Less than a split second later my wife, being as omnipotent as any human I have ever met, said, “That’s a dude.”

What!?

A dude!?

In my periphery she had a bust that said anything but “dude” and longer legs and a shorter skirt than I had ever witnessed…

…then I saw the Adam’s apple.  There’s not much you can do to hide that bad boy.  It just sticks out there and screams “I’m a dude!”

Sara didn’t have to do anything to make me regret my double take.  Indeed, it was a dude who turned into a dude-ette.

I’ve never felt so small.  So violated.  So hurt…

…than when my wife caught me double-taking on a transvestite…

The more we are in Thailand the better I get at deciphering the dude-turned-dude-ettes from the girls.  Sara has taught me well.  And women just seem to know the difference.  Adam’s Apple.  Shoulder structure.  Tone of voice.  All of these are a dead giveaway for any woman.  It’s the instinct they have. “One of these is not like the other.”  Women are probably better at “Where’s Waldo” than men also…  …it’s instinct.

Anyways, these are some random personal stories from our past in Thailand.  And, yes.  Those images above… …all dudes turned dude-ettes in the world renowned Miss Tiffany Universe pageant held in Pattaya, Thailand every year.  This year’s pageant just ended and Thailand prides themselves in being open to all sexual preferences, changes, and backgrounds…

Pray for Thailand and it’s mixed up views on sexuality and pride.  Pray for us as we minister in this context.

Your Thoughts?

A young boy practices his Takraw footwork

Takraw is a sport native to Southeast Asia.  Earliest historical evidence dates the sport as early as the 15 Century and murals depicted in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok (built in 1785) shows the Hindu god Hanuman playing takraw with a group of monkeys!

Takraw is a what I would consider to be a mixture of Hacky Sack, volleyball, badminton and some martial arts kicks thrown in as flavor.  Usually, a team consists of three players who attempt to score points by causing a woven ball to touch the opponents court in-bounds.  (Think volleyball).  The catch is that you can only use your feet, legs, head, chest… well, anything except your hands and arms. (Think Hacky Sack).  It’s played on a small court with a net.  (Think badminton).  And, since you can’t use your hands, you’ll have to spike the ball down with your feet…  which usually consists of aerobatic flips and kicks and a sure fire way for me to find myself in a hospital if tried…

In the evenings here in Thailand you’ll find your average Thai boy kicking around a soccer ball or a takraw ball.  Quite often you’ll see nets and makeshift courts set up in neighborhoods or across little back alleys where boyhood dreams of being a high-flying kick-spiker develop.

I’m sure the idea is confusing most of you, so here, watch this 1 minute video.  Some of the stuff these guys can do without breaking their faces is astounding!

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Today we are going to look at the Thai way of greeting each other called the “Wai” ( ไหว้ ).

A traditional Thai greeting

The wai is the Thai greeting and show of respect, indicated by pressing your palms together near your chest and bowing. Why wai? As a foreigner, you will show and receive respect by following this customary greeting, although many Thais will also (somewhat reluctantly) accept a handshake from you.

The wai is a unique, graceful action practiced throughout Thailand. It plays a very important part in showing respect and is central to Thai etiquette. For the most part Thais do not want to touch your sweaty, grubby little hands, so it’s a good idea to learn how to wai.  The wai can be very confusing, especially at large gatherings when you feel like you have been waiing, bowing and smiling a hundred times. However, the plus side is, when being wai-ed to by others you do start to feel quite important!

When being wai-ed to, you would be considered impolite if you didn’t return or at least acknowledge the wai – something especially difficult to do when you are carrying a lot of bags or in the middle of stuffing your face when someone sneaks up on you. At the very least, you can grunt and nod. Only monks and royalty do not need to return a wai.

As well as being a greeting, a wai is a show of respect. It can be difficult to determine when you should wai or when someone should wai you. As a foreigner, it’s just easiest to wai important people as soon as possible. If someone is going to wai you first, they probably already beat you to it.

However, if you really want to know when to wai, this depends on your relationship to the other person. The person of higher social status will be wai-ed to. You have only a few seconds to size up someone you meet and determine this, but it’s best to err on the side of waiing first if you are unsure.

Even Ronald McDonald knows how to greet politely!

One easy determination is age. If someone is older than you, then you should wai them unless they are someone whom you employ, such as a housekeeper. Additionally, you should never wai to anyone who you are paying for service, such as waiters, tailors, vendors, shopkeepers or taxi drivers. You also wouldn’t wai your peers and friends. Alternatively, when leaving a party or other such gathering, you should wai everyone, as this is the polite way to excuse yourself from the festivities.

You will also wai when receiving a gift from a superior, as a sign of thanks. Make your wai before you reach to take the object. While listening to a Buddhist sermon, it is also customary to hold a wai during the entire programme. You may even notice that as drivers of vehicles pass a sacred monument, they will wai – even taking their hands off the wheel!

If all that wasn’t confusing enough, there are different kinds of wais! The normal wai is with your hands pressed together at about chest level, presenting a slight bow with your body. The wai to a superior is with the tips of your fingers at nose level, still bowing your body. To convey the most respect and gratitude, you will wai with your fingertips at mouth level and present a deeper and longer bow.

So, what are your thoughts on the Thai way of saying “Yo, man, what’s crackin’?” with a huge chest bump?