Jab! Straight! Hook! Jab!

Depending on whether you stay updated on boxing events or not, you might have heard of Manny Pacquiao. Manny, or "Pacman", is a Filipino professional boxer who is currently the welterweight champion of the world and the "number one pound-for-pound boxer in the world". Since I have been in the Philippines for quite awhile now, I definitely know Manny's schedule of fights and victories pretty well. He is really the gem of the Phils, and his face would be recognizable anywhere by any Filipino. Boxing, as a sport, is pretty popular amongst the general population, much more so than in the United States. I am not sure whether this is a new-found popularity since Manny's rise to fame or not. But it definitely is a sport that brings communities here together.

It has also recently become my new passion. Since it is so popular and there are a few women at my gym that box, and box really well I must say, I had wanted to try it for awhile. The only thing holding me back was the hand wraps that I needed to buy. I wasn't sure how much they cost, and I just didn't feel like I had the money laying around to spare. Around Valentine's Day, I received a card in the mail from my grandmother with a $5 bill to "treat myself". Usually wanting me to go buy myself something sweet, I defied all tradition with the annual Valentine's gift and used it to buy hand wraps.

SIDENOTE HERE: One of my favorite, and sometimes most annoying, things to do in the Philippines is exchange money. There is a little booth in the mall that displays all of the exchange rates from around the world and has two miniature windows where you can slip your money through. Most of the time, I find myself waiting in line with many Korean or Japanese tour groups. Usually, there is also the creepy old man from somewhere halfway around the world with a young girl hanging on his arm. Anyways, it makes for great people watching. The best part though is exchanging money after a large group of Korean students or tourists. For some reason, they usually have far larger amounts than $5 to exchange, so oftentimes, the woman behind the window will count out 20,000 or even 30,000 Philippines Pesos (php). Last time, the person in front of me, after receiving 28,000 php or so, was quite disappointed in the amount that they received. Maybe the exchange rate changed or they just didn't estimate it correctly. The best part was then walking up to the little window and slipping my $5 bill through, only to receive 225 php back. I guarantee the smile on my face was much brighter and larger than any of those tourists complaining about their 28,000 php that day. It meant a lot, and it allowed me to take on something new...

So, back to the boxing. Throughout my first week, I developed muscle pains, bruises on my arms (from what, I am not sure), and sore hands. But it is the best workout I have ever done. It tones the arms, abs, shoulders, back, legs, and butt - all in one! I don't know any machine that can do that. Additionally, I have found that it is great for stress relief. One on one with a trainer, they challenge you to box "just one more round" and quicken your timing. Twice I went into my lessons having very stressed-out days, and I went home those nights feeling wonderful. More than anything though, I am really having fun picking up a new hobby. It has been difficult to learn to move my feet again, but I am enjoying every moment. When I walk away from Peace Corps later this year, I can now add boxing to the long list I already have of things that I have learned. While it definitely is not along the lines of saving the world, it's pretty fun, and sometimes that is just what I need.