Half way there!

So today marks the official halfway point. Pretty crazy I have already been here 3 1/2 weeks! It's gone by so quickly. I have really been enjoying the time here so far. It has been really nice to explore as well as train. There is a lot of free time during the day that I poke around Pattaya eating at different places and finding different coffee spots. The massages here are amazing and sooo cheap. They are only like $8 or less. I have been getting two-three a week. I am definitely going to miss them when I come home.

My training is becoming stronger now. I still have a bit of a cold which is keeping me from being at my full potential, but I think once it's gone my stamina will be the best it's ever been. Before I got sick I was averaging running about 3mi, then 8 rounds on pads plus sparring and clinching(about 2 1/2-3 hours a day at the gym). My trainer suggests taking it easy so that I can recover, so I haven't run yet this week. Hopefully I can start again in the next few days. I think the most important technique I am learning overall is to be relaxed. This is something that the Thai's master so well. Every Westerner I see get in the ring to do pads is so tensed up. It's such a strength and energy drainer. Everyday Pon (trainer) yells at everyone to relax. Occasionally I get it but majority of the time I forget. Now that I am used to the heat and all my blisters, bruises and aches have healed, I am hoping to really focus and improve my technique over the next 3 weeks.
Update: Training was just ok today. I get really frustrated with myself a lot when I want to push further than what I can actually do. Today I did 5 rounds of pads, clinching for 20min, 100 knees and 200 situps. The pads went better than yesterday, but it's amazing how quickly I feel I get out of shape. I know part of it's my body fighting the cold that I have, but it's just really frustrating. Tomorrow I am going to run a little bit. Probably no more than a mile and a half. I am realizing now more than ever how much more the running really helps with stamina in the ring.
Below is a photo of the boys goofing off and trying to be acrobats on one of the swings at the gym.

In Thailand people have different Buddhas for protection that represent the day of the week they were born on. Usually people will give each other small amulets of the Buddha for protection. There are also different ones for wealth and other blessings. Today I was shopping and ran across this small one at a pawn shop. When I bought it I didn't know that it represented Wednesday morning. I was actually born on a Saturday, but I think the meaning of it represents me more than the Saturday one. Motivated, artistic, adventurous. So, I am okay with having the wrong one. I know it wasn't given to me, but I bought it used so maybe that counts.

My English friends have made friends with a group of guys from Australia that where also staying at their hotel. The Australians friend who they were visiting in Thailand happened to be incredibly wealthy and took us out for drinks a few times and then to dinner one night. They were a fun bunch to hang with for a couple of days. It was also really nice being spoiled.
Only one of my English friends (Star) is still here with her two sons. Both Lamia and Rachel have returned to England sadly. I miss them, but it's definitely going to be worse when all of them are gone. It has been a unexpected and pleasant surprise finding people that I enjoy to hang out with. I feel very fortunate to have met them and am so excited to go visit them all in London some day. It might have to wait until the dollar gets a little stronger. Below is me and Lamia at the night market.
Not only did my friend Star meet the Australians, but her and her boys also met a brother and sister vacationing down here from Bangkok. The girl 17 is in LOVE with Stars youngest boy 11 and he in turn is planning to bring her to London to live with them when he is old enough to date her. They barely speak each others languages, but it is just soo cute. They are all about each other. I will get pictures of them and post them tomorrow.
The brother and sister also being somewhat wealthy have paid for my dinners on several occasions and took all of us bowling the other night. (I love being spoiled!)
Yesterday I found the mother of all junk stores where almost everything that you find at the night market you can find even cheaper here. I think I am going to be in trouble with this one. Definitely going to have to spend half of a day at this place.
Tonight I went out to dinner with Star and we both got massages for $6. Following that we went and had a piece of chocolate cake. It was a really nice evening. Hopefully tonight I can get some sleep. I have been tossing and turning lately trying to get to sleep anytime before 2am. Hopefully now that training is getting better and with the help of the amazing memory foam mattress that I now have thanks to my boyfriend I will be able to sleep more easily.
more to come....

Sick :(

So, I am sick and stuck in the hotel because it is down pouring at the moment and doesn't look like it's going to stop. I figured I would update you guys on the past few days. Songkran was crazy. People throwing water(buckets full-probably why i'm sick) and pasting flour all over your face. It was insane. They really go all out here for new year. I was drenched from head to toe and had flour all over my face.
Here's the girl that brought me to the festival. For some reason people were all over her with the flour.Too much fun, I think we need to change our new year to summer time or make 4th of July all about water. After walking through some of the festival 6 of us took two mopeds across town to another area and this is what it was like during the ride.




The whole thing was just nuts. Although now that it is over it is quite nice to not be getting hit with water everywhere I go on the moped.
So, both boys that I have become buddies with had fights this past week. Dia won:) and Beit lost:(. This is Beit bowing to the corner during his ritual dance before the fight.Dia (in blue) is in the two photos below.
The first one he is challenging his opponent in the ritual dance done before every Muay Thai fight. He's got a lot of spunk in him.

Dia did a really great job. The coolest part about his fight was that I was one of the only foreigners there. This was a legit everyday kinda fight where people were yelling and placing bets and getting in the fighters corners telling them what to do. It was also a free fight which was great. It was so much fun! The other place where Beit fought was where foreigners usually attend and it cost $40. You get VIP tickets, but it just wasn't the same.
At the place that you pay more specifically I have noticed that when they set a westerner up to fight it is with a Thai who is not an equal match. The same night that Beit fought there were quite a few westerners that fought. The Thai matches tend to be really good fights, but I think that the Westerners are set up to win the fights. The Thai's that fought them seemed to be smaller and not skilled or don't really even try. One match was just ridiculous with both the Westerner and the Thai seeming like neither of them had any Muay Thai technique whatsoever. Pretty interesting. It's probably not that way everywhere but who knows. I would prefer to fight where I could feel good about my win and not like it was handed to me. Not saying that they do that everywhere for those of you who have fought here, just saying that this is what i have seen thus far.
At the fight that Dia was in there was a festival going on since it was the last day of Songkran. At the festival were some Thai Cowgirls doing sexy dancing on stage and lip sinking to some Thai pop. Pretty entertaining.
Below my trainer was playing one of the carnival games they had. He was trying to win his girlfriend a stuffed animal.

I was playing this game where they fill a kiddie pool with goldfish and you have this paper spatula thing where you try to catch fish and get them in the pitcher before the water breaks through the paper. Really cool! I need to invent it in the states.
Also, there were a bunch of food vendors. I've seen them at the night market also. They have a bunch of different sticks of meat lined up. You just pick yours out and they grill it right there. Yummy!

A little later during the week one of my new English friends(Lamia) and I headed to an elephant farm and went on an hour long ride. So cool! We bought bananas for the elephant and during the ride he would stop and make us give him one every 50 feet.

At the farm they had a momma and baby elephant. Shortly after this picture was taken the baby elephant head butted me. He didn't want me touching him. He was strong.
I have been updating this post over the past few days. It is now Monday and I am feeling a little better. I had a really bad head and chest cold for the past three days and ended up taking Saturday and Sunday off from training. Feeling slightly better now. Still have the cold a bit but I think I am going to try to train today.
More later...