Saturday, May 2, 2009

Feats of Strength...

Ok, it's not Festivus...it's something better: Michael5000 Decathlon 2009 . I probably should have sent you all over there in time for Event 1... but there's still actually time to get in on some of the fun. This week's event is "Physical Prowess" to which I submit my entry...

Living in Thailand

No, technically it's not "athletic" but I believe I have encountered and overcome a number of physical challenges in a manner that approaches 'prowess'. Including, but not limited to:

- outrunning rabid dogs
- crossing 8 lanes of crazy Thai traffic, on foot
- riding side-saddle on the back of a speeding motorbike while carrying a load of groceries.
- attempting to scuba-dive
- successfully snorkeling
- doing unbloggable things to a local boy, using only a couple dozen words of shared vocabulary.
- eating street food without a clue what it was
- eating food so spicy it's made me cry
- consuming my body weight in fried rice
- consuming my body weight in alcohol
- battling two intestinal viruses
- riding in ferries of questionable sea-worthiness
- vanquishing cockroaches from my apartment
- losing and sustaining the loss of about 10 kg.
- kayaking in the Anadaman Sea
- despite my still rather substantial & flabby gut, frolicking on the beach and even smiling while allowing people to take my picture (a tremendous act of body confidence that no Thai girl, and few American girls I've met can match!)
- being hit by a car and keeping my feet
- playing badminton for the first time

I feel that this list of activities I have done, and am continuing to do are spectacular given my previous hobbies of knitting and quilting, which in all but the most extreme forms (ie: Hat Wars) are generally performed in the butt-on-couch position. But I fear that most will be rejected on the basis of that pesky "between now and the deadline" requirement. So therefore I will submit my most recent attempt at physical prowess.

Last night I went skinny dipping in the moonlight, with a co-ed group of friends & fellow teachers. And while this transpired on a tropical island... it was by no means deserted! This was the first time I've ever swum nekkid in the ocean (oh and there was a substantial amount of actual swimming!), and I have to say - I highly recommend it, although probably not anywhere north of 20 degrees latitude. =P I hope this brave departure from my usual level of self consciousness and inhibition alone will push me to the top of the rankings in physical prowess. If not.... well, I'll try to wrestle an elephant on the way home. ;)


TAG: Code Mango

3 comments:

marissa said...

you tried scuba diving? wow. you're officially braver than me. :) i honestly wouldn't be surprised at this point if i hear about you skydiving!

Batty said...

Drinking your body weight in alcohol will kill them pesky intestinal viruses. My grandmother, who is 89, swears by rakia - which is homebrewed plum brandy.

Rebel said...

marissa - yeah, I did, and I really really want to try again. I'm going to have to get my lungs in shape first.

Batty - that sounds like a good plan from a good authority! ;)