These are the days of My Life - Bangkok, Thailand 3/31/2011 Lumphini Park

Let me be the first to confuse by saying this blog is from yesterday and yet i am still a day ahead of you...so Happy April fools day in advance.  It is 10:36am, 01 April, 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand.  I was up early today (6;00am)...Why?  because I set my alarm misusing military time which i have set my phone to to begin to complete my submersion into the culture.  So no cheating with the I-phone clock.  You say but 6:00am is 6:00am even in military time....enough said...I don't do math or numbers or military time or Celsius, or meters/liters. Why didn't the US go metric way back when i was a young developing mind....too late now but got me up really early to see the sunrise...well maybe tomorrow as today is another grey, smoggy, pollution filled day here in Bangkok. 

After the early risers full continental american breakfast (eggs/toast), coffee, juice; no rice surprise for me for the next 10 days, I returned to Lumphini Park where I was pleasantly surprised to have found MY PEOPLE!  More in a minute.  The park is surprisingly busy early in the mornings and later after work (5-8pm when the park closes).  The usual joggers/walkers/tai chi chuan practitioners/break dancers/badminton players it was way too early...so I just walked and admired.

Lumphini Park is named after the Buddha's birthplace in Nepal...I'll have to locate it when in Nepal in a few months.  Bangkok's main greenbelt sprawls around two boating lakes (Yeah it is quite a big park); dominate on the Silom Road  corner is a statue of Rama VI.  Thailand is one Rama (King) after another since the beginning of time.  The guide book says " the superstitious can be seen consuming fresh snake blood and bile to keep ill health at bay, purchased from stalls along the park's northern edge.  Needless to say i ain't going to the northern edge....if the snake blood is fresh then so were the snakes relatively speaking and my Arachnophobia tendencies will suffice to write not witness this remarkable demonstration.

Another strange interpretation of volleyball is called takraw (a type of volleyball in which the hands may not be used).  It is a mix of hacki-sac, badminton and soccer.  the players are very good but it gave me a headache to watch.

And Now what you have all been waiting for.....My People!  Que the music....and Aerobics to the fastest beats per minute that this ole girl could hardly keep up.  The lady in pink...I called her Lila but who knows what she said to me in Thai....I just jumped in and was a White Boy in Thailand sensation.  All the little old ladies came over to shake their groove thangs with me...it was sooooo awesome.  As I later went up and thanked the instructor (up on the stage) she said they exercise daily and she was humored by my ability to pick up so quickly her routine.  It was dancing with the oldies but at about 12billion rpm's....the instructor could not even keep up with the beat.  I wandered toward the exit gate to Lumphini Park only to find yet another aerobic group starting up so yes gang i had a 2 hour basic aerobic workout with the locals.  great fun and will be there at 5:00pm -7:00pm daily to exercise.

My Thai Champion Lila in pink,,,motioned for me to join.  There are close to 150 people in this park moving and grooving to the aerobic beat.

Lila getting her groove on....I am behind her and about 50 are further behind me.  Something you don't get at LA Fitness.

The instructor on the stage belting it out in Thai...You Go Girl!

My second class, there are five instructors on the sidewalk and another 10 on the other side.  there were quite possibly 150 exercise participants....Oh did I mention this is free.  just show up ready to party.  the music here was a little more in step with the steps and oh course the calling of the moves in Thai?!?!?  you watch and join...the girl in the black leotard and orange tank kept me going she smiled every time I added my own high impact steps....gotta bring to Thailand via Texas