New year fitness unoriginality

So it's a new year, and like everyone else, I want to be in better shape.

To this end, I've found a couple of belly dance classes around Seoul and will bounce around those until I settle on one I like. I took lessons for a semester four years ago but have not had time or money to do so since then, and thus have failed to improve appreciably. Yesterday I attended lessons from Belynda and the zills (sp?) made me feel dumb and the veil work taught me I need to lift weights more regularly. Can't afford finger cymbals of my own at the moment, but I hope to get some soon because I intend to practice. It was great, though, because I learned lots about the minor differences between styles that I hadn't been taught before.

I also want to check out lessons with Eshe. A woman I met in lessons yesterday said she'd taken lessons with Eshe but didn't care for them because of the tribal fusion focus, something which I would love to learn. I hope to go next weekend.

Also, I thought I'd share the five tips/rules I've been following that seem to have been working.

1. Be a grandma: I don't know about you, but my grandma always has candy or crackers in her purse. I carry a nutrition bar in my pocket whenever I go out so I don't have to stop in at McDonald's or Lotteria for a cheeseburger. Mmm...cheeseburger.
2. Be a 5-year-old: Last year I drew smiley faces on my wall calendar for every day that I worked out. Seeing them add up gave me both a sense of accomplishment and the motivation to at least go for a walk on a blah day. Today I purchased ridiculously cute stickers to put in my planner for the days I work out. Hey, if it works for 5-year-olds...right?
3. Hoof it: Anything I need in Ansan is within a 30 minute walk. Sure, walking in the cold sucks, but less so than standing 20 minutes in the cold waiting for a bus. Also, I take the stairs as much as possible.
4. No lollygagging: I hate people (read: Koreans) who walk slow. Even without time constraints, what would possess a person to walk slowly in subfreezing temperatures? Aside from burning a few extra calories by walking quickly, I warm quickly, too.
5. Go to the grocery store often: When the apartment is stocked, I don't have to eat at the bakery, at the burger joint, etc.

I took a "before" photo of myself at the beginning of the month and will post it alongside a "progress" photo at the end of the month. Since my arrival, I've lost 3 inches each from my hips, waist, and bust. Yay! I don't have a scale, though, so I don't know my progress in kilos. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to buy some new pants before long; there's only so much a belt can do.