Monday, October 26, 2009

Salsa Aerobics Salalah!

If you're going to San Francisco ... You're going to meet some gentle people there....
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Hectic HECTIC times. Thanks for all the positive comments on my OmanForum post last week. Very much appreciated. I haven't had time to write because of a 'Work Overdose' as my fellow blogger Bader likes to call it. I've been taking work home everyday now for the past two weeks. I'm also trying to write something for the new bloggers' campaign, but I need to concentrate when I'm writing, so I'll probably do it at home (with a nice cup of tea). .
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Anyway, I've been highly amused with a new gym I discovered in Salalah for women. Before I start explaining the reason behind my amusement, I'll explain a little about the women exercise situation in Dhofar. First of all, men are so damn lucky. They get to throw a pair of shorts and a t-shirt on and go jogging or swimming, and most of them play soccer on a daily basis in Salalah. Soccer is HUGE here. Some play badminton or tennis, and many just work-out in the gym. Easy.
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What about women, though? We spend all day in our black robes, and hardly ever get out on our own, let alone find time to exercise (unless it's within the four walls of our houses). I mean, seriously, how motivating is it to walk on a treadmill for an hour alone? Beyond Boring. It's the easiest recipe for depression. Many women walk along the airport road, but that's also depressing because they're fully clothed (many in face veils) and we live in a tropical town, so ..... yeah.... hot.Anyway, Salalah Al Hamdulillah has several hidden female gyms. In secret neighborhoods and dark alley-ways you may spot a building that has a tiny sign saying 'Health Club'.... on the door there's usually another tiny sign saying 'NO MEN ALLOWED'. Some have signs that say 'No Males Invited'.. I think that's cute. I'm not going to implement the 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' rule, and I'm actually going to explain to you what happens behind those closed doors. VERY amusing.
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Alright, so after sunset many females head to their cars (or their husband/brother/driver's cars) and discreetly make their way to the secret destination. They're dressed from head to toe in black. The car drives into a dark alley-way and parks in front of a seedy looking building with a red-lit sign saying 'Health Club'. The females get out of the car. The first odd thing you notice is that they're carrying a backpack and a suspicious looking roll of something. A what? Yes, a yoga mat. The car drives a way, the women look left and right then slowly open the door and slide into the building. The door remains shut.
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Once you shut that door, you're in another world. Men would kill to see what goes on in there. Big empty well-lit rooms. Mirrored walls. Women chillin' in tights and tank tops. Nike sneakers. Yoga mats. Puma shorts. Sweatbands. Che Guevara t-shirts (you heard me right). Ponytails. Bandanas. Loud Loud Music..... Hot stuff.
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At 8 p.m the aerobics class instructor arrives; dressed in pink tights and a t-shirt with a long blonde ponytail and lime-green sneakers. Women/girls start warming up and playfully shoving each other around the aerobics rooms. All the lights come on. Everyone takes their place in front of the mirror. Music system is ready. Press the play button and get ready to hit the dance floor.
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Global Deejays re-mix 'San Francisco Dreaming' blasts out of the speakers (listen to it. I need you to imagine with me). The instructor usually starts with warm-up exercises then gradually starts the heavy aerobics. Lots of hopping and jumping. Step-work. Mat-work. It goes on for an hour or more. Pain. Torture. But they love it anyway. Often the instructor will ask the girls if they're in for some hip-hop and break-dancing. Everyone will shout 'YEAH!' and out comes the hip-hop CD. She usually starts with The Black Eyed Peas 'Boom Boom Pow' and everyone will show off their dance moves. My favorite is Chris Brown & T-Pain's 'Greatness'. When the girls are feeling a little wild, the belly-dancing CD comes out. One of my expat friends who went there took one look at the place and said 'This is SO Ghetto!'.

The funniest part is that some instructors like doing aerobics to Salsa music. It actually works quite well with aerobics. Lots of hip and shoulder-shaking. The best is Marc Anthony's 'Mi Gente'. Dhofari girls pick up a lot of salsa moves from TV (So You Think You Can Dance/ Dancing with the Stars). After a couple of hours of fun and activity, one by one the women head to the cloak room (literally), change back into their abayas, tie up their hair, apply all the head-pieces until the hijab is complete, tie on the face-veil (burqa), change out of their sneakers, roll up their yoga mats and sneak out. The car is waiting outside (curious driver trying to get a peek as the door opens), woman gets in, and drives off into the night.

Nothing happened, right? Nope.

Salalah's best-kept secret. Dhofari Chicks Rock.

37 comments:

  1. LOOL! That was hilarious Nadia. You have a way with words XD (<-- this is the first time I use this icon, just to tell you how much you made me laugh)

    Go Go Salalah... You ROCK!

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  2. GOSH!
    And all the while, a tiny boarded *women health club* sign stood just 2 blocks away....neva knew this much happens...

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  3. Hi Nadia
    You are always telling us the secrets of Salalah!..
    You described my feeling when I drop my sister in front of one of those health clubs!! I always feel so curious to know what is going on inside!.
    I thought only few hhhhheavy ladies(91.5kgm and up) coming there with few slim young girls who are preparing for their weddings.

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  4. Shahrazad ... Our aim is to entertain! :)

    Bobby ... as I said, it's our best-kept secret!

    WHATEVER Ma7feef. Your sisters don't go to gyms. People go there to work out and be healthy, not just brides and obese women. Go shoot yourself.

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  5. Great post. What makes me glad and sad in the same time that in Muscat to many places started to make special places for ladies I feel happy for them although this thing (يرسِّخ) the discrimination based on the (XY) gen which we took it from the women not the oppisit.

