Over the Pacific

แอนดี้ขี้เกียจเขียนมากช่วงนี้ น่าจะเพราะว่ายุ่งมากด้วย ตั้งแต่ครั้งที่แล้วแอนดี้ไปเที่ยวเยอะคนเดียวและกับเพื่อนหนึ่งคนที่น่ารักดีๆ ผมไปถ่ายแบบซ้อมมวยและเจอครอบครัวเพื่อนด้วย เมื่อวานคือวันที่ดีที่สุดของเดินทางนะ น่าเป็นวันที่ดีที่สุดแอนดี้อยู่ที่เมืองไทยเลย ผมจะไปอีกเร็วๆนี้ ต้องไปอีกเร็วๆนี้

The last days were a blur, so much stuff. Here are thoughts on the highlights and some observations:

- Being a male model is fun/surreal. The photo shoot was at this insane modern house in a ritzy area that was actually two houses put together with an elevator and a pool. On my way to the shoot, I cut my head beneath my hair by walking into a low-hanging street sign. (Don't be tall in Thailand.) While absurdly timed on the one day of my life that my appearance actually mattered, the bleeding did not affect my innate ability to wear clothing in a decent manner. I ended-up making some new friends, a few new wardrobe editions and some cash as well. All good things. I'll check "international model" off my list now. lol

- My Muay Thai training ended in an ok manner. I was just kind of exhausted during the last week, but was still hitting 5 rounds per day, running and conditioning. Still, some skills need some more work and still aren't natural enough yet. Such is life. My trainer Tae was awesome and pushed me with extra rounds as time permitted. My last day was pretty solid, so I'll be happy with that. Progress is progress. Looking forward to next time!

- One-sided friendships are never going to work. Sharing with people who won't share with you never works, despite best intentions and endless efforts. There isn't any fault other than false expectations.


- You don't need to tie a bunch of knots to make sure the thread stays on your wrist. It will fall off when the time is right. Faded external reminders are good for knowing where you've been, but won't keep anything the same.

- Every moment is a preparation for the next moment. Everyone you meet for a reason. Not treating every interaction with consideration is an unfortunate means if self deprivation.

- Seemingly arbitrary actions lead to undesired outcomes. Undesired is not bad, though. Surprising things happen when things aren't planned. Meeting the right person at the right time seems to lead to right efforts and right outcomes actually building something beautiful.



- You can't leave a place entirely, ever. The interconnectedness of life insures this as fact. However, this year I feel like a more tangible piece of my heart is waiting for my return to Thailand.

- When you meet someone and a language barrier is treated with patience and acceptance, they are someone you should meet. When someone introduces you to their family and you are treated like part of the family despite obvious differences, they are someone you should meet.

- Leaving someone you don't want to be apart from is hard. But, knowing that they feel the same way is comforting. It shows real potential for communication and growth together.

- In America there is a clear separation of daily life and religious practices. In Thailand there is a continuum the blends the two. While I don't understand all the intricacies, the feeling is pervasive and contagious.

- Advice: Make sure you accidentally fall asleep on the floor at correct gate in the airport, or else you might hold-up the plane from taking-off. Not that I did that in Taipei, or anything. Luckily, my heightened awareness in the airport meditation room allowed me to realize the error of my actions.

เรารักในหลวง

A lot of things have happened in the past few days, including having to change accommodations, going to a really memorable street fair, meeting new friends and ascending into a celestial realm inside the body of a giant four-headed elephant. However, at around 4 pm today, the nation of Thailand will be forever changed. The King died today. The loving and beloved father of Thailand is gone. The sadness is immense. Images of the King continue to adorn all currency, public property, walls of private homes and shops, and dashboards of taxis, but the man is no longer here.

