Winter Weather in the World
Hello and welcome back. Can you believe it is already December? For some of you, I know this brings cold weather and for others perhaps a milder climate. We are currently in Bangkok, Thailand and it is still in the high 80’s to low 90’s. Right about now, I wouldn’t mind some milder weather.
Come weeks end we will be moving on to another country which should bring us a milder climate but maybe a bit damp….. we shall see. Have you seen any of our Bangkok footage? Check out some of the videos on our You Tube Channel!!
The International Language?
Today, I wanted to talk about navigating day to day life in a foreign country when you don’t speak the language. We had been pretty lucky so far, in most places everything was either in English or the people spoke some English. Of course, Google translate always helps! We do take for granted that everyone speaks English, isn’t it the international language? Don’t assume anything.
When heading to a new country we always do a few things.
Busy streets of Nonthaburi, Thailand
Research the language(s) spoke: Every country, province, district will be different. See where you will be staying and what you need to know.
Learn some key words: Learning a few important words is crucial! Hello, thank you go a very long way! A lot of times, if they see you trying they will speak Englsih.
Learn as you go: You may find you are using the same words over again, so learn those in the native language.
Google translate: THANK god for this!!! It helps out in so many ways.
Stranger in a Strange Land
We arrived in our current location, Nonthaburi, Thailand a few weeks ago. It is located about 15 miles outside of Bangkok. Coming from another part of Thailand we already knew the basics but had no idea what we were in for!
Pictures Help
Sometimes pictures can help. In this case not too much. But, you could always point to the picture if you want that item! It helps when a picture is labeled or associated with each dish.
Take a Chance
This one seemed a little easier, it has pictures. But, what are those “Toppings”. In this part of the world it could be anything, so we decided to move on.
Nonthaburi maintains a very distinct local culture and lifestyle. Even though it is so close to the city, it is very different. Everything in in Thai and most people don’t speak English. At first, it is very overwhelming. You are trying to figure out how to order food at a local stall and there is no ryhme or reason. You are smiling and pointing and it usually works. We did find one restaurant that had the English translation on the menu!
Learn as You Go
One of the benefits of slow travel is you have the time to learn as you go. We have found our favorite food spots and they know us by now. It’s kind of hard not to… We definitely stick out in the crowd. But, we learned a few new words in Thai for what we want to eat: chicken, pork or beef, so when we order the Pad Kra Pow we can say which protein we want, we usually get what we think we ordered, lol! The one place that we love has a specific way of ordering which we figured out: you go and take a number and wait(the lines are usually pretty long but fast) they call the number and you order, pay and they will bring it to you. Now, the ladies know we don’t speak Thai so they look at me when it’s my turn and smile!!! Then I point on the menu(thanks google) and it’s easy!!
Chicken and rice, a main staple in the Thai culture.
What Happens When Technology Fails Us
Google translate has been a life saver for sure! What would we do without it? Yesterday, I needed to change out the E-SIM card and thought it was good when I left the house. We decided to try out a new spot for lunch. We saw the menu previously and knew it was in Thai, no big deal. Well, my E-SIM wasn’t activated correctly and we were dead in the water. The staff spoke no English and we tried a few times to get the phone working. But, in the end we wound up leaving. Now, we could have just pointed to things and hoped for the best but that can be scary. They cook and eat things we normally wouldn’t so we passed. We just went to the restaurant that had the English translations on the menu and it was fine.
It is all about being adaptable. You can always find a place or a food cart that has food/drinks you recognize. It can be scary for sure but it’s not the end of the world. Travelling around the world will definitely humble you. You realize there are so many different languages out there. We are just a spot on the dart board.
In Case You Missed It
Check out our YouTube video on eating local for under $20 a day!!: [Link to video]
Check out other fun photos and content on our IG page: [Link to Instagram post]
Share our Journey with Your Friends!
Great wall art in the Talat Noi section of Bangkok
We hope our journey helps shed some light on what it is like to travel the world on a budget. So many people have dreams and aspirations but feel like it’s too expensive.
We are living proof that it is not and it is never too late or too early in our case, lol!!! We encourage you to share our information with others because we want to hopefully inspire someone to just go for it!
Stay well and we will catch you on the next one!!
Kenda & Mark :)
