TripLekLek, the world as seen by a thai girl

admin May 20th, 2007

In front of me now it ’s an old man age around 70 years old.
He smile for me and hug me in his arms then he said
“Nice to meet you I am Nino”
Yes, He is Luca’s Father.
I am very tired because we get a long train from Laura and Marco’s House to reach Luca ’s house in the late at night.
After Luca’s father introduced himself I said to him: “Sawasdee Kha” and join my hand to greet him in Thai way.
He looking at me with a smile and a bit surprise and said to me again “Call me Nino” then he said “Nice to meet you”.
I answer “Nice to meet you too” with a low voice again because I feel shy.
I am very nervous to meet him. The man who took care of my boyfriend.

That night we went to bed so early because we were very tired.But around 5 am I can’t sleep anymore because it’s 11 am. in Thailand.
So I ask myself what I have to do. Then I decided to wake up and go to clean in the living room to kill the time.

Because I can’t find mob so I clean the floor by cloth in my hand till at 7.30 Papa Luca wake up and saw me with surprise and said “Tu (you) why I don’t use mop” (using his hands to show).

I forget to tell you that Luca’s Father can speak English very little.
I am a bit afraid that he will be angry but I really can’t sleep and I just look for something to do and this is the only thing I can do now.
So I tell him “I can’t sleep” but he don’t understand then I put a hand near my cheek to show what I mean.
I really can’t sleep well.
It’s because of cold weather and change time and the place.
So for the whole next week I always wake up early.
Luca’s father doesn’t like to change food and every morning he and Luca will have only coffee, but I can’t.

So I cook rice and stir fried vegetable (I bring Thai sauce from Thailand too) and he looks at me and asks:
- “Tu, no bread.”
I said:
- ” No, Thanks, in my home we eat rice in the morning, lunch and dinner”.
I open the dictionary and find the Italian word if he doesn’t understand.
Papa looks at me and laughs at me because he thinks in Thailand we are crazy because people eat rice 3 time per day.(Luca explain me).
The way he said makes me understand he doesn’t look down on me but he just don’t know why I have rice every meal.

I stay almost one week there before get travel to south of Italy until Sicily for 15 days.
So everyday I do a house work there and Papa says “Don’t do because you have come to holiday”.
For me I think it’s bad if I come and just sleep without help, so I told Papa it’s o.k. because I do working hard in the Hotel everyday.
So Papa smile.
And one day after I finished to wash the dishes Papa asks me:
- “Tu, like eat Buffalo?” putting his finger from two hand to show horns.
I answer:
- “No Papa”.
He asks Luca if it is true that I don’t eat buffalo, then Luca said “Yes” and I told Luca to explain Papa why I don’t eat Buffalo or beef.

It’s because one day when I was 10 years old. my father called me and said to me “Can you stop to eat Buffalo” I asking “Why?”.
Because Buffalo making rice for us and working hard and pity when be killed it have tears as like their know they will die.
Yes, I think my father is right because one day when I went to north east Thailand for give money to temple, people killed a buffalo for cooking and treat guests.
I walked and saw they cut the meat and I walked more an I found the head of that buffalo with open eyes and tears.

So that’s why I stopped, and I never eat it again.

Well Papa asking me again “Tu, do you like pollo (chicken)” I am confused but Papa continues with body language and make a hand up and down like bird who flies.
So I said “Chicken” then he said “No” then I guess “Bird (pigeon)” then I think he tired so he asks Luca “How to say ‘pollo’ in English”
Luca answer “Chicken” then he tell me and I said “Yes”.
Now Papa smile and point his hand up so I guess and said “Tomorrow”.
He nod his head and said “Yes, To-mo-rrow”.

I am very happy that he will cook something for me.
But more than anything when I stay with him or when I help him cooking I always got a new Italian word.
(because me and Luca we use English language).

One day again I saw Papa sitting reading a book in the balcony with a T-Shirt without sleeves so I am afraid he will get fever.
I decided to call him and asking him “Papa are you cold?”. He doesn’t understand me so I make my body shake and hug my arms to show him what I mean.
Well he laugh at me and said “Freddo” and he said “No freddo” and smile.
So I got one more word again.
And he asks me back:
- “Tu, freddo?”.
I say “yes, very freddo papa” and he laughs.

Papa is someone I can talk to because Luca is working online.
So everyday when I want to speak with Papa something if he doesn’t understand on the table in the kitchen I have my best friend: an Italian dictionary.

Because of this Papa and me understand each other.
I know Papa never get bore to help me to find a word and teach me a little word per day.
And I hope one day I can speak to him without dictionary in my hand and that will be a wonderful day for me.

Sawasdee Kha Or Ciao.

Lek

• My Travels , Italy