Last weekend I decided to go for a swim. I was in fact quite desperate for some physical activity, which is unlike my usual lizard-like self, but I've finally accepted the fact that I won't lose any more weight without it and and I was also suffering some end of term stress and really needed to release it. Well, release I did but not quite in the way I had envisioned.
The closest pool to me is at the new gym, The Place II. Not being quite sure exactly where it was, I called the first Place for the address before setting out. It didn't take long to realise they had given me the wrong address so I called back. Now they decided I should phone the new Place so gave me that number. I call from a very busy street and a mousy little voice answers. She refuses all requests to speak more loudly and I can't hear a word. I call the first Place again and get a different girl. She won't give me the address. She only wants to talk about membership. After my 4th request for the address I started shouting, as you do. After about 4 more requests for the address, she says, "Oh, so you want the address?" as if I hadn't made myself clear in the first place. Something almost ruptured inside me and my jaw was hanging in amazement. And then just when a person thinks they can't be made to feel any less of a valid being, she says, "well, getting back to the membership..." How could I not explode?
I decided to stomp my way to the first Place and complain and on the way found the other Place I was looking for. I went in and asked to speak to the manager and guess what I got in return, "You want a membership." More exploding about the first words out of her mouth being about parting a person and their money, and not listening to the question, and then I repeated everything to assist her comprehension. The manager come and proved to be a prized idiot and the assistant got worse. She effed off after firm instruction to do so. I did my best indignant not-ever-going-to-be-a-customer-in-this-overpriced-crappy-service-joint performance, before leaving. The manager was running out the door after me. His mouth was moving but I could no longer hear anything. My brain was blanking out the trauma. I did get to have a look at the pool though, and I have to say that it is the worst pool I've ever seen for choppiness and certainly not worth US$15 for a one day pass.
It took me the rest of the day and an early night to recover from getting so angry. I hate it, it's really upsetting but I have to vent or I implode. The following day I was even more desperate to swim, this now having become a physical craving. This time I went to Phnom Penh Sports Club. It's a little out of my way but for $5 for a day pass and with a decent length pool and full facilities (gym, steam, sauna, massage, cafe, separate kids' pool etc) it was just right. Although a little jaded, and aren't we all, it was clean and the atmosphere relaxed and friendly, just what I needed to reset my equilibrium.
I managed 24 lengths of the 25 metre pool before my arms started to tire. This is quite pathetic considering I used to swim 3-5ks, 3 or 4 times a week, but it has taken years for the rod and screws in my leg to settle down enough to allow swimming without severe pain. I also developed asthma after a bad reaction to the anasthetic during the operation to repair the leg, but I've altered my breathing pattern to cope with that. Instead of breathing on every 3rd stroke, I breathe on every second. It does slow me down but it also doesn't cause chest tightness. I'm not too stiff which is a vast improvement on even 6 months ago when I last swam, and then suffered increasing stiffness everyday for about a week before it started to abate. This is one symptom that seems to be under control and inline with my my recent normalised thyroid tests. I still have a hell of a temper, but then I always did.
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