Body Pump Boot Camp

In addition to coaching on-camera talent, I also do some coaching at the gym. Fitness has always been a big part of my life and it comes in handy when teaching the breath control and posture required for on-camera performance. As a certified AFAA group exercise instructor, I teach strength, pilates and cardio at 24 Hour Fitness. But I wasn't quite prepared for the challenge of becoming a Les Mills Body Pump instructor. The trainers, Megan and Don, challenged us to learn the routines with perfect form -- and an insane amout of "role model" weight. The three-day boot camp tested my limits, especially because I did the training right after pulling an early morning radio news shift at KFI. I also made lots of new friends among my fellow instructors as we toughed it out together. We've passed two auditions and now only need to submit a video of an actual class so our teaching skills can be evaluated.
You may have read my earlier post (Body Pump, May 31, 2010) about the Body Pump instructors I met in Maldives. Now I have joined them as part of the worldwide Les Mills "tribe." The organization is based in New Zealand and sets the standard for barbell group strength training. A master class with their world class instructors at the IDEA convention in Los Angeles was truly inspiring. Soon, I'll be teaching Body Pump at 24 Hour Fitness in South Hills and Glendora, including one class that I'll be co-teaching with my Group X boss, Manny Ruiz. This program has taken my own fitness to a new level and I can't wait to inspire others to achieve their fitness goals.

Last Dinner in Brussels

The final night of the RIAS exchange calls for celebration with group members who become like family during the two week adventure. The very friendly restaurant owner went out of his way to congratulate me on my certificate of completing the program. And it was one last chance to sample the seasonal delicacy, albino asparagus.
But most of all, it was one last toast to the whole group. We represented different media outlets and different age groups, but each individual brought his or her own flavor to the entire RIAS experience. Whenever I urge other American broadcasters to apply for this two-week all-expense-paid adventure in Germany and Belgium, they look at me in disbelief. It sounds too good to be true. Trust me, the only "string" attached is a short essay that each participant is required to write after completing the program. And, of course, RIAS hopes that American participants will use what they have learned to do a better job of reporting on Germany and the EU.
If you are a US radio or TV broadcaster and would like to apply for a RIAS fellowship, go to this link: http://www.rtdna.org/pages/media_items/germanamerican-journalists-exchange-program546.php?id=546

Thanks Rainer!

Watching over our group of crazy Americans, every step of the way for two weeks, was the incredible Rainer Hasters. Here you see Rainer and his faithful sidekick Lisa Ziss, looking down as our boat passed under a bridge in Bruges. Rainer has been doing this with at least two different groups of Americans every year since 1993, and he has the patience of a saint. He got a little huffy once over the slow walking pace of some stragglers in our group, but mostly he brings good cheer to every challenge. One of our fellows misunderstood the time of the bus departure from Bonn and Rainer was immediately on the case, cruising the streets in a taxi until the missing Fox producer was found. (I'm not naming names, Gabe.)
Every group photo left Rainer festooned with an assortment of digital cameras, since every one of us wanted the same picture on our own camera. Although this must have been annoying, he took all the pictures we wanted. A former radio journalist, Rainer is a fountain of information about all things German. He also graciously cheered for Team USA until we were elminated from the World Cup. I congratulate him on the German team hanging in there for third place. The success of the RIAS program, which includes two groups of Germans visiting the US each year, as well as annual journalism awards, is largely thanks to the hard work, commitment and vision of our fearless leader. Thanks Rainer!

In Bruges

The final day of the RIAS tour was an excursion to Bruges, a charming city that is Belgium's "Venice of the North." It is a testament to the wealth of the merchant class that flourished here in the 13th through 15th centuries, bringing in such art treasures as the "White Madonna." The striking sculpture is one of the few masterpieces by Michaelangelo that can be seen outside of Italy.The best way to see Bruges is a canal boat ride, so here's a look at some of the scenery. People were taxed based on the number of windows in their building, so some of the architecture reflects the removal of windows during hard times.Every turn in the canal revealed another amazing view.

Many thanks to Rainer Hasters for allowing my son Andrew to join us on the Bruges excursion. Next stop was the charming market square for lunch.
Andrew sampled a local brew that is served in a very unusual longneck glass, and was properly fueled for the climb to the top of the Town Hall tower for a magnificent view.

Brussels Mussels and Belgian Waffles

During my last visit to Brussels with RIAS in 2001, I ventured out with former NBC correspondent of John Dancy for a plate of mussels. They were delicious, but the result was some kind of food poisoning that made me miserable for two days. This time, I opted for mussels gratinee in escargot sauce. They seemed a bit dry and chewy but this time I lived to tell the story. Did you know that the Belgians claim to have invented "French" fries? They taste amazingly different here!
Andrew, of course, sampled an authentic Belgian waffle.

Brussels' Art Nouveau

I'm a huge fan of Art Nouveau and have made the pilgrimage to see the works of Mucha in Prague and Gaudi in Barcelona. Their Belgian counterpart was Victor Horta. His house in Brussels is now a museum. Although the curved lines and features of the house are charming, the collection inside is somewhat disappointing. I had a much better time spotting examples of living Art Nouveau around the city, like this former "Old England" department store that is now a cafe.Unfortunately, some of this art has been vandalized with graffiti. Europe really needs to have a no-tolerance policy instead of treating gangster spray paint like it's some kind of modern art.My son Andrew came to Brussels for the weekend from his internship in Romania. Near the Horta museum we noticed a vampire who must have followed him from Transylvania.

