I did it THAAAAAIIIIIIII Waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

I hope the ghost of Sinatra will forgive me the title. 

I had a Thai moment today.  I was coming home from the market today and I bumped into someone from the building that we know.  I was carrying some fruit, produce, and a juice.  I was asked what kind of juice I got.  Carrot, Apple, and Sap pa rot.  

Oh.  Sap pa rot!  What’s that?

Ummmm…. Sap pa rot.  Yellow.  Sweet.  Then I pointed to the bag I was carrying with fruit.  

Pineapple?

THAT’S THE WORD!!!!!

About 30 minutes later, I was talking with J and Kiddo and they were planning on heading up to the pool while I write this and have a coffee.  J asked if I got fruit.  Yup, watermelon and sap pa rot.  Again, the word escaped me.

It’s weird.  I know the word.  I can see the item in my mind, but I’m in the habit of using my Thai, especially around Kiddo.  She can hear a lot and nanny Beer uses Thai around her about half the day, but Kiddo doesn’t do much more than use a word here and there or counting.  So, I’m trying to use the Thai I know and asking the sellers that we see often, “In Thai?” when I don’t know the words.  

I’m starting the think in Thai at times.  Words and little things that I know, but I’m also trying to pick up little bits of the alphabet that I know.  So, I’m starting to see and think in Thai and I’ll never be good or fluent, but I’m building vocal and letters.  I’ll never lose my English, but I know that if and when we are ever back in The States, I’m going to Sawadee someone, of Check Bin Ka (Check Please), Home nom you tee nigh (hxngna xyu thinin) Where is the water closet, close the lights instead of turn off the lights, grab my mo-bile Kiddo instead of grab my phone or my cell.  Little things like that.  

If we follow the plan we have now, J might have to go back in fall for a short bit (she can post about that if she wants), but Kiddo and I probably won’t be back to the States until 2024 at the earliest, 2026 realistically, and (depending on elections and civil war) maybe never again.  So, when and if we do get back, what will we have forgotten or what will sound different because we are in Thailand and who knows where next.  Vietnam or Korea are both high on the list.  What cultural customs will we pick up.  Kiddo bows and folds her hands as a sign of thanks or greeting, as do J and I.

Food as well.  Spicy is a joke to me now.  J as well.  We also joke that we’re going to go back and find a Thai restaurant and talk and greet them in Thai and using proper customs and the like and they are just gonna bring us some Thai ass food that ain’t on menu because they’re gonna see us as closer to them than to Americans.  I went to Korean with my buddy JY once and he ordered something that was a Korean ass Korea dish.  Some egg thing.  He explained that it’s one of his favorite little comfort food things.  But it took a MINUTE to come out.  When it did, the waitress was apologetic on the timing and time it took to make.  JY explained to me that it was an off menu item so that’s the delay, it needed to be prepped.  The kitchen staff did come out and thank in though, since the chef that night made a huge batch for the kitchen as well and how they all love the dish.  We could be those people at a Thai restaurant in the States if we ever get back.  The people you see and you are like, can I have what they’re having and I wonder what that’s called and you find out that it’s off menu food or that it’s made for a local palate and if will burn your ass off.  I had Thai noodle soup with pork liver and chicken the other day with Tony.  It was spicy to start, but I tried it and added two tablespoons of chili paste, crushed red peppers, and chili oil to get it to where I wanted it.  The thought, even a year ago, that I would eat that spice level easily would have blown my mind.  In quarantine, we ordered a pork noodle basil salad thing.  Took me three sittings to eat it due to heat.  I got something at that same spice level a few weeks back and I would have called it spicy, but very tolerable and good.  10 months ago, I was wishing for milk to go with it.

Kiddo asks for market food all the time.  Can we get market chicken and rice for lunch?  Can we get corn guy?  Can I have a waffle and juice?  Do you want noodle lady, dada?  And noodle lady makes Hong Kong Boat Noodles.  Noodles, kinda like a thin ramen noodle, fried in a pan with a plum type sauce.  Carrots, mushrooms, steamed cabbage and tofu are added with a bit more sauce and then served warm, but not crispy.  I should ask her to fry to a bit crispy for me one of these days, just to try it that way.  But, Kiddo asks for it.  Craves it.  Vietnam or Japan would ruin her little world, because noodles and soups are her JAM!

It’ll be interesting to see the mistakes and faux pas we make in returning to the States, but for now, we live, eat, try, smile, learn, and laugh (at ourselves and mistakes) as we make a small place for ourselves in this world we live in.  It’s scary and enlightening, and fun all at once.

*****

Day two post hoops.  Today, the small muscles gave up complaining.  Now, the big muscles complain.  My thighs.  Calves.  Butt.  Chest.  Shoulders, but not like the little muscles of the shoulders, but the Shoulders hurt.  Ache.  Remind me I’m 44 and out of shape.  Working on that though and I can’t wait for next week.  Also, Monday, I’m going out with Tony since J is going out with Mel and her lil one with Kiddo to the Aquarium, and we need to get to Decathlon for some stuff, but we can get a hoop and knock off some more rust.  I’m excited to be back, even if it’s just in little ways and shooting around and running a bit.  It’s fun.  I love the feeling… Unless I don’t.  And then I just wanna lay in a warm bath or have unlimited funds and perfect Thai so I can just get Thai massaged all day long.  HAHA

****

Kiddo time.

She was practicing some of her letters with Nanny Beer.  The ones she got right, she wore.  You can’t make up this kind of cuteness.

Also, we watched Monsters University last night for Big Girl Friday.  Kiddo was out with J on Thursday since she was at BASIS for eval and introduction, so we didn’t want to double up the mall or mall food.  So, we stayed at home.  Had chicken kebabs.  Watched a movie.  Kiddo stayed up until 8 and then melted into a yawning tired monster that was not long for the world.  However, at the end of Monsters U, they do the snap shots leading up to Mike and Sully getting to the Scare Floor.  Kiddo told J and I that she wished she could watch a movie about when they did scaring.

Kiddo… Do we have a treat for you!

So, Monday, after all the Aquarium fun, Kiddo gets her Covid shot (YES!!!!) and will probably be a little lazy and tired, if it’s anything like the flu shot.  Usually hits her same day and makes her go from 14 down to about 7, which, for you or I would be like going from 9 to 1.  She can get her shot and then just lay around being lazy and feeling run down.  If she’s still bad the following day, I’ll figure it out with cleaning lady and we can just have a chill day at home.

Let’s go, Kiddo… Time to use our Thai and have some fun.