year without a formal intensive language course is enough to establish fluency. But I appreciate him throwing out his life experiences to back up his claim even if I don't believe it.

I think it showed courage on his part to try and back up his claims.

Thai women are beautiful. Thai women are fiery. Thai women have big feet. I am sure you have an opinion. But I submit that opinion is worthless unless you know a lot of Thai women. Or maybe you have a degree in Thai women.

You say you own a property in Thailand. By property I assume you mean land. I don't believe that. I would believe your wife owns a property in Thailand without some clarification from you. See what I mean? A lot of statements are worthless without some kind of life experience to back them up. I have heard that a Falang can inherit a small land holding or that an American can own 100% of a business in Thailand but without clarification I think you are lying about owning a property in Thailand. Of course you could own a condo, but I wouldn't know that unless you took a chance and mentioned a life experience or divulged some personal information.

The rest of your post is either a personal attack on me or a justification of your life.

I won't respond to it.

Actually my post was allegorical. The reasons I don't teach my girlfriend English are the same reasons the Thai powers that be don't want Thai students to learn English.

You're (or I guess, in your case, "your") funny. My sides are splitting. Now you're a college professor and department head. It never ends does it? Somebody commented that to fit in all the things you reckon you havr done you must be 150 years old. He's wrong. That's much too low. Now, quite why you need clarification on my property ownership is quite beyond me. I suppose I could scan the Land Dept. papers for you but it's hardly necessary nor is there any point. I own property. That's all you need to know. My wife also owns property, but not the same property as me? Happy? Oh, here's another tidbit. I do own land. Legally. Totally irrelevant but you're such a sad old bugger I thought I'd throw you a morsel. I am struggling to understand quite what life experience has to do with your outrageously stupid assumption that I don't own land only you know. There is no connection, of course.

You rely on bragging. Many, many contributors to this site have some wonderful experiences and achievements in their lives, I am certain, but I don't see them bragging about it or finding the need to use the euphemism of using those experiences to back up their position. You're a braggart and a fantasist. Let me throw you a bone. If half of what you claim is remotely true, you are indeed the most immodest clown I have ever run across, and I have met and known some prime examples. None could hold a candle to you.

Boy oh boy did you try to dodge the bullet on plagiarization (new word I just invented). You didn't use the information, you wholesale copied it. Some nice bobbing and weaving though. I also take note of the fact that you failed to acknowledge your brutal criticism of one poster's spelling while making multiple spelling and grammatical errors yourself. As I said, nice bobbing and weaving. Incidentally, I'll admit now to having fat fingers and making the odd mistake myself, not that it is particularly relevant, but I don't want you to duck and dive your complicity by pointing out my errors. I make 'em. There, I admit it.

But I have to say, you are utterly shameless and, dare I say (yes, of course I do) a bit thick. After being brutalized over your constant capping, you do it yet again in your reply. You are truly a scorpion. You just can't help it.

BTW, your "life experiences" might perhaps carry some weight were they believable; they're not. If I get a couple of hours one day it might be fun to go back over your posts and draw up, as far as is possible, a time line of your activities and achievements. That will be funny.

No, I don't have a degree in Thai women, but I'm certain you will, at some time (perhaps already, let me see "Thai Female Anthropology" perhaps. Mind you, these Thai women with big feet you know. Do they have big hands too? Oh dear, looks like you're heading towards another of those life experiences you're so fond of. Incidentally, I have never claimed any special expertise because I don't need to. If you read my posts carefully, I am making no claims myself; I'm questioning your claims. I don't need to have experiences to question yours. A cop does not need to have robbed a bank or murdered someone to catch a crook. Yes, I like that; I'm the Mark cop.

And on the subject of English in Thai schools, you might well be right about what happens today. But they're just kids, I was talking about grown ups. Let's get back to this subject in 12 years and see how it works out. If we're still alive.

Back to the real subject of this thread, which you started, I suspect in order to give you an excuse to delve even deeper into your imagined "life experiences". I don't give a toss whether you teach your GF English or not. Your choice. A wrong choice, I think, but that's just an opinion, for what that's worth. It seems to me that, generally, anything that's designed to keep someone in the dark is not to be applauded. Note I said generally. I think your situation falls into that "generally" category. Your motives in doing it are not to be applauded. They're all about control and you wanting to be "superior". No surprises there, then.

Conservatively speaking there are probably 10,000 posts in Thai Visa from Falang trying to find a way to own land legally in Thailand. I won't debate that with you. I only mentioned it because in the absence of proof I don't believe you own land in Thailand. But please don't give me an answer here. There is a forum devoted to that topic.

