Random Thoughts about My Thailand

As this leg of my international journey nears its end, I thought I'd ramble a bit about random things that I have crossed my mind lately. This may be a bit rambling, so I apologize in advance:

Pharmacies: The first night I was here I wondered why there are so many pharmacies here--about one per block it seems. Now I realize they are in business for three reasons: condoms, sunburns, and Muaythai. I have been training too much to get a sunburn (OK, I got a little here and there, but nothing bad) and am a good boy so didn't need to stop at the condom counter, but I have kept my local pharmacy in business for my Muaythai needs. I'd say I visit twice a week on average, maybe more. Here's a list of some of the things I can remember buying:

Multiple bottles of boxing liniment, tiger balm, and tiger balm patches
Multiple containers of cotton pads
Multiple bottles of rubbing alcohol
Multiple sets of boxing tape
Betadine
Antibacterial Neosporin-ish cream
Scissors
Cotton wrap
Some kind of antibacterial fabric
Monkey balm (similar to tiger balm)
Vitamin D (helps bruises)
Anti-inflammatory and anti-pain lotion (again, for bruises)
Multiple packs of ibuprofen
Aloe lotion (told you I got a little sunburned)

I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting, but that should give you a sense of the quantity of crap I've needed to take care of my broken body during the last four weeks (yes, all that stuff was just for four weeks).

My Feet: Yes, my feet warrant a short discussion. Never in my life have I spent so much time taking care of them. This is for two main reasons: 1) the mats that we practice on are not cleaned (as far as I can tell) so the floor is covered in many layers of sweat, dirt, dust, etc, and 2) these dirty mats also act like sandpaper, taking the skin off your feet and/or causing blisters. Due to these reasons, I have a daily pre- and post-workout routine with my feet. Before the workout I have to clean and wrap anywhere from one to five toes with cotton wrap and tape, depending on how many blisters/cuts I may have. After each workout I shower (obviously) and then scrub my feet with antibacterial soap and a loofah. I then re-clean my feet with alcohol and betadine or a Neosporin-like cream. It is kind of ridiculous, but I have come to realize that if the feet are injured/damaged/etc then you really can't do any training at all (unlike a sore shin, for instance).

A Collection Of Random Thoughts That Have Gone Through My Head While Here:

"EEEEWWWWWW" [I thought this after hearing from a friend that ringworm occasionally goes around camp "like wildfire." Of course, I gave a knowing nod and made an expression that said "sure, that's normal" but on the inside, I was thinking the above phrase. I was also thinking "please God let the next mass-infection of ringworm occur AFTER I leave on Saturday."]

Until I came here, I thought the whole anti-bacterial soap and hand lotion thing was pretty silly, and potentially problematic if it causes germs to become resistant. However, while in Thailand I have become a believer. I realized that all it takes is getting kicked in the chest a few times and then looking down and seeing black soot all over you (which you know just came off a guy's foot) to become a convert.

I haven't worn jeans since the day I arrived. And I only wear actual shoes (not sandals) when in the gym or on a scooter. Even doing that makes me a little bit of an oddity, since other guys wear sandals or go barefoot in both places.

Is it possible to go above 100% humidity?? Today there was a huge rainstorm and our night training session was then the most humid experience I've ever had. It made Bikram Yoga sweating look like a mild glistening.

There was a scorpion in camp tonight. By "in camp" I don't mean we saw it in the distance, I mean it was right in the middle of the mats, where everyone was standing. One of the trainers held it down with a glove, picked it up with his bare hands (WTF!!???) and carried it to the bushes.

Nothing makes you change your posture quicker than getting punched. I realized early on that I have a tendency to stick my chin out. This is the perfect stance if you want to get punched in the face, which is why it only took a day for me to fix that.

Apparently Koh Samui island is the most deadly place, per capita, to ride a scooter. I don't find that hard to believe, since everyone from 10 years-old onward drives them, nobody wears helmets or shoes, and drinking and driving is an accepted practice. One of my buddies actually had a pretty bad scooter accident coming back from the bar the other night and was hospitalized for four days. I am glad to know that I won't be riding on any more scooters here.

TV is totally overrated. I haven't seen any of my favorite shows since I left Korea (I was watching some on the internet) and I don't feel like I've missed anything. I'm sure I'll pick up the TV watching a bit when I get back to the US, but I plan to keep it to a minimum (I only watched a couple shows before I left anyhow). On my deathbed, one thing I am certain I will never say is "if I'd only watched more TV."


