A lucky treat
Being motherless from such a young age had its pitfalls for me and all my brothers and sisters. A child's life no matter how innocent at the time can soon find themselves on the wrong tracks and heading in the direction of a life of crime, drugs or prostitution. I'm not saying that prostitution should be listed among the worst things that can happen. It is the oldest profession and so so accepted in Thai and Asian societies.
Some of my best friends were bar girls, some of them did it for money, some of them for fun-you know they can choose who they end up with at the end of the night? So I hope you realize that it isn't much different to you western girls or women who date a man who has money. He pays for dinner, gives you gifts, buys you clothes and jewelry and at the end of the evening'?
Drunk farang awakes
The white man that staggered into our village in the middle of the night did make the women and children laugh so at the time, he wasn't handsome but he looked kind. He looked like the type who could make any girl happy. When he wandered in that night crying for his wife we couldn't imagine what he meant by it at the time. It turned out however that he was single and he couldn't remember anything of what he'd said or done nor how he came to be here. His name was Anthony, he was 32 and his job was a teacher. One of the villagers who put him up the night before asked him if he would like to stay with us a while he was on holiday. He agreed and promised to teach the children English. We were all fascinated by this strange green eyed creature from out of space, his strange colored hair and strange smells and customs. We were especially curious in what he thought of our food, as he took a bite of some of our spicy curries of meats and vegetables. (Chiang Mai food is especially spicy) The women and children all took delight at him squirming with discomfort. 'Delicious' he said, 'alloy' we replied. It was then that our English education started and we started to learn a new range of vocabulary, and for every word he taught us, we taught him a Thai one. I was especially interested in what he thought of some of the women in my village. There was the 16 year old girl with large breasts whose wings had been clipped by her parents recently. She still strutted around the village in a way that only adult girls should do. 'Su-way' we shouted and he repeated not knowing that it meant 'cute'. He seemed dismayed and uncomfortable by this. Probably because of her scantily dressed presence and saucy girl mannerisms-this made all the women laugh. And then there was Savitree, a 23 year old working at a Chiang Mai flower store. I remember she had heirs and graces of a real Asian lady. When Savitree was around we all watched his eyes with special interest to see if they'd move with the movements of hers. When she looked at him, he reverted his eyes-we had found his weakness. Besotted by an Asian princess in an Asian village. Savitree was single, no boyfriend. She had a slender figure and long legs. Her hair was shoulder length and she held an indescribable revering beauty about her. Unlike the other girls in the village, she possessed a quiet subdued aura of intelligence and perhaps a passion for love. Surely an Asian princess.
