- Truth in Advertising: A regular meeting environment, with the different roles and power struggles just beneath the surface of regular comments. Except this time they say what they are thinking. Gotta love the Teddy Bear icon.
This year, more than any year in my recent history, feels like a new school year. This is ironic since it’s the first year since preschool that I am not attending a school or teaching at one!
One of the things I’ve missed the most while living in Italy is not having a gym to work out in. At first, it was a question of money with my teacher’s salary, as gyms are much more expensive here than stateside. Then, my teaching schedule was so unpredictable, having a gym in either Milan or Pavia seemed useless as I never knew when or where I’d be for a break.
This year, I decided it was time to stop complaining and get to it!
I was lucky to find a gym about 5 minutes from my house by bike – I can walk there or take the tram as well. This gym has a little pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam room as well as the basic treadmills, bicycles and weight rooms. It also has two classrooms and I am furiously studying the schedule. It’s actually a lot nicer than any gym I’ve ever been a member of in the States, and it wasn’t that much more expensive!
September 1st was my first day of my new gym membership. I like to think of it as a trial run, a beta version of what I’m sure my final experience will be like.
I decided to go and workout, shower at the gym to try out the facilities and then head straight to work after. Mounting my bicycle with my sling bag full to the brim with everything I’d need that day, I had an embarassing discovery.
My shorts, which are the perfect length for running, are waaaay too short when sitting on a bicycle. In rush-hour traffic at a huge intersection. I kept tugging on them as I biked, and finally just said screw it. Thighs on parade.
I arrived right at 7:59 or 8:00am (opening time) since I wasn’t sure how long everything would take and I wanted to get to work on time. The women running the front desk were shocked.
“The first day of September, right when we open, and she has her money with her to pay?” They laughed about my eagerness.
“Obviously, I’m not Italian.” I also joked. But it wasn’t a joke about my accent. It was true. And since they didn’t have the change for my
Good for you for taking this step! I just loved your post … so funny!
So glad you found the gym. We looked at a few near us and they were very expensive. I used to pay only 19.99 a month for mine in the States it was basic, machines, baby sitting, showers, classes and tanning but was worth it. I don’t need a squash court or swimming pool.
Anyway the gym we found here wanted something like 60-70 a month per person and I have to tell you this place needed a new ventilation system. The minute I stepped upstairs to where the machines were all I smelled was wet crotch and armpits.
glad you found a gym, despite all of the strange new italian-style gym issues :). funny post. we’re planning to join a gym soon once it gets cold enough that running outside is out of the question! (i should bookmark this post for future reference!)
-jackie
Oh my, Gia…the images your post brings up….EW! Very graphic smells, if I may say so. Things are pretty good at mine so far, and they have an alcohol spray they encourage everyone to use after to wipe down the machines. :) I am paying 45 but since they gave me 3 months free, it works out to 36 euro a month! So lucky. :)
This post was hilarious. I have some of those ‘naked women’ at my gym as well, most are actresses. I guess even in the locker room they like to be the center of attention.
My gym is $105 a month (ouch) but I have to work out. I also like going to the gym at 5:30. Not sure what I would do with a gym that opens at 8:00 :)
‘Truth in advertising’ is seriously the best thing I’ve seen this year.
I’m late for this but I like your gym posts like others. After the gym I lately found some women go topless by the public pools too. About the gym fashion here…I’d ignored at the beginning but one day I found even for a girl who doubles my size wears sexy gym clothes, then I went to get some new outfits to “localise” myself.
There were lots of topless ladies at the pools in Torino and most were aging with bad tattoos and leathery skin. Ouch! Not very attractive when your breast hang very close to your naval.
I think the one poster is correct about some actresses still wanting to be “the Star” even in the ladies locker room?
She’s not an actress, but one of the most well-known TV-news-anchor women from my city is a virtual nudist in the ladies locker room, and everyone at the gym knows who she is.
Let’s just say that if she’s in the locker room for an hour, about 55 minutes of that time she’s 100% nude. And she does that walking nude while she holds a towel in her hand thing.
Blow-drying her hair, applying her makeup, weighing herself, carrying on conversations and even signing autographs for fans, it’s all done totally nude.
She is stunningly beautiful with a tremendously great body, so I’m sure that plays a role in her “nudist-like” ways in the women’s locker room.