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Diary - Dec 06
I’ve been ice skating
since I saw Alexander Abt at the European Championships some years ago, but I slightly sprained my ankle this July. Not while I was skating but when I was getting out of bed – I have a slightly low blood pressure so I tend to totter a bit in the morning!
I could walk and stuff but the pain lingered on and on – I tried everything including mashed potato mixed with flour and vinegar etc, but nothing really worked. I also didn’t want to get injured on the ice and cancel my studio bookings, so waited until I finished all the recording - so for 4 months I didn’t skate, that was the longest break I had.
But at last I was back to the ice rink – I didn’t do much, just wanted to get some kind of form back, but I was relieved I could do everything I could 4 months ago. I can’t go to the rink as often as I want to, so my progress is real slow – I’m not special anyway. At the moment I’m doing single jumps and basic spins with a coach. My goal is a double-single combination jump, but I don’t know if I can ever achieve that.
I love the sensation
when I skate – you feel as if you’ve become a seagull and are flying just above the sea! But the real magic is when you jump – so much sense of freedom and excitement! You might be expected to look elegant on the ice but I can tell you it’s an aggressive sport. You always have to push, push and attack – otherwise the moment you hesitate, you fail really. Skating overall made me a lot stronger physically and mentally – overcoming the fear, believing in myself that one day I can do it – and most importantly, persevering all the mentally and physically hurting moments when you fall – especially when a 9-year old is spinning like a dream a few yards away....
But of course, the climax is when you are skating beautifully in a fabulous costume. I don’t deserve a costume. Unless you can skate like a member of a national team, you don’t look the part, you just look really sad. It’s almost an untold agreement and sensibleness that the elaborate costumes are reserved for the serious competitors – but hey, I’ve got a couple so why don’t I wear them, just occasionally?
Most of the time though,
I resort to wearing a track suit or a leggings with a wrap –around mini-skirt.
But I had to fight for it -.
As there are no shops that sell figure skating costumes nearby, I went to a dance shop where they sold stuff for ballet. I thought practice wear for ballet was close. When I found a frilly mini wrap skirt and took it to the cashier, I was told I couldn’t wear it because these were for children, that ladies wear longer skirt. That’s true in a traditional ballet class. So I said to them, ‘But this is what I want to wear!’. Then they let me buy it. Sometime later I went to another dance shop and when I tried to buy a mini-ballet skirt I was told the same thing – so I said, ‘But this is what I want to wear!’ and they let me buy it. The next time I walked into the shop the assistant immediately said to me, in a firm manner, ‘we only sell dance wear here’. Well, I must be on their black list now……don’t they know? Customer Is Always Right…… :)
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December was a stressful month as simple jobs for the new release turned into a nightmare in the wrong hands – otherwise, again it was a mad busy month and it was 2006 even before I knew……
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