Temperature

Posted by landoman - 15/09/09 at 11:09:25 pm

Upon arriving in Thailand, one of the first things I noticed was how people were wearing jackets or long sleeves at night. “Absurd”, I thought. “How could anyone be cold in this delightfully warm, tropical weather?”

Then after having been there a few weeks and after having acclimated to the heat, I, myself, began to reconsider my stance on jackets at night. As it turns out, it can get quite chilly at night; doubly so if you’re on a bike after the sun goes down.

Having been home for six months, I can assure you that I’m still quite acclimated to warm weather. This is quite troublesome if you live somewhere like WV where the warmest temperatures we’ve seen this summer have been only in the high-20s C (mid-80s F). Though normally the average mid-day WV temperature approaches the average morning Thailand temperature. This means that it can be rather uncomfortable — nay, downright cold — at times. It will only get worse as summer ends, too. And I’m ignoring thoughts of winter altogether.

Florida

Posted by landoman - 26/04/09 at 01:04:39 am

Been a couple weeks since my last post. After I got home, all my fun traveling came to a dead stop for about a week. I spent some time catching up with relatives and friends and then decided that WV sucked and that I needed to leave again. So where else do you go when you’re in such a depressing place? Florida!

Stephen’s family lives just outside of Tallahassee so I took off down this way and spent a few days with them. The weather was much nicer down this way with temperatures in the high 70s and 80s (25-28C). It was a nice change. And I definitely hadn’t re-acclimated to cold weather because I was walking around in long sleeves when it was anything less than 70 (25C). Still do, too. And I somehow sprained a tendon in my foot while running one morning. Go figure, another non-fighting injury. I’m doing something wrong… But a couple nice days with the Adams’ before I met up with my parents who were passing through Tallahassee. They had just come from Texas and through New Orleans as part of Pianafiddle’s tour.

We headed to Orlando and hit Universal Studios. Islands of Adventure opened the year after we were last there so it was a whole new park to explore. With actual roller coasters, too! The Hulk was especially fun. The coaster is almost immediately accelerated out of a tube that launches you over the edge and into a corkscrew. None of that boring clink-clink-clink up a hill. And no time to get that lovely nervous feeling; just straight into terror! After a bit we headed over to the old Universal side. That side of that park is fun, but the nostalgia was shattered after going through the Jaws ride. I remember it so clearly from my younger days…but this time it was such a scripted ride. I guess that’s the downside of being old enough to know what’s going on.

After Orlando we moved on to Juno Beach, just a few minutes above West Palm Beach. The first night there was actually pretty cold (by my standards). We were just a block from the ocean and a front was pushing through that evening. Between the cooler evening temperatures and the cold ocean wind I was definitely feeling out of place. But things warmed up and cleared up for the rest of the week so I was back to normal. Pianafiddle played great concerts in Boca Raton and later in Palm Beach Gardens. And I was able to meet up with a few old work friends on my last night there. A nice time, all in all.

Now I’m back in Tallahasee for a few days, relaxing and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. It warmed up a lot over the past week and is in the 90s (33C) this weekend! I gave my friend Patrick a call but as luck would have it he was in the process of packing his car and heading home for a couple weeks. Bastard. But I’ve at least had time to think about my future career. Though it hasn’t helped much. I’ve no desire to go back to IT and I’ve been rolling around the idea of journalism, geology, and microbiology (not all at once, of course). I hear Umeå University in Sweden is a pretty fantastic uni. Who knows!

Home

Posted by landoman - 03/04/09 at 12:04:56 pm

Well, I’m home. Back to fast internet again, at least. It feels so surreal being back; like I haven’t been here in years. The flights back were uneventful enough. Nobody interesting sat near me. To make matters worse, my flight from Seoul to Dallas was on an antiquated Boeing 777 that hailed from the days when people could still smoke in their seats (ash trays built in) and therefore was too old to have interactive in-flight entertainment. Flight from hell…

But the icing on the cake? Phuket, Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok), and Dallas are all airports without a drop of free wifi. Apparently these places missed the memo about the 21st century. Pretty disappointing. And quite annoying.

