Personal Training

For as long as I can remember, I have always been afraid of the weight training section of the gym (I am not counting lifting 2 lb weights in my basement as weight training). I generally steer clear because:

a) I don't want to hurt myself by dropping something on my foot or dropping something on someone else's foot thereby causing them to hurt me.
b) The area is usually crowed with lots of very large dudes grunting and moving around with more purpose than Homer Simpson on his way to Moe's and I don't want to get trampled.

I decided to overcome my fear of the weight training section of the gym by meeting with a personal trainer at the gym at my hotel. I had my first personal training session yesterday, my trainer Manish (fitting name for a jacked up dude), showed me how to use some of the machines and lift some dumbbells.

For 50 minutes Manish showed me how to use various weight training machines and do some moves with dumbbells. While we were going through this exercise I couldn't help but think "Man I am SOOO weak, I am struggling lifting 5lbs." Luckily about 30 minutes in I realized that the weights were measured in kilograms, so I was still weak, but not as weak as I originally thought! Manish seemed like he knew what he was talking about because:

a) He was pretty jacked up himself, so he had to know a thing or two about working out
b) He kept filling me in on what ever '"oid" I was working out, deltoid, romboid, blah, blah blah

While we were weight training, Manish kept saying "Good" or "Very Nice," I am not sure if I actually was doing a good job or he was offering words of encouragement because I was paying him... He certainly did not yell at me like Jillian from the Biggest Loser (which I was a tiny bit sad about).

After the weight training we did 10 minutes of stretching. OMG guys, this was the best part of paying someone to make you exercise! This was not like the half-assed stretching you do on your own after a run cos you feel like you have to but really you just want to call it quits, this was like stretch arm strong stretching.

Despite all the stretching I am sore today, very sore. My whole upper body is sore, my arms are sore, my arm-pits are sore, my back is sore, my chest is sore. I never really was sure what was going on with the arm pit area, but apparently its muscles, muscles are what is going on and they are sore!

Accidental Double Date

I accidentally went on a double date a couple weekends ago...

A few days after the Hill Station incident I ran into the same breakfast crew while I was getting my coffee. Today the topic of conversation was weekend plans. Everyone was talking about a new movie that was coming out on Friday, called Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kani, or something like that (I know I am butchering the title). Someone asked me if I would go see the movie, I said I would, it seemed like it would be funny and the cutie Ranbir Kapoor is in it.

So Friday afternoon I get the following txt from one of the members of the lunch crew.

"Movie Sat? Jail or Gazam? Inorbit? - Adam"

I figured that this was a mass text out to the breakfast crew from the day before and replied. I got to the movie theater on Saturday afternoon to find out that the only people there are Adam, Rane, his wife and myself. I immediately think to myself, "I really hope that this is not supposed to be a double date." We watched the movie and afterward everyone started making plans for what to do next; get food, head to the beach, etc. At this point I attempt to excuse myself from the remainder of the nights activities, because I needed to buy a couple things from the mall. No such luck, everyone decides that running my errands with me will be more fun than going to the beach. I guess it was supposed to be a double date.

After my errands the making of post movie plans starts again... Again I say I can't go because I have some other plans already for that night, which I legitimately did (I was going to go out to this club called Bling with my cousin's husband's cousin, who lives in Mumbai also, thats another story though).

At this point Rane says to me very disapprovingly, "You know if you spent time trying to get to know people here, you will find they are very nice." To this I could only stare back at him in silence for about half a minute. Pretty harsh, I went to the movie, not sure how friendly he wanted me to be...

Aaawkwaaard

I would like to think that I am pretty socially aware; I can read between the lines, I can tell when guys are hitting on me, I can tell when someone is paying me a compliment that they really don't mean. This is true in the United States, in India I am pretty socially awkward, and not for lack of trying, I just don't seem to really get if what people say is what they really mean. I find myself thinking, after almost every conversation I have with someone, "Well, that was aaaawkwaaard."

One day a few weeks ago I went to the cafeteria to get some coffee and breakfast, usually I just eat alone and book it back to my desk. On this day I ran into some of the developers from my bay in the cafeteria getting breakfast as well. They invited me to join them, so I did, because I figured I should try to be social and make friends. So there are 6 of us sitting at a table eating, of course everyone is interested in hearing about how I like India, what I have done so far, etc. This is all fine, the awkwardness starts when someone suggests I should go visit a "Hill Station."

Rane: You should go to a Hill Station one weekend.
Me: Yea, maybe. How far is it? (Not really knowing what a hill station was)
Rane: 3 hour drive, you need a car. [Turns to friend] Adam, you have a car. You should take her. For a weekend.
Adam: [Looking uncomfortable] Ok.
Me: [Looking uncomfortable but not saying anything because blurting out No would be rude]
Rane: Great! We will go this weekend. [Turns to me] We'll all go.
Me: (Thinking: Oh shit this is going to be horrible, I need to get out of this somehow)
Adam: I have to go to a wedding this weekend.
Rane: Ok, we will make a plan for some other weekend.
Me: [Smiling uncomfortably] (Thinking: Well, that was aaawkwaaard)

I mean, I know Indian people like to show up to each other's houses uninvited and expect there to magically be a three course meal waiting for them... but volunteering someone for a weekend trip because they have a car seems like a bit much. I wasn't really sure what to make of this. I ran this by my friend, Robert, at work and he confirmed that this was pretty abnormal.

As the weeks went by I found out that Rane's odd behaviour was a result of him self-appointing himself to orchestrate ways for Adam and me to see each other.

So middle school. So not working.