Maybe It'S Just My Bad Luck!

[ebmzlm]

Maybe it's just my bad luck, but everywhere I seem to go wether it's a bar, Thai food restaurant, restaurant, beach etc...

Westerners start conversations with me and they seem to think I'm interested in there life story, to be honest it's starting to bore me to death!

Although this post may sound like a contradiction.

Does this happen to you?

I don't mind having a chat about football, golf, politics etc

Please not your life story

[smokie36]

Grumpy...aren't you?

Poor laddie....I recommend everyone not to talk to you ever again.

[edwinclapham]

I dont particularly mind, but its when they start speaking to me in pigeon English , and they were born down the road from you

[StreetCowboy]

I know what you mean. I went into a ... no, I just can't be bothered.

As per request, a better result for England this week, and I felt for Owen Farrell; he'd have been a hero if that last kick had gone over...

So I was sat in a pub in HK in my teeshirt and shorts, and they were showing the British Open, from Muirfield, and Tiger Woods was suffering in the weather - his parka kept on blowing inside out. Anyway, the sound was turned off, but you could lip read, and he was saying to the caddy "For foksake, man, why d'yez not play in the summer?"

See that David Cameron? I had him in my cab once. Lovely bloke he was... but none of these politiicans know anything about anything, and they;re all as corrupt as each other

I assume you're glad now you only proposed three topics. Sometimes we attract our own misfortune...

SC

[StreetCowboy]

I dont particularly mind, but its when they start speaking to me in pigeon English , and they were born down the road from you

Happens to me from time to time

You happy?

Yes.

You like more beer?

Yes.

Whend'yegitbacktaescotland?

SC

[473geo]

I dont particularly mind, but its when they start speaking to me in pigeon English , and they were born down the road from you

Me and my mate had a day drinking vodka shandies, basically double vodka and lemonade, started at10 am by 5 in the evening when we were nearing the up turned neck of the second bottle he commented that my conversation had deteriorated to a series of related words that did not contain the links, but he could understand.....

I therefore conclude my pidgeon english is brought on by alcohol.....and at a stage where I would be considerably less concerned what anybody would think than normal

As for getting the life story, just wave a girl across to sit on your knee, they usually get the hint your focus has wandered, but that said, sometimes it is good to have time to listen, just not to people who are in such a state they cannot string a sentence together

[ebmzlm]

I know what you mean. I went into a ... no, I just can't be bothered.

As per request, a better result for England this week, and I felt for Owen Farrell; he'd have been a hero if that last kick had gone over...

So I was sat in a pub in HK in my teeshirt and shorts, and they were showing the British Open, from Muirfield, and Tiger Woods was suffering in the weather - his parka kept on blowing inside out. Anyway, the sound was turned off, but you could lip read, and he was saying to the caddy "For foksake, man, why d'yez not play in the summer?"

See that David Cameron? I had him in my cab once. Lovely bloke he was... but none of these politiicans know anything about anything, and they;re all as corrupt as each other

I assume you're glad now you only proposed three topics. Sometimes we attract our own misfortune...

SC

Tennis

Eurozone

Pattaya's little trollops

Ronaldo vs Messi

Rich Thais

How you found time to answer first 3 and above topics?

[Jigger]

I have these things called balls.. If some random starts talking about something I dont care about, I tell them I am not interested.

Will they think im rude? Probably... But its my life.. My time...

[StreetCowboy]

I have these things called balls.. If some random starts talking about something I dont care about, I tell them I am not interested.

Will they think im rude? Probably... But its my life.. My time...

So what do you do with your balls? Have a quick game of pocket billiards while the fellow's droning on?

SC

[Jigger]

I have these things called balls.. If some random starts talking about something I dont care about, I tell them I am not interested.

Will they think im rude? Probably... But its my life.. My time...

So what do you do with your balls? Have a quick game of pocket billiards while the fellow's droning on?

SC

Well, you might have missed this part..

If some random starts talking about something I dont care about, I tell them I am not interested.

Dont worry.. I understand Thailand is full of senile people who cant see too well.

[StreetCowboy]

I have these things called balls.. If some random starts talking about something I dont care about, I tell them I am not interested.

Will they think im rude? Probably... But its my life.. My time...

So what do you do with your balls? Have a quick game of pocket billiards while the fellow's droning on?

SC

Well, you might have missed this part..

If some random starts talking about something I dont care about, I tell them I am not interested.

Dont worry.. I understand Thailand is full of senile people who cant see too well.

No, I was just curious about the balls, and their relevance to the conversation. I was trying to imagine the situation

Boring old geezer in the pub: And did I ever tell you about when I was in the Sedan?

Disinterested person: Steady on, mate. I've got to concentrate - tricky shot coming up here...you'll need to wheesht while I concentrate on the job in hand...

Actually, I think the conversation (this one, not the imaginary one recounted above) would have progressed quite satisfactorily without your balls, unless they were talking balls

SC

[Jigger]

@StreetCowboy (I cant quote anymore) :-/

5555 this reply made me laugh...

maybe I should apologize... balls in Australia are used as a metaphor, meaning you don't give a sh*t about what someone or others think. Might not be the same from your country (Scotland I am guessing from your earlier reply).

So sorry if thats the case.

[StreetCowboy]

@StreetCowboy (I cant quote anymore) :-/

5555 this reply made me laugh...

maybe I should apologize... balls in Australia are used as a metaphor, meaning you don't give a sh*t about what someone or others think. Might not be the same from your country (Scotland I am guessing from your earlier reply).

So sorry if thats the case.

