Solid Gold

Hi everybody! I’m basically going to be bragging a lot in this post. My cousin is a major figure skating superstar and she was in Japan for a while to compete! She has been figure skating for pretty much all her life and this amazing figure skater from Japan needed a partner and he sought her out to be his partner for pair figure skating. And together they are on their way to World Championships to represent Japan! What can I say, fierceness runs in the family ;). I missed out on all the kinesthetic genes though hehe. Once when I visited her and her family in Boston, I went to train with her at MIT. I thought, ‘Hey I go to the gym, I can do it, it’ll be fun!’ But her training regimen absolutely killed me! On every single one of the weight machines, her trainer had to decrease my weight load by more than half of what my cousin was lifting…and I kind of couldn’t walk the next day.

and figure skating is so graceful like a butterfly!!!! stay tuned for a video!

Even though I trained with her, I had never actually seen her skate. Until now! We had a lot of fun hanging out in Tokyo and then I met up with her in Kyoto for the competition. I was so excited to see her skate for the first time. When I left my apartment, as I was closing up the sliding door, I saw a beautiful butterfly on the balcony sill. I took it as a good sign for my cousin and the trip in general. It didn’t even fly away and let me take its picture and lingered for a long while afterward.

And speaking of butterflies and delicate graceful things, don’t let the gracefulness of figure skating or the sparkly outfits fool you: you need to be super strong to do it. These guys are SERIOUS athletes. Just think of how hard it is to balance on one foot (it’s hard for me anyway). And add doing it on a sharp blade. On ice. While you’re gliding backwards. And spinning. And doing crazy lifts and positions with your partner and keeping it all in sync and graceful. Doyouknowhatimsayinnn! It’s tough stuff! This upcoming video is not even of their official number (I got busted for using my camera after this one wahh and didn’t want to risk sneaking more video and getting kicked out forever). It is just their practice for the judges – all sitting in front of their computers where they input their scores so it can flash up on the screen – before their official dance number. Before the dance numbers, each pair has the to run through the same practice routine for the judges (cuz, correct me if I’m wrong on any of this ok!).

They look so awesome together and my cousin is especially graceful! Their skating moves kind of defy all those physics laws of momentum etc in a way that makes it border on magical to watch. But it also borders on scary. Before the doubles competition, I watched the singles competition. Singles figure skating revolves around those crazy jump spins in the air. The whole audience just cringed when the skater would mess up a landing and take a pounding on the ice. They spin in the air and if they spun just half an angle too far to the left or right, they’d take a nasty fall. I always worried about them ending up on that sharp blade. Or breaking their neck/ankles; every muscle and nerve and fiber of your being (!) has to be in harmony with each other for a safe landing. I had cranberries with me (thank you Grandma!!), and started gnawing on them like crazy in anticipation of my cousin going on. I was so nervous for her. But she’s a pro, I should have had nothing to worry about.

waiting to go on last minute talk with the coach...the mist adds nicely to the drama of the moment--ANTICIPATION! ganbatte!

back in the hotel room! i got her a flower that they have in hawai`i! protea...love it! and i also love my fake leather jacket. forever 21 baby very cheap. ugh i gotta stop with the fake cheap leather jackets. before they all add up to cost as much as a real one!

The “short dance” competition meant that all the pairs had to use the same type of music in the same style: Latin. Their routine was so sensual and beautiful! I woohoo-ed excessively and cheered her name and got a lot of weird looks. I was my cousin’s one-person entourage ok! I needed to compensate somehow. Don’t hate! Most of the competitors had supporters in droves all dressed in huge down jackets and thermoses of soup for the day of competition. There was one part where they did a very difficult but effortless-looking move and came out through a mist on the ice and it looked SO romantic and dreamy. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. We ate a lot of delicious rice and food to reward ourselves afterward. Reward for my cousin for skating her heart out and being amazing (they didn’t even come close to falling!). And reward for myself for um, I don’t know…not chewing my nails out from (unnecessary) nervousness?

And then the next day, it was the free dance competition, which meant they could dance any style with any type of music. We got to the Aquarena very early so my cousin and her partner could warm up and she could do her hair and makeup. I wasn’t as nervous to watch her but just as excited. They danced a combination of tango and waltz. Those are very complicated dances with very exacting step sequences and they nailed it! Every single back and forth and head toss and classy stomp! And they totally upped their lift game and special effects game (my skating terminology must be very off)…with the help of wikipedia, I think what I saw them do was “death spirals”? And those are as awesome as they sound. A lot of moves where they look like they are balancing on each other and dragging each other at the same time?! And flying?! The little boy sitting next to me was vocal about how impressed he was. With every amazing move they pulled off, he gasped, “Sugoi! Wa, SuGOI!!!” Which translates as “Awesome! Whoa! So AWESOME!” So that made me feel better about being the lone whoo-hoo-er. The people to the other side of me threw their bags to the seats behind me with a dramatic thud to show me they were going to move…away from me who was making too much noise, apparently. Why so uptight, mate? Hehehe. And it wasn’t like cheering was against the rules or something…it was fine when people cheered in large groups. But solo-cheering? Not so much. Interesting. Anyways, I made sure to restrict my cheering to the opening and ending. I have good manners after all, like a good Japanese citizen (re: previous post)!

I really thought their free dance performance was something special. The choreography just flowed and every move was so so breathtaking in its athleticism and elegance. Apparently, the little boy and I weren’t the only ones who were impressed with what we saw. When the results came up, drumroll please! My cousin and her partner came in first place! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

next stop nationals! then after that who knows?! look at her partner's gold medal glistening! YES

looking at their detailed score sheet with their coach...always room for improvement and perfection with these guys!

So they’re going to Nationals in December in Japan and hopefully after that Worlds and/or Olympics to represent Japan! Is Worlds the Olympics? Hello, language barrier! We shall see! Her Japanese coach was asking her, “So your great-grandmother came from Japan?” And I could see the wheels turning in his head to find a loophole for her to compete for Japan despite her American citizenship. But in any case, I am so proud of my amazing cousin and so happy that we saw each other in Japan. ❤ And that I got to finally see her sugoi skating talent! In Japan of all places. So cool. Now OGFSss.

cranberry soymilk donut! made with real cranberry! see the cranberry bits?! you can also see the little nibble i took in the dainty pretense that i wouldn't eat the whole thing. GUESS HOW THAT WORKED OUT!??! (it didn't. whole thing gone. one sitting). WHOO HOO!!!!! =)

Love from me!