After we bought our new car last fall, my wife kept insisting I check the coolant level. I said not to worry, its a new car and the "water" is ok. I told her I've worked on many car repairs over the years and I know what I am talking about. Yeah, sure, right. A year later I am still checking the water often per her insistence. I just do it. I give up. I've given up on a lot of things.
You see the wife is right about your water ole mate.......back in 1984 a friend of the neighbour down the road, you see, his 20 year old car suddenly ran out of water (or coolant) over about a 5 year period and 100,000km and the cars engine seized........So the wifes brain is locked into that exact moment she heard the story & she applies it to all vehicular situations.
YES, exactly! Locked in, never to be budged!
Another thing I have given up on is trying to tell them I've learned the directions to somewhere now. Once I made the wrong turn in the Saraburi highway loops and had to make a turn around to remedy it. Now, of course it is understood by EVERYBODY that I will ALWAYS make that same wrong turn, being the stupid farang I am. And I am reminded constantly of my error. Burns my bloody blood.
BTW mate neverdie, I woke up pissed off about the grandfather being so bloody stupid as to believe a rotating washer would cause a twisting baby! Your post has, once again my friend, made it into my subconscious!
. Uneducated, unemployed.....but still smarter than me.
I've actually become offended with this attitude from her and it has caused problems. Now, when I stand my ground with real science or logic backing me up, I'm a stubborn fool.
Be careful when you think you have won the day and your Thai wife says "yes, you have logic!" a few months ago for a few weeks when ever me and Thai wife were in discussions over anything.....instead of the normal....total 100% disagreement she was saying "yes, you have logic" and i was taken aback and thought wow..she is listening to reason and seeing things logically as i am explaining the situation....
NOT, she was speaking Thai and English mixed... Thai word = logic = brain disease!!!! "You have logic(brain disease)" and i was saying yes, and agreeing. For weeks we had no major discussions ..it was a golden couple of weeks..my Thai logic.....
thats beautiful, exactly one of the reasons I bother turning thaivisa on, is to hear stories like that, THANKS
BTW mate neverdie, I woke up pissed off about the grandfather being so bloody stupid as to believe a rotating washer would cause a twisting baby! Your post has, once again my friend, made it into my subconscious!
I am truely sorry if I have interferred with your brain, I have a habit of doing that to people. I have the telephone number and an account with a good psychiatrist if you so feel the need
What is it exactly that makes Thais like this? Even intelligent, educated Thais.
The water in the radiator thing...I can relate totally.
As for air in the tyres!!! She bought a new car recently and so clucks over it alot....refills the tyres every week, etc. The tyres have the recommended pressures printed on them so I fill them to that amount....not good enough: the kitchen hand at a friend's Thai restaurant (KITCHEN HAND, with no education and no English language!!!!) told her something else...so I am wrong, and the tyre manufacturer is wrong.
Filling up the petrol, I always selct "fill" and the bowser pumps untill some back-pressure stops it.
GF says, don't selct "fill", but select an amount ($70, say) because you lose all the petrol in the hose.
?????
I tried to reason with her that either way, there is always some petrol left in the hose and I pay for whatever I get. No, her sister's BF told her that selecting a specific amount means you lose nothing. Sister's BF is a scientist or mathematician or something? No. Uneducated, unemployed.....but still smarter than me.
I've actually become offended with this attitude from her and it has caused problems. Now, when I stand my ground with real science or logic backing me up, I'm a stubborn fool.
tell her you're filling up the hose for the next person because the person before you filled up the hose for you. If you leave 'air' in the hose (i know, there's no air in the hose) a ghost will get in your car/get bad luck.
If science won't work maybe a ghost will do the trick?
Earlier this year I went to Hua Hin for the weekend with a friend of mine. She is early thirties, educated, etc, etc. We are getting ready for bed and she comes out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth and proceeds to kneel on the bed and pray! I am sitting there thinking WTF, she's never done this before? When she finishes, I ask her what that was all about, and she tells me there are ghosts around here! Then she has me check that all the windows and doors are locked and insists that we have to sleep with all the lights on. This happened both nights we were there! I do get a laugh out of it now but was not too amused at the time.
