“I’m so scared!” are words that I constantly find myself exclaiming throughout the course of most bazaar Tries excursions. This month, when myself and the team decided to recapture our collective youth by spending an hour ice skating, I especially felt the pressure.
I’ve never personally been one for ice skating, always finding myself in a trend of being excited about it prior to its actual occurrence, but by the time I make my way onto the ice, my fear of falling takes over me. This experience was no exception.
Nonetheless, we made the short trek from our Salmiya headquarters to the immaculately maintained ice rink at The Promenade – or colloquially known as, “Promenade Ice”, where a leisurely hour of skating around the smooth, icy surface had been organized for our experimentation. Myself, armed with other fearless members of the bazaar team, hesitated as we’d picked up our provided skates and awkwardly buckled them on, beaconing toward one of the sturdy coaches/”icemen” for assistance.
Next thing I knew, one by one, each coworker was making her way onto the ice, gliding gracefully or at the very least, keeping a much more confident stance than mine. I admittedly cowered, holding onto the generous railing circling the rink, while instructors, colleagues and even passersby were persuading me within a fit of giggles who had to be persuaded on the ice in a fashion that was reminiscent of every other scary moment in my life, where someone was trying to coax me toward bravery with a cookie or treat to reward my perseverance.
Not today! After watching children as young as five whiz past me with pizazz, as well as couple of tweenaged kids dancing across the ice with ease and precision, I grabbed one of the provided skating aides (adorably shaped like a whale) and gripped onto the handlebars for assistance. Mind you, at first, I awkwardly tiptoed across the door and back, resembling a timid granny with a humpback, much like my newly acquired whale friend.
My colleagues, however, were way more adventurous. They soared, attempted twirls, and even skated backwards, and forwards through an intense looking tunnel! And at one point, the rink became abuzz with A.R. Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls’ “Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)” and we all couldn’t help but dance along to the decade-old track. Mind you, at this point, my whale had been taken away and I was with the slightly less efficient polar bear version sporting a similar purpose, but I was able to do the twist.
What struck me about the experience was my gained confidence – which doesn’t seem like a lot, but if you’ve ever witnessed me on the ice before this moment, you would have seen the improvement. I think that the main reason this confidence was boosted, however, was due to the fine facility that Promenade Ice offers. The ice itself was smooth and nicely broken in, with minimal slip! I was convinced that even with my extra-cautious nature, I’d fall onto the ice and sprain a wrist or an ankle. At the very least, I thought I’d have a heart-shattering wobbly moment – but everything was extremely smooth! My coworkers shared this sentiment, which would explain why they all turned into sudden Michelle Kwans on the ice. Michelle Kwan I am not, (and have a long way to be) but thanks to my seamless experience at Promenade Ice, the possibility isn’t too far-fetched. Perhaps I’ll be strapping on those skates again in the near future.
Call Promenade Ice at 2227 7138 for information on rink activities and ice camps. Follow The Promenade on Instagram @thepromenadekw for updates.
All images by bazaar staff.
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