Sterotypes

There are a lot of stereotypes about farangs in Thailand. Thailand put Americans and Europeans together. Actually they put anyone not from Thailand in one group. But that’s beside the point. And I sort of wonder what stereotypical things I do as an American.

My first host dad noticed how I read a lot. And later mentioned how he always sees foreigners reading books, especially on public transportation.

I haven’t seen any foreigners reading on transportation.

Until yesterday, that is.

I have spent the last five days in the monkey filled town of Lopburi. It was a vacation away from my current vacation from school. I spent it swimming in lakes under a sunset by the moments, playing with monkeys at the temple, eating corndog balls at the King Narai festival, drinking smoothies at Noom’s, sleeping with Meow the cat and creating funny stories with my exchange buds.

So yesterday when it was time to come back home to the city, Sophie and I were going to take the train at 12:30, but since Thailand is never on time, our train was delayed an hour. So Sophie took a van back, I gave Sophie my sweater to take with her because van air conditioning is like the tundra winds on crack. I decided to wait with my friend Lydia (Rhode Island) until the train came. We took turns reading from this silly book of short stories about animals as we sat by some old temple ruins. To be specific we read a story about a particularly sassy fly who eats vomit, and another one about a motherless circus bear. Yeah the book was a little strange.

So I get on the train. And the train is so small, too small. Only about three or four cars and there were so many people that many had to stand- including me. Luckily this was the rapid train so it only stopped every half hour or so. I stood for the first two hours which wasn’t a big deal- I’ve done that so many times before on the bus.

So I’m standing on the train, leaning against a pole, reading a story about a mediatating raven, when these two old ladies over me a seat. Because that’s what old ladies do on trains and buses in Thailand. And so I squeeze myself between this two frail ladies and continue reading. I start speaking to them in Thai and they say “Put Thai die gang mak!”, which literally translates to “Speak Thai can clever very.” And that’s just what old Thai ladies say on trains and buses.

The lady on my right looked like one from an animated film. Ya know the old Gammy who is hunched over, has a sassy mouth and is the tiniest thing ever. Yup, I sat next to one of those.

The lady on my right was kind and spoke really fast and quietly. And since we were sitting on an open train car- I could not understand a word she said. And so I did what all farangs do- smile and nod.

And one point, the lady sitting to my right asked me if these two other foreigners on the train were my parents. I explained that they weren’t my parents and that I came to Thailand on my own.

The couple in question looked like they could have been my parents, I guess. They were both tall, they lady had blondish brown hair like me and they also were speaking in English.

They were also both reading novels.

And I thought to myself. Oooooooooohhhh, that’s how these stereotypes start.

Book: Read and finished Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris, which was a bit strange but cute. Now I’m on page 151 of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and so far love it. It’s strange though because this is the third book this read that I've read that was originally published in Swedish.

Thai: nung……………………...sit