You don't think my life experiences are believable and I don't think you have any life experiences.

Living in Texas I don't think is a life experience. More like an after life experience. I used to live in Texas. People asked me where I was from. I told them, "Colorado, you know that place where good Texans go when they die." (For native Texans, I'm just kidding. I really like San Antonio and Corpus)

It is obvious you don't have a degree in women.

It is also obvious you didn't read my posts if you think the reason I don't teach my GF English is to keep her in the dark. I don't teach her a lot of things I could teach her. I don't teach her about celestial mechanics. She has no motivation to learn and she could do little with the information if she did learn it.

I took Latin for four years when I was in prep school. Outside being able to identify other men who went to prep school it has done me little good. And I don't think worth the aggravation of learning it. To my GF, English is as important as Latin was to me.

Am I trying to control my GF and be superior to her? An interesting subject.

Why do men come to Thailand seeking women?

Japanese guys on vacation. Why do they come? They are not looking for life partners. Japanese don't marry Thai women and take them home?

Korean men, why do they come to Thailand to party? They don't marry Thai women and take them home.

I know a couple of exceptions but they are rare and certainly Korean and Japanese old men do not retire to Thailand in anywhere close to the same numbers as Falang.

Why would this be? Airfare is a lot less than England, America, Australia? Thai women are certainly a lot more fun than Korean or Japanese women.

The motivation of Korean and Japanese men have something to do with why I don't teach my GF to speak English.

I don't want to give you too much to digest at one time so I'll leave it there.

Perhaps it would assist everyone if we knew a little about your motivation. Did you teach your wife English? Or did she already speak English?

I would submit your thoughts on the subject currently are invalid to my argument because you live in the US and obviously English is necessary for a woman to speak in America. Different story altogether. And if you were planning on moving to the US when you met her it is obviously a different story. And if you had children it is obviously a different story. In those instances your life experiences have nothing to do with why I don't teach my GF to speak English. Because, if I was going to have children or move to a different country I would, of course teach my GF English.

But I am not married. I am never going to have another child. I am not going to leave Thailand.

As a matter of fact I see no reason why you are replying to this thread. Your life experiences and your lifestyle and life situation have nothing in common with mine. What could you possibly bring to the table in a discussion? I don't tell you how to be married to a Thai woman or have children with dual nationalities. I doubt your wife is a poor farmers daughter with an ex husband in the shadows. I doubt if you ever lived like a Thai in Thailand. You are from a different generation. Different goals and aspirations. I don't tell you how to raise kids or invest in land. I don't post in the computer forum or the investment's forum. Not my area of expertise. I lived in Texas so long ago you could tie your horse up the the ice house to get a beer. I wouldn't tell you where to find a house in Fort Worth today.

I suggest you guys stop including each others posts in your replies..the dialouge box is getting longer than marks CV

And whats this...Chuck Norris..<deleted>..

you two guys remind me more of Terrance Hill and Bud Spencer

[mark45y]

To Doubting Thomas,

I would be happy to respond to anything you write concerning the topic at hand. The topic is Why I Don't Teach My GF English.

[mark45y]

To Ozzie,

Great minds and all, I was writing my last post when yours came up.

I agree.

[ozzieovaseas]

whip·per·snap·per (noun) -- an unimportant but offensively presumptuous person, esp. a young one. (from Dictionary.com)

whoda thunk...

When Chuck Norris goes to bed at night he checks his closet to make sure I'm not there... So does Ted Turner.

Oh, i think i used that one..sorry, i wasnt gonna take sides ..but as they say, if the cap fits

Actually i thought it was just a term for a younger person..i didnt know of the added meanings you mentioned...but interesting

[DoubtingThomas]

I suggest you guys stop including each others posts in your replies..the dialouge box is getting longer than marks CV

And whats this...Chuck Norris..<deleted>..

you two guys remind me more of Terrance Hill and Bud Spencer

Ozzie.....good one, and good point. If this bloke would just answer a question and stop this constant capping we'd all be better off. The trouble with me is that I get my teeth into a berk like him and can't let go. I'll shut up now anyway and just avoid any thread he contributes to, because quite frankly, he sours it. Look, it's altogether possible he's having his own little private laugh, and I'm all for the occasional wind-up, it makes life interesting. So fine, have a laugh, but don't intersperse it with "serious" discussions. There are tons of stupid comments on TV and if you want to participate you have to put up with them and they're generally a minor distraction, but this bloke goes beyond the pale. Why the hel_l does he start a thread, only to then tell anyone who disagrees how he did this, did that, has this degree, that skill, screwed this bird, that bird, made a movie, screwed with Ted Turner (I could go on, but I won't) so therefore he's right and everyone else is wrong. I suppose he perhaps started the thread so he could do all those things. Furthermore, because they won't share their inside leg measurement and hat size with him they're not qualified to post. Unlike him, of course.

