There's still a week until my fight in Phattaya, and I'm sitting in the room I share with Sean, a Canadian who has been living in Ubon Ratchathani, one of the largest cities in northeastern Thailand, for over five years and is a professional Thai boxer. Jordan and Jacob, who train with me at the same camp and live in the room next door, knock on the door. They come in and hand me a necklace with a small Buddha pendant. They say I've prepared hard for the upcoming fight and would like to give me this Buddha amulet, which they bought in one of the temples near our camp. The amulet is supposed to protect me in the ring and will be worn the day before and on the day of the fight, until it is removed shortly before the bell sounds for the start of the first round.
Few foreign fighters in Thailand believe in the supernatural powers of amulets, yet most can be seen wearing them as they enter the arena and step into the ring. Just as a mother doesn't give herself flowers on Mother's Day, necklaces and Buddha pendants aren't things you buy for yourself, but are given among Thai boxers as a gesture of respect and friendship.
For me personally, the amulet is not only a token of appreciation from both of them, but also a reminder of my time in Thailand and the people who gave it to me back then. Jordan and Jacob have chosen a life away from career ladders and prestigious school qualifications, from lots of money and security, and have created their own definitions of what makes them tick. I don't know anyone else in whom I see as much zest for life as they do, and despite the fact that they both regularly get kicked and cut in the face, earn barely any money and have few luxuries, train six hours a day, and have to share a 14-square-meter room.
