Letters from the Other Side

4.2.3 Naughty names, Thai weddings and thieving monkeys

Tenth newsletter (Second trip. Third newsletter)

11 March 2008

Yesterday, Monday 10 March, was my last day at work. The students' vacation already started at the end of February. Time flies! I can't believe I've been here for 6 months already! Wow! "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times!" As old Charles Dickens would have said ("A tale of two cities"). I had many challenges this past semester but the good far outweighed the bad. Yep, it was all worth it!

When I received a hug or a kind word from a shy child or a little hell's angel, those were my best days. Days when the pupils made me laugh and days when I felt like I was someone they looked up to. Valentine's day was very special again because the students gave me roses and chocolates.

All in all this was a very good term for me. I learned a lot and even with the misbehaving "Mattayom 4's" (Grade 10's) I learned what NOT to do!

I just have to share with you how funny some of the Thai kids' names are. Here are a few of my favourites!

1. Porntida (girl)

2. Jenpop (boy)

3. Thiti (boy) – as in "TT"

4. Kotchanipa (girl)

5. Athit (boy) – as in "Ah-teat"

6. Thitika (girl) – "Teat-tee-kah"

7. Sutus (boy) – as in "suit-is"

8. Jakkapong (boy) – as the people in Cape Town would say "Jakkals"!

9. Songkaew (girl) – as in "song-cow"

And my personal favourite:

10: Comepee (boy) – as in "come pee"

Those are just a few of the ones that really stand out for me. The other names are mixed with either a "porn" or a "nut". For example "Kittiporn" or "Kittinut". The most popular nickname is "Oil". In the beginning I really struggled to keep a straight face in class.

My new normal here is that everything is opposite and upside down. What is considered good manners in South Africa, is considered bad manners in Thailand and so forth. Well, it turns out that my name is hilarious to the Thais too. I could never understand why the Thais seemed to have such an inner struggle pronouncing my name. Yvette is, after all, a very common French name. But they always took out the "e" and called me "Vet" or "Miss Van". Later I found out that adding an "e" to the front of a name in Thai is scandalous. It's the sign of a tart. It's my "Moulin Rouge" stage name to them. It goes both ways, doesn't it? Two opposite and upside down cultures.

I have now had two firsthand experiences of traditional, Thai weddings. Last year the older lady who had a shop in her garage close to the teacher's house, invited me to her daughter's wedding. I bought all those cleaning products from her little shop and we bonded. Her daughter looked lovely in her white and gold traditional, Thai wedding dress. I am crazy about the one bare shoulder style of the traditional Thai dress. The Thai women are all so small and petite, they look gorgeous in that style. They are breathtakingly beautiful. I can understand why the Western men fall head over heels in love with them. They are real beauties like real, live Disney princesses. They all look like "Raya", "Moana" and "Mulan".