Equal Rights and Punching a Girl

About a week or two ago I went to Curve, it’s a bar on Ekamai Rd, packed with young adults. I hate that place.

Or I’m just getting too old to fight for my space. It’s incredible and ridiculous how crowded it can get inside bars here. There’s got to be some kind of law in Thailand about how many people can fit inside a building because it’s certainly not safe and a fire hazard. When Toey spilled a drink and broke his glass, I couldn’t even move to get out of the way. The floor was too packed, we were standing, and I had whiskey+coke dripping all over my toes.

Anyway, what I wanted to talk about was not the crappy music or the sweatshop I found myself in.

First, let me describe the setting. Our friends stood around a square table about half a meter in size. There were about 7 of us surrounding this table, could be more. Our other friends were at another table. I may be exaggerating, but it was so crowded that everybody was forced to just stand with their arms to their sides. We tried to enjoy the music by bobbing our bodies up and down. I really wanted to leave, a lot of us wanted to leave, but we just ordered another bottle. I tried to grow roots from my feet so that nobody can take my space. I was holding down my fort.

There was this girl at the next table, standing behind Toey. Now, let me describe Toey. He’s about 180 cm, normal-size built. The girl was probably 150 cm.

She said, “Excuse me.”

Toey scooted his butt inwards because he thought she wanted to walk pass.

No, she planted herself in that spot.

Toey thought to himself, “WTF?”

The girl started dancing.

Yes, with the arms waving, flying up and down. She really was being spastic.

So, Toey shoved his body backwards.

She kind of flew back.

I gave Toey a look to cool it.

She started to complain to the girl next to her. Her little guy friend tried to inch his way to stand behind her, I guess to “protect” her. I didn’t let him pass. He would’ve crowded my space.

We danced and tried to have fun. Then out of no where her friend started yelling at Toey. So Toey yelled back at her.

“What kind of guy are you?” [in Thai]

“What kind of ugly bitch are you?” [in English]

Knowing Toey, he would’ve punched her. Yes, he’s always been an advocate of equal rights, and this was no exception. And I support him. And it really annoys me when Thai girls start talking smack. They sound like those bitchy, high-pitched toy dogs barking. They even start looking like one if you have great imagination.

But at that moment, I wasn’t in the mood for fists flying. And being a pacifist and non-confrontational I said, “Jai yen yen,” which means “Chill” in Thai. I really didn’t want him to hurt her and things to turn ugly.

But if it did, I probably would’ve ran to the car and gotten out the baseball bat.

So really, guys, would you punch a girl?