Sunday Funday

Even though I almost give myself a full panic attack typing the title, that is what Sundays truly are for me. A fun day to head out and explore things that I usually wouldn’t have the time for. From Monday to Saturday I log on average 27 hours coaching classes, 5 hours with personal training clients and good 10 or so handling programming, social media content and other general tasks like cleaning and marketing. And I love it. I came here to do this job and the work load has been manageable and I hesitate to even call it a “workload”. I don’t feel burdened by it at all.

I have listened to a few “Ted Talks” on the subject lately. “Do what you love!”  “Balance work and life!” These are statements I have heard over and over again. Sunday is my day to get away from the gym and find that balance. As much as I love working, I don’t want to look back at my time in Hong Kong and shake my head in disgust knowing that the only cuisine I’ve experienced was the pizza shop at the corner of my building or that the only tourism I accomplished was touring other gyms in the city.

This week, I met up with a friend in the morning at a very comfortable 10:30. My usual wake up time is between 4:30 and 6:00, depending on the day. From there, we set out on foot, then by tram and back on foot again as we were whisked away to the local markets.

Dried Squid

Vibrant Textiles

I hit the streets not really intending to purchase anything, but mainly looking for the rich cultural experience of it all. I put on my tourist hat and immediately began snapping pictures of everything that appealed to my eyes. A row of knock-off purses to my right or the tiny green turtles at my feet, anything was fair game and I wanted to catch it all. There is an energy on the streets. Vendors yell at passing tourists, wallets fat with vacation money. Rusty hangers slide across rusty racks, a cleaver hacks away at pork as it sits on a slab of wood waiting for the next gluttonous mouth and outstretched hand. A whirlwind of colors one minute and the next we were dumped back out onto the relatively peaceful streets.

We continued our journey towards Hong Kong Park. Completed in 1991 at a cost of $51.3 million this park blends modern design with natural landscape. It’s lush greenery served as a shelter from the busy streets that sat just outside the many exits.

On Sundays, the local helpers all get the day off and make their way to parks, underpasses, overpasses and just about anywhere else you can imagine to socialize and relax. My friend and I set up shop in the middle of it all and made my first attempt at Acrobatic Yoga. Being someone who rarely steps out of my comfort zone when failure is staring me in the face, I had a surprising amount of fun practicing this new hobby. It balances strength, trust, confidence and skill and the fluid nature of it all looks breathtaking. At least that is what I saw on YouTube. My first try was shaky and unsteady as I muscled my flyer into each delicate position.

I walked away from that experience with my dignity intact and my hamstrings on fire. I hope to continue getting better as the time goes on. As the clock ticked away on our “Sunday Funday” we made our way underground to the subway and parted ways back to our homes trying to milk what little time we had left of this 24 hours.

This is where the end of the day finds me now. Hunched over the computer screen trying desperately but failing to truly capture how precious each and every day has been since I have set foot on the island of Hong Kong. Whether I am coaching classes, posting workouts or exploring my new life, I truly find a way to enjoy it and feel that is a necessity if I want to keep my sanity and just live in the moment.

I hope you get the chance to do the same today.