I have had an incredible year so far! I’ve visited six countries, been inside two world wonders, and brought home two international gold medals (Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and Mexico National Pro). I’m back to full time training, and can actually afford to eat properly again.
I hear the phrase “man you’re really lucky to get to do all that!”, but it’s not really luck. What looks like luck is really the past several years of quiet grinding that no one really sees. Why? Because it’s not shiny, it’s not pretty, and no one really cares about those boring details. It is the slow process of constantly shifting toward my goals that have gotten me into a place now where I am able to once again train full time, travel, compete around the world, and still be able to pay my bills.
If you want something badly enough, you will find a way to make it happen. It might take time but if you stick to it in the shadows, it will eventually come to light and you will find yourself one day waking with the realization that you have been accomplishing goals set years ago.
Here are a few of my favorite photos from this year so far.
Dancing to greet the bride and groom at a wedding in IndiaTaj MahalWearing sari and eating all the amazing foodTeam training: our ladies team is growing!New fan girl photo with “Chew Jitsu”Taught a couple of classes in Mexico CityMade it to the #1 world ranked spotFirst place in MexicoLearned to make Pastel de Nata in LisbonThe PyramidsWon Abu Dhabi Grand Slam
It has been a very busy last few weeks! I am getting ready to compete at the IBJJF Nashville Open, and then leaving the week after that for the UAEJJF Tokyo Grand Slam event.
As of right now, I am registered for the master division at the Nashville Open. However, I have a team mate who may take over my spot and I’ll move to the adult division (I prefer it there anyhow!)
I am starting to stress a little bit over the lack of opponents signed up for the Tokyo Grand Slam. There are a good number of ladies signed up for the next weight class down, but I don’t think I could make 55 kg (121 lbs) without ending up in a hospital. A lot of jobs in Japan pay monthly at the end of the month, so I’m sure after payday there will be more people signing up! Worst case scenario, according to their guidebook purple belt ladies can be combined with the brown/black division; which would be a great opportunity for me to get a preview of things to come!
At any rate, this is my planned itinerary for the Japan trip.
July 22: Leave straight from work for the airport and catch the last flight of the day to L.A.
July 23: Depart from L.A. for Manila
July 24: Arriving in Manila in the evening, check into hotel and wander around for a few hours before passing out.
July 25: Depart Manila in the morning and arrive in Tokyo early afternoon. Check into hotel, shower, and walk around at an easy pace. Goal is to stay awake until at least 8 pm.
July 26: Take train to Kamakura, enjoy the beach and the local sights. Goal is to get enough sun to help reset my internal clock, without getting burnt.
July 27: Hike Mt. Takkao and just wander around in the mountains. Might get some Onsen action.
July 28: Weigh ins are this evening. Activity levels leading up to weigh ins will depend on how my weight is after the hiking adventure the previous day. After weigh ins, I will eat Okonomiyaki and rest.
July 29: Competition day – gonna kick some butt! After competing I will go get a Waygu beef bowl and then visit Monster Ice for some shaved ice desert.
July 30: Take train to Kawaguchiko area and check into new hostel. Explore the five lakes area and take in the scenery.
July 31: Get up early to catch the first bus to the Mt. Fuji 5th Station. Ascend at a leisurely pace and reach the summit mid-afternoon. Spend at least an hour at the summit before descending. Onsen time that evening.
August 1: Early afternoon departure flight from Tokyo to Manila. 4 hour layover before continuing on to L.A. – arriving late evening.
August 2: Flight back home to Nashville
August 3: Morning training, then back to work at my job in the afternoon. Caffeine may be required.
A few weeks after returning from this trip, I will be making an exciting career change. I have reactivated my Massage Therapy license and will be working out of my YMCA. I currently work at the front desk there and can’t be an employee and contractor at the same time – so I’ll be hitting the new gig full steam out the gate! My oldest nephew is planning to be visiting me around this time as well – so it will be an awesome month! So far I am planning to compete at the Master World Championships as well, but I will have to wait and see how business and finances are panning out around then.
Itzel and Mel met me up at my hotel and we made our way to the bus station to meet our driver. We almost missed him because I had no wifi to receive calls and I could not locate him. We were eventually wisked away on a 90 minute (or so) suv ride out into the desert.
