Its been awhile the Internet is not all that great out here. A small wind seems to knock it out but what are you going to do? Train that's what & that's why I am here.
So the last couple of days have gone like this. Wake up @ 6:30 Am shower get dress hop on the motorbike & go to the camp. Grab a small fruit plate & then @ 7:30 go for a 3km run. Get back at 8:00 head straight to the fighters area of the gym & jump rope for 15 minutes. Then shadow box for about another 15 minutes. Once that is done we stretch out & then wrap our hands. After everyones hands are wrap we practice some technique. Today's was when a person throws a front kick to catch it pull them in & knee them several time in the kidney & then throw then down to ground. We practice this & couple other variations for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then comes the crazy cardio part. The trainer will select people to work with for 3 3 minute rounds to hit the pads while the others hit the heavy bag. This goes on till everyone has worked with a trainer. After every round you must do 20 push-ups as well. 5 minute water break & then 300 knees on the heavy bag & 20 push-ups. At this point you are sweating up a storm its 95 degrees out & everything hurts but in Muay Thai you show no pain. You suck it up & keep going. Which is 2 10 minute rounds of clinch work. For those who do not know what clinching is it is where you grab you opponents head with both hands pull it down & knee him in either the face, ribs or thighs. So 2 guys are fighting for position to knee the other guy with 50 % power which still hurts in my book & don't forget to add in the 20 push-ups after each round. You think training is over don't you wrong. You still have to do 300 sit-ups & then 100 push-ups. Finally we are done & do a quick 10 minute cool down stretch.
After training shower eat & head to the beach for some r&r. Then at 330 PM repeat the training session all over. Its brutal but worth it. It takes a couple of days to get use to the heat. I am starting to adjust to it now so by Monday I should be fine.
Friday night there is a big fight in town so most of us will go & I am sure that will be a lot fun. Stay tuned I should have some photos up soon.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Anthony Bourdain can kiss my ass
Its been a couple of days & a lot has happened. A big rain storm, a loss a power & more Thai Elvis but that is whatever. The real excitement is right around the corner & I don't even know it yet.
So I have developed a friendship with Em the porter/security guard. On Sunday he invites me to his apt to have dinner & meet his wife & kid. For whatever reason I agree & on 5 PM we are off to god knows where. We get in the taxi Em tells him where to go & then pulls out his cell phone. The first couple of minutes I am feeling good. I recognize a lot from my walking around & them bam it start to get a little sketchy. This is where I start thinking to myself shit what the fuck did I just get myself into. I have a pocket full of cash & credit cards, no phone, no passport I'm a dead man.
Finally about 20 minutes later we arrive. I am talking straight up third world ghetto shit here. I am in some back dark alley where I am the only farang (foreigner) to probably ever step foot. I can feel everybody looking at me. We get to some door open it & it's pitch black now we have yo walk up about 3 flights. I am a couple steps behind Em just to be safe like at this point its gonna help. We reach the door Em knocks ok here it is I'm about to get the shit kicked out of me but I talking one or 2 of them with me & his wife answers & I can see the food. Ahhh a small relief I am not going to die but I am not out of the woods yet.
The apt is small a tiny studio-ish type apt. There is a small futon mattress on the floor where all 3 sleep on, a closet, a tv, a small refrigerator & washer. The bathroom is down the hall. I will not need to see or use it. Em's wife & kid prepare a bunch of Thai dishes which were set up on small lower table on the floor. We sit on the floor around the table. They make sure to tell me its spicy & then we eat. 3 dishes are being served a squid, chicken & minced pork soup with noodles. All which are eaten with white rice. They serve me first & wait for me to take a bite before they serve themselves & eat. It was extremely spicy but delicious. For dessert fresh mango & another Thai fruit i can remember. After we eat some friends come over & want to go out. I say I need to get back to the hotel & pack my flight leaves at 7 AM. Em tells me that he has to work as well & promises me he well get me back. The idiot that I am I say yes.
A bunch of us now leave the apt & walk down the alley to another dark alley to a Thai karaoke bar. The whole way which is like a 5 minute walk I am think ok so this is how its gonna happen. They take me out of his apt & kill me here. But once again no problems only karaoke but even worse its all in Thai so I have no idea what is going on. We order more food, beer & Thai rice whiskey. They are singing & drinking & everybody is having a good time. This is when I fully start to relax & not worry so much. The bill comes I pay for everybody. Then it off to a taxi & back to the hotel.
Wrong its off to a disco to see a Thai band play instead. More beer & whiskey & now its almost 2 AM. I tell Em I have to go. I say my goodbyes & I get a taxi to the hotel. It's 230 AM I have to pack & check out by 430 in order to make my flight. I have not slept in almost 2 days & I am running on fumes or the Thai whiskey. I get my shit together & I am out.
Off to train in Phuket I go but first order of business sleep.
