Gym time

Going to the gym has been one of the good habits I’ve picked up here, thanks to Rafael. When I’m not in the field, we would go either Saturday or Sunday, around 7am, then two other days during the week, unless we have to rest because we’d be too sore.  Each visit is 2,000 Tshillings, which is less than 2 USD, it’s worth the pain.

Sometimes Haji joins us when he’s not working. Usually we go early in the morning because no one is there except Hassan, the gym minder. He is always there.

This is the place is called “Family Fitness Centre” (Note the subtitle: Exercise Delays Ages” on the sign). It used to be a bakery on the Airport Road, and since the gym had to be relocated, it moved into this empty building almost overnight. It has old but functional weight benches, barbells, dumbbells, and weight machines. In the back there is a large aerobics room (see pic on left). Also note the big baken ovens in the back, and Haj’s Obama bag on the table.

On the TV usually is bad old American movies streaming from HBO India. Hassan has recently discovered that we liked the techno trance CD so he would put it on when we are there. There is a shower, but I don’t recommend it unless you absolutely have to, and I do twice a week because I have to go right in to work after the workout.

There is a lot of potential for the place. For example, they could offer monthly membership, introduce a juice bar, have antiseptic sprayer and towels, deodorize the place, etc. The list goes on.

Being a hopeless romantic/sadist that I am, I would always start my sentences in gym conversations with Rafael with “You know what they should do…” Rafael makes fun of me about that all the time. I agree with him; it’s really pointless to think of good ideas (or good to me anyhow) when people are not going to think they are good. So I am learning not to think of what “should be,” and just focus on what “is”. That is a harder workout than bench pressing one’s body weight, I can promise you that.

After gym, we usually go to R&S’s place to have breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon and chives, homemade bread, pickles, and a coffee. Sometimes he would whip up a blended juice of watermelon, pineapple, orange, mango, and other goodies. 24Hour Fitness has nothing on us!