Connotations

Yesterday I was walking the streets at midnight with two new friends, one from New Zealand and the other from England. We were trying all of the funkiest street food. I had dried fish, and my friend ordered pork nose. She was negotiating the price.”How much is this?” she asked.

“50” he said in English holding up 5 fingers.

“30?” she responded.

“50” he said

“No 30.” 

She ended up paying 50. 
There had definitely been a strong language barrier in Thailand. I was thinking about this negotiating and how confusing it could have been to the man selling the meat. It’s a good thing he can annunciate his English numbers. 
Numbers are universal across dialects. I mean, there’s not a word in English for every word in Thai or visa versa. But anywhere in the world, there’s still a right and wrong answer to a math problem. But everything else…
I’m in love with the sunset today. I’m infatuated with the pink walls and rough traffic. There is a world of words with meanings that I don’t know- because the only tool of articulation I have are the limited words of one language, of one culture. 
A monk took my number down today. I was walking along the street and he smiled at me and started a conversation. “I’m from the US.” He encouraged me to come to Chiang Rai. “I’m going to Bangkok tomorrow.” And he asked me to write my number on his hand.
Mariah and Jeremy leave tomorrow morning. I said goodbye to them tonight. I am just one, yet again, and I’m not complaining. I am happy with them. I am happy without them. I am okay now. I will be okay tomorrow. I’m getting ready with some hostel-mates to go explore tonight. They are from Solvania.