Selecting where to go
This weekend, intially I had plan to goto Sea paradise on saturday. but some of teh guys wanted to goto Akhiabara first and also join me to Sea paradise. So, I switched my plans of saturday and sunday. And this this saturday I went to Kangawa Skating Rink. Yup its Ice skating rink. Actually I had been wanting to goto Ice skating (even though I know tht i cannot do it… never even roller skated leave alone balance on ice with thin blades).. and yet i wanted to do it.. cuz i would never get to do that in Pakistan. One choice for me was “Children Park” but on their website I couldnt confirm if they would give the skating shoes on rent. But on way to Tokyo comes Kangawa where I had seen a rink.. and searched online and they did have a website and they had confirmed that skating shoes on rent were available. Since I didnt have emembership, so i would have to pay 1300 for entry and extra 300 for shoes.
Going there
On saturday only Know-me was going with me as rest of all ppl were going to Akhiabara. And Mr. Furqan had gone back to Pakistan for his extension of Visa as he will be staying for 1 year now. I told Know-me that I would meet him at Yokohama station at 11:00 AM. Kanagwa station is next one to Yokohama station… and I had to goto Yok station to get money exhange. There are two money exhange that I know of and both are near Yok station.
I had gone there for past 3 times and each time there would be a huge queue and they would put a queu closed board to stop any more ppl. So, this time I went there at 10:15 AM … since it opens at 10:00 AM. And when I reached there.. the queue was still there as long as ever btu luckily no closing board. So, I stood in queue and hoped that I would be free by 11:00. But I stood there for more than 1 hour and finally got to the window by 11:30.. I was generally worried that where would Know-me be since I was 30 minutes late. I ran up to train platforms.. got the ticket and checked all the platform twice but he was no more here since I was late by 30 minutes. So, I thought that I had already told him that its in Kangagawa and u can see it from train on ur way.. so maybe he went by himself and thus i boarded the train and went to Kanagawa and luckily he was there already.
Shoes
getting the right size of shoe is hardest part… first I tried no. 9 and it was very small so i used size 11.. and it fit but after getting on ice I realized that my foot were very loose in it. then I tried size 10 and it was still too small to fit in. and finally 10.5 size was better.. not too tight and not too loose. u need to have a perfectly fit shoe if u want to balance on ice on those thin blades.
My attempts to skate
First i tried to blance the bladed shoes on the rubber floor outside and once I was stable I went on ice… and it was sooooo slippery… I had to hold the hand rail to just pull myself all the way. Luckily the rink has two areas. One big main rink which is also used as Ice Hockey stadium. And the other smaller one for ametures… so I was in that one.
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Later on I was finally able to balance myself without holding the rail.. and well u cannot really count that as “skating”… but i was somewht walking and sliding and slipping successfully after much attempts.
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The pain in the feet in trying to balance and keep the blade straight is enormous and we had to take time off many times.
Know-me
Know-me on other hand was having better and really good skating experience.. his old skills on roller skates were coming in use.. Although before I had reached there, he had once fallen on ice fpretty badly. Luckily I didnt “fall” even once.. I did loose my balance many times but was able to get up without falling badly… and know-me was so pissed for that.. as he was really expecting a big crash on ice hehe!
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Others
There were so good pros at the rink.. small kids.. OLD men.. and all skated like silk on marble. It was really amazing to see them. There were some ice hockey team players there too practising… and their cuts and turns.. just incredible. Lil girls doing figure skating.. and making us feel like big lumps of rock on ice. :O
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The Cotton candy
Last time I was in Disney I was really missing cotton candy. What kind of carnival or theme park is without those lovely cotton candies.. but luckily this skating rink had a cotton candy machine near the lockers. So, after some skating.. we went out to the coin operated machine (50 Y per cotton candy). u put in the coin and it throws down sugar in spinner and then u have to roate teh stick inside to capture the cotton candy… First Know-me made it and I laughed as the candy would grow on one side and his rotation was not being synchronized with the machine. But later when I made it.. i made it worse.. with candy even wrapped around my arm even hehe!
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The big rink
After a break we finally mustered the courage to go inside teh big rink too.. and then we complete 2 rounds of the rink .. and it was so much smoother than the smaller one. Since they clean the surface after every 2 or 3 hours. And its also scary as there is less support all around.. but we did complete rounds there.. after which we came out and made teh rest of practice rounds in smaller rink only.
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After that we left.. it was around 4 when we left the rink. And from there on we walked to Sakuragicho station instead of taking the train… and then returned home. I had finally skated.. it wasnt really pro.. but these things take time.. and i think it wasnt too bad for 3 to 4 hours of skating.. not bad at all.. but.. Damn! I was so hoping to do some swan dive or something, but looks like i should better leave figure skating to ppl who it really belongs to = girls. and pickup something manlier considering my gender and size = Call of Duty 
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