So I’m home and…well, what now?

Coming Home

Posted by landoman - 02/04/09 at 07:04:05 am

So I left for home a few hours ago. Phuket Int’l doesn’t have free wifi and as big and nice as the airport in Bangkok is there isn’t free wifi there either. I’m in Seoul now.

I sat next to a pretty cool Swede named Fredrick on the way to Bangkok. He had been in Phuket for a couple weeks on vacation. We stumbled around the airport for a bit before we each found out where we needed to be and then decided to go to find out gates and meet back for a drink. But my gate ended up being about 2km away behind two security checks. So Fredrick, if by some freak chance you find this blog, sorry dude!

It’s 5C in Seoul and I’m freezing my ass off. Going from 90F to 38F is a huge change. It sucks. No doubt that WV holds certain misery for me…

Tiger Muay Thai

Posted by landoman - 30/03/09 at 11:03:10 pm

The past three months here have been nothing short of fantastic.  I had only very basic experience with muay thai before I came to TMT but three months of training has given me loads of experience.  Between all the conditioning, technique, and sparring I’ve done I can say with certainty that I have a firm grasp of muay thai.  I’m going to give a quick rundown of TMT for anyone considering coming in the future.
Note: long post.

Training Areas
Tiger has four different training areas. Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced, and MMA. Each area has at least four or five heavy bags and beginners and MMA have uppercut bags. Beginners and intermediate also have mirrors to practice shadow boxing and technique and every area has at least one ring. Each section also has padded areas for sparring and practicing. The current beginners area is brand new, having just been completed in early March. Go figure, the beginners get all the new stuff. As a whole, the equipment is a bit beaten up (pun intended) but all of it serves its purpose well.

The MMA section has a normal ring and also an octagon for grappling. The weight area sits immediately beside MMA and houses a wide range of equipment. Two full sets of barbells, two sets of plates, and two sets of kettlebells. There are a few incline benches, a few weight machines, and a stationary bike. My only gripe with the weights area is that the equipment is in poor shape. Either from the humidity or from its age, there aren’t many pieces that aren’t rusting somewhere. This can make exercises a bit difficult when you’re lifting something rusted or when one of the machines grinds from friction.

All in all, the training areas are more than adequate; only a few minor upgrades (mainly to weights) could be used.

Trainers
TMT has about 30 trainers between all the different areas. Most of the trainers rotate between each area monthly so if you’re staying for any length of time there’s a good chance you’ll get to work with just about everyone. As a whole, they’re fun to be around during/after training but they’ll definitely push you if they see you slacking off or if they know you can go harder/faster (which is exactly what I needed). All the trainers have been practicing muay thai since their youth so you’ll be learning from a great source.

But unfortunately, every trainer has his own style and will teach you a lot of the techniques slightly differently than the next guy. This can cause a lot of confusion and frustration. Someone may teach you how to do one thing one day and then another day someone else may come around, tell you you’re doing it wrong, and then have you do it a different way. It can be maddening at times.

I also had a few rather unfortunate experiences after I moved into intermediate. For whatever reason, one of the trainers named Robert Lek decided that his sparring opponents would be his personal punching bag for the day. Normally sparring is done at 50% power/speed but Robert made a habit of going all out on whoever was unlucky enough to get stuck with him. I came out of those sessions with injuries that lingered for a couple weeks.

But in stark contrast to Robert, one of the other trainers named Yon became my new best friend. He was tremendously fun to be around but also pushed me harder than anyone else there. I worked with him nearly every session in March. He’ll be missed.

With the exception of Robert the trainers were great to work with and, overall, are very effective teachers.

TMT Staff
The TMT staff were nothing but helpful throughout the last few months. My luggage got lost during my trip here in January but both Will (camp owner) and one of the staff helped track it down and brought to me in record time. I had a ton of questions that needed answers throughout my stay and everyone was always very helpful. They helped me find medicine, find stores, and answered all my passport questions before I realized I had been given an 90-day VISA. Samai is the guest relations manager and setup a few group activities every so often. And I recently found out that a westerner is being hired as the office manager. My only gripe would’ve been a few confusing conversations that arose because of the language barrier. But that will be resolved soon enough.

