Pantyhose and Japanese Hot Yoga

Not at the same time, don’t worry. I don’t think pantyhose are the best option for alpinists attempting to reach the summit of the tallest mountain in the world. They are, however, ridiculously common here in Japan, yet another reason I feel like their trends are a bit stuck in the past. I never would have thought that I’d be a regular pantyhose-wearing workingwoman (I am dumbstruck by the fact that that “workingwoman” is one word), even after realizing that EVERY female here wears them. I resisted for my first two weeks. Finally, I caved after hanging out with my Japanese friend and decided to give it the old college try. Turns out, I love pantyhose. They make my legs look awesome, even-toned and slim, and they make me feel less gross changing between sweaty pairs of shoes all the time. I feel like they also keep my pants cleaner from creating a barrier between them and my sweaty legs.'

My new best friends

Speaking of sweat, the only time you can see a Japanese person covered in it is during a hot yoga session. I decided that since I paid a whole $5.00 for a month gym membership, I should milk it for every cent and go to one of the classes they offer. I was completely clueless as to how it works at my gym where literally no employee speaks English. Of course, attempting to ask about if the gym has a sign up procedure for their classes was out of the question. Even if I magically figured out how to ask if I needed a mat or if I could rent one, I would never be able to understand the response. 

So, I learned how to read "hot yoga" in katakana, found out there was a class at 3:45 today and decided just to show up. I got there about a half hour early and there was already a line outside the studio. Good sign. I also noticed there were piles of mats stacked up inside the studio. Sweet, free mat rental, BOOM! I assumed, quite erroneously, that their version of hot yoga would be equivalent to that in America, with the same 26 postures. WRONG. Thankfully, the lady on the mat noticed my obvious white-ness and how completely lost I was instantly, and she started giving me little gestures on what to do in the mirror. The most awkward thing was that the instructor was clearly hilarious- people were laughing at her jokes the entire time, and I just sat there with my straight face plastered on. I think laughing with everyone else when they clearly could tell I didn't understand would have just made things worse. 

My fake laugh is a bit over the top...

The class was actually quite enjoyable, a nice detox, and if I continue to go maybe I will pick up some vocabulary. I doubt it, however. It may even make the normal gym fee worth it next month.