“No man steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” — Heraclitus
Let’s begin with the end in mind. This sunset was taken when I was on my way back to Manila. As I was quietly reflecting on my window seat, with the plane soaring thousands of miles over land, I couldn’t help notice this blaze of fire cutting through the sky. As the sun was setting, I was reminded that in order to reach our dreams, we must first settle down, rest and ground ourselves—for as deep as our roots bury into the ground, so do our branches reach far into the sky. What marvelous blaze!
All was set for our Bangkok-bound plane to take off at 9:45 on a sunny Thursday morning. However, it took two idle hours on the tarmac before the pilot finally spoke over the PA. It was starting to smell like gasoline inside the aircraft when he said that there were technical difficulties and that the plane couldn’t take off. We disembarked at exactly noon and waited for a new plane. My pent up excitement quickly deflated like an airless balloon. All is well, I still thought. Had that plane taken flight, we might have set off to our final destination!
Touch down Bangkok! After a 4-hour delay, I was famished. First stop: Meatlicious! It was eight in the evening when my cab reached the place. As I stepped off the vehicle and made my way to the front door, I heard some soft jazzy ambient music which is a staple for a relaxing bistro. The front yard was stunning.Dim-lit ambiance, creative wall art and an al fresco bar. An enthusiastic team of waiters, cooks, and chefs immediately greeted me as I checked out the menu.The chefs here are like artists. Watching them cook was like watching a gastronomic performance. Three or four chefs are led by their head chef Mario and together they prepare ingredients, grill all kinds of steak and plate dishes with masterful efficiency and precision.
“The secret is that there’s no secrets. The better quality of the meat, the better tasting it will be! We give the quality of attention our customers deserve.” — Chef Mario, Meatlicious
In the middle of our chat, Mario let me flip this piece of tomahawk steak! I was nervous and excited at the same time. The hell with my nervousness! Let’s go and do some steak-flipping! But that’s all I did though—flip. I might ruin the meat!
The Asia Fitness Conference is an annual event where fitness professionals such as coaches, trainers, gym owners and enthusiasts all gather in Bangkok to exchange ideas and showcase their own brands.
Presenters come from all over the world with different specialties and messages like Core Training, Yoga, Epigenetic Programming, Leadership skills and Marketing tools to name a few.
It was a thrill to exchange some ideas with the amazing Suzanne Hosley, founder of the Asia Fitness Conference. And it was great learning from both Peter Twist and Rick Richey. Their collective passion for fitness is contagious.
It was as an all too familiar scene as I stepped onto the second floor of BITEC. I let the moment sink in for a few minutes but immediately, I felt contradiction. “Same same but different.” The format and flow of the conference was the same as the 2016 Asia Fitness Conference, however, things are different because I was only focused on the tools I needed. No time for sight seeing! I went straight to my first workshop then cherry picked the other classes. Life becomes simple and saying “no” to unnecessary things becomes easy when we have a crystal clear image of what we want.
Not all who wander are lost.As a matter of fact, I felt right at home as I walked along the streets of one the most exciting cities of Southeast Asia.Strange, I thought. A profound energy seeped into my body. I can still feel it in my chest—strong, heavy yet gentle and serene.
The Thais seek the Middle Way. This is a philosophy where they master control over their emotions. When they are ecstatic, they only show happiness. When grieving, only sadness. They put other people first, keep their heads down and eyes forward focused in the moment.
I can almost taste the crunchy pork skin melt like candy in my mouth.
Wow! Eating real, whole food here is so easy! Their local dishes mainly comprise of vegetables, seafood, pork and all sorts of chilly. Need to tone down the heat a little bit though. Not a huge fan of spicy food!Traveling alone to a foreign city is like a bitter, sweet, and spicy meal. We learn more about ourselves—our habits, work ethic, and foolishness—than the city itself. Traveling alone allows us to see things as if we are seeing them for the first time.
Being alone in Bangok reminded me of two things: that I have never really left the people who matter to me and that the new faces that I encountered in Thailand, though I may never see them again, are people who have already added color and beauty to my life.As I took it all in, I saw my world grow bigger even just by a little bit. I realized that the world is so big and my problems, so little. In this world, we may travel alone but we are never really lonely. After all, there’s a subtle difference between being alone and being lonesome. We may walk through life with our own two feet but in our hearts reside those people who truly matter. Because of their presence inside us, we see rightly and cherish what is essential. We become our best versions because of these instrumental people who make our journeys worthwhile.
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
