In order to prepare for my upcoming English teaching volunteer service, I enrolled in a TEFL (teach English as a foreign language) course in Chiang Mai. For four weeks, 8am-5pm, I brushed up on grammar rules, learned how to make lesson plans, and taught classes as a teacher-in-training. At the end of one day, I walked out to the busy road and hailed a songthaew to take me home. I told the driver my destination, he nodded and we agreed on a price. Then I turned to run to the back of the pickup which is where all the passengers sit (there are two benches and the back is covered).

However, the driver adamantly slapped the front seat for me to sit up front. I assumed the back was already full. I opened the passenger-side door and hopped in, grateful for a space in his songthaew. However, we picked up more fares who in turn, ran to the back of the songthaew. I realized he wanted me to sit in the front seat!

After some awkward silence, the driver asked me in Thai, “Where are you from?”

“From the US,” I replied in Thai. The driver smiled and praised my Thai.

“Are you Japanese?” he asked.

“No, I’m Korean” I said.

At this, his smile grew even wider. “Korean girls are so pretty! So white! We Thais are dark but you are so white!” We were rolling through a large outdoor market where a lot of songthaews park, waiting for fares. He cranked the volume, blasting Thai music, and proceeded to honk to all his songthaew driver friends while gesturing to me, “So pretty!” He paraded me around the market this way.

He picked up a bottle of talcum powder and smeared it all over his face, looking like a white-faced Geisha Thai man. Then he put on aviator sunglasses, popped the current tape out of his tape deck and inserted some Thai techno. He was dancing, waving, and honking as we cruised the Chinatown market. He then drove to another market and paraded me through the Night Bazaar! At one point he leaned over and said, “I’m 69 but look 45!” Then he offered some advice, “If your hair was longer, you’d be even prettier!” 

At this point, he had driven us far away from my address. I wondered if I’d ever be dropped off, or if I should just jump out. However, he was harmless, and he was putting on a tour de force performance—literally—pedestrians turned their heads to watch our moving spectacle. Quite the opposite of the usual Thai shy and modest personality.

What is normally a ten minute drive turned out to be thirty minutes. We finally came to a stop at my guesthouse. I wanted to take a picture of him, but didn’t want him him to think I liked him, so I just paid, said “Thank you,” and laughed all the way home.

Dogs of Chiang Mai

This temple is on a small soi behind my guesthouse. This temple dog stands at the doorway, watching the world go by.

Walking along the street, I heard lovely ringing. Looked up and saw these temple bells ringing in the breeze. So tranquil.

Thai homework with latte. 

Flower beds on the bridge with a view of the river was part of my morning commute. The flowers are such a Thai aesthetic—attention to detail. It was beautiful to pass in the morning—the river so tranquil in comparison to the morning rush.