So I have developed a friendship with Em the porter/security guard. On Sunday he invites me to his apt to have dinner & meet his wife & kid. For whatever reason I agree & on 5 PM we are off to god knows where. We get in the taxi Em tells him where to go & then pulls out his cell phone. The first couple of minutes I am feeling good. I recognize a lot from my walking around & them bam it start to get a little sketchy. This is where I start thinking to myself shit what the fuck did I just get myself into. I have a pocket full of cash & credit cards, no phone, no passport I'm a dead man.
Finally about 20 minutes later we arrive. I am talking straight up third world ghetto shit here. I am in some back dark alley where I am the only farang (foreigner) to probably ever step foot. I can feel everybody looking at me. We get to some door open it & it's pitch black now we have yo walk up about 3 flights. I am a couple steps behind Em just to be safe like at this point its gonna help. We reach the door Em knocks ok here it is I'm about to get the shit kicked out of me but I talking one or 2 of them with me & his wife answers & I can see the food. Ahhh a small relief I am not going to die but I am not out of the woods yet.
The apt is small a tiny studio-ish type apt. There is a small futon mattress on the floor where all 3 sleep on, a closet, a tv, a small refrigerator & washer. The bathroom is down the hall. I will not need to see or use it. Em's wife & kid prepare a bunch of Thai dishes which were set up on small lower table on the floor. We sit on the floor around the table. They make sure to tell me its spicy & then we eat. 3 dishes are being served a squid, chicken & minced pork soup with noodles. All which are eaten with white rice. They serve me first & wait for me to take a bite before they serve themselves & eat. It was extremely spicy but delicious. For dessert fresh mango & another Thai fruit i can remember. After we eat some friends come over & want to go out. I say I need to get back to the hotel & pack my flight leaves at 7 AM. Em tells me that he has to work as well & promises me he well get me back. The idiot that I am I say yes.
A bunch of us now leave the apt & walk down the alley to another dark alley to a Thai karaoke bar. The whole way which is like a 5 minute walk I am think ok so this is how its gonna happen. They take me out of his apt & kill me here. But once again no problems only karaoke but even worse its all in Thai so I have no idea what is going on. We order more food, beer & Thai rice whiskey. They are singing & drinking & everybody is having a good time. This is when I fully start to relax & not worry so much. The bill comes I pay for everybody. Then it off to a taxi & back to the hotel.
Wrong its off to a disco to see a Thai band play instead. More beer & whiskey & now its almost 2 AM. I tell Em I have to go. I say my goodbyes & I get a taxi to the hotel. It's 230 AM I have to pack & check out by 430 in order to make my flight. I have not slept in almost 2 days & I am running on fumes or the Thai whiskey. I get my shit together & I am out.
Off to train in Phuket I go but first order of business sleep.
Friday, April 3, 2009
King for a Day
This morning not really overly productive, still feeling the effects of the the day before activities god damn Cathay. Just grabbed some breakfast & went for a little stroll to get familiar with my area. Came back to the hotel hit up the pool & met another kid from NYC. Made plans to get together later in the evening & then headed back to my room for a much needed nap.
At night is cools off quite a bit & the real fun happens. I met my friend to grab a bite to eat & then we were off to a bar called Hillary Road that had a live cover band. The bar it self nothing to fancy had a bunch of pool tables a stage & always a big favorite of mine the uni-sex bathroom & not 1 person at a time both guys & gals use it at the same time.
The band was amazing they played all the classics & took request as well but the most fun came when the Thai Elvis showed up & sang a set with the band. He was the good Elvis nice & fat with the sunglasses & in his crazy jumpsuit. He was awesome! Then afterwords we had drinks with him . I couldn't stop laughing at him.
Well as the night progressed things got out of control. I decided to go out & get some air & of course it was a drunk Brit that caused the ruckus. Apparently he was so drunk that he refused to pay his bar tab & shoved the female owner to the ground. Well that was it about 10 Thai guys out of nowhere jumped on him & beat the shit out of him. Then the bar went crazy & all the Brits come running out screaming fuck that shit. Out of nowhere it started to pour & that was the end to the whole thing. The Thai guys helped up the guy who they were kicking the shit out of & got him a beer.
Welcome to Bangkok
At night is cools off quite a bit & the real fun happens. I met my friend to grab a bite to eat & then we were off to a bar called Hillary Road that had a live cover band. The bar it self nothing to fancy had a bunch of pool tables a stage & always a big favorite of mine the uni-sex bathroom & not 1 person at a time both guys & gals use it at the same time.
The band was amazing they played all the classics & took request as well but the most fun came when the Thai Elvis showed up & sang a set with the band. He was the good Elvis nice & fat with the sunglasses & in his crazy jumpsuit. He was awesome! Then afterwords we had drinks with him . I couldn't stop laughing at him.
