I never thought it would be possible, but I managed to find a gym that has Bodypump classes in Manila (and it’s within walking distance of our place!) A little background on Bodypump… it’s a fabulous weight routine where you do 10 tracks in one hour, each of which is coreographed to music. Each track focuses on a different muscle – abs, chest, gluts, bicep, tricep, shoulder, etc.
In order to go to Bodypump, I first had to join a gym. As usual, this was a bit of a process. I went over at 7 AM on wednesday to check out the gym. I got the usual tour and an overview of the rates, etc. What I wasn’t expecting was that Filipino salespeople are a bit more aggressive than I’m used to. I was planning to wait until next week to join, but my salesperson called me at 6:30 AM on both Thursday and Friday to inquire if I was coming in that day. I decided that I did not want to be woken up at 6:30 again on Saturday and finally turned in my application on Friday.
SIDE NOTE: Apparently this pestering thing is a very common Filipino characteristic. Saying that you’ll do something doesn’t actually mean you will. For example, if a Filipino says they’re coming to your dinner party, you’re supposed to follow-up the day of to remind them/confirm that they really meant it. This is all in an effort to “save face” and avoid saying no. It’s better to say yes and then just not show apparently… I am not a fan of this cultural aspect yet.
And so now I’m a proud holder of a gym membership! I did my first BodyPump class this morning with 30 Filipinos. Where are all the other foreigners?? I swear I read that there was a large Expat community here. How come I don’t seem to be coming across any of them?? Alas, I’m getting used to being the one that stands out. Good thing I enjoy attention! I suppose if I was really trying to blend in then I wouldn’t have walked in late, taken a place at the front of the room and promptly started belting out the lyrics…. I still have quite a bit of work to do around the blending thing! All I can say is that it felt SOOO good to pick up this old favorite of mine. Be sure and look for my toned muscles in upcoming swimsuit photos!
What amazing good fortune, Sarah! You must be thrilled! And I absolutely love the visual of you coming in late, standing in front, and singing along- I can 100% picture the enthusiastic singing, and I’m sure you’ll make friends quickly in the class. Woohoo- pump it up, girl!