Friday Evening
I hitch hiked my way to town for the first time due to the fact my moped is not working. I needed to get out. I am realizing that I love to walk and I can walk for miles on end. On my way back to campus I stopped by a familiar street vendor and ordered Som Tam (Papaya salad).
This time she gave me half the amount of water in the jug.
I had to strategically ration it to make it through my entire meal BECAUSE she made it spicy....
I clearly communicated with her mai ped (not spicy).
Not even half way through my meal I am literally panting like a dog, tongue is out and I'm shaking my head. I feel every surface of my taste buds rubbing raw, becoming nonexistent.
"ped mai? (spicy?)" she asked.
In Thai I told her it was spicy but delicious, because it truly was. She made a banging Som Tam.
By a show of fingers, she told me she put three peppers in it.
I looked back at her like she was crazy, "THREE?!"
Why would she do that? I thought.
Numerous motivations ran through my head. 1.) she wants to see me suffer 2.) she was trying to test me 3.) she wanted to see how I would react....? WHO KNOWS!
I don't understand Thai women. I hope I am learning how to understand them every day because I work with many of them.
I finished the entire meal and was proud of it even though I lost all sense of my tongue in the process. She made the best Som Tam I've had yet.
I got to talk to her 17 year old daughter and practice her English too!
A friend said I would be committing a grievous in-justice to the salad with out the spice.
This is very true. Once again I am learning and understanding thai customs slowly; sometimes kicking and- for lack of a better word- screaming my way through misunderstandings.
This time she gave me half the amount of water in the jug.
I had to strategically ration it to make it through my entire meal BECAUSE she made it spicy....
I clearly communicated with her mai ped (not spicy).
Not even half way through my meal I am literally panting like a dog, tongue is out and I'm shaking my head. I feel every surface of my taste buds rubbing raw, becoming nonexistent.
"ped mai? (spicy?)" she asked.
In Thai I told her it was spicy but delicious, because it truly was. She made a banging Som Tam.
By a show of fingers, she told me she put three peppers in it.
I looked back at her like she was crazy, "THREE?!"
Why would she do that? I thought.
Numerous motivations ran through my head. 1.) she wants to see me suffer 2.) she was trying to test me 3.) she wanted to see how I would react....? WHO KNOWS!
I don't understand Thai women. I hope I am learning how to understand them every day because I work with many of them.
I finished the entire meal and was proud of it even though I lost all sense of my tongue in the process. She made the best Som Tam I've had yet.
I got to talk to her 17 year old daughter and practice her English too!
A friend said I would be committing a grievous in-justice to the salad with out the spice.
This is very true. Once again I am learning and understanding thai customs slowly; sometimes kicking and- for lack of a better word- screaming my way through misunderstandings.
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