From pizza to green curry
Hi Everyone,
Hope you are all well. Xuan has not logged in yet so I still have the chance to read all of your posts and answer your queries. I don’t want to raise expectations too high though. Once Xuan has logged in, a good part of my time will be spent dealing with her posts. In the meantime, I am free to chat with you. Don’t forget the homework I set you yesterday, to compare your posts with my replies to you, and to see if you can spot any differences in the language. I can see that some of you have done it already....well done. Answers tomorrow. And thanks to those of you who spotted my spelling mistakes :-/
Naheed asked me about the differences between living in India and living in Bangkok, so I think that is a good place for me to start talking about my life here in Thailand. I am very cautious of making sweeping generalisations to compare Thailand and India –both countries are very large and very diverse. Comparing specifically Delhi to Bangkok, I like them both in different ways. The pace of life in Bangkok can be very fast. Its a modern, high-rise city with excellent infrastructure both in terms of facilities (shops, restaurants and other leisure facilities) and what I would call ‘ public services’ (electricity, water, transport, road networks). Bangkok never sleeps. You can get more or less whatever you want, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I like that because I am a city person. I thrive on the hustle and bustle. If you don’t like cities, Bangkok is probably your worst nightmare of a place to live. Delhi has a slower pace of life. That’s not to say that you can’t live the high life if you wish. Delhi has excellent facilities, in terms of leisure, but the public services are sometimes not quite as reliable as Bangkok. There are frequent electricity and water shortages due to high demand. But Delhi also has a good metro service, which is rapidly expanding across the city. And yes, in both places, you can get food delivered to your door.
Delhi is city of contrasts. Some of the most beautiful parts of the ‘new city’ were designed by the British architect Lutyens during the British Raj, and there are wide boulevards, large parks and some beautiful buildings. Compare that to the dark alleys of the ‘old town’, with its mosques, bazaars and old shops and you have a fascinating place to explore. Bangkok is also a city of contrasts, from the modern skyscrapers, to the narrow lanes of China town, from temples (known here as ‘wats’) to palaces. There are also some amazing museums and of course there are some wonderful beaches just a short drive away.
One of the things I like most in Bangkok is all the different ways of getting around. Steve and I spent a good few years using Bangkok as a base to visit other parts of South East Asia, so we got to know it quite well. One of my favourite trips was (or I should say ‘is’ because I still do it...) going to the National Museum down on the river from the little hotel we used to stay in downtown. We would walk to the river jetty to catch a long tail boat river taxi to the terminal station. Then we’d catch a tuk-tuk (a 3-wheeler motorised vehicle, like a rickshaw in India) down to the museum. After visiting the museum, which has some fascinating artefacts, we would amble on down to the river and catch a ferry to the other side and have lunch overlooking the water, watching the world go by. We used to see tiny, tiny tug boats puling massive barges and I still wonder how they can do it. I think rivers are fascinating, as there is always something going on to watch. Do you enjoy sitting and watching the world go by, or people watching?
Steve and I find Thailand a very easy place to live. The people are friendly, it is easy to get around and it is very child-friendly. I was thinking about what Leila said, that what I described sounded “out of the ordinary”. Its strange, but we have come to accept life here as normal, I guess because we have got used to it. If I see an elephant in the street, I don’t bat an eyelid. But I think that’s the case for us all, isn’t it. Whatever we are used to seems normal. Do you agree?
The pizza was great, thanks. Tonight we had Thai food. Chicken green curry – my favourite (delivered to the door...). More about food next time. Food is one of my great passions in life. I love eating and cooking. What about you – what are your great passions in life? And I don’t mean people – obviously I am passionate about my husband – I’m talking about the things that you really, really love doing.
OK, night night and speak to you all tomorrow.
Anne.
cautious (adjective) - careful
sweeping generalisations (adjective + noun) - talking in terms which are too vague and therefore not accurate
hustle and bustle - used to describe a place that is very busy
worst nightmare of a place to live (phrase, informal) - not a good place to live
to live the high life (verb phrase, informal)- to have a good time and/or to have an expensive lifestyle
artefacts (or artifacts - noun) - man-made objects
to amble (verb) - to walk, slowly
to not bat an eyelid (verb ohrase, informal) - this phrase is generally used in the negative eg. I didn't bat an eyelid and means to not be surprised by something
Comments
It was nice to hear of Delhi and Bangkok.Even I am passionate about food so I am waiting for your blog on food.
