If you find yourself travelling a lot for martial arts competitions, take advantage of it and explore the cities you find yourself in. Why not make the most of it? Take every opportunity you can. Every new destination has something fun to see and do. Here are some of the things we think you should do if you want to make the most of a chance to travel for a martial arts competition. Explore the Local Cuisine You may want to wait until after you fight so you are in the best possible condition, but if you have the opportunity to head out afterwards, take it. Take a look at what the local speciality might be, and try to find a good place to eat as a reward for your work. A great meal is often … [Read more...]
9 Survival Tips For Long Distance Travel By Bus In Thailand
Walking into a bus terminal as a Foreigner in Thailand you can assume you will leave with a purchased ticket, however, the ticket may not necessarily be the most convenient, comfortable or sane route to your destination. The following list has been tailored to increase your odds and/or help preserve your cool. 1. Red buses are the slowest. In Canada, we would refer to taking this sort of bus as taking The Milk Route, they're scenic, they're slow, and they're cheap. If you have time on your hands, meaning, any random amount of hours because chances are, they differ slightly day to day, a red bus can be fun. Often they're not aircon equipped, but the windows open and the … [Read more...]
Culture Shock: 7 Brain Sweeps Returning To North American Life
Thirty days in North America and the following squished and/or continues to squish my brain: 1) Despite spending the month of June split between southern California and the most southern city in the entire nation of Canada, during the day, I've been caught running around in jeans, a shirt, jacket, scarf and gloves while others run amok in beaters (vests) and shorts. In air conditioned homes I sip hot water to not have to walk around in a blanket. I currently sleep in thermals. 2) I dug deep, got in touch with my internal cheeseball, made peace with her and began to (occasionally) wear sunglasses indoors. My brother, with whom I was crashing with in California returned home at … [Read more...]
From Bangkok To LA To Detroit To Windsor
This was my original brain blast show up in my head and write it quick post that popped brilliant when I decided it was time to jet West: I know it's a country/city comparison, but who cares. I'm speaking in terms of where I am and where I'm going to be, population size is but a detail: Thailand - You can be close friends with someone for years before you find out they have two kids. Detroit - The guy standing behind you in line at White Castle will tell you about is ex-wife's nipple piercings. Windsor, Ontario, Canada, my final destination is a more subtle version of the latter. I'm looking forward to dipping in for awhile. Post … [Read more...]
Culture Shocked: Weird Moments Adapting From Thailand To The Philippines
From Thailand to The Philippines...culture shock? Not what I expected but here's what I scribbled in my notebook as my mind unraveled my first week in. What Threw Me 1. Being Literate Billboards, storefronts, ingredients on packaging, t-shirts and receipts are among the beautiful expressions of one's surroundings that ceased being objects with interesting long-tailed symbols and blossomed into direct communicative transmissions. 2. Being Touched My experience of Thai culture has been one where the parameters of one's personal space with non relatives in the public sphere are very defined. For example, I recall watching a … [Read more...]
Landed: The Philippines
My interest in the Philippines can be traced back to, I believe, my introduction to corn nuts. It was pre grade six when a kid agreed to a lunch goody trade off. What did I give her? No clue, but I distinctly call to mind gleefully crunching on a Filipino corn nut variation that had traveled back with her from the islands that past summer. And so began my curiosity of the Philippines, which as the years passed was nourished by samplings of longanisa, steamed fish with eyeballs and tales of cheese ice cream. It wasn't soley about munching on things, however when I try to recall what initially got ahold of me...what zaps in my mind are memories of hanging in the … [Read more...]
Notes From The Road: Bangkok
Transcript Hello! The last day of my travel adventure fun lands in Bangkok. I'll stay nineteen hours in total til I leave for Buriram. It's 9:53 pm and I'm enjoying the luxury of my hotel room: a kitchen (I'm not going ot use it, but who cares), soft lighting and a couch/loveseat. Three and a half years in Thailand (total) and I don't remember staying anywhere with a kitchen and/or couch (Correction. My friend's old apartment in BKK...twice? Three times?). I've been living mostly as the Thais (or rather, many Thais) do, I cook and eat on my floor (rice cooker and sukiyaki hook up) and for the first two plus years I … [Read more...]
Notes From The Road: The Duenshine Resort, Kanchanaburi
Transcript Hello! Hello! Three days at the Duenshine Resort in Kanchanaburi. Very secluded and mostly empty. I love this aspect. Partying is cool, but I find for the most part, partying bores me, it has become cliche. Not partying in itself, just more the form partying seems to take more often than not despite which city or country I'm in. Too repetitive. Little depth. The last three days were spent lazing about. A lot of time exploring the grounds, tapping into the rhythms of the place and introspection. I needed the break. I can feel change brewing inside of me, although at this point in time, I have … [Read more...]
Notes From The Road: From Tak To Nakhon Sawan To Suphanburi To Kanchanaburi
Transcript January 3, 2012 Leaving Tak towards Kanchanaburi was a little more complicated than anticipated. On the morning of our departure (yesterday), we were told we would have to stop in Suphanburi to transfer. This meant Tak - Nakhon Sawan - Suphanburi - Kanchanaburi. We hit the bus station in Tak before 9:30 am and was told in Suphanburi at 7:00 pm that all buses to Kanchanaburi had stopped at 5:00 pm. We stayed the night. How was the ride? I believe it was approximately 3:00 pm when we saw a sign indicating Suphanburi was 53 km away … [Read more...]
Notes From The Road: From Chiang Mai To Tak
Transcript Hey Once Again, The decision to come to Tak (city) was fairly organic. New Year's Eve was approaching and Brandy (my partner in crime) and I had only booked our hotel until the 29th. Trying to find accommodations until the first was becoming cumbersome, so as we were trying to determine our next move sitting side by side at a net cafe, I suggested to Brandy "Maybe we should pull up a map of Thailand". She did. Then asked, "What about Tak?" I had never heard of it; neither had she. It was a go. Two days and a six … [Read more...]
Notes From The Road: From Buriram To Bangkok To Chiang Mai
Above: The Notebook Cover / Where This Entry Begins Transcript Buriram to Bangkok 5.5 hours via bus to meet up with a friend flying in from Toronto. First impression of BKK post floods - there was a lot of debris left on the side of the streets. Second impression of BKK post floods - everyone on average was incredibly friendly (I had forgotten). 4 days/3 nights of shopping, Japanese ice cream, a movie … [Read more...]
Notes From The Road: From Mukdahan To Nekromantix, Buriram
Transcript Hey People, On a short stop back to Buriram. Got kicked off the bus on the way here after six hours. Bought the ticket in Mukdahan, which is the starting point for the trip. The woman made a typo on my ticket, so essentially I had a no seat ticket despite buying the ticket 24 hours in advance (when few were sold) and paying full fare. To make a long story short - told to skip = me contesting and showing all other info on the ticket, people waiting, waiting - I go to be left at night in a town and told to wait for the next available bus, could be a couple of hours, could be many hours. Driver still had my ticket, which … [Read more...]