We eventually reached a crossroad and sat inside while our driver let air out of the tires so that we could drive on the sand. He put on a playlist titled “awesome arabian music” and then the roller coaster began. It is very accurately called “dune surfing” because it feels just like that. Up and down and in circles around, and on these large sand dunes. Photos and videos do not do the experience credit… but I tried! Not a recommended experience if you have any history of motion sickness. I’m usually good, but even I was hitting my limit! Being out in the dunes really made me understand how the feel of Arabian music came to be – it just fits.
At one point he just stopped the car at the top of one of the dunes for a few minutes to try to fix his watch (the strap broke). We did a quick drive by of a camel farm before making our way to camp.
At the campsite, we did a (very) short camel ride and then proceeded to try our hands at sand surfing. I really don’t like the sensation of sand, so I was going to sit this one out. However, the other ladies were having so much fun I just had to try it. It resulted in this amazing video.
We then climbed another dune and took lots of sunset photos before proceeding to do Jiu Jitsu in the desert. Because why not?
We had an amazing buffet dinner while enjoying a showcase of traditional Arabian dance and then tried on some traditional dress and smoked some Shisha before it was time to catch our ride back to the city. The other ladies had to fly out early the next morning and I had to catch a bus to Dubai.
Dubai – Arrival:
The bus to Dubai was super easy to catch. I just went up to the ticket counter labeled “Dubai” and asked for one ticket. It only cost a couple bucks and a bus leaves every 15 minutes.
When I arrived at the Dubai bus station, I just walked over to the taxi stand and showed my destination to a driver and he took me to my new hotel. I went out to the grocery store and bought some food before turning in for the evening. After the previous day adventure, I was pretty beat and wanted to be fresh for exploring the following day.
Dubai – Explorer Day:
I woke up early and started off with hotel coffee as motivation to get myself going. My actual impulse was to just stay in, relax, and do nothing for the day – being a natural introvert made me less inclined to go face the unknown of the marketplaces… but I knew I would regret missing out on the experience. So I made my way downstairs and asked the concierge where I could go to purchase a metro card. He seemed perplexed that I turned down the hop-on-hop-off bus tour in favor of exploring on my own.
I took the bus until I appeared to be in the general area of the old souq areas of town and disembarked. I arrived just as most of the shops were opening – so I got to have a nice walk around before all the tourist buses arrived. The shop owners weren’t as aggressive as I thought they might be. I remember New York Chinatown as being worse. When I needed a break from them, I just found a group of tourists to pretend to be a part of for a few minutes before going my own way again. I did make a few purchases and had fun haggling in the back room. I know I probably paid more for my items than they were worth but it was a price I was okay with. I had fun and the shop got to make some profit as well. Win!
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After a couple of hours in the Souq area, I made my way on the metro to see the Burj Khalifa building. It is currently the tallest building in the world! I did not go inside it because the entry tickets were way outside of my budget – but I got some great photos of it and enjoyed the more modern side of Dubai a bit before making my way back to my hotel for the evening.
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Last Day:
My last day started out rather uneventful but ended amazingly! I checked out of my hotel and then sat in the lobby for a couple hours with the wifi until it was time for me to make my way to the bus station for the trip back to Abu Dhabi.
I had been planning to just go to the airport because my flight was rather early the next morning. However, a friend of one of my team mates (Hi Sidne!) decided to overwhelm me with hospitality. He picked me up from the bus station in Abu Dhabi after he got off work and took me to Jiu Jitsu class – where I finally felt like I fit in for the first time in days. After which he took me to a nice hotel, got me fed, and let me chill for a few hours before taking me to the airport for my flight.
In Conclusion:
This was an interesting trip – getting to compete at one of the most prestigious events in the world, seeing old friends, making new friends, and experiencing a brand new culture first hand. I will definitely return to compete again!
My next trip adventure will be Tokyo, Japan at the end of July for the UAEJJF Tokyo Grand Slam. Tickets are booked and registration is confirmed already – gonna earn myself some more ranking points and $, climb Mt Fuji (finally!), and see what new experience I can find to make myself a better person.
