Do It For You

Although FCI seems to imply that I am the one most happy to see IPOD, I reckon he harbours a secret thrill seeing IPOD in the class, for his constant reference to him is bordering on obsession. I reckon the poor class is being deprived of his lurve, as he constantly focuses his attention at the door, to see if IPOD has arrived.

It was nice to see such a good turnout of familiar faces. I had originally intended to do PUMBAT, but kid no 3 was laying a guilt trip on me, so much so I actually TURNED AROUND after leaving the house, to spend a bit more time with him. Sigh. The influence of kids these days.

Sunshine, Lion, Certifiable Steve, Feb, ...Tall Girl, all the usual. But STILL, FCI was pining for IPOD. Although shifting the "blame" to me, and accusing me of giving a big broad grin when IPOD finally arrived, I could sense his elation and immediate perkiness.

Several references to IPOD made it seem like that was all he cared about. But, despite that, and the mike that wasn't working, it was still a great class, as are ALL FCI's classes. IPOD took the extra attention in his stride.

I have been bad. Very lazy. Yesterday's combat was the first class this week. Skipped YI's class. And skipping all classes today to bring kids to watch RATATOUILLE. Lionheart, you better enjoy all this gyming before your daughter grows up and starts laying guilt trips on you!!!!

And Lurve For FSI Goes Off the Charts

I'm getting slacker (and by extension, fatter) by the weeks, as I seem to find that I am skipping gym on Wed, Thurs AND Fridays....for whatever reason. Usually, its a double whammy, because it probably was because of some dinner function or other, as in the case of Friday.

Anyway, this time, even the hallowed slot of Saturday afternoon at the Curve with IPOD was taken up by a food related event, and I felt really bad having to turn down Shades YET again. He sms-ed me to tell me that exFPI, FDI and The Phoenix were team teaching in the Saturday class. I had NO idea who the Phoenix was, ....I thought he was referring to my EXFCI, since IPOD mentioned that exFCI would be attending the class. And I thought Phoenix referred to the dead rising from the ashes..... a resurrection so to speak. But nah, don't think Shades would have been so cryptic. Anyway, he was referring to a female instructor who recently cleared her instructorship, after a recent injury. Whatever.

So, since I had to miss the class (which I later heard from Sunshine was a great class), I decided to pay FSI a visit on homeground, and attended his BS class at Manulife. It requires great effort to go exercise on a Saturday morning. Hence, the LURVE.

Funny how in my last few step classes in Manulife, all the guys seem to flock to the right hand side of the studio. Energetic as ever, but the fearsome squats seemed to have been toned down a bit....we only get them in say 2 or 3 tracks, as opposed to 7 tracks in his younger days. Twas funny when doing round the world, and one lady continued doing it after it had ended, FSI asked, "which airline ah?".

I must make it a point to return to his Thursday lunchtime class. Sigh, good habits are so hard to form, and bad ones so easy.

FCI gets Gwen Stefani, We Get Leon, International Prince of Divas

When I sms-ed Lionheart to ask him if this was the first time he's attending FDI's combat, he said, "yup, it's the first time I am attending his concert"....

Anyway, as the title is self explanatory, FCI left his fans in a lurch for Gwen. A girl I met in the lift positively gave a face of contempt when she heard FCI wasn't teaching. I assuaged her telling her that the replacement was very good too.

When the class first started, it really did seem as if FCI's regular hardcore fans had packed up and left coz it seemed a bit empty. Leon was late by a couple of minutes, which allowed the crowds to trickle in, and by the time he had finished the warm up, it was almost as full as FCI's normal class. Oh, and prior to the class, FCI was seen lurking around the gym....and of course, yours truly got accused of harboring a look of indescribable joy at the prospect of having Leon teach that evening. Some people have an imagination as fertile as a Catholic woman with 17 children.

That song, Back in The UK, kinda grows on you actually. I didnt like it when it was first released, but am beginning to rather enjoy it. IPOD made a couple of bloopers, but I doubt anyone actually noticed it. He was very serious in the first few tracks, the only humour thrown in was, "I have a message for you all from someone. SHOW ME THE LURVE".

Other highlights in the last few weeks, that fell into the week of no blogging, include the arrival of Gorgeous Woman for the quarterlies. She team taught Body Step, and I made that long journey to the Curve specially to see her. She, together with Richelle, and Kilograms, oh, hangon, I think it was the imperial, Ton, boasted a marvellous performance of the next step release. As usual, who can top that crisp, clear, precise cue-ing that really makes GW one of the all time greats. Even Lion said her combat class was great. (back in those days)

Why The Long Silence?

....Out of respect to fellow gym member and dear friend, yhsmom, who recently went through a painful loss.

Our deepest condolences on your loss, and please know we are here for you. You have been a pillar of strength through out this turbulent time, and have won our admiration and respect for your courage, composure and we hope that with time, the pain of loss with diminish somewhat, and may the sun shine through these dark clouds again very soon.

With much love, I dare say, from all your friends at the gym.

Lurve Isn't Measured By Graphs

Further to this poignant, heart wrenching post by Shades, I think, upon further reflection, and self searching, and deep thought, and meditation, short of attending a Body Balance class, Lurve is not measured by graphs. Shades, (to the tune of that Willie Nelson Song)

Maybe I didn't travel
All the way to Puchong as I should have
Maybe I didn't pump with you
Quite as often as I could have
All the toll I should have paid, but none
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind

Maybe I didn't text you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I shoulda called you
Though you're no longer FPI,

If I made you feel second best
That's coz you abandoned manulife
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind

[in loud straining soprano]
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied, satisfied

Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind


Now that we've got that out of the way, ...

