Excersizing in Thailand

YOGA:  Well I know one thing is for sure, and that is not a one person in the yoga class on campus was impressed with my head to toe Lulu Lemon outfit.  Not even the sports bra that resembles more of a bustier than anything that would be used for sports.  This particular yoga class was not the demographic of people I was used to seeing at All Star Fitness in West Seattle.  The group ranged in age from 8 years old to 80, both men and women.  The typical outfit (I quickly made note of) was Thai fisherman pants and a loose fitting t-shirt.   I found a mat close to the instructor and did my best to keep up with the thai instructions.  My moves were a second or two behind everyone else because I had to keep looking around to see what to do, but I ended up getting a pretty great work out.  One part of the class that doesn't need to be translated is when the nice meditative music comes on and the lights are turned off.  I lay there in silence with a group of strangers, feeling totally out of place in my tight work out clothes, chuckling about another day in Thailand where I look absurdly out of place.

RUNNING OUTDOORS:  My first morning here in Rangsit I ventured out the door of my apartment for what turned out to be a very quick run.  A few minutes in, I rounded a corner and almost ran directly into the young monks doing their morning alms round.   I was in my short turquoise running shorts and a tight yellow running shirt.  Horrified with my sweaty face and totally inappropriate outfit I did an about face and sprinted home to scold myself for leaving the house in such a ridiculous outfit.  But it is SO HOT I couldn't imagine running in anything else!   With increased self awareness, I decided to venture out for another run today, wearing long pants and a long, loose fitting shirt.   Running in Rangsit is like running through smog colored Jello.   Aside from me being moderately out of shape,  my biggest enemies on the running trail are the heat, the water buffalo and the excessive amount of wild alligators.  Today I decided to hang a right outside the apartment, purposefully away form the fence-less water buffalo farm.  With each rustle in the tall grass my heart started racing, I jumped up and started sprinting until my fear was replaced with nausea.   So it's cool, like mother nature is adding some plyometrics into my running routine.  Hanging a right proved to be a pretty powerful experience.  My apartment is a 5 minute walk to campus and although I walk through a part of the Thai village, I had no clue the amount of poverty that is just outside my door.  My new running loop goes through streets lined with houses of 4 walls and a ceiling of corrugated steel.   It is a familiar scene, as I spent many months living on the Thai-Burma border, but I didn't realize I was again living so close to this reality since I spend most of my time on the polished University campus.   My run today was void of water buffalo or alligators, but filled with a big dose of reality.  I spent the last week bitching about the apartment I was assigned, but today when I returned to my clean, concrete apartment with a little patio, air conditioning and hanging photos of all the people who love and support me, I felt very fortunate to call this little place home.





BADMINTON:  *sigh* I haven't gone there yet but I feel the time is nearing.  There are two gymnasiums on campus dedicated to some seriously competitive badminton.  I have been known to play an okay game at a bbq after a couple beers, but this scene is pretty intimidating.  I will keep you posted....

I added a page to the blog home page titled "Life in Rangsit."  I added a few photos to this page today and will continue to post most photos of Rangsit there instead of in the body of the blog post.