Truck Ride, Fruit, and White Skin

A few Saturdays ago Ake took us around town in the back of Ton’s truck.  Stevie sat in the front with Ake so he could tell her what kids of things we were passing.  The rest of us (me and 4 others) sat in the back of the truck.  He showed us where a few good western restaurants were.  We dorve by the town temple and the recreation center (where there’s a pool and the soccer games are held.  Phichit has a soccer team and they play other teams from around the country.  There is a game in a couple weeks and we’re planning to go.)  He showed us where there were some food stands.  One sold pizza—sort of.  We stopped at a place called “Amazon Café” and  I got a strawberry yogurt smoothie. 

I applied sunscreen since it was early afternoon.  We drove around from 1-2:30.  My poor legs got so burnt.  I guess I didn’t put enough on, or it wasn’t string enough, or it was expired (which is unlikely since I’m 95% sure I bought a brand new bottle to bring), or my legs are just too white and sensitive.  It has since peeled and I have a little bit of a tan there, but the rest of my legs are still white.    Speaking of being white…

Yesterday I was in the kitchen cutting up a pineapple I had purchased.  (Fruit is really inexpensive here.  I got a pineapple and a mini watermelon for 20 baht.  30baht = about $1).  They have some unique fruits here. 

These are called Rambutan.  You cut them open and the inside is white and has a jelly texture.  There is a big seed in the middle that you eat around.

Those green apple looking fruits have the taste and texture of jicima sort of .  I don't care for them.  The small tan fruit grows on a vine.  You pick them off and squeeze them and the peel splits so you can get it off.  The inside is clear/white and juicy and a little gummy.  It tastes a bit like citrus.  I like them!

Anyways… yesterday I was in the kitchen cutting up a pineapple.  The 3 cooks/maids were in there along with a gardener and one other random person.  I got a knife and cutting board and started cutting.  They all started laughing and looking at me.  People talk, laugh, and look a lot so it wasn’t out of the ordinary.  They kept laughing and looking at me.  I looked back at them and finally one of them said, “You so white!”  I agreed and chuckled.  I tried to take is as a compliment.  Thai people don't like to get tan and stay as white as possible.  Some will even wear long sleeve shirts in the terrible heat to avoid the sun on their skin.  At church the other week in Sunday school we each put our names on a piece of paper and passed it around ,  Then we each wrote something nice about everyone else.  It was a little tricky for the people I just met that day.  One person wrote in Thai something to the effect of "You are very beautiful white."