Movin' On Up!

It's no fun being illiterate. I'm 27 years old and I can't read the simplest of things. Nope, not fun at all. And at times, embarrassing!

Take, for instance, the common occurrence of getting dinner at a restaurant in Thailand. I walk in, take a seat, and ask the owner what kind of food they serve. She lists a few things. And I ask her to tell me a bit about a few of the dishes I don't recognize. All this happens in Thai, of course. And I'm feeling pretty good about myself thinking, "I can communicate! I'm a success!"

Then the inevitable happens. She brings me a menu. And it's all in Thai. She has assumed that since I can speak, I must be able to read. I then confess (a bit shamefully), "I can't read yet," and ask, "Do you have an English menu?" It's a helpless feeling.

But I have news: my illiterate days will soon come to an end!

Believe it or not, I'm about to start learning how to read and write in Thai! That's right...I'm on to Module 4 of my Thai language learning. I have not had my Module 3 Check quite yet (it's this Friday, November 11th), but my teacher wants me to get a jump start on Module 4 this week. A whole new world is about to open up for me. I'm sure it will be difficult. And it will be a long time before I can breeze through even a simple restaurant menu with ease. But I'm excited nonetheless!