In llama-land there's a one-man band

I need to travel.

Now.

I know, I realize that I was in Puerto Rico less than one month ago. It was amazing, and wonderful, and better than I could have imagined. Seriously, it was perfection. We got to romp through the rainforest, encountering massive lizards that prompted a number of Jurassic Park references. We saw new species of flowers and trees, and wildlife we’d never seen before. We made the most of our time relaxing at the pool, splashing in the waves at the beach, and taking long walks to enjoy the beauty of the northern coast. It was exciting and relaxing, and everything we wanted it to be.  

Nevertheless, in the past few days, I’ve felt the need to get moving. I have that antsy feeling of staying in one place and needing to go on an adventure. Maybe it’s because I just watched Gattaca again. That movies always kicks up my urgent need to travel. I totally get why Vincent needed to go into space. Because it’s there.

Last week, I had a dream that my husband surprised me with a trip to any country of my choice on the west coast of Africa. He unrolled this ridiculously outdated map that looked like a prop for a kid’s movie about finding hidden treasure, and told me to pick any country I wanted. It was a very detailed dream, one of those where you genuinely forget you are dreaming and it feels completely real. As always when I have these dreams, I woke up disoriented, wondering how I wound up in my room when I was just on a train. Then I become deflated upon realizing my adventure was only a dream.
I know this is difficult for people who weren’t born with congenital travel-itis to understand, and that it may seem silly. When expressing my need to travel to some people, I am met with the responses “Hey, who wouldn’t? I’d love to travel more, too,” or “Ugh, traveling is such a pain and so expensive!” It isn’t a hobby for me, it’s not just something I do because I have some vacation time saved up I need to burn. It’s not just for leisure, so that I can check a place off a list to say “well, I’ve been there!”  It’s not that I have a specific place I want to travel, or that I am being extravagant or impractical. I just feel the need to be somewhere. I need to learn new customs, see how people dress, hear the music that’s popular in that region, try new foods, encounter things I never even knew existed. It’s an ache to immerse myself, to come as close to I can, without living there, to understanding the character of a place, to really feel like I know a place, and that I am no longer a stranger there.
Nevertheless, in the past few days, I’ve felt the need to get moving. I have that antsy feeling of staying in one place and needing to go on an adventure. Maybe it’s because I just watched Everyone has something they feel this passionate about. Some people I know always need the newest technology, the newest camera/phone/tv/computer, operating system, whatever, because that is what they are driven toward. I get it. Me, well, I would rather travel than have a new phone. I can do without the newest phone, because travel, to me, has more value. Travelling creates unique memories that only you will ever have. It’s special. You’ll taste foods you can never recreate, you’ll hear songs you won’t be able to find when you get home, you’ll see something so hilarious or peculiar that no matter how well you describe it to someone, you know can never be fully explained.

And later, when you flip through the pages of a photo album, or unexpectedly hear a specific song or smell a particular scent, it will remind you of that time. You can always look back and think about that trip;  the memories can transport you back to a specific moment in a specific place, and when that happens, it’s such a thrilling rush of emotions. I love talking to people after they’ve returned from a trip. I love hearing them explain what they saw, did, tasted, heard, smelled, loved, hated, who they met, what they talked about, what surprised them. I love talking travel, because just hearing about other people’s trips makes me so excited for them, so happy for them that they got to form those new memories.
For some people, like my mother, this is completely incomprehensible. She has never left the continent, and not only has no interest in doing so, she’s hostile to the very idea. When I was young I would scour the travel section of the Washington Post, clipping out articles on the best restaurants in Prague or the must-see castles in Germany, adding them to my ever growing binder. She thought I was crazy, and declared many times that she has less than zero desire to see the world. She doesn’t want new experiences, she doesn’t care about other cultures, she is indifferent to the sounds of other languages being spoken, the smells, the feeling of history both recent and ancient, walking through museums and parks, shopping in a local grocery store or market and observing the similarities and differences with your own, how the ocean has different colors and characteristics, how the breeze feels, the way the sunlight hits, moonlight falls, the scope of the horizon, the feeling of new ground beneath your feet, and how the stars shine differently and the visibility of constellations vary everywhere you go.
Everyone has something they feel this passionate about. Some people I know always need the newest technology, the newest camera/phone/tv/computer, operating system, whatever, because that is what they are driven toward. I get it. Me, well, I would rather travel than have a new phone. I can do without the newest phone, because travel, to me, has more value. Traveling creates unique memories that only you will ever have. It’s special. You’ll taste foods you can never recreate, you’ll hear songs you won’t be able to find when you get home, you’ll see something so hilarious or peculiar that no matter how well you describe it to someone, you know can never be fully explained.

