While the team was doing what was needed for their work permits, I was doing what girls do well…shopping. Mangoes are in season now and can be found at a few stands in the market. I bought four bags filled with mangoes and asked the merchant with my limited Thai and her lack of the English language if I could leave the heavy fruit with her while I bought the other things on our list. That’s one of the coolest things here in Thailand. You can leave your purchased items essentially anywhere, and they will be there when you come back. I finished my shopping and headed back for the mangoes. To give you guys a little perspective, the Market in Tak is basically two very long parallel streets with many streets branching from it.

When I came back to the lady at the Mango stand, I started picking up my bags and thanked her. She shook her head no, grabbed two of the bags and said “Bah” (meaning let’s go.) I tried to tell her that I wasn’t certain where the car was, or how far away, but she wouldn’t let me go alone. I have to admit, the bags WERE heavy and I don’t know if I would have been able to carry them the whole way.  I started walking towards where I thought the team was. And she walked with me. As we walked, we talked, she’d speak in Thai, and I’d reply in English. It was so nice. Then a man on a scooter who knew the lady walking with me, stopped behind us and took our bags, hung them on his handlebars, and slowly trailed behind us as we walked. We finally found the car and Serge on the next street over. We tried to thank the two of them for their kindness with a little tip but they would have none of it. I realize that this is the equivalent of someone unloading your groceries for you in America, but it felt like something more. They were two people helping a stranger out. Thai people are very very kind, it is in their culture. We are truly blessed to be in such an interesting country with such rich history and culture.