Tuesday, February 28, 2006

proverbial gymmious

Current music in ear: American Idol 5 top 24 performances - expected TV program: die Perfekte Dinner; RTL II; Mo. 19:00 - watched dvd: Absolutely Fabulous season 4. Jennifer Saunders is hot hot hot.

Look. Everyone knows this proverb, right? The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. In german it will be like "Die Kirschen in Nachbars Garten schmecken immer ein bisschen süßer". Alles klar? Those may be applicable for a lot of things, but definitely not for my gym.

Last year, as I was living in Bremerhaven, I had to switch gym. And the gym sucked. I lifted much less that I used to as I came back to my original gym.

This week, I have to switch gym again, because it has to be closed due to a rennovation. And guess what, the gym that I attended to now is.. wake-me-up-out-of-this-dream- that-I-still-live-in-1980 kinda gym.

Personally, the gym was not terrible. The people were great, and I'll get back on this later, but all other things that bothered me.

First, you have to walk around 150 meters from the gym to the changing room. The changing room is located outside the main building. WTF???!!

Second, you know how soothing it is to take a hot shower after you work out? In this gym: hot shower? Hot shower my ass. It turns out, that it isn't always running, as I was being told by someone who wanted to take shower as I did my first training there. By the second time I was there, it wasn't even running. And I already covered in shampoo and soap.

Third, the free-weights are not increasing in an accustomed manner. I'm weak, and can't lift big and heavy weights. But I used different weights for my shoulders, biceps, triceps, and chest. Cuckooo.. And those numbers aren't there in the gym. So I have to improvise and change exercises which sometimes can be fun due to the trying of a new exercise, but sometimes troublesome because it takes more time to do the weight adjusting.

Fourth, you have to bring your own lock in order to lock your stuff in the changing room. They don't provide it. Your valuables can be locked in a tiny locker in between the rooms.

Fifth, there are two rooms for the equipments. Room 1 is for all electronic ones, and room 2 is for the free-weights. That means:

a. there are two clocks. For someone who has always been watch-less in the course of their lives and highly dependant on clocks, it is quite difficult to notice how long have you been resting and so on. Again, you have to improvise.
b. there are more front-and-back walk between the excercises, and even during the excercises. More time and cardio isn't exactly what I need.

Sixth, the policy of forbidding street-shoes to enter is weakly implemented.

Seventh, the swiss ball is dirty! And they have three but in one size! How inefficient is that..

Hah.. anyway, every cloud has a silver lining. Or Auf Regen folgt Sonnenschein. The best thing about this gym is that the ones who usually train in it are the students of Univerity of Hamburg who study sport. Or biomechanism. Or sport science. Or something like that. So your fella trainers really know what you're doing.

As an engineering student who reads Men's Health for fun, it wouldn't hurt to overhear some discussion about some routines and how it helps them on what or where. You won't be estranged by the terms that they are using, and you can compare it with your own knowledge and experience.

The discussions on the gym between the gym buddies are really gymmy. I have never heard, "I hate Prof. XYZ because he gave me 3.0 for Mathe..." or "..it was explained that organic materials are responsible also for COD this morning.." until now.

But as for someone who works out only because he likes to be fit and not to be big like Arnold Schwarzenneger, sometimes the discussions can be a bit too far and non-related. I mean, who cares if dips is better because it hits 60% of the upper area of pectoralis major as compared to incline dumbell bench press?

You? You? I don't. I only care that dips are a compound routine because you train your triceps at the same time, and my kinda of incline are beneficial because you switch your palm position during the movement that you can't do during barbell press. And I did both. So I get both benefits. Hahahaha..

And I get a bit too far as well by saying the end justifies the means. Or der Zweck heiligt der Mittel.

Proverb-hour is over.

Friday, February 24, 2006

American Idol 5 Contestant of the Week

I am officially sad right now. Capital s, capital a, capital d. Man.. Actually, sad and discontented. Yeah, that's what I feel right now. And pissed off.

