Why wai?

Ronald and I are demonstrating the universal Thai greeting, the wai. At first it's a little tricky (in fact, I ended up saluting once--it was quite embarrassing). Your age and status dictate who wais first, and how low, and how long. But after only a few months, the wai is really growing on me. When someone wais me, I feel kinda special... it seems very gracious, somehow. And when I wai someone, I feel respectful, appropriate, and kind of classy. Even when it's good ol' Ronnie McD.

laundry

Laundry day! Our laundry is whisked away by a woman in our building and then returned the next few days. I'm not sure what happens in the meantime, but this is a common scene in Bangkok.

uncle and aunt's kitchen

This is "uncle." He and his wife ("aunt") own/ run the finest street dining establishment we've encountered so far. It doesn't look like much, but they really do cook some great food! They set up folding tables and chairs along the sidewalk, underneath the green branches of a tree spilling over from someone's walled garden. Aunt whips up the food after you order it, in her wok over the propane tank burner. Uncle takes your order, and keeps supplies and plates ready for aunt. It seems as well-orchestrated as a surgeon and nurse (but instead of "scalpel!" we hear "rice!")

a walk in the park

These are our downstairs neighbors. They took us to a nearby park for a "little" walk. Two hours later (!) we were quite buddy buddy. They also took us to eat, and insisted that the food wasn't spicy, until my red face and watering eyes proved otherwise! "Oh, we're so sorry!" they exclaimed. "We don't think this is hot." (I did.)

eating suki

We ate suki with our new friend Naan. They brought out the food and then we put it all into the pot on our table and cooked it for a while. I have a "fish cube" in my chopsticks in the picture above. What is a fish cube, you may ask? Well, ask away, because I don't know!

Corn. In dessert. Who knew?