Page 24 - Masala Lite Issue 160 April 2024

6. Of course we make plans to go out for dinner on
Mondays and/or Tuesdays so we don’t have to eat
vegetarian food at home.

7. Of course we will serve you phad mee, cheese toast
and chai when you come over.

8. Of course we worship pad krapao with kai dao,
especially at the beach.
An unreformed party girl and mother 9. Of course we all dabbled in the textile business in
of two,writer, editor and observer Sampheng at some point (or still do, much to our
Sumati Huber tries to dismay).
make sense of our unique
Thai-Indian society and the aunties 10. Of course we speak in a Western tone to our friends
that she will one day become.
but turn on the Indian accent when we are with
our families.

WE’RE THAI-INDIAN… 11. Of course we tell our non-Indian friends to call us
“Deep” even though our good name is Sandeep.
1. Of course Thai people don’t believe we speak Thai,
and Indian people laugh at our Hindi. 12. Of course we were forced to dance at weddings of
relatives we didn’t even know, since we were young. 17. Of course we are still scared to drink alcohol in
front of our parents even though we are almost
2. Of course we don’t repeat any of our Indian clothes
to wedding functions, and then complain that our 13. Of course we are part of at least 20 WhatsApp 40 years old.
closet is not big enough to store our lehengas. groups for dinners, lunches, birthday gifts, wedding
dances, social events and prayer sessions. 18. Of course we have the best sources for Indian sweets,
vegetarian cakes, jewellery, homeware, alterations,
3. Of course we call hair and makeup people to come 14. Of course we turn our heads and visibly stare when massages, beauty services and anything else you
home and glam us up for all our social events.
we see other Indians entering a place. could ever need.
4. Of course we’re friends with a wedding planner or 15. Of course we will ask you when you are getting 19. Of course shopkeepers tell us we have to wear size
have joined the business as a freelancer ourselves.
engaged or when you are planning to have a baby. XL because our bodies aren’t actually built like Thais.
5. Of course we tell trained restaurant chefs how to 16. Of course all the aunties and uncles in society know 20. Of course we have to explain to Thai people we are
properly season their Indian cuisine and confuse everything about us even though we have no idea ethnically Indian when they ask us why we don’t
waiters by ordering items that are not on the menu.
who they are. “look” Thai.