Nick and I spent our last week in Thailand in the northern city of Chiang Mai and splurged on a hotel room for $10 US a night. This extravagance got us our first hot shower since we left Taiwan AND cable TV! It was a very exciting 5 nights for us!
Last night we were channel surfing when we stumbled upon a local broadcasting gem. The show’s goal apparently was to teach viewers practical English while giving a lesson on western culture and an insight into the behavior of Thailand’s throngs of tourists.
The screen displayed only English text while a disembodied teacher read the passage out loud:
“English tourists never know what they are looking for. They believe the shop assistant when she tells them, ‘That jacket suits you perfectly’ or ‘Purple is a great color for you.’”
After explaining the text in Thai, highlighting specific words or phrases, and having students repeat them to practice pronunciation, she moved on to some review questions.
The questions were put up on the screen one by one and after the teacher read them, the students would enthusiastically shout out the answers in unison:
Question 1: Who never knows what they want?
Answer: British
Question 2: Who always knows exactly what they want?
Answer: French
Question 3: Who is always looking for a bargain (cheap price)?
Answer: Americans!
I'm just getting back to reading your blog after the holidays - so much to catch up on. I love this show - wish I could watch it, too. I also wish I could be traveling with you guys. :( We miss skyping!
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