As I said, there's no rule against prats posting, but I think the moderators should draw the line somewhere. How about a flag indicating "Persistent Braggart" so everyone can treat the posts with the appropriate level of belief? And how about a rule no allowing uncredited sources, with suspension if you're caught? It is unethical and immoral, but matey boy does it all the time, only to sidestep it if challenged or , ludicrously, claim he was the original author. Please!

[DoubtingThomas]

Ozzieovaseas made a good point and, true to my word, I'm not responding here any more. Forgive me for following your continued outrageous claims though, Mark45y. I have to say the movie one was a classic (which one was it, I'll look up the credits?) and will be hard even for you to cap. And, you're totally wrong about just about every aspect of me and my family but that's hardly surprising now, is it, Walter. So, off you go, I'll leave it to Jazzbo. He's got you, but you just don't get it.

[ozzieovaseas]

DT, i can see your point, but to be honest i think both of you are having a pretty good time having shots at each other. And i suspect mark is having a great time winding you up.

Please dont stop though, i dont think ive ever laughed this hard on a thread since i joined TV. :cheesy:

I remember an old guy i worked with once (oops hope im not starting to sound like mark )

This guy would tell all manner of tall stories, some of them just bordering on the completely ridiculous and unbelievable. Of course all the stories were about his many superhero style adventures,fistfights, sexploits and risking life and limb to save babies from invading kangaroos...ect ect.

Everyone knew it was a bunch of poppycock, maybe we were all a little bored at the time, we all knew it was a bunch of codswallop, but bugger me if we did not take turns in asking him to go into details, therefor encouraging him even more...

All the while everyone was p7ssing themselves laughing AT him, rather than with him!!

Looking back now, im sure he knew what was going on, but maybe he took some weird pleasure out of entertaining us to the point where we couldnt help the stream of tears running down our face in laughter. The funniest part about it was if anyone challenged him on a story he'd quite seriously ask them outside to "punch their lights out"

I might be also be a silly old ignorant prat but i dont really care if marks posts are BS or not, they are surely entertaining. And if all is not exactly 100% true, and age has indeed jaded Marks memory, as you have quite abruptly alluded to, im sure there are SOME elements of truth hiding in there somewhere..

After all, I dont go to a Bruce Willis movie thinking the plot is ridgy-didge, and i also find his movies entertaining...

Maybe it was Mark that coached him in his earlier movie career we heard about

[DoubtingThomas]

DT, i can see your point, but to be honest i think both of you are having a pretty good time having shots at each other. And i suspect mark is having a great time winding you up.

Please dont stop though, i dont think ive ever laughed this hard on a thread since i joined TV. :cheesy:

Cheers ozzie........I was definitely getting too serious! I know what you mean about cappers, years ago (too bloody many years ago) I worked with one and we'd do exactly the same thing, taking turns to wind him up. It was so difficult to not laugh and there was many a time somebody just got up and left the room because they couldn't contain themselves. And, of course, our subject was oblivious.

I'll back off anyway. Let's just see if Mark can contain himself. You'll have to wait though Mark, trying to wind me up tomorrow is just too soon!

On the subject, I still happen to believe there's something unhealthy in a relationship where one partner deliberately places the other in a disadvantageous position. It's one thing if I'm a complete twit at learning Thai but quite another if the missus deliberately refuses to help or misleads me. That does not sound like much of a relationship to me.

[mca]

I think it's entirely beneficial that Mark doesn't teach his girlfriend English. It might help the poor girl avoid cutting her own ears off with a pair of gardening shears.

Mark's GF : Teerak, what would you like for dinner?

Mark : Dinner? Did I ever tell you when I nearly had dinner with the President? As the old story goes if everybody who claimed to be on the last flight out of 'Nam from the roof of the Embassy were truly on that flight it'd have to have been a f#cking big helicopter. I know because I was the pilot. As we headed off the gooks nearly punched my ticket with a well aimed AK-47 round through the bottom of the cockpit. Luckily I'd placed my well worn copy of " A Farewell To Arms " under my seat which took the bullet and stopped my balls from being blown off.

When I got back to the world I received a call from the Prez. He told me he'd already heard about me through my work on the Apollo missions and commiserated that the only reason I wasn't the first man on the moon was that day I'd had the shits from a dodgy curry. Anyhow I digress. He invited me to the White House for a private tete a tete about how I could solve world hunger on my own with a single pack of c-rations. I regretfully had to turn him down because that day I'd promised Superman I'd help him rewire the Fortress Of Solitude because the fridge kept tripping all the lights.