Earlier this year I went to Hua Hin for the weekend with a friend of mine. She is early thirties, educated, etc, etc. We are getting ready for bed and she comes out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth and proceeds to kneel on the bed and pray! I am sitting there thinking WTF, she's never done this before? When she finishes, I ask her what that was all about, and she tells me there are ghosts around here! Then she has me check that all the windows and doors are locked and insists that we have to sleep with all the lights on. This happened both nights we were there! I do get a laugh out of it now but was not too amused at the time.
Well, if the lights are on then there isn't much sense in trying to sleep is there. After a few times of all night playing, she'll be HAPPY to have the lights turned out... ghosts or not.
What is it exactly that makes Thais like this? Even intelligent, educated Thais.
The water in the radiator thing...I can relate totally.
As for air in the tyres!!! She bought a new car recently and so clucks over it alot....refills the tyres every week, etc. The tyres have the recommended pressures printed on them so I fill them to that amount....not good enough: the kitchen hand at a friend's Thai restaurant (KITCHEN HAND, with no education and no English language!!!!) told her something else...so I am wrong, and the tyre manufacturer is wrong.
Filling up the petrol, I always selct "fill" and the bowser pumps untill some back-pressure stops it.
GF says, don't selct "fill", but select an amount ($70, say) because you lose all the petrol in the hose.
?????
I tried to reason with her that either way, there is always some petrol left in the hose and I pay for whatever I get. No, her sister's BF told her that selecting a specific amount means you lose nothing. Sister's BF is a scientist or mathematician or something? No. Uneducated, unemployed.....but still smarter than me.
I've actually become offended with this attitude from her and it has caused problems. Now, when I stand my ground with real science or logic backing me up, I'm a stubborn fool.
tell her you're filling up the hose for the next person because the person before you filled up the hose for you. If you leave 'air' in the hose (i know, there's no air in the hose) a ghost will get in your car/get bad luck.
If science won't work maybe a ghost will do the trick?
Funny. I know what you're saying......but here's the thing: the inconsistancy!!! Because she is actually intelligent and educated. If I said something about ghosts, if she thought I was serious, she'd laugh at me, saying I'm ignorant, and if she thought I was taking the piss, she'd say don't make jokes about ghosts, "you don't know that it's not true".
Furthermore, if I make the throw-away comment, "I just can't win, can I?", she says, "Do you have to win me all the time?" ("win me" = beat me (in competition)).
I started making bets with her; If I'm wrong, $50 to her, if I'm right, she pays me $50. (She has the dosh).
Having lost a couple of times, she doesn't make bets for money anymore, instead wagers things like who does the dishes.
After we bought our new car last fall, my wife kept insisting I check the coolant level. I said not to worry, its a new car and the "water" is ok. I told her I've worked on many car repairs over the years and I know what I am talking about. Yeah, sure, right. A year later I am still checking the water often per her insistence. I just do it. I give up. I've given up on a lot of things.
Ive noticed a lot of the queer ideas involve cars and Thai females..my experiences:
If i go over a bump doing more than 20kmph she hits the roof (tho not literally!)...because it will BREAK the car...yet its ok for her or her brother to go over bumps at 100
A general service MUST cost no less than 5000 baht (no matter what work is done) OR the car will die
Must always have a newish car and must constantly spend thousands upgrading as older cars DIE on the highway
The aircon will break if its not turned on and off each time before starting/turning off engine , (although after doing this for 6 months her (newish car) still needed 4000 worth of work done on the aircon.
And may i add...the most annoying and wasteful of all...leaving the aircon on constantly,even when its not cold she will turn up the temp up and tuen the fans down but refuses to turn the air con off and just use the fan
No amount of lectures from me or anyone else will ever change any of these beliefs
I must point out that i had nothing to do with paying for the car or its upkeep, so in this regard im happy to remain "the stupid farang"
And i guess i shouldnt be the one to lecture...As far as thai girls and silly ideas go i am usually up for a "trade in" every 12 months or so
The aircon will break if its not turned on and off each time before starting/turning off engine , (although after doing this for 6 months her (newish car) still needed 4000 worth of work done on the aircon.