OK, I just realized how long this post is getting so I'll stop. I think it is safe to say I fulfilled my initial promise of randomness and ramblingness.

A Good Day

Today was a good day. Because of that, and because it represented a lot of what I like about my Thailand experience, I wanted to retell the "important" events.

8:40--Woke up before my alarm went off after a decent night's sleep. I went to bed around 11, so I definitely got enough sleep. I find that the physical demands here require more sleep than I'm used to back home, and that is fine with me.

9:00--Breakfast. I had what has become my standard (standard enough that I don't have to order when I walk into the cafe any more, and that is pretty much the definition of a standard food order). Breakfast is my biggest meal of the day, and includes two poached eggs, two pieces of wheat toast (with a little butter and jelly, obviously), baked beans, tomatoes (yes, this is the Aussie breakfast--different from the American because it doesn't have bacon/ham and instead has beans/tomatoes, which I'm convinced is healthier), sliced banana and pineapple, and tea. I don't know how healthy this meal really is, but I've convinced myself that it is healthy and that I need a big breakfast like it in order to train well.

11:00--I had my personal training session with Pi Dang. It went really well, mainly because my kicks are really coming along now. I couldn't kick for the first two weeks here, because I kept re-injuring my feet and hips. After giving them 4-5 days off, however, they are doing well enough and allowing me to really practice kicking. It is nice, because I can see daily progress and today I could really tell I was improving.

12:00--I drank my daily protein shake at the gym and then lifted weights. I like doing it as a follow-up to my one-on-one, but it is exhausting.

1:00--I rode the stationary bike for 45 minutes while watching soccer on TV.

1:45--Finished up at the gym with ab and lower back work, which I've added to my daily routine since I've realized that they are key to pretty much everything in Muaythai.

2:00--Lunch, which is a Thai chicken/vegetables mix with rice. The lady at the camp's cafe makes it for me, and I think it is the perfect post-workout meal.

3:00 to 4:45--Chill, email, blog, and chill.

5:00 to 7:30--Group class. I had a good one tonight for two reasons: 1) I was paired with a guy who knows what he is doing and works well with me. He doesn't try to beat people up, knows how to hold his own, and is willing to teach a thing or two when needed. He hit me pretty hard a few times during the sparring session (once in the leg which will cause a big bruise tomorrow) but that's no big deal--just part of it. 2) During our grappling session, my partner was sore and quit early, so I decided to partner with Gay for a bit. The first thing I noticed was the look he made when I asked him to grapple with me for a few minutes--it was a look he's never given me before--a look of respect. Secondly, he said this to me: "You lose weight? You still big here [chest, shoulder area] but small here [stomach]." It may just be a compliment from a sweaty male trainer, but I'll take it.

8:00--Dinner at the night market. I had a smallish Massaman curry with chicken, but it was enough to fill me up.

9:15--Came back to my room, with a quick stop for milk and cookies at the 7-11 on the way, to write this blog, watch a movie, and go to bed by 11ish.

Not a bad day, if I may say so. I'm definitely appreciating my last week in Thailand, and am going to be sad to leave this place/lifestyle.

Final Leg of Thailand; Two More Trips Booked

This weekend as I felt sad about the final week of my great Thailand experience, I also realized that I haven't booked anything for the first two weeks of March in Korea (aside friend coming to visit). To remedy this obvious shortcoming, I booked a couple trips: one to Beijing and one to Tokyo. It took a frustrating couple of hours to do this, which mostly involved identifying good hotel locations and cross-checking reviews with TripAdvisor, as well as a particularly difficult time booking flights through China Southern airline (who apparently only likes people to look at the flights they offer and not actually purchase said flights). But I've booked them now and am excited about having a next step (although I'm not looking forward to a red-eye back to Seoul followed by a flight out the next morning).

Since I don't know much about either of these cities, I'd love any advice/recommendations from those of you who have been to either.

More pics--me and a World Champ

Today I had a 1-1 training session with Madsue Tum. He has several accolades to his record, including being a World Champion and beating John Wayne Parr, who is one of the most well-known fighters in all of Muaythai (if you want to see some videos of him, go to YouTube and search for "Tum Madsua"). So, basically he's a badass. It was a good session--mostly technique work, a little sparring (he won) and some pad work. All in all, a great personal training session. I brought my camera along as well, so I'd have some pics of the session and so people would believe me when I show them a copy of last month's Muaythai magazine and tell them I trained with the guy on the cover, whose caption reads "Madsue Tum: Muaythai Warrior." Anyhow, I thought I'd post some pics of the session. I hope you like them.






