Mark's GF: So is that chicken or pork fired rice Teerak? One fried egg or two? Have you forgotten your meds again? You know what Doctor Sombat said.

:jap:

Edited October 25, 2010 by mca

[Naam]

"When I first came to Thailand in the 1960's as a soldier we taught the Thai people how to speak English, built schools and hospitals and funded middle class people to build infrastructure projects like deep water ports, oil storage and refineries and communications projects. This made the elite edgy and they asked us to leave in 1975. The Thai government gave other reasons but I didn't believe them. I think they were upset at the affluent middle class we were creating.

Had they left us here at the rate we were building Thailand would have eclipsed Korea and Singapore by 1980."

[ozzieovaseas]

DT, i can see your point, but to be honest i think both of you are having a pretty good time having shots at each other. And i suspect mark is having a great time winding you up.

Please dont stop though, i dont think ive ever laughed this hard on a thread since i joined TV. :cheesy:

Cheers ozzie........I was definitely getting too serious! I know what you mean about cappers, years ago (too bloody many years ago) I worked with one and we'd do exactly the same thing, taking turns to wind him up. It was so difficult to not laugh and there was many a time somebody just got up and left the room because they couldn't contain themselves. And, of course, our subject was oblivious.

I'll back off anyway. Let's just see if Mark can contain himself. You'll have to wait though Mark, trying to wind me up tomorrow is just too soon!

On the subject, I still happen to believe there's something unhealthy in a relationship where one partner deliberately places the other in a disadvantageous position. It's one thing if I'm a complete twit at learning Thai but quite another if the missus deliberately refuses to help or misleads me. That does not sound like much of a relationship to me.

Yes, what you just mentioned is another interesting side of the argument....when the Thai partner obviously speaks both languages but the farang is limited to English only.

In some cases i'd think the farang WOULD like to understand whats going on around him and would appreciate the help of his partner in achieving that goal. In some cases the Thai girl simply DOES NOT want this to happen. I am living proof of this.

So what are we to think of the thai females who adopt this attitude?

The Thai ex i've mentioned spoke very good English, and was only 2 years younger than me. Towards the end of the relationship it became obvious to me that she was quite uncomfortable with my learning thai and was'nt at all encouraging my efforts to get better at it.

It even got to the stage where her body language made it obvious she was getting sick of me asking for translations of conversations and was very tired of me asking what certain words meant.

Of course she denied this at first but then later admitted it, the reason being "to protect me". She said that a lot of her fellow Thais were of the err..."hillbilly" (better not use the actual word she said) mentality, and as such they often didnt care what they said and who they offended, especially if it was a farang.

She said the words they used in thai could sometimes come out as harsh and a farang would most likely take offence at the context, where there was none intended...I guess that means in circumstances like when you hear the thai massage ladies referring to you being like a monkey in thai because of your hairy Italian heritage.

So, I do accept the excuse to a certain extent, although im sure a lot of it had more to do with the possibility of me fraternising with other thai girls rather than the chance of my being offended by Thai chit chat. In any case i think i would much rather prefer to have my own choice whether to be offended or not, especially if the topic is about me.

SO i find myself in the reverse now. My thai capabilities are a lot better since then and my latest GF has very little English ability, the differance being that she seems to have very little desire to learn English. She does show the occasional spark of interest and its not like she hasnt got the smarts, but i cant see her having the drive to ever become fluent in English.

The point i wish to make here is this..

Although i am building up a certain amount of trust in her, i admit i am probably over-cautious with thai girls and always will be. I make no apologies in that.

Considering she is a few years younger than me, i often wonder if she has the thai propensity to believe "a lie IS NOT a lie UNTIL you get caught"....and believe me ive seen this over and over.

It may sound a bit untrusting and ignorant of me, and no doubt ill get flamed and probably ridiculed, but at least i can say she has probably never (AND most likely never will) be able to compete at places like Nana plaza with that level of English ability.

I think i may have also adopted a few of Marks attitudes here..

Even though theres only 8 years differance in our age (me and GF that is) i would be an absolute fool to assume any of this is anywhere near what could be described as love.

Actually I tend to also agree with Mark that in his assessment that there is no such thing..at least not here anyway.

[ozzieovaseas]

I think it's entirely beneficial that Mark doesn't teach his girlfriend English. It might help the poor girl avoid cutting her own ears off with a pair of gardening shears.

Mark's GF : Teerak, what would you like for dinner?

