We were delighted to host some friends from Thailand last week, a young woman, 23, and her mother, who speaks no English whatsoever.

They were so excited to be in the U.S.!  The daughter had been here a couple of years ago, working at a summer camp.  That’s how we met her.  She had brought her mother this time for a week’s vacation.  Mom had never been away from Thailand.

We showed them all around, and after the first two days, they went off on their own.  And then went to Washington D.C. for a couple of days.  It was a lovely time, and we were excited for them.  There was only one thing that made us wonder a bit.

The mother didn’t have much to say in general (of course, as she spoke to English, yet her daughter translated) and she often seemed worried about something.   She smiled and nodded a lot when we asked her if she liked what she saw in America.

After a week, the daughter finally came out with what her mother was experiencing.  Her mother emphatically was saying something in Thai, with great concern.  Her facial expression was tortured; her hands were gesturing.  She was really upset about something.

Finally, we found out what was troubling the mother.  “I am gaining weight!  I am worried!”  We asked why.  “There is so much bread!  Everything is about bread in America!  All these sandwiches, bread baskets, baked things, bread, bread, bread!”

We laughed a nervous chuckle.  “Yes.”   I said.  “That’s true.”  It instantly rang a major bell with me.  I am a bread and carb lover myself.  I knew it was the truth, and I know from visiting Thailand myself a few years ago, there’s really no bread there at all.  Most Thai food is meat and vegetables.  It’s only the Americanized dishes that aren’t.

So – I tell you this story to encourage you to think about how much bread and carbohydrates YOU eat.  Have more Thai food!  Less bread!