Yes, I Can Eat Vegetarian!

It always puzzles me why Thai people have to comment on everything that I do. Often right in front of me as they don’t usually realise that I can understand them. Like the other day when I was queuing up to buy vegetarian food. One of the customers behind me remarked to her friend “Look, the farang is buying vegan food!” Was she thinking it was quaint that a foreigner was following her customs or did she think that I must be clever to be able to eat Vegetarian. The same goes for when I buy som tam or a curry. “Look, the farang can eat spicy food!” I really feel like telling them that chillies were first brought to Thailand by foreigners and that there are more full time vegetarians outside of Thailand than there are Thais. But I always keep my mouth shut. I like to think that the Thais think that I am clever to be able to do this. After all, they often tell me that I am “Geng” (clever) for walking for ten minutes to the market instead of taking a Samlor. Or that I’m “Geng” for eating som tam. So, I must be “Geng” for eating vegetarian food for ten days.