While some struggle to the end, others give up easy... Yesterday I asked my one of my Chinese friends, A, is we could meet up and do some work together.
-No sorry, I have some other important plans.
Fine, no problems. So I went to the gym instead and started off by almost killing myself with a 6 km race-run at the treadmill (It’s too hot now for me to stay on the treadmill for a whole hour, so instead I try to do the best I can within 30 minutes. For some reason I always tend to lose my self control after 10 minutes, when a hectic adding of incline/speed starts, which always results in me almost falling off the machine at the end of each run… but well, what can I say? At least I get a good workout out of it?!). During my 2 minutes of cool down, I suddenly heard someone yell:
-Jonna!
It was my friend, A, looking like sporty spice herself in a pair of Adidas pants and a cool, Nike sport top that she kept pulling up in order to show off more of her flat belly.
-Oh hi, here to run too? I asked. ("Important plans")
-Yeah… wow. Look at you! You really work out seriously!
-Just a 30-minute run, I said. What are you doing?
-Some running, maybe some weights.
-OK, well I will go and do some weights… I said and got off the treadmill. I guess I see you later at the machines.
10 minutes later I was training my legs when A approach me.
-Oh my gosh. You are like… really serious about this?! she said when she saw me.
-Eh… well… it’s a gym. So I come here to work out.
-But why? You are not fat?
-Well, neither are you, but you still train, right? What are you doing now?
-I am done.
-Done?
-Yeah, well I did some running… I am tired now.
-Oh… OK.
-Now I am going to have a long shower to cool off.
….and that was it. All the fancy gym clothes can only take you so far. You also need to put in a little bit of effort, but well, maybe next time. Although I bet that according to her… why should she, she’s not ‘fat’ after all?
(I am personally impressed that someone actually takes time off to go to the gym and run for just 10 minutes, and calls it 'important plans').
Well, I guess 10 minutes is better than nothing. You have to have some reason to wear the cute workout clothes right?
ReplyDeleteI see you got your photos working!
well, chinese are leaning to regard sporting as some social,
ReplyDeletenot really to get body slim.
you will see persons standing
in swimming pool and chatting, what a good chatting to relax,
rahter than a good sporting.
I hate working out, so that sounds like the workout for me.
ReplyDeleteOnly 10 minutes at the gym and having a tight little stomach that I'm proud to show off... Where do I sign up? LOL!
Maybe she's trying to pick up her future husband. XD
ReplyDeletelots of women at my gym come in their fancy clothes and done-up hair and makeup and do next to nothing. They carry around these important looking folders with workout plans on them. They'll do 5 - 15 minutes very easy cardio, 30 crunches, and four or five weight machines at 10 kilos, then sit in the solarium for half an hour. I think they just come to gossip with their girlfriends or scream on their cell phones while their husbands are at work...
ReplyDeleteSounds like Hong Kong. My wife and I go and kill ourselves and cast scornful looks at the people who spend 40 minutes barely walking on the treadmill over looking the seaside walking area just outside the window! Besides sweating makes those expensive workout clothes dirty!
ReplyDeleteI don't know.....I think in my mind I'd like to club her with a treadmill. I suppose what some would call important might not be the same to us, but you would hope you could see a little sweat on her brow or a shift in her make-up at least!! lol The only neat thing is she didn't say "Boy! your BIG like what has happened lately when you've been spotted with anything exposed body-wise (Dear Jonna the slender Scandinavian)
ReplyDeleteOh don't get me started on gyms in China. It's so irritating when the girl on the next treadmill just makes endless phone calls while walking at the slowest speed, then stops after 8 minutes. What is the frigging point!
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, it's been a month since I hurt my ankle and I have yet to go back. I think I'm ready though.
I've witnessed this firsthand myself. The gyms on Army bases are free to anyone with a military ID card, so spouses would often go to them on the pretense of getting in shape. Looked more like they were spending time gossiping though.
ReplyDeleteI haven't looked into any gyms here in Singapore. There's enough pavement to run on outside here, and there are those nifty little free workout areas.
Keep getting your heavy workout Jonna! It will pay off in the end!
Wow, and I feel bad when I go to the gym for only 45 minutes or so and see people working out for much longer.
ReplyDeleteI never liked the gyms in China--they were un-air conditioned in the sweltering heat.
Hi She!
ReplyDeleteIs blogger.com still blocked where you are? Have you found that blogspot URLs are also blocked?
colleen -yeah finally :)
ReplyDeleteYeah I guess so. Although sometimes it makes me wonder.. I just got this feeling this girl was more into the thought of working out than working out. but I guess many ppl are like that.
Ray -I have understood that. Find it quite funny.
Tanya -hehe.. I guess the diet I would recommend is: rice and rice? :)
Kanmuri -good point. Well she sure looked good!
Des -oh the hard life of a rich housewife... Although I am seriously impressed that they are always done up.. I hate wearing make up, and at the gym of all places??! Guuuusaaahh!
Navl -hahahhaa, u and your wife sound like me. Even though I have no reason to be annoyed I cannot help it... I guess I am a bit jealous as well that they can do nothing and still stay in shape.
Pete -true. she actually said I wasn't fat. Oh my. China is REALLY upside-down nowadays!
woai -an ankle needs its recovery... although yeah, now I think u should get back into it and do that gym post I've been looking forward to so long!
Brad F -yeah they better pay off in the end... :) Then summer will be all about running... mmmmm!
matthew -45 min is a quite good workout for me... all depends how u are using the time. I prefer to stay for 1 -1.5 hours though, but it's not always possible. I don't like the gyms in China either... only thing I like about them are the friendly trainers! :)
Siohban -I'm using a proxy now but by looking at my stat counter I can tell that blogger is still down in China!