How old are you?

This morning we started our Pre-departure Orientation with an activity to demonstrate the importance of age in Thailand.

To start, Pi-Tip asked us if any of us would be offended if a stranger asked either our age or our weight. For the most part, everybody indicated that those questions would make us feel a little uncomfortable.

She told us to get over it, because those are questions we will be asked in Thailand.

Then, she had us all get up and into a line according to age. I was pretty much in the middle of the line.

I was very glad she had us do this activity with age, opposed to weight.

We were told that age has a great deal with how you refer to people in Thailand. If they are older than you, you are to indicate your respect before saying their name.

Since I am 18 months older than Kristin, she should refer to me as Pi-Dana (pronounced like the letter “P”), and I will indicate my respect to Pi-Poon as well.

This basic will be very helpful, although we were also told that it is not as simple as being about only age. This level of respect can also be shown to people in positions you find deserving, even if their age would not normally required you to do so.

To all my students, after one day I like the sound of Pi-Dana as much as D-Swizzle.