Lessons with Missionaries

On the train up to Chiang Mai I was seated across from an older Thai gentlemen and his friend. They looked at me oddly as a woman traveling alone then politely ignored me as seems to be the custom. At least they did until I pulled out my Introduction to Thai Writing Book. Then they approached me, perching on the side of my bench and leaning across the rickety card table to look at it.

They were a couple of Thai Christian Missionaries heading up to the jungles of Chaing Mai to talk to the hill tribes. They were a great help showing me the proper way to draw the swirling Thai characters. My handwriting needs some improvement and they laughingly referred to children doing a better job. But Thai characters at best look like squiggles to me.

They helped me for a good hour, correcting my grammar, tones and my writing. It seems like just about anyone will stop and help you learn Thai if you make an effort. My taxi driver on the way to the train station kept teaching me words like traffic, bridge, left, right, bus, etc. etc.

When the train was delayed it was the missionaries who told me about it. And when I slept through the lunch stop they appeared with sweets, milk and news paper wrapped phad thai refusing to accept the money I offered. When we finally arrived at the station, a good 6 hours after the scheduled arrival time they made sure that I had a ride to my guesthouse before going there own way.