    I really loved and enjoyed this post, what i wish that in villages the start the same so some cultures can invade the old mentalities imagine music sports dancing, any other hobby that any female teenager desires to do. some times the have no choice.

    By the way. Hi Mahfif Tahiay for you Also I wanted to post a comment in your last post but i thought i start with Nadia first because she is a girl. We men are mean I rally don't like us. heheheheh

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  6. I wish people in Oman in general would start eating healthy too. Would probably slow down the diabetes epidemic.

    -Omani in US

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  8. Hi Nadia
    The reputation of women's health clubs, is as what I said, they are a destination for those who try to reduce their weight(obese غشيتها من عندك)and brides(غشيتها أيضاً)
    This is my thinking once I see any women's health club!
    So thank you for your explanation

    Muawiyah Alrawahi
    Always girls first(you are smart and 3ayar my friend), waiting for your comments!

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  9. I shall recomend this to Alexia and to the girls of IMTO!!
    ;)

    -I love ur posts!-

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  10. Gyms in Muscat are a bit different... Horizon Fitness in Madina Qaboos has mixed classes (I'm fine with it) and MIXED CHANGING ROOMS. Men and women. No kidding!

    I've never ever seen anything like that! WHY?

    Love your blog.

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  11. Why is it secretive? Is it a taboo for dhofari women to excercize? (being a heavy girl, I loved the idea that the heavier you are the prettier you are in old dhofari terms :D )

    In Muscat, there is SQ sports complex that organizez aerobics lessons and apparantly they are very successful. I long for a 24/7 women swimming pool, I love swimming and unfourtountly totally closed pools are few.

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  12. Um3azzan, it's not taboo to exercise, but it's just a little weird (socially) for women to wear shorts and t-shirts and shake it to dance re-mixes outside their homes with other women!

    A big clean close swimming pool in Salalah would be my DREAM! *Sigh*

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  13. Hey Nadia,

    Is that true?Only obese women or brides go to the gym??Or its just a stereotype?I am neither obese nor a bride as I'm already married but I like to keep fit and work out often.In fact in Abudhabi,I have so many friends like myself who like to keep fit and are often seen heading off to the ladies club.It improves your overall sense of well being really.

    And is it really as secretive/spooky as you make it sound?The dark alleyways LOL ...

    We have females only sports club in Abudhabi.Its the Abudhabi ladies club.Its exclusively for ladies and have their own swimming pool,beach,gymnasium and so much more.We also have the ladies beach in Abudhabi and Al Raha beach for ladies on the outskirts of Abudhabi.

    I miss all that after moving to New Jersey....sigh.

    I like the way you write :)

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  14. LOL! Very funny! Though am happy for the women/girls who do go out to work out. If only they weren't that *secretive* places. Islam encourages people to be healthy, not just MEN! Am glad the ladies are having fun hip-hoping and salsa'ing ;))
    I go for morning walks daily though its getting harder as the days go by(cold canadian weather). Am planning to go home inshallah and would encourange ladies in my family, especially mom and others to start really walking exercises. Most of them have let themselves go. :(

    sf

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  15. yeah man, dhofari girls need to remain fit. they are fit anyway. good show. would luv to sneek in!!!

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  16. Sneak* Whereabouts is it in Salalah??

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  17. Really appreciate it Nadia. Way to keep my memories alive!!!

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  18. Nadia!!, couldn't stop laughing. You described it perfectly! I love the gym and all the oddities that come with it in Salalah. Its been quite the experience for an American chica such as myself. You keep inspiring me to write more in my journal. YALLAH!!!! wahid, ithnan, thalatha....

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  19. Haha!
    Cute and awesome.
    It's great that there are places like this where the ladies get to chill and just go wild and enjoy the hour or two they have. Very nice.

    Loved this post!

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  20. Hahaha super funny post XD

    I always go to gyms in my summer holidays. and I dare to say that i'm the only one who attended that gym (the one that I used to go to) with BMI of -24, so mahfeef's definition of a gym is right to some extent.

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  21. Very entretaining, well done Gucci.

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  22. لا الله الا الله

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  25. And for the rest of you, thanks for passing by and commenting. I Always enjoy reading your comments :-)

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  28. Why have all these posts been removed??

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  29. Why have all these comments been removed??

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  30. Khamsa sitta and sabah....hahah @American chica

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  31. The comments have been removed and I've applied comment moderation because of some people who don't deserve a say in this blog.

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  32. LOL I love how you described this. An outsider will think, what the hell is special about an aerobics class? But no, that's a different story when it's Salalah I guess :D.
    And I definitely imagined it all.

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  33. Ohh and I'm loving San Fransisco Dreaming. Never heard it before!

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  34. Hi Nadia! I loved reading this post. I am an expat in Muscat and joined aerobics here in seeb, thx to my landlady. It is the best thing that ever happened to me! Not only did I lose a lot of weight, it is also soo much fun to exercise with all the omani women together. It is the best thing that happenend to me. Now I have a totally different point of view of these women! They are great, fun, and loving and supportive to me and eachother. It feels always like this is their hour of letting go. I always wonder what would happen if a man would enter by accident, while we are doing the body combat moves.. lol
    I love aerobics in this country, omani style,(also including salsa and african moves) and I never stop! I have found a great appreciation and love for all the seeb girls!

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  35. You have a way to make ppl fall in love with salalah

    LoooL

    G

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  36. Happy reading urs...!! Is there any health club which includes expatriates? If yes, please give me some contact info or address. Deliberately searching one.

    Thank you,
    Regards,
    Lovely Eugene.

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