Yesterday, I rode a commuter boat past Siriraj Hospital on my way back to Pinklao to prepare my things to change rooms. The river is usually bustling with traffic, but it was eeriely silent. As we passed the hospital, the boat had to take a slightly different route to respect the tiny fleet of naval boats protecting the space around the ailing King. An unspeakable sadness crept over me as I witnessed the scene, feeling helpless to do anything other than listening for a breath or a heartbeat. I almost cried out of futility and realizing the realities of living and passing, both physically and symbolically.

Today, I took a friend to meet another friend at Siriraj Hospital for lunch after the second friend's appointment to prepare for an upcoming surgery. The hospital was bustling with doctors, staff, soldiers and pink-clad well-wishes of the King gathered to send healing prayers and chants. An air of sadness still lingered beneath the hopeful sentiments. My friend who accompanied me took photos of the scene and later thanked me for randomly inviting her, as she will remember this day for the rest of her life.

Tonight at 5 pm, someone came into the boxing gym and said that the King had died. Immediately, all of us tried to substantiate the news on our phones, but we couldn't. Later, while shopping with friends, I got a text about the King's passing. I checked a British news source and realized it was true. I showed my friends and had to explain it in Thai. They didn't believe me. They checked their phones. It was true. Standing in Big C, none of us knew what to say. Again, I thought about the weight of the passing of one man and almost cried. We tried to finish our excursion as planned, but again an underlying sadness permeated the rest of the night.

I got back to my new room and felt kind of strained talking to my parents about the news. I talked to the desk clerk here in the hostel and shared her sadness. I walked to the Hindu temple next door and prayed that compassion help all overcome loss. I sat outside wondering about existence without a soul.

My thoughts and prayers are with all friends and residents in and from my home-away-from-home. My thoughts and prayers are with those immediately affected with the loss of the King as a family member and beloved leader. My thoughts and prayers are with Thailand.

On the bus again

The last few days have been kind of a blur. I'll just make an uncataloged list of thoughts. Here goes:

- Trimming banana leaves off of wrapped sticky rice desserts for an hour may seem like some type of punishment, but in preparing for offerings at the temple, it was a good way to build concentration.

- After pushing yourself physically hard for a number of days and taking a rest, your first day back will not be your sharpest mentally or physically. In fact, it might be pretty unsatisfactory. Don't think too much and move on.

- Celebrations at all temples here are a big deal. I went to the Durga festival at Wat Vishnu yesterday and even in the early afternoon, there were lots of people. It was a good experience. Lots of both Thai and Indian people.

- I keep forgetting kick, then push kick. I am on the cusp of having a lot of things come together, but thinking gets in the way of the natural flow, still. (Fighting and language have this kind of correlation. Learning words and sentences isn't the challenge, its putting them into use naturally is what I am still figuring out.)

- For once, you might arrive at the pier in time for the last boat home, only to find out the boats stop running early that day. Then you end up having to take the bus that usually requires waiting a long time or that won't stop for you...and you don't have to wait because it stops for you.

- Even people who train hard and work hard don't end up winning all the time. I think the effort to work hard is more important than the final outcome.

- Everything has ups and downs. My speaking and interactions here are constantly in flux, but the floor is rising each day. From when I wake up there isn't much of an adjustment period to speaking. A few of my friends I can talk to really easily all the time, but some people take a little more effort. There are benefits and learning to be had from both types of people, though.

- Next year, I might try to stay in a different part of the city. It would give me a different perspective and also allow for more downtime and less travel time.

- Many of my friends I thought I would see a lot have been invisible and other friends have wanted to do a lot together. This reinforces my theory that making travel plans involving other people isn't worth the stress and allows for more spontaneous adventures. (I still have a long list of things I haven't done, which is fine and kind if comforting.)

- I think my body has adjusted to the water here. I've had drinks with ice in them twice and haven't had any fallout.

- Thai people are so generous, but in most circumstances will not take no for an answer. This leads to me having to throw away a ton of food or eating more than I want. I think this has caused me to not eat a lot on my own, since I am honestly tired of people forcing food on me.

