How Polite Thai People Can Be

Brooke decided that she wanted to take violin lessons since someone gave her one as she left the USA. Sherry researched and found that our town had a small orchestra led by a man who speaks pretty good English. She spoke to him over the phone and he described the place where we could get lessons. It was in a residential area away from the part of town we usually travel.

Creeping through the neighborhood in our truck we were looking for the right house and saw through an open door a 40 year old man sitting in the doorway watching TV inside his house. He seemed to be also watching the street a lot. We made eye contact and he seemed to have a spark of recognition on his face. He jumped up and came to his gate, opening it as we gestured to him saying in English, “Is this the house for violin?” He smiled and nodded and Brooke and Sherry got out while Julia and I drove around the block looking for a place to park.

As Sherry and Brooke walked toward him he opened the gate. They went on ahead of him into his house and he hurried to move things off his sofa to make them comfortable as they watched TV with him and waited. His daughter also smiled happily with them as Sherry tried to communicate that they were there for the lesson. Some time passed with everyone continuing to smile politely at each other. Then, Brooke started to laugh, “Mom, this is totally the wrong house!” Sherry got her cell phone out and called the instructor again, learning that we turned left when we should have gone straight at the last crossing.

Politely excusing themselves, they thanked their hosts for a nice visit and left. Asians are soooooo polite!!!