Good Times Bad Times

     I guess  my destiny is not blogging.  I wonder if Austin's Ajan can see what is in Austin's destiny.  I know he is pretty perceptive.  Austin hadn't been to temple in a while, and when Ajan spotted him across the courtyard, he broke into a huge smile.  Wondering why Austin hadn't been around, he asked him, "Woman?  Woman?" 
     "No, no."  Austin replied, and I was relieved to hear.
     Austin said that day they had three buckets outside the temple, one with tadpoles, one with baby snakes, and one with baby turtles.  You buy one and go release it where it's supposed to be.  I don't know whether this was a way to raise money, or to teach a lesson.  Anyway, Aus chose a turtle, and told Ajan maybe he'd keep it.
     Ajan said in so many words,  "You can't even take care of yourself, how would you take care of it?  What would you feed it?"
     "Pad gra pow," Austin explained--his favorite spicy chicken and thai basil dish, served with a bed of rice, and "dow," a fried egg on top.
     They all had a good laugh at that one.  Austin released the turtle into the lake that he runs around every morning. 
     So Austin's training schedule was pretty grueling, compounded by the heat.  He had been running maybe a few miles every other day before he left, and unfortunately, increasing so quickly to about four miles every morning brought on some "posteromedial shin splints", also called "tibialis-posterior tendinitis."  I managed to diagnose this after a lot on online research, and found some instructions and exercises for treatment.  Part of the treatment is to lay off running, preferably about six weeks.   Aus felt that his trainers maybe thought he was just trying to get out of running, but he did stop, for about a week or so.  Of course he was jumping rope every evening, building up the duration of that to 45 minutes now.
    
This is the schedule as posted on the Academy website. 

TRAINING ROUTINE: 
Mon – Fri, Sat
0600-0700: Fitness – Running laps around lake, running back to the camp, skipping…
0700-0900: Training – Wai Kru, Technique, Bag Work
0930-1030: Breakfast
1030-1300: FreeTime
1300-1400: Lunch
1400-1600: FreeTime
1600-1700: Fitness - Running laps around lake, running back to the camp, jumping rope…
1700-1900: Training, technique, bag work, pad work (in ring with trainer), sparring (with professional fighter), Muay Bam (grappling/clinch with professional fighter)

And this is Supap, Austin's primary initial trainer.

   
      One important thing a kick-boxer must do is create stronger shin bones.  First, Supap used weights on Austin's shins, running them along the length of the shin, then tapping them along the bone.  After a while he switched to using a pool cue, cleverly cushioned at the tip using an old pair of Austin's boxers.  He would continue to hit the same spot on the shin over and over---when Austin felt he couldn't take it anymore, Supap would switch to another spot.  Aus said the front of muay thai fighters' shins look more flat than angled like we're used to. 
     In the beginning, Supap spent a lot of time with Austin, even other than training.  He would invite Austin to do things with him and his family during time off. 

A New Buddhist

      I am veering away from my loose chronological order today because of a very important event.
     Austin became a Buddhist yesterday, Wednesday, September 1, 2010.  There was a ceremony, or ritual, at the temple (not sure how the monks would refer to it) confirming his commitment to Buddha.  After this, he received three Sak-Yants on his back.  He said, "I got kaew yod below my neck, ha taew on my left shoulder and i got a big hanuman in the middle of my back."  Sak-Yants are sacred tattoos which bring powerful protection and strength to the bearers.  The tattoos must be blessed by a monk, and one must live by the Master's set of rules, or the power of the tattoo is lost.  Each Master or Teacher (Ajan) has their own set of rules, along with the Eightfold path to enlightenment.
     Here is an example of some rules:

Do Not speak inauspiciously to or of your; Mother , Father or master (Kroo).
Do not commit evil deeds.
Devotees of the same master are forbidden to fight or compete with each other - they should consider each other members of the same family and cherish each other.
Do not drink alcohol or take drugs.
Do not make special claims of having protective powers because of your yant or amulets.
Do not think that the power of the yant will protect you if you intend to use those powers for bad deeds.

   
     Austin spent over nine hours at the temple on Sunday in preparation for Wednesday's ceremony.   Part of the prep was receiving an "invisible" tattoo.  Sesame oil is spread onto the back and and it feels more like it's being scratched into the skin Austin said.  Afterward, the monk picked up six or so of the sticks that were burning, and Sai told him, "Stamina, stamina."  Austin's heart started beating a little harder--he thought maybe they would press the burning tips into his skin...?  No, the monk took the twigs and lightly brushed the tips back and forth across Austin's back as he blew on them.  The ashes stuck to his oiled skin, and then the monk rubbed them over his back.  There was chanting and prayer, the lights were dim with many candles burning.  About five other monks looked on.  It was a very moving experience for Austin, he said he felt happy.   
     Well, I am going to post this for now, and later I'll add anything I've forgotten. 
 

