Roller skating with Chinese characteristics

This spring, we have discovered the true beauty of the town where we live.  The trees are alive, and the students are much happier!  Check out our pictures website for more details.

Today, we went roller skating for the first time, with one of Nick's most enthusiastic students: Fliegel.  We started out from the school, and he asked us how long we thought we'd skate.  He said he usually stays, oh, about 8 hours.  Our eyes widened, and we told him we'd likely stay only an hour or two, as our feet weren't used to skating.  

Ten minutes later, we showed up at the rink.  There was a small foyer to rent skates and store your shoes.  I wondered briefly if the skates were disinfected, but tried to put it out of my mind.  We got the right sizes and started to put them on, when we were each handed two thin blue plastic bags by Fliegel.  He said, "put these on your feet."  I asked him why, and he said, "It is the rule."  So, to prevent foot infection, we put plastic bags over our feet before putting them into the skates.  Then, we were laced up and ready to go into the rink area, which was dimly lit, and had Chinese pop-remix disco going.  

We stepped in, and noticed first that there weren't too many people, but they seemed disorganized.  There were lots standing around the edges of the rink, and some benches along one side of the rink ... inside.  We slowly realized how much we were accustomed to the rinks in the U.S. where you have to keep moving.  Then we realized just how different it was. 

There were some very skilled skaters there who could go backward and spin and everything.  Yet, the backwards skaters were skating in the opposite direction of the forward skaters.  So, everyone was facing the same direction, but some were going backward (clockwise) while we went forward (counter-clockwise).  This was terrifying at first.  Then, we saw some guys throw cigarette butts directly on the rink floor, as well as spill some water (which kills any traction you might have had).  We eventually pulled our jaws back up, and had to make a choice: dive in and go for it (our student had brought us, and we had already paid), or freak out and go home.  We chose the former, and it worked out pretty well.  We stayed for about an hour and a half, all the while becoming more comfortable with lighting-speed cigarette-smoking guys weaving around us from the wrong direction, and avoiding the water spots.  I think both of us fell into the groove of the place.  We were sad to go, but already developing blisters.  It only took a few minutes for our feet to dry out after the plastic bag ovens were removed.  Hey, we might even go back again soon.

Happy Mothers' Day!