New Book

So the learning of Thai just took a new direction. I ordered a book called Thai for Beginners, which is set up like a textbook. There are lessons, vocabulary to remember, and tests/quizzes at the end of the sections. This is the kind of thing we have been looking for to really understand the basics of the language. The rosetta stone program, which we have been using, is great for in-context understanding and overall language, but lacks the fundamentals and principles that we need. This, I think, is the answer. The boring, black and white, rote memorization is the structure upon which a language is learned- at least for an adult.

I am satisfied with my new book.

Tickets!

It's officially official. We have purchased round trip tickets from Cleveland to Thailand on September 17th, to return on February 1st. Since we may change our return date depending on lots of factors, we got them through STA travel. They have human beings on telephones and can easily change ticket dates, unlike online tickets where you have computers, who have neither souls nor emotions. I prefer people.


(this is our plane)


Chris is flying from Burlington, meeting us in Dulles, and flying with us to Bangkok, to return on the 1st of December.


This, folks, is the plan. Only a mere 27 hrs of flying to get there! just a hop, skip, and a monstrous jump.

excited

Ok, its true. I'm starting to get excited. We will be buying plane tickets in the next week, which should certainly do a nice job of solidifying the plans. I spoke with the Thai embassy this morning, and getting passports and visa's taken care if isn't going to be an issue.

I've gone ahead and ordered a few more books about learning Thai. The format of the Rosetta Stone, although straightforward and simple, isn't classical enough for me, and I need some long lists of vocabulary words to remember, and verb forms, participles, objects, direct objects, prepositions, pronouns and some basic semblance of structure before I can begin to form a picture of the language in my head. I know this sounds misconstrued and basically a pile of hogwash, but its true. I am a slave to the system- so I've resigned myself to that fate.

More when I actually buy the tickets- and even more when I actually get there.

September is a long way away.