Workout Head

I know that just about everyone who comes here has something to say about the "Big heads". Well, I am no exception. For the longest time I thought it was hair. I thought exceptionally long hair, wrapped in a bun under the hijab made that huge second head. Since its already well known that its a pom-pom or whatever, I didn't anticpate ever writing about it ....... until yesterday.

I've been complaining about how much weight I've gained since being here, so my sister-in-law invited me to go to the gym / health club with her. I've never had the opportunity to experience an all womens gym and after reading Nadias post about Salsa Aerobics in Salalah a few months back, I thought it would be a lot of fun.

So off we went. Fun?? Not so much. But interesting it was ... there I was in my gym pants and oversized teeshirt, my new nike sneakers ready to work-it. In comes the other girls. Modesty left hanging on the hooks along with their Abayas. Spandex, shorts, tights, tanks, wristbands, even lingere looking get-ups. But that wasn't it, the crazy part was ........ they were ALL WEARING A POM POM! I swear to God!. So I'm thinking to myself, "Are you serious? You need both your heads to work out?? " I must add, these pom-poms were huge, I was tempted several times to snatch two and do one of my highschool cheerleading routines. "Gimme a G!" "G!" Gimme an O" "O"...."Whatdoesitspell?" "GOOOO!!!"

As strange as it appears at first, I mean, I get it. You wear your second head as a fashion, because it holds your scarf up, your hair etc. But now you want me to watch you jump around in it while working out ????. Half the time I was starring at the pom pom of the girl in front of me. I got mesmerized by the way it stood stiff without moving while she did step-ups. I could literally hide behind it. When the instructor started the next move, I was lost, still focusing on the damn pom-pom. I just want to know, to all you Dhofari pom-pom wearers ... what else do you / can you do in your pom-pom???

I remember once being annoyed when someone asked me quite seriously, "do you sleep in that?" in regards to my hijab. I was so annoyed I sarcastically answered "Yeah ... and I shower in it too". Dumb question deserves dumb response right? Well I dumbly ask you Dhofari girls ...." Do you sleep in that (pom pom) too ??????"