Thai

The noodle stall the morning after Sunday lunch: it's been a month; I want to stay on; till when; till New Year, three more months; the whole cool season; the old boat needs you; the room upstairs is yours; then you need a Thai phone; tomorrow, to Silom.

The phone shop at the mall on Silom, with Tee beside him: I'd like to buy a SIM card; your passport, please; here you are; with internet; yes, a cheap one; your new number, zero eight one; my number; Tee's number; how much; two hundred baht.

The first call on the new phone, Jack at the market and Tee on the pier: where are you; at the pier, and you; at the market, I'm buying limes; for Mum; for Aunt Oy, a lot; what are you doing; I'm sanding the boat; is Uncle Chai there; he's painting; OK, heading back now.

The house behind the pier in the evening, Aunt Oy asking and Grandma listening: what time do you get up; half past five; so early, and the market; six, with you; the boat, from when to when; nine to five; what time do you sleep; ten at night; like a chicken.

Monday morning on the pier, the stall closed: is the stall closed today; closed, every Monday; and the boats; the boats run every day; and Sunday; Sunday, lunch at Grandma's, every Sunday; what do you do every Monday; every Monday I sleep; then today we sleep; no, today, the old boat, let's go.

The Bang Rak market at six with Aunt Oy's list: buy limes, papaya and garlic; how many kilos of limes; two kilos; two kilos of limes, please; here, anything else; papaya, three; big ones; big ones, and garlic, one kilo; a hundred and twenty baht; here, thank you.

The pier at nine, the old boat out of the water: look at this plank; too old; and this one; too short; how many planks do we need; ten; is ten enough; not enough, twelve; there is enough wood; the paint is enough, the name comes last.

The market gate, Nui's motorbike and four bags: so many bags; yes, very heavy; get on, I'll take you; four bags and me; no problem, hold the limes well; slowly, Nui; slowly, sit tight; not fast today; twenty baht, thank you; thank you, Jack.

The pier at dawn, the first cool morning: it's cool today; yes, the cool season is here; a bit cold; a bit, in Seattle it's very cold; does it rain; it rains a lot; here the cool season is good weather; good weather, many passengers; then we work hard; hard, but fun.

The Skytrain to Mo Chit and the weekend market: next station, Mo Chit; I need a jacket; in Khon Kaen it's really cold; jackets, which colour; what colours do you have; black, grey, blue, red, yellow; black, please, can I try it on; it's good, how much; three hundred and fifty; you look like a Thai.

The evening before Loy Krathong, at the table in the house behind the pier, Nam and Jack make the floats: shall we make them together, I can't, I'll teach you, help me cut the banana leaf, like this, now the flowers, which flower, the yellow one, the candle in the middle, tomorrow we float them together from the boat.

Loy Krathong night in the middle of the river on one of the family's long-tail boats, engine off, under the full moon: full moon tonight, here, in the middle of the river, have you floated yours yet, not yet, already, look over there, have you made your wish yet, light the candle first, it's floating, happy Loy Krathong.

The noodle stall at six, the morning after Loy Krathong; Grandma and Aunt Oy ask about last night: where did you go, on the boat with everyone, did you float one, a big one, was it fun, very, the moon was beautiful, what time did you get home, midnight, and this morning half past five, I'm sleepy.

Nui at the mouth of the soi at midday, the day after the festival: did you go to Loy Krathong, I did, from Lung Chai's boat, did you float one, I did and I ate a lot, what did you eat, grilled squid and mango with sticky rice, I didn't go, I worked, all night, till midnight, many customers.

The fifth of December at the family table: what do we give on Father's Day, a canna flower and dinner, I'll cook for Lung Chai, he likes your fish, this flower is for you, thanks Jack, this fish I made for you, and your father, I called him, he says hello to everyone.

The ticket window at Bangkok's central station, then the platform: two tickets to Khon Kaen please, the morning train and eight hundred baht, how many hours does it take, about eight, from Bangkok to Khon Kaen eight hours, long but beautiful, the train leaves from platform three, let's go.

Grandma's wooden house in the village at five in the morning, mist on the field: cold, very cold, how many degrees, twelve, in Bangkok twenty-five, here it's the real cool season, take this blanket, is there hot water, hot coffee there is, look at the mist on the field, beautiful and cold.

The kitchen below Grandma's house at dawn, then the monks' round on the village road: come, sit here, this is sticky rice, try it, hot but delicious, eat with your hand like this, like this, the monks are here, put rice in the bowl, me too, you too, give it with both hands.

The rice field behind Grandma's house in December; the neighbour, a woman of seventy with a sickle: you're Grandma's guest, I'm Jack, have you ever seen a rice field, never, the first time, have you ever eaten sticky rice, I have, this is this year's rice, we're harvesting now, have you ever used a sickle, never, then I'll just watch.

The evening train from Khon Kaen back to Bangkok: how was the village, fun and very cold, and Grandma how is she, well, she's staying till New Year, grilled chicken and sticky rice from the vendor, two please and papaya salad, spicy, a little, how's the chicken, delicious, Isan is delicious.

Jack is back from Khon Kaen with his bag: still cold?

The stall at closing time, and Aunt Oy's plans: New Year is coming; what will we do?

Nam shows her drawing of the old boat's name and invites Jack to the studio in Ari: when?

The supermarket on Charoen Krung with Uncle Chai: New Year baskets for the wood man and for Nui; the big one or the small one?

The television forecast in formal Thai: Bangkok, lowest twenty degrees; will it get colder?

New Year's Eve afternoon in the kitchen, Aunt Oy's chicken soup step by step: boil the water first, then the galangal and the lemongrass, not the chicken yet, mushrooms first, last the lime and fish sauce; Jack says it all back, and he is a boatbuilder, not a cook: first, then, last.

New Year's Eve at the family table: happy New Year, everyone; Jack, may you be happy; may you have good health, Pa Oy; Yai, may you be strong; eat, eat, rice first; happy New Year, good luck, from Nam; Tee, next year, lots of passengers; next year, you're still here: wishes.

New Year's morning at the mouth of the soi: up already?

New Year's Day afternoon in the room above the stall; Jack has phoned Seattle and Tee asks: did you call your mother?

New Year's night over the leftovers, and Uncle Chai's news from the river: you know Master Wichai?