It's time to ZUMBAAA!!

Here are my students from the first of two groups I am teaching for the next two weeks, 
during the Concordia HS "Explorations" courses. 



Ditch the workout. JOIN THE PARTY!!

Tonight I'm Getting Over You...

Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen
Choreo: Students and Miss Fitz

Happy dog taking a happy swim!

Yes, that would be my neighbor's bulldog taking a swim in the fish pond!!! I'm pretty sure this is a "only in Shanghai" moment!  Maybe the pool would have been less smelly???

Fitness Benefits written from teen perspective...

I've been meaning to share these funny gems for awhile, as this was a worksheet the class completed at the beginning of the semester as we learned about the muscles and bones of the body.





 
Luckily, the students now realize the doctor doesn't hit their head during a visit, but rather their knee!


 
I really enjoy teaching this class, and my boys are so funny, but work really hard! 
Thanks to Parker, Joey, Henry, Joash, Julian, Trevor and Eric for a great semester of fitness training! 
I'm very proud of you all.

Random Shanghai pic of the day..

The other night, nanpu bridge was lit up in a super psychedelic way... I'm pretty sure "Rainbow Song" by Disco Biscuits was playing in the taxi as we drove over!! I don't know if the Chinese government was celebrating something special that night, but I'm diggin' the groovy vibe!  
It's a good look, Shanghai!

Happy Thursday, y'all!



Eggplant.. what to do with it?!

Eggplant was never my favorite growing up, so I had never paid attention to the different ways my family prepared it.  As it turns out, eggplant is pretty versatile, and cheap here in Shanghai, so here's a creation I came up with for dinner the other night:



Eggplant, tomatoes sauteed in olive oil, garlic and onion with orecchiette pasta and toasted pine nuts. 

Easy, peasy!  Hope you are having a healthy and happy day!

Live, love, ZUMBA!!

This weekend I visited Manila, the capital city of the Philippines for a Zumba instructor training course.  The people I met were so incredibly friendly and inspirational.  We had a great time, learning the four basic rhythms of Zumba; the Cumbia, Salsa, Reggaeton, and Merengue.  We also practiced choreographing different sequences and identifying Latin rhythms.  It is a lot more complicated than it looks, to design an entire Zumba class!!


 

Out to dinner after day 1:

 
 As a side reflection, the young Philippina girls were also amazed that I traveled by myself to Manila, since "it's so dangerous".  In addition, they were amazed that I only traveled with a medium sized weekend bag.


Living overseas in Shanghai has made me a less fearful of crime.  It still amazes me, two years later, that a city of 23 million has such a low crime rate.  Also, that police don't carry guns here, and there's still order and control.

Then again, maybe I've always been a little ignorant of the "danger" lurking in foreign cities. I recalled my first solo trip to California from New York at age 18.  

I traveled with two matching upright suitcases that were stuffed to capacity with frivolous things that I never used (poncho, anyone?).

The friend I was visiting was not very helpful in the navigation of the metro LA area.  She had no idea how to direct me from LAX to Rancho Cucamonga, a suburb outside of Valencia, which was not easily reached by public transit.

I remember standing in the parking lot of LAX, looking around for a city bus to take to Union Station, in order to arrive to her friend’s house, (who would then take me up north to this Rancho Cucamonga town).  I remember a older lady looking bewildered when I asked her how to get to Union Station via city bus.  She asked me if I was sure I wanted to take a bus.  I later realized why she had such apprehension to direct me to the bus stop!
Me at 18 in California, after finally arriving to Valencia!
The most enjoyable thing for me while traveling is taking mass transit, and seeing how local people move and operate in their daily lives.  It's funny to recognize the differences between cities--people in NYC freestyle rapping with earphones in, oblivious to those around them; people traveling with their bicycles on the BART metro in San Fran; people in love in Madrid; women-only subways in Japan.

We are united in our similarities more than our differences.  One of the most beautiful things about dance is its universal appeal and connections.  For that reason, Zumba has flourished in over 75 different countries, and has helped millions of participants stay active, happy and healthy. 

It's cold and rainy here in shanghai, but after being in the Philippines for the weekend, I am determined to spread the warmth of Zumba Love!!  I would like to give special thanks to the fabulous and inspirational instructor, Prince Paltu-ob and to all the lovely people I met this weekend- for their hospitality, for their happy spirits and for their positive energy!

ZUMBAAAAAA!

paz.amor.felicidad <3

Biggest Gainer Fitness Challenge

Here are the winning results from the third "Biggest Gainer" Fitness Challenge, for the Fitness Training elective I am teaching this semester.  This student had a total improvement of 611%!!  TOTAL BEAST!!  Congrats Joash!

How do you measure up?  Are you stronger than an 8th grader?? ;)

Have a happy day!

paz.amor.felicidad <3