Took a break from the intense Tokyo summer heat last Friday and went ice-skating in Takadanobaba near where I live. It was maybe 10 years ago when I was at University that I went for the first time (apart from early childhood which I’m too young to remember and I don’t think I could even stand up then!) and I didn’t get cold feet and took to it like a duck to water.

However, having been about half a dozen times since I don’t think I am ever likely to get better. I never really fall on my ar*e and speed is no problem but my style is at times rather unorthodox and far from graceful. Definitely won’t be winning any prizes for dancing on ice!

What is also a little alarming is seeing kids who are only a few years old cruising round the rink at top speeds with ease while doing all kinds of fancy tricks, spins and turns. I guess going backwards on ice for more than a few inches is just something i’ll never achieve a breakthrough with!

One cute little girl of about six was fascinated by the presence of a gaijin like myself and kept looking at me before breaking the erm ice by asking me where I was from. She was desparate to play ‘tig’/’You’re it’ with me and so not wanting to be ice-olated I relented and joined in which was good fun though I did feel a little awkward at times amid worry that the watching adults would give me a cold reception! Now it seems I can’t even get away from ‘entertaining’ kids on my days off.