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Friday, August 19, 2011

Set in my ways


Typically this is something said about old people (whoever in your life you think is really old):

They are so set in their ways! They won't try new things or compromise or admit they're wrong...

I do like to try new things and I'm really not stubborn but... 

I have a teensy, weensy, problem with compromise.

As many of you know, my husband and I are in the process of leaving the country (check out Unforeseen Circumstances for more details).

So we've been at my in laws' house since the beginning of August and leave on the 31st. Being here has made me more aware of how uncompromising I am with certain things.


Food

I am not on a diet or anything of the sort. However, I like to eat healthy, well and when I want. In Spain there is this (silly) custom where everyone eats at 2pm. My mother-in-law even stretches it until 3pm!

Ok fine. But after a long run, even when I eat a balanced breakfast, I'm starving well before 2pm! When I do eat, I don't want to eat white bread (another custom), meat or fried foods.

I don't want to eat the same thing day after day, week after week. I want to have my whole grains, fruits, vegetables plus some kind of protein like beans or fish.

What I eat is NOT weird! No, I don't want seconds and no, I don't want dessert!

Is that so much to ask?

    Schedules

    Spaniards are night owls. I, also, like to have a good time and stay up late and go to a bar or two.
     
    But not on days that I have a run the next morning. 

    I run on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. So that means that Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evenings are off limits!

    I will have to eat before 11pm (no carbs, thanks) and no, I can't go to the aunt's country house.

    I wake up at the crack of dawn to run and don't sleep siesta so I can go to bed on time. It's natural and normal that I will be tired around 12am.

    I'm not being the weird American.

     
    Working out

    I sweat a lot. More so when it's hot and when I'm exercising. I need to wash my workout gear immediately after working out. If not, they will smell and get those little moldy black spots on them. I can't wait until next week or the next day or whenever the wash day is. I need to do it NOW!

    I don't go to a gym to do my weight training because I have all the gear I need at home. Now all of this gear is at the in laws' house. It may seem weird for me to be squating and lunging and flexing at 7am in the morning but I have to do it.

    Stop looking at me like I'm a weirdo!

      Now, don't get me wrong: I appreciate my mother-in-law letting us stay with her until we move. I really, really do. I just get frustrated sometimes because I'm so set in my ways, I guess.

      • I don't like to have to explain myself to anyone. 

      • I want to eat what I want and when I want. 

      • I want to do my exercises without getting a million stares and wash my clothes when I want.


      In general: I WANT MY OWN SPACE BACK!!

      Is that wrong?

      2 comments:

      1. I empathize with your food issues! My husband is Southeast Asian. I love his family dearly and consider myself one of theirs - they've been nothing but loving and welcoming - but the food issues drive me CRAZY! They simply do not understand that I don't want to eat meat. And that when I'm not hungry, I'm really not hungry. When they come visit, it's a constant back and forth with them trying to feed me and me saying "no thanks". I can't imagine how much harder it would be to live in their house! Food and culture are so tightly intertwined that it can be hard to navigate.

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      2. Yes! That happened to me at first too! Eat more, more and more! Now they are bit more respectful in that sense...a bit. It seems so silly but food is important. Oh, and I didn't realize that meat was dominant in Southeast Asian cuisine! Interesting.

        ReplyDelete