Written by Marna Kirchner
Have you ever wondered why medicine always tastes bad? Is there some universal secret rule that says, things that heal you must taste disgusting? Perhaps there is some vengeful medicine genie somewhere that thinks we must have done something wrong to get sick, so just in case, he makes sure the medicine tastes bad to punish us.
The same thing with food; the stuff that’s good for you tastes iffy (think brussels sprouts), and the bad stuff is truly delicious – I’m thinking about the delectable fried dumplings at my local in Emporium Shopping Centre. Why can’t pizza, chocolate and ice cream not just be good for you?
And why does it have to be such a damn effort to get exercise? In my attempts to fight the midlife goonies, I’ve recently taken to going to the gym in my building and have also started my long neglected yoga classes again. I’ve even bought a bicycle and cycle round Bangkok, playing dare with the taxis in Sukhumvit Road. Countless hours of huffing and puffing, sore muscles, contortions and irate taxi drivers later, when I turn around and look in the mirror, my butt is still as wobbly as ever! Where’s the fairness in that, I ask you? And then, just when I’ve resigned myself to a rigorous training schedule – walking to TOPS, instead of taking the tuk-tuk to buy more chocolate – I read that new research shows exercise plays almost no role in weight management! FOR GOODNESS SAKE! What is a girl to do?
With all mankind’s technological advances, one would think that someone would have managed to come up with an instant fat reducer by now. Mind you, some enterprising souls did try. The people who designed those machines that send electric impulses through your muscles to make them contract as if you are exercising had the right idea. It was always doomed to failure, but in my book, they should be rewarded for making a valiant effort to improve the lives of couch potatoes everywhere. The idea was absolutely brilliant – you sit on the sofa, watch tv and hook yourself up to pads that wrap around your tummy, bum or thighs. Theoretically, after a few weekends of hard work, vegging out on the couch and showing real self control by eating only half the amount of chocolate you normally would, one should look like a million dollars! But no, in steps that nasty genie again – It shall not be easy to lose weight and have toned muscles. You have to work baby, work until you DROP!
Three weeks ago, I blogged about the ridiculous advice I read about to cope with hot flushes. A sympathetic chicky regretfully pointed out that red wine is another of those culprits that causes hot flushes and very appropriately added tearful sad sounds – Baahh!! Yes, baahh! Indeed. The day I am stopped from having a fab glass of wine because of a damn hot flush will be a sad day indeed!
No, I’m still determined to find my salvation somewhere else. So in two weeks time I have an appointment at the Bangkok Hospital’s anti-aging centre where I’ve hunted down one of those integrative healthcare specialists I wrote about earlier. I’ll let you know if the fountain of youth can be found in this direction.
In the meantime, wineglass in hand, I remain ...
Emotionally yours, Marna
Marna Kirchner is a qualitative market researcher, a woman, a wife and a mother who has recently moved to Bangkok. The city alternately inspires and infuriates her. Here she writes about the emotional impact of her experiences in Bangkok and shares them with you, because she knows she is not alone in going through these experiences. And when she walks past you on the BTS walkways or on Sukhumvit road, she wonders which emotions are going through your head. Maybe, in turn, you’ll share them with her.
Marna asserts her right to be identified as the author of this work. All copyright and/or pictures are the property of the author.