- My friends think I am crazy because I love taking pictures of dogs and cats sleeping in dumb places/random positions. But, like, the animals here just do whatever they want. It is amusing, to say the least.

Today I am off to Lopburi, the city of ancient temples and monkeys. Should be interesting!

Good advice from a new friend

ตั้งแต่มาถึงอุบลแอนดี้เจอเพื่อนใหม่หลายคน คนที่นี้ใจดีและน้ำใจมาก เมื่อคืนเพื่อนที่เป็นเจ้าของร้านอาหารเจแถวโรงแรมคุยกับแอนดี้นานมาก เข้าบอกว่าถ้าคนเป็นคนที่ดีเขาจะเจอกับคนที่ดีตลอดเวลาที่ทุกที่ หลังจากเดินทางนี้แอนดี้เห็นด้วย 100 %

The owner of the vegan restaurant near my hotel talked to me for a long time last night. I understood all of the sentiment, but not all of the words precisely. She said that good people attract good people by doing good things. If you live like this, you will have good friends everywhere as well as putting good merit into the world. After this trip to Ubon, I think this advice is 100% truth. I came here knowing only two friends and over the course of five days met so many more good people that are now friends as well. Despite what is shown in the daily news, the world is a good place with good people who can overcome language barriers with kindness and respect.

Next stop, Bangkok (again).

More Time in Ubon Ratchatani

Lapse in Posting! Apologies. Busy week. Lots of training, new friends and some downtime. Here are more thoughts, etc:

In the city:

I took a trip into the city of Ubon Ratchatani on the other day. It was pretty awesome. The city is smallish and boasts a riverfront along the Moon River (which is pretty swollen at this time due to rain). Everything in the city area is walkable and people are very friendly.

- There are lots of Buddhist temples here and most are very quiet. You can effectively chill there and meditate or relax as your heart desires. Quite the opposite of most of the larger Bangkok temples.

Wat Tai in Ubon is toward the top of my list of temples I've been to here. It has perhaps the largest menagerie of Buddhist statues I've ever seen in one small place.


- The 'Tesagan Gin Jay' or Vegetarian Festival are in full swing, so finding food is super easy. I got super cheap food at a sort of convention center place with live musicians and then got free food at a 'san jao' or Chinese-Thai social organization. I made some new friends at the san jao, too. Chinatown in Bangkok has a lot of these places that are usually part shrine (which lured me into this one) and also (apparently) part humanitarian foundation (as my friend Op explained to me after he invited me to eat there.) All throughout the Vegetarian Festival many places like this offer free food.

- My speaking has been steadily getting better (with lapses), but I still fear talking on the phone. Luckily, when I had to call for a taxi to get back to my hotel, the man on the street that I asked for help was able to explain where I actually was. I apologized to the taxi driver as I explained my fear of talking on the phone.


Training @ Lamnammoon Boxing Camp:

- Since Monday morning, I have trained 6 times at the camp. I will train again this afternoon. Bummed that it will be my last time, but it has been an awesome experience.

- My trainer/friend is trying to get me to change my stance and  to stop hesitating with my left kick. Progress is slow.

- I have blisters on all of my toes, about half of my toes are wrapped with tape. The carpet on the floor of the gym ruins your feet, but is better than concrete.

- My right elbow started to split, so I am just taping it and wearing long sleeves, so no one gets concerned about it.

- I will have run about 28 miles in 4 days, along with around 16 hours of Muay Thai training.

-I clinched with an 18 y/o Thai guy yesterday morning for 15 minutes and tossed him 3 times. On Monday evening, I got destroyed in clinching by an English guy, but he gave me some good tips.

- The owner of the gym keeps trying to convince me to fight for real, at some point. I keep telling him I am an English teacher and not a real fighter. He laughs and asks again later.

- It rained super hard yesterday and then got insanely hot. Then during evening training was really nice and cool. I think I lose about 4 lbs a day from sweating. In the few days I've been here, my body looks different.