Day4 began with an early arrival at the competition venue. Since I am not a brown belt yet, I was not able to enter the competitor area to help my crew warm up, so I wandered into the spectator area and found some more of my Jiu Jitsu family to mesh with.
Usually at these multiple day events, I end up zoning out by the last couple of days. Not so here! I was so inspired and impressed by the matches that I stayed focused throughout the whole day. I was super proud of my friends and team mates who were competing today, and it only inspired me to keep getting better and come back stronger next year!
After everyone was done, our little group decided to mosey over to the Grand Mosque a short taxi ride away from the competition venue.
I had gotten a lot of questions from people about my visit to the Emirates. The top question I received was “don’t you have to wrap up and wear the scarf?” My response was, “No, I’m not muslim. I will however wear one if I visit a mosque – that’s just the respectful thing to do.” Just like doing the ritual cleansing before visiting a shrine in Japan – I need to respect the culture I have chosen to immerse myself into.
That rabbit trail aside, yes, they do have appropriate ladies apparel available at the entrances to the Grand Mosque. First I went through a small security screening and then I was directed toward the room where they had a long rack full of clothes available to lend. It was a bit chaotic in the room so I just grabbed one off the rack and put it on over my clothes and headed outside to meet the guys.
The mosque was breathtaking.
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Everything was in beautiful symmetry and I could feel the peacefulness of it, even in the throngs of fellow tourists who were wandering all over the place. It was a shoes off area as well, so it was nice to walk around in bare feet. We were there just before sunset and the lighting was amazing. At sunset, the call to prayer was sung and I just observed and soaked up the atmosphere.
Tips for visiting:
Remember you are visiting a sacred space for many people. Even if it is not a sacred space for you, be respectful as a visitor.
Don’t sit on the floor or on any steps.
Don’t walk in the central plaza. During the call to prayer, worshipers can walk on it on their way to the inner mosque. This does not apply to visitors and the security officers will stop you. (note examples in video)
Women need to keep their head covering on. Yes it can get warm when you are layering on the extra loaner abaaya. My recommendation is to dress appropriately from arrival and then you will not need to use the loaner.
There are descriptions of proper attire for men and women available on the mosque website. One of the guys in my group had to roll down his shorts to a more acceptable length.
Day 5:
This began with a taxi ride to my friends hotel where we all met up and ordered a taxi for a ride to the beach. A good number of the beaches in Abu Dhabi are private beaches for hotel guests only – however there are public beaches available. We were dropped off at Corniche beach which is for families. It cost about $3-4 USD to get in and then you can rent an umbrella and buy food and snacks there.
It was like something straight from those fancy travel brochures that I sometimes drool over longingly. We hung out in the water for a while and then relaxed under the umbrellas.
After a few hours at the beach, our group split up with the guys heading back to the hotel for a desert safari, and the ladies going to the competition venue to watch the black belt finals matches.
The Competition:
Words can not describe how inspiring it was to witness the whole package deal of the black belt finals at the World Pro. The quality of the venue and promotion was just beyond what I’ve ever seen before. And what you see up on the big screen (that’s not an insert!), is shown on nationwide television live and replay. I am definitely going to be returning next year to compete!
It was interesting that 2 out of 5 of the ladies brown/black belt divisions were won by brown belts. With the growth I have witnessed in ladies Jiu Jitsu the last several years, I imagine it will not be too long until the brown and black belts will be separated. It’s quite recent that purple belts are separated from the brown and black belts – and those divisions stand on their own now.
After the last match, Itzel and I were quite hungry and went back to my hotel to try the dinner buffet. It was about $30 USD (he gave us the discount for first visit) and it was VERY good and worth it! I really loved all the little deserts that we proceeded to rank. I liked the carrot cake and flan best! Itzel went back to her hotel and I tanked out. It would be a long day the next day for me – changing hotels and then departing for the desert safari. Coming up next post!
So I’ve already shared my perspective on the competition (read it here!) so now I will share a little bit about all the rest of the stuff surrounding the competition.