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Kickboxing Pics

In case anyone is interested in seeing what it looks like when a really white person practices Muaythai, I thought I'd post some pics. I also have a friend visiting, so had someone to snap a few shots for me. Feel free to tease away (I'm certain someone will have something witty to say about my shorts). Anyhow, hopefully these give a sense of what it looks like at the camp and how I spend 3-5 (sweaty) hours each day here in Thailand. Enjoy.










































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Correction on my previous post--he was drugged!

I feel compelled to make a correction to my previous post about how kickboxing trainees get drunk too easily. It turns out that the guy who I had to carry out of the bar was actually drugged. He, a not-so-politically correct mechanic from the UK, decided to tease some lady-boys at the bar about their chosen profession. In addition to teasing him back, one put some powder in his drink. In his mildly drunken state, he thanked him/her and proceeded to drink it. 20 minutes later, he couldn't open his eyes, sit in a chair, or hold his head up to take a sip of water (or to throw that water up moments later). The obvious lesson, I told him, is to only tease lady boys when you have a top on your beverage.

Thai Gone Wild

Last night was my first real night out with the entire crew, and what a night it was. We started off by going to see a Muaythai match, which included 5 fights that had fighters from my camp. It was pretty crazy to see the people I've trained with in actual fights. I am happy to say that all 5 won, and all of them did so with knockouts (as opposed to having no clear winner after 5 rounds and needing a judge's decision). Thai fights in general are really interesting to watch. There is a lot of posturing and procession at the beginning, with each fighter walking slowly around the ring and saying a little prayer in each corner. That is followed by a sort of dance that each does--fighters have their own styles and the dances are a series of movements to prepare for the fights. The fights themselves are really wild (especially having trained a bit now, and understanding the movements, etc). Watching someone block a full-power kick with their shins is impressive, to say the least. The fighters don't wear shin pads (or any pads really, besides cups) and so their shins (and everywhere else) has to be in great shape and tough enough to take a beating.

After the fight, we went out to a bar that the camp owner also owns. We were out in Chewang, which is more of a party area than Lamai where my camp is. The bar is on a strip with a collection of other bars, all competing to see who can play the loudest, most obnoxious music. But it was fun to see pretty much everyone from camp out and enjoying themselves. However, I soon realized what happens when people that train constantly start drinking. Two things that occurred were arguably inappropriate.

The first thing that I considered fairly inappropriate for a bar was that guys began taking their shirts off. Even in a beachy island town, I don't think that is necessary. But I guess once one guy does it, others follow. Soon, almost all the guys were shirtless (I am proud to say that I was not one of those guys). I guess when you train all the time and are in great shape, you want to show it off to people other than those you train with every day. It also may have something to do with age, as the older guys (like me) generally showed a bit more restraint.

The second inappropriate thing is that some people got ridiculously drunk (off what I would guess was the equivalent of 4-5 drinks). It was enough alcohol for the average mid-20's person to feel it, but I was pretty surprised when two people were suddenly so drunk they couldn't stand. One guy couldn't even hold himself up in a chair--he literally fell to the floor 3 or 4 times--so another guy and I finally had to carry him out of the bar (the other guy, who knows the drunk one well, took him home so he could sleep it off).

After carting the guy out of the bar, I realized it was about 3am and decided to call it a night. I think I suddenly no longer felt the need to be in a group of progressively more drunken and testosterone-fueled shirtless Thaiboxers, and opted for a quiet exit. All in all, however, it was an interesting and memorable night.

Body Update--Since you asked...

OK, so I've gotten a few requests for pictures of my new bruises and, although I think that's a little weird, I want to please anybody who actually takes the time to read this. So, here's what you asked for. I hope it makes you happy. As you can probably see (if the pic comes out well), the best bruises are now on my knee area as opposed to my shins. That said, both shins are still covered in bruises (they almost look tanned, which is kind of cool I guess); they may not come through on this pic though. Overall, here's a quick run-down of the damage:

