Zumba dance

People around me are good at many things — cooking, sewing, even putting on makeup perfectly. But me? I don’t seem to have any special talent to show off.

When I was young, my mother used to tell me, “Don’t show off, even if you’re good at something. It’ll only bring you trouble.” Maybe that’s why? Even when I visit my parents’ house and try to help by peeling fruit, my father says, “Leave your hands alone.” My friends say the same — “Just staying still is the best way to help.”

I remember before my teaching practicum, a professor warned me not to say I was good at calligraphy. If people found out, all the teachers would ask me to write labels on everything — from cleaning buckets to supply boxes — just because my handwriting was neat.

Maybe I couldn’t show what I could really do because I never got the chance to do what I actually wanted. So, what did I want to do?

I wanted to be a bartender — mixing drinks, serving people, chatting happily. I imagined myself working hard in the studio during the day, then heading to a bar in the evening to make money and listen to people’s stories.

And since I’ve always loved dancing, I also wanted to be a backup dancer. I’d love to dance in the spotlight, but I didn’t want all the attention. If I had the body for it, I would’ve loved to dance energetically behind the main performer. Dancing is great for keeping a slim waist and staying healthy. And it feels amazing — like flying free.

Strangely, even as I get older, I’m still very sensitive about my waistline. I’ve given up on my face and height — those can’t be changed — but I believe I can slim my waist if I work hard. A few years ago, when I noticed my belly starting to stick out, I panicked. I exercised too hard and ate too little — and ended up getting sick. I thought, “Being sick is worse than having a belly,” so I gave up. But every time I see my stomach sticking out, I get stressed. Sometimes I wake up at night, feeling my sides, checking how much fat is there.

There’s a saying:

“Genius can’t beat someone who works hard. A hard-working person can’t beat someone who enjoys it. But the one who enjoys and keeps going wins in the end.”

So, I decided to try again — through dancing, something I enjoy. I followed YouTube videos and danced whenever I could. Before, I always gave up quickly because I forced myself to do things I didn’t like. But this time was different. It was fun, so I kept dancing. Bit by bit, my belly fat softened, then started to wrinkle and shrink. I’ll keep going until my belly completely flattens.

But still, I wonder… Where does all the lost fat go?