jai.

Last Friday we were having a party for the June/July birthdays and everyone with a birthday is supposed to bring 15 treats to share with the school...and of course I forget mine. So I get flustered, and I go into the little snack shop at school and frantically buy 15 ice creams. As I was rushing about, grabbing the ice cream and pulling out my money and being all panicky, the sweet girl that works there looks at me and says, "jai yen". She was completely right. It means "cool your heart". wow, what what a pefect phrase.

This sparked a discussion with my friend Kyndra, who works at a Children's Home for kids who either have AIDS or have been orphaned due to the disease. The name of the home is "Baan Naam Jai" - literally translated, means - Home of the Water Heart. Water heart, how awesome...think about it - a heart that has this life-giving water just pouring from it - what a beautiful idea.

Anyway, so there are a bunch of these "jai - heart" phrases that I want to share...

1. jai rawn - heart hot - as a personality trait - quick to get angry, impatient

2. rawn jai - hot heart - upset (temporary)

3. nak jai - heavy heart - worried

4. taam jai - do heart - to follow the wishes of someone

5. phaw jai - enough heart - to be satisfied, content

6. jai dii - heart good - good-natured, kind hearted

7. jai yen -heart cool - cool, calm, imperturable

8. jai kwaang - heart give - generous, big hearted

9. man jai - to be confident

10. loong jai - to feel relieved, at ease

11. thuuk jai - every heart - to be to one's liking, pleasing

12. sonjai - to be interested in

13. greng jai - scared heart - to be afraid of imposing

14. naam jai - water heart - see above :)

My housemate -Phet, she is very jai yen and jai dii. Isn't she beautiful? I love her.