Thai Night

Last night was Thai Night. Thai Night 2004. Put on by the Thai Association of Georgia, Thai Night 2004 was held in the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot near Underground Atlanta.

My friend Arthur called me during the week to let me know about this, and to see if I wanted to go check it out with him. We weren't really sure what to expect, except that it was to feature, naturally, Thai food and also, reportedly, Thai dancing.

It turned out to be a very family-oriented event. The Thai Association, like a lot of other civic groups, exists to . . . well, I actually have no idea why it exists. Much of the speaking on the stage was in Thai, with some occasional English. But no matter, it was all very respectable, and most people were dressed up in jacket and tie or in gowns. Except, of course, Arthur and I, who showed up in jeans and leather jackets (and in my case, a black t-shirt).

But it was a lot of fun. It was basically a big banquet for the Atlanta Thai community. The food was great, and there was a lot of it, from traditional Thai chicken curry to good old American prime rib. When we first arrived, there was a lot of karaoke-style singing, in Thai, to what I imagine were Thai pop songs, but as the night went on, the dancing began, with the dancers all decked out in exotic Thai outfits. The dancers, mostly all women, ranged from adult professionals to the children of the Wat Buddha Bucha's Thai Sunday School.

The high point of the evening, at least for me, was when a little girl, probably about eight, came into the audience with all of the other little dancers in her class, and asked me to come on stage to dance with her. Of course, I initially resisted, but of course, Arthur urged me on, and so I found myself, one of the few non-Thais in attendance, in front of the stage trying to dance Thai style, all flexed fingers and elbow rotations, dancing with a little Thai girl in native costume.

And she was so kind and considerate of me. When I looked more perplexed that usual, she would show me what to do; when other adults danced between us, she made sure she stuck with me. I was charmed. Afterwards, we bowed to each other, and I bowed to her mother, who was never far from the stage, and complimented her on what a well mannered daughter she had raised.

Arthur had just come back from Thailand, and is planning to go back there soon. Based on the hospitality and the joy in the people I saw there last night, I could understand his enthusiasm.