How I spent my 9-5 today

Laid up in bed.

A horrible stomach infection that ( a little too literally) took it all out of me today. And that's it. I'm going to have to stop eating out. This is the third instance in the last few months where I've had something - typically it's spicy Chinese Food - and then a couple of days later, it hits me like a ton of bricks.

I don't know why there is this intervening period of approximately two days where I'm floating around like a butterfly, perfectly happy. It was throwing me off the trail but I've finally spotted the pattern: my stomach can't handle spicy Chinese Food. At all. Damn.

The worst part was that this morning, I knew I had it coming - a bad night wherein Papad kept on kicking me repeatedly - at about 6.45 a.m. my eyes opened, and I realised my tummy was hurting and I felt pukey. But that did cause me to cancel my Zumba class at 7.30 a.m.? Hell no. Like an overconfident ass, I thought it would pass.

Now, I love Zumba and it keeps me fit, but the one lesson that I don't seem to learn is that when you're not well, it's a killer. As an instructor, you have to keep your energy levels up and your movements big because the class takes their cue from you. But I told myself I would take it easy - there were at least 3 people coming from outside of my colony and whatsapping them at 7.15 a.m. to say that today's class was off didn't seem like a good idea. Plus, since I started my classes in November, I've been really proud of the fact that not a single class has been missed, barring one - and that's because some of us went to do Zumba at Raahigiri instead.

So I said, what the hell, and went ahead with the class. I told the guys that I would be taking it easy today, but in the middle of it all, I went ahead and did the more strenuous moves. A couple of people who were nearest to me could see my discomfort in the mirror and told me to slow it down. Instead of the usual 55-60 minutes, I had to stop at 45 minutes and was feeling distinctly woozy by the end of it. I declined the kind offer of the participants to walk me home - what was I, a baby?

I then ran to the nearest toilet to throw up.

I knew that Vijay would be disapproving of my decision to go ahead with the class when I was anyway feeling sick. I got home somehow after packing up the music system and collapsed into my bed. It was a full 8 hours later that I managed to get up the strength to go and have a bath and eat something.

So that's it. The bottom line is:

- Home-cooked food be da best.
- Zumba is great. But it is terribly strenuous and there is absolutely no point attempting a class - whether student or instructor - when you're anyway feeling low.
- I genuinely wanted to give my class their regular workout without a break - but if I don't take care of myself, I won't be able to give them what they signed up for. It's the typical put-your-oxygen-mask-on first.
- It does not make sense to brag - just yesterday I was telling the Mad Momma that I don't watch my diet at all now that I've got the Zumba going 3 times a week. Exercise actually isn't enough - diet and sleep are equally important and I've been taking both those for granted. No more.
- My birthday is this week and Vijay confessed he had been thinking of ordering some Chhole Bhature, of all things! I yelped as loud as I could in my weak state and have requested that we just have some Khichdi instead.

Now excuse me as I get back into bed. For the most unproductive day I've had in months, I think I'm both older and wiser at the end of it.