Finishing Day 1: After I competed, I went back to my hotel room. I was soooo hungry, but my need for sleep won out over the need for food. So I just downed a bunch of water and passed out from about 5 pm until midnight. I then looked at the clock, rolled over, and went back to sleep until 5:30 am. I did have the foresight to purchase food from a grocery store on the way to my hotel, so I inhaled a bunch of fruit and a rice biryani.
Day 2: My friend, Itzel, invited me to come train that morning with her. She needed to get some light rounds in with someone who wouldn’t break her – so I took a cab to meet up with her at the officers club where all the cool kids (aka black belts) were housed. They had matted out what looked to be a racketball court and it was just an open mat of awesomeness. I saw a lot of people I knew and surprised a few team mates (I’m talking to you DJ and Mike) who did not know I was competing. Of course, it was the black belt hotel so I was basically a minnow in a room full of killer sharks. And of course I loved every minute of it! After training we had food and just hung out for a bit before I started getting sleepy (stupid jet lag), and decided to take a cab back to my hotel.
Side Note: taxis in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are super convenient and cheap! I’d pay under $5 for a 15 minute ride. Cheap even by my standards! Most all of the drivers speak a good amount of English and I would just show them on google maps where I wanted to go and then off we went. The drivers generally do not talk with you other than to verify where you want to go and then to tell you the cost at the end of the ride.
Day 3: I met up with Itzel at the competition venue (we were hang out buddies this trip). She wanted to watch the country qualifiers because she would be competing against the winner on the following day. This was also her day for weigh ins so we waited around for that and met up with a few other friends who were also weighing in. She was good for weight and then we went and grabbed a bit of food from the trucks outside the venue. I got a shawarma – what kind I have no idea. I just told them to make it good because I was hungry. They delivered!
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If you are a lady competing in Abu Dhabi, you are required to wear a bodysuit’esque style undergarment under your gi for weigh ins and competition. I squeaked through with just a rash guard, but apparently if your rash guard rides up you will be disqualified on the spot. The organization does have approved one piece suits available that you can purchase, and I know a lot of the ladies choose to wear a one piece bathing suit. So… bring on the wedgies!
So closes this chapter. For days 4 and 5, I will talk about competition results for everyone, a visit to the Grand Mosque (yes, I wore the veil), the grand finale of black belt matches on the big stage, a beach visit, and some cultural observations. I’ll then devote an entire post just to the desert safari adventure before moving on to Dubai. So until then, here’s a teaser!
I just made it back to the states after a very interesting 10 days in the United Arab Emirates. I will work on a few other blog posts detailing some of the non-competition experiences (food, desert safari, shopping in local markets, etc) – for now I will just be sharing about my adventures leading up through the competition event itself. So… prepare yourself for informal story time!
I booked my flight before the schedule was solidified, so I ended up arriving in the Abu Dhabi airport at around 3 am local time on the day I was to compete. No day before weigh ins for me – so I was very hungry and thirsty. Female hormones decided to time their surge during this critical stage, so I did not have the planned wiggle room for my weight.
I hung out at the airport for about 5 hours, charging my devices and staring with thirst envy at everyone else who happened to take a sip from a water bottle in my vicinity. Occasionally, I would stroke my bag of sports drinks and whisper a “soon my precious, soon”. When time finally came for me to make my way to the venue for weigh ins, I purchased a metro card and made my way out to the bus stop along with my suitcase and bag. I missed the proper metro stop and therefore ended up walking about 1.5 miles in the desert heat, dragging my suitcase over cobblestone (R.I.P suitcase). When I finally arrived at the competition venue and weighed in, I was a full pound under weight thanks to that desert stroll – so all’s well!
I had about 90 minutes before my division was set to begin, so I proceeded to down a bottle of electrolyted liquid and lie down with my feet up in the warm up area. At this point the giddiness began to kick in because I realized I had made it happen and I was really going to get to go out and compete.
My match was meant to be the 5th one in my division, but since it was the first match that the coordinator found, it got bumped to the first event of the day! So this means being escorted past the curtain out to the side of the mat while the tv commentators are talking and the crowd is starting to rumble in the background. I was grinning like a fool. So happy to be there after all the work I put in to make it happen. This was going to be me showing my best game.
