bloodsport

There hasn't been much inner peace in my life these past few months. They've been tumultuous & some of the crappiest I've had in years. A lot of change. A lot of insomnia. So many valid reasons for making the decision to up & leave for Thailand, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

But I have my own brand of therapy, when shopping & spas & heavy drinking fail me. I kickbox. The type I do is far from the stuff of action movies, but I can fake it quite well. :) It's so physically demanding that I can't afford to let my mind wander to anything else, like how much bloody plane tickets cost for example, & other stresses befitting of my quarterlife crisis (am I still considered quarterlife? Probably not. God, how depressing). With kickboxing, I have to be mentally present there in that moment or risk falling over or getting whacked in the face. Better yet, I'm the one whacking people in the face that had the misfortune of crossing me that day. Only in my imagination, but it is immensely satisfying! All the anxiety, the inanity, the chaos, just melt away.

Luckily, I am headed for the kickboxing world capital. Muay Thai is also known as the Art of Eight Limbs, which refer to the 8 parts of the body that are used in sparring- 2 hands, 2 elbows, 2 shins, 2 knees. Amazing striking speed, high jumps & huge calves. Check this video with Thai legend Tony Jaa. It's a bit long, the action starts at around 4 minutes in. But there is a nice long dramatic lead-in to set up the fight, with the Slash-looking Western opponent taunting Tony with the universal "fuck you" sign & comical English jeers.

Can you picture me? Hahaha.

reality check

Got my tickets today.

NYC --> DC --> Manila --> Bangkok --> Chiang Mai.

A few days in each spot. It was a puzzle making all the itineraries fit.

No turning back now!

the mother continent calling me home

In 6 weeks I'll be living & working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 6 weeks! And getting closer everyday...

I knew next to nothing about Chiang Mai until about 2 months ago. Now I know that it is a small city of about 1 million people in the northern mountainous region of Thailand, known for their temples, spas, & blazing night market. It's also the historical center of Thailand, founded in the 13th century & established as capital of the ancient northern kingdom of Lanna. That history is marked today by ancient ruins & the presence of various tribal ethnic minorities that still hold onto lifestyles & customs of centuries passed. It sits in the heart of the golden triangle, straddling Burma/Myanmar to the east & Laos to the west.

(Spas & shopping sound good to me.)

And today I also learned that they have annual outbreaks of Japanese B encephalitis. Japa-what? It is a nasty little bugger transmitted by mosquitoes for which there is no treatment, & a third of people that get infected will die while another third will suffer permanent brain damage. Sounds lovely. Unfortunately the vaccine is a regiment of 3 shots over the course of a few months, costing $600. Ouch. I can only hope that 18 years of growing up in the tropics, being feasted on by all kinds of parasites carrying who-knows-what were good for some kinda immunity. (Please God.) I settled for the poor man's vaccinations instead- typhoid & hepa A, because Lord knows that alcohol gives my liver a thorough enough beating already.

Now my arms are so sore & bruised I can barely lift them. If that isn't a good enough excuse to skip gym today, I don't know what is. :D

escape from new york

New York,

How I love you. I love all the clichés- the ice skating in Central Park, the shopping in SoHo, the brunches in Brooklyn, the alcohol-saturated nights in the LES. I love that I don't have to know how to drive. I love that there are some bars where everyone knows my name, yet the moment I leave their cozy interiors, I fade into anonymity again. I love that I can go on an international gastronomic adventure any day of the week, & spend anywhere between $1-$600 doing so. I love that I can stay right here & the world comes to me, & I am always playing tour guide to the visiting friends constantly coming through. I love that on any given day, I could be in the midst of pompous lawyers, gorgeous models, trendy media-types, French tourists, struggling musicians/waiters, illegal Mexican immigrants, Malawian royalty, all sitting next to me on the subway. I love the way you can make or break anyone, whatever walk of life you come from, & how if you can make it here you can make it anywhere (sing it Frank!).

Everyone I've ever met tells me I belong here, & I'm as much a part of the fabric of the city as it is part of mine. After living the semi-nomadic life for the past decade, I thought this would be the city I would finally "settle" in... at least for the next 5 years. It's been 2.

Cracks started to appear in our perfect love affair. Everyday I'm bombarded with ads, flashing lights, traffic, smog, high-rise buildings, subway screechings, $2000+/month rent (not including utilities, mind you), the endless rat race, the endless RATS, 7 million beautiful plastic people crammed into the same 7 miles of space & every single one fighting for attention & that elusive last bit of elbow room. I know a good relationship means a lot of give & take, but I'm beginning to feel like a battered woman. And this winter weather? Brutal. How did you suddenly turn so cold?

New York, consider this a trial separation. I love you, but I just need time to myself right now. I think we should see other people...

salut / 你好 / ciao / hola / こんにちは

Hello.

A preamble: I am completely new this whole blogging world, so please bear with me as I find my groove.