Attempting to Learn Thai 15

October 21, 2007
Months in Thailand: 16
Hours at AUA: ~1280 (Level 5-10)
Reading and Writing: AUA Level 2 (~10 weeks/~50 hours in class time)

In Class:

Nothing much new here... still beneficial but far easier than I need. My understanding is 90-100%.

Out of Class:

Here's why I'm posting.

Last Saturday, as I was leaving work, I walked by the most beautiful woman I've seen in over a year of living in Bangkok. She was striking to the point that I couldn't not talk to her, so stunning that the impossibility of her being interested in me, or my looking like a fool, didn't even factor in, and the only question was what to say.

She was working as a presentor for this credit card promotion going on in the mall, and so I went up and asked her if foreigners could apply for this card, and we started talking just a bit. She asked what I was doing here, and hearing that I taught, mentioned how she'd like to study English again. After a minute other customers came by, and another sales rep started talking to me, so I excused myself and headed home.

But the instant I walked away, I made myself a promise: if she was working again Sunday- very likely since these are usually weekend long events- I was going to ask her out. I knew what would happen if I did, but she was too stunning to forget about. The Thai for this is "dit dah dit jai"- stuck to my eyes, stuck to my heart. Burned into my retinas.

So Sunday, I went back. I walked right up to her, and said, "Hey, how are you? Do you remember me from yesterday?" She smiled and said yes, and, we exchanged a few lines of small talk. And then, I just went for it. "So yesterday you said... oh, you know, I don't know your name yet?" June. "So, June. Yesterday you mentioned wanting to study English again, right?" Yeah, that's right. "Ok, so then, let me take you out to dinner. You can practice your English, and I can practice my Thai. What do you think?"

"Sure, sounds good."

Yes, that's right. She said yes. She said yes, gave me her phone to enter my number, and let me call to my own phone to have hers. The most beautiful woman in the world just gave me her number, and said she'd be pretty free in the coming week. We talked a little longer, I made a silly joke that made her laugh, and I went home, wondering if this sequence of actions might alter the space time continuum and destroy the universe.

Now, before you also start to worry about the end of the universe, I should add that I called two days later, and she said she wasn't free anymore this week or this weekend. It might be true, or I might have gotten blown off, and at any rate I certainly plan to call again. But whatever happens, the important thing is this:

Every word of the above exchanges happened in Thai, and without a hitch.