Colt Dreyer, 135 TESS
Half the fun of cultural exchange is hearing and debunking stereotypes about each other’s cultures. While not all misconceptions are humorous, I’ve had my fair share of situations that still get a chuckle out of me when I think back to them. Below are some of the best moments I’ve had while serving in Thailand.
The Desert
Being born and raised in the hellscape that is Phoenix, Arizona, I consider myself a well-acquainted desert boy. This comes up often as I am frequently asked, “Is it hot?” on a 95-degree afternoon, to which I reply, “Yes, but back home is hotter.” Even as I write this in late June, the temperature is in the triple digits despite it being the middle of the night. I enjoy showing pictures of the Sonoran Desert and its, while deadly, beautiful sunsets and landscape. When I show these pictures of the place I call home, it is often followed by a mix of questions and misconceptions. I have been asked, “Does it rain?” (barely, but technically yes), “Are there camels?” (haha, only at the zoo), and “Why are you not black?” That one caught me off guard the most. As bizarre as the question may seem, it’s an excellent opportunity to dive into the diversity of the US and its melting pot population, but the shocked tone in which it’s asked never fails to get a smirk out of me.
Doves and Pigeons
Last February, my counterpart and I decided to have a Valentine’s Day lesson complete with love-themed vocabulary and a crossword. One of our vocab words was “dove”. When asked what a dove was, my co-teacher pointed outside at a small, white-ish bird on the cafeteria roof as an example. I then revealed that in the US (at least in Arizona), I know several people who eat dove (it’s pretty good, kinda tastes like a duck but less greasy). The class was shocked, saying you can’t eat doves in Thailand due to the diseases they carry. It wasn’t until several days later, when I was thinking back to the instance, that it dawned on me that my counterpart had pointed at a pigeon instead of a dove. Miscommunications and misunderstandings are part of the job, but it makes me laugh to think that years from now, a small farming community in rural Thailand will believe that crazy Americans eat pigeons regularly.
Holy Shit
One night, while indulging in some renowned moo gra tot with my school staff, someone had knocked over a tall bottle and made a loud *ding* noise. While everyone was mildly startled at the least, my Thai language tutor exclaimed, “HOLY SHIT!” That had me significantly more startled than the bottle falling, and I couldn’t help but break out in laughter. I was asked what was so funny, and had to explain that they just yelled out a curse word. They were under the impression that “holy shit” was just something yelled out when scared or startled, the same as “Ah!” or “Oh my God!” They had no idea it was a swear word. I explained that around friends on a night out, it’s ok, but try to refrain from using it in front of your boss or grandma.
I love being an educator.
Sticky Rice 