- A 19 y/o Thai guy chased me with a giant beetle in his hand during our run the other day. It was terrifying, but pretty funny.

- Between Tuesday and Wednesday we ran our 11 km run 5 minutes faster. So insane.

- My friend dropped me off at the hotel after training yesterday morning, but I forgot my shirt and towel, so I had to walk back to get it.

- Training at a pro camp is not glamorous at all, but it is definitely the best training experience I've had in Thailand. I will come back, for sure. I can understand why this camp is so well-respected.

- The other guys at the gym are super nice. The non-Thai fighters are all skilled and don't have any ego when it comes to giving advice. A few of the guys have upcoming fights in Thailand, Cambodia and Hong Kong.

- I think I am older than the oldest pro by about 8-10 years.

- Kru Yo (Ajarn Lamnammoon) is pretty amazing. He runs a great camp and is there to make sure things run smoothly. He can just look at someone shadow-boxing or hitting and pretty much correct their form and assess their strengths immediately. His interactions with everyone seem to be constructive and professional, but also like a stern older brother who is a master of his art. In short, he is a great person who cares for his students' well-being and personal improvement for both them and the reputation of the camp.

- No running this morning due to rain...kind of bittersweet, as I was mentally prepared for it, but physically probably didn't need to push it. I did bounce on the tire for 40ish minutes, so i guess that makes up for it.

Daily life:

- There is an outdoor vegan restaurant right near my hotel. The ladies who work there are all amazing and we have become friends. We have taken a lot of photos together and they constantly make sure I have enough to eat and will not let me pay for everything. I am grateful for their friendship and kindness. They have insisted that I return next year!

- I can't tell if there is a problem with the a/c in my room, or if my skin is just hotter from sunburn and brush burn from clinching.

- Laundry at the hotel is almost $1 per piece! So I bought a basin and detergent and have been laundering my clothing at a fraction of that cost. Probably $1.50 total for 3 washings!

- I have had a lot of time to hang out in the hotel room, which has actually been much-needed. This trip has been a good mix of socializing, solitude, reflection and physical exertion.

Tomorrow morning, back to Bangkok...

เดินทางมาอุบล

ไม่วานแอนดี้มาถึงหจังหวัดอุบลราชธานีที่อีสาน อยากมาซ้อมมวยกับเพื่อนที่เคยเป็นครูฝึกของผมที่กรุงเทพ เค้าแล้วอาจารย์ลำน้ำมูลมารับแอนดี้ที่สนามบินเมื่อมาถึง อาจารย์ใจดีมากๆ แต่ว่าเค้าคิดว่าแอนดี้้เป็นนักมวยอาชีพ 555 หลังจากผมอธิบายว่ามาซ้อมให้ออกกำลังกายอย่างเดียว เค้าชวนผมซ้อมที่ค่านมวยกับนักมวยอาชีพด้วย โชคดีมากๆ
ผมอยากเริ่มซ้อมเมื่อวานตอนเย็น แต่ว่าวันอาทิตย์คือวันหยุดให้นักมวยฝรั่ง ตอนแรกแอนดี้รู้สึกผิดหวังเพราะว่าอยากเริ่มซ้อนเร็วๆ
แต่ว่าเพื่อนอื่นที่อยู่ที่อุบลว่างเมื่อวานด้วย เค้าแม่เค้าและน้องที่ซนมากพาแอนดี้ไปเที่ยวที่เที่ยวที่สวยดี เราไปเที่ยวน้ำตกสร้อยสวรรค์ วัดถ้ําคูหาสวรรค์และแม่น้ำสองสี้มาแล้ว ผมถ่ายรูปเยอะมาก หลังจากนั้นผมไปกินข้าวที่บ้านเพื่อน แม่เค้าทำอาหารเจที่อร่อยให้แอนดี้ เวลากลับห้องแอนดี้เหนื่อยมากแต่ดีใจมากที่เพื่อนใช้เวลาเพื่อเลี้ยงดูแอนดี้ที่นี้ จะมาเที่ยวอีกแน่นอน