But to be honest, I'm having a good time watching all the top 24 performances. Between the Chippendales warming up sessions and those ghastly hotels and bars, I enjoyed both shows.

Enough about me. You know, Simon Cowell was right when he said that the young contestants were really great this year. He got that right. There are a lot of talented young contestants in that lot (eventhough it's not all of them *coughDavidRadford*). One of them, is actually our American Idol 5 Contestant of the Week.

Her name, is Lisa Tucker. She is 16 years old.

Lisa TuckerLisa was shown as early and far back as the first episode implying that we would see her in the top 24. I was actually saying, "Wow!" after her amazing rendition of 'One Moment in Time', and got really really surprised. Surprised in terms of that she sounds really great. Simon said she is the best 16 year old that they ever had through the entire series.

Hollywood week. Yes, she is a great singer. Vocally trained, good technique, flawless performances. But for me, she's to straight up to business and do my thing. She didn't flaunt, didn't showcase, didn't do a performance, just sang. That's why I felt she's a bit blunt.

When she said in the semi-finals that she was gonna be singing 'I am Changing' by Jennifer Holliday, I was like clutching my heart, finding a grip to not fall down from my chair, trying to pick up my dropped jaw, and blinking for some times to return my eyes to their size. That was one hell of a song to sing!

But you know what? She pulled it through. She did it gorgeously, so that I have a whole newly founded respect in her. She is just ... brave, great, and wow-y.

One problem only. She may be compared side by side with a 17-year-old Paris Bennett. And I think Paris is (though a bit whored up by the producers) better.

Oh, by the way, I think "poise" will be the new overused word for this season.

Update: Proof of the sadness can be judged by how messy my English was. Alert neons are not blinking.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

it is still some significant degrees below zero

Current books read: That Harry Potter Book; That Book About Piano - expected TV program: DSDS top 4; RTL; Samstag, 20:15

I am glad ...

... that I still can wear that Lederbekleidung*.

*to non-german-speaking readers, leder = leather. bekleidung = outfit, perhaps? :) LEO suggests garment.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

if a picture paints a thousand words ...

Current book read: Harry Potter and the Magic is Gone

... then I don't have to type anything for this entry.

I Wanna Live with Her Forever.

Her name's Lily, by the way.

We Will Have to Get Along Really Well.

Otherwise, you won't survive me learning how to spank you the correct way three times a week for the upcoming three months. Until you sound the way I want it.

But on a note from my teacher: Don't use your wrist too much. Ooops.. *grin*


FYI, I'm Not Coming.

I'm sooooo over those guys. Except if they magically appear in my front door singing Passera.


Best. Episode. Ever.

You read the title correctly, but sorry for the quality of the pic.


Conversation Over a Brunch Sort-Of.

Me: So, when can I treat you to Fischladen*?
Not me: Sometimes this week would be great..
Me: Weekend this week? No, I'm booked out.
Not me: No, I'm talking about during the week. You know that I will have some more free time when we start the walkout.
Me: *speechless*

Not me's a GdP, by the way. And his partner at work, a DPolG, had started to go on strike since last Friday. But if my broken german helped me once again, the trash will be gone by tomorrow. Or so to speak.

More on this topic.

*Fischladen is a code for us for Daniel Wischer, a fish restaurant. The best in town. By best, I mean BEST! Legendary, delicious, and vintage!

Monday, February 20, 2006

on the news

This morning, waking up, preparing things to bring to Uni, logging in, and reading my morning blogs. Pointing to Boingboing, and scream:

"There's a "research" saying what??!!!"

*getting my furious costume from my walk-in wardrobe and deciding to put it on all day long*

Reading some other blogs on the same topic, and deciding to change costume to semi-furious.

Ahhh.. society..

Don't let the article ruin your Monday, though.. If so, catch last week's series of FoxTrot. One of the best!