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.