14. Ice Hockey

Today I am nurturing my gratitude for ice hockey.

I am not a sports fan, but I love ice hockey! And no, I cannot go into details about all the sports terminology for hockey, however I am learning, now that the Vancouver Canucks are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs :P The reason I love hockey, apart from the fact that it is Canada's national sport, is the energy and grace in the game, yes, grace. There's something powerful and graceful about gliding down the rink at full speed, charging ahead with the puck, playing "the fastest game on ice" (as was advertised during the 2010 Winter Olympics). It is a fast-action game that can make you feel on edge, even if you know very little about the game. For novices, just pick a side, and follow the puck (better done if you watch hockey live or on HDTV).

Actually, the first time I got into hockey was at a game during my college days, at Cornell. I was in search of some school spirit, and also wanted to maximize my undergraduate experience, and hence started volunteering/attending school games. Football did not do much for me, even though we won against Yale; hockey, on the other hand, was a different story. The only thing I knew about hockey at the time was that it was played with skates in an ice rink, which was intriguing to me. The school spirit was captivating-students and adults alike chanting, jumping off their seats with every goal scored by the home team. I was mesmerized by the speed and gliding on the ice, not to mention the school spirit. The fact that we had a long-standing rivalry with Harvard that involved throwing frozen fish on the rink also appealed to my college sensibilities :P

So that's how my love for ice hockey started, with a live game. Flash forward about eight/nine years later, and I am the proud owner of a Canucks jersey (that I am told I cannot sleep in...)

Looking forward to watching tonight's game against the Nashville Predators, go Canucks go!