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Hello everyone!
Sorry about taking so long to update my blog. So much has happenend here it is hard to begin. For starters, I learned how to drive a motorbike. I bought a proper helmet and I have been cruising the island for the last two weeks. I was pretty nervous at first but after about a week staying on the side roads I got on the main highways and I have never looked back. It is much cheaper than getting robbed by tuk tuk drivers and taxi drivers pretty much every time you try to get one.
So far I went deep sea fishing which turned into more of a snorkeling trip. I have pics of the lagoon up so please enjoy. It was a great day spent cruising and some very funny pics were staged , or I mean taken. I also went up to the Big Buddha, a colossal Buddha being built to lure foreigners to the highest mountain on the island. It was a hell of a motorbike ride through some very rough roads (at my level of skill anyways). I did get to see some wild monkeys which is way cooler than watching
the Discovery Channel.
So far the training has been good but not what I expected. I have had a couple of injuries to my neck and feet. Most of the time is spent on conditioning although you get lots of pad time with the trainers it does seem like you do not get a lot of technique instruction. Right now I am only training about 4 times a week until my body adapts. Some guys have pushed themselves and they have the slightest cuts get infected. One guy here got a nasty staph infection that landed him a week in the hospital. I have found that in this climate you need to get plenty of rest and only train when you feel up to the process. Other than my bumps and bruises I am adjusting just fine.
I do think though that I am not getting the training I want at this point. A very good fighter told me that there is an excellent school in Chiang Mai that is a fraction of the cost of down here. I think I am going to head there after I get my TESL license and spend about four months training
there and doing part time work to offset the costs.
I think that is the greatest feeling I am having right now. I have the opportunity to drift where the wind blows and I feel Chiang Mai calling. As for what happens then? I am seriously considering working in South Korea. I have met several Americans here that pretty much live in SK at this point and make a better living than they would have in the States. I already have a German friend there as well as the several good people I have met here. But that is still a ways off. I might even come back home for a month before heading to Korea.
One another note, I thought I should tell some of you that I have found a rather interesting place here in Phuket. There is a Thai weapon based art that is rarely practiced among the Thais but someone here has introduced me to an instructor who is teaching me for free. It requires me to travel to a rather foreigner free part of the island. I feel extremely blessed to be allowed to train in this circle. It is a very special
thing to see and I wish I could give more details( especially about the Thai fighter who has graciously brought me into the group) but I risk certain embarrassments for some of the fighters. I will ask permission before giving you more public details. It is extremely cool.
The coming weeks I plan on getting on more snorkeling tours. I coughed up the money for my own equipment. The stuff the Thais have is crap plus if you lose something they try to force you to pay five times what the equipment is worth. I will also be headed to Phi Phi island in the next two weeks with the two Scottish brothers James and John and perhaps a few others.
On another note, we almost had a tragedy today. There is a spa with a great pool that many of us go to relax and drink iced fruit drinks. James, John, myself and a few others were there when a Japanese lady pulled a cold, blue, stiff body of an eight year old boy out of the pool. John saw it first and jumped into action. Most of the locals and Japanese seemed clueless as to what
to do. John grabbed the body and said that his belly was as hard as wood. John gave him a few compressions on his stomach but nothing happenend. We flipped him over and were about to discuss how we wanted to do the CPR when his blue face came to life and coughed up some water. He started to cry and vomited a bucket full of water. His color returned and he seemed fine. I just thought John did a hell of a good job and although he shrugs it off most people there (including myself for the first seconds before I snapped out of it) were frozen. I thought people should know what a great job he did.
Well, that’s all from Phuket folks. I hope everyone is well and I do miss everyone. I hope you like the pictures and now that I have more computer squared away more pictures will come.
Love to everyone,
Erik
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Hey
Sorry I missed your call the other night...thought it was Jeffs mom! :( I will pick up the ID withheld calls from now, regardless if its his mom. I am glad you are having a good time, taking it easy, and living a life you have wanted to do for yourself for a long time. Good for you! :) By the way, it says you posted pictures, but there is just a rubber tree one...where are the others? I dont know how to use this that well...do I go somewhere else to look at them? Duh! Anyways...count down to the wedding...5 weeks! Things are getting anxiety ridden, crazy and just plain BUSY! Nice for the travelblogs, its good to hear you are well and doing what you want!