Black woman is back

[christianpfc]

Black woman is back

Black woman is back in Thailand, this time for longer. We met last week in Soi 4, nothing to write home about. We had Paella at Spanish on 4. She suggested each of us pay half of the bill. I was expecting her to split it 60/40 because I ate more of the paella than she did – she was full, so was I, but I can’t let food go to waste. In addition, my drink was more expensive than hers, should I have offered to split the bill 60/40? When we got back the change, four 1 Bath coins dropped to the floor, I could find three of them, but the last one fell under the wood grille of the terrace, I could see it, but not reach it. If any of my readers found a 1 Baht coin in front of Spanish on 4, please pm me, it’s probably mine. (OMG! Did I just write 62 words about 1 Baht? Yes, I did.)

But when we met yesterday (04.09.2013), it was the full spectrum of cultural ignorance, strange behavior and “In America, this is/we do/whatever…”.

We had an appointment for 20:30 at Terminal 21. I was there at 20:27 (after 1.5 hours traveling first by bus, then by MRT, in between 30 minutes walking to visit two other places/boys on the way (full story another time)). I call Black Woman. She is still in her room (Suk 11, about 10 minutes walk away) and would take a taxi now. I addressed this issue (her always being late, despite being much closer to the meeting point) later, she thought I don’t know how long it would take me to get there, so she was waiting for my call confirming that I have arrived.

We go to the cinema at Terminal 21. There are posters for a movie about lady Di. Black Women met her (sat opposite to her in a loge) in an opera in Paris. They were wearing the same or a similar hat. They smiled at each other and nodded. BUT Black Woman does not remember which opera in Paris (I know of Opera Garnier and Opera Bastille, they are completely different), so we have to take this story with a grain of salt.

Black Woman tells the cashier how much that ticket would cost in America. She often does, and she tells the Thais prices in Dollar, as if that would mean anything to them.

She invites me, that’s a first. She pays for the tickets (200 Baht) with her credit card. (Do you pay everything with credit cards in the USA?) In the cinema, I walk to our row. Black Woman suddenly stops and walks across the last row from one side to the other (the row is full, so you have to step over other’s feet). I follow her and wonder what she’s up to. “We sit here” (pointing to two seats that are in a higher price category than we paid for, for couples without an armrest between the seats). “But that’s not our seats. If someone else has these seats, we have to get up.” No sooner had we sat down, someone else comes with a ticket for these seats. We move on to the next two seats. Black woman goes back to exchange the tickets. “In America, this (distance to the screen) would be in the middle.”

She comes back with new tickets. “These seats are 250 Baht more expensive (than the ones we had first, 100 Baht on Wednesday), but don't worry, I invite you.” After the advertising, before the movie, Black Woman is the last person to get up, and then hisses to me “This is so annoying”.

During the movie (White House down) she tells me which actor she knows personally and whom (actor from the movie) she had BBQ with two months ago.

After the movie, we walk along the market on Sukhumvit. She wais people of lower social status. She asks merchants about prices and then tells me how much cheaper she can get the article elsewhere. She has no idea if the Thais she talks to understand her or not (I can see in their face that they don’t understand her).

I couldn’t make this up, but that’s why I like her, with her it’s not boring. A perfect match to how US Americans are stereotyped. Very entertaining, in doses, not more than a few hours at a time. I subject myself to all her whims (Yes, honey. You are right, darling.) Maybe I can learn more about myself by observing her, in order to improve my interaction with Thais.

Do you think it’s appropriate to write about other’s character flaws? (Especially in my situation, glasshouse and stones come to mind.)

[Alex]

After the advertising, before the movie

Nice way to put it.

Do you think it’s appropriate to write about other’s character flaws? (Especially in my situation, glasshouse and stones come to mind.)

I'm dreading the thought that she might be reading this forum. But, then again, you know that your social skills are lacking, and she probably already knows that, too.

[Bob]

She suggested each of us pay half of the bill. I was expecting her to split it 60/40 because I ate more of the paella than she did – she was full, so was I, but I can’t let food go to waste. In addition, my drink was more expensive than hers, should I have offered to split the bill 60/40? When we got back the change, four 1 Bath coins dropped to the floor, I could find three of them, but the last one fell under the wood grille of the terrace, I could see it, but not reach it. If any of my readers found a 1 Baht coin in front of Spanish on 4, please pm me, it’s probably mine. (OMG! Did I just write 62 words about 1 Baht? Yes, I did.

Christian, I'll grant you that your stories are interesting. But....can't help myself.....I would diagnose your wallet as being a just a wee bit anally retentive.