Both shins--covered in bruises
Both knees--covered in bruises
Inner thigh area--bruises
Lower outside ab area--bruised on both sides from getting kicked
Right toe--bad blister, which is very problematic when I'm trying to pivot and punch. It opened last night and today within two minutes of starting a class I'd torn all the skin off of it, so had to stop, bandage it, and put shoes on (embarrassing). I've got good tape for it now, so no more shoes (whew).
Lower back--not bad actually, but sometimes it spasms after classes a bit
Knuckles--Left hand is only a little skinned, but the right hand is starting to have problems with two knuckles having lost most of their skin. This doesn't hurt much, but is something I have to be very careful with (as well as the toe blister) because of the potential for infection. With 30 guys and six trainers running around shoeless and sweaty all day, things get gross. So, even though I wear hand/wrist wraps, I also use alcohol and betadine on the knuckles and toe several times every day.
Feet--When doing some kicks incorrectly, I bruised the tops of my feet and like an idiot, kept kicking with them. Doing so, I somehow managed to sprain the arches of both of my feet. The good thing is that I'm usually on the balls of my feet when kickboxing, but walking around is now mildly painful activity. I saw Nen today and asked what to do (he may not be a doctor, but he's 47 and trains for 6 hours a day while drinking and smoking continually, so he must have figured out something that works). He showed me a stretch for it and told me to get a massage. Done and done.
Shoulders, upper back, calves, quads, neck, and basically everything else--sore

So there's the body update. I hope it proves enjoyable and uplifting for all reading. The one good thing is that I don't have class tomorrow and am going to skip tonight's session in favor of lifting weights and the stationary bike (two things that shouldn't hurt my feet). Hopefully I'll be back at 90% by Monday (I now realize that nobody is really at 100% here--there's always something hurting) and I'll be good to go!

Two moves in two days

When I booked the Thaiboxing camp trip, I had to book the second from highest level room. However, when I arrived they had one of the highest level rooms available for one week, so I took it. Yesterday, however, I had to move out and into the next level down. Wow, what a step. The room was half the size and nowhere near half as nice. I didn't worry too much about it at first, but when I got in bed last night, I realized this wasn't going to work. I also had heard that it is potentially cheaper (or at least no more expensive) to stay in places nearby and just pay for the training at the camp. So, as I laid in bed last night unable to sleep, I made a list of all the reasons why the room was unacceptable: the door has cracks in it large enough for bugs to get through (and is as soundproof as paper), the bed feels like it is constructed of springs and hay, the pillows are lumpy, the freezer doesn't work (a pain when you need to ice your legs), there's no internet as advertised, the lights don't always work, and the walls are thin enough that I could hear the guy next door snort and snore all night long.

So, today I went a block down the road and found a set of apartment-style rooms available, which were much nicer than anything at the camp. The room almost looks like a Westin-style hotel, it was just built so everything is new (which means I'm sleeping on a new bed and sheets, not the ancient bed and sheets I had at the camp), everything works, and it has a great balcony. This pic is the view from my balcony. It's no ice-covered Lake Michigan, but it'll do.

So for the next three weeks, I'll be MUCH happier about my living situation. And the best part is that I'm probably only paying about 100 bucks more across the next three weeks to make the move possible. Totally worth it.

Make 'em say Oh Weee!

There's a funny sound that several of the trainers make when either you hit them/the pads or they get you really well--Oh wee! It's kind of like their version of Boom! I heard it several times yesterday when training with Gay, but it was exclusively used for him smacking me around and laughing at me.

Today, I was hoping for something different, and did a personal training session with Pi Dang. He is one of four brothers that are trainers here--Nen, Nokweed, Santos, and Pi Dang. How Thai-tastic are those names? All of them are kind of old for the camp (youngest is probably 35ish--it's hard to tell with these guys), I think they all smoke, and they all make jokes at each other all day. Oh, and they have all been champions at some point in their Muaythai careers. Pi Dang was a much better trainer for me than Gay (Gay is great for some, especially more experienced fighters getting ready for fights, but I don't think he's good for me). He recognized that I was pretty sore everywhere, so we focused almost exclusively on boxing. It was an exhausting but helpful session--I learned a lot about positioning and throwing punches with correct form. It is weird how doing certain things (like hand positioning or how tense you are) can make a punch so much stronger. I also found that, relative to my other skills, I've got a pretty good right cross. I was getting a lot of good feedback on it once my form came together and the pads were really popping loudly, the way they normally would for someone much better than me (and the evidence of hard hitting was present after the session as well, when I took my gloves and hand wraps off to find that my punching had scraped the skin off my right knuckles).

My favorite moment of the class, however, was when we were in a long, exhausting punching session that never seemed to end. I was going and going at a quick pace, then he had me finish several power right crosses in a row, the last of which hit so hard the sound of it hitting the pad made my left ear ring. But through the ringing, I heard the sound I wanted to hear most....

