Studies

Most of my spare time lately has been spent studying.

I've really picked up on my Thai language studies lately, adding over 100 new words (trying to add, that is) to my vocabulary. Steve from TQ2 is my role model in so many ways, and his exceptional fluency in Thai is something I'm pretty envious of.

Right now, I can say about... oh... 75% of the things that come to mind based on my vocabulary, but my word choice, pronunciation, and grammar is very limited (incorrect), and only after listening to me for a little while (getting used to what is obviously a bad accent, and my "odd" manner of speaking) can a Thai person grasp what I'm saying.

Additionally, my word recall is verrrrry slow, so my ability to blurt out sentences lickety-split (and more importantly, my ability to comprehend sentences spoken to me) is quite lacking. Granted, this is something that only comes with time and familiarity, so I'm not fretting about it.

I've also been reading The History of Laos, which is — so far — pretty much the history of Thailand. It's definitely something you have to have a real interest in if you want to stay awake for any length of time. However, there is no denying that knowing who Khun Borom, King Mengrai, and King Ramkamhaeng are is as important in Thailand as knowing who Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln are in America.

That reminds me... I have to finish reading the legend of Phra Aphai Mani, one of Thailand's most famous stories.