Finally, the referee gives the motion to start the match and everything else fades away to a pinpoint of focus. I go from grinning fool to focused animal in the drop of a hand. My opponent came at me with fury and powerful technique. I responded instinctively, just doing what I know how to do (so many inversions!). When we reached 1 minute left I looked at the scoreboard and saw that I was up 2 advantage points and could coast the last bit if I wanted. However, that is how I missed out on a finals match in Cincinnati, so I kept going. My opponent knew she only had to pass my guard in order to advance to the next round and I could feel her determination and drive. Suddenly I saw an opening and managed to lock in a submission, rolling to mount to finish in the last 30 seconds of the match. It was honestly one of my proudest matches. It was a war from beginning to end with a worthy opponent whom I would love a chance to match up with again!
I was as elated and made my way back to the holding area when the adrenaline dump kicked in like it never has before. That along with the lack of sleep and recovery time hit all at once. I was very close to throwing up and had to lie down on the floor with my legs elevated. Thankfully since I ended up being the first match of the day, they had to process through the rest of my division before they came back to me again. It was a full 30 minutes before I could sit up without nearly blacking out and I have not been that close to backing out of a match before. However, I owed it to my first opponent to continue on and do my very best! So once I could sit up, I focused on projecting a strong solid front to any of my opponents who might be watching me. Just because I feel like I’m going to pass out, doesn’t mean I need to let people see that.
My name was called for my second match and I kept that mask on as I went out. I wish there was a triumphant resolution to this tale, but alas, I was immediately pulled into a triangle and had to tap to the pressure on my neck. I kept the mask on afterwards, thanked my referee and made my way back to find ice for my neck.
All in all, this was one of my favorite tournament experiences and it was an honor to participate in it! I also earned enough points to be ranked #6 in North America! I will be back. What I will do differently next time is just book a flight arriving much earlier so that I can have time to do the day before weigh ins and recover more completely. Mentally I was more focused than I have in the past year – I feel like I am starting to be confident in my game again. I will continue to improve and make myself better every day. My next goal will be to hit as many of the Grand Slam events as possible (Tokyo is in July), and also to wreck some havoc at Master Worlds.
At this time next week, I will be on my way to California for the IBJJF Pan Championship tournament! I’m right on track with my weight, have energy for days, and am really looking forward to closing out a division with my team mate, Katie! There will be a live stream available for all the matches, so when I get my details I will make sure to share them.
This will be my 6th time competing at the Pans. My goal is to compete in the adult divisions all the way through at least one year as a black belt. When I competed in Atlanta I had one of the girls react in shock to the fact I was in the adult division. I suppose 32 seems old to a 19/20ish year old!
Abu Dhabi
Today I got my plane ticket to the Abu Dhabi World Pro booked. This has been a Jiu Jitsu bucket list item for years – and I decided to just do it. Maximus Kimonos has been awesome enough to supply me with a white gi for use – along with some cool no gi stuff. Give them a look-see and mention my name to get a 10% discount. I can say the gi is super comfy and very light weight!
I’m not yet sure which of two possible days I would be competing at the World Pro. My flight gets me in too late for day before weigh ins the first day, but in time for the same morning weigh ins. Of course if I compete the second day I will be all good for the day before weigh ins. Lodging and my flight to NYC still need to be arranged, but one thing at a time!
Well first off, Merry Christmas to all! And if you aren’t the Christmas type, I hope you had a good day off from work!
The gyms were all closed yesterday, so I went to see the new Star Wars movie again with a team mate. Today it is back to the grind! BJJ gym is still closed today, but I am meeting up my regular drilling partner before heading off to my shift at work. Gotta get those reps in!
The current attack plan for the first few months of 2018 is:
January 15-22 – European Championships in Lisbon, Portugal.
I can only afford to be there for the days that I could possibly compete. Gotta get back to work by the 21st. At least jet lag doesn’t exist to me anymore for a Europe trip (after a few trips to Asia).
February 3 – Atlanta International Open
This is an easy day trip for my crew since it is only a 3ish hour drive from Nashville. I’ve kept my one day off from work as a Saturday – so I can make it easily to these day trip events without having to barter time off from work… I’ll be doing plenty of that already this year.
