One of the things I did when I arrived in the UK was to register for a General Practitioner. I was asked to fill forms about my medical history. I was asked to bring urine sample to check my blood sugar content as my late father got diabetes. Fortunately, I was clean. I also was questioned several questions. The most memorable question was about doing exercise.
"Do you exercise?" The nurse me asked me as she was examining me.
"Hmm... no," doubtfully I answered her.
"Sinful! It's sinful." She shook her head. She continued, "Are you planning to do some?"
"Hmm... maybe," smiling I responded uncomfortably. She did not ask me further.
It has been three month, and I never did any exercise but twice. At the first time I went swimming with several new friends. It was fun, but because the swimming pool was too far from my campus and no direct public transportation to get there, up now it has been the last time for me went swimming in the UK.
The second time, I did jogging to a village near the campus just two days after I bought a pair of training shoes. But it was uncomfortable as there was limited or no space for pedestrians I could use during my jogging. I said that in my previous writing that my campus was remote, so road infrastructure was not prepared for supporting such objective. Moreover the temperature started getting colder because it was the end of autumn. My breath wheezed and my hand stiffed. I never experienced that situation before back then in Indonesia. So it also became the last time I did jogging. I thought to do it sometimes after the weather little bit warmer.
Last night another chance to do exercise came. I was invited to participate in a game. Badminton.
It was cool. Guess what? I used the racket that was once used by an athlete. Not an ordinary athlete but an Olympic gold medalist. It was Rexy Mainaki's racket.
Some times ago, Rexy Mainaky was the national coach for England's badminton athletes. The national training centre was in the closest city of my campus, Milton Keynes. Before he went back to Indonesia, he gave his badminton rackets to a friend of his who was a lecture at Cranfield University as keepsakes. Last night, I was lent one of the rackets to play.
As I played the game a funny thought occurred, "This is a sign to start a good habit in sport, eh... I have the chance to do an exercise using a racket of Olympic gold medalist!"
So, I thought to sign up for a membership in Sport Hall then. It is the time to feel a little bit of the spirit of Olympians: Citius, Altius, Fortius. And maybe.... it is the time to redeem my sin (for skipping exercise all this time)!
By the way, I won my game last night!
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