Problem at the gym
Based on my past experience of going to a gym in Japan I knew that there would be a lot of people staring at me and wanting to poke me. Especially the old folk. Here in Japan there are 70 year old dudes at the gym pumping iron. Pretty impressive seeing that where I’m from most people that age are circling the drain on their last legs…
There was this one dude who seemed to be there every time I went. He looked like one of those busy bodies that knew everybody. He was always talking to a different person. He tried to nod his head and smile at me a few times but I just pretended that I couldn’t see him.
I know his type well. He is looking for an icebreaker. Once the ice is broken he will start trying to talk with me and get all pally pally. So I kept ignoring him and avoiding eye contact.
One day I was doing some bench presses. I did my last lift and sat up. It was a really hot day. I remember thinking to myself,“Woah, I’m parched”. I looked down to my left and saw an unopened bottle of sports drink.
Wait a minute, time out!!
There are only two possible ways that this drink could have gotten there:
1) The power of the mind. I was so parched and needed a drink so badly that I somehow willed it out of the vending machine and next to my foot.
2) I bought it but forgot about it.
Using logical deduction I came to the conclusion that it was neither of the above. I looked around and saw dude smiling. “Fuck, he got me” is what went through my mind. He came over and said, “For you”. I tried to say no thanks but he insisted and wouldn’t take it back -_-
So long story short ever since then dude is always trying to talk to me and keeps randomly throwing me drinks…
I have been watching a cool TV series called Criminal Minds lately. A team of FBI agents who make profiles on criminals. Here is my profile on the dude from our brief interaction:
“I don’t know his age but I think he is in his late 20s or 30s. He is about 5 foot tall. He has no job. He told me that he wants a girlfriend but is too pussy (chicken) to talk to women. He goes to the gym everyday and stays from 10am till closing time… “
I try not to judge people or anything but dude is a bit …
It is good to be dedicated about something. But when you aren’t training for the Olympics and you don’t work at the gym, what excuse do you really have for spending all day everyday there?
I think a few times he tried asking me what my plans were and then tried hinting he would like to tag along LOL. I obviously shot him down. I kinda feel sorry for dude. A part of me wants to take him under my wing, help him get laid, get him addicted coke and basically just help him get a life..
But part of me wants to just tell him to fuck off and never come near me again… However, the gym is pretty small and I don’t really want the awkward vibes…
It is not that I am anti-social or anything. I just wanna pump iron for an hour or so in silence and then go home…
I think I messed up by taking the drink. I should have just left it untouched and walked away…
I sold my soul for a bottle of sports drink 
Anybody in any weird predicaments with people that they have to be cool with even though they don’t want to be?
I can stomach it if I don’t have to see the person again/often, but when they are at a place you go to on a regular basis….
I hate having to fake being nice…
Tags: Encounters, Japan, Life, Social
Nino (55)
Michael Flux (40)
lina (31)
Jamaipanese (26)
Chris B (20)
sixmats (20)
Renee Khan (18)
Rachel (16)
Tokyo Grindhouse CEO (16)
Dutch Donut Girl (15)
May 11th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
lol thats great!
May 11th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
@cincere
Might have to take the fool out with my quantum of solace skillz
May 11th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
maybe you should just switch gym’s
sounds like he’d find you though
May 11th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
@Joe - woops, got my website and email wrong way round
May 11th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
ok THIS time i got it right…jesus christ.
May 11th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I can understand wanting to be nice, but you’ll get over it soon enough.
May 11th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
You do know that he went home and told his mum (who he still lives with) that he had made a friend. She was so pleased with him she made him a cake and on the top it said in big letters “You got a friend!!!!1111″
Then you blow him out, he sits, he waits, then he goes postal and mutates into some kind of deviant mecha destroying most of the city.
And whose fault will it be?
YOURS.
(I’m not helping much am I)
May 11th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Used to belong to a gym, but these days just work out at home. Pretty no-frills arrangement, just a bench and some dumbbells, but money- and schedule-wise, it works for me.
>I have been watching a cool TV series called Criminal Minds lately.
LOL! Just got into that show a month or so ago. It rocks. Burned through season one and am just getting started on season two.
p/s - Your gym stalker guy is weird.