February 17 – Team Shawn Hammonds Team Training
One of the funnest events of the year! Last february we had over 30 black belts on the mat and so many people that it was just wonderful chaos! I was promoted to purple belt at the 2017 team training and I look forward to seeing all the promotions this next year!
February 24 – Mexico City International Open Gi and No Gi
Past experience has taught me that I need to arrive several days early in Mexico City – in order to adjust to the altitude. I haven’t worked out a flight yet, but it is on! Barring work putting their foot down (I have a pretty flexible job).
My concern here is whether there will be any purple belt ladies competing here or not. But I think it will work out! Plus it will be great to see friends again!
March 7-11 – Pan Championships in California
I’m waiting on the preliminary schedule to be released before I start thinking about booking a flight. Gotta go out there, smash, and then get back to work.
Since I am a part timer at work, I’m fairly flexible with time off. I just have to at least make an effort to find someone to cover my shift and I’m good to go. I’ll be making trips as short as possible though because I do need a cash flow to make all this happen. It’s a balancing act that I think I have finally gotten worked out!
I will hear from the Japanese Embassy in a few weeks about my application. But I’m not gonna just sit on my hands in the meanwhile! Gotta keep moving and trying to be a little bit better every day! (Except for yesterday… yesterday I ate half a pie)
After returning from competing in Japan this past September, my coach (Shawn) told me to take the rest of the year off from competing. I don’t think I have gone longer than three days in the past 4 years without thinking and preparing for the next event. Now I had to deal with a little over three months completely off from competing.
I definitely agreed with my coach. I need this time off. However I am an addict so I was kind of at a loss. This past year has also put me in a severe budgetary crisis, on top of an ongoing family crisis and the need to move at the end of the year… My stress levels had reached the point where my functioning skills were spread to the thinnest they have been since before I started training. The first few weeks I was definitely depressed and unmotivated – maybe on the mats twice a week. Around week 3 though I started pulling out of it and enjoying myself in class again.
I’ve also made the decision to retire my massage therapy business. It has been dying for several reasons and currently taking more time and energy from me than what it is worth. I took a seasonal position working in the warehouse of a shipping company – they actually ended up hiring me on permanently instead and appear to be extremely flexible with time off to go compete next year. Right now I am working Friday – Tuesday, getting off work in time for evening training sessions (full day of training on Wednesday and Thursday). During the holiday season they are allowing us to work as many extra hours as we desire, so I am doing double shifts on the weekends so I can have a better jump start on the budget for next year.
Where That Leaves Me
I found a round trip flight to Amsterdam in January for $300 and snatched it up! I can get a pretty cheap (under $60) flight from there to Lisbon for the European Championships, and then have a few extra days to explore elsewhere. I haven’t decided yet where. Morocco and Israel are both tempting, but I may opt for the super cheap $30 flight to spend a few days in Rome or Athens instead. I suppose I will base my decision off food and training options at each location!
My new job is extremely active, and I’ve been easily dropping weight – so I’m anticipating competing as a feather weight next year.
February 2017
I had a debate between the IBJJF Atlanta Open or the UAEJJF Mexico National Pro. The Atlanta is an easy day trip away, I would only need to miss one day at work, and both my teams will have a good turn out there. Mexico won out however since I have a goal to compete at the World Pro in Abu Dhabi this next April. I win a qualifying division in Mexico and they will cover my expenses for the World Pro. I will pay for my own trip to the World Pro if I have to, but it is NOT a cheap place to visit – so I decided to invest in Mexico for my shot at the trip package.
March 2017
Of course I will be going to Pans this next year! I managed to pull out a bronze medal this past year, and I need to upgrade that to something a bit more shiny! I’ll not likely stay for the whole event this year (per my norm) just because I want to conserve my time off from work.
April 2017
It’s World Pro month! I win the qualifier in Mexico, I won’t have to worry about paying for the trip, but either way I am going to be competing in Abu Dhabi in 2017. I actually work with several ladies from the UAE- they have been dropping pointers for my visit.
May/June 2017
The dates have not yet been set for the World Championships in Los Angeles, but I WILL be in attendance. I’m hoping I will be able to get a leave of absence from work to go to train at TLI HQ in Maryland for several weeks leading up to the competition. We shall see!
