At 6 pm on all the radio stations, television stations and in public places, the Royal Anthem of Thailand is played, usually accompanied (if possible) with images of the King. If you are out and about every one stops while it plays and then goes about their business. The Anthem was also played at Movie Theater before the film started. (June took us to see “In Time” with Justin Timberlake. I would recommend it. It was like a Sci-Fi Bonnie and Clyde) I find all of this very interesting, particularly because it is the Royal Anthem, honoring the king, not the National Anthem that is played so frequently. There are huge pictures of the King and Queen everywhere. The Thai people revere him.
Sweet is sweeter here. Anything that has ANY sugar in it at all has 3 times the sugar in Thailand. The juice is like syrup. The ice coffee is like a milkshake. The candy is pure sugar. You all know I like sweet. But here it is too sweet. A few nights ago, for dessert we were served this black gelatin served in a bowl of ice. (It was very strange) I thought it was probably black-licorice jello or something along those lines. But it tasted like pure sugar syrup with a hint of the anise flavor of black licorice. It took everything in me to choke some of it down in front of my host family. I took about 5 bites under their watchful eyes and then politely smiled and said “Aroi!” or “Delicious”. They smiled and I played with my black jello on ice until it was time to leave the table. Next time they ask me if I want cake, I most definitely will say yes.
Thai people will point to an object, say something and look at me. I used to think they were trying to teach me Thai. However, I have found it is the other way around; they are trying to learn English. So many times I think they are saying a Thai word, but really they are butchering an English one. It happened today with June. She pulled a container out of the fridge and said, “La ZA naaaaa” and looked at me. I said, “La ZA naaa?” “Cheese?” she said, “La ZA naaaa”. I repeated what she said. I thought she was teaching me the word cheese in Thai. No. She then said, “Ga fee. Cat. Movie. He love.” June had pulled out lasagna from her refrigerator. She helped me understand her English by referring to Garfield everyone’s favorite cartoon cat that happens to love lasagna. I did not realize how important the stressed syllables are in the English language. If you stress the wrong part of the word, it can become almost indecipherable. Good to know that I can get lasagna in Thailand though.
-Photo of June, Jenna and I at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok.
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