I instantly felt refreshed as I stepped into the air-conditioned 7-11 convenience shop. I had been riding my bike in the afternoon heat for about an hour, and the cold blast of air on my sweaty t-shirt was a welcome relief. I headed straight for the cooler in the back of the store in search of bottled water.
As I approached the cooler, my path was blocked by two female employees standing in front of the glass doors, laughing and talking as they unpacked crates to stock the shelves. “Kortoat krap,” (“Excuse me,”) I said quietly, trying to interrupt the jovial conversation politely.
“Kortoat krap,” I said again, a little louder. Still no response.
“Kortoat krap,” I said louder still. Nothing.
I wanted to tap one of the women on the shoulder to get her attention, but I paused. I had been told that it is not polite in Thai culture for a man to touch a woman whom he has never met before.
It must be okay for me to tap her shoulder if I’m dying of thirst, right? I thought to myself.
Luckily, another female employee saw me standing there and came over to tell the other two women to let me by. When they turned and saw me they quickly moved out of the way, apologizing profusely. I just smiled and said, “Mai bpen rai.” (“No problem.”)
We still have so much to learn about Thai culture, and this was surely just one of many awkward moments to come. Please continue to pray for us as we work to fit into this new society.

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