I don't think there's anything big or manly about being rude to strangers in pubs, which is why I was suggesting you find a polite reason for your disinterest, even if you are not an afficionado of pocket sports. Perhaps you could say you need to concentrate to communicate with your family by telepathy, and that if you cannot achieve complete calm, you may have to resort to blood sacrifices... There's normally a way out of any situation without offending anyone, if you are willing to put in just a modicum of effort.

SC

[Jigger]

@StreetCowboy (I cant quote anymore) :-/

5555 this reply made me laugh...

maybe I should apologize... balls in Australia are used as a metaphor, meaning you don't give a sh*t about what someone or others think. Might not be the same from your country (Scotland I am guessing from your earlier reply).

So sorry if thats the case.

I don't think there's anything big or manly about being rude to strangers in pubs, which is why I was suggesting you find a polite reason for your disinterest, even if you are not an afficionado of pocket sports. Perhaps you could say you need to concentrate to communicate with your family by telepathy, and that if you cannot achieve complete calm, you may have to resort to blood sacrifices... There's normally a way out of any situation without offending anyone, if you are willing to put in just a modicum of effort.

SC

I don't consider it rude to say "Mate, I would love to talk about xxx or yyy, but this, I dont have any interest in"...

Better to move the conversation to something both parties are interested in... If a random considered that rude... They are not someone I would want to talk with.

I don't get many random's living in Sriracha, but ive done it a couple of times and the conversation managed to flow very well with topics we both had some kind of interest in...

Edited June 23, 2012 by Jigger

[canuckamuck]

A curiosity I have discovered about expats in Thailand is that many of them are capable of having multiple conversations with you without ever asking anything about yourself, apart from the apparently rhetorical , "where you from" and "what do you do here". And these two questions can be answered in any which way you desire because there will not be any follow up questions to trip you up.

All that is required to maintain polite conversation is brief and infrequent eye contact, and an occasional grunt.

Some people might not have noticed this; possibly because they are the ones that never stop talking.

[edwinclapham]

A curiosity I have discovered about expats in Thailand is that many of them are capable of having multiple conversations with you without ever asking anything about yourself, apart from the apparently rhetorical , "where you from" and "what do you do here". And these two questions can be answered in any which way you desire because there will not be any follow up questions to trip you up.

All that is required to maintain polite conversation is brief and infrequent eye contact, and an occasional grunt.

Some people might not have noticed this; possibly because they are the ones that never stop talking.

How true that is!

That and looking at peoples holiday photos

[pattayadingo]

A curiosity I have discovered about expats in Thailand is that many of them are capable of having multiple conversations with you without ever asking anything about yourself, apart from the apparently rhetorical , "where you from" and "what do you do here". And these two questions can be answered in any which way you desire because there will not be any follow up questions to trip you up.

All that is required to maintain polite conversation is brief and infrequent eye contact, and an occasional grunt.

Some people might not have noticed this; possibly because they are the ones that never stop talking.

How true that is!

That and looking at peoples holiday photos

OMG. Holiday photos!!

On the other hand if they were photos of their half naked, goddess of a Thai g/f, that might be a different matter altogether

[Pseudolus]

Because these people have alienated everyone else and therefore have become skilled at finding new targets. I'm with you; but obviously not as polite as you especially when with my lady. As soon as it ventures down that path I pick up my drink and say "well that sounds great, have a good night" and walk off.

Except once; when the stupidity of the guy knew no bounds. I assume you live in Pattaya as this is the only place I have encountered these cling ons here in Thailand. Whilst hiding from the floods down in that cess pit, went to a Karaoke Bar with the other half because we both like a sing. Up comes this 70 yr old dutch dude that is living in the 200 baht a night slum rooms above and starts telling me all about his life. Just about to tell him to take a hike when he starts telling me that he is going to Nigeria again soon to meet up with his ex-wife. Nigerian girl, early 20's, married when he lived there, then he found she had a BF all along so got divorced, but recently after a year, she has been in touch again and says she loves him and wants to marry him again. He's been sending her money, money for a flight to Thailand (but she claims she never received the money so could not come) and now he was going back to live there. Next time we went there, I was bored with him so even though he was trying to knock up a conversation again I said I was very drunk last time I was in and did not know who he was; he did smell quite awful so I thought I was justified. Anyway, he did say that was his last night in Thailand.

RIP Dutch dude.

[NBD]

A curiosity I have discovered about expats in Thailand is that many of them are capable of having multiple conversations with you without ever asking anything about yourself, apart from the apparently rhetorical , "where you from" and "what do you do here". And these two questions can be answered in any which way you desire because there will not be any follow up questions to trip you up.

All that is required to maintain polite conversation is brief and infrequent eye contact, and an occasional grunt.

Some people might not have noticed this; possibly because they are the ones that never stop talking.

I've noticed it!

I was thinking about this while pretending to listen to a guy I've known for a couple of years recently. Not only was he repeating a story he has told me at least a dozen times, but it struck me that he probably doesn't even know the most basic conversation openers about me, or anyone else that we regularly see.

He's not unpleasant, and actually quite a kind hearted sort of chap, but he just talks and talks and never asks anything.

[crazykopite]

Used to get it all the time now I put on a pair of headphones seems to do the trick !!!!

[Semper]

Westerners start conversations with me and they seem to think I'm interested in there life story, to be honest it's starting to bore me to death!

Start talkin about all your infectious diseases.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Seems like this tiresome topic was all played out not so long ago?

Just read through the thread and then we won't have to all repeat ourselves all over again. . .