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.