Friday 9/7: We head to a shopping center for an outdoor promotional
event. There's lots of excitement. Promoters and sponsors are there as well as competitors. Everyone wants their picture taken
with me... not even sure if they know who I am but they love taking pictures! Sponsor, Technogym, puts on a demonstration
featuring their "Wave" machine. There's loud music, dancing and lots of spectators. They urge me on stage along with some
members of the audience! It's a BLAST! At this event competitors are introduced & they get their numbers. The pro bodybuilders
show off some muscle & the crowd goes crazy! The fitness competitors are what we would consider model-like. No muscle
but very slender and beautiful.
[I don't change my watch~ we're exactly a 12 hrs
difference~ have to make a conscious effort not to call home at inconvenient hours~ not that I have much cell phone service.
Everyone is extremely hospitable but they speak very little English~ in their defense they speak & understand much more
English than I do Chinese! I hardly sleep partially because of the time change but mostly due to excitement! The weather is
hot the entire week.]
Saturday 9/8: I venture out for a run through the
province on my own. I find a nice little path that wraps around a nearby cannel. It's liberating to be on my own in a different
country absorbing the environment around me. This helps me shake off jet lag. I'm ready for my performance! The theater is
packed. I pose with fitness fans for what seems like hundreds of pictures but I never tire of it! I feel like a STAR! The
Golden Times is a true "show"! They mesh traditional Chinese dance and Kungfu exhibitions, with the competition, other demonstrations
and celebrity guests appearances. The fitness competitors are like "china dolls"! They partake in an evening gown round &
all look stunning in a myriad of brightly colored traditional Chinese gowns. They pose awkwardly in their swimsuits as if
they're trying to mimic something they saw in an American magazine. I take the stage towards the end just before pro bodybuilders.
My routine is a hit! The audience is very appreciative! After the show closes we walk to a local restaurant for a banquet
provided for EVERYONE by Mr. Gao. I LOVE how the Chinese eat and fully understand why I haven't seen one single obese person
since I arrived. We sit at a large round table with an oversized lazy-susan in the center on which the wait staff constantly
adds new exotic dishes. There's a small appetizer-sized plate in front of everyone and we each grab what we want with chopsticks
as the table constantly turns! I eat much less but enjoy it much more! I learn that if someone tips their glass to you it's
customary to drink yours down. I am not a beer-drinker but I do my best! It's so much fun!
Sunday 9/9: Show is over. Back to Beijing for some sight-seeing.
We walk to "The Forbidden City" from the Grand Hyatt where we are staying. Once within the walls, we peruse through some art
by students from Mongolia. We both make purchases that we absolutely love! The temples are incredibly ornate and seem to go
on & on & on! Quick snapshot of Tannimen Square then we rush back to catch an authentic Chinese Acrobatic show that
evening. I thought fitness competitors did cool tricks... we are blown away by the performance!
Monday 9/10: We take a tour to "The Great Wall". A cable car
takes us to the wall and we walk along the ancient stone pathway. The vista is breath-taking and the history is palpable.
We take tons of pictures but are well aware that they won't do this moment justice! We eat our bagged lunch in one of the
towers at which point I take a moment to text-message Cathy and gloat!
Tuesday 9/11: The gym in The Grand Hyatt over-looks an indoor
pool that's more exotic than any beach I've every seen! After a fantastic run, workout then swim I meet Lou for our final
breakfast together! I enjoy the American/Chinese breakfast buffet like only a fitness competitor off her diet can! Lou's off
to LA so I venture down to the upscale, under-ground shopping mall... only because I have some RMB's that I need to get rid
of before I leave the country... hehehehe... it's difficult to shop with the language barrier but I manage! International
air travel is quite different but I make it through the airport without a problem. My flight is uneventful all I want to do
is SLEEP!
There's no place like home!
I enjoyed this trip to China more than I thought possible. I
highly recommend it. I am so thankful for the amazing fitness career I've had and all the opportunities it has afforded me.
Cathy encouraged me to take this trip because I was hesitant. Now MY advice to you all is "Don't be afraid to step outside
of your comfort-zone if that's what it takes to experience life fully!"
