A Balloon Bursting Conversation

I’ve had an unbelievably busy week this week. As a result, the item that I was planning to publish for you about Thai attitudes has not managed to get itself written yet. But it will be completed very soon.

In the meantime I’d like to quickly tell you about a humbling conversation that I almost enjoyed with Her@Home the other day. At the time off this conversation we were nonchalantly strolling along the outward bound assault course that masquerades as a pavement alongside Soi Sribamphen, and I was sharing a few of my fascinating reminiscences about what life was like in the UK before these heady days of cultural prosperity which have been heralded by the arrival of Busted, the Cheeky Girls, and the revival of Take That. I was speaking only in Thai. Her@Home was listening intently, smiling at all the right times, and even emitting the occasional unforced chuckle as I entertained her with a constant flow of rich British witticisms.

And as our mainly one-way conversation progressed I began to feel that Achilles heel of middle-aged and older men swelling within my entire being. I am of course talking about that smug, proud, pompous, desire to indulge in compliment seeking. And soon it overwhelmed me. I resisted temptation no longer, and with all the enthusiasm of a seven year old boy out with his father on their first fishing expedition together I asked, in Thai, “Tell me Precious Poppet” (Precious Poppet is a pet name by which I often call Her@Home – she likes it) “Do you understand absolutely everything that I say to you in Thai?”

I have to admit that at the time of asking the question I was anticipating a reply somewhere in the vein of, “Of course I do Macho Man” (Macho Man is another pet name that we use – I don’t feel that it requires any explanation). And I was hoping that she would continue her reply with a consignment of compliments, perhaps rounding off with, “You speak Thai almost perfectly”.

But it was not to be. Her@Home’s previously untroubled countenance began to contort into a kind of bemused, semi-apologetic frown as she answered my question with two further questions. “What was that?” she enquired. “What did you say?” She concluded her salvo of balloon bursting retorts with, “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand what you said”.

I felt much less talkative for the remainder of our stroll.

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COMING NEXT on Doodee’s Thailand: Observations about some Thai attitudes.

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