อุบลสวยมากๆ ชอบมาเที่ยว ขอบคุณมากเจี๊ยบสำหรับพาแอนดี้ไปเที่ยว สนุกดีที่สุด



I am currently in Ubon Ratchatani province in Isaan (NE Thailand). It was a 1-hour flight from Bangkok but the way of life is completely different. There is a small city, but most areas are semi-rural and very picturesque. I was lucky enough to get a private tour of some scenic locations yesterday by my friend Jiep. I also started training at the gym this morning, which is pretty awesome.

Random thoughts, in no particular order:

- I am staying in a hotel by myself, the solitude and general quiet is a nice change of pace. For $12 a night, this is pretty sweet. The front desk clerk told me that a housekeeper told her that I was handsome. I giggled and probably blushed.

- I think there was some sort of miscommunication between my friend who is a trainer and Ajarn Lamnamoon (who runs the Lamnamoon Muay Thai camp) that resulted in the belief that I am professional. Once that got cleared-up, I was offered to train at the gym like everyone else. Ajarn is really friendly and also runs an A+ camp. Just being there for one session made me see ways to improve my technique. My friend Arm is also a really good trainer. He told me that my skill is better than last year, I have more power, I am fatter and I am older. 50% good, right? lol.

This morning before the 11 km run, I was wondering what exactly I am doing sometimes. Like, why I am training here at a pretty famous gym in the midst of rice paddies in Isaan when I have no aspirations to be a fighter? However, after training once and being around a group of people determined to train hard to better themselves, I think I found my answer. One of the pros joked with me that I come to Thailand for soul-searching. I laughed because I already found my soul, just trying to see how it connects to everything else in life. Funny how running 11 km with a 19 y/o Thai pro boxer and making small-talk about random things along the way can shed great perspective on a lot of things.

- My friend Jiep always jokes about why I can't speak Thai clearly, but I can type really well. I asked if she ever met a non-Thai person who speaks clearly and she said no. This was a nice to hear. Good way to not have unrealistic expectations for myself.

As an aside, I think my speaking and understanding is steadily improving. I am more or less self-sufficient when I need to be and can understand a lot but still need time to process and answer more in depth questions. I did also get a 160 baht discount at Soei Sawan Waterfall because the ticket booth had a lizard crawling on the sign and I starting talking about the "jingjok" with my friend. A park ranger heard me and lowered the entry fee from 400 to 260 baht. I saw him several times in the park riding a motorbike and each time he would yell "jingjok" at me, smile and give me the thumbs-up. I also took photos of a group of ladies for them at the waterfall, then warned them to walk carefully. They were amused.

- Jiep saved the day yesterday when my friend told me that I couldn't train at the gym. She told me that if I filled-up the gas tank of her car ($15), she would take me to see some things here. We ended-up going to Soei Sawan Waterfall, Wat Tha Khuha Sawan (temple overlooking the Mekong and Laos) and Two Color River (where the Mekong meets the Moon River and the water is two colors).

Jiep's mom and her naughty nephew accompanied us on the trip. It was super fun just to hang out, listen to music in the car and meet the rest of her family. I have a standing invitation in the future to come back to visit her family after her husband and kids move here from Bangkok next week. Despite my lapses in language skills, it was an awesome, memorable day. I made a lot of dumb/funny jokes about Thai language and the variety of animals hanging out near the roads being my friends because I am vegan.

- I think I accidentally killed a fire ant today that was on my water bottle. I was trying to remove it humanely, but it moved when I tapped the bottle on the ground. I felt bad. The ants here are vicious, though. Still, a bummer.

- Dogs here are stupid. They seriously sleep on/near main roads, walk into oncoming traffic and generally don't care. I thought I saw a dead dog near the road yesterday, but it was just sleeping really soundly just inches from the road.

