Coconuts at Peabody
Posted on September 2, 2013 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
The warm up and cool down workshop was my final one of convention. After that I could finally relax. That meant only one thing: pool time!
We got there just in time to secure three lounge chairs before the rest of the convention attendees showed up. While we were waiting for Christina to join us, several people tried to ask for the lounge chair that we reserved for her.
The Peabody Orlando pool was really hoppin’ on Sunday night. That’s where almost everyone was, including Zumba celebrity Gina Grant. An impromptu Aqua Zumba session even broke out.
I would have preferred a less crowded pool, but I didn’t mind the Zumba music pumping and the people gyrating. My drink helped me chill out. LOL.
After laying around for a while, Brian and I decided that we didn’t want to leave to shower and get dressed for dinner so we ended up eating at the pool. The Peabody Orlando has a poolside restaurant called Coconuts. Prices are still on the pricy side as can be expected considering where we were, but at least they offered a bit more selection than Mallards.
We had the hummus and pita, which you can’t really go wrong with (we order it everywhere we go), and the $20 appetizer sampler. On the plus side, the hummus and pita at Coconuts is cheaper than the one they serve at B-Line Diner and you actually get more grilled pita chips.
Here’s the one they serve at B-Line that costs almost twice as much.
Here’s the hummus and pita platter served at Coconuts.
Had we known this ahead of time, we would have just ate dinner poolside at Coconuts the entire trip. Seriously. The drinks are universally expensive throughout the hotel premises, but the food prices at Coconuts were far more reasonable than anywhere else at the hotel.
Here’s a close up of the appetizer sampler which consisted of chorizo and corn arepas, chicken wings, coconut shrimp, chips and dip.
Yes, I realize that the coconut shrimp is almost the size of my head but you only get two of them. This appetizer would have cost only half as much if we were back home in Wichita. By Sunday I was actually ready to go home and put the breaks on all the spending. Whew. Thank heavens the Zumba instructor convention in Orlando only happens once a year or I would be completely bankrupt.
On a side note, I’m actually thinking of checking out the Zumba conference in LA next year. LOL. It’s only a couple of days instead of four so I’m hoping it will be less expensive. I am starting to save now though, just in case. I’m thinking it will still cost me quite a bit. However, I plan on going about it the smart way and rooming with another instructor on this next trip so that I can at least reduce the cost of lodging to half. Here’s to hoping I get a good deal on airfare. Until next time!
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Mastering the Warm Up and Cool Down
Posted on September 1, 2013 by Ching under Tips, Zumba.
I pretty much followed Tony around on the final day of convention. On Sunday morning I had Ballroom Beatdown, which he and his wife Jessica presented. Then in the afternoon I had the warm up and cool down workshop.
Here are some of the bits I learned (or re-learned) that day…
For best results classes should begin with five to ten minutes of warm up. The warm up is designed to increase blood flow; raise the body’s core temperature; stretch your core or postural muscles; loosen the joints, ligaments, and tendons; and preview movements that will be used during the workout. By starting with a good warm up you can prepare class participants for the workout and decrease the risk of injuries.
A good cool down consists of five minutes of diminishing intensity and five minutes of stretching. Moderate to low activity in the cool down is designed to return the body to a normal state and create the ideal state for stretching the muscles used during the workout. Doing a proper cool down also helps to prevent muscular and cardiovascular injuries. Remember to stretch all of the muscle groups including neck, upper and mid back, deltoids, chest and arms, core, quads and hamstrings, gluteal and hip regions, calves, ankles, and shins.
- Some reminders…
- Don’t lock your elbows or hyperextend the elbow joint
- Keep core tucked in and spine in line
- Control or avoid any major twist or torque in the core
- Don’t let knees go over your toes when doing squats or lunges
- Avoid twisting your knees away from the direction of travel
- Select warm up music that is around 120-134 BMP
- Avoid “dancy” movements in the warm up until your body is ready
- Avoid long breaks between warm up segments
- While the Zumba formula is still very important, it may be necessary to repeat movements or keep the same types of moves for different parts of the music to ensure that all of the appropriate parts of the body are properly prepared for the workout.
I’m going to try and incorporate all of these tips beginning with my playlist for Fall 2013. Saturday Zumba classes at Evergreen Park Recreation center start on September 21. Be sure to register for the 10-week session if you haven’t already. The cost is $24, or you can drop in for $3 a class. What a bargain!? See you all soon!
