Sunday, June 08, 2003
10:13 P.M.
Topic: A Visit to Super Ice World, Kallang
I went to the ice-skating rink at kallang Super Ice World today with my friend, Ching Mei. I had a heavy lunch just before the session and could barely skate because I was too full to skate comfortably!!! As usual, the rink was packed with giants (big-sized adults), rowdy teenagers and mischievious little children. The skating traffic was chaotic and there was hardly any free space to move around. Very often than not, I would complain about having to skate alone, which in realization I enjoy skating alone too. This is because I do not have to keep on a constant lookout for my friends, being worried that they might be knocked down and fell hard on the ice, and ending up being wet. :( Well, as usual, I stayed by Ching Mei's side for most of the time, because she could not skate very well. To my conclusion, it is better to skate alone unless I am desperate for company, and to visit the rink on weekday morning. I think I should try to arrange rink visits on other days except Sundays...
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
5:38 P.M.
Topic: Visit to the Rink Alone
I went to the rink alone in the early afternoon. I waited for the bus for 45 mins to an hour, and there was not a single bus in sight. 2 person waiting for the same bus went to hail a cab as they felt impatient. After they left, the bus arrived. The EZ Link card machine malfunctioned and so I enjoyed a free ride! :) I treated it as though it was meant to compensate me for the long wait.
I reached the rink and I felt neutral. There were only a few recreational skaters around as the hour was still early then. A while later, I saw Elaine, one of the coaches there, in her pink skating outfit, and she looked professional. She was practicing her jumps, I supposed. I did my usual warm-ups and I saw 3 guys who entered the rink without lacing their skating boots properly. Out of kindness, I tapped on one of the guys' shoulder and advised him to lace the laces properly, instead of having to let them hang loosely. After one and a half hours on the rink, I skated off the ice to take a short break and saw Elaine smiling at me. I went over and she asked me. "Did you take any lessons?" I replied, "No." Then I rattled on saying, "I approached you earlier on with my friend and replied your email regarding the LtS programme." She could not remember me until she asked for my name.
Elaine and I chatted for a few minutes and she told me that I need not take the LtS programme at all, as what I skated was way advance than the programme itself. She also advised me to get myself a pair of second-hand boots as it has been conditioned, hence easier for the break-in period. I returned to the ice and the only managing personnel there came and taught me backwards skating. I encountered difficulties at first, but gradually familiarised myself with the moves. 2 guys approached me to teach them stopping techniques. So, I taught them the 'T-Stop'. Soon, there were kids and good skaters around. At the sight of the crowd, I decided to leave the rink at 3:30 P.M. Anyway, I have skated enough for the day.
It was not a bad experience afterall skating alone. :)
Friday, June 30, 2003
9:33 P.M.
Topic: Skating With My ICQ Friend
This is the time arranging to meet with my ICQ friends. He is Ray, from NUS and is a member of the NUSSC. I was the first to reach the rink at around 11:20 A.M. I have alo arranged to meet Ching Mei at the rink. While waiting, I went ahead to skate. I started with basic stroking, cross-overs, and backwards.
An hour later, Ray and his company arrived. He got his friends on the ice before approaching me. Ray has his own Hockey skates which he bought years back. He is a good skater, from my observation. For his friends, it was their first time on the ice, and needed time to grodge around. Ray and I got along well.
After some time, Ray and guys left, followed by Ching Mei and I. That was quite an enjoyable trip, as I get to meet new friends.
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
10:14 P.M.
Topic: New Boots in the Show
This journal should be entered some time ago, after I went skating with my mother, my elder brother and his girlfriend, Candy. Well, my mother did not land her feet on the few millimeters thick ice, as she could not skate. She sat at the bench, watching our belongings.
Both my brother and Candy did not know how to skate either. I taught my brother the basics and he managed it well. However, Candy was not confident enough as she kept to the rail all day long. My brother and I pulled Candy to the centre of the rink and took a photo. Great! Though not fantastic, but I took shots of myself as well.
