Dek sen (เด็กเส้น)

A hairdresser's called 'Dek Sen'

Two friends were waiting for me at Mum's shop last night. Thai performing artist Toon and his friend, Jay, had been waiting since the early hours of the evening.

I turned up at midnight. I fetched my whisky from where it sits in Mum's shop. 'I have another job application here,' said Toon. 'Could you help?'

Jay poured me my first drink, as I took a seat next to Toon. The job application was pages long, and written in English. Toon asked me to translate.

It was a faxed copy. He probably has another copy at home. Toon made notes in Thai in the margin to remind him of what was needed.

I watched his hands as he wrote. They are much smaller and finer than mine.

As soon as he had poured my drink, Jay said goodbye and left. He had kept his friend company for hours as he waited for my arrival, and when I finally turned up, was in a hurry to get away. Maybe he wanted to visit the girlfriend.

Toon has another friend who will recommend him for the job, at a bank in town. The job involves calling debtors to remind them when they have payments due. We are not sure whether he will have to get hostile with late-paying clients.

'If they argue, you may be required to get nasty,' I told him. 'You had better find out from your friend whether they want you to be polite, or whether you will be required to apply pressure,' I said.

The bank is run by Thais. Toon says he will fill out the job application form in English, just to make sure. However, he suspects that the job interview, if it follows, will be in Thai.

The last time Toon wanted help with a job application form, I was not around, and he missed his chance. He called me hours before he applied, but I was busy at the time and did not pick up the phone. I felt sad about letting down my friend, and was now happy to get a chance to make amends.

Toon will go to the bank on Monday, where he will meet his friend. He will take him on a tour of the place. 'If I get the job, I will be a dek sen,' said Toon.

A 'dek sen' (เด็กเส้น) is someone who gets a job by virtue of contacts or relatives in a company, not necessarily because he is good at a job. However, it can also mean 'someone's protege', which is probably the meaning Toon intended.

Toon is a khon mask dancer who performs at weekends. For the rest of the week, he does little. I worry about the amount of time he spends in his own company. He has a girlfriend, but is often at home alone.

Since he graduated, his life has not been the same. Most of the performing arts students with whom he studied have now gone their separate ways. Few are left in this part of town, and Toon misses them.

A regular job would widen his social circle. It would also pay better.

On the job application form, applicants are asked to give the name of their father, his age, and where he works.

'My Dad is dead. What do I say?' he asked.

'The formal word is ''deceased''. '

'That's good, I was thinking of saying simply that he was dead,' Toon said.

Toon is excited about the prospect of working in a bank. 'An office job at a bank would be a safe job,' he said.

'If I get this job, Mum will broadcast the news far and wide, she will be so proud,' said Toon.

Toon comes from Esan. I hope he gets the job, 'dek sen' or not. He deserves a break.