 And later, when you flip through the pages of a photo album, or unexpectedly hear a specific song or smell a particular scent, it will remind you of that time. You can always look back and think about that trip;  the memories can transport you back to a specific moment in a specific place, and when that happens, it’s such a thrilling rush of emotions. I love talking to people after they’ve returned from a trip. I love hearing them explain what they saw, did, tasted, heard, smelled, loved, hated, who they met, what they talked about, what surprised them. I love talking travel, because just hearing about other people’s trips makes me so excited for them, so happy for them that they got to form those new memories.Some people don’t see why anyone would ever need to leave their corner of the world, which is absolutely fine, but it’s not me. It’s not a reflection on my level of contentment in my current situation, as I love where I live and life is better than good. It’s just a strong urge that seeps into my bones and my veins, and it won’t go away until it’s satisfied. I’m not trying to get away, in fact, I want to take everyone with me. In fact, the only thing better than traveling is sharing it with someone. It creates a bond that, even if you never see those people again, exists through your shared experience. I always feel closer with someone once we’ve travelled together. It’s not that I want people to indulge my love of travel, it’s that I want to share in an experience with them.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I don’t need to travel internationally. Even going to a new town for a day, or a town I haven’t been to in a long time will do it. So over the next few months I am going to try to make a point of getting away, even just for one day.

Friday Film: Ladies Night!

Because it's ladies night, we're seeing "Magic Mike," oh yes it's ladies' night, oh what a (oh what a) night!

I am pretty excited for this weekend. This week has been extremely long and exhausting, so I am really looking forward to relaxing and sleeping in. Then, tomorrow night, I'm going with some lovely lady friends to see "the Citizen Kane of stripper movies," the much-anticipated "Magic Mike."
I was at CVS a few days ago, and saw movie boxes of candy on sale for $1.00. I like candy at a movie, because I'm an awesome American, and figured that between seven women a few boxes would be good. This was at 7:15 in the morning. I walked up to the checkout with my nail polish and 3 boxes of candy, prompting this conversation with the 60-year old, grizzled cashier:

Cashier: "Going to see a movie?"

Me: "Yes, this weekend I'm going with a few girlfriends"

Cashier: "Oh, what are you going to see?"

Me: "Magic Mike"

Cashier: "Ah, Channing Tatum. That should be pretty good."

Me: "Yes, we're all pretty pumped."

Cashier: "That Channing Tatum, he's underrated. He's a really good actor!"

Me: "Uhh..."

Cashier: "I mean, have you seen 21 Jump Street?!"

Me: "No, I missed that one"

Cashier: "Oh no! You gotta see it! You got Netflix?"

Me: "I..."

Cashier: "You gotta Netflix it! He's a born comedian."

Me: "OK."

Cashier: "But that's not all. He's a triple-threat"

Me: "Is he. You know, I don't need a bag, I can put this all in my purse." 

Cashier: (Grabbing a bag) "Well, we know he can dance, from Step Up, of course."
Me: "Of course." [Blogger's note - I have never seen Step Up]
Cashier: "And now he's proven himself in comedy, but he's also an action star!"
Me: "Is he now? Actually, I don't need the bag."
Cashier: (Continuing to bag the candy) "Oh! Don't tell me you haven't seen GI Joe?!"
Me: "Can't say that I have. Do you need my CVS card?"
Cashier: "You gotta see it!"
Me: "Or do I just swipe it here?"
Cashier: "Especially with the sequel coming out!"
Me: "I'll do that."
Cashier: "Netflix!"
Me: "Sure. It's going to be credit."
Cashier: "Ooh, boy! That Channing, he's going places! Just you watch! Keep your eye on him. Did you see "The Vow?" He's working on his dramatic skills, too."
Me: "May I have my receipt, please?"
Cashier: (Ignoring my outstretched hand and stuffing the receipt into the bag I didn't want) "He has just had so many movies out these past two years, and more coming! He keeps 'em coming!"
Me: "Thank you. Have a nice day."
Cashier: "I will, and you have a good weekend!"
Me: "Thanks, I will."
Cashier: "Oh I know you will! You're seeing Channing!"

