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, 134 YinD

“We all want sweetness, beauty, harmony, exhilaration, and happiness in our lives. Don’t search for it, endlessly and fruitlessly, in other people and circumstances. Become it yourself. Become it with total commitment and in full force. Your life will flower with tremendous potential.” ― Donna Goddard

A feature of Thai culture that I did not fully expect before moving here is the omnipresence of little snacks. Yes, food is important in general, and fruit is a particularly rich representation of this, but there is another category of food that absolutely abounds in any market (dtalat ตลาด), workplace, or household: the khanom (ขนม). Khanom is used quite loosely to describe a small snack, either sweet or savory. It may be traditional, contemporary, or influenced by another culture’s food. Whenever and wherever the urge to have a khanom strikes, you will surely find one, sourced anywhere from the simplest street vendor to the finest dining establishment. Visits with friends, work meetings, and community events alike are incomplete without a khanom break, when snacks are enjoyed together with a sweet beverage such as coffee, tea, or juice—mostly iced due to the heat.

It’s worth noting too that khanoms play a vital role in the endless chain of naam jai, being gifted back and forth between friends and acquaintances alike. It’s typical for me to receive a khanom upon arrival at school, and I’ve taken to carrying some of my own around for when I get a chance to reciprocate, especially to show my appreciation toward teachers who give me rides and otherwise support me.

As much as I try to eat healthy and relish the abundance of fruit and vegetables in Thai cuisine, I must admit that I regularly succumb to the seductive appeal of the khanom—to the extent that my Thai nickname is…in fact, Khanom. But these little treats are widely enjoyed for good reason. Thais recognize that a sweet snack has the power to instantly boost and energize.

The more time I spend in Thailand, the more I realize this emphasis on sweetness extends beyond khanoms and Thai tea. It’s a lifestyle to focus on the sweet, to embrace the fun, easy, friendly parts of life. Schedules are highly flexible, holidays are frequent, coffee shop chats and karaoke are both normal work activities, and I’ve heard the words sabai sabai (essentially, “take it easy”) too many times to count.

As central as flavor is to Thai culture, it makes sense that an idiom about life might use the terminology of taste, and it does. The phrase òt bprîao wái gin wăan (อดเปรี้ยวไว้กินหวาน) means to forego the sour in favor of the sweet and is a welcome reminder to look for the good moments, even while acknowledging that being human means tasting every flavor.

This reminder rings particularly true for me this week. I’m writing this article from COVID isolation with a pounding headache behind my eyes. My students are on my mind; I worry I’ll weaken my relationships with them by missing classes. I’m reeling from the disappointment of the rental house I selected becoming suddenly unavailable for the second time. And, just a few days ago, I lifted a bag off the floor of my room to discover a black scorpion the size of my hand. I’m still not sure how it snuck in or how long it had been making itself at home. After I returned it to the ditch near my house I sat on my floor thinking, “Okay universe, what’s the point of all these antics, what do you want me to understand?” It struck me that I’ve been feeling stuck in sour mode; maybe I needed a little fright to bring me back to myself.

So, I challenged myself to reassess. Perhaps COVID isolation is an opportunity to get the rest I’ve been lacking—a time to nourish my body, mind, and soul. This rental house falling through allows me to explore more options and find one that may be an even better fit, as well as reminding me to make big decisions slowly and intentionally. As for the giant scorpion…I guess it was free exposure therapy for my childhood phobia. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer means expecting some sour experiences, but it absolutely does not mean going without the sweet ones. The secret is balancing the two extremes to savor the nuance in between.

I know how easy it is to get caught in the spiral of negative thoughts, to begin seeing events through the lenses of isolation and exhaustion, to attune your tongue to the sour. I know I’d be naive to suggest simply looking on the bright side…so instead, I’d like to invite you to take a khanom break with me. Go ahead…grab a snack, pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and see if you can find some sweetness.

Sending all my love.

P.S. If you caught last week’s edition of Snake Snake Fish Fish, you saw that it was a guest contribution by the lovely Grace Teng. SSFF is lucky to feature her stunning artwork and her experience of greng jai. This is the official announcement that we would love to feature yours, too! If you have an idiom to suggest, or if you’d like to write your own article or create your own art based on one, please reach out. You can send ideas to pctm.stickyrice@gmail.com.

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Read Cloé’s previous articles and contributions.