The things I hear - Chiang Mai, Thailand

[wayfaringwordhack]

During my cooking class, the teacher took us out into her garden to show us some typical plants and herbs. She pointed at her pepper plant, thick with bright red chiles that looked like christmas lights, and said, "In English you call these 'bird's eye' chiles. Here in Thailand we call them 'mowshi'."

"Mowshi,' we all repeated faithfully, trying the form the sounds right.

She gave us a funny little look and said, "Yeah, mowshi because it looks like shi(t) of mouse."

D'oh.

Comments

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

Hee!

Reminds me of the time at hospital when the Asian consultant asked Paul if he was getting plenty of "wedge".

We goggled owlishly. "Wedge?" I ventured, not wanting to be rude ("Damn' Johnny Foreigner, can't understand a word he's sayin, what?")

He nodded, equally owlishly. "Fruit and wedge. They're very important."

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

rofl! That is excellent.