Wednesday, July 22, 2009

We're a long way from home

From the "when civilizations collide" file: Today at the gym, what mid-90s rap act was blasting out of the speakers? Cypress Hill, naturally. I wonder if anyone at the health club bothered to listen closely to the lyrics.

But the real defining moment of weirdness came as I rode the stationary bike 15 kilometers to nowhere. There is a TV set built into the thing, and being a creature of multitasking, I set out to watch some sports while I pedaled. Replayed soccer match... nah. Sailing... maybe. Basketball... ah ha! Yes, some Spanish league was playing.

And holy crap, there were Omar Cook, Robert Archibald, Marcus Haislip and the pride of Manhattan, Kan., Jeremiah Massey. (who Wikipedia says is Macedonian and has been nicknamed "Air Massey." Who knew?)

To sum up, there I was in a gym... in Abu Dhabi... listening to Cypress Hill... and watching former U.S. college stars play Spanish basketball. It's like jet lag of the soul.

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