Staying Fit
When I lived in Hong Kong, people there used to say I looked “fit.” “Fit,” in Hong Kong meant, “skinny,” or “thin.” And I suppose I was at the time, but I certainly was not fit. I don’t think I’ve ever been fit. “Fit” to me means going to the gym, running on a treadmill, lifting weights. I’ve never done any of these things. Even in my prime – by “prime” I mean when I was in highs school dancing five or six times a week and, in the spring, also doing track – I wouldn’t say I was ever “fit.” So when Hong Kong people used that word in relation to me I always thought it was humorous. Me, fit?
I continued dancing in college, as much as I could, but it still never compared to what I did in high school. But I was still being active, which is why when I arrived in Hong Kong, I appeared “fit.”
In Hong Kong, I took dance once a week. But I walked a ton in that city, a lot of the times uphill, so remaining “fit” wasn’t a problem.
Once I moved to Alaska, “fit” wasn’t a word one would apply to me, even the politest of Hong Kong people. There are no dance classes to take in Wrangell, so I created my own, for little kids and middle school students. It went well for a little bit, but I ended up discontinuing the classes – I’ve never been a good teacher to little kids and there weren’t enough middle school students who signed up. I walk in Wrangell, to get around and to walk Cyrus. Sometimes I hike, but not enough to show. For a while I was pretty good at going to the pool. Before Wrangell, it had been maybe ten years since I swam laps in a pool. But once summer rolled around and the sun was sometimes out, I excused myself from swimming indoors.
Overall, I’ve been pretty unfit in Wrangell. Plus, we have potlucks there and at them, I eat. I’ve also grown a fondness to cooking. Perhaps it was the moving in with Scott and being in love that made me “fat and happy.” Eating – and cooking – with someone else is a hundred times better than doing it solo.
So now I’m in Barrow. There are a few things to take into account when I consider my “fit” options. Food is terribly expensive, and I’m once again solo. Neither eating or cooking is as fun; therefore I eat less. I’m not walking nearly as much because the weather conditions are harsher; plus there’s no Cyrus to walk. There are still no dance classes. Before moving here I heard that Barrow had a great pool. I tried going last week, but it was closed. I ended up going to the pool in Barrow for the first time last night.
Con: The pool in Barrow is half the size of Wrangell's. I don’t know why I expected it to be the same size as Wrangell, but I did. I imagined with all the money Barrow has, it would have as good of a pool as Wrangell’s, if not better. Pro: It’s free. All I had to do was sign in on a sheet. No one checked my ID or anything. I could’ve put the name “Angelina Jolie;” it wouldn’t have mattered. Con: When you enter the locker room, there is an extremely large puddle of water. I never thought I’d miss the locker room in Wrangell, but I do. Pro: Someone’s iPod was playing through speakers in the pool and one of the songs was "Don't Drink the Water." Con: Free swim was right before Lap swim and all these kids were playing around, splashing and jumping in and all I could think about was how they probably all pee in the pool. Con: I came to my senses and realized the kids probably pee in the pool in Wrangell also.
Lap swim, which lasts from 7:15 pm to 7:50 pm went fine. I got to swim and this, I figured, was how I would attempt to stay “fit” in Barrow. I would try to do it four times a week – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (I was hoping to try out the library on Wednesday nights when people get together for “knitwits”). So I went to the pool tonight, but it was closed. A sign on the door read, “Evening recreation closed this week.” Despite the sign, I continued to pull on the door. It’s not a holiday, I thought, it was just opened last night. But the door would not open.
I left wondering what I would do for the rest of the week to stay active, to be physical. As I drove home, I passed the Piuraagvik “Place to Play” athletic center, and saw a lot of cars in the parking lot. I’ve never been a gym person. I’ve only ever been to a gym twice, maybe thee times, in my entire life. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself in one. But – at least for the rest of the week until the pool opens again – it seems like I may have to go to the gym and find my way.
I continued dancing in college, as much as I could, but it still never compared to what I did in high school. But I was still being active, which is why when I arrived in Hong Kong, I appeared “fit.”
In Hong Kong, I took dance once a week. But I walked a ton in that city, a lot of the times uphill, so remaining “fit” wasn’t a problem.
Once I moved to Alaska, “fit” wasn’t a word one would apply to me, even the politest of Hong Kong people. There are no dance classes to take in Wrangell, so I created my own, for little kids and middle school students. It went well for a little bit, but I ended up discontinuing the classes – I’ve never been a good teacher to little kids and there weren’t enough middle school students who signed up. I walk in Wrangell, to get around and to walk Cyrus. Sometimes I hike, but not enough to show. For a while I was pretty good at going to the pool. Before Wrangell, it had been maybe ten years since I swam laps in a pool. But once summer rolled around and the sun was sometimes out, I excused myself from swimming indoors.
Overall, I’ve been pretty unfit in Wrangell. Plus, we have potlucks there and at them, I eat. I’ve also grown a fondness to cooking. Perhaps it was the moving in with Scott and being in love that made me “fat and happy.” Eating – and cooking – with someone else is a hundred times better than doing it solo.
So now I’m in Barrow. There are a few things to take into account when I consider my “fit” options. Food is terribly expensive, and I’m once again solo. Neither eating or cooking is as fun; therefore I eat less. I’m not walking nearly as much because the weather conditions are harsher; plus there’s no Cyrus to walk. There are still no dance classes. Before moving here I heard that Barrow had a great pool. I tried going last week, but it was closed. I ended up going to the pool in Barrow for the first time last night.
Con: The pool in Barrow is half the size of Wrangell's. I don’t know why I expected it to be the same size as Wrangell, but I did. I imagined with all the money Barrow has, it would have as good of a pool as Wrangell’s, if not better. Pro: It’s free. All I had to do was sign in on a sheet. No one checked my ID or anything. I could’ve put the name “Angelina Jolie;” it wouldn’t have mattered. Con: When you enter the locker room, there is an extremely large puddle of water. I never thought I’d miss the locker room in Wrangell, but I do. Pro: Someone’s iPod was playing through speakers in the pool and one of the songs was "Don't Drink the Water." Con: Free swim was right before Lap swim and all these kids were playing around, splashing and jumping in and all I could think about was how they probably all pee in the pool. Con: I came to my senses and realized the kids probably pee in the pool in Wrangell also.
Lap swim, which lasts from 7:15 pm to 7:50 pm went fine. I got to swim and this, I figured, was how I would attempt to stay “fit” in Barrow. I would try to do it four times a week – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (I was hoping to try out the library on Wednesday nights when people get together for “knitwits”). So I went to the pool tonight, but it was closed. A sign on the door read, “Evening recreation closed this week.” Despite the sign, I continued to pull on the door. It’s not a holiday, I thought, it was just opened last night. But the door would not open.
I left wondering what I would do for the rest of the week to stay active, to be physical. As I drove home, I passed the Piuraagvik “Place to Play” athletic center, and saw a lot of cars in the parking lot. I’ve never been a gym person. I’ve only ever been to a gym twice, maybe thee times, in my entire life. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself in one. But – at least for the rest of the week until the pool opens again – it seems like I may have to go to the gym and find my way.
posted by Siapiau | 8:11 PM
1 Comments:
What an adventure, I am enjoying reading and the pictures, it is very surreal for those of us not there and you are doing an excellent job capturing the feeling of it. I must note that your grammar seems different (I won't say wrong as these things are subjective at best) but there is a marked change from my perspective. Actually, I think that change is what helps you to capture the situation. Greetings from down south!
Post a Comment
<< Home