Camp Facilities
TMT has a wide range of rooms available to rent. Three types are available: dorm style, standard, and deluxe. The newly-introduced dorm style rooms are the cheapest; they include a bed, small personal area, and a central living area with a small kitchen. Standard rooms are a bit bigger with more privacy; they include a bed, fan, TV, and closet. Deluxe rooms are bigger yet and include all the aforementioned amenities, as well as a bathroom and A/C. Public facilities are located throughout the camp for dorm and standard rooms.

In the middle of the camp there is a small restaurant called the Tiger Bar and Grill. They offer reasonably priced food an drinks and one of the largest menus of all the little restaurants in the area. The food is predominantly Thai for reasons that are currently beyond me but there’s a decent selection of non-Thai food like sandwiches, burgers, salad, and spaghetti. I certainly grew tired of Thai food rather quickly so having alternatives was a life saver.

TMT also has a gear store that recently reduced its prices. You can pick up nearly everything you might need to train muay thai or MMA. Gloves, shin pads, tape, shirts/shorts, protein, etc… They’ve got just about everything you’ll need at [newly] reasonable prices.

Verdict
The two main things that I would like to see TMT improve on:

  • Weight equipment is in rough condition.
  • The trainers teach techniques slightly differently.

In the end, TMT is the best training I’ve ever had.  I was pushed when I needed to be and I learned more in these past three months than I would have in a year of training back in the states.  TMT offers extensive training for people of any age level and any previous experience.  I would wholly recommend anyone come train here if they get a chance.

Tattoo

Posted by landoman - 30/03/09 at 10:03:13 am

A soft breeze blows through the room as a hard tropical rain pounds the island outside.  As relaxed as I am — just on the verge of falling asleep — the dull pain resonating through my arm just won’t let me slip into a tranquil sleep.  My thoughts shift back and forth between daydreaming, the hum of a small machine, and the needle it pumps into my skin twenty times per second.  What surprises me the most is how little it hurts.  Occasionally I’ll feel quick jets of pain as the needle hits a nerve but even then I’m still able to hover on the verge of sleep.  And at the same time I’m enthralled at the idea that someone is literally drawing on my flesh.  That puts a realistic spin on it, eh?

After an hour or so I’ve got a nice, shiny drawing permanently set under my skin.  Finally!  Throughout the whole ordeal, and the time afterward, nothing more than an uncomfortable ache can be felt.  It still surprises me how little it hurt.  Either some people can’t tolerate pain or they all exaggerate the pain.  Probably both.

Then comes round two.  After having my left upper arm stamped we move on to a unique Thai tattoo called Sak Yant.  It’s different than a tattoo gun in that, traditionally, sak yant are performed using a long wooden stick to “tap” ink into the skin.  Fortunately times have changed and instead of having wood tapped into me a hypodermic needle (that’s used in a gun) is stuck to the end of the stick.  Another difference between sak yant and tattoo guns are the rituals behind sak yant.  Before the tattooing begins a brief ceremony is held to bless the tattoo.  The artist purifies the skin and breathes life into the soon-to-be tattoo.

Then the fun begins.  While guns pump the needle into skin so fast that only waves of pain can be felt, the stick gets tapped into skin only once or twice a second — every entry is felt.  Since this one is getting drawn on my left shoulder blade the pain is manageable; still quite distinct, but manageable.  The skin towards my side is the most sensitive but as the needle moves closer to the middle of my back the pain rapidly dulls.  Regardless, time slows with each tap.  But soon the major outline is finished and only a few touch-ups remain.  The pain is nearly gone at this point and my skin is already starting to heal.  Now I not only have an awesome tattoo but I’ve got quite a story to tell as well.

Less Than Two Weeks…

Posted by landoman - 22/03/09 at 03:03:04 am

I have less than two weeks left in Thailand… : (

Things here have definitely slowed down in this last month but I’m in no way ready to leave yet.  March has been a pretty good month as far as training goes.  I’ve been able to develop a lot more speed this month and my techniques have sharpened considerably.  Nearly three months here and I feel like I’m only just beginning to transition from “beginner” to “intermediate.”  Arrrrrgh I need more time!