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The Pub Orlando
Posted on September 1, 2013 by Brian under Food and Drink, Reviews.
While Ching was in one of her classes I decided to go roam around outside the hotel and see if I could find a good place for lunch. I was really wanting to find some Cuban restaurant but there weren’t any close. I ended up going to a place called “The Pub”. I looked it up on Urbanspoon and it had high ratings so I figured why not.
Once I got in there it ended up being a really nice place. The bartender was really nice and helped me choose a really good beer. Luckily they bottle it and I can get it here in Wichita. Unlike the Sam Adams Brick Red that I really like that you can only get on tap and only in Boston Bars.
I decided on a ham sandwich that was on a pretzel bun. It ended up being really good. the fries were also really good. I love think cut fries.
The beer the bartender suggested was really good. The only down side was I had not eaten in few hours and the Beer went right to my head. Luckily the food balanced me out for the walk back to the hotel.
I wish there was a Pub here in Wichita. I think it would make places like Fox and Hound step up their game.
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Sebastian
Posted on September 1, 2013 by Ching under Zumba.
I forgot to post this picture of Sebastian the other day when I posted pictures from my Zumba Kids training. Sebastian is the son of Alfredo and Aileen Padilla, a couple of Zumba Education Specialists (ZES) based in California. He is so adorable and cute. He actually helped with the training and got into all of the activities. What a great spokesperson for the program!
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Pictures from the ZIN Soiree
Posted on September 1, 2013 by Ching under Zumba.
The ZIN Soiree was one of the events I was most excited about but it almost didn’t happen due to a wardrobe malfunction. Since I’m not crafty, I bought an inexpensive costume online to wear to the event. It arrived early, at least a week or so before departure. Had I been smarter, I would have tried it on upon receipt and planned for contingencies but I made the decision to pack the costume as is because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to fold it back into the same compact packaging if I took it out.
Fast forward to our arrival in Orlando. After we checked in and got settled into our room at the Peabody, I decided to unpack my suitcase and hang up my dress. I decided that I ought to try it on before hanging it up. That’s when I figured out that the zipper was broken. At the time, the gap was pretty small so I figured that I could use safety pins to close the gap. No worries.
The night of the event, the zipper was in worse shape than it was originally and now the dress was completely open along the side. I was faced with three options: skip the party, attend without a costume, or improvise. I’ve never been one to give up when faced with adversity so I decided to trudge on.
I threw on a Zumba tank top and wrapped a coin skirt around my waist to cover the zipper opening. Instead of being a generic fairy, I turned into a Zumba fairy. It actually worked out fine. I was still able to use the accessories (wings, headband, and light-up wand) that came with my costume. I’m glad I didn’t let the issues with the costume ruin my evening as I would have missed out on such a fun night.
Believe it or not, the simple rope around Brian’s neck got him into the party that was supposed to be for Zumba instructors only. I’m glad he got to hang out with me.
My awesome makeup was courtesy of one of several face painters at the event. The Zumba Fitness folks sure know how to throw a party!
Here are some more photos from that night…
My costume malfunction was actually a blessing in disguise because it gave me a reason to wear Zumba sneakers to the party. If it weren’t for the sneakers, my feet would have been screaming because we were standing around most of the evening.
Oh, I almost forgot one of the highlights. While we were in line to take photos at one of the photobooths scattered around the party area, this guy that looked like Marc Anthony got on the stage and started performing. Everyone thought it was Marc Anthony because the line to the photobooth cleared and in an instant we found ourselves at the front of the line. We didn’t really care so we just went on to take photos at the photobooth. Afterward, we worked our way toward the stage to see what all the commotion was about.
The impersonator they hired did a really good job. We all really thought it was Marc Anthony. It wasn’t until the next day that I realized it was only an impersonator. Brian was like, “No wonder he wore his sunglasses the entire time.” I was thinking that, had it truly been Marc Anthony, I would have been very impressed. Sean Paul is one thing, but I’m not sure the event could afford to hire Marc Anthony. They only charged $500 for registration after all.
As for my defective costume, it didn’t come home with me. My suitcase was full of new zwag so I didn’t have room for it. It ended up getting left in the hotel room trash can. The skirt still lights up and I probably could have gotten the zipper fixed. Oh, well.
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