Une, deux, trois, une. Une, deux, trois, deux. Duex fois. Quatre fois. What is she yelling about up there. OH - she is talking to me. I think she just asked what is the english word for elbow. Or was that knee? Get those elbows together? Or did she say point those toes?
It all started so easily. Katherine noticed I had exercise videos and a step in my veranda. "You would like to go to aerobics with me?" OK, I said. Not thinking that day would ever come. I am not much of a follower. The videos look good, but I just keep moving. I don't really follow the steps. In the states, I think Vic only took me to aerobics for the hoot of it. Well, Monday night at 7:30 came, we rode our bikes to the community center, and there were 25 middle-age women, all dressed like me, with their water bottles and Reeboks, and chatting away, in French of course.
The first 10 minutes of stretching went well. I figured out the count, could follow the stretch, just like home, and then the pace changed and every one was marching on their steps. Now off, now on, 4 to the right, no 3 to the left, turn, what does that mean? Because of course the little clues I used to get were now in french. I just tried to follow along. Fortunately, so did a couple of people to my left, or right.
After 30 minutes of step we exchange our steps for mats and bands. Hey, these bands have numbers on them and slots -- for your feet. Une et six. That's one and six, Katherine said. The teacher must have heard her, and the next time said, une et cinq - et en Anglais? That's one and five I said, and chuckled. Well while on my hands and knees and with my left leg extended in the air, the instructor pointed out the new student, who speaks english, but she was certainly not an english speaker. I am sure she was telling me to put my elbows together, or maybe it was my knees, and then she said she has an American friend in La Varenne, and I thought, well where the hell is she? And how many more of these lifts do we have to do?
There was much camaraderie in the crowd, and just like at home, afterwards everyone was chatting. Many asked how I liked the class, and if it was like American classes, I said yes, and I wasn't very good at those either. I doubt they understood me, but it was very nice to feel like one of the crowd. No class next week, fete de Pentecote, but I will go back in two weeks, and will know all the french words for the body parts by then.
