ASTRON and JIVE are hosting the ESTRELA workshop for astronomy PhD students this week, and part of the budget includes entertaining these poor young people in Drenthe during their stay. Last night's social outing was to De Smelt in Assen for dinner (blargh!) and ice skating. Ice skating! We had to go.
Everyone assumed I wouldn't skate. What?!? A little pregnancy keep me off the ice? I grew up skating -- first it in endless circles on roller skates in Jenny Rasmussen's basement on Pollock Road (the Eurythmic's "Sweet Dreams" playing in the background). Then it more endless circles in Jodi Roche's basement on Boutell (Duran Duran's "Seven and the Ragged Tiger"). Then it was onto the ice on the pond behind our subdivision for a few more winters.
As an adult I've hardly skated - just a couple trips to the Ice Cube and once last year to Buhr Park for Beejoo's birthday. But I haven't fallen since I was a kid, and I don't feel as though my balance has been compromised yet (knock on wood!) by the pregnancy. So off I went to Assen.
While we ate dinner, I tried to ignore all the rainbow spandex-clad people hurrying in and out the door. There was obviously some sort of competitive team skating practice that also went on here, requiring the Dutch to wear corporate-sponsored outfits with matching athletic bags. But surely there would be a rink for us separate from where they all were practicing.
Nope! The "rink" was actually a track. An oval ice track, open in the center to the heavens (you know, for sending up prayers and all), and around it at least a couple hundred speed skaters zipped around on their fancy, long-bladed clap skates.
Fortunately for us, and in particular those in our group who'd never been on skates before, there was plenty of room around the outside of the track to mosey along at our own easy paces without getting in the way of the more aerodynamic people. The rental skates were also all long-bladed, but they still had the stiff hockey- or downhill ski-style boots for great ankle support. They're more difficult to turn and stop in, but I kept my distance from the people in front of me and didn't have any problems.
And it was good exercise! I just sort of set off on my own, circling circling circling (without, I'm sad to say, the company of Annie Lennox or Simion LeBon), and I didn't even realize I was working until I stepped off the ice and noticed my heart rate was up a little bit. So easy!
Charles, of course, had a great time, too, and showed everyone what a great, zippy skater he was. Our colleague Lisa said to me, "He's got a little bit of a 12 year-old in him, doesn't he?" I said, "He's got a LOT of 12 year-old in him. For better or worse!"
We might have to go back.
Update: Charles took a few photos, but we haven't uploaded them yet. For a photo of the ESTRELA students, ASTRON/JIVE employees and a few significant others who tagged along, check out the ASTRON Daily Image. Note the long skate blades but not a shred of lycra/spandex in the bunch!
Is blargh a traditional Dutch food? I'm imagining something involving potatoes and fish in a mustard cream sauce.
Posted by: Matt | January 18, 2007 at 05:04 PM
Ha -- "blargh" is actually a Monkei-ism representing vomiting. The food at this restaurant didn't actually make me vomit, but I thought I should just reiterate my disdain for Dutch food.
Posted by: Krees | January 19, 2007 at 01:47 PM