This kind of thing happens to me all the time. 

Anyway, most of us going have husbands or boyfriends who have spent the past few weeks sighing, rolling their eyes, and generally giving us a hard time for wanting to see it. Which is why they aren't invited. 

I won't pretend my desire to see this movie is based in any interest in film. It want to see abs. Man abs. Lots of them. 

I don't care if there is a plot. In fact, I would prefer they not take away too much from the stage scenes. I will admit to feeling disappointment upon reading a review declaring that the movie is actually a thoughtful character study, and that the performances are more spaced out than the trailers would suggest. Boo. I don't want character development. That's not why anyone is going to see this. 

Why am I going to see it, then? Well, here are a few reasons:

 

and

 

and

 

and

 

and

and

Now how can you not be excited for this movie?

Happy Friday, all!

New for You! Cinema Variety

I’m introducing a Friday feature, Cinema Variety, to discuss one of my passions, movies. Each Friday, this space will be devoted to discussing upcoming movies, old movies, favorite films from different genres, directors and actors, and basically anything movie-related. I love movies, and I enjoy discussing films with other people. I invite comments!

For the first entry, let's look at "Prometheus," which, although I'm not expecting it to be great, I'll be seeing this weekend. Now, a word about the trailers that have been playing incessantly on TV and radio for the past few weeks. They are terrible. I understand that Ridley Scott and the studio are very concerned with keeping pretty much every last detail of the movie secret to avoid spoilers, but I'd rather have a silent trailer, or one with just music, than to hear, over and over, the one line they have chosen to use in all of the marketing because it doesn't give anything away. I really don't like when trailers rely heavily on one line of dialogue--it 's lazy, obnoxious, and starts to annoy me so much that even if I want to see it, I get a little bitter and count it against the film. I think during the movie, when it gets to the the line "Prometheus, are you seeing this?" the audience should simultaneously take a shot. Or shotgun a beer. We've earned it.
So if the marketing is so bad, and I don't even think the movie will be all that good, why am I seeing it? Three reasons--the director, association with the Alien movies, and the cast.

Ridley Scott always gets a pass from me.  Sure, he has made some awful-looking films (I haven't seen the Russell Crowe "Robin Hood" from a few years ago, largely due to a similarly bad marketing campaign, a cast that did nothing for me, terrible reviews, and the fact that it just seemed boring, and while I can't call it awful without having actually seen it, it sure didn't look very good.) In any case, overall he has a solid directing resume, and is pretty reliable as it goes, despite the fact that I don't care for the direction he gave the actor playing Lucius in "Gladiator." ("There, there, there, there...I got you!") Mostly, he has my eternal respect for directing, back-to-back, two of my favorite movies of all time: "Blade Runner" and "Alien." The man created Future Noir. Now, each of those really deserves a post of their own on how important they were in influencing not just to science fiction to cinema, but all cinema, television, and video games, so I won't go too far in to detail on that here, but suffice it say that those two movies go a long way in earning Ridley Scott the benefit of the doubt, especially when it comes to a sci-fi film.

"Alien" is incredible. It is, in my opinion, a perfect movie. There isn't one change that I can think of that would make it better. I don't care if you don't like science fiction, it's just a good movie, so if you have never seen it, watch it. It's so tense, it's so well-acted, it's just one of the best movies ever made. The sequel, "Aliens", has a completely different scale (big-budget blockbuster-more special effects and explosions...and Bill Paxton!) and tone, which is not surprising since it was directed not by Scott but by James Cameron. It's a solid action movie, and it's incredibly re-watchable. It never gets old. The third film, "Alien3", has it's problems, (poor David Fincher almost quit movies after the awful experience he had directing it) and it almost feels like it doesn't totally belong in the same series, but Sigourney Weaver and Charles Dance are really good in it. I won't discuss the abomination that is the fourth film"Alien: Resurrection." It's enough to make you never want to hear the word "alien" again in your life. It's actually why I can't let myself get my hopes for "Prometheus" being too good. Adding Winona Ryder to anything made after 1990 is not usually a good idea. (Don't believe me? Try watching "The Age of Innocence," "The Crucible," "Little Women," or "Mr. Deeds.")

