Welcome back to This is India! I always have funny/weird stories about India to share with friends or family when I talk to them. This is just meant to be an honest portrayal about my life in India through short anecdotes. I also share here what I’ve been up to online outside Hippie in Heels.
What I was up to other than here:
- We’ve just left for London this week to see Ben’s family there and in Tunbridge Wells. He wants to go to Cornwall as well. We then head to Vienna to see more of his family in a couple weeks! So I’ll be out of India about 2.5 weeks. Follow along on Instagram!
- Was really excited to see Hippie in Heels mentioned in this article Seven to Watch: Fashion Travel Bloggers because I really like writing about packing and fashion… so someone noticed!
- I was asked to share this trip to Paris with you guys, and figured why not, it’d be great if one of you could win it! Usually giveaways don’t include the flight, so this is pretty cool. To enter, just follow the instructions through this link and share on social media.
Now your story,
I can’t jog, and it’s Goa’s fault.
I’m starting this new work out kick, because my job is no longer running around a hospital, and is instead me sitting on my ass all day blogging! Great job for my lifestyle, bad job for my ass.
Monsoon would be like the perfect time to start since no one is in Goa, I am bored easier, and therefore more likely to actually work out. Well, working out inside is possible but going on a run I haven’t done as much as I want…. and it’s really, I promise, not because I’m lazy!
Goa has a few reasons why I can’t run, and it’s more fun to blame Goa then blame myself ;p
The rain is an obvious reason…. then there is the fact that Ben has been charged by a cow on our side road (and I was headbutted by a cow once before too).
The main reason though are the dogs. Even though I go alone (not taking our dog), there is this little house with 4 big dogs I pass by, and they always attack me! The first day I jogged by after monsoon, the dogs watched me as I passed and I thought I was in the clear. No barking. Then, the silently crept along behind me until one lunged at the back of my leg and I kicked back as it barely missed me. I didn’t have a stick (just used to tap the ground near them, not hit them) so I had to stomp my feet and scream at them. All four were surrounding me. I’ve been in Goa about 3 years now and this was one of the more scary stray dog moments. I love dogs so much, so I hate when this happens.
From that point on, I jogged with a stick. I mean, the first step of jogging should not be “find dog-scaring stick because someone took it again”. I mean, in general it sucks to carry a wet log around while you jog, right?
I can’t even take my own dog with me because the dogs would really attack us, which is a bummer for Shanti when I run off and she wants to come so badly. Unfortunately, she’s a little 40 pound dog with zero common sense (she once snatched pizza out of a stray dogs mouth- luckily it was a dog I know well and we broke the fight up). She’s such an easy target. My Huckleberry died from rabies, so I don’t take risks with dog attacks at all. Poor Shanti.
Why not go another way you may wonder…? This way has only 4 local dogs… the other way has 3 rottweilers that are really mean and the one other option is too big of a main road.
In the US, I never had to even walk my dog since I lived out in the country and my mom and I ran every morning while I was home with no issues :) It’s the littlest things that are a little more difficult away from home that make living here interesting.
This is India!
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Oh no! Now that I’m living in Phnom Penh I’m finding it really hard to jog too. Speaking of packs of dogs, I was walking down the street to the store the other day and was followed by two dogs. I HATE when dogs gang up and follow me…though thankfully I’ve never had to arm myself with a stick! But I am finding it impossible to jog here because it’s boiling hot all day and it’s pouring in the evening. What’s a girl to do?!
It’s nuts isn’t it!? I”m trying to work out really early in the morning now, inside :)
Yeah I remember those challenging situations when I lived in South America. It is always that fear of being attacked by a stray dog. Sounds like you have the same except some of your neighbors have some pretty big dogs.
Yeah, it’s no fun!
I would have thought the problem with jogging in India is the air. Surely its so smoggy their, it would be hard to breathe! I remember playing soccer with some kids in India, after 5 or so minutes I was exhausted… which had nothing to do with my fitness
I think in the cities that’s an issue for sure! luckily in Goa, we have good air – just a bit dusty on the roads.
OMG. I am in Udaipur right now and I was walking into town this morning and there was a street dog growling at me. It took everything I had to keep my calm, as I have been chased by a dog in Maharashtra. I love dogs too and I have to be careful with my tiny toy poodle at home. The gigantic neighbor dogs want to play with her and she thinks they are trying to kill her.
It’s so scary to be chased!! Glad you are fine.
Agree it’s a big problem in India…being an Indian, I haven’t been able to find a work around this problem !! Now I live in an apartment and I prefer to jog within the confines of the apartment just because of this issue. And yes, living in a big city, the bad quality of the air pulls down my energy level and makes me feel tired and exhausted very soon. Wish down the line I am able to settle in a less exploited – closer to nature – place..
It is so sad too because I just love dogs and wish they all got more love so they wouldn’t behave this day, of course there are too many to go out and try to love them all on my own! The air in a big city must make it much much more difficult.