First Week Learning Thai

Heisenbergs blogging principle?

Blogging like this is hard, it takes time and I am sure that the observation changes the process, probably in an adverse way. Having said that it is a lot easier to observe what and why I am learning as I apply what I learned about languages in Chinese to a new language.

The observation of others in this initial eight week period would change things even more, which is why this blog is closed to the outside world for now.
I have to speed type and brain dump from my notes and memories, apologies for spelling/grammar issues as ever.

Brain overload

I managed to trigger a brain overload event at the end of the first week, learning Thai, Mandarin and learning a lot of new tech stuff to apply at work resulted in a very heavy sleep on Friday night with a groggy Saturday and a head full of vivid dreams from the night before (I put this down to a lot of re-wiring of neurons and laying down memories).
On Thursday evening I had over an hours conversation in Mandarin that went very well, but bizarrely blanked a couple of simple words, by Friday I was even blanking a couple of English words. Fortunately by Sunday my mind was much fresher.

First contact

Thursday I spoke my first Thai to a Thai, both highly significant and an anti-climax, more on this in a later post I will lump this together with sound recordings with my second contact (occurred the following week).

Reward

On the first Saturday I rewarded my-self with my first Thai film, more on this and two more films in a later post. The first steps towards effortless learning.

Time on job

Mostly listening and finding a bunch more lessons on Youtube and the like. Very happy to find some Thai with the Mandarin subs, I think this series (see below) will feature a lot in my study in the following weeks, it is also available with English subs. but I can use it to practice Mandarin reading at the same time. One way to maintain my Mandarin effort whilst learning Thai.

During the last few days of this period, approximately 2.5 hours attentive listening to real Thai, 3 hours listening to various lessons, 3 hours non-attentive listening and 3 hours video (with either English or Chinese subs), 15s conversation.

Observations

Going to put more observations in a post to follow regarding a cow and a shopping basket (bet that got your attention).

• Having picked up ti ni, have now got ti nai (where). Not sure how exclusive these sounds are but they seem to be fairly at least.
• One meaning for that roi sound I heard and liked is a hundred (wonder if there are more).
• More attuned to ka and krab/b particularly paying attention to where they are not used (obviously Thai people don't ram them on the end of every sentance) also interested to see ka use for yes as in "yes I am coming" (Chinese laile).