Still, over the past few years we've been watching the Alien movies quite a bit, most recently to make sure my cousin had seen at least the first two. We had gotten the new collectors set with all of the bonus features, and watching the documentaries and extras developed a stronger appreciation for all of the movies. When I heard that Ridley Scott was making this movie, I was excited, and that excitement waned a bit as he went back and forth between saying it was an "Alien" prequel, to saying it had nothing to do with it at all, to "well it's kind of related but not really directly but it is yes." However, as more and more of the cast was announced, I was pretty much set on seeing it. 

• Charlize Theron is a good actress, and has my love forever for her outstanding work as an MR F. 
• Sean Harris is a complete and total badass as the henchman/ assassin/ Cesare's BFF on "The Borgias."
• Rafe Spall was in in both "Shaun of the Dead" AND "Hot Fuzz" so I automatically like him based on that alone. 
• Michael Fassbender was great in "Inglorious Basterds," and despite his ever-changing accent, was decent in "X-Men." (Plus, he had a bit part in "Band of Brothers," and anyone from that series gets bonus points with me. Except Jimmy Fallon.) 
• Guy Pearce can do no wrong and is fantastic in everything, from working it as a drag queen showgirl in "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (Watch this movie--Hugo Weaving is his fellow drag performer and it is amazing) to his more intense roles in "L.A. Confidential," "Momento," and dramatic roles in "Mildred Pierce" and "The King's Speech."
• Patrick Wilson, in addition to playing my second-favorite character, Nite-Owl, in "Watchmen," is a beautiful, beautiful man with a beautiful body, and even though "Little Children" was dark and depressing, it's still worth watching just to keep seeing him get naked. Yes.
• And Idris Elba, oh Idris.  The incomparably gorgeous Idris Elba makes Patrick Wilson looks like a leper who was run over by an 18-wheeler. The man is perfection. He even has an accent. He sounds like he's from London! Sigh. He's just so...ahem. Back to his filmography: he is a talented and diverse actor who is so good at disappearing into a role that some people don't even realize he's the same actor they've seen before, from his roles on "The Wire," and "The Office," to "The Losers," "Thor," "28 Weeks Later," and of course the so-bad-it's-hilarious-and-therefore-worth-watching-at-least-once Beyonce suspense movie, "Obsessed."

So, all in all, the movie has a lot of good things going for it: Ridley Scott, original director of the original Alien film returning, an awesome cast, and the knowledge that, no matter what, it can't be as bad as "Alien: Resurrection."

Who’s Excited for Summer?!!

People, this is big: This is my first free summer in several  years.

No more wedding planning. No grad school classes to take.

Free time.

Free. Mother-fucking. Time.

Words cannot express my extreme anticipation for all the awesome time this summer is sure to bring, now that I am more available than ever to participate in said awesomeness. There are so many things I want to do, but I know it's not practical to do all of them, but here are things I'd love to do this summer:

Pig Roast: This is actually already scheduled. My best friend Scott and his various college friends/former roommates and co. throw a pig roast each summer. If you have never been to a pig roast, you are missing out. It's like an awesome cookout, with lots of drinking, music, playing games, and a roasting pig producing the most wonderful scents. I went to one in high school out on a farm where 2 pigs were roasted--it was almost a religious experience. Now, some people have told me they find the notion disturbing, but I find it reassuring. I am picky about eating meat (I have seen too much evidence of terrible practices in producing, packaging, and distributing meat in the US), so for me, it's nice to know where the meat is coming from. It's from that pig. Right there. Mmmm, pig. Plus, for a fan of all things pork like me, there are few things better than being able to go up to the actual pig and choose the meat that looks most delectable.

Go to a wedding: Ok, this one is also already planned. Our wedding was the first of 3 this year from our group of college friends. The second one is this July, at a nice park with the promise of barbecue. I love living in the South. It will be the first wedding we attend as a married couple, too, which is pretty cool.

