This week a woman, next week a man
I had always wanted to learn some of the different ballroom dances- and after much searching I finally came across a 10 week introductory class to Ballroom and Latin Dancing for beginners- exactly the kind of taster class I was looking for. Unfortunately, and as I had expected, the women outweighed the men…. 7:1! So, this week I got to dance the woman’s steps, but next week I will dance the man’s steps. Today, we started off with the Foxtrot, first pacing out the steps, speeding it up, then coming together with our partner and trying not to stomp on each other’s feet. Once the music switched on, we were dancing to songs like Beyond the Sea and The Tender Trap. I hadn't been sure how I would find my first dance class, because I often find it difficult to copy dance moves, but I really felt I got the hang of it today, and with a bit of practice, I definitely think I will be ready for next week.
I had always wanted to learn some of the different ballroom dances- and after much searching I finally came across a 10 week introductory class to Ballroom and Latin Dancing for beginners- exactly the kind of taster class I was looking for. Unfortunately, and as I had expected, the women outweighed the men…. 7:1! So, this week I got to dance the woman’s steps, but next week I will dance the man’s steps. Today, we started off with the Foxtrot, first pacing out the steps, speeding it up, then coming together with our partner and trying not to stomp on each other’s feet. Once the music switched on, we were dancing to songs like Beyond the Sea and The Tender Trap. I hadn't been sure how I would find my first dance class, because I often find it difficult to copy dance moves, but I really felt I got the hang of it today, and with a bit of practice, I definitely think I will be ready for next week.
Why buy one book when you can buy 10?
I called into the Irish Cancer Society charity shop to ask about volunteering, and was told I could start the following week. My first task was to check price tags on items out in the shop, and I was immediately struck by how the donations are sold at such fantastic value. Take all these books pictured here, for example, the majority are priced at €1.50 each! So if you are thinking of getting new reading material any time soon, do consider going to a charity shop, because not only are you donating to a charitable cause, but you are also saving money and benefiting the environment in the process. After checking price tags, I was sorting through donations, which is always an interesting task to see what kind of items people donate. The strangest was probably a funky piano-shaped teapot! I really enjoyed my first day- learning how the shop works, and meeting all the other volunteers.
The Yoga Newbie
This was my first ever yoga class. I was quite nervous going in, as this was not a beginner class, but rather a “Yoga all levels” class and everyone else seemed to know what they were doing. Nonetheless, in I went, and the instructor told me to get a mat, a blanket (??) and some blocks (???). At first glance the studio, with all the foam blocks, blankets and mats, looked like an ideal place to build a really impressive blanket fort. The instructor was excellent, easing us into the class, then the poses got progressively difficult, and by the end my legs were really starting to shake! We wound down at the end, eventually getting to use the mysterious blanket for the meditation part, called "Shavasana". Having never tried yoga before, I had been wary about doing it, but after today’s class, I think it would be extremely valuable to keep it up as a life-long activity.
I can't wait to see what the next few weeks bring!
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| Books flowing off the shelves! |
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| The "Tree Pose"- fell over right after taking this |
The Yoga Newbie
This was my first ever yoga class. I was quite nervous going in, as this was not a beginner class, but rather a “Yoga all levels” class and everyone else seemed to know what they were doing. Nonetheless, in I went, and the instructor told me to get a mat, a blanket (??) and some blocks (???). At first glance the studio, with all the foam blocks, blankets and mats, looked like an ideal place to build a really impressive blanket fort. The instructor was excellent, easing us into the class, then the poses got progressively difficult, and by the end my legs were really starting to shake! We wound down at the end, eventually getting to use the mysterious blanket for the meditation part, called "Shavasana". Having never tried yoga before, I had been wary about doing it, but after today’s class, I think it would be extremely valuable to keep it up as a life-long activity.
I can't wait to see what the next few weeks bring!
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