Combat. Certain as the sun, rising from the east, ...that inevitable question. Is You Kok Hoe Coming? How the duhhhh would I know. And in the class, Certifiable Steve asks me, "where's my papa?". As in his papa. ie, Lionheart. Guffaw, snort chuckle. Lionheart, congratulations on your new self appointed offspring. Where WERE you anyway? Of course FCI was most distraught that you weren't there, and kept muttering the class wasn't the same.

Anyway, during the warm up, FCI apparently made a boo boo. Wow, is that even possible? I wasn't really paying attention, so didn't realise it, hence "apparently". It was in the 2nd half of the warm up, when it was supposed to be front kicks before roundhouse set up (in that song, IF I WERE YOU, which he announced he chose for someone special, who wasn't there), so the class heckled him....

The rest of the class was great, as usual. Very energetic, although missing Lionheart's regal presence in the front. The fler almost slipped on some wet patches but again, I think being younger and more agile, he managed to avoid slipping and injury. Conditioning song, Sound of the Underground, was awful. That is one of the pushup sets that I cannot finish on my toes.

The cooldown song, Du Hast, is only ever done by FCI. It's almost as if its made for him to showcase his sharp blocks and kata movements.

Flawless Performance by IPOD

I've been a good boy. (okay, good old man). Friday, Saturday and Sunday, consecutively, I have been going to the gym. Friday for Richelle's pump. Fabulous class as usual, though the gym seemed a bit more quiet that usual. Even Certifiable Steve was not his usual verbose self. Maybe because his favourite spot, directly behind Lionheart, was taken. Flashes of pain strike my mind, like a lightning bolt, as I vaguely remember biceps. But Friday seems like such a long time ago, I can barely remember anything else. The usual suspects graced the class, ie, yhsmom, Lionheart, Atlas. Of course no one came close to Lion's 20-20 weight for squats.

Saturday, ....well, I guess it would have been a bit too much to ask, had I pestered the gods to give me a repeat performance of FDI's spectactular fall last week...and of course, nor would I wish it. But well, a small small small part of me, deep deep deep down inside, was hoping for some "action", but alas, it was a flawless class. IPOD breezed through all the 10 tracks with the ease of a buttered buttock fitting into a tight pair of jeans with the aid of a shoe horn. So, really, it was uneventful in that it was perfect.... no mistakes, nothing to laugh about, except for a sudden, "gimme the lurve" towards the end....not sure directed at who.....

Anyway, in my ongoing effort to exercise "more", I also attended 2nd FSI's step on Sunday, making it two consecutive weeks. Pity next week's the quarterlies, was just getting the momentum. So no step next Sunday, but I hear the dream team, Jacqueline (aka Gorgeous Woman), Richelle and some thai fler is teaching next Friday at the curve at 5.30pm.

2nd FSI's class was really energy packed. This class of all the classes is the hardest to do, because it's at 2.45pm on a Sunday afternoon, which is nap time for normal human beings on a Sunday. So, at track 8, or was it 9, I was suddenly jolted awake when the fler slipped and nearly fell over some wet patches and nearly fell on his posterior. But I guess since he is younger than Leon, reflexes were quicker, and he managed to avoid a complete tumble, and injury.

On an unrelated note, suddenly a lot of fitness first luminaries have appeared in the papers over the last 3 days. We have our legendary Kylie Gates, who I've been dying to meet and chat with, (without having to go for body jam), who was in yesterday's StarMag,

Next we have Mrs Lionheart, appearing in a non fitness related article, in today's NST, looking very radiant and regal, befitting the title of Lionness.


And here again, in the Star I think, is our FGXC, together with another instructress, Ezura, .....

Show Me The Love

The first question FCI asked in the class was, "Is Leon Lai coming?".

I dunno what his obsession is with Leon. There were a few other references to him as well, in the class, which I guess would escape most people, but certainly Ah Girl, Lionheart, Sunshine, LadyNina and possibly Shanticombat and Bernsy would have picked it up. And I don't know why, but he kept looking at my direction, and as a cue to shout, kept saying, "show me de lurve". There were several ill timed shouts, when I heard only myself shouting. In instances like that, its best to quickly shut up, as I don't have that commanding power that Certifiable Steve has that can rouse the whole class into shrieks of esctasy.

Anyway, since I have so unjustly been accused of "not showing de lurve" to FCI, and favouring instead FDI, (I dunno where he gets these ideas!), the reason why this post is late is coz I've been collating data, on the number of times I've attended FCI's class, vs FDI's class over the last two months. The results, a stunning 8 times for FCI, (not missing any since early June, and one additional one for Miracle), and a mere 3 times for FDI. I am almost insulted that FDI hasn't felt my absence.

So, charting the attendance onto a love graph,


We have on the Y axis, "lurve" quantified, one rung for each attendance. On the X axis, we have the dates. Green for Tuesdays, Orange for Saturdays. The blue line represents FCI's, and purple FDI's. Now, anyone with HALF an eye can see who's leading in the attendance stakes. Satisfied or not, FCI? Roll eyes.

Monday pump as usual. YI looked disappointed that Richard wasn't there. That biceps with 24 singles cannot have been meant for mere mortals like us. Atlas was there, as usual bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders, and the weight of an anorexic chick for his biceps track. (as in, the weights totalled the weight of an anorexic chick, so its quite heavy la, considering we mortals only carry the weight of toddlers).

I like the Monday pump class. There's something about it that adds the final topping of Monday blues. It's like the culmination of a suffering day.