Haven’t had to deal with any characters like that recently, thank goodness.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
I totally agree with Paul.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
@Joe
lol 3 times a charm
Gym is < 5 mins from home. No way im gonna change..
@sixmats
lol yeah i feel it man. Im just gonna flip one day and stop caring hehe.
@Paul
Howdy. You is scaring me man
But thank you. I now know what I must do!!!
@john turningpin
haha its awesome right? who is your best char? Im like ep 16 and I started watching it on saturday. I need to start dling Season 2. Also check out Lie to me!
@lina
so you think I should take him out before he destroys the world???
May 11th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
You were tempted by the drink like Eve by the apple
Haha… I couldn’t stop laughing at this post. Yea, these kind of people are everywhere. Most of them nowadays transfer online and use Twitter to do so. You need to write updates on this. I wonder how the story will end. To conclude in your fashion:
1) He will beg you to be your friend, cry infront of you and you will be merciful. He will then invite himself to your flat with a bunch of BSG DVDs and drinks, he will bring you slippers, the newspapers, cook and clean up for you.
2) You will stare at him angrily like Samuel L. Jackson until he will be afraid of you, he won’t talk to you, but will tell all of his sissy friends that black gaijin are all bad and violent and unsocial. Unrests in Tokyo may follow.
So, it’s a lose-lose situation ^_^
May 11th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
o.O difficult situation…(@_@;) The guy should spend time to look for a job and he needs to learn how to communicate with people, understanding from the air or unspoken words.
How you can do with him…You don’t have to fake yourself to be nice to him, but you could maybe tell him politely that you want to work out by yourself in silence, buying him a drink back. Then you just do your job, being free from “obligation”. How is that? :p
BTW, I didn’t realize up until now that your blog is hosted by yourself, no longer blogspot. So I’ll replace the link to this new URL when I can.
May 12th, 2009 at 1:57 am
Damn I lost my train of thought once I read Paul’s comment
I don’t know if you watch Seinfeld, but good luck when you try breaking up with him. Just remember to be firm, when he starts crying. Otherwise, you’ll never get rid of him!!
May 12th, 2009 at 3:51 am
I love Seinfeld, Lyndon. Now that you mention it, it is like in one of his episodes
May 12th, 2009 at 8:32 am
So long story short he was hitting on you and you crushed his hopes and dreams! Way to go, what a beast you are! :’(
May 12th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
@Nino
I might have fun with it. Try do some match making and see if I can help him find a woman!
@kirin
I like your avatar
I guess I can tell him politely but it will still feel akward hehe everytime I go. I guess I have to just stop worrying about it and do it…
Thanks for updating the link!!
@Lyndon
Yeah I watched a little seinfeld. I was more into Frasier though. Lol if he starts crying, not like im gonna comfort a dude ;P
@Michael Flux
Heartbreaker for life yo !
May 12th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Love the post. Funny and serious at the same time.
That would be totally hard when you have to go there every day.
I liked how you sold out for a sports drink but really how could you possibly not have taken the drink.
Renee xoxo
May 13th, 2009 at 8:11 am
lol! maybe your COD4 skills would be better….i ahvent played since saturday…no time
May 13th, 2009 at 9:34 am
@Renee Khan
Thanks for stopping by. It was a tough spot. The mind said no, but the thristy throat said yes. I need to train my body to listen to my mind! Or is it the other way around? lol
@cincere
lol
Now thats just mean
Hit me up when your free and lets do some!
May 17th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
just continue to be nice and ignore him from time to time, i think that’ll be fine as long as you dont ignore him too much to the point of depression
May 18th, 2009 at 9:13 am
@lina lina
lol i actually started doing that. Half the times I come in I have a mean face on and act like im in a bad mood
May 19th, 2009 at 12:35 am
yuck…I hate it when peops try to talk at the gym…..I just want to go work out and chill in my own mind…not chitchat with someone….wear an ipod and maybe he’ll get the drift…
btw I LOVE Criminal Minds!!!
May 19th, 2009 at 9:29 am
@ms bliss
Thanks for the tip. Im gonna defo ipod it to the gym next time. I am on season 3 of Criminal minds. Who is your best character?