“What are you doing over the Summer, Tomo?” The daunting textbook conversation starter when uni holidays are approaching. I dread this question every year – a sad reminder how little I accomplish during the holidays, when in my mind I set out to do so many things. Every other summer, I reply “Oh, I’m going back home to Japan you know, just the usual” and the conversation dries out. This summer though, I’ve stepped up my answer a notch:”Oh, I’m working in Bangkok for 3 months, actually” – Shit, am I really? Is that what I’m really doing?
I sound just as surprised as them every time I say those words “I’m going to Bangkok for 3 months.”
Mate, what? Do you speak Thai? Nope. Do you have any friends there? Nil. Do you have medical insurance? (Nope, but I should get on to that.) Do you have a place to live? Yeah, living by myself, from what I can gather on google maps, on a busy AF street in the middle of the city, where people speak minimal English and locals are hooning on scooters. (Lonely Planet also tells me my apartment is smack-bang in ladyboy club central. Score, new mates.)
It hasn’t really sunk in yet – I am going to be by myself in one of the most hectic cities in the world. I’ll be working for a Japanese law firm called JBL Mekong. Mostly translating legal documents, doing typical clerking business, and being a nuisance in the office with my minimal legal skills, coupled with a tendency to fuck up a lot. (I really do hope they find some use of me.) It’s going to be a step-up from what I did last summer in Japan. (Check it out here.)
It’s not my first epic postcode change. The move from Japan to New Zealand was rough for my 11 year old self. Then there was 2 1/2 months in Barcelona when I was 17. But this is different – maybe because those places I could associate with comfort and routine. Maybe because I moved to New Zealand knowing some English, and went to Barcelona with basic level 3 Spanish. Bangkok seems more like an adventure, a challenge: I’m really throwing myself into the deep-end of the pool, and I’m going to be naked, without a life jacket, without anyone there to help me. (I’m allowed to be a drama queen, this is a big deal for me ok.)
So embracing my inner basic bitch, I’m giving the blog thing a shot. Mostly because I want to be accountable to myself, and partly so Papa Greer knows what his daughter is up to. (Don’t worry Pa – photos will be mostly of kai, no sex, drugs or rock n roll, in your words!) I’ve set a few goals, and I’m going to write them down here. So in three months time, if they haven’t been achieved, everyone knows I’m lazy, useless, and as some have already speculated, that I talk a big game and a lot of shit.
No 1: I want to have a full-thai rules muay thai fight. Elbows, no shin guards, thai-style technique and all. I’ve been genetically engineered to get a sensational adrenalin rush by getting hit in the face, and from exchanging a few cheeky blows to the body. Sounds brutish and odd, I know – but Muay thai is actually a beautiful sport. (It’s called ‘art of the eight limbs’ and is considered a physical and mental discipline. The top level fighters look like they’re dancing in the ring so gracefully, which is a point of difference to other combat sports.) I might get KO’d, or come back with a nasty scar on my face. But hey, it’d make for great yarns if I do.
I’m blessed that I have something I’m so passionate about. I love how much it challenges me everyday . I thrive off the feeling of having nothing left in you after a hard training. I love stepping into the ring and getting that massive adrenaline rush – to the point you don’t even feel it when you fracture a bone. (Check out some of my fights here!) I love the pre-fight rituals like the wai kru – a traditional Thai dance you perform before the fight. So the logical conclusion of having such passion and conveniently being placed in Thailand is to give it a crack in Thailand: the birthplace of the sport.
No 2: I want to come back with conversational Thai: Ok, this might actually be more demanding than getting hit in the face. Before purchasing the lonely planet Thai phrasebook, I very naively and firmly believed I’ll pick up a few phrases before setting off. Mate, ya dreaming. (Look at this shit below – tones? Wtf?)
My muay thai trainers reckon it’s going to be harder than fighting. Challenge accepted.
No 3: I want to do Thai cooking classes so that my culinary skills are wife-me level: You can hold me to this one: invite yourself over when I get back and ask me to cook you something.
I’m also a firm believer that learning about the food of a particular culture can teach you a lot about the people in that country, and the significance of dining in that culture. I’m not going to pretend like I know a lot about Thai cuisine (except for that they do tasty AF curries and noodle dishes) but I’ll let you know when I know a little bit more. Hello to my inner domestic-goddess.
No 4: I want to have at least 15 posts on this blog: This is pretty self-explanatory. I did some writing this year, but regrettably, nowhere near enough.(And yes, admittedly a narrow genre focusing on coffee, wine, and food…) Hopefully, linking this to my Facebook page keeps me accountable!
No 5: I want to explore the Buddhist side of me: Ok, don’t dismiss me like a trendy-vegan, yoga-crazed spiritual hippie who’s going to go to Thailand and realise what life means yada-yada-ya. Ya’ll know I love meat, I love booze a little too much – and although I do spin some fluffy yarns about self-awareness and spirituality, I’m far from an embodiment of the zen lifestyle.
But on second thought, maybe I could benefit from the core values and the moral teachings of Buddhism. I do come from a Shinto / Buddhist country, where buddhist rituals are carried out at weddings and funerals. I go to temples to pray when I’m in Japan, mostly because it’s tradition, it’s part of my culture – rather than the gesture being strictly religious.
I just want to figure out if Buddhism means a little more to me than just an integral part of being Japanese – irregardless of whether I come back considering myself one, I think having spiritual awareness would be v beneficial. (Ok, I do sound a little hippie.)
Lastly: I want to try something new: I don’t know what yet, but I’ll know what that is when I see it. I’ll keep you updated.
Note to my clumsy self – watch out for dodgy tuk-tuk drivers who take you for unexpected rides; try not to end up in the red light district by myself; don’t be my usual reckless self who prefers undercooked chicken as to overcooked chicen (hey, chicken sashimi is a thing in Japan) and don’t crack your new Iphone, fool.
See you in three months New Zealand x0x0
Lost in Gustation 
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