Last Saturday was my last day in Bangkok. I woke up a little late as I did not plan on training per religious reasons. I was able to watch the tail end of the training and speak to my fellow trainees. I headed off to breakfast and was able to eat with Josh from the UK.
I hadn't seen Josh in a few days. As a matter of fact, the first week that I was training I rarely saw him. He only came to afternoon sessions, skipped the morning session entirely, and didn't run either. However, on the second week he trained on both sessions that Monday but afterwards I did not see him again. He had planned on training until next August but something did not seem right and I did want to guess anything.
I was then notified that he injured his foot and he was going to be out of commission for awhile. Worse yet he later informed me that he may have a fracture on his left foot. I felt bad for him and because both us did not train Saturday morning we were both the only two eating breakfast that early.
I was able to catch a taxi to go to Bangkok SDA church again. I was delighted because the speaker was a fellow American who happens to be an official missionary in Bangkok. After he spoke we chatted for a bit. I just introduced myself and didn't think much of it but Greg, the missionary, was interested on why I was in Thailand. We spoke for a few minutes and even though he's a missionary in the far east we talked about baseball since he's a Red Sox fan and currently the playoffs are being played. Afterwards he gave me his card and asked to keep in touch. He's currently living in an SDA mission complex not far from the church.
After the service I was able to catch a motorcycle taxi who promptly took me to Siam Paragon. I had lunch at Mos Burger for the last time and a few doughnuts. After window shopping I took another taxi to Lumpinee and just browsed around. There were no fights at the time but I figure it would be a good time to check it out as it's scheduled to be torn down by the end of the year. A new Lumpinee Stadium complete with modern amenities is scheduled to be open sometime next year. It was nice seeing the place, browsed the stores, and then I got another taxi to head back to the gym.
When I got back to the gym the afternoon session was in full swing. However, I could sense that the immense heat was taking a toll on my fellow trainees. It's the hottest it's ever been in the two weeks that I've been there. Water was being drank at a rapid pace and boxers kept taking small momentary breaks to rest from the immense heat.
The trainers, who I've gotten to know well over the past 5 years, already knew that I was going to go the following morning. It was nice that most of them stopped what they were doing to wish me well and inform me that I'm always welcome back. I took photos with most of them. Chanachai, the former champ that laid waste to Marco from Spain, asked if he could have my bracelet that I wear on my left wrist.
For the people that know me, I wear a small rubber bracelet on my left wrist whenever I can. The bracelet simply has the words EVOLVE in red letters. I purchased it at the Evolve MMA gym in Singapore last year. It's a cheap bracelet but I like the wording. I use it to constantly remind me to evolve as a person both spiritually, mentally, and physically.
Anyway, Chanachai asked if I could give it to him. I gave it to him without thinking because I figure I could always buy one at Evolve since I'm planning on spending a an hour or so this coming Thursday. As soon as I gave it he wore right away, put on his gloves, and went on smacking another foreigner in sparring.
Dinner was the same as always. Just the healthy portions of rice, chicken, and veggies. Again I ate just enough but instead of leaving I decided to chill out and socialize with my fellows boxers. It's always pleasant for me to speak about boxing or fighting in general over dinner with people who have the same interest.
I then visited Jimmy at the internet cafe. Jimmy, a mechanic, has a side business of running an internet cafe when he's not working. The cafe is directly connected to his house. He speaks perfect English and he's probably, along with Ted from Fairtex, my best friend in Thailand. I told him that I was leaving the following morning. We chatted for a bit and I asked him if there was anything he liked from the US. He politely declined and I asked again because he always took care of me when I was in Bangkok. He told me what stations to take, how to work the BTS, when and where I should use a taxi to get back. Pretty much he gave me real useful information. Again, he politely declined and informed me that being a friend was more than enough.
That Saturday night in Bangkok just lasted forever. I had to pack, clean the room, and try to get some sleep before I headed off. I was informed my taxi was going to arrive at 5 am and that trainer and cook Ken was going to come along. Ken was going to be dropped off at the airport as he needed to pick up another new student from Germany. The airport was along the way to Pattaya.
I got into Pattaya on early Sunday morning. The taxi driver promptly dropped me off at Fairtex Hotel and Sports Club. I was going to live and train here for the next couple of days before I leave for Singapore this coming Wednesday.
Fairtex was the first gym I visited and trained at 6 years ago. Not only is it the finest and most expensive but it's also the best. It is expensive but since I've been going here for the past couple of years the gym has given me a sizable discount. I don't want to disclose the amount I paid as I "earned" that discount with the continued business I gave them. Someone reading this might want to train at Fairtex and inquire if they can get the rate I got. After I checked in I had breakfast and it was nice. I had an omelette, fresh fruits, and frosted flakes for breakfast. It was also buffet style and so I just ate what I could before settling in. There was not any training on Sunday and therefore I just waited until Monday to get things going.