Ohhh weee!!!

Ugh, back to bruises

Well, forget all that crap I said in my last boastful post about doing three sessions a day. That was probably a bit naive. I did manage to get through all three, but it was BRUTAL.

And then today hit. I woke up pretty sore but managing to get by well enough. Also, I decided to try a new trainer for my one-on-one session, as I've heard it is good to mix it up since each trainer has different strengths. I opted for the biggest of the trainers, a guy named Gay (the guy on the left of this pic) who normally helps prep people for fights (incidentally, I have heard nobody tease him about his name at all--read on to learn why). He is certainly the hardest of the trainers, and I've seen him throwing a guy (who is prepping for a fight) around the ring several times. I figured he'd go easier on me since I'm essentially a beginner. WRONG. It was a ridiculous session. The first 35 minutes were sort of normal, practicing kicks and punches, etc. The main difference being that his method for making sure I bring my fist back after a punch to help guard myself was to immediately counter my punch with a hook and smack me across the face--hard--with a boxing pad. That stung, but wasn't the end of the world and I did learn to guard better. The last 20 min, however, were crazy. We practiced what is called the clinch. This is when thaiboxers hold each other by the back of the head and come in close to sort of wrestle. It is basically what Gay is doing to the other guy in the pic. I don't think Gay was expecting me to be any good at it and for some reason, this is what I'm best at (relatively speaking). So, after me surprising him and almost getting the best of him in our first try, he took it upon himself to show me that he is a far superior fighter. This involved him throwing me to the mat several times (the most...impressive...being the one where he pulled me over one of his legs so that i was entirely horizontal, 3 ft in the air, and came down hard on my back). He also managed to put my head into a special little space he created between his head and shoulder, then locked me in and squeezed. Although no damage was done, there was a second where, if he had squeezed any harder, I'm pretty sure he would have dislocated or broken my jaw. It was crazy. The downside of that last 20 min, aside from the pain and fact that my legs are now covered more in bruises than not-bruises, is that I didn't really learn anything (except that he is a God of pain and suffering). So, needless to say, I'm not training with Thor the Thunder God any more. I think I'll try one of the others or just go back to Nen.

So, like I said, three sessions a day is unrealistic. I do think I can manage two a day, however, and will hold myself to that. Given that I can't move my legs much, the night session is out of the question. Looks like it is off to the weight room I go!

Days 3 and 4--Developing a Routine

Now that my shins are starting to get better, I see a routine forming for me here at camp. Although there is a session at 7am (which so far isn’t too early, as I have been going to bed early and there’s plenty of opportunities for naps throughout the day if I want them), I have been skipping it and instead doing a 1-1 personal training session around mid-day. I prefer it over the group class because I learn a lot more, and I’m able to get a one-hour session for only 12 dollars, which is amazing given the quality of the trainers here. I’d pay probably 80 an hour in the states for that. So, I think my routine for the coming weeks will be an 8am wakeup, lift weights around 8:30, breakfast at 9:30, rest time until my mid-day personal training session (that is admittedly brutally hot, but I like it because the gym is pretty empty—nobody else is dumb enough to exercise at that time I guess), then more rest before the 5pm group class. If today is any guide, I also will need to eat a second lunch around 3pm. I think that three sessions in a day burns a ton of calories, because the lunch I ate at 1pm didn’t keep me full for long. Each day I think my body is getting a little more comfortable with the heat here as well, which is nice because that means that my ibuprofen needs will start decreasing soon (workouts in this heat give me headaches, even when I’m downing about 5 liters of water a day). Admittedly, I may be trying for a little too much with that much exercise in one day, but as long as I’m feeling well enough to do it then I will. If I need to cut back to two a day then I will. As for now, however, I hope to keep it up. Aside from my desire to get in better shape, I really just enjoy the classes, weights, and personal training.

PS, I also want to take a moment and highlight the trainer I’ve been using. He is amazing. His name is Nen (pronounced Nem), and he’s 47 years old. He smokes every day, usually at breaks in our class. He also apparently drinks his fair share of Thai whiskey. He’s probably about 5’8” and 150 lbs, yet he can stand there and let me kick him full strength in his chest 10 times in a row without blocking me. Here is a pic from the gym’s web site. As you can see, he’s a bit of a joker. I love the guy though—I can’t believe someone can be in the shape he’s in, with the knowledge he has and still be a drinker and smoker. He’s like a Thai version of Rocky’s old trainer.