I’m pretty sure the concept of the American gym does not exist in China. After a few days in Beijing, and five in quarantine, doing nothing but push ups and sit ups for exercise, I knew I needed to find the gym at Tsinghua. Two friends and I discussed pounds-to-kilos conversions and set out for the gym, a couple minutes by bicycle from our dorms. The non-air-conditioned indoor facility had several bench presses with wooden benches and wracks so narrow that benching was at least a two-person job, two and a half dumbbells, four or so barbells with fixed weights on the ends, Smith machines, and lots of pull up bars. Without dumbbells or an assortment of adjustable benches, I realized that lifting in China would not be the same as in the States, and it probably doesn’t make sense to try to do the same exercises without the equipment. Someone needed to show me how to exercise with less equipment.

The next week I went on a bike ride around campus, and, as usual, got lost about twenty minutes in. I drove by an outdoor gym, and decided to stop for a quick workout before renewing my efforts to find my 宿 舍. The outdoor gym had lots of bars and barbells for benching that were fixed in metal loops to prevent people from walking off with them. There I met two Chinese students who work out there everyday. It’s a little challenging to meet locals here, since it’s so easy to just hang out with friends in the study abroad program, but I think exercising is the one of best way to meet locals. So my 訢 朋 友 showed me how to use the slightly different equipment, which was a decent workout, but I think it’ll take some getting used to. Running on the track is nice, though, except I’ve heard that you take in three times as much pollution running as you do biking. It’s definitely a different way of staying in shape here, and it obviously works, but I still miss Patten.

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