Snake Snake Fish Fish is an ongoing series based around Thai idioms/phrases/colloquialisms written about and illustrated by Cloé Fortier-King and guest contributors.
Cloé Fortier-King, YinD 134
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” – Rumi
Surely you have heard Thailand described as “The Land of Smiles”. While this is an accurate title, I find it somehow lacking. Thai people rarely stop at a smile. In my experience, the smile is only the beginning of a cascade of friendly conversation and generous gestures.
Homegrown fruit and vegetables delivered by neighbors. Gifted plants. Coffee and snacks on my desk upon arrival at school to teach. Home-cooked meals. Trips to 7/11 to lift my spirits. Countless rides to and from work. Cookies from my students at the end of a lesson. Sightseeing outings. Empathy and careful listening despite the language barrier.
This is an incomplete list of the ways Thai people have welcomed me into their homes and hearts. Their generosity has not ceased to baffle me. Within it I sense no hesitation, no conditions, no expectation of repayment.
This giving nature strikes me as very distinct from American social norms. Sometimes I question whether I even deserve it. Am I doing enough for this community to justify the kindness I receive each day from its residents? Are my students learning enough from me to validate their endless hugs and gifts they hold out to me? How can I graciously accept this goodwill and reflect it back—even as I struggle to integrate and find my place here?
It is a challenge to unlearn my conditioned doubts and fears, but my friends here are sending a very clear message: I do deserve it. I deserve kindness and generosity in the same way we all do. Not as an exchange for my productivity. Not as a bribe for my attention. But as a link in the chain that connects each and every one of us. As a person existing. As someone who is showing up to each day with an open mind and heart. That is enough. It will always be enough.
Naturally, there is a Thai phrase to describe this fluid and bottomless generosity. It is น้ำใจ (naam jai), which literally translates to “water heart.” The kindness of Thai people is not only present in their words and actions—it is positively dripping from them. This idiom is so ubiquitous that the PCVs of Group 134 were introduced to it during pre-service training by our wonderful aa-jaans (language teachers). They were right to highlight this idea; I see “naam jai” every single day, and I relish having the language to acknowledge and name it.“Naam jai” is just one of a plethora of turns of phrase that feature the word “jai” or “heart.” Thai language and culture both revolve around the heart, which leads me to the conclusion that Thailand should perhaps more accurately be called by another name: “The Land of the Heart”.
Sticky Rice 
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