Expand my culinary skills: I love cooking and baking, but I want to learn to make a wider variety of dishes. I want to build up a solid repertoire of healthy foods I am so comfortable making that I don't need to refer to the recipe, and that are convenient enough to make on work nights. I want to cook things I've never made before, that I've been too intimidated to try making, or too busy to devote a day to. I want to master a tres leches. I also want to try to replicate some of the insanely good food we had in Puerto Rico on our honeymoon, such as pastelon de dalva, the best gazpacho ever, the avocado pizza, and maybe even the ossobucco in guava broth I had on our last night there. Luckily, we got a few new kitchen wares for our wedding. I have already started my culinary adventures this week, so I'll be posting on that along the way.

Gain bar tending abilities: I love booze. I know what goes into a variety of drinks, but mostly basic, classic cocktails. And I am not really comfortable making a lot of drinks, especially when they start to involve more then 3 ingredients (including the garnish). I want to learn how to make more cocktails (again, well enough that I can do them from memory). Also, as with food, there are certain cocktails I want to recreate from our honeymoon, such as tamarind rum punch and an elderflower cosmo.

Travel: I am addicted to traveling. I crave it. I get strong urges to go places. Travel makes me feel renewed and refreshed. I get a vicarious travel high looking at pictures other people have taken on their trips, or watching the Travel Channel. Even watching movies. I don't need to go far away--I love exploring new places in the DC area. I just want to see and experience new places and things. I also want to go to Gettysburg, just because it's one of my favorite places to visit and I haven't been this year. And, I really, really, really want to go to the beach. I already got a week of beach time during our honeymoon, but I'd really like to go somewhere like Rehoboth for a few days, especially since last year when we went we spent most of our time indoors due to a combination of bad weather and marathon sessions at the Dogfish brew pub. (Lesson learned: Beach first, then brew pub--otherwise we'll never leave to go back to the beach)

Go to museums: I haven't been to any museums since I went to New York earlier this year, and it's making me itchy for an exhibit. I get antsy when I haven't been to a museum for a while. I don't have anything specific in mind, but maybe a day trip to Richmond, Baltimore, or Philly. There are also some DC museums I haven't been to in ages.

Go to an Orioles game: I don't like the Orioles (I'm a Rangers fan), but I do love their stadium so very much. If you have never been to Camden Yards, you should make it a point to go. Even if you don't like baseball all that much. Go for the experience. The atmosphere of the stadium absolutely transports you --the stadium just feels like it's from a different time. Also, the food is fantastic. Plus, if you go to a night game, you can make a day of it by going to the Baltimore Aquarium in the afternoon, and who doesn't love getting a little quality shark time?

See movies in the theatre: There's just something I love about a cool theatre on a hot day and watching a movie, especially while drinking an icee. I have been informed that there is some movie about a mutant half man half flying beast called "Batman" that arrives in theatres this summer, and that I am obligated to see it. So be it.

Be outdoors: I want to go to the mountains, and since I am lucky enough to live so close to the Blue Ridge mountains this shouldn't be a problem. I want to camp, go tubing, canoeing or kayaking, and I want to go horseback riding, which I used to do all the time when I was younger and haven't done in years. I just want to be in the sun.

Spend lots of time at and in the pool at our apartment: I love the smell of chlorine in the summer. When I was younger, most of my summer days were spent in Dallas in my grandparents' backyard swimming pool. We have a small, but decent, pool at our apartment, which also has plenty of chairs for poolside reading. There are few things finer than drinking a bottle of booze poolside while enjoying a good book. We are probably going to buy a house next year, which will mean no more pool time fun for this girl, so I need to get my kicks while I can.

Musicals! I want to see The Book of Mormon while it is in town. Tickets haven't gone on sale yet, and I am pretty sure they're going to sell out immediately, so I'll need to be very on top of this to make it happen. (As is turns out, it's not coming until next summer. Damn. I still want to see it.) 


Anyway, I want to see Newsies! (Which requires a New York trip-woohoo!) My dear cousin and I used to watch Newsies on VHS when it first came out, and both fell in love with Christian Bale's mediocre accent and singing ability. ("So that's what they call a fam-lee, muddah, fadduh, dawtuh, son.") After a lifetime of singing songs about the plight of paper boys who just want to seize the day (and also form a union) I am thrilled that this is now a Broadway musical extravaganza that I can enjoy in person. And luckily, I know other people who want to go, too, since here's no way my husband would ever agree to see it. (I tried to force him to watch the film once, and learned two things: Bill Pullman is not a draw for anyone, and native New Yorkers like my husband do NOT enjoy little kids butchering New York accents. Also, he did not accept that there was a character on crutches named Crutchy.) And, I still want to see Anything Goes, also in NYC, but that one is also going on tour and stopping in DC next year, so no rush there.

