The family that skates together...

家族が一緒にスケートするのは一緒にいることね。

(Expanded English version follows.)

最近のCRは初めて家族の４人は一緒に滑りました。前々に５年間半、子供にスケートを買いました。両方はすべて安い。直ぐ後で私もスケートを買いました。それから、子供たちは滑りましたが、あまり熱心家になりませんでした。主人はスケートしたくなかった。たぶん、怖くて、忙しかったから練習をできませんでした。過去に、ときどきモニカとジョナはCRに参加しますが、今度いつも日曜日の朝に教会の学校に行かなければなりません。ジョナの足は大きくなった。モニカの足も大きくなった。それで、だんだん無理になりました。でも、１１月から、パパはスケートを習っています。たびたび毎週葛西臨海公園で練習します。準備ができたので、１月の上野CRに初めて参加しました。最近５月のSNSに初めて参加しました。良かったです。今教会の学校は終わりますので、私は考えがありました。 モニカのスケートを試してみました。オケイです。ジョナね。私の古いスケートが適当と思います。よかった。それで、もちろん私の努力から、子供たちも上野から東京駅までCRに参加しました。とてもよかったです。滑ることは生活の大きい分になりましたので、嬉しくなりました。

上の４年前の撮った写真はこふじさんから、CRとSNSの写真はIwaさんからです。

Last Sunday, for the very first time, all four of us in the family participated in the Ueno City Run.  This was a landmark moment for me, because skating has become  such a big part of my life.  The children haven't been skating much at all lately, but 5 1/2 years ago, when Santa brought them roller blades for Christmas, they were really into it.  Soon after they got their skates, I got some for myself.  Masuda-san taught me how to skate, introduced me to lots of nice skaters, and got me started with the City Run.  For awhile, Monica and Jonah would occasionally participate, but they weren't that enthusiastic, probably because doing stuff with Mom, even fun stuff, is taboo as you get closer to the teen years.  Martin, though, did not want to learn to skate, even though he is quite athletic.  Perhaps he was a little afraid of getting hurt, because an injury would certainly set him back with regard to his business travel and work, (and he has seen through my two broken bones that skating injuries can be quite troublesome) and also, just taking the time to learn, and all that falling down that accompanies those early weeks of practice... it just wasn't worth it to him.  However, late last year he changed his tune.  While on a business trip to the U.S. in November, he bought some skates and met with a skating instructor, Dan Tripp, for a very basic lesson in a roller rink.  It really got him off to a good start, thanks Dan, and he's glad he did it.  He practices as often as possible at Kasai Rinkai Koen, doing about 10 kilometers, with the goal of improving his skill and endurance while getting fun exercise.  I go along if my schedule allows.  In January he participated in his first City Run, starting from Tokyo and going to Tameike Sanno Starbucks with the group.  The next week, he started at Ueno and went to SB, then rode the train to goal where he practiced and got some tips from fellow skaters.  The third time, he started at the beginning and went all the way to Gaienne.  In May, he participated in his first Saturday Night Skate.  Good Job, Martin!                                           Take a look at Papa-san's SNS site.  

Now that Martin had become a skater, I was hoping to get Monica and Jonah back into it, but they always had Sunday School on Sunday mornings, the time of City Run, and besides, both children had outgrown their skates, so it was impossible.  Recently though, with the school year winding down, Sunday School has finished for the summer so that meant they are available.  The only problem was the skates.  I had bought Monica some skates about a year ago, and got her a slightly bigger size.  Good news, they still fit.  In the meantime, Jonah had grown into my old skates, so problem solved.  YES!!  Last Sunday, for the first time ever, the four of us skated together from Ueno to Tokyo Station.  At the Tokyo Station resting/meeting point, the kids took off their skates, and rode the subway home, while Martin and I accompanied the rest of the group to Odaiba, which was another very fun and interesting route.  We will try to make this "Family Skate" a habit, and hopefully the children will become more enthusiastic about my favorite sport.  Maybe even pick up some Japanese practice along the way.

Most SNS and CR photos by Iwa-san (see his skating site) .

 

Comments

[Matt Scholl]

Very cool, glad to see that ya'll are still doing well. This post spurs me to look into getting a pair of skates myself. Time of course is a limiting factor, I've been traveling a bunch lately, so have lots of household chores when I get back to KC.