Are you married to my wife too???
Exactly the same, when i drive the car i just switch off the ignition and that kills the aircon, when she gets in and starts the ignition and the aircon is already on...i get the verbals about sia/phaang..... never quite managed to extract the full knowledge from her what will be sia/phaang...
Just make sure you turn on/off air con before/after ignition otherwise sia/phaang!
You cannot win any situation here with your Thai spouse/wife...i was trying to get a definite answer from mine the other day so i wouldn't make another flup.up about something as she beliefs everything i do i flup up... her exact answer "sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes maybe!"
Funny. I know what you're saying......but here's the thing: the inconsistancy!!! Because she is actually intelligent and educated. If I said something about ghosts, if she thought I was serious, she'd laugh at me, saying I'm ignorant, and if she thought I was taking the piss, she'd say don't make jokes about ghosts, "you don't know that it's not true".
Furthermore, if I make the throw-away comment, "I just can't win, can I?", she says, "Do you have to win me all the time?" ("win me" = beat me (in competition)).
I started making bets with her; If I'm wrong, $50 to her, if I'm right, she pays me $50. (She has the dosh).
Having lost a couple of times, she doesn't make bets for money anymore, instead wagers things like who does the dishes.
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hmm yeah inconsistancy i reckon that would p1ss me off too. Whatever stance you take you're wrong. My ex g/f (English) very well educated, bright, funny, intelligent etc. once had a right go at me, and I mean really started to tell me off, as we were driving through London. It went something like this...
her 'did you just go through a green light?' me 'ummm'
her 'you did! I saw that light, it was green!' me 'umm'
her 'wtf are you trying to do? kill us both? me 'umm'
her 'well that's just bloody typical..blah blah blah (off on a great big rant about all kinds of unrelated stuff, her mother, her father, my mother my father etc. etc.) me 'umm, honey?'
her 'rant rant rant' me 'umm honey? the light was GREEN!'
her 'yes i know!.......(pause) oh yes, green is ok isn't it?.....well you were driving too fast anyway'.....followed by sulking for an hour.
Again, an otherwise perfectly reasonable intelligent woman, late twenties, responsible job, street wise (ok maybe not about traffic lights) displaying an alarming ignorance of an everyday phenomenon and, somehow, simultaneously being able to prove (to herself anyway) that this was indicative of MY stupidity!
After a while I just agreed with her all the time, again, that seemed to prove how stupid I was! Eventually I agreed with that too
Earlier this year I went to Hua Hin for the weekend with a friend of mine. She is early thirties, educated, etc, etc. We are getting ready for bed and she comes out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth and proceeds to kneel on the bed and pray! I am sitting there thinking WTF, she's never done this before? When she finishes, I ask her what that was all about, and she tells me there are ghosts around here! Then she has me check that all the windows and doors are locked and insists that we have to sleep with all the lights on. This happened both nights we were there! I do get a laugh out of it now but was not too amused at the time.
Well, if the lights are on then there isn't much sense in trying to sleep is there. After a few times of all night playing, she'll be HAPPY to have the lights turned out... ghosts or not.
Ohhh Ian, YOU really crack me up, how come just about everything comes back to your penis? Lights are on, must mean play time......lights are out, must mean play time........out for a nite on the town, must mean play time MADNESS!
BTW mate neverdie, I woke up pissed off about the grandfather being so bloody stupid as to believe a rotating washer would cause a twisting baby! Your post has, once again my friend, made it into my subconscious!
I am truely sorry if I have interferred with your brain, I have a habit of doing that to people. I have the telephone number and an account with a good psychiatrist if you so feel the need
I called but unfortunately he said he was just today booked solid for the next several weeks. Said something about a strange aussie client who had been seeing "stars" , or not seeing them, or something.
Be careful when you think you have won the day and your Thai wife says "yes, you have logic!" a few months ago for a few weeks when ever me and Thai wife were in discussions over anything.....instead of the normal....total 100% disagreement she was saying "yes, you have logic" and i was taken aback and thought wow..she is listening to reason and seeing things logically as i am explaining the situation....