Mark : Dinner? Did I ever tell you when I nearly had dinner with the President? As the old story goes if everybody who claimed to be on the last flight out of 'Nam from the roof of the Embassy were truly on that flight it'd have to have been a f#cking big helicopter. I know because I was the pilot. As we headed off the gooks nearly punched my ticket with a well aimed AK-47 round through the bottom of the cockpit. Luckily I'd placed my well worn copy of " A Farewell To Arms " under my seat which took the bullet and stopped my balls from being blown off.

When I got back to the world I received a call from the Prez. He told me he'd already heard about me through my work on the Apollo missions and commiserated that the only reason I wasn't the first man on the moon was that day I'd had the shits from a dodgy curry. Anyhow I digress. He invited me to the White House for a private tete a tete about how I could solve world hunger on my own with a single pack of c-rations. I regretfully had to turn him down because that day I'd promised Superman I'd help him rewire the Fortress Of Solitude because the fridge kept tripping all the lights.

Mark's GF: So is that chicken or pork fired rice Teerak? One fried egg or two? Have you forgotten your meds again? You know what Doctor Sombat said.

:jap:

:cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

MCA: that sort of talent deserves payment, you should'nt be givin it up for free.

Mark: you are copping quite a beating hear old son...time to get out that rusty old .303

Edited October 26, 2010 by ozzieovaseas

[mark45y]

"When I first came to Thailand in the 1960's as a soldier we taught the Thai people how to speak English, built schools and hospitals and funded middle class people to build infrastructure projects like deep water ports, oil storage and refineries and communications projects. This made the elite edgy and they asked us to leave in 1975. The Thai government gave other reasons but I didn't believe them. I think they were upset at the affluent middle class we were creating.

Had they left us here at the rate we were building Thailand would have eclipsed Korea and Singapore by 1980."

From the US point of view Thailand was the gas station of the Vietnam war. I don't know anything about the early development of Pattaya because I never went there. I went to Kilo Sip and Ban Chang that's where the action was. Pattaya had a couple of bars and some bungalows for the American big wheels in Bangkok to bring their families. I wasn't a big wheel.

The Thai GDP doubled between 1960 and 1970 and doubled again between 1970 and 1975. Poverty in Thailand was drastically reduced.

The US spent a lot of money in Thailand from 1965 to 1975. We rented Thailand and the rent was not cheap. Estimates at the time put it at more than 10% of Thai GDP.

Thailand was not a big tourist area in 1965. Some things look the same. Downtown Sattahip and Rayong,the older parts have not changed that much.

Why did the Thais kick us out in 1975? I don't know and what I suspect I will not write about.

What we are talking here is pure supposition.

There are some old guys living in Lake Jackson TX who probably know. You go to that German restaurant on This Way street or That Way street I can't remember. Maybe it's about oil and gas. Lot of things in Thailand were about oil and gas back then.

We were teaching people English left and right all over the place. They got jobs with us and after we left with the Saudis. They made big money. Oil field trash guys know the answers, the old ones do.

You can learn a lot at the VFW meetings in Pattaya. No BS there. You have to give them a DD 214 to get in. They check it. VFW is not for people who were in the stateside army or peacetime soldiers. It is only for veterans of foreign wars. No war no go.

With the money we were pumping into the Thai economy with 50,000 troops on the ground, countless aircraft and communication centers, how far would Thailand have gone? The US had no reason to leave after Vietnam. They wanted to stay.

How far would it have pushed the Thai economy?

How far would the English speaking ability that many Thais were gaining have pushed the middle class?

I knew a bar girl who worked in Newland in 1970. She spoke excellent English. I get a lot of flack here on TV about dating younger women. About a month ago I decided to go out with an older lady.

That bar girl who worked in Newland in 1970 and spoke excellent English now works only about a mile from where Newland used to be. 40 years is a long time. Now she is a bar manager. She hasn't gone with a customer in 20 years. I asked her. She said no. She wears her hair up and uses a lot of make up to cover the wrinkles. “Nok, take your hair down.” “No, I have to work.” “OK.” “Nok you still have the most beautiful hair in Thailand.”

“OK, Mark one more time, but if you tell anyone I kill you.”

She still speaks excellent English. Would I do it again? Heck no. She is 60 years old. Sorry but an 18 year old farmers daughter out of Issan is still an 18 year old farmers daughter out of Issan English or no, what possible difference would that make.

Nok speaks English and in 40 years she has moved one mile and changed positions from a bar stool to behind the bar taking cash. Sure speaking English is important to her success and emotional well being and future potential.