Well as the night progressed things got out of control. I decided to go out & get some air & of course it was a drunk Brit that caused the ruckus. Apparently he was so drunk that he refused to pay his bar tab & shoved the female owner to the ground. Well that was it about 10 Thai guys out of nowhere jumped on him & beat the shit out of him. Then the bar went crazy & all the Brits come running out screaming fuck that shit. Out of nowhere it started to pour & that was the end to the whole thing. The Thai guys helped up the guy who they were kicking the shit out of & got him a beer.
Welcome to Bangkok
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Cathay Air tried to Kill Me
So as most of you know I have finally departed for Thailand. I know most of you are thinking that's awesome or I'm so jealous I wish I was going. You know what fuck that.
Cathay Air Tried to Kill Me
Yeah that’s right you heard me they tried to kill me. Here I am up at the crack of dawn on April 1st getting ready to catch my 15 1/2 hr flight to Hong Kong & then another 2 1/2 hr flight to Bangkok. I'm thinking not to bad I got all sorts of toys, movies & drugs to help me through this horrific experience.
I should have known as soon as I saw all the corpses & by corpses I mean the droves of almost dead elderly arrive for the flight that no matter what this flight was gonna suck. It was like I was either in a b-movie Flight of the Zombie or a flying nursing home. I was even asking myself if they would be serving hard food on this flight or was the special Gerber Mashed Peas.
OK so we are all on the flight my I got my two decaying bodies next to me, not to bad because the dead can sleep through anything & I got the aisle seat. Seats aren't to bad but not great a little tight but that’s what the drugs are for. Take off a breeze & now the food some sort of egg science project gone wrong but hey I'm hungry & I'll eat anything. Wrong choice instantly after eating my stomach is killing me so now I am 2 hrs into the flight & my stomach is upset.
Oh wait what’s that 2 screaming kids Yes! What’s a long haul flight without screaming children. Apparently I am the only one who hears them but don't worry I voice my displeasure to the parents numerous times & lets just say I will not be our there x-mas list.
So here it is I'm a little over 3 hrs into the flight my stomach is killing me & now my head is pounding. At about the 8 hr mark I was just begging for the plane to crash just so this whole thing would be over. Finally we land & I'm off to my first of the many lovely bathrooms of the Hong Kong Airport to throw up. The airport staff were looking at me the whole time I was sweating, red in the face & probably looked like I should be on an episode of Locked up Abroad having just smuggled heroin in condoms I swallowed.
Well the good news is I only have 2 1/2 more hrs of this the bad news is I'm still fucking sick. At least I was able to get some sleep on this flight. Land, clear customs & get me luggage in 20 minutes not to bad I'll be at my hotel in 25 minutes & can puke in private. That was until we hit traffic an hour later finally a nice private place for me to lay down & hug the porcelain god.
Well I made it barely but I am here & I am in Bangkok...
Cathay Air Tried to Kill Me
Yeah that’s right you heard me they tried to kill me. Here I am up at the crack of dawn on April 1st getting ready to catch my 15 1/2 hr flight to Hong Kong & then another 2 1/2 hr flight to Bangkok. I'm thinking not to bad I got all sorts of toys, movies & drugs to help me through this horrific experience.
I should have known as soon as I saw all the corpses & by corpses I mean the droves of almost dead elderly arrive for the flight that no matter what this flight was gonna suck. It was like I was either in a b-movie Flight of the Zombie or a flying nursing home. I was even asking myself if they would be serving hard food on this flight or was the special Gerber Mashed Peas.
OK so we are all on the flight my I got my two decaying bodies next to me, not to bad because the dead can sleep through anything & I got the aisle seat. Seats aren't to bad but not great a little tight but that’s what the drugs are for. Take off a breeze & now the food some sort of egg science project gone wrong but hey I'm hungry & I'll eat anything. Wrong choice instantly after eating my stomach is killing me so now I am 2 hrs into the flight & my stomach is upset.
Oh wait what’s that 2 screaming kids Yes! What’s a long haul flight without screaming children. Apparently I am the only one who hears them but don't worry I voice my displeasure to the parents numerous times & lets just say I will not be our there x-mas list.
So here it is I'm a little over 3 hrs into the flight my stomach is killing me & now my head is pounding. At about the 8 hr mark I was just begging for the plane to crash just so this whole thing would be over. Finally we land & I'm off to my first of the many lovely bathrooms of the Hong Kong Airport to throw up. The airport staff were looking at me the whole time I was sweating, red in the face & probably looked like I should be on an episode of Locked up Abroad having just smuggled heroin in condoms I swallowed.
Well the good news is I only have 2 1/2 more hrs of this the bad news is I'm still fucking sick. At least I was able to get some sleep on this flight. Land, clear customs & get me luggage in 20 minutes not to bad I'll be at my hotel in 25 minutes & can puke in private. That was until we hit traffic an hour later finally a nice private place for me to lay down & hug the porcelain god.
Well I made it barely but I am here & I am in Bangkok...
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