So many stories, so far behind

     Another big shout out to all the prolific bloggers.  I admire them, but I'm also a bit concerned about their social lives.  Of course I don't have one, so I should be a superb blogger.  I have to catch up.
     So, after trying to start at Austin's arrival in Korat, and realizing the degree of missing detail, I asked him about it; I'll do a little filling in. 
     One thing about the flight over was he had a can of sunscreen explode in his bag.  I hadn't heard of that happening before, and don't recall avoiding aerosol when I've flown.  He said it was kind of sticky and greasy; he had to wash everything. 
     On the streets in Bangkok, there are food stalls everywhere, and they also have markets underground.  Probably like an underground parking lot, only a supermarket instead.  Austin said he'd be walking around and realize there was a giant grin on his face.  Must have been like, "I can't believe I'm actually here!"
      In Bangkok, Austin met Matt, a friend of Charlie's, whose brother, Easah, was training at the camp.  They are also from England; their father is an environmental scientist, as Austin recalls.  More on them later.  When Aus left Charlie's, he took the Sky Train (Chicago's El, San Fran's Bart) to Mo Chit; taxi to the bus station there, bus to Korat, drop off at the Mall, where one of the trainers, Ajairn Supap, picked Austin up.  "How did he know who you were? Were you wearing a certain color shirt or something?"  (lqtm)   This was Sunday night as he arrived--training started the next morning.

A Sea Change

     Austin and I have reached a juncture in this journey.   While for Austin there is an authentic sea change as his world grows exponentially, my experience is merely vicarious; I have no more first-hand experience to share until he comes home.  I am not certain of the best way to record the stories he tells me on the phone.  I take notes when I talk to him, or right afterward, so I don't forget--but everyone out there knows the whole memory loss problem going on.  Wonder what that's all about?  Any conspiracy theories forthcoming?  I will just forge ahead and hope for the best.
     So, Austin made it to Korat on a bus.   I'm realizing how many details I don't know.   How did he get to the camp?  Who was the first person he talked to?  How did he manage to communicate who he was?  Maybe that part was easy.....only white boy there.   He says most foreigners there are teachers.  People will ask "Teacher?"  "No."  "Oh, Muay Thai."  "Yes."  Teacher or kickboxer? 
     Austin slept in the military barracks for the first 4 nights.  Apparently it was like a bare slab of wood.  There was someone training there who was leaving and had been renting a hotel room and the plan developed that Austin would take over this room when he left. 
     "It's 3000 baht a month."
     "Really, wow....huh." I muttered, trying to do the exchange rate quickly.
     "I thought that was good."
     "Well, it is I guess.  That's like $100 a month.  It's just we thought 5000 baht a month would cover food and shelter."  Which I guess it would if sleeping on a sheet of plywood with no air conditioning would suffice.  "Can you eat for 2000 baht a month?"
     "There are more expenses than we thought." Austin explained.
     "Like what?"
     "Water.  Weights for running."
     When I told Mike about the weights, he said "Tell him to carry rocks."  Another funny father-son thing.   Mike was a Marine and I know he carried a mattress on his head for a workout.
     Well, I know this is a short post, but Kady started school today--she's a Junior!--so I anticipate a little more time to get caught up.  Right now I will start dinner.  Austin said one of his favorite things to order is "Poke-a-pow."  Obviously don't take that spelling to heart, but he says it's chopped chicken, spicy, with a barbecue flavor, next to a bed of rice with an egg on top. 
   

    

    