One thing I’ll definitely miss are the monthly barbecues at Tiger.  Though I haven’t actually eaten the food there since the first one in January (eat beforehand and enjoy the fights/activities for free), seeing the exhibition fights and talking to everyone I’ve met over the past few months is always fun.  And what’s even more fun is when ladyboys are brought in to put on a show.  But it gets better!  One of them came up to Jazz and tried to gently coax him into going out on the “stage” with him/her.  But he was steadfast in his resolution and didn’t budge.  Oh well, maybe one day…

Anyway, over the course of an entire evening I uploaded two minutes of video.  This internet sucks.  The first video is a fight between two guys training at TMT.

And the second fight is between one of the TMT trainers and an American.  Surprisingly the trainer gets KO’d in the first round.  Out cold, too.  Totally unexpected.

Hurray!

Posted by landoman - 13/03/09 at 08:03:05 pm

This past week has been pretty fun. We went to the Green Man last Thursday and Jazz won a 1000B ($30) voucher to be spent there in the next week.  He won that by correctly answering 6/30 questions about British Prime Ministers.  Yeah…

Watchmen came out last week so on Sunday evening me, Jazz, and Inge went to see it at the VIP theater.  The movie itself was awesome.  Three hours of bliss.  Add unlimited caramel popcorn to that and you’ve got yourself a recipe for success.  On top of that we ate at a little place called the Sizzler before the movie.  I had the best burger of the trip.  All in all a good evening.

Training continued like normal the rest of this week but we went out to the Green Man again on Wednesday so Jazz could spend his voucher.  I discovered that they’ve got some of the best pasta on the island.  A new favorite for me, I think.

And again last night Tommy, Inge, and I went out again to Green Man.  Somehow I managed to win a deep sea fishing trip for two by answering a question about the first railroad accident in America.  I still don’t quite know how I managed to win that but I won’t ask questions.  The trip  ncludes fishing of course, swimming and snorkeling at some of the islands we stop at along the way, and meals throughout the day.  It should be pretty sweet.

Two down, one to go

Posted by landoman - 02/03/09 at 08:03:22 pm

I’m at the two month point in Thailand.  Two months…holy crap.  It feels like I’ve been here a year.  When you’re in a place like this time loses all substance.  Time of day has little meaning and days of the week have even less.  I just hope this last month doesn’t fly by…

This was another slow week.  Eating, training, and sleeping for the most part.  On Thursday me, Jazz, Inge, and Nadine went out to The Green Man for quiz night.  Nearly the whole pub was in on it.  But unfortunately most of the questions were related to British pop culture.  Regardless it was good fun.  We’ll probably be making it a weekly trend.

Later in the weekend I went over to Naiharn to see Marisa and Alex.  We went to Central and had sushi at a restaurant called Fuji.  Everyone had been telling me that this was an amazing place but I found out first hand that they were all right.  Without a doubt it was the best sushi I had ever had.  Afterwards we went down to the cinema and saw Valkyrie.  I had been expecting a mundane movie but it turned out to be surprisingly good.  A good evening all in all.

Slow

Posted by landoman - 25/02/09 at 05:02:50 pm

Not much has happened in the past week.  I’ve just been training like normal and taking it easy in the downtime.  But this weekend I went to a couple pretty nice restaurants.

The first was an English pub called The Green Man.  It’s just a short way past Chalong Circle and offers some of the best traditional English food on the island.  The menu is huge and below each item is a huge description of what the food is and why it’s on the menu.  I had my first proper steak of the trip — and man was it well-needed.

The second place I went to was a little Italian restaurant in Naiharn called La Italiano (go figure).  The owners walk around talking to people from time to time and provide a comfortable atmosphere.  And they have a stone oven.  So, naturally, I had one of the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten.  A giant pizza, at that.  Both places I ate this weekend offered huge portions — also well needed.

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