Dear window washers,
It has come to my attention that you find me much of interest. It’s called power walking. It is a form of exercise. It is not an attempt to make a wanton spectacle of myself. We are in my apartment complex on the Asian side of Istanbul. Additionally, I would like to add that I am fully clothed. I am not dancing enticingly, partially nude in a window in Amsterdam. I am not rollerblading in hot pants and a bikini top. Seriously! I would mind my business if I were you. At that height and in such a precarious situation, were you to fall, I am certain you would break something.
Signed,
A Perfectly Innocent Resident
I have ranted in these missives in the past about the appalling lack of physical education in this country. In fact, here in Turkey, it can even be said that exercise is just another socio-economic divide. To wit, the well or better-to-do exercise; the lesser fortunate just gawp. Here, only the finanically stable can join gyms. And I would guess that most of the people with gym memberships enjoy at least an undergrad degree if not also a Masters. It seems also to be people in their late twenties and early thirties. Those who recognize that their metabolisms are slowing down and that they live in a country where three or four carbohydrates are routinely served at least once a day in a single meal.
I know it may strike one as ironic that an American is ranting about fitness. After all, my countrymen are among the fattest in the world and diabetes in children is rising at an alarming rate. Maybe I was just lucky having grown up at a time when the school systems valued and took physical education quite seriously. It probably also helps that I was a natural at sports and took part in as many as I could growing up. Many Turkish children will never know the benefit of either. The little lass goes to a very exclusive private school, one modeled after Western schools, and even they do not have sports teams. I say that I was fortunate because I know that even in America, now that states are in such financial straits, physical education and extra-cirricular activities are being slashed from the budgets. And at a time when our children have grown fatter and lazier, that’s just plain dangerous.
I fear I may have run off the rails here a bit, so allow me to come back to the point:
Exercise is great, people; not only for your body, but for your brain. I was sitting here, feeling somewhat despondent, when I heeded the call to get outside in the fresh air. Guess what? The resulting endorphin rush dissipated the storm clouds in my mind.
I would also like to add that I got sweaty and that that felt great. And I don’t fear for a moment that I will now get sick because of it. Superstitious pseudo-science has no place here.
What about all the public gyms? In the past 3 years I’d say there was a definite surge in folks getting out and trying something different, as in moving, yes. But even way out in central Asia this summer the gyms were full.
If anything (warning: generalization follows) Turks know physical activity and eating right are the keys to good health, but that takes long term commitment and doesn’t happen overnight. Offer them a pill that would do the trick and they’d happily swallow it, they like to find the edge, the trick that makes them smarter than all the suckers wasting their time power walking outside.
Go try selling snake oil to the laughing housewives, you’d make soooo much money.
Wow, Nichole. You nailed me. I did think of revising the article to mention the outside gym equipment along the seaside road. It does delight me greatly to see head-scarved ablas and mustachioed taksi drivers using them publically. But your overall point is very well taken. Show them the quick fix and count your money! (sigh)
You should go late morning and watch them fight over the stationary steering wheel. What does that do anyway? Or the old military guys doing calisthenics straight out of the 1950s. Hot.
Perhaps the window washer gawking is no different than skinny bitches at the gym glaring at one another. They know you’re doing something right and they need to do the same, jealousy is a universal language.
Today I switched two loads of laundry from the washer to the dryer and made 3 scrapbook pages…does that count as exercise?If so…I’m in!
I went to the hair dressers and walked from the room with sinks to the dressers chair a couple of times, then went to the store and walked thru it a couple times before I found everything I wanted. Does that count? Cause “Babe, it’s cold outside.
I definitely felt strange trying to exercise outside here - it seemed like people were always staring at me when I tried to jog. That (along with the rutted sidewalks, crazy drivers, and air pollution, of course!) drove me into the gym. A cheap one. Those rice+pasta+french fry lunches add up! And not in a good way.
That fact that you got everyone talking about it Tara - excellent!