Tag: music

Another Gym Post

How’s your week going? Mine’s been pretty cool so far, but it’s going to be a busy few days ahead.

I recently wrote this post about gym (the place, not the person) and how I was sure I’m allergic as I forever kept getting sick.

Subsequent to that I changed to another gym and what a difference it has made.  No, I still don’t enjoy waking up at 4h50 in the morning so I can drag my sorry ass out of the house and into the cold and dark, but I’m never sorry that I went. And it rained this morning when I came out of the gym at 5h55. Just rude.

The new gym is a lot bigger than the old one and there is such a mix of people there, from serious, 5am-make-up-wearing-gym-bunnies to Dads and their boys hanging out on the circuit. I’m completely amazed at how packed that gym is so early in the morning, so many cars in the parking lot!

The best thing about the new gym must be their treadmills.  Each treadmill has a TV screen, so you can watch TV whilst you sweat.  For someone like me that cannot bear doing only one thing at a time this is very pleasing. My favourite channel is VH1 Classic and I spend a lot of time either grinning like an idiot or trying not to bop along whilst trying to walk my 4km in under 40 minutes.  I also may or may not have given in to flicking fingers and waving arms around whilst keeping pace. But I’m not saying. I do dread the day I either trip or something equally stupid that lands me on my ass on a moving treadmill.

All in all?  I’m having fun.  I enjoy being able to just do my thing and not having to make eye-contact with or talk to anyone.  It’s just me and VH1 Classic. No need to try and figure out the whole sub-culture of gym that I can see exists. And I have yet to run into a single person I know.

Awesome.

This morning’s favourite was Take That’s Back for Good, complete with bad boy Robbie Williams. I had such a rush of London memories of when they broke up and the gay guys at work were all crying. That was London in the 90’s for you!

Here’s the song and remember to look out for Robbie..

 

Now I just need to get off the treadmill and try something else at the gym.  Or just start running, like I promised myself I would.

What do you do at the gym?

 

 

Karate love

I got so wrapped up in the sugar-free challenge last week I didn’t have a chance to write this post (or about anything else since then for that matter), so here goes.

Before Daniel went to Grade R this year Etienne and I had a difference of opinion about his extra-murals.  Etienne wanted him to start with rugby/cricket/anything remotely connected to a ball sport and I really wanted him to do Karate.  I’m not holding out hope that Daniel will end up being a pro, but I have heard from so many people that karate is a great sport (?), especially for boys, as it forces them to be disciplined.  Amid much eye-rolling from Etienne I stuck to my guns and managed to get away with it.

Am I glad I did.

We had his first grading last Saturday and it was quite something.  Hennie Bosman’s studio offers the karate classes at his school and Hennie himself conducted the grading.

For those of you that don’t live in the greater Cape Town area, Hennie Bosman is a legend.  He has had his Karate training school for as long as I can remember and has an outstanding reputation.

There were about 40 children and twice as many parents/siblings crowded around the edges of the studio to watch.  Here’s what I noticed:

Daniel’s Hero

1.  40 children stand at attention or sit QUIETLY at a softly spoken instruction from Hennie.  They literally jump to attention.

2.  He relates to the children in a language theat they understand.  He would talk about how you would block the “baddy” if he came at you.

3.  They had to do all kinds of gymmy-type push-ups and stuff.  Like really physical stuff that they need to learn how to do anyway. (not that Daniel really participated very well, he spent more time trying to get away with doing as little as possible)

4.  The amount of hero worship is quite spectacular.  And that’s just the kids.  At one stage he was explaining how to do push-ups and rapped his knuckles really hard on the wooden floor.  There was a collective intake of breath and reverential hush around the room that made me want to giggle.

5.  The guy is really really strong.  He literally picked our 25kg son up with one arm like he was a feather.  And then had quite a hard time removing Daniel from his leg as he kept on hugging and there was a pile of 6yo boys lined up to do exactly the same thing.

So, if you were wondering about whether your child should do karate, don’t wonder.  Just do it.

Ps: he had his Mozart Music Mouse (Daniel, not Hennie Bosman) “concert” yesterday and I managed to get there during lunch.  To see his face light up when he saw me made my heart lurch.  I now have to go home and explain to him that all most of the other Mommies are having a party for his teacher at 10h00 tomorrow morning (at school) (during their snack break) and that this Mommy unfortunately has to work.  I would rather stick pens in my eyes.

Pps:  I just googled Hennie Bosman and there is an actual gallery of images of him.  Very Jean-Claude van Damme, just without the naffness.

Music and dancing

I have realised lately that we don’t listen to enough music at home.  Sure we listen to “normal” music, like the music channels on DSTV or Lollos and classical music on a Sunday, but I’ve noticed that the girls, especially Isabel, like to dance.

It’s more of a little jiggle than anything else and the cutest thing to behold, but I think it would be great if we could crank the music up and just wriggle our worries away.  And it would be great for a laugh.

Thing is.  I’m an ex-wanna-be Goth and I’ve never really been into “happy” music.  I’ve always leaned more toward the tortured music genre.  And mostly tortured female.  And Led Zeppelin. And The Cure. You see what I mean?

The kids will definitely end up getting exposed to “our” music, but for now I really want them to experience music for the sheer reckless joy of it.

So.  I need help.  I want to put together a play-list of happy but harmless ‘adult’ music.  By Adult I mean ABBA-type stuff and by harmless I mean no Jack Parow.  After hearing “Cooler as Ekke” once on Gareth’s show Daniel recited “jy’t ‘n tattoo van ‘n slang op jou tette”.  Pitch perfect.

Any suggestions?

ps: if I have enough suggestions I want to create an extra page and credit the suggestion-giver.  Aaaand.. GO!

pps: I was jiggling away to something the other day and Daniel stared at me in horror and ordered me to stop immediately.  I. Don’t. Care.