The Problem With "Nam Som"...

This is Dan starting... ... ... now!

Few things bother me more than when I go somewhere in Thailand, actually knowing how to say what I want, and the people won't even respond to you. This happens all over the place because there is a common (but not ubiquitous) sentiment that since I am white, I am rich and do not speak any Thai. Both of these are in fact wrong, because I am a teacher who is paid in Baht, and have a decent grasp on basic Thai. There are two sides of this situation as always, but Im going to be negative and tell you about the unpleasant side:

Sometimes, people just won't listen.
-On a bus to a major intersection, I asked the attendant to go to "See-Yan." Immediately he walked away and called for another attendant who must speak a little English. She said "bai nai?" (Where are you going?) "See-Yan" said I, exactly the same as before and with no questions or problems we were on our way.

- I love spicy things.
While Thai food has a reputation for being very spicy, a lot of it comes very bland but with a full compliment of additions and condiments. Namely: prik pon (crushed red pepper), nam som (crushed pepper in a sweet water), nam tan (strangely sugar since literally it is brown water!) and nam plah (fish sauce=garbage to me).
So when a dish is served up at a regular restaurant (as opposed to street food), you usually have to ask for extra seasonings. The two I want are prik pon and nam som. (more on nam som in a minute) The problem is when I ask for it, I get blank stares every time no matter how I try to change my tone or accent. I've finally learned that I am saying it completely right, but they are not listening. They take one look at me and decide that I could not possibly have asked for what they think I said. Which is always funny because once I get it, I ask them what it is called in Thai and they respond, exactly the way I said it, "prik pon."

*More on why nam som is confusing*
Thais use the word nam=water for a HUGE variety of phrases and words. Foe example, tears are "eye water" (nam tha), orange juice is nam som (orange water), vinegar is nam som (orange water), sweet spicy sauce is nam som (orange water)... Wait, there's no way they could use the same word for 3 completely different things... is there???

It turns out that yes, my friends, nam som is the name of at least three completely different things, and these without tonal difference. (for example the word "mah" can mean come, dog, horse, grandmother... depending on tone)

It's really no wonder I'm not understood sometimes, what with the tones and inflection. But that's not what bothers me. This is the Land Of Smiles, to be sure, but it is not without its scoundrels and selfish-folk alike. I've never felt the effects of racism so acutely as I have here and I've never more wanted to just blend in and not be noticed as the "farang" (white foreigner) walking down the street. 95% of the people are happy to see you and share their world with you, but the other 5% (4.5% of which are taxi and tuk-tuk drivers) just think you are some rich whitey with nothing better to do then invade their country and cause them 10 seconds of inconvenience. The worst part is that I am a legal alien, an attentive local, a speaker of the language (at least to a decent degree) and a teacher of THEIR CHILDREN!

Thailand if you weren't so beautiful sometimes we wouldn't get along so well.


A note on the pictures: both are in Saraburi (not Sarah- burry but sada-boodi!) the first is on our way to a nice "restaurant" when we were caught in a torrential downpour and the second one is at the saraburi train station, as I hope is clear from the sign.