The day I became a celebrity...

A Celebrity Fitness member that is. It seems my never ending search for a good yoga class ended at the mall on Sunday when Mumu, a fine Celebrity Gym salesman, lured Howie and me into the gym with the promise of cheap membership rates and the best gym in town. The tour and "sell" lasted about an hour and included such highlights as pointing out every other white person in the gym and an analysis of my workout motivation and several questions about my goals. Mumu informed me that after 6 months I can look like J.Lo. Before I go any further, I must remind you that going to the gym is a new fad here in Indonesia. Most people who walk through the door have never been to a gym before and have no idea how to use the equipment or what it means to go to the gym, other than what they have seen in the movies. This place is what you see in the movie and while Mumu was not lying and they do have the most modern machines in all of Indonesia, you could not help but get that cheesey 1980s feeling. On the plus side, there are tons of machines and everything is new. The locker room is gorgeous and clean and there are nice showers, a steam room and a sauna. There are literally about 75 classes to choose from and that includes a plentiful amount of spinning and yoga. And they gave me a free gym bag.

On the negative side the gym is filled with the most intense pounding techno music. I am talking overpowering cannot listen to your iPod loud. And then there is the glass. In the vain of letting people know you are wealthy enough to be a gym member, the gym is encased in glass and wraps around the second floor of the mall so anyone heading from Starbucks to the Hard Rock Cafe on the escalator can watch you on the bike, treadmill or even in your downward dog. Call me prude, but I prefer a more private setting when I am trying wrap my legs around my neck in yoga.

And, for the record, the name is a lie. The only celebrity I have seen is Ali G who runs the hip hop dance aerobics class and uses moves that puts the Fly Girls to shame. I could stay on a machine for hours watching that class.

For a good chuckle, check out the website: www.celebrityfitness.com