Cultural Differences

I use MSN Messenger to keep in touch with friends around the world. My assistants also use it.

I usually put a subtitle under my name, saying what project I am working on, or naming the current Thai holiday, whatever. One day I put "In hot and steamy Bangkok" because it was 33 degrees C outside and 90% humidity.

Shortly thereafter, one of my assistants started crying.

I went out to see what was wrong, but she wouldn't talk to me.

I asked my other assistant why the girl was crying. She asked her, and then said, "You said you are having sex everywhere."

What the hell?

"When did I do that?"

"On Messenger."

It turns out the crying girl did not understand the word "steamy", so she looked it up in our dictionary. Apparently, one of the meanings in Thai referred to "steamy sex", so she assumed I meant I was having sex with my assistants and everyone else.

Sigh.

So I apologised, said, "No, I meant the weather was hot like in a hot shower," and then I went and changed the Messenger text. Sphere: Related Content