September 2017
The Asian Championships will be held again in Tokyo, most likely the second weekend of the month. I will either be taking leave from work, or just turning in my notice and signing back on when they start hiring seasonally again (a few weeks after I get back). My sister will be 18 by this time and is planning to postpone starting college in order to go with me to this event. We will then spend about 3 weeks exploring Japan, Taiwan, and hopefully a few other places (Korea and Thailand are definitely on the list!) We both have interest in training our respective martial arts during the trip, so it should be a great experience for us both! Plus I will actually have someone to cheer for my matches at the competition!
As of this point, I feel refreshed and excited about this next year. This past year has not been so great for me personally, and it showed in my Jiu Jitsu. Taking a step back to deal with some issues has made all the difference and I feel genuine excitement to compete again in January!
I arrived in Taiwan around 9:00 in the morning and managed to find the correct bus to take to Taipei Station, a 45 minute ride for just a couple of USD. From Taipei station I walked to the hostel I would be staying in. It hit me rather quickly that I was in a tropical environment and the layers I had worn to stay comfortable on the plane were quickly shed.
The hostel I had selected to stay at for my two nights in Taipei was, I found, perfectly located for exploring on foot or by metro. A very useful thing as it would be several hours before I could officially check in. I was, however, able to drop off my bags at the front desk to lighten the load for the next 6 hours of exploration! Yay!
Taipei 101 Building – as seen from metro exit
My first concern was food. I had slept at the airport the previous night and had yet to actually eat anything since before then. So I decided to make my way via the metro to the Taipei 101 building and find something to eat around there. I did initially have difficulty with finding a location to purchase a metro card, and eventually just went to a subway information desk. The metro is super cheap and easy to use in Taipei!
It was a rather impressive sight to step out of the metro station and look straight up the edge of the Taipei 101 tower – one of the tallest buildings in the world! I was debating on whether or not I wanted to take the ride to the top, but when I realized that it was only 500 NTD (roughly 15 USD) for the ride to the top, I decided to go for it. I am very glad that I did as it was a fantastic day (the forcasted typhoon was delayed) and I could see for miles!
Beef Noodle Soup
I almost had mango shaved ice at the top… but was deterred by the length of the line and the small portions I saw doled out for the price (tourist prices and such). So I decided to wait. After taking a few time lapse videos, I took the ride back down the elevator to the food court. So many options that I circled the place twice before settling on a bowl of beef noodle soup. Exciting, I know. It was good sized and very satisfying though! The seating was all family style so after a little hesitation, I plopped myself down in an empty seat next to several people. I’m going assume the looks I received were ones of admiration for my skillful use of chopsticks… It could also have been that I was the only red headed white girl sitting in a human sea of asian ethnicity… Seriously though – I got so many compliments on my use of chopsticks during the course of this trip!
Elephant Mountain:
It’s a small Jiu Jitsu world!
I was pretty much winging it until later in the evening when I had reserved a spot in a guided tour. So what better thing to do on a whim than climb a mountain?
Elephant mountain is a very popular local hiking spot. It is a punishing number of steps however – so if you decide to do it, wear good shoes and buy a bottle or two of water from the nice lady at the trail head!
As I was starting on my way up, I saw a gentleman trudging down wearing the staff tshirt from the Asian Championships. He was very focused but as he passed I hollered “Jiu Jitsu!” at him and he turned on a dime with a huge smile on his face! We had a short conversation in a combination of English, Japanese, and Mandrin before he asked for a photo. Of course I asked for one with my camera as well!
Taipei 101 building from Elephant Mountain
It was quite a trek up, and I even stripped to my tank top and used my tshirt as a sweat rag! The view from the top was well worth the effort however! I hung out at the top and explored the trails a bit further – I could have easily spent several hours up there! However, I had to get back to the hostel so I could finish check in and take a (MUCH needed) shower before the tour.
Tour Me Away – Longshan Temple:
So I found a group that does low cost, and free walking tours of Taipei. The group is called “Tour Me Away” and I highly recommend them to anyone visiting Taipei!
