Day 39

I walked over to the camp and talked to some people that were doing the morning training. I setup a time with Chanman to do my last private for late on in the afternoon. From there I went to the supermarket to return some shoes I had bought that were in two different sizes, and then I went back to hell in Patong for some specific items I had in mind for gifts. I was shopping in Patong almost all day which was more of a beating than anything at the camp. I got a ticket for going the wrong way down Bangla road which is closed off at night and has little traffic and no indication that its a one way street in the daytime. If I was going fast enough sometimes I would blow past the police checkpoints on the roads but this cop jumped right in front of me and I thought all he wanted was to check my license so I stopped. Turned out he took my license and gave me a ticket that I had to go find the police station to pay and then bring him back the receipt to get the license back. I told him I was about to miss my flight and tried to pay him off but he wouldn't take it. There was a little wait at the police station and then I had to go find this cop again so I ended up being late for the private. With no sleep and shopping all day I was wiped out but I slammed an energy drink and started jumping rope. We mostly sparred and it was mostly a beating and I was mostly happy about that. I was getting used to blocking my head properly - especially when he would do the straight blasts like Vitor Belfort did vs. Wanderlei Silva. My shoulder and elbow were feeling better and the pushups between rounds were alot easier. I had to finish with the usual 200 knees and this time 200 situps with a 17lb medicine ball. Afternoon training was starting by the end and I said my goodbyes and went to pack. The taxi came to pick me up and we passed a couple accidents on the way to the airport due to heavy rain. My lights had flickered a couple times while packing and I was a little worried about having to pack in the dark. I gave the airline my confirmation number and checked in my bag and she said one was too heavy so I would have to pay extra. So I had to go to a different part of the airport and pay, get a slip and then come back after I had paid. When I came back she gave me my ticket to Singapore and luckily I asked how I was getting to NYC from Singapore and turns out she had screwed up royally and didn't even know I was going to NYC. Three or four other employees had to come help sort it out and I ended up not having to pay extra for the luggage but they did make me rearrange some stuff between bags b/c of the weights. Finally I was done with the airline but it turned out I had overstayed my visa by 3 days and not 1 like I thought. I ended up having to pay 500 baht per day fine plus 500 baht airport tax. So I had to go find an atm and then pay the airport at one place and then pay the rest at a different place and sign a bunch of papers that I had no idea what they meant. When I got to customs I had to wait at a counter and stand behind a line and get my picture taken just like when I first entered the country. The people behind the counter spent a good five minutes looking between me and the computer screen and I finally asked what was going on. They let me come behind the counter and I stared laughing out loud when I saw the screen. They were looking at the picture of me just now and the picture that had been taken when I first entered the country. When I arrived I had alot of hair and a goatee and now I was clean shaven with a Travis Bickle mohawk and they were trying to decide if it was the same person. My passport picture looked completely different too so that didn't help things. I showed them that I had the same pair of sunglasses hanging on my shirt in both pics and then they let me through. Finally I was allowed to go through security and board my flight. I related this fairly quickly compared to how it really felt going through it. In reality it was an arduous, confusing and depleting process. I was the last person to board but right before I got on the plane there was another bag check. The guards did not share my sense of urgency. I was helping one open my laptop bag when I looked up and two of the guards had taken one boxing glove each and were laughing and hitting each other in the face. I cracked up and pictured them doing this at JFK. The one checking my laptop said he had used to fight in Patong Stadium when he was a kid. I was the last person on the flight and we took off.