Farangs (foreigners)

I am still in the German bar, but I think I’ve figured a way around the keyboard, by typing in Word! We’ve taken to this bar because it has free pool, the bartenders make us weird dishes to try, and like many bars in Thailand, they play /live\ music.

What I mean by live is that at most bars they are playing a concert DVD from some show which has been downloaded to their hard drive. Right now it’s the Blue Man Group, which my French friends have taken to nicely.

Since we got on the bus to Pai three two days ago, I have spoken French. It’s been an incredibly weird feeling. This is by far the most I have spoken this language since taking French in middle school, literally all day long. It is amazing how few Americans I have met (um, none to be exact, though I have overheard some USA-sounding conversations). So far: French, Austrians, Swiss, Dutch, Israelis, English, and a Scot and Argentinean. And that pretty much sums it up so far. It’s hard to think of the world as not being entirely American. I will say that every single person I speaks English.

What a strange world to live in as an Anglophone. Everybody in the hospitality and tourism industry speaks English, as well as any avid traveler. It’s a bit disorienting to be speaking my foreign language (French) with my friends all day, then turn to the locals here and switch to my native language, 13 hours time difference from home. I find myself often saying “Merci” after receiving my plate of Pad Thai. Last night I had the head-spinning pleasure of sitting between a Frenchman (they’re everywhere!) and an Argentinean. Holy cow.

It is amazing how easy it is to meet others here, it’s just a matter of realizing that while everyone is here for the same reason, you might not be interested in hanging out with them. Like the super clingy 40 year old Swiss, who couldn’t have been nicer, but at the end of the day, I had to duck out of the guesthouse before he invited himself to Pai.

I’m sad that my French friends are heading to Bangkok tomorrow, but I’m not ready to head south yet. I’ll find myself in a small secluded lodge this time tomorrow, hopefully meeting a new batch of culturally engaging buds.