Jimmy, Billy, James and the Gang

For my English lesson today, I brought in some of my cds and the printed lyrics of selected songs, specifically You've got a friend by James Taylor, He went to Paris by Jimmy Buffet, Piano Man by Billy Joel and a love song from Phantom of the Opera. I chose songs that I thought were slow enough for them to follow and had pretty basic lyrics.

I had a full house comprised of Vikram, Fawn, Pong, Moo and Champ and everyone gathered in chairs around my computer which I was using to play the cds.

The first song was 'You've got a friend' and it was quite a surreal experience listening to this song that brought back so many memories of my past, while sitting surrounded by my new Thai friends as they attempted to sing along with the words. Afterward, I asked them to ask me any questions that they might have about words or concepts that they didn't understand and I found myself struggling to explain the concept of 'nothing' as in 'nothing is going right' and enjoying explaining the concept of the 'old north wind,' really feeling this direct cultural exchange.

Next, I played 'Piano Man' and right off the bat, found myself explaining that when he said 'making love to his tonic and gin,' he didn't really mean 'making love to his tonic and gin.' They also asked the meaning of 'shuffles' and putting 'bread' in a jar. As I listened I was swept away by memories of piano bars in Tampa, Atlanta, Austin and New Orleans making me think fondly of my next trip to one sometime in the fall.

Jimmy Buffet's 'He went to Paris' translated pretty well with its story format and they understood the idea behind an older person sharing his life story. Finding myself in a contemplative mood, Jimmy's line 'some of its magic, some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way,' was especially powerful.

I finished up the set with a love song between Raoul and Christine from the Phantom of the Opera, for a little variety. We had a lively discussion about the opera and theater and afterward, they kept going up to each other and saying, "I always beside you" and laughing hysterically. It turns out that the word that sounds like the Thai pronunciation of "beside" is a vulgar term meaning to "make love!" Why I keep running into these words is beyond me!

Over all it was a great lesson, although I think I got much more out of it than them. In just a short hours time, I greatly appreciated the opportunity I have here to make new friends, learn about another culture, and share some of my own; while also reminiscing about all of the wonderful memories and friends I am blessed to have in my life at home and thinking about how nice it will be to be back when I am. Somehow I need to find a way to combine the two.