Mae Yai is learning English.

The other night at dinner, Jill, Nam (host mom’s daughter), myself, and Mae Yai (grandma) were sitting around the table, enjoying the fantastic food as usual. All of a sudden Mae Yai – a fantasticly stubborn and sassy old woman – points to Nam and says “Your name is Nam.”

The room fell silent. Jill and I stared at eachother in shock. Applause followed, obviously.

Full sentences haven’t really happened since then, but “Thank You,” “Goodnight,” “and “Hello” are the new thing.

I think she got fed up with the choice between our incomprehensible English (we talk weird and really fast) and our limited Thai vocabulary. (At times, she may or may not have looked like she wanted to facepalm when Jill spoke.)