Pad Thai and Laughter
One of the things I love about living in Thailand is the language. It’s so complex and tonal that it’s like a puzzle I get to solve every day. But sometimes, the language barrier can lead to some hilarious miscommunications.
One day, I took a Thai cooking class to learn how to make my favourite dish, Pad Thai. I arrived at the class eager to learn but quickly realized that the instructor didn’t speak much English. Undeterred, I took my place at the cooking station and followed along as best I could.
The first step was to soak the rice noodles in water. I watched as the instructor gestured to a large pot of water and said something I didn’t understand in Thai. But how hard could it be? I grabbed a bowl and filled it with water from the pot, then added the noodles and set them aside to soak.
Next, the instructor moved on to the sauce. She mixed tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, and chilli flakes, then handed me a spoonful to taste. It was perfect! But when I tried to ask her how much of each ingredient to use, she just smiled and said, “Mai pen rai,” which roughly translates to “don’t worry about it.” I shrugged and added a little of everything, hoping for the best.
Finally, it was time to stir-fry the noodles. I heated some oil in a wok and added the noodles, sauce, and a handful of bean sprouts. As I stirred everything together, I noticed the noodles seemed dry. I reached for the bowl of water I had used to soak them earlier and poured in a splash, hoping to loosen them up.
That’s when everything went wrong. The water I had used to soak the noodles was the water for washing dishes! The noodles were suddenly swimming in a soapy mess. I tried to salvage the word by pouring it through a strainer, but it was too late. I had created the world’s first (hopefully last) Soap Pad, Thai.
The other students in the class couldn’t stop laughing as I sheepishly dumped my creation in the trash. But in the end, it was a hilarious and memorable experience. And the best part? The instructor gave me a knowing smile and whispered, “Mai pen rai.”