and my athletic career begins and ends with one race...

I spoke too quickly when I said in the blog yesterday that I'd escaped having to take part in the sports activities! I was innocently minding my own business (as I ALWAYS do...!) standing with a bunch of students to watch the teachers' 400m relay and cheer them on, when I was spotted and discussed by a group of teachers. not that I'm fluent in Chinese by any stretch of the imagination, but I can usually pick out my name and "Janata" (Canada in Chinese) and figure I'm being talked abuot. Happens fairly frequently. So I smiled cheerfully at them, and continued chatting to the students. A few minutes later I was dragged off, had a number tied on me and sent off down the track at a jog to take part in the race. It was arranged that I was part of the final leg, finishing in front of the grandstand of course! They just don't know the limitations of the Ouwehand genes! They've had me singing and running in public...
However, to my own amazement, I came third, behind the male teachers, but first in the women, running in jeans and leather shoes no less. However, it was the beginning and end of my athletic career...until of course, I was invited roller skating with a group of students. I'd not been rollerskating since grade 10, and even then my strategy was to go until I had to crash into something to stop. However, off we went, to the local "rink" about a quarter of the size of our usual skating rinks, with an uneven wooden floor. Having said that, it was packed, mostly with students from my school, to my mortification. Got off to a wobbly start, trying mainly to stay upright and not fall over my own feet. Of course, had an instant audience! But after half an hour or so, could at least get round fairly well, still have to stop with the aid of a wall or other such inanimate object though! Had loads of fun, and some of the students were excellent, performing all sorts of acrobatics. Ended up being dragged along in a few "conga" lines, whizzing roudn the room and doging pillars and other skaters at an alarming speed! Good thing I've got medical coverage. Hope it includes the breakage of limbs.