Swimming

I've been swimming at a local pool recently and it feels great to get back to exercising. Not too surprisingly, the locker room scene is yet another example of cultural differences between here and the US.

There's kind of a collective grooming going on in the group shower area. Adults scrub one another's backs and sometimes help friends shampoo their hair. There's also a thoroughness I've never seen back home; many women sit on the floor to scrub the soles of their feet (and the rest of their body). There are detachable shower heads for this purpose. Some women bring their toothbrush and paste into the communal shower and brush their teeth.

One thing that really struck me--there are mirrors in front of every shower. I still haven't figured out entirely how these could be used, as they're all steamed up, but I think it's for washing the face thoroughly.

In the locker area I couldn't figure out at first why I kep hearing slapping sounds. Then I realized it was women slapping themselves before getting dressed. I assume this was to get the blood circulating. Again, sitting on the floor is common. I know this is consistent w/sitting around a table to eat at home, etc., but it was still funny for me to see the first time.

I still feel like I stick out like a sore thumb as the only foreigner in the place. It's a huge pool with dozens of people in it each time I've gone. Depending on my mood that day, I feel either voluptuous or bovine (usually both).