1/3/2007 China Day 100: Space Museum, Hong Kong - Remembering Life's Simple Pleasures
Today I realized that while travelling long term, you can sometimes forget the simple pleasures in life - that is, the little things that make you happy in daily life. Or put another way, there are some things that I wanted to change in myself during this trip, but I forgot to keep doing some of the good things I was already doing that made me happy.
Today I went to visit the Hong Kong Space Museum because all museums are free on Wednesdays. But that's just a smart gimmick on the part of the city and tourism bureau to generate interest in their museums because the normal entrance fee for museums is only 10-15 HKD (= $1.25-$2.00). The main exhibition hall in the Space Museum (that is the part that is free on Wednesdays) is dumbed down to interest children, so it's not very interesting. But I enjoyed watching a couple movies in the Omnimax Theater.
One of the movies was what sparked this realization for me. The movie was entitled "Top Speed" and was about human pursuit for ever greater speeds, whether in running, biking, driving, flying, or by any other means. Watching 2 segments on professional athletes, I remembered the first simple pleasure I had forgotten - the endorphin high of a good workout. Though I may feel physically exhausted after a good soccer game or workout, I never feel bad during or after exercise. In fact, I feel great! But I haven't had a good workout since I left home 3 months ago, and my body knows it.
By the time I get my new passport and Chinese visa, I will have been in Hong Kong for likely over 2 weeks. They have gyms here in Hong Kong, but the walk in fee is something like 160 HKD (= $20). Then yesterday, when I met a Bikram yoga instructor over lunch, I thought, hrm, I don't like yoga as much as gym workout, but in a pinch, it would do. So I went back to the yoga studio with her, and asked how much a class would cost. I was shocked to hear 250 HKD (= $31.25), especially because I knew a long term student that was paying 1200 HKD per month, minimum 3 months. So, no go on the gym or yoga membership. But tomorrow I'll find somewhere to jog or a park to get a simple workout in.
The second pleasure that I had forgotten was the beauty of a sexy woman. What, you say?! Is it possible for any man to forget the pleasure of seeing a sexy woman?! Let me explain. I had forgotten how to appreciate the beauty of a sexy woman without having to pursue or possess it. I remember the particular scene that made me think of this. It was simply a silhouette of Marion Jones, the Olympic track and field gold medalist. I don't even find most professional female athletes, including Marion Jones, that sexy - too hard and too much muscle; not soft enough. So too I thought, sexiness is not just about the physical body and clothes, but also about personality and style. In this particular shot of Marion Jones, what I found sexy was her confidence and style. And because it was just a movie and not a person, I couldn't interact or pursue anything. I could only enjoy the momentary sensation of beauty, and I was happy.
I think 2007 is gonna be a good year. My horoscope said so.
Today I went to visit the Hong Kong Space Museum because all museums are free on Wednesdays. But that's just a smart gimmick on the part of the city and tourism bureau to generate interest in their museums because the normal entrance fee for museums is only 10-15 HKD (= $1.25-$2.00). The main exhibition hall in the Space Museum (that is the part that is free on Wednesdays) is dumbed down to interest children, so it's not very interesting. But I enjoyed watching a couple movies in the Omnimax Theater.
One of the movies was what sparked this realization for me. The movie was entitled "Top Speed" and was about human pursuit for ever greater speeds, whether in running, biking, driving, flying, or by any other means. Watching 2 segments on professional athletes, I remembered the first simple pleasure I had forgotten - the endorphin high of a good workout. Though I may feel physically exhausted after a good soccer game or workout, I never feel bad during or after exercise. In fact, I feel great! But I haven't had a good workout since I left home 3 months ago, and my body knows it.
By the time I get my new passport and Chinese visa, I will have been in Hong Kong for likely over 2 weeks. They have gyms here in Hong Kong, but the walk in fee is something like 160 HKD (= $20). Then yesterday, when I met a Bikram yoga instructor over lunch, I thought, hrm, I don't like yoga as much as gym workout, but in a pinch, it would do. So I went back to the yoga studio with her, and asked how much a class would cost. I was shocked to hear 250 HKD (= $31.25), especially because I knew a long term student that was paying 1200 HKD per month, minimum 3 months. So, no go on the gym or yoga membership. But tomorrow I'll find somewhere to jog or a park to get a simple workout in.
The second pleasure that I had forgotten was the beauty of a sexy woman. What, you say?! Is it possible for any man to forget the pleasure of seeing a sexy woman?! Let me explain. I had forgotten how to appreciate the beauty of a sexy woman without having to pursue or possess it. I remember the particular scene that made me think of this. It was simply a silhouette of Marion Jones, the Olympic track and field gold medalist. I don't even find most professional female athletes, including Marion Jones, that sexy - too hard and too much muscle; not soft enough. So too I thought, sexiness is not just about the physical body and clothes, but also about personality and style. In this particular shot of Marion Jones, what I found sexy was her confidence and style. And because it was just a movie and not a person, I couldn't interact or pursue anything. I could only enjoy the momentary sensation of beauty, and I was happy.
I think 2007 is gonna be a good year. My horoscope said so.
posted by Coquin at 9:22 PM
2 Comments:
Happy New Year Eric!
Don't worry too much about soccer man, we havent been doing a whole lot of this around here either because of the rain..Moscone fields are rained out most of the time..or so says Daniel...hmm maybe I should investigate!! (Daniel trying to avoid exercise? never!)
peter
Peter!
I never told you that you were right about the dropped iPod. All it took was a hard reset, and for that I sent it all the way back to the U.S. and then Max had to send it back.
Guess that'll teach me to be less lazy about these kind of things.
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