[mark45y]

I think it's entirely beneficial that Mark doesn't teach his girlfriend English. It might help the poor girl avoid cutting her own ears off with a pair of gardening shears.

Mark's GF : Teerak, what would you like for dinner?

Mark : Dinner? Did I ever tell you when I nearly had dinner with the President? As the old story goes if everybody who claimed to be on the last flight out of 'Nam from the roof of the Embassy were truly on that flight it'd have to have been a f#cking big helicopter. I know because I was the pilot. As we headed off the gooks nearly punched my ticket with a well aimed AK-47 round through the bottom of the cockpit. Luckily I'd placed my well worn copy of " A Farewell To Arms " under my seat which took the bullet and stopped my balls from being blown off.

When I got back to the world I received a call from the Prez. He told me he'd already heard about me through my work on the Apollo missions and commiserated that the only reason I wasn't the first man on the moon was that day I'd had the shits from a dodgy curry. Anyhow I digress. He invited me to the White House for a private tete a tete about how I could solve world hunger on my own with a single pack of c-rations. I regretfully had to turn him down because that day I'd promised Superman I'd help him rewire the Fortress Of Solitude because the fridge kept tripping all the lights.

Mark's GF: So is that chicken or pork fired rice Teerak? One fried egg or two? Have you forgotten your meds again? You know what Doctor Sombat said.

:jap:

A couple of factual corrections. I left Vietnam in 1970. When I left we were winning. Most people in the know credit our drastic reversal of fortunes there to my departure.

Although I have read Farewell to Arms and truly like the book I carried Catch 22 with me with much more frequency.

It was chicken plate armor that stopped an almost spent 51 caliber round. I always sat on my armor instead of wearing it in a UH-1B.

[IanForbes]

Keep it going guys. I'm learning a lot indirectly. It's been an interesting thread. Like Mark, I'm too old to care what people think. Fact is, I'm a little older than Mark and have lived a far different life... but with no fewer experiences... just different ones.

[kpmsprtd]

Mr. Doubting Thomas, you are a reasonable man. But regarding the line you wrote to Mark:

"I think I can safely speak for the majority of TV members by saying that not one of them would exchange their situation for yours, pretend or real."

I can assure you, sir, that I would willingly exchange my situation for Mark's right now, and I would pay U.S.$1000 to do it. (If I had U.S.$1000.) In my estimation, he has made it. He's living in Thailand. He's got enough money coming in each month to get by. He does pretty much as he pleases each day. There is a degree of comfort in his situation.

I don't think I'm the only one who would go for such an exchange. In these times of considerably lowered expectations and aspirations, many of us would consider a situation like Mark's a desirable retirement. I would rather have Ian's deal (visits to Thailand from a permanent base in Canada), but that kind of deal is what is collapsing all around me.

I really would exchange situations with Mark right now, but I am quite sure that he would not agree to it.

[jazzbo]

I always sat on my armor instead of wearing it in a UH-1B ... and then mused to your Huey buddies that you just "... love the smell of napalm in the morning... It smells like... VICTORY."

Catchy phrase.

[richard_smith237]

Keep it going guys. I'm learning a lot indirectly. It's been an interesting thread. Like Mark, I'm too old to care what people think. Fact is, I'm a little older than Mark and have lived a far different life... but with no fewer experiences... just different ones.

Yes, but you come across as someone kind and educated Ian. Mark on the other hand is perhaps someone to be laughed at rather than with...

Keep the thread going it's helps me understand what I'd be dealing with when meeting the insane !

[StreetCowboy]

"When I first came to Thailand in the 1960's as a soldier we taught the Thai people how to speak English, built schools and hospitals and funded middle class people to build infrastructure projects like deep water ports, oil storage and refineries and communications projects. This made the elite edgy and they asked us to leave in 1975. The Thai government gave other reasons but I didn't believe them. I think they were upset at the affluent middle class we were creating.

Had they left us here at the rate we were building Thailand would have eclipsed Korea and Singapore by 1980."

Same as the Philippines did

SC

[GarryP]

I have been following this highly entertaining thread for some time now, but not wanting to be tarred with the same brush as his Markiness, have refrained from adding my own two cent's worth up to now. I have never taught my wife English either. We communicate in Thai, move in Thai circles and she watches Thai TV. We live in Thailand and have no intention of living anywhere else so why would I teach her English. I do not believe that she is missing out on anything and I am pretty sure if you asked her if she would like to learn English she would respond with something along the lines of "No. What for?"

[mark45y]

Mr. Doubting Thomas, you are a reasonable man. But regarding the line you wrote to Mark:

"I think I can safely speak for the majority of TV members by saying that not one of them would exchange their situation for yours, pretend or real."

