Returning to Canada Part 5
It seems so long ago that I penned Jimmy – Part 4 and submitted it to Stick. It was actually Nov. 23, 2020. Why does it seem so long? The reason is, my Thai wife, our son, and I have been in Canada now since March 1st, 2020. I miss Thailand very much, my wife and son, not so much!
We left Thailand just as Covid began shutting down international travel. I had been coaching boys’ basketball for the past 3 years at an international school in Bangkok. I had made the commitment for 3 years as the director of the school was a buddy of mine and the team and I became like family after the first year. I left the school and team with International Schools Trophy and many fond memories.
However, when half the staff came down with ‘the flu from hell’, which lasted at least 3 weeks, it was the harbinger of what was to come. This was late January and the news reports suggested it was time to leave Bangkok and hunker down in Canada. My son is a dual citizen, and my wife had her Permanent Resident card, so we booked our flights and said our goodbyes.
Those of you who read parts 1 – 4 will know that my wife and I beat the odds of bargirl and old farang relationships succeeding and have been happily married for the past 9 years. I am 71 and my wife is 35, and our son is now 7 years old.
We live about 30 minutes from Ottawa in the country on about 2 acres. This is important as my wife loves to walk in the woods foraging for leafy greens and mushrooms although she is not permitted to eat the mushrooms! In some things, I am the boss, but in most things democracy rules. However, I did find a job for my wife, working in a mushroom farm, alongside about 100 other, mostly Asian females from everywhere in Asia. We also discovered, through my son’s school, another Thai-Farang family and the wives have become close friends.
So, back to being happy. Canada has been shut down and is now scheduled to open at the end of March. I am looking forward to sitting in Starbucks, sipping my latte, and reading the book I just bought at Chapters, the local bookstore. I also look forward to heading out to the pubs and bars that I have indulged in since my 20’s. However, nothing can replace my expat friends and Thai ladies that I befriended over my 10 years in Thailand. There is no equivalent to the Hillary 2 Bar scene and certainly no Nana, Soi Cowboy, or soi 7! Matter of fact, there is nothing for a 70-ish punter to indulge in, in Canada.
Now, my wife is happy she no longer must worry about me on my night outs with my buddies in Thailand. I don’t believe she ever bought in to my theory that if I came home drunk, there was nothing to worry about because I would not be able to perform and I don’t like to waste money. Most night outs, it was just fun to flirt, joke, and grab the odd drink or even boob or bum.
My wife has managed to bank the money she earns and has $25K in the bank and will easily double that in the next year. She is ecstatic that she will have 1.5 million baht in her bank account, which most Thais will never experience. Hence my problem! The earliest we will be back in the Land of Smiles is the summer of 2023 when we will come back to visit friends and family. In this day and age, the old adage that you can’t take a Thai girl out of Thailand is simply not true. She talks to her family every second day on LINE and very occasionally a friend.
My wife has change since she arrived in Canada. She is still joyful and playful but now she also has a world view that only comes from travel and living in a foreign country. She now understands why certain things in Thailand pissed me off, such as the 90-day reporting and having to carry around my passport.
Most of my Canadian friends think I am a bit eccentric but the odd one has asked me if it is possible to still get a Thai girlfriend. Some of Thavorn’s friends are also interested in finding a farang, but I suspect it is for the wrong reason. A Thai-Farang relationship must be based on the same basis as a western relationship. That would be a deep commitment to each other, respect, things in common, and most importantly, the ability to have fun together, laugh, and enjoy the finer things in life. As Cindy Lauper used to sing, ‘Girls just wanna have fun!’
That’s it for now …
Jimmy
The author of this article cannot be contacted.
