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If
you are the kind of person who does not
show fear or is not afraid, and others
sense this about you, then you may hear
someone comment that you are jai
klâa. A little girl who
is not afraid of the bullies at school
is jai
klâa. This heart phrase
defines a person’s appetite for
risk, which in turn shapes and defines
bravery and courage. A person who is not
afraid of the uncertainty of a situation,
or the unknown consequences of an action,
has a “brave heart.” Riding
on the back of a motorcycle taxi through
heavy Bangkok traffic is having a large
dash of jai
klâa. Helping someone who
is being mugged on the street is jai
klâa. The threat may be
less visible. Going unescorted to an ATM
machine late at night might be another
example of jai
klâa. A woman, wearing
several two-baht gold chains, walking
alone on an unlit, isolated soi at two
in the morning, is jai
klâa. An investor who buys
shares on the SET as the market drops
like an anchor is jai
klâa. To ignore risk or
danger and to proceed requires the possession
of jai
klâa. The line often blurs
between brave and reckless behavior.
Silver
Fish Heart
jai
plaa siw (adj.) ใจปลาซิว
This
adjective, like jai
sÒ, “timid heart,”
is a label attached to someone who is
easily scared. Although in the case of
jai
plaa siw your cowardice makes
you comparable to a frightened, tiny silver
fish. The small silver fish is thought
to be easily frightened, and is considered
by Thais to be a cowardly fish. So to
be placed heart-wise in the same league
as a fingerling fish is far from a compliment,
though it can be used in jest amongst
close friends. In general, “silver
fish heart” refers to someone who
lacks the courage to stand up to another
person (a bigger fish) or to face danger;
someone who feels overwhelmed and incapable
of dealing with a situation or problem.
The boss demands that you work over the
weekend and you are afraid to tell him
that it is your son’s birthday and
you are committed to taking the family
on an outing. In such a case, your wife
might refer to you as jai
plaa siw. |
Sample jai
phrases from hearttalk
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