In English if we want to say something is really easy we say "that's a piece of cake!". Well here in Thailand, we don't eat cake, but there is an equivalent phrase. In Thai, you say "kruey kruey!" which is literally "banana banana", but means that something is really easy. "Kruey" is pronounced with a falling tone and it's really fun to say. Kruey kruey! I like to say it at the most random moments.
A recent English phenomenon is "lol" which obviously stands for laugh out loud. Well since Thai has a totally different alphabet there isn't a direct translation, but once again there is an equivalent term. Here in Thailand, kids write 555. In Thai, the number five is pronounced "haah" with a falling tone. So 555 is "haah haah haah", it's laughing! Took me a long time to figure that one out no doubt. I thought people were writing the area code for someone's phone.
One more.
Let me introduce you to my new favorite animal:
Behold, the Tokay Gecko. In Cambodia, they call them "took-ow" geckos. In Thailand it's called a "took-keh" gecko. It has this name for a very specific reason. Like all geckos, the Tokay gecko has a voice, but man what a voice he's got. I remember the first time I heard one was in Cambodia in our room early in the morning. All of a sudden I was awoken by what I thought was my dad shouting "UH-OH!". It was a pretty deep voice and it was loud, like he was using a raised voice right next to me. Turns out it was a "took-ow" gecko. Yesterday I was in my room when I heard a huge, booming "TOOK-KEH!". To me it's really funny, and I've never actually seen one in person but, man, I can hear them just fine.
Turns out Thai people are terrified of this lizard. First, they can bite, and they can bite pretty hard. They're very aggressive too and nearly a foot long. Second, there is a snake here in the jungle that can make the same noise. The snake uses the noise to attract the female Tokay's and then eat them. But there's another side to these beasts...
In America, if you want some good, sound advice you ask a daisy as you pluck it's flowers: "She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me...". In Thailand you ask the took-keh. "She loves me" "TOOK-KEH!" "She loves me not" "TOOK-KEH"... Once the took-keh stops, you're left with the last option you said, just like the daisy leaves you with its last petal. People also use took-keh's to pick lottery numbers. If the took-keh responds to your number, you choose it, if he doesn't you pick a new one.
More as it comes. Till then, follow this link to hear a took-keh in action. Dadadadada TOOK-KEH!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokay_gecko
2 comments:
lol that totally made me crack up out loud as i was around people trying to study.
OMG! dave... i am dying!! i remember perfectly that morning in Cambodia, when you were freaking out because the neighborhood beasts scared you... it made me a bit nostalgic, actually, remembering the nights (or mornings!) in Cambodia! It wasn't a normal night unless you heard one... ;) i love it!
love reading your blogs! and so jealous of you, still in Asia! soak it up for me, k?!
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