Write: I have things in my head I need to get out. Lots of stories and poems that are only half-formed and won't be complete until I start actually writing them out. I love writing, and once I start I have a hard time stopping, often leading to marathon sessions where my hands can't keep up with my brain in trying to get words on paper or screen. This sometimes prevents me from starting to write, as I know I won't be able to finish other important things if I get caught up in my writing and don't want to stop, but now, it won't be such a big deal if I do.

Read: I’ve got some books I’m excited to read. I’m also contemplating reading A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings now that the second season has ended. I have decided I don’t want to read ahead, so that I’ll still be surprised when I watch the show, but I think I’ll have a richer understanding of some of the minor characters and oblique references if I read the books the first two seasons were based on.

Art! I have a some paintings in mind. Some acrylics and gauche. I also want to set up an etsy account and try to sell off the massive amount of work I have that currently resides in a serious of large portfolios under my bed. I mean, it's not like anyone is seeing it now anyway, and I don't have room to hang even a portion of it, so I might as well make money off it, yes? Yes. 


So yes, as I said, I may not be able to make all of these things happen, but in any case, I'm sure this summer is going to be fantastic anyway. Because it's summer.

Where have I been?

Doing stuff. Traveling. Getting married. Being busy. Not blogging. 

Doesn’t matter, because I’m back. I may even write about some of the aforementioned non-blog related activities. 

And Now for Something Completely Different

First off, my thanks to Giselle for advising me to take yoga rather than cycling the night after Zumba. My abs  were on fire yesterday from Zumba, so yoga was definitely the better option. Good call, Giselle!

Yoga was the opposite experience of Zumba. Zumba was crowded, loud, crazy and intense. Yoga was extremely quiet and calm. While I didn't take Zumba seriously going in, yoga intimidated me. I tried taking yoga years ago during undergrad, and it was a disaster. The classroom was insanely full, so there was no room to really move. The instructor expected everyone to already have knowledge of the poses so I was completely lost and had no idea if I was doing anything correctly. I was miserable. I wasn't looking too forward to yoga last night, but decided to give it another try, encouraged by my fiancé’s aunt, who teaches yoga, and my friend Scott, both of whom have said many good things that convinced me to give it a chance. 

Last night after work I walked into the gym and immediately felt good about my decision. The room was quiet and dimly lit, except for a single overhead light and some white Christmas lights in trees in the corners of the room. Less than 10 people took the class so there was plenty of spacing between the mats. The instructor introduced herself to me and put me at ease by asking me knowledge and comfort level and assuring me that she would demonstrate the poses for us, and also walk around to check our alignment during the class. 

I was surprised that I was able to do all of the poses with no problems. I think in my mind I had built up yoga to be extremely difficult because of my past bad experience, but it actually feels really good. The instructor had a very calm voice and was good at explaining how to do each pose. She also told us what each pose does, (cooling, flexibility, etc) which I liked.

I tend to have a billion different thoughts in my mind at any given second and also have a tendency to be fidgety, so at first I had a little trouble staying in a pose for extended periods because I was impatient to move on to the next one. I think it’s good for me to have an activity that forces me to focus on a single position and clear my mind. At one point I realized I hadn’t thought about anything since the beginning of class – I hadn’t made mental checklists of things I needed to do or worried about work or family or friends or weekend plans. It kind of felt magical and indulgent.  When the instructor said we only had a few minutes left I was shocked. The hour passed so quickly but I didn't feel exhausted as I had with Zumba. For the final stretch we had our backs on the floor and our legs straight up against a wall, which we did for about 5 minutes with our eyes closed. It was awesome.

I am really glad I have overcome my fear of yoga. I felt great after class and I'd like to make it part of my weekly workout plan. So with positive Zumba and yoga experiences, my fitness week is a success so far. I hope to have another good experience with tonight’s indoor cycling class.

