Buhay Bangkok

“Do not climb the fence please – Foreign Department”

The sign was printed from some inkjet printer in one of the school’s offices. It hangs on the gate of Sarasas Bangbon’s side entrance, which opens into a soi (street) across  which is located the apartment complex where we reside.

My wife and I chuckled when we first saw it because we remembered the story told by one of her Filipino co-teachers, Tupe (short for Christopher). Tupe lives in the apartment complex inside the campus. However, his Filipina girlfriend lives in our apartment complex. The distance between Tupe’s apartment unit and the main gate of Sarasas is something like 300 meters or so. Quite a distance for a Romeo intent on seeing his Juliet (Tupe’s girlfriend teaches in another Sarasas branch).

To save time, all Tupe would do was climb the tall iron-wrought gate in the side entrance and he’d be in his sweetheart’s apartment in a matter of minutes. Typically Pinoy behavior, always looking for a shortcut. Madiskarte, as we call it.

But the rigid Thai mindset rebels at such transgressions. Thais do things by the book and by the numbers. They swear by the old rules, do only what’s tried and tested. In short, they don’t think out of the box. So, somehow, they can’t abide these Filipino ajarns (teachers) clambering up the side gate when they can simply use the front gate. Thus, the sign.

But here’s Tupe’s story which sent us laughing:

He was coming home one night from one of his amorous visits and again felt an urge to take the shortcut, this time, on his way in. He knew about the sign posted on the gate itself. No go. Undaunted, he walked a few meters past the gate and started to climb the concrete wall. Just as he was on top of the wall and ready to jump inside the campus, his eyes met the eyes of the Thai guard, who it turned out was keeping his vigil beside the guardhouse.

Beaming his best smile, Tupe cried out in his best broken Thai: “Sawadee kap! Tong non, may day. Nee, day!” (roughly translated: Good evening! I know it’s not allowed to climb there, but here, there’s no sign, so it’s OK). And then made his jump.

The Thai guard, perhaps encountering such logic for the first time in his life, can only laugh. Mai pen rai.