The Nicest Day

I had the nicest day today. I took the train for a couple of hours from Tampere and used the time to edit my article. I had a lunch meeting in Helsinki, which only lasted half an hour after which I made my way back to the Central Railway Station. My next meeting was delayed somewhat and I decided to go skating! Yes, in the middle of Helsinki there is an ice rink and I rented a pair of skates and off I went!

I must have been a sight in my straight trousers, long black coat, ocher scarf and black fedora. I must be featured in dozens of Russian photoalbums soon. Tourists and other travellers seemed to stop and stare as I started my one and a half hour skating shift. As I started, I was probably the only male person on ice, not counting the little boys. Later on there were others, and at one point the ice rink felt almost full.

I had a blast going around the rink as fast as I could. In a couple of near-collision situations I noticed how my body thought I was using inline skates. I needed to break quickly and I just raised the toes on my right foot in order to press the inline break to the asphalt. Of course, with real skates, nothing happens. Unless you're wearing women's skates backwards, that is. With real skates you break by turning sideways, like with slalom skis.

I didn't fall once, although it was close a couple of times. That danger kept it interesting. At first I thought I'd skate for half an hour buit I ended up sweating in 0 degrees centigrade for close to the maximum time of one and a half hours. Cool stuff!

If you're in Helsinki, check out the Icepark!

Afterwards, in Kirkkonummi/Kyrkslätt I met the nicest girl who kept hugging me and I almost missed my train. Good luck in finding L-Ruu in the future to the whole Hakkarainen family!

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Suomeksi: olen asettanut tavoitteekseni luistella kaikissa Euroopan pääkaupungeissa. Rooma ja Helsinki on nyt hoidettu.

Kirkkonummella asuu vieraanvarainen Hakkaraisen perhe, jossa on kaksi melko ujostelematonta lasta. Perheen isä, Kimmo, työskentelee Kilosoftin tuotekehitysjohtajana. Kilosoft myy ja markkinoi Tick-the-Code -koulutusta jatkossa Suomessa. Yhteistyösopimus allekirjoitettiin keskiviikkona.