Chubby girl too can run?

One thing I brought with me to Taiwan is my awful habit of jogging/running/shuffling.  It is more preventative than the actual desire to run in this inhumane humidity.  Beside visiting family and friends, I am in Taiwan for one important purpose: eating.  To make sure I don't end up rolling home like a ball, I run in the morning.


There are two places I go for my run: one is this quiet path in the science park where it is like an oasis among the industrial buildings; the other one is the sports park where a standard running track exists and an Olympic-size swimming pool with a fun kids' pool where the boys love to go and we've been there just about every other day.


I love running on the path of the science park because it's much quieter and cooler with the trees lining the path.   To get to the park though, I have to hike up a .8 mile of 12% grade two-lane freeway. ( I know the exact distance because I have my Nike plus with me.)  During morning commute hours, the exhaust from the cars and motorcycles are just too much to bear for the hike.  So on the days I don't get up early enough, I go to the sports park.


There are always people on the track either jogging like I do or walking.  After I've finished my 8 laps, I was doing the stretching and trying to cool down.  A guy walked past me and said: "小姐胖胖也可以跑哦!" (Translation directly: Chubby miss too can run, huh!) I was half amused and half shocked and all I could utter was "WHAT?!" in English.  That startled him because he looked sheepishly and nodded his head with apologies in Chinenglish "So-ree, so-ree."


Later on my way home, I thought his comment is actually a compliment, at least I've decided to make it so.  Yes, chubby girls can run too and I'm the proof of it!  So for breakfast I added another order of juicy dumplings - yum!

I run around this man-made pond.

The path around the pond.

The path lined with trees.

Juicy dumplings (湯 包.）  Will post more about it later.