This article was originally posted on WomenLearnThai.com.
Thai Lyrics and Translation blog…
After falling for the catchy tune by Cham Cham Ramis, กรุณาฟังให้จบ /gà-rú-naa fang hâi jòp/, I found the Thai-English translation on a new (to me) Thai Lyrics and Translation blog, ดึงดูดใจ /deung-dòot jai/. Excellent! Translation sites for Thai songs are few and far between – many more are needed.
Aiming to feature ดึงดูดใจ on WLT, I shot off an email to Tahmnong, the creator of the site. The about page was a good start for a post but I wanted more (I always want more, yes?)
But, silly me, I assumed Tahmnong was a guy so added a tidbit so’s not to scare him off: The site name is tongue in cheek… not many women learn Thai 😉
Seems I overlooked ขอบคุณค่ะ on the about page. Ooops. No ครับ – ค่ะ is a female polite particle.
Sending a laughing email back, Tahmnong (Melodie) was thrilled to answer a few questions about herself and the origins of her Thai Lyrics and Translation blog.
Melodie and ดึงดูดใจ…
You know, you are right. I know so many men learning Thai but only a handful of women. We’re a rare breed! 😉
Hmm, what else about me can I share? I am a girl, haha, in my mid 20s. An American-born Puerto Rican/Romanian who spent so much time in Thailand while growing up, I feel more comfortable there than anywhere else in the world.
My dad was in the air force stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War. He fell in love with the place so we were constantly going on vacations to Thailand whenever possible.
I also went my first year of college to Rangsit University before deciding a degree from an American university would probably do me better in the long run.
When I was younger, my Thai friends gave me the ชื่อเล่น /chêu-lên/ (nickname) Tahmnong (ทำนอง) since it’s the direct translation of my American name, Melodie (Spanish name Melodía), and it’s stuck ever since.
As a kid, I missed Thailand so much whenever I was back in America that I loved listening to music and watching movies and lakorns; they reminded me of the country.
Because of my love for Thailand, my desire to spend more time there in the future, as well as the lack of subtitles/translations for most Thai media, I started comprehensively studying Thai on my own in high school. I learned from books and practiced by subtitling interviews and movies and translating songs for fun.
With Thai music getting more world-wide attention, I decided to create Deungdutjai to share my many translations with the world. And in case anyone was like me, using song lyrics as a learning aid, the translations are line-by-line with romanization as well.
I love anything and everything to do with translation, the study and teaching of languages, and understanding of foreign cultures, especially Thai, so I’m always happy to contribute however I can with any kindred spirits.
Someday I’d like to expand my blog to song and album reviews as well, so more people can comment and share opinions and interactions. But, as my plate is rather full right now, I’m afraid of biting off more than I can chew. To at least keep my song translations updated daily, any sort of expansion will have to wait for the time being.
I’m currently living in California finishing school for one more year before I move to South Korea with my Korean boyfriend for a while. But there will definitely be plenty more vacations back to the Land of Smiles!
Tahmnong (Melodie)
ดึงดูดใจ: Thai Lyrics and Translation blog
Yoram, there are many resources around the Internet to help you learn how to write in Thai. Here’s a post I wrote: The Easy Way for Beginners to Read and Write Thai
hi,i need your halp,where can i learn to print in thai? or there is any web side that teache? thank’s.yoram
I can carry a tune but I’m no Christy (she has an amazing voice). I’ll have to check out Som San to see what you are referring to. But Sek Leso is more rock, correct?
I’d love to sing on a Thai karaoke night but I’m totally tone deaf. If I could sing then I’d choose a Sek Loso number, Som San, I really love that song… whatever it might mean.
Martyn, have you heard of แช่ม แช่มรัมย์ (Châem Châemáram)? His stuff is very clear to listen to and easy to sing so he’s my next project. I promised myself to learn กรุณาฟังให้จบ well enough to contribute on karaoke night. Wish me luck!
Catherine and Tahmnong – I love this bit from your post:
‘As a kid, I missed Thailand so much whenever I was back in America that I loved listening to music and watching movies and lakorns; they reminded me of the country.’
That brings a lump to my throat. What lovely words.
Songs are a great way to learn any language but you must choose ones which are easy on the ear. I’m English but I find some songs in my own language are very difficult to make out the words.
Sophie, like Rod mentioned, the percentage of western men in Thailand to western women is quite large. For whatever reasons, Thai men just don’t elicit the same attraction. But I also believe it’s the nature of western women. I know expat women who are beautifully fluent in Thai (more so than the majority of the men I run across) but they are not inclined to an interview.
Ta for the kudos 🙂
Well, Sophie, for every woman smitten with the Kingdom, there are at least a hundred men smitten with Thai ladies. It’s really that simple.
I was interested in the comment about not many women learning Thai. I am sure it has been mentioned before and I missed it but I am wondering why it is that so few women are learning the Thai language. This blog continues to be the best source of information for learning. Great job Cat and thank you for all the effort you put into this!!!
So far I have a passion for music by Christy Gibson and Cham Cham Ramis. I asked Christy if I could share her videos, translated, and she said “go for it!” Interesting story lines…
Using songs to learn Thai is fantastic. I heard the song, ขี้หึง, by silly fools and looked up the meaning of ขี้หึง. That same week someone used it in an everyday conversation with me. Its fantastic! Good job Melodie