- International Relations update: Farting and burping are hilarious everywhere. I am not usually the offender, but they are a popular action and topic of everyday conversation.

A Few More Days

English only today :-( Will type Thai on the plane tomorrow.

I felt like I had a lot of astute observations that I wanted to write about, but right now a bunch of them are slipping my mind. Maybe this will alleviate some unnecessary details. Regardless, here goes:

Interpersonal relationships:

- People cancel plans all the time. This isn't a big deal, but when they randomly become free and I already have plans, they seem to be bummed.

- I think it will be good to go away for a week. I usually operate with little expectations of others, but that seems the opposite with everyone else. As a grown adult, I can fully appreciate the complete generosity of others, but I don't think I understand the accepted way to show it sometimes. Maybe someone should just tell me and it would be easier for everyone?

Training:

The gym has been awesome (aside from this morning, which was my worst training so far...headaches are not a training enhancer).

I've been clinching and sparring with a guy who has an upcoming fight and its actually been going pretty well. He is from Belgium and I guess is used to K-1 rules (no elbows and clinching), so it has been good for both of us. I think he will do pretty well in his fight. I am coming back from Ubon on Friday morning, so I can be there to see it.

The trainers are all really good and the rest of training has been hard. My legs are sometimes dead, but I think 10 days in this has happened the past two years. I just hope I get a little life in them when I go to Ubon to train tomorrow. Regardless, stoked to see my old trainer.

Transportation:

- If you are not Thai, buses won't stop for just you.

- Being a ticket-taker must be a stable job. I recognize the same people from 2 years ago and some of them remember me. Pretty cool.

- Riding in a shared van is the most terrifying form of transportation.

- Buses with no a/c are really not that bad.


Temple trip:

A friend took me to a temple in Nakon Phatom yesterday. It was really beautiful. There were lots of women there that are not nuns, but renunciants of some level with administrative and managerial positions (Thai Buddhism has no nuns due to rampant sexism.)

The temple had Buddhist, Hindu and Chinese shrines. Lots of people were there making merit and getting things blessed by the monks. Many people were carrying around what I thought were children, but were actually creepy dolls called Angel Dolls. I guess there is a belief that they are imbued with spirits and should be treated as people. My friend did not understand why I thought they were absurd/weird. It then became a game for me to identify real children being carried. Sadly, it was not as easy as I thought.

The head "mae chi" (renunciant lady) invited my friend and I on a walking meditation retreat that night up a mountain in some other province, which at first seemed like something I didn't want to do, then something I did want to do. Then someone explained that the times were different than initially stated and I wouldn't have arrived home until 4 am. So, I didn't go.

Fast forward a few hours through ladies trying to convince me to become a monk for a month, which I told them maybe 2 days and I got to meet the abbot of the temple. He is a very charismatic guy and only around 43 years old. My friend introduced me to him and another monk and when they found out I could speak Thai they were pretty stoked. I told them that I love Thai language and culture and my friend told them that I love Hanuman, especially.

What happened next was insane. The abbot called out into the abyss about a Hanuman Khon mask (the kind wore in traditional Thai drama) and one was produced in the time that it took for the assistant to bless two handbags. The mask was put on my head and blessings were chanted. Then... I was given the mask as a gift! My mind was blown. Photos were taken with the monks and probably posted on the temple facebook page. My friend insisted that this was a momentous event and that my luck is incredible. I am still in disbelief, honestly. Just another day. lol

On the way back home I had to carry the mask on its wooden holder while riding in the back of a motorbike through some semi-rural areas. I got some surprised looks, for sure. I can completely attest to the fact that the mask ensured our safe trip home. My friend I am staying with seemed nonplussed that it was in her condo. I just hope it doesn't meet the same demise as the leg lamp from a Christmas Story while I am away. Since it is like "a major award."