Trainer Jake

Well, the machine of body fat tells me I am 17.8% body fat (or around there, I don't actually remember).  Trainer Jake tells me that I am "a little fat."  He wants to know what my goal is and if I can limit my diet to sweet potatoes, chicken, and vegetables and cut out alcohol.  I hate to say it Trainer Jake, but that's just not going to happen.  


Koreans are serious about working out.  They all want "six packs" and they will use that term.  My goal is to feel healthier while eating everything I want to while I'm here.  I'm not sure how this happened because I'm pretty sure I did not choose the "trainer" option when signing up for my membership, but as long as he is still scheduling me, I will keep showing up.  I've gone to see Trainer Jake 3 times now, and my body is in pain.  I could barely walk up and down subway stairs over the weekend.  This is a good thing, but for now, I feel like I have hard core been beaten up.


I also went to "body pump" last night, not to be confused with Les Mills.  I went in thinking it would be the same as what I am used to, but it's not.  (*UPDATE- the pump classes ARE now the same a the Les Mills program back home..ASSAH!)  It's a bunch of Korean ladies sweating it out in their matching grey & orange t-shirts provided by the gym.  


While we're on the topic of Korean ladies, let's talk about the women's locker room.  I have never in my entire life seen so many naked women in one place.  Koreans have NO SHAME.  They literally walk around bare ass naked from young girls to old women.  Maybe they will put on underwear but then stand in front of the mirror drying their hair topless.  It's so ridiculous.  I'm not sure if I will ever become comfortable enough to do that.  I also think it's weird that all Koreans shower and get dressed at the gym.  I'm the kind of person who would only do that if it's completely necessary.  I like to walk to and from and gym and shower when I get home.  I feel like I get a few odd looks during my walks because they are not used to seeing people in gym clothes on the street.  It's actually kind of funny, but I'm okay with it because I will not be showering in the locker room for a long time.


Hm, what other updates do I have...  I went to my first Korean open bar over the weekend for a friend's birthday.  It was at the COEX Intercontinental Hotel and it was a wine buffet so I obviously loved it.  (go to the Samseong subway stop and follow signs through COEX to the Megabox/Aquarium until you find the hotel).  It's all you can eat and drink for like $30.  I finally lasted all night to to take the first subway home in the morning, but that is something I would not recommend doing again.  It's one thing to get in a cab at 5:30am.  It's a totally different story to get on the subway at that time with a transfer to make.  Terrible.


I went to the dentist today because one of my teeth has been throbbing.  I thought for sure I would need a root canal or something, but the dentist didn't really think there was anything wrong so she just shaved a little of my tooth down and gave me some sort of gum treatment for just about 25,000 won.  Now I am just praying it will stop hurting sometime in the near future.  While I was there, the dentist told me she didn't even learn the ABC's until she was 14 years old.  It's crazy how times have changed over the years.  Now, there are pre-schoolers going to private hagwons to learn English before they even start in the public school system.