I took my first "baby steps" today.
It is something that I've wanted to do for a long time. In fact, it's one of my 2006 New Year resolutions. I told myself nothing would stop me from doing it. Not even a spoil sport like Victor, who juz had to go tear his ligament so pre-maturely, foolishly and carelessly.
I'm talking about in-line skating, of course. Finally, I took flight today with my newly bought rollerblades which have been left in my car boot collecting dust for months due, in part, to my kid's exam, the haze (which, happily has subsided somewhat), and the occasional rain.
We had planned this for months. Moogee, my fellow colleague and my new Shi Fu (after we suffered a casualty in Victor) brought me to East Coast Park after work today to commence my lessons on rollerblading. Victor was there too, but he didn't rollerblade due to his injury. He cycled, and cheered me on .... which embarrassed me somewhat.
Anyway, I was dumped by Moogee and Victor at the In-line skating ring. To be fair, they did so after teaching and demonstrating to me how one should blade. They had watched over me like an eagle over its eaglet for all of 5 minutes and then they disappeared, one rollerblading and the other cycling to the far end of East Coast. True friends that they are!
Left with my own device, I rollerbladed, tumbled a few times, picked myself up and rollerbladed again. Thank goodness I had my safety guards on. To be very honest, I was kinda shy at first, not because I'm a first timer, but more because of my age. Looking around me in the ring which was not very crowded, I saw more youngersters than uncles (or aunties) like me. You could tell most of them were also beginners by the awkward way they rollerbladed.
As I rollerbladed along, I become more confident. This is especially so when a woman with a young toddler gave me a "thumb-up" sign. I guess I probably looked like an Ah Chek to her and she was probably trying to be encouraging. But it's really fine with me. Like birds of the same feathers, we were there to learn a new skill. And, more importantly, to stay healthy and keep fit. And how I sweat! It's true rollerblading makes me perspire like pig!
And you could even make "friends" while rollerblading. I had a minor collision with a woman (I swear it's accidental; but Victor seems to think otherwise), and struck up a conversation with her. She told me she's been rollerblading for a month and quipped that I was doing very well for a first-timer. Indeed, Victor and Moogee both expressed the same sentiment. But I really wouldn't say rollerblading is a piece of cake - maybe half? Well, I glided along, at times wobbly (I think) but I have yet to learn how to brake, do fanciful moves like the twirl, glide on lone leg and somersault!!!
Learning rollerblading is really like learning how to drive a car. Just as we have to start learning driving at the circuit, we first have to learn to rollerblade at the in-line skating ring. And as I gradually gain confidence, (I told the chaps to give me at least 5 – 8 lessons), I'd probably venture out on the track.
Incidentally, I was on a "Stress Management" course these past two days. When the trainer asked me what I do to de-stress, I told him I blog because it's really quite therapeutic and added that I'm gonna pick up rollerblading as a form of exercise to de-stress. He gave me a poster which I found extremely relevant to my current state of mind. It has these words on it:
We don't stop playing because we grow old
We grow old because we stop playing
How apt.
Category: Leisure
13 comments:
Must be the 'accidental collisions' that motivate some uncles to risk life and ankles.
well done Chris !!
you have done si fu moogee proud.
for someone who is new to roller blading, must say you had an excellent start ! keep the adrenaline flowing man !!
... also the lady you "langgar" looked good too heheh !
hmmmmm keep going buddy, looking forward to the next blading session
cheers !!
..how true when your quote goes ..
"We don't stop playing because we grow old
We grow old because we stop playing"
here's another one i saw sometime ago
life is mystery to be lived
life is not a problem to be solved
: )
Well, Chun See, motivation comes in many form. Don't be a wet blanket. When you gonna get a pair and join us at East Coast? Brisk walking alone is fine. But roller-blading is FUN, on top of being fine. Come now, don't shy. Hee.
Thank you Shifu Moogee. You've been a great teacher - so far. And I love the fanciful moves you made - that spin... ok, maybe half a spin. Hee. Yeah, that woman was quite a "chiobu". But alas, I gathered, in my small talk with her, that she's taken. But than again, so am I. Haha.. I think she purposely "langgar(ed)" into me one. But Vic keep thinking I was the one who banged into her. Tell him!
Your quote about Life is quite awesome. Very cheem, too. :P
"I saw more youngersters than uncles (or aunties) like me."
So finally you've admitted it - "Uncle Chris" is no oxymoron. Now you only need to accept that fact.
"Learning rollerblading is really like learning how to drive a car."
No wonder you had a few collisions while skating, just like you had when driving your car.
To be fair, I must say that I was quite impressed with your maiden effort at skating. But then again, that is probably because you have quite a low centre of gravity.
Victor, how could you use my words against me? The word UNCLE is really relative. Chris standing beside Victor is definitely not an uncle. Chris standing beside his little nephew is definitely an uncle. But men above 50, no matter who you compare them against, are 100% UNCLE. Got it?
Ok lor, since I'm so accident-prone, next time we shall drive your car out for lunch MORE OFTEN.
Thanks for your compliment Victor. But please ah, I'm sure as a parent, you don't just scold your kids, right? Give them credit when credit is due. If I'm a fast learner, juz said so. What's this crap about "low centre of gravity"? Roller-blading is no rocket science, ok? And what do I always tell you? Being tall is not always advantageous. Blame your genes lor. :P
UNCLE chris!! (pun totally intended)
hee..
honestly, I like the last quote alot. Have you n GD bought the book "tuesdays with morrie"? good read, really :)
Hi Elaine, what kinda book is that? And why must be only Tuesdays?
Juz CALL ME CHRIS :))
hahaha..
I introduced the book to GD before.. its only on tues because morrie (this guy) and the author only meet every tues... meaningful book :)
CHRIStmas is coming!!!!
Aiyah Elaine.... Your GD don't like to read books one. I got him to borrow a book from the library about our former president Wee Kim Wee, in the end, he passed it to me, unread.
How is the book about morrie meaningful?
Yes! Christmas is sure coming.... Decorations are up at orchard.... Almost that time of the year! Presents, presents, and presents. But for parents like me ... it's money spend, spend, spend! Sigh.
Juz call me Chris.
Our minds can make us feel young. On one occasion my late father, then in his late sixties, jumped over a drain and ended up with a sprained ankle.
Zen, are you trying to say our minds have the tendency to deceive the oldies into believing that they are young? Like mind over body? What a wet blanket!
We are really as young as we believe we are, Zen. Hee.
I think what Zen means is that we have a tendency to forget that we our bodies have aged. In any sport there may be many moves which you mind knows how to execute, but your body just cannot respond accordingly and this leads to accident. Its nothing to do with ego or showing off etc.
Chris - whether old or young, we can be deceived by our brains through self-illusion. For example, an extremely fit old man climbing a flight of stairs quite easily, thought he is still young, while a physically unfit young man climbing the same flight of stairs, thinks that he must been quite old.
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