“Absolute terror.” That’s how one passenger described the events that unfolded onboard Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 on Tuesday. The carrier said a Boeing 777, flying from London to Singapore hit “sudden extreme turbulence,” over Myanmar.
A Boxing Retreat in Thailand Taught Me to Embrace My Fifties
02.05.2024 - 21:55 / cntraveler.com
Thwack! My knee slams into the boxing pad my coach, Win, is holding up. “Power!” Win yells. “More power!” Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! My kneecap feels like it’s about to explode. Sweat dribbles off my nose and onto the mat, little raindrops of exertion. “Harder!” he says. “Stronger! You can do it!”
To think I’ve paid nearly $2,000 for two weeks of this.
I’m at Gym Bangarang in Mae Rim, Thailand, a leafy suburb about forty minutes outside Chiang Mai. Muay Thai is a martial art that combines punching, kicking, elbowing, kneeing, clinching and foot jabs to knock your opponent silly. It is savage. It is exhausting. And I can’t wait to learn it.
I like to travel with intention, whether it’s studying a new language, finishing a creative project, or taking a pilgrimage to my grandmother’s childhood home in Germany. But my favorite trips involve physical hurdles: hiking (Kilimanjaro), cycling (The Tour de France route), ice climbing (The Canadian Rockies). I prefer to return home with something greater than a beer belly. “Just do it” isn’t a mere slogan; I’m game for anything, the more grueling the better. This doesn’t mean I do it well. I’m mediocre at most things. But I keep trying. And so: Muay Thai in the motherland.
Thailand is rife with resorts promoting western boxing, fitness, weight loss and Muay Thai; the Thai government actually promotes the latter. The typical visa only lasts 60 days, but you can now get a special three month “education Visa” if you’re doing Muay Thai. Gym Bangarang had good reviews online; the actor Rainn Wilson shot a segment of his Geography of Bliss TV series there. I wanted a place where I could train, be served three healthy meals a day, and get back in shape after recently having had foot surgery.
And there is this: I am 56 years old. These days, my stomach isn’t as flat as it used to be and there’s a layer of skin dangling under my arms. (I believe the medical term is “batwings.”) In general, and certainly when thinking about others, I define “body positivity” to mean feeling good about oneself, regardless of size and shape. I fully believe that no one needs to conform to any one standard of beauty. But when it comes to myself…well, I’m more critical. I refuse to step on a scale, not even at the doctors, and it’s not about being a certain size, but if I’m being honest, I feel better about myself when I’m fit and strong. I refuse to go gently into the good night or into middle age, for that matter. But after an early morning 12-mile bike ride through the rice fields, an hour and a half long Muay Thai class post-breakfast, and two more hours of afternoon weight and strength training, I came upon an exquisite realization: Going gently into the good night might not be a bad
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