Fortunate roadblock

Last year I regularly used the weight training room and the aerobics equipment at the university. They didn’t want to let me use it but I managed to get privileges, at least when a couple of particularly generous trainers were on duty. This year didn’t work out so well. I got all the necessary documents and health clearances and presented myself to my guy, who sent me to the head trainer, who sent me to the deacon of my department at the university.

The deacon told me that she could indeed write me a letter of recommendation and that she’d do it for me if I insisted. She objected, however, that she already knew that her application would be rejected. She had taken the matter to the highest levels on behalf of another student she liked, and learned that the head guy is unwilling to have foreign students in his training facility because he was too traumatized when one of them dropped dead lifting weights a couple of years ago.

The deacon encouraged me to go to a private health club, but I didn’t bother following up. I’d already been using the training facilities at the Hotel Minsk for about two dollars a session and I liked it well enough. About this time, I came to like it a whole lot better because it suddenly got more social. There was a woman there every time I went, but we never spoke because she was always plugged into her MP3 player. Finally, about the time I was rejected from the university facilities, this woman unplugged her earphones before she left the room. I exclaimed, “At last!” and came over and introduced myself. Her name is Katya.

From 2011-06 Minsk

The great thing about Katya is that she speaks slowly and clearly, and she’s patient about the fact that I speak even more slowly and often imperfectly. She even turns out to be a pretty good cyclist, and we managed to take a couple of rides together this spring. Meanwhile, the Hotel Minsk has gotten even friendlier. Now another woman, Irina, also comes in regularly. She’s an entertaining conversationalist in her own right, and if we get stuck on something she can usually bail me out in English, which she speaks quite well. Good thing the university didn’t want me this year, because I’m having a really good time with the alternative.