Developing the Traits of your Host Country

I've noticed when friends come around the guys sit outside having a normal conversation, but as soon as a TW appears they all go into Pidgeon English. I find it quite fascinating, its as though they are afraid the Girls wont understand. I've noticed it in Thailand as well, my friends slip into Pidgeon as soon as they address my wife

I am sure in a round about way they / we are just trying to be polite. Hoping to be understood and that the Thais will understand .I am sure if w
e use all our ands, ifs ,and buts ,the Thais lose a little bit of the meaning. But what I find amazing is that after a short time here my friends are talking pidgeon to me , like, I speak and understand the language very well. funny

My mate from England talks like that it drives me crazy ,chats to his Gf friend in pidgeon English . "Me go complek" etc ,then turns around to me and says the same thing, ahhhhh!

Oooohhhh I had to make a comment on this. I live here in Saudi Arabia and have been with my (now 3rd......Bloody Hell!!!! lots of stories there but will not go into it!!!....WBU graduate???.....YES!!!) TW for 1 & 1/2 years. When I first met her I did do the pigeon English thing with her but since she has been with me I try and speak as "Normal" as I would with one of you guys/gals. I have one of the very thick English/Thai dictionaries that I use all the time and also whenever we watch a DVD movie I'm not shy about pausing it and explaining to her what was just said. Her English has VERY much improved since she has been with me and I always get compliments from my friends on how well she speaks.

Now the compound we live on one of my good friends also has a Thai wife only 2 years older then mine (I'm happy to say I introduced them & they are very happy together!!) & she & my wife and her are great friends. Anyways my Buddy is from England so the "English" she picks up is of course UK style as my wifes' is American English. The point I mean to make is that he almost NEVER corrects his wifes' English and she pretty much speaks P.E. with everyone! I've tried to correct her a few times but I don't want to make her Husband angry because he never does correct her...or hardly ever does I should say. Another thing she does, which I DO tease her about, is when she speaks Thai with my wife, or another Thai person, she speaks in a normal voice/normal tone. As soon as she speaks English her voice decibel level raises and she speaks very nasally/whiney and it drives me nuts!!! I ask her why she does this and she just laughs and hits me and I leave it at that!

One more thing to add is that still when talking with my wife I notice that she uses a lot of words that are still UK "English". What I do in this situation is I explain the difference between the 2 countries as to what the US version is. I never say that she is wrong but I explain to her and she understands quickly......a "lift"...trash "bin".....things like that. I just assume that when she was taught English in school, or whomever she learned the word from, taught her the UK version (It also helps me that I went to high school in Suffolk for 3 years 1980-1983...U.S. Air Force Brat....RAF Lakenheath.....3 fun years too!).

OK ....sorry I wrote so much!!

Anyways the wife and I and another Thai/British couple are off to Bahrain for 4 days for real beer, real Johnny Walker and lots of great food!!!

See ya'll at Christmas!!!!

Ed

ive developed the thai trait of questioning every price, irrespective of how little or what value for money im getting. you would be suprised at the results. last week i got 5 baht off a 35 baht shirt in the clothes market by global house. yes cheap charlie i know but why not. i like to hagle , its the look on thier faces gets me everytime. on the down side im beginning to drive like a thai too, i still use indicators but i never give way if someone trys to force thier way out in front of me.

Hmm, haggle on the price, I LOVE to do this, I treat it a a game, so far I've found the Thai's bemused that a fallang wants to haggle, my TGF now says that I can buy things in the market cheaper than she can !!! Many times she starts the process, and when she's at her lowest I step in and start with "OK, you can have it but only if I can pay X t.baht" - then the fun begins ! Try that in the UK and you'll get a lesson in Anglo Saxon swear words telling you to go forth in short jerky motions !

mally wrote:Hmm, haggle on the price, I LOVE to do this, I treat it a a game, so far I've found the Thai's bemused that a fallang wants to haggle, my TGF now says that I can buy things in the market cheaper than she can !!! Many times she starts the process, and when she's at her lowest I step in and start with "OK, you can have it but only if I can pay X t.baht" - then the fun begins ! Try that in the UK and you'll get a lesson in Anglo Saxon swear words telling you to go forth in short jerky motions !

Good for you,I glad for those that enjoy haggling!

Personally,I don't like haggling!I like the idea of both parties getting a fair deal or I make a decision based on the posted price!If they don't post their price,I don't buy,period Although I might ask prices for knowledge and comparison of the prices posted by their competitors!