Tuesday, November 27th
Another hazy day in Shanghai. As much as I enjoy living in a big city, I hate the environment. The air is always polluted and the sun is perpetually shrouded in a blanket of filmy haze.
There is always a layer of smog that separates me from some good Vitamin D and fills my lungs with icky congestion which you see splattered on the streets. The locals are used to this and are definitely not shy to hock loogies on the street and clear their throats with a sound that could stop time.
The streets of Shanghai are like an obstacle course of spit, motorbikes, and an endless stream of people who never bother to make space for an oncoming passerby. Sometimes I get lucky if the short wall of dark hair looks up in time to notice the blonde haired giant approaching with long limbs and a grim expression. With startled looks and open-mouthed stares they quickly create a small lane of space.
It is impossible to blend into this city. However, perpetually standing out is a blessing in disguise for this self-condoned wallflower.
You are allowed to bloom.
I had an article published in Spirit Magazine about this topic regarding the benefits of standing out in China. I hope to share it on the blog soon.
But let me continue with this day’s events which included my last netball practice! I was so excited to join the team at Regis International School and meet some really great ladies. Due to scheduling conflicts we were not able to play a game in the first semester which is a bummer since I found out I am moving to Malaysia. Although I may never play in an actual netball game, I learned so much about the sport and about myself.
In fact, I am not too bad at netball! Like in most team sports, I am very fast but have pretty terrible hand/eye/feet coordination. I can run around like a crazy person and create space on the field but fumble when I actually get the ball. I mean over the course of netball practices, I was hit in the face with the ball about 5 times and tripped over my feet countless times. Totally embarrassing. But sometimes I could shoot really well!
Team sports are a humbling experience. I learned that I can’t always be the best on the field but can work with my team to bring out our individual strengths. It is a beautiful thing to experience. I will miss netball but hope to find another team in Malaysia!
After netball I was still pretty energetic and loose so I decided to bust out the Turkey Burn Workout from Fit2Flex.It had been a week since my last workout so I was ready to feel the burn. I finished this awesome at-home-workout in 37 minutes. Holy triceps. They were smoked.
Great workout!
Wednesday, November 28th
I woke up extremely sore and very chilled. It was finally cold outside! So I bundled up in a sweater and scarf and made my way to my favorite Starbucks to bust out some work.
There is nothing like a hot cup of coffee and sweater weather to make me a productive human being.
It also helps when you are too sore to stand up. Thank you netball and jumping squats!
Kirsten Captures 