Gym Junk

When I first arrived in Phnom Penh, I decided to treat myself to a 3 month membership at a swanky gym in the nice part of town. It was expensive (I wouldn't normally pay as much as I have even for a top gym in Melbourne) BUT I did it, knowing I'd get cranky not being able to exercise outside where it's too hot, too busy and simply 'not done'.

So - almost every day in the last 3 months I have sweated it out in the comfort of my gorgeous big air-conditioned gym. There are 4 floors of new machines, weights, sparkly chandeliers, cold water and a pretty extensive timetable of group classes. 

You could say (and my housemate would say) that I've turned into a bit of a gym junkie, totally dedicated and obsessed. The gym has become my safe place, where I forget all of the crazy things that I see outside and stories that I hear about life here - and I love it.

BUT after all the spinning, weights, running, swimming, yoga, pilates, stretching, walking and sweaaaaaaaaaating - I hopped onto the scales this morning and discovered that somehow, in this developing country (where it seems everything I do is at the top of a staircase) I have somehow GAINED weight. A whole flippin kilo.

This is not something that I'd typically share with just anyone (what 26 year old single female admits to gaining weight with anyone but her girlfriends on a Sunday night over take away and wine with the hopes that it will all change with the new 'clean eating plan' on Monday?) - but I figured it was OK to share as it's just one of the many difficulties I'm facing living here in Phnom Penh!

I had big plans to shed a few kg's before my next stop in Europe (where I'm hoping the wine and cheese will magically do no damage...), but it seems that is not the case. 

Almost every ex-pat that I've met here has admitted to 'putting on a few' since their arrival, and none of us can really explain why! I'm hoping it's a whole lot of fluid retention in this crazy tropical climate and that it will fall off the minute I step off the plane in PARIS in 3 weeks. 

As much as I love zoning out in my safe (cold) space - it does really trouble me and stir up all sorts of guilt that I have the option of escaping Cambodia's daily grind. One way that I'm reminded of my wealth and freedom - is when I'm sourcing new clothes to endure the sweat. 

I've recently been trying to look into ethical clothing production in Cambodia for one of my girlfriends Sarah (who will BE here in 2 weeks!) and took a little interest in the clothing I regularly see at the Russian Market, just around the corner from my house.

At the market - I can find all sorts of gym gear produced by Lululemon, Nike, Adidas, Converse and more. I picked up a pair of Nike runners when I first arrived and paid $15 for them. Since then I've found a number of Lulu shorts, Nike shorts and H&M sportswear tops that I've paid between $3 and $5 for. 

So many sportswear companies produce here in Cambodia and from my research...very few do this ethically. 

When I pay $5 for Lulu running shorts that would set me back closer to $60 at home, it's a little win for me - but certainly not for the woman who made them. 

Women here work 15 hours shifts in garment factories and receive a monthly wage of just $61.

I was happy to see that Lululemon as a company are committed to producing their garments in factories that support their workers' rights to safe, healthy and fair conditions. 

On their website - they describe their 5 step process to ensure the factories in which Lulu garments are made uphold their ethical standards. 

'A small manufacturing base allows us to have greater visibility to the factory environments. In addition to our formal third party audits which occur twice a year, the factories are visited multiple times within the year by our compliance team, our commercialization team, our lululemon liaison office, and our quality assurance team'. 

I'm not certain that a couple of visits to the factory each year really means that the women are ensured the working standards they deserve, but it's impressive to see the policy and commitment to the ethical production of clothing by this company as none of the other big brands available at my beloved Russian Market do. 

To be honest, I don't really know how the products end up at the market. They may have some faults, may have been stolen or are considered excess. It's comical to see all of the ex-pats and tourists sweating and digging their way around the cramped, stuffy isles asking for 'Lulu? Lulu?' - and then magically stumbling upon a little stall with a plastic bag of brightly coloured running singlets that won't be seen again tomorrow. 

The Russian Market

There's always someone boasting about their latest find at the market when I enter the change rooms at the gym and then just as many whinging about missing the latest stock that was available for all of 3 hours yesterday. But I don't think I've overheard anyone discussing the latest of the Prime Minister's promises to raise the minimum monthly wage for a factory worker from $61 to $73, or anyone complaining that it's still too low.

It baffles me really that even living here - and seeing first hand the harsh reality of poverty, I can so easily forget the story behind my everyday purchases and lifestyle choices. 

I can get pretty caught up in all of these thoughts and it really does begin to drain you when all you can see is the injustice around you - but it's a sobering reminder that putting on a kilo is NOT the worst thing that can happen to you in Cambodia.