As I suspected, the short-lived farang invasion consisted mainly of day-trippers. There are a few new faces hanging on though. Fletcher, the Kiwi rugby man, is here for the standard four weeks and though he is new to muayTHai he's strong and works hard and has really thrown himself into the training. The young Aussie is here for a month as well and he's failry good and trains hard also. There's a Norman-Irish looking lad started today as well. Big 6'6" bastard from Belfast named John, though he's been traveling for the better part of two years. He's just now up from Phuket. Likes to talk a lot; asking about the camp, other camps in the area, who's good, who's fought, etc. Listening to him talk I figure he was a champ. Not so. He couldn't have been more awkward hitting pads and then he got sick and stopped. So much for talk. Irish. Go figure. (editor's note - this was nearly 10 days ago and he stays and camp but jasn't trained since!) There's also a French kid comes to train but doesn't stay at camp, has done two days in a row. He's very fit and seems pretty damn good. Don't know much else about him though. Nico's doing really well and has a fight in three weeks on TV, not sure where yet. His fight will likely be at Ratcha or Omnoi Stadium. He leaves just after that. I'll be training tomorrow (Thursday) morning then making my way to Fairtex to travel to Casey's fight in Pattaya. Likely with Jamie, the Scot, in tow. Should be a ball and besides the fights, it will be nice ti have a change of scenery if only for a night. As for myself, training continues to thrill. I worked with the same Kru who held for me yesterday. I like his focus mitt holding. Den was good for repetition and getting back into a bit of shape - but seems I've moved on. I clinched hard again and did really well, though my neck is paying for it now. Hong clearly turned it up today. I got his head down more than ever and though I still didn't throw him I reversed a few of his. Hell, one throw I refused to let him haveand basically double-legged him to my shoulder and flopped him. We actually ended up wrestling on the floor of the ring a couple times. Everyone else in the ring likes to take the opportunity to kick you when you're on the ground, reason enough to get back to your feet. Great fun! I've been kneed in the face about 5 or 6 times so far with no cuts! So that's encouraging too, maybe my skin's geting a bit tougher. Oh yeah, reminds me - I got to show Anuwat an Achilles lock yesterday. He had another fighter on the ground by the ankle but couldn't submit him. So I showed him a better hold. (DOn't really know the BJJ terminology so I apologize ahaead of time) But it worked! These kids' legs, calves and ankles are so strong they fight off anything. They seem pretty interested in learning submissions too. At least a couple have trained some grappling already and the main Kru here lived in Japan for years teaching MT and lerning grappling. His wife is Japanese so he still goes back from time to time. I bet someone with actual credentials and experience could trade grappling for MT training (Makowski, Peach, Jackson - SOMEONE) For real. Think about it. Wow. Where was I? No seriously, where was I? I remember waking in a taxi with Jamie sleeping in the back as we drive down the Soi to the camp just in time to see the fighters off for the morning run. It all started when... (insert the dreamy flashback harp trill and shimmering visual effects) So Jamie and I grabbed a cab to Fairtex around 2 pm. It's about 40 minutes away but with BAngkok traffic took us closer to 90 minutes. We were still there with plenty oftime to spare. Casey was standing outside looking ripped and more than fit. So I saw some old faces and trainers I knew from years ago and Jamie got the grand tour. It's quite a contrast to the camp where we stay with pool and exotic fish pond with exotic birds in the trees. We have frogs that come out when it rains to drive the road dogs crazy. It reallyis a nice camp though, with four rings and rows of knee bags, banana bags, and heavy bags. A complete fitness center with weights and cardio machines and the locker rooms are very posh in granite and marble. They even have soap right next to the sink! After a bit of a wait we loaded into the van en route to Pattaya to watch Casey fight a Fairtex's own Theprasit Stadium. Not a long drive, maybe another hour or so. Once we were there we pulled into the Fairtex Sports Complex and Resort, which I had never seen. This isn't a muayThai camp - it's a getaway replete with tennis and basketball courts, pool, and