Sunday, January 10, 2010

Food For Thought

I have been a stranger in a strange land
- Moses

The sounds, sights smells, tastes are overwhelming. Even the air feels filled with spice. I thought I knew a lot about Thais, but I'm learning how ignorant I am and how tolerant they are. My wife lives to eat, but eating is not about food, it is the socialization and connection with the culture that feeds them. She will travel for an hour in each direction in order to spend ฿80 (about $2.50) for some noodles with curry and fish balls and two hours of chit chat.

Chit chat can consist of ANYTHING -- politics, love, family, dreams, money, weather -- anything that touches their lives is fair game. I've discovered that there are few if any boundaries between Thais of even the most slight of relationships. "Honey, I meet her while eating noodles outside JW Marriott. She's from my city, Kalasin." and she proceeded to tell this girl our life story.

I've always thought my life was an open book, but this is beyond what I'm used to because, for me it creates an intimacy that I'm not necessarily comfortable with. For my wife, it is less an act of intimacy and more a cultural connection. The subjects of the conversation are less important than the actual act. After five and a half years of marraige, there's still a lot to learn about Thailand, my wife, and myself.


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