The Arrival

     I need to get Austin on the ground. 
    That evening at Marika's I must have seemed "zombie-ish" because I could tell Marika was a bit concerned.  It's amazing what sobbing takes out of you.  I did have the right antidote however; holding Evie.  I woke up at 3:00 a.m., and felt stupid for crying yet again, not being able to breath with my nose stuffed up.   I hadn't synced his flight details with my time, so I got up, and went on the computer.  Found a site for "if it's _ _:_ _ in ______, then it's _ _:_ _ in ______."  Perfect.  So, he had actually already had his almost 2 hour layover at Narita Airport in Tokyo.  En route to Bangkok, he would be landing on time according to Delta.com, at 9:30 a.m., our time.  Almost 5 a.m., I figured I'd try to sleep some more.
     The girls and I were in the kitchen when my cell phone rang about 11 a.m. 
     "Hello....hello?"
     "Hi Mom, what you doing?"
     "Oh, not much, just here with the girls, waiting to hear from you,"  I answered, so relieved he had arrived and sounded so nonchalant.
     "Charlie's apartment is epic!" Austin had taken a taxi from the airport to Charlie Garrett's apartment in Bangkok, to spend one or two nights there before traveling to the academy in Korat, 3 hours away.
     "Is this the phone Charlie had arranged for you?"
     "No, it's just some phone that was sitting here."
     "Hmm, you might want to let him know you used it."
     I was full of questions:  How was the flight?  What was Narita like?  Did you eat there?
     The first flight, the seat sucked, his neck hurt.  Narita is huge, amazing.  Lunch cost $30, but it was good.  "Some weirdo started talking to me, telling me his beats his wife and he's going to divorce her.  I told him I didn't want to hear his crap." 
     Oh, those Japanese men.  Don't get me started (whale-killers).  All-consuming (anything for a stiffy).  Check Anthony Bourdain's rant on this in "Medium Raw".  My last life may have been at Pearl Harbor (won't eat Sushi).
     I digress....again.
     So, it was 1 a.m. in Bangkok, and Austin was getting cleaned up to go out and meet with Charlie and some of his friends.  He made a comment on Facebook that there's really nothing like a Bangkok night club, but I didn't get too many details on that. 
     So, he got there safely, and my crying ended. 

A few photos

     I couldn't find any other pictures of Austin's dragon tattoo.  Maybe on another camera?  This is what he sent from his phone the day he got it.  He has been told in Thailand that the dragon is a protector of Buddha.  He told them it protects him too.  I look at it like he himself is the dragon, a protector also.  We'll go with all three.
     Then there's Uncle Austin and little Evie (pronounced like Chevy, bevy, heavy--more rhyming fun).
     And finally, Aus at SFO.  Does that photo look cropped to you?  The original is in my private files.

Still departing...

     Well, I'll have to say I have new-found admiration for bloggers.  I decided to start this blog about a week after Austin left, and I just want to get up to current time, but feel like I'm losing time.  Plus he's fourteen hours ahead of me; oh what a conundrum.  Sorry, I digress.
     Getting back to the month of July that Austin was here--he would say, "Oh, this isn't going to happen, I won't be going to Thailand."  I wondered if he was a bit unsure, and was going to behave in ways to make sure it wouldn't happen, or if it was a Jedi mind trick.  I've tried that method before, negating the importance of something, throwing down the gauntlet, a reverse psychology method to make it happen.
     So all the details continued, with Mike, like I said, making things happen.  With the ticket purchased for two weeks out, we anxiously waited for the visa to arrive.  In the meantime Austin enjoyed his beautiful little niece, Genevieve, Coda, surfing, Dojo martial arts classes, cookouts with friends, and one unique activity.  He and his friend, Taylor, went several times to the local Santa Cruz Flotation Center.  A sensory deprivation experience of floating in a small dark capsule-tank of shallow, heavily salted water, with a goal of freeing one's mind because of that lack of eternal stimulation.  Please refer to the movie, "Altered States" for further details.
     So, finally, all paperwork in hand and Austin packed, August 5th arrived.  His flight was at 1:15p.m. out of San Francisco, so we left Aptos at about 9:30.
     Austin said, "I don't feel too good."
     I replied, "Must be nerves."
     "I'm not nervous!"
     "Okay."
     We stopped in Newark to rendezvous with Mike for their goodbye, and to pick up all the traveler's checks he had purchased for Austin's journey.  I was getting a little concerned about time, what with trips into San Francisco always a crap shoot.  Traffic wasn't too bad and we arrived about 11:45.  With the security checkpoints at airports these days, it didn't make sense to go through parking, as we wouldn't be able to see him for long anyway.  The procedure of dropping someone off is hectic, particularly at the international departure sites, with the airport nazis threatening people for taking too long.  Kady and I dropped him at the curb with his bags, planning to make a swing around the airport, come back through and touch bases with him that all went smoothly checking in.  I had to get a photo of this departure, so Kady snapped off about four frenzied pictures of Austin and me (the nazis); one is just of our feet.  They are the worst pictures.  Austin looks good, but my non-photogenic properties reached all-time highs.  So, it was "I love you, be careful, have fun, watch your money, be careful..."
     I made the swing around the airport, getting lost into the domestic flight traffic, but then when I made it back to Austin, he was standing there waving, giving us the thumbs up.  I yelled out, "I love you!" and drove away in a surreal fog. 
     It had come to reality, and within like 200 yards I dissolved into tears.  The tears escalated to sobbing.  Kady and I were heading to Folsom to visit Marika, but all I really wanted was to do was curl up in the back seat.  I can't explain why it hit me so, so hard, I wasn't expecting it.  New York was one thing, but this.....my son was on a real journey.