Schools Out for Summer!

Photo: Sophia & Frankie bathe and then wrestle on their Cat Canopy

My classes have finished, exams have been graded and entered into the online system, and I have been to my office to wait for students to complain in person. (Not one student came.) Now, what to do?

My husband's teaching will finish the 3rd week of July, so that leaves me with about 45 days of time to kill. Here are some things that could fill my time:

1. Cook more delicious meals (I only know how to make 3 - maybe)

2. Clean more of the house

3. Run more (on the treadmill in A/C) because August 1st will be here soon!

4. Morning spinning class (on days I have the car)

5. Read more (I have 6 books on my nightstand currently!)

6. Blog more

7. Get Frankie (our little boy kitten) "fixed"

8. Get both kittens de-clawed - the poor things often get hung up on the curtains, sheets, and furniture upholstery

9. Get a haircut

10. Watch a list of recommended movies that I've never seen

11. Watch the entire series of "Lost" - I never got addicted to it

12. Plan next 3 vacations (mid-late August, mid-September Eid, mid-November)

13. Get car inspection (I've heard this is a big pain in the neck, so I'm not looking forward to this.)

14. Swim lessons (I emailed, stopped by in person, and facebooked the Doha Dolphins, but still haven't heard back from them - hiss boo)

15. Start saying goodbye to some teachers who are not returning in the fall :(

16. Start packing for July 23rd trip home :)

17. Continue taking a gazillion photos of our adorable kitties that I am already sad about leaving during vacation . . .

Until Next Time,

WW

BeautyFULL

Well, we finally did it. We joined a fitness center in Doha. We chose Aspire Fitness which has a whole slew of programs. The facilities are where they held the 2006 Asian Games too.

With so many different buildings and equipment they are capable of doing such things as the Academy Sports Program which trains young talented athletes from all over the world. That program is all encompassing with academic classes, housing, cafeterias, and training for the athletes.

In addition to grooming Qatar's national sports teams Aspire also has fitness memberships for all. Well, maybe all...as Aspire serves their own first and others later if there is space. In fact, on the Aspire website you will see this:

"If space is limited for any program, registration priorities shall be 1) Qatari, 2) non-Qatari born in Qatar, 3) residents of Qatar of any nationality, 4) non-residents of Qatar."

Well, thank goodness Qataris don't seem to like exercise (see last week's post about The New York Time's article) or we might not get to join a gym! After looking at their memberships online we decided the location close to home, high quality facilities, and membership fees were all good. Interestingly enough their system is the opposite of an American fitness center. Here we pay a flat rate for the use of classes only. Joining the gym (weigh lifting and machines) and swimming pool are considered add on memberships. Also, memberships begin only on day 1 of the month and end on the last day of the month. In addition, as a new member you are only allowed to join for one month. After that, you can join for only 3 months or 9 months.

Here is what we paid and what we are getting:

• 1 month Family Membership* (It is good to be married! 2 of 1 deals abound!) 350 QR (approx. $96 USD)
• 1 month Men's Gym 200 QR (approx. $54 USD)

* We can go to any classes for this membership fee. Some of the men's classes are open to both men and women. However, only women can go to the women's classes. In fact, the two are separated by about a half mile. We did not join the indoor swimming pool because it is only opened for us from 7PM - 8PM.

I saw the May Women's Fitness Class Schedule online and decided that after three whole days of not using our May 1st - May 31st membership that we'd better get to it! My experience was surreal. It was the first time in Qatar that I truly felt at ease. I wore my typical black spandex capri running pants and a form fitting synthetic work out shirt - but nobody stared at me. I saw all around me a variety of colors - of clothing and skin. Boy did I see skin! In fact, cell phones are not allowed inside the women's fitness center. Not only did we have to check phones at the door but we had to walk through metal detectors and face the possibility of being wanded while our bags were searched. I guess the security lady did think I was a threat because I was motioned to just walk on by without search.

I saw all sorts of women there - Westerners, Indians, Filipinos, Arabs from other GCC and Qataris. Almost all Arabs went into the facilities completely cloaked in black draping abayas, but entered the class in spandex/tight fitting leggings and cleavage bearing tank tops of all colors. Glorious colors! The desert and all the black abayas leave us with no colors at all in Qatar.

I originally lined up to attend the Body Shape class, but the line extended around the classroom. I wasn't going to get in and an Aspire Fitness Center woman told me just that. She told me to go to another studio where I could attend Pilates. Now, I'm much more of a strength, tone, run, run, and run some more kind of gal so I wasn't too keen on going to Pilates. I'm glad I did though. I got to hear the most lovely accent from a gracefully aging expert Pilates instructor and a great story to boot!

Our tiny, weathered and toned 50-something instructor walked in to class apologizing that the class was already so full. She explained that we would be doing some "controlled" movements to straighten our cores. In addition to her (Russian? Polish?) accent I cannot forget the word she kept using the entire hour: Beautiful!

The Pilates instructor would move around the room saying "for Fitness women you can do this like this" which was followed by her demonstrating a more advanced movement. After that, she would say, "for all you beautiful ladies you can do it like this," after which she would do a much easier movement.

I kept wondering 'who is she talking to? Beautiful ladies? Is she just trying to patronize the local Qatari women in the class, or bow to them?'

Only later did I find out to whom she was referring in class. After the one hour of Pilates I looked around and saw a bulletin board. On the bulletin board I saw it! Aspire Fitness has a program call BeautyFULL for overweight or obese women. Mystery solved! After I told my husband this story (he wasn't there because we were gender segregated!) he said, "BootyFULL?"

Until Next Time,

WW

Photo credits:

http://www.aspire.qa/

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/

http://www.google.com/

http://www.answers.com/