At the Gym

There has been some reader interest in the workout scene in Beirut, so I figured I would chronicle my Saturday trip to the gym. But before we walk over there, I should first mention that I simply go to the gym on campus. The fashionable and wealthy Beirutis pay well over $1000 per year for memberships at private fitness facilities. In fact, membership to the AUB gym is $1000 for people not affiliated with the university. In a country where that is equal to several months' salary for most people, I find that both scandalous and mystifying: who are these posh gym-goers, and where are they getting all their money? I'll let you know if I find out.
 
I decided to ease into my workout today by first sitting on a sunny bench and reading for a little while. I took a photo of the view from the bench primarily to boast a bit about wearing sandals in November (sorry--I couldn't help it!). While sitting, I was approached by a very sweet and friendly feral cat (whom I did not pet!).
 
Once the sun moved away from the bench, I continued my walk down to the gym. I say 'down' because the gym (known as the Charles Hostler Student Center) is on the lower campus, which means it is downhill from the part of campus where my office is. The result is that one must go down a very steep flight of stairs to get to it, and that one must also drag one's tired carcass back up those stairs after the workout.
 
The nice thing about the gym being on the lower campus is that it is close to the sea. Today I decided to spend most of my time on the exercise bike. All the exercise bikes are lined up facing the sea, which means that a pedaling person can look out and watch the occasional barge or sailboat cruise by. It's not quite the same as pedaling the rail trail in Augusta, Maine (with a stop at the Liberal Cup on the way!), but it is a pretty nice setup nonetheless.
 
During the week there are some group fitness classes, including a little bit of step aerobics. The step aerobics here is faster than in the US, with a devil-may-care approach to student safety. (An example for step fans: for instance, the instructor will cue a full reverse [i.e. turning completely around on the step] with music of 130 beats per minute or more). I actually like the Beirut spirit of it--what's a little danger?! It is also neat that the two instructors I've had speak Arabic, but cue in English, so I can understand them.
 
A note on dress: Most of the women dress in the same sort of workout gear as in the U.S., though I have seen some women in headscarves on the treadmill or elliptical machines.
 
There are several glass-walled squash courts behind the elliptical machines, and one time a cat wandered in and became transfixed by the ball bouncing around the squash court. It started tapping on the glass with its paw trying to get it!
 
But today there were no cats and no aerobics, just me, the bike, and the sea. When I was finished, I walked outside and up the stairs to the upper campus. On the way, I noticed the citrus trees on campus beginning to bear fruit.
 
Between the citrus trees, the sunshine, and the big, blue Mediterranean, I would say that November is off to a pretty nice start. If only there were some leftover Halloween candy somewhere for this tired and sweaty ex-patriot!