Thai for Beginners / 人生學分班

我看了好幾年的泰劇，雖然劇情荒謬到我常難以啟齒和別人說，但是今年春天我終於決定去上泰文課，教課的海倫老師有很特別的理論，口說和書寫班是分開的，她相信不識泰文字也可以說一口流利的泰文，所以我現在有滿腦子的聲音，不過我完全看不懂那些複雜的小蝌蚪。

I had been a fan of Thai lakorns for a few years, but the plots are usually so insane that I found it quite embarrassing to tell others that I have such a "special" hobby. However, I finally decided to take up Thai lessons this past spring. Teacher Helen has her own theory--she believes that not having the writing ability doesn't hamper oral communication, so the conversation class and alphabet class are separate. Now my head is full of all kinds of Thai sounds, but I can't read in Thai at all. 

拖了很久才決定去上課，因為想到之前學過的無數語言，通常到了某個階段就宣告停滯，可是去上之後才又再度意識到我生來就是要學語言的，這幾個月因為泰文課很快樂。課堂上有種很單純喜悅的氛圍，放掉平常生活中的小憂小慮，我只要跟著老師複誦，回到家如果在泰劇裡聽得懂某個字，這樣就開心滿足。

I had my concern which made me put off learning Thai. I couldn't help thinking of the languages I had tried to master. I usually ended up giving them up at a certain point. Yet it didn't occur to me again that I was born to learn languages until I learned Thai. Over the past few months Thai class has made me very happy. In class I can let go of the insignificant worries that obsess me in my everyday life and focus only on memorizing the sounds. And if I happen to hear the words in the lakorn I am watching, I will be as cheerful as a little child. 

剛開始上課時，老師說有問題可以私下問，順便爆料有人已經先問了「我愛你」怎麼說且飛往泰國會情人了，讓我想到丹麥電影「戀愛學分班」，普通的義大利文課卻是學生們生活中的重大寄託，我已經過了學語言和當地人談戀愛的年紀，可是在課上可以感受到旁邊小男生的悸動，大家為了各種理由來上課，雖然我們互不認識，在那一個半小時裡我們融合成一體，下課後又各自散去，多麼沒有負擔的關係。

At the beginning of the term, the teacher reminded us that we could always go to her in private for any question. She then revealed that a student had already asked her how to say "I love you" because of his Thai lover. I recalled the Danish movie Italian for Beginners. The ordinary Italian class plays such an important role in the students' lives. Truth be told, I am way over the age of falling in love with someone who is a native speaker of the language I am learning, but I happen to sit next to the young guy, so I can always feel that sweet air of love in class. Everyone comes to learn Thai for different reasons. Though we don't know one another, we are one huge body during the 1.5 hours. After class, we go in our own directions without feeling attached. How simple...

除了上課的快樂，每次去上泰文課總會在路上遇到認識的友人或好久不見的學生，有些時候的際遇真的令我大呼神奇，所以每週都像是有驚喜的散步之旅。

Besides the joy of being a student, I come across friends or ex-students on my way. Sometimes the experience so dramatic that I am wowed. The walk every week is really full of surprises. 

老師總提到泰國人的生活哲學，不知道我是不是有悟性，現在的我看透了之前想不通的一些事，覺得很輕鬆自在，泰國老師總愛說：kong Thai chob sabai sabai，意思是泰國人喜歡舒服簡單，對啊，人生若是要逆勢而為多辛苦呢！反而是什麼都放開後才發現我和人之間的連結是如此緊密。

The teachers always mention Thai people's life philosophy. I wonder if it's because I am a good student. Now I have seen through some puzzles that I couldn't for a long while, and I feel so peaceful. Our Thai teacher loves to say, kong Thai chob sabai sabai, which means Thai people love the simple and comfy way. Right, how hard it is to go against the flow! It is after I let go that I realize my connection with people is amazingly close.