Re: The Linguo-Racial Complex

Padraic Brown wrote:

> So far, the Thais seem to be the brightest of the bunch -- at least
> they can recognise and (presumably praise) the foreigner for his
> attempt at speaking sensibly to them!

You shouldn't be so quick to conclude the situation is different in
Thailand. My wife has told me of more than one occasion when a person
would suddenly ask, "You sapeeka Thai?", after a good ten-minute Thai
conversation. Her impression was that because they were talking to a
farang they somehow thought they had been speaking English.

Lest anyone think I'm concerned only with the plight of poor
stereotyped Americans abroad, I've seen it happen the other way
as well. Once I spent several uncomfortable minutes "interpreting"
a Mexican guest's English for my mother, who seemed unable to get
past her assumption that she couldn't understand the guy.

.