gym face

i've been going to my real gym for more than a month now, and it amuses me to note how rich in wiritng material possibilities this place is.

before i got serious in changing my lifestyle, i went to an all women's gym. the arrangement worked out pretty well, but i foud myself looking for a more rigorous workout.

cut to my NYSC. this gym is serious. for a considerable amount of money, i signed up and decided to make my membership really work. i was excited to go to all the different classes i wanted to go, i like the machines, and hopefully, i can muster the courage to use the weights too.

my eagerness and happiness was put off balance for a while when i have observed the dynamics between men and women in the gym. man! my gym seems to be a hook-up place!i felt so self conscious for a while. i guess i was real slow at catching up. the deal breaker came when, in one of my dorky moods, i donned my charcoal colored aquaman t-shirt and my usual workout pants and sneakers. some snotty ladies in the lockers gave me disapproving looks. hey i didn't really come to the gym to make "porma" no! when i got to the main floor, some of the guys gave their initial once over looks and then proceeded to go on their business.

i looked at the women in the gym and realized how well dressed and well made-up the majority of them are. i almost fell off my stationary bike at my discovery.

the more i paid attention, the more things became clearer to me. a lot of these women actually put on make-up before working out. wow. they wear cute, coordinated sporty outfits and --- push up sports bra.

jane told me not to go overboard, but it may be a good idea to choose cuter and more feminine workout clothes in the future.

and that i did.

no worries, i still don't put on make-up before i work out.

jane's shopping spree, and my weekend of sorts.

< despite starting week1 of my Digital Media and Educational Applications class this month, the weekend proved to be a great one. Of course the sunny weather and a slightly less cold temperature helped in pepping up the weekend in the jersey area.

i tortured as usual. we're learning about africa these days. i can't complain because i never really had the chance to study much about african nations in school. social studies has been my strongest subject in school so it was a treat for me to study with V.

after almost a three hour session, i went to the gym to sweat it out a bit.

the good news is, i'm starting to make my way back into my old clothes again. gaining those pounds over the last month, i couldn't even button my pants! now they fit better, but i still have quite a belly and some fat that can and should be melted off.

i need a whole new post about the gym. one day soon i will.

anyway, so, i spent an hour and a half in the gym. according to the machines i burned a total of about 500 calories, so it worked for me. i used the stairmaster, "climbed" 33 floors (that's about 15 minutes). then i burned about 300 calories on the cardio- elliptical machines for another 30 minutes. took a shower, got another cup of coffee and went to the mall.

well, i had a fabulous time there and i scored me some colorful tops ready for spring. i also got me a pair of purple skinny jeans jeans : $13.50

i can't wait to have it hemmed and wear it. i also treated myself to a new silky night gown. in silk leopard print. fierce.

floral top : $ 19.80

slip set : $ 14. 80

this is jane's doing.

all these goodies i scored at forever 21, by the way.

since i was having a ball already, i went to Macy's' and got some cute intimate wear. and a corset. which i'm wearing now.

let me tell you. it makes a big difference. somehow i enjoyed walking the hallways today. tee-hee.

i went shopping again on sunday, but at a different mall. i suppose i was too tired to even bother looking for clothes so i ended up with just three items from H&M. a couple of cotton knit sweaters and a printed long sleeved top.

after this, i went home and did my homework like a good student should.

i can't wait to wear my new clothes!

simple joys

i had a great weekend. much better than the previous one when i spent most of it in bed, asleep most of the time.

my system seems to beat this virus that gripped me drowsy most of last week. i guess it was also a relief that another graduate class is finished, and the new one begins today. wow, this is already my 5th class. 7 more to go and i'm done, together with all my wonderful classmates who have been nothing but helpful and selfless. FSO EMDT October '08 batch-- we truly rock.

on to simple pleasures...

Z came over for the weekend. he was done with something last week too. good thing this weekend was on the mild side so we were able to go to the mall and to my local ikea. i got me an 5 quart aluminum pressure cooker for $24. Not bad at all. Then off we went to Ikea to look at bunk beds for Z, who wants to maximize the space in his bedroom. too bad the boxes won't fit in bruce.

in other news, i've been getting in touch with his family more frequently via Skype. just over the weekend, his dad had skype installed, so there's another family member of his in my buddies list :) . i think i better learn a few more czech phrases so i can talk with them more. i need to get passed "how's the weather there?"

how i wish my mom is tech savvy and can get skype too.

i put my cooking skills to the test with my new pressure cooker. i cooked a batch of czech beef goulash. the first time i tried cooking goulash, the meat wasn't so tender, and I am an impatient cook, so i finally got me a pressure cooker to cut down my cooking time. well, let me tell you that my goulash was a hit with my favorite czech boy.

the best compliment a cook can get is a an empty plate and a big smile on the diner's face. i now have three czech dishes up my sleeve. on to my next kitchen adventure.

a high school, friend sent me a link to a recipe for the best chocolate cake ever. i'm keen on starting this project, but i need to get me an electric mixer as well as some baking pan. the only experiment i've tried on baking was to make a carrot cake one thanksgiving years ago. i guess it's about time i clean the oven.

don;t worry, i'm not getting overly domesticated. in fact, i'm on my way to the gym after tutoring today. time to burn some blubber.