NOT, she was speaking Thai and English mixed... Thai word = logic = brain disease!!!! "You have logic(brain disease)" and i was saying yes, and agreeing. For weeks we had no major discussions ..it was a golden couple of weeks..my Thai logic.....
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thats beautiful, exactly one of the reasons I bother turning thaivisa on, is to hear stories like that, THANKS
"Thai word = logic = brain disease"
Yes, I nominate for "ThaiVisa Quote of the Week" !
...and even more westerners read and BELIEVE all that astrology claptrap!
That's typical trait of a Leo:
Generous and warmhearted; Creative and enthusiastic; Broad-minded and expansive; Faithful and loving but lacking faith in the controlling powers of the Sun's energy and the moon-beams on their own persona.
I have a frustrating story that happened to me last January. I was in the town of Kanchanaburi with some of the Thai family I look after: the mother and the two younger kids (10 and 8 yrs old). The kids love to swim and hike so I wanted to take them to the Mt Erawan waterfalls for a day. The children were really looking forward to it, as was I. I had set up a good deal with a local driver to take us to the falls and bring us back later in the afternoon for 1000 baht. Then the mother of the children got the bright idea that her sister should drive us.
I thought okay, it's keeping the money in the family, so no problem. I don't mind spending a little more and offered to pay the sister 2000 baht. What I didn't count on was the brother, sister in law and little baby were coming along as well. And, instead of arriving at 9 in the morning like we had planned, they arrived at noon because they came from Luk Kae (40 km closer to Bangkok). That meant the children had to be fed before we left. Then, because it is a National park I had to pay for everyone. No big deal. I also paid for a big lunch for everyone. Again, no big deal. But, it meant instead of hiking up to the top of the falls, everyone but the kids and I stayed down at the bottom. I took the kids on a short hike instead of a long one like we first intended. Then, the other adults (?) decided they wanted to see a certain temple. I was the odd man out and went along with the other's decision because I had no idea where the temple was. I thought is was some place nearby. That was my mistake.
We all piled back into the truck and started driving, and driving, and driving, and passed right through Kanchanaburi where my hotel was located. But, we didn't stop there. We kept right on driving, and driving, and driving, and right through the little Thai village where the family lives. We finally found the temple they were looking for... a few kilometers outside of Bangkok. It was dark out, it was cold, and 4 of us were huddled in the back of the little pickup truck on the metal frame. We did about a 15 minute tour of the temple and then had to head back to Kanchanaburi. I was so pissed off I said just let me out and I'd take a bus back to Kanchanaburi. I got back to my hotel at 11 at night and the family still had to take the children back to Luk Kae. It completely ruined my day with the kids. We sat for 5 hours in the back of a pickup truck for a 15 minute stop at some temple I've seen a few times before.
After that I vowed NEVER to allow Thais to make any plans that included me.
Ian, I avoid getting into the back of the family pickup at virtually all cost with the exception of a short jaunt into the local town to visit tesco lotus or something.
Im also amazed at some of the lack of planning and spontaneousity of some of the family trips, similar to the one you have described. Sometimes its just a matter of one family member muttering a few words and next minute theres a dozen bodies in the back of the vigo and their off on a 3 day roadtrip
Every morning when I wake up I dread the 'Mum say we have to go to [insert some wat, market or relative] now' Now means like now.
Unless it's an establishment, it will be 50% likely that the recipient of this visit is closed or away. I constantly insist that they phone ahead to check, but they just think I am an anal falang. Go with the flow or go nuts
Talking about superstition ,my wife comes from a quite well to do familly,yet we have to have a small turtle in the bedroom also the bedroom door has to be kept closed when we are not in there ,so its not just Isaan familys,however my wife says its feng shui. all b-llocks to me.
I bought a book on Feng Shui, when I got home I couldn't decide where to put it.
Thank you geek, You must have the Steven Wright gene
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neverdie, on 2009-11-09 10:51:13, said:
thats beautiful, exactly one of the reasons I bother turning thaivisa on, is to hear stories like that, THANKS 