I can assure you, sir, that I would willingly exchange my situation for Mark's right now, and I would pay U.S.$1000 to do it. (If I had U.S.$1000.) In my estimation, he has made it. He's living in Thailand. He's got enough money coming in each month to get by. He does pretty much as he pleases each day. There is a degree of comfort in his situation.

I don't think I'm the only one who would go for such an exchange. In these times of considerably lowered expectations and aspirations, many of us would consider a situation like Mark's a desirable retirement. I would rather have Ian's deal (visits to Thailand from a permanent base in Canada), but that kind of deal is what is collapsing all around me.

I really would exchange situations with Mark right now, but I am quite sure that he would not agree to it.

I don't set an alarm clock. I get up when the sun shines in my window. I use AC at night when I sleep and turn it on around midnight.

I live about five miles from the Gulf of Thailand in a condo. I live on the fourth floor. I could live higher up except when the elevator goes out I don't want to walk up more than four flights of stairs with groceries.

My place has two balconies a living room, bedroom and bath. I don't want to tell you how much it cost because the folks will make fun of me because it was so cheap.

GF is asleep when I have my morning coffee and listen to the town wake up.

She gets up and cuts us a pineapple for breakfast along with strawberry yogurt and raisin toast.

She cleans in the morning and does the laundry in the bathroom. We have new self serve washing machines and dryers but she thinks the washing machines are to hard on the clothes.

A friend from Canada calls and we meet for lunch at the pub. I like him but have some reservations about his wife. Not to go into here.

The afternoon is taken up by a shopping trip to Tesco Lotus. We walk there and take a taxi back (50 baht).

I am playing with Ubuntu and installing the hardware that used to run on Windows. I answer my email, with four daughters there is usually a letter or two.

The temp is between 70 and 84 a lot of rain lately though no flooding here.

Tonight I will cook. Chicken curry, rice, vegetables. Chocolate pound cake for dessert.

The only TV show that I watch is on tonight Dr. House.

Tomorrow, take the bikes to the beach for a picnic. Beach has almost no one there. 2 or 3 people in a mile during the week. Good little restaurants. No vendors or people to hassle. The people who own the restaurant do table side service to the beach chairs which are free.

Holidays I send the GF home and my lifestyle is a bit different. However she is getting more resistant to going lately. I think she thinks I have something going on here on the side. Money is not a problem. But I live a simple life. If my GF spoke English what difference would it have made today? I would not have been as forthcoming in my conversation with my friend at lunch. Other than that I can't think of anything.

[ChiangMaiFun]

Mr. Doubting Thomas, you are a reasonable man. But regarding the line you wrote to Mark:

"I think I can safely speak for the majority of TV members by saying that not one of them would exchange their situation for yours, pretend or real."

I can assure you, sir, that I would willingly exchange my situation for Mark's right now, and I would pay U.S.$1000 to do it. (If I had U.S.$1000.) In my estimation, he has made it. He's living in Thailand. He's got enough money coming in each month to get by. He does pretty much as he pleases each day. There is a degree of comfort in his situation.

I don't think I'm the only one who would go for such an exchange. In these times of considerably lowered expectations and aspirations, many of us would consider a situation like Mark's a desirable retirement. I would rather have Ian's deal (visits to Thailand from a permanent base in Canada), but that kind of deal is what is collapsing all around me.

I really would exchange situations with Mark right now, but I am quite sure that he would not agree to it.

I don't set an alarm clock. I get up when the sun shines in my window. I use AC at night when I sleep and turn it on around midnight.

I live about five miles from the Gulf of Thailand in a condo. I live on the fourth floor. I could live higher up except when the elevator goes out I don't want to walk up more than four flights of stairs with groceries.

My place has two balconies a living room, bedroom and bath. I don't want to tell you how much it cost because the folks will make fun of me because it was so cheap.

GF is asleep when I have my morning coffee and listen to the town wake up.

She gets up and cuts us a pineapple for breakfast along with strawberry yogurt and raisin toast.

She cleans in the morning and does the laundry in the bathroom. We have new self serve washing machines and dryers but she thinks the washing machines are to hard on the clothes.

A friend from Canada calls and we meet for lunch at the pub. I like him but have some reservations about his wife. Not to go into here.

The afternoon is taken up by a shopping trip to Tesco Lotus. We walk there and take a taxi back (50 baht).

I am playing with Ubuntu and installing the hardware that used to run on Windows. I answer my email, with four daughters there is usually a letter or two.

The temp is between 70 and 84 a lot of rain lately though no flooding here.