More Sights in Brussels

Brussels wins the award for most expensive country on this trip. Fortunately, there was plenty of great sightseeing to be had for free! It was a short walk from our hotel to the Grand Place, the splendid square dating back to the1400s when the City Hall was built (the building behind me and to the left in the above picture.) It was eventually surrounded by guild buildings showing the power of the merchant class. Now it is a UNESCO world heritage site.
The streets around the Grand Place are fun to explore. Below is Anthony Knopps of WTVG in Toldeo, Ohio, touching the good luck statue.
Near the hotel was the charming Egmont Palace and a statue dedicated to the Duke of Egmont,whose execution for religious reasons contributed to the independence of the Netherlands and inspired works by Goethe and Beethoven.A plaza near the national library provided a peaceful view of the sunset over the old town, although most of our RIAS group opted for a Czech music festival instead.

The Mannekin Pis

The Mannekin Pis, which means "little boy urinating" in Flemish, is Brussels' equivalent of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. You can take your pick of the legends about why it was created, but my favorite is that a little boy got lost, and his father prayed to God that if the child was found he would put up a statue showing how the child looked when found. You guessed it...
There are a number of "fake" mannekins pissing around town, most notably this one who seems to be leaking Stella Artois. There is also a tradition of dressing the real one in costumes, although I've never seen the ceremony for changing the outfit.

Notes from NATO

The first thing you notice about the NATO complex on the outskirts of Brussels is the security. Once inside, the second thing you notice is the smell, a cross between raw sewerage and toxic mold. Endless construction delays have prevented a move to a new building across the street.
Our cameras and phones were confiscated, so I won't be able to give you an inside look at the officers club where we shared lunch and conversation with NATO officials. We also had some briefing sessions which were, again, off the record. Topic one: Afghanistan, where 120,000 troops from 46 countries are stationed. The goal is to get Afghan forces to take over by 2011 and the big push is on. Even the Russians are pitching in with helicopters to fight narcotics traffic. Things are less cozy with the Russians when it comes to admitting former Soviet bloc countries as members of the military alliance. NATO claims credit for stabilizing the Balkans, and is running training missions to Iraq.
We visited NATO on the day when Afghanistan commander Stanley McChrystal was relieved of duty for badmouthing the Obama administration in a Rolling Stone article. NATO spokespersons seemed unruffled by the tough comments in the article, which cited American soldiers making fun of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, saying ISAF stands for "I Suck At Fighting."

Understanding the EU

On my last RIAS exchange in 2001 the "United States of Europe" was still a realatively new political entity. On this trip, a full day of meetings was devoted to the workings of the EU and its endless array of commissions and councils. The EU issues directives and it is up to the member countries to pass the required laws, which is a problem when some countries don't want to go along. Americans, accustomed to a union with a single currency and federal laws, have trouble grasping the fact that the Eurozone is a different set of countries who are financially qualified to use the euro, and for immigration and trade purposes the so-called Schengen group is yet a different list.
The recent financial problems of Greece, and the resulting "bailout" have presented challenges for the EU's response to the world financial crisis. Former communist countries like Romania and Bulgaria have been admitted as members but haven't lived up to expectations for ending government corruption. Bulgaria did such a bad job of accounting for EU development money that the funds had to be returned. Romania is sitting on 23 Billion development euros to build badly needed roads, but doesn't have the "financial capacity" to spend it properly. All of this has the EU slowing down on the admission of new members. All member nations must agree to admit a new country, and Turkey's prospects seem dim because tiny Cyprus will never approve.
EU offiicials shared some fascinating observations, but agreed to talk only "off the record," which made their comments of limited use to a bunch of journalists. In fact, the full day of lilting European accents made it a challenge for some of us to stay awake!
We attended the official press briefing, which was on the record, and dealt with such topics as Belgian sewerage treatment and an EU court ruling on a libel suit against an Albananian TV channel which reported on the alleged sexual misconduct of a public official. As a media trainer I have learned that libel suits are a way for authoritarian governments to put investigative news organizations out of business. The EU can't do much about it, except to point out that freedom of the press is a requirement for membership.

Team USA on the Road to Brussels

The RIAS group doesn't travel light. Lisa Ziss, another of our fearless leaders,was left to guard the mountain of bags while we grabbed a snack at the Cologne train station. We were on deadline to get to Brussels in time for Team USA's World Cup soccer match. Although the train was slightly delayed, we made it and so did the US, advancing to the next round of play. It was fun while it lasted...

Germany's Top Anchorman

Germany's version of the late Peter Jennings is Peter Kloeppel, chief editor of the prime newscast on private station RTL. While the country's most-watched news program is the 8 pm nightly Tageshau on state broadcaster ARD, it features a revolving cast of news readers and makes the news the star of the show. RTL is more like the network news we have in the US and Peter is the country's most-watched news anchor. He rolled up his sleeves to discuss his time as a US correspondent and some of the big stories he has anchored in the past couple of decades, including highly acclaimed live coverage of 9/11. When asked what story from Germany should get more coverage from US networks, he mentioned the green technology that Germany has developed to combat climate change.

Cologne Cathedral

The RIAS program allows US journalism fellows to extend their trip for individual projects, and in 2001 I spend a few days in Cologne with radio journalist Katja Luekert and her husband Bernard Mueller-Ulrich. This trip was my second opportunity to see the Cologne Cathedral. This time there was less scaffolding to block the view of the magnificent gothic structure with its intricate stonework and flying buttresses. Amazingly, it suffered relatively little damage despite taking 14 hits when Cologne was bombed into rubble in World War II. It's Germany's largest cathedral and one of the largest in the world, depending on how you measure. It is impossible to do justice to it with a simple tourist camera, but RIAS fellows gave it their best shot.
Our RIAS director guided us to an outstanding restaurant on the Rhine, which specialized in Berlin food. But since we had visited the Cologne restaurant in Berlin, it balanced out. Another evening of food and fun, such as taking a picture of WTVG's Anthony Knopps taking a picture of me!