Out of Beat

Today at the gym I was attending a spinning class and as always when I am there I feel very odd and almost like an alien. Sometimes if I am there with a colleague it feels a little bit better, because then at least we are two who do not like the music, don’t understand the jokes, and can not comment on the same TV-programmes etc etc. But today it really struck me that I feel more different and strange here than I have ever done in any gym. I mean fitness training is pretty standardised and international; you don’t even really have to understand the language to be able to follow a class if it is something you have done before. I have been working out in many different gyms in many different countries but I do feel odder here than for example in Belgrade, where I didn’t even understand the language very well.

I and my colleague have sometimes been complaining about the choice of music, but after a while we gave up and realised that all the others seem to like to do the spinning to schlager music. For me it is a disaster. When I do spinning (or other exercises) it is all about beat and rhythm, I don’t give a damn about chorus or lyrics and I definitely don’t want to sing along. But here that seem to be the whole thing!!

A couple a weeks ago the leader enthusiastically reminded the class that it was only two more weeks until the whole Eurovision Song Contest national eliminations start; “then we will have many new songs!” she said smilingly. I almost freaked out. Not only because I don’t like that kind of music, but for spinning I think it is a disaster. Now she had obviously been to a fitness workshop in Stockholm and today she told us that “from all the songs we heard at the workshop I have only brought one to our programme and probably WE will not like it”. Already then I guessed that would be the song I would like the best. And yes! Without her telling us in advance which song it was, it was the piece I liked the most. Six minutes with no proper lyrics, just a steady, suggestive, perfect beat pushing you to give everything on the bike. Excellent! Afterwards she commented “yes I this was the song, maybe you did not like it?! Now the songs we know and like again” Oh, it makes me sooo tired!!

These things are mere details, that should not really matter, I know, but I just feel so different. When you feel you can not fit in even in those simple everyday situations it feels as you could just as well be from another planet.