A fortunate occurrence

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Wandering down Mae Nam Khwae in search for breakfast, a woman shouted out “Where you go?” Somewhat overwhelmed by the numerous taxi drivers seeking out fair skinned transplants, I didn’t attempt to speak slowly, “We are looking for someplace to eat.” She rushed to the back counter, grabbed a menu and ushered us inside to one of the tables. “Our pad Thai is very good,” she said with a thick, Thai accent. “Goo ai dee oh pát thai dow hoo?” David asked for pad Thai with tofu. “Yes, yes.”

Mrs. Yupayong Pholudom pulled up a blue, plastic chair to the wooden table and sat with David and me while we waited for our food. She explained to us that she used to work for the government and now she has owned Valentine Bar for nearly four months. She seeks out tourists on the street with the sole purpose of sharing a piece of her Thai culture with them, not to overcharge for a meal. “I get for 30 baht, you 60. You pay too much. No,” and she made a disgusted face at one of the menus that sat on the table, charging 80-120 bath for American food. She disappeared and re-emerged with two bottles of water; “for free,” she said and handed us glasses of ice.

Moments later her husband arrived in their white, Toyota Corola with a plastic bag full of their breakfast. Mr. Pholudom smiled genuinely at us and walked toward the back of the bar, where a round table sat.

“Ten baht. Ten baht, ten baht, ten baht.” Mrs. Pholudom said as she pointed to what her husband bought: five portions of rice with chicken, wrapped in paper. “Cheap, cheap.” He handed each of us our own bag and motioned with his hand that we were to eat it. “No, we have food,” I responded, not wanting to take what little food they had from them, and I pointed behind me where two plates were delivered, full of pad thai and fried rice. But, he was too friendly. He insisted that we take the food to eat.

The four of us sat around the table, eating delicious Thai food. Mr Pholudom motioned to us several times to try the chicken soup, which tasted like home. The rice and chicken wrapped in paper was moist and fresh, accompanied with a dark, brown, sweet sauce that had a hint of spice. The fried rice was mouth watering, it was a wonderful variation from the usual soup we have for breakfast, or the spicy papaya salad that often filled our stomachs for lunch. It melted in my mouth with each bite, as though it had been made thousands of times, being perfected over and over again.

“Aroy mahk!” I declared after each bite, not able to tell them enough how delicious it was.

We sat around the table, speaking to each other as best as we could in broken English and terrible Thai. Mr. Pholudom left and reappeared with a plate of freshly cut, cold watermelon, and again insisted that we eat.

Before we left for the train station, which they drove us to for free, Mrs. Pholudom did a load of laundry for us (for free). On our way to 711 to buy detergent, she handed a food vendor 100 baht and in return received 40.

“So she didn’t even take any for herself.” David said to me when I told him what happened.

“No, she didn’t, did she?”
She charged us 60 baht total for two plates of food, watermelon, two waters, a load of wash, soup, chicken and rice and a ride to the aiport.

I gave her 200 baht and told her to keep the change.

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Comments

[Gary Hughes]

Wonderful story
Hi Jenn, You'll have to tell me how you set up your blob.........pretty funny, huh! I know it's a blop not a blob..........................................................................................................................................................pretty funny again, huh?... Really enjoyed your writing. Going back now to your blot to check it out some more....................real funny this time, right? Love, Dad