That leads us up to today. Monday morning was rough to be honest. I got up and headed over to the gym pretty much knowing what to expect. Save for last year I've been going here for the past 6 years. However, I noticed something different this time around. I saw a lot of young up and coming fighters training with us. I then see Ted, my Japanese American friend from LA, come in to check things up. I promptly inform him that I arrived yesterday. Ted then informs me that the owner of Fairtex had simply wanted to raise fighters again which explains the big influx of new blood.
Fairtex is a big complex. The get the grand scope of it you can look it up online at http://www.fairtexpattaya.com. Once you enter the boxing center you see four full size boxing rings to your left. There is a matted area full of punching bags of every kind to your right. Right next to the center is a full fitness gym much in the same likeness of a 24 Hour Fitness. The bathroom has a sauna, steam room, and lockers for use. Towels are free and you're given two 24 oz. bottles of water per day. Fresh fruit is complementary and with meals you are given an option of western or Thai.
After warming up I am paired with pro trainer Ram. I look around me and saw fellow trainees going through their routine. I really hoped that they weren't going to treat me like the trainers were treating them. Some of the guys are new and did not have a clue on how to throw a proper kick. Some were just not used to the training routine. So the trainers worked with them slowly technique by technique. I did not want that to happen to me as I've been coming here for years, trained at a local gym to maintain my edge, and had spent the last two weeks training hard in Bangkok.
Luckily Ram did not treat me like the other students. My work was excellent and hard. My trainer worked offense and defense which proved to be very difficult as my reaction time sucks. I ate a lot of right kicks to the body. To give you an example Ram would have me throw a left cross, right hook, and a left round kick to the body. I would do just that but right after I would land my left kick Ram would kick back with his right to the left side of my body. If he wasn't kicking the left side of my body he was kicking the inside of my right leg. If he wasn't kicking the the inside of my right leg he was kicking my head with his left leg and so on. In other words he had me totally dismantled. He kept on shouting at me "timing" and "relax".
After 5 four minute rounds I went to the bag and just copied the routine I was doing when I was in Bangkok. Fairtex was in full swing and there were other students waiting their turn with the trainer while I was doing my work. After 5 rounds with the bag in which I worked my kicks, punches, and knees I left for breakfast.
After breakfast I slept for a few hours before I headed off for the afternoon session. The afternoon session went like the first. In other words it was hard and difficult and again I was paired with Ram. I didn't complain because I liked it. There was a Russian student who was screaming and trying to make sound effects with every strike he threw at the trainer. It was notable but who was he trying to impress? There weren't any hot girls around and at the time there weren't any star fighters around either. I then noticed he had an annoying habit every time he threw a strike. Imagine shaking your head "no" to someone while throwing a kick right after and you get an idea on what I am talking about. I mentioned this to Ram and Ram relayed it back to trainer Samart. Right after Samart was notified the Russian fighter had an horrible time finishing up his training as he had a hard time trying to get rid of the habit. He looked at me but I couldn't tell on whether he was mad or not. If anything he should thank me, that habit of his is going to get him killed if ever decided to fight in the ring.
I then socialize with Ted and son of the owner Prem. I was then notified by Ted he was going to a Mexican restaurant to have a burrito. It threw me off at first because Mexican Restaurant and Thailand do not normally go together but nevertheless I wanted to go out on the town and Ted had a car. Ted advised me to eat dinner at the cafe since I already pre paid and meet up with him 2 - 3 hours later at the hotel lobby.
I had spaghetti and a coke for dinner and I still had an hour and a half before I was supposed to meet up with Ted. After dinner I went for a foot massage at a clinic just a short walking distance from the gym. The massage only costs 250 baht ($8 US) and lasts for an hour. It was painful and she didn't just work my feet but my calves, shins, and quads. But a few minutes after I was done I had my spring back on my legs and thanked the masseuse.
I then headed back to the hotel where I met up with Joao and Ted. Joao is from Brazil and teaches the cage fighting class at Fairtex. The three of us get into Ted's Ford Escape and head out to Sam's Mexican Food in the center of Pattaya. Sam's is owned by expat Sam who is a retired Texas Sheriff now living in Pattaya. The food was awesome and I never thought I could eat something like that in Thailand. I had a steak burrito (I hope it was steak), nachos, and Spanish rice. After bs'ing with Ted and Joao we head back to the complex.
That brings us to now. It is almost 1 am Bangkok time. It's my last day in the Kingdom. It's kind of bittersweet because I got use to the routine here. It is very simplistic but the benefits are very rewarding. I'm healthier, fitter, and faster than ever. But as much as I love it I also want to see Singapore and ultimately I want to go home.
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