Things That Make You Go Zum(ba)

Upon realizing that my student ID doesn't expire until four years from now, I decided to take advantage of it by getting involved in some of the free fitness classes on campus. I run and swim, but these are solitary and somewhat repetitive, so I thought it would be fun to try new things and check out some group classes. So with the help of Giselle (of thingsthatmakegisellelaugh fame) I created an ambitious schedule for this week, trying a new class each night with the thought that if I don't like it, at least I didn't lose any money on it.

For my first night, I tried Zumba. I've heard a lot of positive reviews of Zumba from friends and coworkers, but I was dubious. (One friend described it as "That class where them girls drop they booties to Latin songs.") In my mind it was just Jazzercise with salsa music, something for people who can't really work out. I imagined old women with sweatbands on their arms and Olivia Newton John outfits. I though I'd be walking into a Hot Sundae video. When my friend said "My mom loves Zumba!" this did little to change my bias. Before going my friend and I jokingly tried to guess what the demographics would be, banking on old, severely out of shape, etc. 
 
I arrived a few minutes early to stretch and took in my surroundings. It was a mix of older women (professors) and college girls at varying levels of fitness. I was not the only first-timer, and I heard many of the other new girls begging their friends not to mock them if they couldn't keep up. Some old woman came up to me and asked if I was new. I told her it was indeed my first Zumba experience. She then  told me to listen to my body and not to worry if I couldn't make it the whole hour, take breaks if I needed to and not feel bad if I couldn't figure out the routines. because they can be really complicated. "Back the F off, Miss Havisham!" I thought to myself before sweetly assuring her I would modify any moves I found too challenging. Then because I had called her Miss Havisham in my head I thought of Pip, and his friend Herbert Pocket and what a perfect name Herbert Pocket is. 
 
So, how was Zumba?

Well, to my happy surprise it was really intense. During the hour you learn about 10 fast paced dance routines. A friend had advised me to bring a towel because of how much it makes you sweat, and that was good advice.
 
The music was way too loud. You aren't always facing the instructor, and I am hard of hearing so I had trouble hearing when the instructor said it was time to move to a new routine over the loud loud loud music. Thankfully I quickly figured out that new song = new routine.
 
My favorite moves were those that combined salsa and boxing, probably because of my comfort with shaking my hips and throwing punches.
 
Some people have no rhythm. At all. 
 
Some women don't know how to move their hips and have trouble dropping it's like it's lukewarm, much less hot. Loosen up, people! 
 
MC Hammer? Really? That just makes me think of elementary school when we had to do dance units in gym class, which consisted of the electric slide (boogie woogie woogie!), line dancing, and student-choreographed routines. My group once had to dance to 2 Legit 2 Quit. It was sad.
 
Two of the routines felt a little goofy, like we were practicing to be in "Step It Up 13: Latin Beat-down" or "Step it Up 15: The Rhythm is Gonna Get You...in 3D!!!" which made me wonder why Channing Tatum's abs weren't in class with us.
 
In one of the songs, the singer kept talking about making desayuno for his amor after she stayed overnight. This made me want migas, which made me think of how gross it would feel to eat a big Mexican breakfast right before an hour of working out. Chorizo + cardio = no bueno.
 
Do not go to Zumba if you can't run or at least jog for an hour straight. There are no breaks at all. It starts fast and gets faster from there. People started leaving at the half hour mark because they were exhausted. Only about 2/3 of the class lasted the whole hour. 
 
Do not go to Zumba if you have no hand-eye coordination. If you can't pick up a dance move just by watching someone do it, the class will probably be frustrating for you. There was one person who left because she spent most of the first 3 routines standing still trying to understand the basic steps and wasn't able to combine them.It helps to have some background in dancing because the instructor doesn't explain the moves at all. She just jumps right into a new routine with multiple steps and you have to copy what she's doing. 
 
I wore my running shoes (Nike Torch). It would have been better to wear Pumas or dance shoes.
 
I'm not used to sweaty dancing to Latin beats in a healthy context. At the 45 minute mark I was momentarily confused by the lack of margaritas and chili con carne.

Over all, it was fun, it was different, and it was a good workout. I will definitely go again. Hopefully I will have another positive experience with tonight's class, yoga.