It was raining lightly by the time we met up for the tour and it was a large group! So we waiting a few extra minutes for people to purchase umbrellas as needed from a nearby convenience store. First we strolled along an old traditional street and got a peek inside of some of the old marketplace buildings before they were closed up for the evening. I got to purchase a cup of herbal green drink as we strolled down an herb alley – I have no idea what all was in it, but it felt very cleansing.
Polishing the candlesticks inside Longshan Temple
After this we made our way to the Longshan Temple where we had a very detailed step by step guide through the entire building complex. I don’t have many photos from inside the temple because of two reasons. Mainly: I always feel guilty taking photos inside temples and shrines where people come to worship. Just because it isn’t my religious upbringing doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to pray in peace. Two: my phone takes terrible night time photos. One day I hope to get a real camera!
Our guides gave very detailed information about how they worship and what each deity is responsible for. For those who wished it, they provided step by step guidance through the worship practices. There was, however, no pressure to participate for those uncomfortable doing so!
After a good amount of time at the temple, we visited the old red light district. It is full of tea houses and other business fronts where you can pay for more than what is listed on the menu. We also visited a “love hotel” where you can pay for a room by the night or by the hour. Then we were off to the night market!
The Night Market:
The most amazing combo ever! Peanut brittle, three types of ice cream, and fresh cilantro!
I had heard great things about the night market culture in Taipei, and in spite of my limited time visiting the country, it did not disappoint!
Custard filled goodness!
I will say this for the night markets (and really any street food). If there is a line of locals waiting for it, get in that line! Also, this is not the time to be finicky about calories, food preferences, or germs. I know a few people who would get the shakes with the way we were passing around our food and drinks to share with the group. I typically eat a fairly clean diet due to my training routine, but I went after it with a gusto in Taipei – without the slightest bit of digestive distress to contend with.
Now will I hesitate to eat street food in India? Probably. Will I still do it? Again, probably!
I made a few new friends from the tour that I really hope to see again in future travels! After we parted ways, I made my way back to my hostel to get some sleep and prepare for the adventure next day.
In Closing:
I started this post with the intent to write one post for Taiwan, one for Kyoto, and one for Seoul – and then be done with it and back to my normal Jiu Jitsu writings. However, I apparently managed to pack a lot more into each day than I thought, so this is going to be a two parter. Until then…
The bus to Dubai was super easy to catch. I just went up to the ticket counter labeled “Dubai” and asked for one ticket. It only cost a couple bucks and a bus leaves every 15 minutes.
This began with a taxi ride to my friends hotel where we all met up and ordered a taxi for a ride to the beach. A good number of the beaches in Abu Dhabi are private beaches for hotel guests only – however there are public beaches available. We were dropped off at Corniche beach which is for families. It cost about $3-4 USD to get in and then you can rent an umbrella and buy food and snacks there.
After the last match, Itzel and I were quite hungry and went back to my hotel to try the dinner buffet. It was about $30 USD (he gave us the discount for first visit) and it was VERY good and worth it! I really loved all the little deserts that we proceeded to rank. I liked the carrot cake and flan best! Itzel went back to her hotel and I tanked out. It would be a long day the next day for me – changing hotels and then departing for the desert safari. Coming up next post!
Finishing Day 1: After I competed, I went back to my hotel room. I was soooo hungry, but my need for sleep won out over the need for food. So I just downed a bunch of water and passed out from about 5 pm until midnight. I then looked at the clock, rolled over, and went back to sleep until 5:30 am. I did have the foresight to purchase food from a grocery store on the way to my hotel, so I inhaled a bunch of fruit and a rice biryani.
My match was meant to be the 5th one in my division, but since it was the first match that the coordinator found, it got bumped to the first event of the day! So this means being escorted past the curtain out to the side of the mat while the tv commentators are talking and the crowd is starting to rumble in the background. I was grinning like a fool. So happy to be there after all the work I put in to make it happen. This was going to be me showing my best game.
After returning from competing in Japan this past September, my coach (Shawn) told me to take the rest of the year off from competing. I don’t think I have gone longer than three days in the past 4 years without thinking and preparing for the next event. Now I had to deal with a little over three months completely off from competing.
February 2017
Coach's Killer 