I have been asking Sawsan a lot about the role of the hijab in public life particularly regarding sports. She told me it was no problem at all and that women come work out at their club who normally wear the hijab or even the niqab (face veil) but since it is segregated by gender there is no problem for them to unveil and wear tight clothes in the presence of other women. She decided it would be a good idea for me to accompany them on their weekly trip to their club. What an experience...
Before I go into details about the evening, let me first explain the concept of these "sporting clubs". They have become extremely popular among Egyptians and are giant complexes that seem to combine a country club (sadly no golf course), multiple playgrounds, impressive soccer stadiums and tracks, hundreds of lounging areas, snackbars and shops, and a gym. Put all of these things together in what looks like a beautiful gated university, and there you have it: the nadie.
The club that they belong to is located outside of Cairo, in the city New Cairo. We went right after our huge lunch/dinner (still haven't figured out these meal times) and immediately found a spot to sit near the pool to enjoy our tea. Her husband went to go pray at the mosque at the club and her daughter went to go buy us snacks. I've never seen people eat as much as Egyptians. I find it so funny that they go to the club every week so that Sawsan and her girls can take an aerobics class to help them lose weight but then we indulged in chips and sweets after eating tons of fish and rice for dinner. After eating and lounging for an hour or so, it was time for the aerobics class. We left her husband to sit outside and read his qur'an while we went inside. I think he was happy to enjoy some peace and quiet for once, plus it was almost prayer time again.
Sawsan insisted I join their class. I protested saying that I didn't have any clothes, but don't worry she apparently raided Richard Simmons' wardrobe and had a lovely outfit for me consisting of NEON blue spandex pants and a giant matching t-shirt. Nothing says "go get 'em" more than an ensemble like that. Once I stopped laughing at myself, I was able to observe the transformation of the women from quiet and reserved veiled Muslim women as they entered the locker room to extroverted giggly ladies in their spandex, free to dress how they want without the presence of men.
Our aerobics class was histerical. Picture a room of about ten plump, uncoordinated Muslim women ages 11-50 all following a spunky Egyptian teacher clad head to toe orange attempting to Egyptian Jazzercize, if you will. And then throw me in the mix. AND THEN, the song Low by Flow Ridacame on (...Apple Bottom Jeans, boots with the fur, the whole club was looking at her...) I nearly lost it.
Aside from the comedic aspect, the class was a ton of fun and the women were so kind and helpful with my research.
Once we went back outside we ordered a giant box of delicious Egyptian donoughts covered in honey called zalabia. Of course.
Definitely a gym experience unlike any other.
I'd have loved to have been there! What fun I wonder if my clients would go for that type of a workout! offering donuts would start a whole new craze!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have been there, with my own color coordinated neon outfit of course.
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