Hello Anne! It's interesting to read about Thailand, I've always wanted to see this exotic(at least for me) country and someday I will surely do it. I'm looking forward to pictures from Thailand. Do you live in center or not? About my passions.. oh, certainly photo and cinema are the first, and then music and cooking(what a russian don't like tasty food:) ). Have you ever tried russian food? I know it's odd for european stomach. Best wishes for you and your wonderful family.
Passions, that's a tricky question because I have to consider very cautiously where is the border between passion and addiction at least following the meaning I give to passion : to have a strong desire to do something. I am passionate about computers. I could spend hours, not necessarily surfing the Internet, but just organising the contents of the hard disks. Then I wonder whether the computer isn’t just the instrument to satisfy what could be a foible. In another way I am not sure I have passions but there are things that I like to do, and then I wonder again how to distinguish them from the notion of hobby. Maybe I could say without any doubt that I am passionate about reading, as I have always a book or a writing with me. I like cooking too. Is that because I like eating ? Is it again a mean to satisfy the primary need ? Have a nice day. I think I am too philosophical today. Antonio
Hi Anne: your life in Thailand sounds very very interresting. I think you are lucky for it! Where your children were born? Are them from Thailand? As you, obviously I'm passionate about my husband, and also about my daughter (a teenager 15 old). I really enjoy staying with them at home and doing simple things as talking with them. Another thing I love doing is travelling abroad. My family and I try to do, at least, one travel a year. Last summer we went to Berlin. Oh! what a wonderful city! I am passionate about reading. I can't be without a book in my hands. When I'm relaxed at home I'm reading in my sofa or in the terrace if the weather is sunny. Another of my favourite hobbies is learning English and, of course, blogging in BBC LE. Also, I enjoy very much helping my daughter with her homework. Fortunately she is a good student. As all of you can see, I like simple but important things in life. What about things you love doing? Bye bye, I wish to read your posts. Mercè
hello anne ,nice to meet you and my first comment in your blog~^^ i wanna know a question about gerund and present participle . and i just know gerund is a noun and present pariciple is a adjective.But sometimes i am very confused how distinguish both,it seems a gerund and also present particple ,so it 's very difficult topic for me . and i 've read a book which is noted that you had no need to distinguish both ,it is right ? anyway ,thank you for your help
Hi Anne, As you said India is a diverse country. We have many religions, loads of caste and different languages. But still we are proud to be an Indian. As I informed you in my previous comment I am a Tamilian and living in Tamil Nadu. Our neighboring states are Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Predesh. These four states are placed in the southern parts of India. Each state has its own regional language. There is a serious conflict between Banglore(capital city of Karnataka and) and Chennai(capital city of TamilNadu) right now. War of words was going on between the chief ministers of these states because of the water distribution. Actually the Tamil Nadu government is going to start a water project on the border area of TamilNadu and Karnataka. Some people of Karnataka opposed the proposal of TN. They fear that the water level of their area will go down. Even though we say that we are one, we hard to share our natural resources. since i haven't visited Delhi yet i have no idea about the capital of my country.
Hi Anne, till date I was under the impression that Delhi has a fast pace of life. I endorse your view that Delhi is a city of contrasts. An area of minister’s, wealth’s habitats is beautiful while general masses thrive on stink dwellings. But it is true to other cities of world also. Old settlements were established without planning while new settlements are being developed with proper good planning. This created the contrasts as far the beauty of city is concerned. I visited Delhi 14 years ago and concluded that it is difficult for a person used of pollution free environment to live here permanently. Load of vehicles emitting dirty smoke annoy visitor. I know that government doing his best to make city pollution free. In fact metro service is a product of mentioned artifact pollution. I observed hustle-bustle everywhere. It is said that real India resides in its villages. You started a good tradition by writing glossary (defined words) whether it is formal or informal world. This helps leaner lot. In fact suspense takes place in mind of learner whether the word he/she is writing, is a ajar, formal, very formal, informal or very informal (like the word “endorse” glossary used above). Good evening, Bye.
Hi Anne! What an interesting question! Hmm... There are three things that I really, really love doing. Well, I love going to the movies. I´m a movie goer and I´m interesting in movies from all over the world. Apart from that, I collect classic movies. The black and white atmosphere is so fascinating, isn´t it? :-) Anyway, the last but not least of my passions is reading. Books are my companions. Wherever I go I carry a book with me. Moreover, reading is helping me also to improve my English skills. Nowadays I only read books in English. Best wishes, Ana Paula.
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