This morning I was walking out of my house to go to the university as usual. My house is about 10 min walk away from Rod Song Taew (I really have no idea how to say this in English. It's like a minibus that runs in and out of the Soi or the street) So I have to walk there to get on the bus in order to get out of my Soi, and then I can catch the bus afterward.
So I was walking when a car stopped and parked beside me. The driver offered to give me a ride to the front of my Soi. I was a little reluctant but finally agreed to go. She's one of the neighbors in our village, but we've never talked. So she's really a complete stranger to me.
It was probably a very little thing, but I was touched, you know? Why should a stranger offer to give me a ride? Today is one of these days I feel people's charm in my own country. Generally, I'd like to believe Thai people are very considerate about others. I live in Bangkok, quite a big city, and usually people from big cities (Take Tokyo or New York as examples) don't give a shit about others. But you are able to see this kindness among people in Bangkok from time to time. I'm just simply amazed by that.
Later this evening, I was on BTS back home. When I started to pull the Japanese textbooks out of my bag to read, a 40 something Japanese guy started to talk to me. In Japanese.
Not usual, if you ask me. It might be normal for Westerners to approach strangers in public places, but I wouldn't say so for Japanese. They're more reserved and kept to themselves.
Anyway, this guy appeared to have quite a lot of attitudes about Thailand and Japan. He said there are a lot of go-go bars in Bangkok (Come on now, give me a break. I'm REALLY sick of this comment) He also claimed he graduated from Keio University, which is kind of like one of those Ivy League universities in Japan. One time he asked whether Thai university education level is equivalent to Japanese middle school level.
NO KIDDING. I wasn't sure whether I heard it right (after all, my Japanese sucks), so I had to ask him to repeat the question. It really was that question. Gosh, I can't believe this. He thinks Thai university students are educated in Japanese middle school level? WHAT. THE. HELL. He's probably thinking we're those third world countries.
Wait a second.
We are. Yeah right, I forgot.
Then he sort of bragged about how good his nation is. Japanese are hard-working and all the other stereotypical shit. He said he's a police, and police in Japan are smart, whereas Thai police are not.
Well, I couldn't defend this one. Because, you know, it's true.
He also asked the ranking of my university. I really wanted to brag, but judging how poor my Japanese skill is, I just couldn't say "Well, everyone said my university is the best one in Thailand." If I had said that, he could have thought what he's thinking about university students here is right. Not to mention that I personally hate that sentence myself.
Yeah, I know. I'm pretty modest, aren't I?
The conversation ended up by his asking if I wanna hang out with him. GOSH, this is SO GROSS. Why would I wanna hang out with someone who's so full of himself and thinking his nation is superior to ours in every possible way? Not to mention he's old enough to be my friggin' father. It totally creeps me out.
So yeah, going to and back from school today was a little livelier than it usually is, that's all.
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