I am sporty spice (or something like that)
Alright, so my weekend started with a trip to Sapporo, finalize ticket stuff, and bought a few things. Ah shopping. Pretty tame all in all. I got back late and couldn't sleep because the winds were so strong, everytime a gust hit I was bracing for my house to cave in. Ah Japan.
The next day, the winds were still going strong. At noon, I got on a bus with 40 elementary school kids and went to Tomari. That is about a little over an hour drive away and it is the closest skating rink. It is an ocean town and the waves were so high that sometimes they would wash over the road. I have never seen such big waves in my life. In my head I could imagine what it would be like to be a sailor, up against the power of those waves. Pretty scary, and the bus was tipping as we were driving. But we got there. Then the true madness began. Skating. Or more like, dodging sliding kids with sharp blades on their feet. The Japanese standards of safety gave me a heart attack as I saw kids lying on the ice making snow angels, while others skated by their hands. Sliding into each other, and picking away at the ice with their skates. But I remembered to breathe, relax, and remembered that I wasn't back home.
It was good fun though, and after giving a few skating lessons, a whole lot of laps around the rink in really bad rental skates, I was exhausted. But the feeling of pure fun, love, and familiarity, poured through me. My childhood on ice. I remembered how amazing it use to feel gliding around the rink, sweat drenched, hockey stick in hand. It has been a long time since I have been that happy from one motion, one movement. The cold air in my lungs, and the sound of my skates digging into the ice. Whoosh.
GLIDE.
But the true exercise, came with pushing the kids around on a chair. It was great, spinning them, skating as fast as I could and swinging them around. Of course this became the popular amusement ride, and so after 10 kids and 10 sprints around the rink, I was falling apart. The cutest thing though, was I gave these two girls each a turn around the rink, same as the other 20 kids. And afterwards when I was taking a break from pushing the chair and just gliding around the rink they came up to me and gave me a coca-cola. It was SO SWEET. They told me it was a thank you gift for giving them a ride. That after they finished their ride, they had had so much fun that they rushed to the vending machine to get me something. Oh, it was one of those Kodak moments. So then I went off the ice and drank the coke (dying of thirst and very thankful for the kids gift). After that, and 4 hours later, it was back to Kimobetsu.
The surprising thing, is you would think 40 elementary school kids on a bus for an hour would be hell. But it was AMAZINGLY quiet. Everyone respectful of the rules, not to stand, or disturb anyone. Mind blowing really.
It was a late night, but when I finally went to bed it was a VERY DEEP sleep.
The next morning, alarm at 7am. It was off for a volleyball tournament. My body, stiff and sore. Blisters on each heel, and my thigh muscles in knots. But off I went. My team won our first game, but then lost the next two (so we were out). Thankful, because my body just couldn't take anymore abuse. With no knee pads and of course diving, my knees are bruised, and I managed to sort of pop out one of them. But it is okay, just swollen. I can walk fine. Well, correct that, I can walk...well more of a hobble. But there is still mobility!
So now I am off for a nap. Completely exhausted. Thankful to have had a chance to skate and play.
Blessings to you all!
Heather
Alright, so my weekend started with a trip to Sapporo, finalize ticket stuff, and bought a few things. Ah shopping. Pretty tame all in all. I got back late and couldn't sleep because the winds were so strong, everytime a gust hit I was bracing for my house to cave in. Ah Japan.
The next day, the winds were still going strong. At noon, I got on a bus with 40 elementary school kids and went to Tomari. That is about a little over an hour drive away and it is the closest skating rink. It is an ocean town and the waves were so high that sometimes they would wash over the road. I have never seen such big waves in my life. In my head I could imagine what it would be like to be a sailor, up against the power of those waves. Pretty scary, and the bus was tipping as we were driving. But we got there. Then the true madness began. Skating. Or more like, dodging sliding kids with sharp blades on their feet. The Japanese standards of safety gave me a heart attack as I saw kids lying on the ice making snow angels, while others skated by their hands. Sliding into each other, and picking away at the ice with their skates. But I remembered to breathe, relax, and remembered that I wasn't back home.
It was good fun though, and after giving a few skating lessons, a whole lot of laps around the rink in really bad rental skates, I was exhausted. But the feeling of pure fun, love, and familiarity, poured through me. My childhood on ice. I remembered how amazing it use to feel gliding around the rink, sweat drenched, hockey stick in hand. It has been a long time since I have been that happy from one motion, one movement. The cold air in my lungs, and the sound of my skates digging into the ice. Whoosh.
GLIDE.
But the true exercise, came with pushing the kids around on a chair. It was great, spinning them, skating as fast as I could and swinging them around. Of course this became the popular amusement ride, and so after 10 kids and 10 sprints around the rink, I was falling apart. The cutest thing though, was I gave these two girls each a turn around the rink, same as the other 20 kids. And afterwards when I was taking a break from pushing the chair and just gliding around the rink they came up to me and gave me a coca-cola. It was SO SWEET. They told me it was a thank you gift for giving them a ride. That after they finished their ride, they had had so much fun that they rushed to the vending machine to get me something. Oh, it was one of those Kodak moments. So then I went off the ice and drank the coke (dying of thirst and very thankful for the kids gift). After that, and 4 hours later, it was back to Kimobetsu.
The surprising thing, is you would think 40 elementary school kids on a bus for an hour would be hell. But it was AMAZINGLY quiet. Everyone respectful of the rules, not to stand, or disturb anyone. Mind blowing really.
It was a late night, but when I finally went to bed it was a VERY DEEP sleep.
The next morning, alarm at 7am. It was off for a volleyball tournament. My body, stiff and sore. Blisters on each heel, and my thigh muscles in knots. But off I went. My team won our first game, but then lost the next two (so we were out). Thankful, because my body just couldn't take anymore abuse. With no knee pads and of course diving, my knees are bruised, and I managed to sort of pop out one of them. But it is okay, just swollen. I can walk fine. Well, correct that, I can walk...well more of a hobble. But there is still mobility!
So now I am off for a nap. Completely exhausted. Thankful to have had a chance to skate and play.
Blessings to you all!
Heather
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