Near the end of school break (which runs from March to mid-May in Thailand), Tawn’s cousin Pheung got it into her mind that I would be a good person to teach her son Mark to ice skate. I guess the logic was that since I come from a country that has snow and ice, I must be well-suited for such instruction. Of course, I come from sunny California, but that didn’t stop me from agreeing to a skating date.
There are several ice rinks in Bangkok, the newest of which is a regulation size rink called Sub Zero at Central Plaza Rama 9. We showed up for the mid-afternoon session, which runs for two hours. While I’ve probably skated no more than a half-dozen times in my life, I knew enough to explain to Mark and Tawn that you need to keep your legs close together and your feet parallel to the floor. Sadly, that was the sum total of my ice skating knowledge.
Mark was pretty insistent on getting up without any help each time he fell. It took him a while to learn that you can’t get up from your butt without turning over onto your knees first. Otherwise, your feet just keep sliding out from under you!
We had a fun few hours going in circles, although by the end my feet hurt. I guess if I do this only once every half-dozen years or so, that’s okay.
christao408 
Any exercise like that can really get you tired. Head for the hot tub and soak your aching body. But, knowing how hot it must be in Bangkok now, I doubt if you would want to sit in a hot tub.Good for Mark wanting to learn how to skate. If he keeps trying he is going to be a great skater soon.
You’re a pretty convincing guy. I bet you could sell a bridge if you put your mind to it.
That’s a good idea to escape the Bangkok heat, especially around April and May!
Looks like fun! It isn’t the feet so much as my ankles that take a beating… unless I fall then my backside is usually bruised! hehe!
I can’t imagine what it must be like to grow up in a tropical environment, then experience for the first time the cold of an ice rink. Is air-conditioning and ice cream sufficient preparation?
I do remember learning to ice skate. Start young and it is easier. But can be hard on the butt anyway lolol.
@ZSA_MD – Hot tub? In Bangkok!? =D As for Mark, unless he learns to keep his legs together when he skates, I think he’s not going to go very far.@Fatcat723 – Youth does seem to make many sports easier to accomplish. Perhaps a combination of youthful body and a lack of worry about looking the fool!@Inciteful – No, I think not nearly enough preparation. Some children were just sitting on the ice, scraping it, fascinated.@murisopsis – For some reason, it is my arches that ache afterwards.@CurryPuffy – I can see why more and more of the ice rinks are being built. It is a refreshing way to beat the heat.@catstemplar2 – Are you in the market for a bridge, by any chance?
i haven’t ice skate in ages. from the first pic, it seems you were busy teaching tawn, more than mark. just an observation 🙂
I never learned to Skate even though our class had skating parties every winter and an ice pond too. It looks like fun though. 🙂
@rudyhou – I gear my instruction to the more teachable student! LOL@Ikwa – Ice skating on a pond? Now, that’s the authentic experience.
The more I read your blogs, the more I realize what a beautiful culture and people they are.
i’ve only gone skating once, and it was a pretty bad experience… i didn’t make it very far! i need stronger ankles in order to have enough control to skate. i think i’m just going to stick with running!
Roller skating was also popular when I was young. I even went roller skating in China.
I miss Ice-Scating (in Jakarta) while I was in Chicago, I keep asking my frens to go but no one want to go. 😦 I am going to check out the Ice-Ring in Jakarta. Ice-scating is not as fancy/famous as when I was in high school anymore here in Indonesia.
@UncCharlie – It really is a fascinating culture, yes.@kunhuo42 – I’d think your ankles would be plenty strong, given all the running you do.@amygwen – I remember the roller skating rink in my hometown – it was right next to the ice skating rink and had a big warp in the floor in the back right corner of the rink.@vsan79 – Let us know what ice skating in Jakarta is like these days.
I’ve only been on skates once. I had to borrow them from a classmate. It was one of the things we couldn’t really afford when we moved to Canada. I’ve always wanted to try it but never did anything about it.
cute!