Roommates

The two bedroom apartment that I'm staying in is pretty great.  The location is convenient, the rent is cheap, and the apartment itself is nice.  Large windows cover the south facing side of the apartment and let it grab every bit of sun (especially nice during these short winter days).  The living space is comfortable and cozy and the bathroom is nice as well, with a fantastic shower. The bathroom floor, to spare bare feet on cold mornings, has heated tiles controlled by a thermostat.  It is evidently a common innovation in Norway, but coming from the much warmer D.C. it seems like a luxury.

I'm staying in the larger of the two bedrooms with Lene, and Sandra has the other room.  Sandra is also a hairdresser and works with Lene at the same salon.  Sandra is very into fitness and body-building, recently finishing her first competition.  I have trouble getting my head around the whole body-building thing.  I can understand the desire to be in shape and fit, but this takes it to another level.  Specialized diets, constantly watching your caloric intake, endless amounts of supplements and of course the constant weight-lifting and training is enough to drive someone crazy.  I was making black beans and rice for dinner the other day, something I think of as being fairly healthy, and I offered some to Sandra who declined because beans have too many calories for her diet.  This is during the off-season.  In the weeks and months leading up to a competition, the diets become more extreme as they competitors practically starve themselves in preparation.  To gain a last-minute edge, the competitors make sure they are dehydrated so that their muscles have an extra-degree of definition for the judges.  

Crazy amounts of supplements for protein shakes and things.

Sandra's boyfriend, Carl-Eric, also a body-builder, has recently moved into the apartment and this has doubled the amount of supplements here which now take up several shelves.  There is also a myriad of plastic water-bottles for protein shakes and Tupperware containers for planned meals so that portions can be measured exactly.  These meals are generally cooked at one time so that several days worth of prepared food will be stacked up in the fridge, ready to be eaten.  Both Carl-Erik and Sandra will admit that their passion is a little masochistic but they say the rewards are worth it, claiming body building to be the hardest, worst, most difficult and best thing they have ever done.

Even more supplements in pill form to take with their meals.

It is a radically different lifestyle and takes incredible amounts of dedication.  You won't see me heading down that path (I've hardly ever set foot in a gym), but it is hard not to respect what they do.