default
increase
decrease
I just love the non-verbal communication that takes place instead of talking. Mainly because for a long time neither of us could speak the same language (except the language of love. Big sigh, gee, I'm romantic today)!
One of my wife DarLek's cutest expressions is when she wrinkles up her forehead in this very quizzical look, and tilts her head to the right, that translates into, "I am sorry crazy farang husband, but I have no idea what you want.
Her other look is when she does the same, but tilts to the left, this means, "I am sorry beloved but stupid and embarrassing husband of mine, but I have no idea what you are even talking about. Perhaps if I turn the TV up louder it will help me to understand you."
I also like the grunt and raised eyebrow look. This often means yes, it can mean no, but it also can mean, "You are a farang, and I am tired of talking to you so I am going to be quiet now and hope you go back to playing with your computer and stop pestering me."
And of course there is the smile. Ask a hard question, and any Thai will immediately burst in to an embarrassed smile with a nervous twitch. This means "I have no idea what the right answer is, so I will try and dazzle you with my smile, the way a car at night dazzles a rabbit."
The less they know the right answer, the bigger the smile I have discovered. The nervous twitch also implies that they are guilty of something, but they are not sure if you know what that is, or even if they know what they are guilty of.
Some of the hardest things I find to get a Thai girl to say is what we would think of as the easiest. For example, to make life easy, I'll ask in my pidgin Thai, a question that requires a simple yes or no.
That's not asking much at all, but what I get in response is a grunt. So I ask the question again, DarLek thinks hard, knows she can't say "Up to you", and this time raises her eye brows.
OK, so she isn't going to say yes or no, but a nod or shake of the head would relieve the tension I am getting from just trying to get a simple answer!
"Yes or No?" I ask her. This time she gets me with both barrels, a combined shrug/raised eyebrows, and a slight head movement, followed by a frown indicating that I am not going to get a direct answer.
This just sends me insane, but as yet my Thai isn't good enough to ask her why she just can't say 'Yes or No', or just shake or nod her head.
I give up I can't even remember what I was asking her in the first place.
Jimmie Blonde
© Jimmie Blonde. All rights reserved by the author.
Print Article
Send to a friend
Save as PDF