Tonight I will cook. Chicken curry, rice, vegetables. Chocolate pound cake for dessert.

The only TV show that I watch is on tonight Dr. House.

Tomorrow, take the bikes to the beach for a picnic. Beach has almost no one there. 2 or 3 people in a mile during the week. Good little restaurants. No vendors or people to hassle. The people who own the restaurant do table side service to the beach chairs which are free.

Holidays I send the GF home and my lifestyle is a bit different. However she is getting more resistant to going lately. I think she thinks I have something going on here on the side. Money is not a problem. But I live a simple life. If my GF spoke English what difference would it have made today? I would not have been as forthcoming in my conversation with my friend at lunch. Other than that I can't think of anything.

sounds idyllic - I live a simple life too (much different than my high flying corporate career in London) and I'm much happier - no GF though - I like variety! do you give her an 'allowance' something akin to a salary - I know many do...

[mark45y]

REPLY TO CHIANG MAI FUN,

Yes, I give her 300 baht per day. I have tried pre paying and post paying it does not seem to work as well.

[mark45y]

I always sat on my armor instead of wearing it in a UH-1B ... and then mused to your Huey buddies that you just "... love the smell of napalm in the morning... It smells like... VICTORY."

Catchy phrase.

Napalm was dropped by planes usually flown by the Air Force. I had little to do with the Air Force. The guy who did my job in the Air Force had a mattress that was twice as thick as mine. He lived in Saigon and really had a good time. I don't want to whine but I would have traded positions with him in a minute. Although the Army dress blue NCO uniforms were really cool.

A Huey is a helicopter. Airplanes that dropped napalm had fixed wings.

Movies are a poor source of actual war experience.

In Vietnam there were 8 people in support positions for every one soldier in combat.

The great majority of helicopters flew medi vac and supply missions. These pilots, most very young and with little training, flew into very difficult situations under fire and in impossible weather to rescue troops who were injured.

Do you think war is exciting and people like it? War is mostly boring with a very small percent of the time spent in absolute terror.

I have always been in favor of the draft so people like could get some real combat experience and failing that at least some army experience.

[jazzbo]

Picasso: “Without great solitude no serious work is possible.”

BTW I am FAA licensed pilot and know the difference ...

[mark45y]

Picasso: “Without great solitude no serious work is possible.”

BTW I am FAA licensed pilot and know the difference ...

To be completely honest I have heard of some helicopter gunships dropping napalm but I never saw it and I supervised about 2000 helicopters for a couple of years.

[DoubtingThomas]

I think it's entirely beneficial that Mark doesn't teach his girlfriend English. It might help the poor girl avoid cutting her own ears off with a pair of gardening shears.

Mark's GF : Teerak, what would you like for dinner?

Mark : Dinner? Did I ever tell you when I nearly had dinner with the President? As the old story goes if everybody who claimed to be on the last flight out of 'Nam from the roof of the Embassy were truly on that flight it'd have to have been a f#cking big helicopter. I know because I was the pilot. As we headed off the gooks nearly punched my ticket with a well aimed AK-47 round through the bottom of the cockpit. Luckily I'd placed my well worn copy of " A Farewell To Arms " under my seat which took the bullet and stopped my balls from being blown off.

When I got back to the world I received a call from the Prez. He told me he'd already heard about me through my work on the Apollo missions and commiserated that the only reason I wasn't the first man on the moon was that day I'd had the shits from a dodgy curry. Anyhow I digress. He invited me to the White House for a private tete a tete about how I could solve world hunger on my own with a single pack of c-rations. I regretfully had to turn him down because that day I'd promised Superman I'd help him rewire the Fortress Of Solitude because the fridge kept tripping all the lights.

Mark's GF: So is that chicken or pork fired rice Teerak? One fried egg or two? Have you forgotten your meds again? You know what Doctor Sombat said.

:jap:

Well, I'm back by popular demand, and boy, am I glad I am. Wonderful stuff mca, keep 'em coming.

I remember the old "capping" sketch on the UK show, the name of which escapes me. Ronnie Barker, John Cleese, Marty Feldman amongst others. Talking about their tough early lives and capping one another into the utterly ridiculous. Maybe we could have such a contest here. Brilliant start from mca, will take some beating. The trick is to keep it right on the edge. Mark45y will win, easily, we all know that, but I do wonder how far he'll go. Well, he'll certainly be the most outrageous, but I can bet you he won't be the funniest. BTW, it cannot have escaped people that he has a hide like a rhinoceros. Let's see how thick (he) it really is.

So, my scoring to date is 1. Funniest - mca 2.most cutting - jazzbo