Your Japanese word of the week is...

"joba" 乗馬 which literally means "ride a horse".  I bring this up because last week, walking through North Van, I saw a "Joba" in a store window.

The Joba is actually a peculiar little fitness machine which, as you can see from the picture, mimics the motions of riding a horse.  And you sit on it, pretending to ride a horse, gyrating your hips in an effort to lose weight and get fit.

Some of you might remember me mentioning this way back in 2007 when I first saw it.  It really is a bit of a weird sight to see and I never expected it to break into the American market, yet there it was, sitting in a display at the front of a store.  And if you do come across a Joba, I suggest you take it for a ride.  It's fun for about 5 seconds though the novelty then wears off.  But for more entertainment, you could always convince your friend to give it a try and then crank the speed setting to max and then watch them hang on... that'd be worth a few laughs... =P

Anyways, not much happened this past week but next week is grading at PSWK!  A big portion of the club is testing for their next belt and I'll be sure to have a few pics for you.

Til then!