Learning Thai in Gallery K

Today I went to my first Thai lesson of the year. My teacher was on break and we hadn't met in over three weeks. Previously we were working on a translation job for a Singaporean education company. Now we have returned to our original area of study: The Ramakien (รามเกียรติ์). The Ramakien is the Thai version of the Indian epic Ramayana. Currently we are witnessing the power struggles between the giant Tossakan and other powerful figures including the Lord Shiva and monkey king Pali. 

I want to talk about the story of how I first met my teacher but before I do, I will introduce Gallery K. This is a gallery that has been open for three years. Most recently, it expanded to include a cafe as well. It is called Cafe K. 

This is the owner Kim and her daughter.

They are from Seoul, Korea. The K in Gallery K stands for both Kim and Korea. The Gallery is full of colours and radiance. Every corner is delightfully decorated. A visit could be an art-viewing and life-enriching experience; or it could mean drinking some chocolate milk and eating dessert; it could also be a potential place to conduct meetings. I have brought two different Korean couchsurfers here on different occasions and they were both glad to meet other Koreans living in Thailand. I recommend this place as a place to visit for travellers too!

It is in a small soy behind the Bangkok Hospital.

It's also right next door to a Korean language school.

One is faced with a multitude of colours upon entering.

Now let's talk about how I first met my teacher. At the time I was living in Phattalung city. I had just quit my job there and I was wondering about what to do next. I really wanted to take 1-2 months off work and just play music. This would allow me to relax about working in Thailand and also let me concentrate on what is ultimately important to me. So my girlfriend at the time and I decided to move in together in a small town where she worked.

One morning we were waiting for a songteow (สองแถว) to take us to Papayom (ป่าพะยอม). We wanted to go scope out some apartments. As we waited, we saw that an elderly lady was also waiting at the side of the road. We asked her where she was going and she replied that she was also going to Papayom! Well we just imagined that she was also waiting for a songteow. So we waited together for a few more minutes and a car stopped in front of us. The lady slowly walked to the car and carefully got inside. We were a bit surprised by this. What was also surprising was that the car didn't move for a few minutes.

Then the windows rolled down and the daughter of the lady asked us if we were also going to Papayom. We confirmed and they invited us to go with them. That was very considerate and kind of them and we took their invitation as we climbed in. Their kindness didn't stop there. On the drive there we chatted. And once they found out that we were moving to Papayom, they took it a step further and brought us to 2-3 different locations to help us find a place to live. 

We liked one of the apartments they had brought us to and began talking with the landlords about the details. That night we went home and prepared to make the big move. The following day we rode a Tuktuk to Papayom. We got settled into the new apartment and started a new life. Most of the other residents of the apartment were university students. Papayom has a university campus so many students live there.

There was a convenience store on the main road before turning into the driveway of the apartment. We would go to that store regularly for basic needs and snacks. One day after a few months of having lived there already, the lady at the counter asked me if I would be interested in learning Thai with a teacher. She knew I was learning on my own and asked if a teacher could be of help. I said sure. She said that her sister is a Thai teacher. I asked if it was the other lady who sometimes sits behind the counter. She said yes. 

I was very excited to have a teacher! As the old saying goes 'when the student is ready, the teacher appears.' I must have not been ready enough because even after I spoke to my new teacher, we couldn't start for another 2-3 months due to an injury she had. But we finally started! I was learning with her for one hour per week. And the one hour was enough to help me realize that the tones in Thai needed much more attention than I had been giving them.

Initially I had imagined that I would live this lifestyle of not working, making music, and living with my girlfriend for a month or two. But that month or two turned into six months! And at the end of the six month period, it was time for me to find new work. We had split all the costs with my girlfriend up until then. She was getting ready to find work elsewhere. And I wanted to start making money again too.

I looked for a new job online filtering my choices to the south of Thailand. I wanted to remain in the south as I really liked it here. I didn't want to work in big Bangkok. I got an interview in Hatyai and an offer from Suratthani. I took the interview in Hatyai and got offered the job. It was an easy decision to make as the job in Suratthani was much like my previous job where I would probably face similar problems.

I made the move to Hatyai to begin working at Inlingua part-time. The great thing was that I could continue learning with my Thai teacher in Hatyai! She worked in Hatyai too and visited her family in Papayom on the weekends - as she still does. Today, too, after our lesson, she told me she was returning to Papayom.

Had we not gotten a ride to Papayom with the friendly mother and daughter, would we have found the same apartment to live in that lead me to meet my teacher? Maybe, but it's a thin maybe. So I appreciate the intricate unfolding that introduced this teacher to me.

The gallery is a highly decorated place to call school!

The art in the gallery is hand-made by the owner!

This is one example of a meeting room.

This is a rather comfortable room I take my breaks in.

So it feels good to have continued learning with my teacher in Hatyai. Right now I learn Thai 4 hours per week on Mondays and Fridays. Previously my teacher had always provided the learning materials but studying the Ramakien was my suggestion. I had tried out a kind of traditional Thai dancing called Kone (โขน) and when I asked for books to help me prepare for it, they just unanimously pointed to the Ramakien. It didn't work out with this dance troupe but it worked out with the piece of literature it inspired me to read. 

These are my favourite pieces of art in the gallery. They're for sale too.

I love these little homes.

It's a village on a mountain ridge.

The sun is setting in this village.

Currently, I am preparing to take the grade 6 level Thai exam which is offered to internationals studying the language. It is the highest level Thai exam offered to expats. I have just less than a year to prepare for this exam. Then I can have a certificate saying I passed the test. More importantly, I feel like reaching this goal will help to ground the basics of Thai in the linguistic software in my mind. Learning Thai is one of my favourite things about living in Thailand.

This is the room where the learning takes place.

And this is my teacher.