Independent Woman

Now, I consider my self a fairly well traveled person, pretty smart and pretty able to figure things out and get by. Now this is not bragging just an observation of (what I think at least) myself. The women we work are amazing nice women who obviously care, however a lot of the time I feel like they are treating me like a small child who knows nothing, about anything! Every time I cross the street with them they grab my arm and hold on very tight, like I am going to run a way or get lost while crossing. They do not do this to any of the boys. We eat lunch everyday directly across the street from our school at a little market. Now as Jeff has said earlier, Thai’s are about the nicest least malicious people I have ever met so it is a very simple outing to eat lunch. These women are absolutely terrified at the thought of me going to eat by my self, while they and other Thai’s do it all the time! I needed to buy shoes for the parade we were in, they told me to go across the street to the market to look there for shoes. When I said OK I would go after work I got a firm grip on my arm and a “who are you going with?” accompanied by a look of “YOU are going to go by your self?” I said Jeff would most likely come with me and I got a sigh of relief and an “ok good.” Another example if this is all the high school girls were given their outfit and jewelry for the parade a few days before the event. I was not. I was told “I will hold on to this for you, don’t worry.” Now I know they are just trying to be helpful and considerate but it feels incredibly condescending. I get they are worried about me not knowing the area and not speaking the language, but this was holding on to things for gods sake! No language required!

I guess they are just his way with the girls who come work for them. There was a girl before me who came on her own, they smothered her more than me (probably because I came with a boy) and she ended up leaving after two weeks! Its hard to deal with a lot of the time. I appreciate their help when I ask for it or even useful information of places to go or avoid, but it would sure be nice to be viewed as a smart competent woman once in a while… just have to remember TIT…