of course what camp DOESN'T have a salon? It's crazy and so massive and brand new. We had about forty minutes to wander at this point so Jamie, two other Scots from Fairtex as well as a Kiwi from there, and myself took a stroll through the mean streets of Pattaya Beach. What a madhouse! I haven't been to Pattaya for eight years and it may have grown but it sure hasn't changed. We couldn't walk more than a few steps in any direction without being accosted by bar girls literally dragging us by the arm to their establishments, one stacked right next to the other and on and on. Of course, if we were to believe them then we are the most handsome men in all of Thailand and they are all in love with us. Even the "girls" with a deeper voice than mine. Ha! What a riot. The lads got some pix to remember but we soon had to meet back at Fairtexso it was a short-lived alternate reality. The stadium is new and a great facility with adjacent gear shop. We watched the first two bouts which featured kids. Still amazing to see such technique and heart from children. And it still sucks to watch a ten year old kid get KO'd while the crowd roars. Well Casey was announced as, Casey Fairtex, and was so favored to win over her THai opponent that the punters wouldn't even take my bet. First round she nearly floored the girl with a jab and a kick to the head in Rd. two would be all the ref needed to see. TKO- ref stoppage Rd. 2. ANd so it goes. Next! It wa a funny atmosphere and we watched a few more fights. THe highlight of which was not in the ring but at ringside when Casey's biggest fan (a crazy Dutch sounding old guy ) turns to her and says, "Philadelphia?" to which she nods. He follows up with, "Eye of da tygere!" I could not make this up. THAT's real. So intothe van and a quick drive back to Fairtex, Bangkok where it's already past my bedtime. We were all hungry though and Casey deserved a post-fight celebration so we walked down the Soi to the main road to find comfort at a roadside table while the sky flashed lightning and threatened rain. It would open up and pour no long after. Casey's friend, Shirene (I believe), from Australia and all the lads who came to the fight were there. Bad influence that I am, one Chang became about ten before the night was through. I just kept ordering more when no one was paying attention. Jamie was cursing me the whole time but I see it as my duty to school him about more than just muayThai. Fuel for Life, yeah? So as the sun began to show it's face and it was just myself and Jamie left at this roadside food stand, we finally negotiated a cab to take us back to camp. This afterthe first three we flagged down told us to hitthe road. The trip was too far they said. We made it back and I woke Jamie up - made him pay the driver - and hit the cot hard. Jamie says I just left him in the back of the cab till the driver woke him but I know I tried at least. My brand new roommate was just waking, probably thinking I'm as much of a degenerate as I look. Back up. I didn't tell you? Yes, I have a roommate now. Just met him briefly before heading to Pattaya. His name is, Jaakko, (Yah -ko) he's Finnish and he seems cool enough and a bit older than th average here at 29, still younger than me to be sure. So even though this is the first time I've gone out all night since I've been here - that's all he's seen of me. Of course I missed morning training and though I could've faked my way through the second session I decided to just drink water and gatorade and try to recover fully. Jamie hasn't stopped bitching at me all day but what's he going to do? I'm his interpreter and he needs me to communicate. Oh, not English to Thai - Scottish to English! Ha! It's hilarious becuase he speaks - then everyone looks at me - then I explain. I really love this place and muayThai is just one part of that. With about nine weeks left I plan to really buckle down and focus to intensify my training. This night out was just what I neede and it was cool and somewhat surreal hanging out with Casey here in Thailand. I'm not used to seeing people I know here. Funny. She'll be back next Monday (before you read this even) so keep her fighting. She's got a lot to offer as a trainer and teacher as well so benefit from her experience. I'll still be here spreading the word and the Cool Hearts ethic to my Scottish and other farang brethren. Candice will be here in five weeks to train (hopefully fight). Till then I'll be staying evil, corrupting, disrupting, bringing peace through training and destroying myself to live. Hey, I can only change SO much!