Thai Zumba

I could run around here...but I often don't

I've been having a hard time working out while in Ayutthaya. It's either too dark or hot to run by the time I've finished work (or I'm just too lazy), there's one gym that is open for 2 hours each evening that apparently has no women in it, and there is no yoga anywhere except Bangkok. I've settled with doing workouts in my room on a yoga matt, which has worked out fine except for the fact that I just can't get into a routine. I've gotten really good at convincing myself that yelling at students for about 4 hours a day is a workout in itself.
The only real workout option is an outdoor dance class that takes place in the middle of town, about a 15 minute walk from my guest house. My friends and I have always joked about doing it, but are either too tired at the end of the day or decide to eat at 6 when it takes place. Friday night when I was out with a couple of my co-workers, the Chinese teacher, who speaks almost no English, somehow convinced me to join her this week. I was reminded this morning when she looked over at me from her desk, which is right next to mine, and shouted (her preferred method of talking is yelling), "LAURA. AEROBICS." Of course I was obliged to go.
I showed up in the parking lot promptly at 6. The class hadn't started yet and I was greeted by a bunch of smiling Thai faces, because I was of course the only farang. The loud Thai electronic/pop music started a couple minutes later and all the women (and a couple men) got into position and we began to stretch it out and then dance. As if I don't already have a hard enough time keeping my rhythm dancing to American music, keeping up with the weird beats of the Thai music really threw me for a loop and I was a flailing cardio-machine mess.
My friend showed up about 5 minutes in and we shook our hips, waved our arms, and hopped around for an hour. A couple of the dance moves involved spinning, in which I was able to turn around and see the entire crowd: about 70 people showed up, including a couple of men (one of whom was one of the instructors), and a couple of Muslim women wearing their head scarves--not too bad, if you ask me.
The entire environment was very odd and had many things passing through that were very Thai. We were in a parking lot off of the main road, and just in front of the stage was a little road that is in pretty good use. We constantly had motorbikes coming through and even a couple of trucks and minibuses. Some children and stray dogs joined us momentarily, and I was even fortunate enough to smell some burning trash. And, of course, the loud and obnoxious Thai music.

This is also how I looked. Just imagine a bit more arm flailing