Ah ha! My new boots... Risport RF4 for beginners. As white as snow and brand new! I am extremely happy about it. I bought the skates a week before the trip, you know! $280, I must say, expensive but no regrets. Besides the skates, there were also complementary accessories such as the skate guards, soakers, lace picker and the bag. I bought myself a pair of beige boot cover as well. Next step is to take lessons... I am so excited! Oooh...
Topic: Second Lesson
To continue from the previous session, Elaine insisted on practising the half-swizzles and backward swizzles with me. I was quite reluctant, but I have to obey her. This is because my half-swizzles on left foot would naturally come to a halt and backward swizzles were always not done in a straight line. That spells why I was so unwilling. So, there I go practising them, going in circles guided by the blue and red markings on the ice. I went in anti-clockwise direction, starting off with my left foot. As usual, driving Elaine to her grave, my left foot was still weak as I could hardly perform a proper and complete half-swizzle. Thus, Elaine was much frustrated as she thought I could get it mastered with the practices at my own pace.
"No, no, no. The half-swizzles are not done like this." Elaine snapped.
I stopped and looked at her in dismay.
"If you are going in the anti-clockwise direction, your body weight should be completely on your right leg, and using your weight-free left leg for the pushes. Hence, your right lef where your body weight is, becomes your glidingfoot. And that both feet are always on the ice."
I gave a nod to show agreement and understanding.
Practice, practice and more practice. I changed into the clockwise direction and ah ha! Chicken feet! I was delighted and continued to practice. Elaine saw me in such a happy mood, and thus requested me to practice in the opposite direction.
Few moments later, she taught me the swingrolls using the inwards and outwards edges. It can be seen that skating moves are mostly done in circles, otherwise curves using edges. Swingrolls require balancing act. Fortunately, I could balance well, or else, I do not know when I can master that. Next was the snowplow stop. It was not difficult afterall. All I need to do was to place either of the foot, whichever is comfortable, to the front, and placing some weight onto that foor and I would come to a complete stop then.
45 minutes passed and it marked the end of today's lesson. I skated off to another side of the rink to practice the moves on my own.
Monday, 23 February, 2004
11:53 A.M.
Topic: First Ice Skating Lesson
I started my first and foremost skating lesson yesterday and went home with a very bad blister. The boots are still quite new and the leather stiff, that's why... I learnt forward and backward swizzles, half-swizzles, one and two-foot glides in a half hour lesson. Elaine commented that my left leg does not much muscle control, and that made the moves harder to maneveur.
Elaine had also said that I have the fear of falling down, and she noticed that I tend to pick up my heels whenever I do the one-foot glide.
The blister was quite big and red, pain is the word. After the lesson, my parents and I went to Bugis to search for the coin stand. We search numerous shops around and we could not find a single one that sells that. So, we decided to head home then. Then, my dad suggested that we walk into the corridor shops. Surprisingly, we found the stand there. We did not went home empty-handed at least. Thanks dad! You are great!
At night, Gavin called and we talked. I mentioned to him about the skating class and he commented that that was such an expensive lesson, and that he would not let his children learn such things in the future. That was very discouraging to me, in fact. Skating is something that I wanted to do very much, and that I want to go as far as I can in this sport. Why is it that everyone objects to me learning skating? Is it really so frustrating to the core?
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
11:45 A.M.
Topic: A Gift from My Friend
I received a little gift from my friend from China. Guess what? It's my favourite VCD on Iceskating!! The disc is not on the performances of those famous skaters, instead, it is an instructional video on basic skating strokes, figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey. Though it is not a wonderful piece of video, I still appreciate it.
The video explains the edges of the blades - left inside/ outside edge and right inside/ outside edge. It also demonstrates the standing posture, the straight line skating, crossovers, 2-foot turns and mohawks, backward skating, and beginner jumps. Looks easy? No, no, no... harder than it seems. A slip of foot would land you sprawling on the ice, like a tortoise.
I have not went skating for at least a month due to the
interview schedules. I have been busy looking out for jobs and finally found
myself one.