My Slovakian colleague June (now in Germany) wrote me this: It's said people in California are terrified when they see that someone is SO undisciplined with diet and that you Californians there eat only fruit and vegetables (all travel brochures write about this).
Isn't her English wonderful? I have tried to learn German and Russian and I know this is hard.
Well, it's true. Out here in Southern California, we are health nuts. I credit my good health to moving out here many years ago and being under these good influences. There is actually peer pressure here to eat well, exercise and take preventive alternative measures like massage, acupuncture, Yoga and Pilates seriously. In the office at lunchtime one might feel funny pigging out on ribs and fries while everyone else is eating a salad or other healthy item. It is really truly shocking to me when I travel and see smoking. This is a genuiunely smoke free environment.
Since we can be outdoors here year 'round, we don't wear too many clothes and are therefore more consciuos of our physiques. We can't cover up under all those layers that you do in the Midwest, East Coast or in the UK and Europe. Every extra pound shows. It is not exaggerating to say it sometimes looks like Bay Watch here. You can see a woman jogging along side the road who could be in movies easily. Aside from Czechoslovakia and maybe Texas, I think the women here are among the most beautiful in the world. The men, especially the gay men, are picture perfect.
Of course that is also the problem. When I first moved here, I called it LaLaLand. Lotus Eater land. I stayed away from the beach, worked hard, kept my mind focused on important things. Otherwise it seemed I would drift toward a life of indolence, perhaps dropping out and staying down at the beach all day.
All of this ended when I took my first Scuba Diving class. I wanted to sell my soul in exchange for a trip to the top dive spots in the world and the time to enjoy them.
I think they call this Californicated.
Isn't her English wonderful? I have tried to learn German and Russian and I know this is hard.
Well, it's true. Out here in Southern California, we are health nuts. I credit my good health to moving out here many years ago and being under these good influences. There is actually peer pressure here to eat well, exercise and take preventive alternative measures like massage, acupuncture, Yoga and Pilates seriously. In the office at lunchtime one might feel funny pigging out on ribs and fries while everyone else is eating a salad or other healthy item. It is really truly shocking to me when I travel and see smoking. This is a genuiunely smoke free environment.
Since we can be outdoors here year 'round, we don't wear too many clothes and are therefore more consciuos of our physiques. We can't cover up under all those layers that you do in the Midwest, East Coast or in the UK and Europe. Every extra pound shows. It is not exaggerating to say it sometimes looks like Bay Watch here. You can see a woman jogging along side the road who could be in movies easily. Aside from Czechoslovakia and maybe Texas, I think the women here are among the most beautiful in the world. The men, especially the gay men, are picture perfect.
Of course that is also the problem. When I first moved here, I called it LaLaLand. Lotus Eater land. I stayed away from the beach, worked hard, kept my mind focused on important things. Otherwise it seemed I would drift toward a life of indolence, perhaps dropping out and staying down at the beach all day.
All of this ended when I took my first Scuba Diving class. I wanted to sell my soul in exchange for a trip to the top dive spots in the world and the time to enjoy them.
I think they call this Californicated.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home