Workout variety and bubble wrap

When I told Moxanim and Hyunsuk that I wanted to work out two months ago, they explained to me an array of options, which included everything from mountain climbing to feigning residence in a nearby apartment complex to purchasing a membership at the fitness center across the street from the church. Moxanim and Hyunsuk are money-savers, so they sought out a cheaper option and found one a couple miles away from the church.

It was a sort of medical clinic with exercise facilities on the second floor that are free and open to the public. The room had a few treadmills and bikes and several weight machines. Not fancy but nice. I was the only person under 30 that I ever saw there. Then again, some days I was the only person there. I counted the 15 or 20 minute walk as part of my workout for the first few weeks, then started riding Minwoo's bike. I met a few nice, older women who thought I was pretty and wanted to practice their English with me over a cup of coffee after my workout. Then they started commenting about my acne occasionally, and I tried to not let it bother me.

Recently, I noticed my interest in exercise starting to wane. If I woke up to late, then I would skip it. The gears on Minwoo's bike got screwy and made my ride less than comfortable. My workouts got shorter, and I started to hope the women at the desk wouldn't notice me on the way out. In short, a change of routine was in order.

So I joined the hip, convenient health club across the street from where I live. To be honest, I churned over the decision quite a bit. Felt a little guilty about spending $100 for three months of various workouts. Still, there were many reasons to join. It's an investment in my health, I told myself. Now my commute takes less than a minute. So I can do other things with my morning than just workout and shower! There are aerobics, pilates and yoga classes I can attend and many weight machines I've never seen before. They even have a jinjabong, a sauna, to relax in at the end. The health center hours are from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., so I can adjust my workout time to my liking. Many people of all ages workout at this health club.

Yesterday, I ran for 30 minutes and then relaxed in the jinjibong. Today, I went to a yoga class to ease my tired muscles. The flexibility of some of these women amazes me. Their attire amused me, too--short shorts, tights, leg warmers and tennis shoes are a popular trend--so unlike anything I would saw at the WRC in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Speaking of Iowa, I received another package from my mom on Tuesday with winter clothes. Yay! She also packed two 4-by-6 framed engagement photos of Nick and I, new reading material, old mail and a sack full of yummies. Highlights: Cracked pepper and olive oil Triscuits and cinnamon Teddy Grahams. And surrounding all of these objects was the charming cushion of bubble wrap, which is no small matter.

Bubble wrap is wonderful for all people, young and old, Korean or American. I once caught Mrs. Joe enjoying herself with bubble wrap a few months ago. There's something delightful about popping those little air pockets. Jimin came home pretty upset or moody a couple of nights ago and snapped at her mom in Korean. I didn't understand the matter, but I had a hunch bubble wrap might brighten her mood a bit. She said she liked bubble wrap, so I left some on the kitchen table as she prepared a snack for herself. A few minutes later, I heard her popping away from my room.

Tonight, I gave the remaining bubble wrap as a prize in my last class. The students twisted and poked at the plastic for the last few minutes of class, and I guarantee they went home happier for it! Bubble wrap is "Bokbokee" in Korean. Ye Chan said the name comes from the sound, which Koreans interpreted as "bok! bok!"

Another simple pleasure I've used in class is noodle dictation. I got the idea from ESL cafe online. It's so much more fun to spell English words and sentences with noodles than with pencil lead.