Luca Goes To The Philippines

Skating and Philippine Culture

The Underdogs were pushing the wagon with music instruments at the sidewalk

"So, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" Luca asked.

Mariposa turned to them while skating backwards, "You guys are tourists, right? I can show you around what the Philippines can offer. Follow me!"

While Mariposa turned and skated in front of the wagon to pull forward, Alberto couldn't stop staring at her skates. He hasn't seen one before, not even part of his collections, "Hey, what's with shoes on wheels?"

The Filipino girl looked down at her skates while lifting her right leg, "Oh, my roller skates? You can try if you like."

Luca then confessed nervously, "Um, no thank you. I tried to ride a bike for the first time, and it didn't go well for me at first."

"I'll do it!" Alberto stepped forward.

"Great. I mean, you're taller, so you can be good with skating," Mariposa said as Alberto sat down on a nearby bench, and she took off her skates, revealing her actual height to be a little bit shorter than Luca, "Sorry, I was shorter without my skates."

"Your height is fine," Giulia commented.

When Mariposa put the skates on Alberto's bare feet, she stood up, and said, "Okay, skating is hard when you try it for the first time. It didn't feel like walking or standing up normally."

"I think I got this," Alberto stood with the skates, but felt his feet were sliding. He almost lost his balance, but managed to keep himself from falling.

"Great, you got the balance. Needs a little... chin up, arms down straight when standing," As Alberto did what Mariposa told him, she continued, "Okay, so when you skate, you have to kick one foot backwards, and do the same with the other, it's like you push yourself forward. Just like what other people say: 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.'"

"I thought that was Newton," Giulia corrected.

"Where do you think he got it from?"

"Science?"

Ignoring the two girls' argument, Alberto kicked his right foot backwards, causing him to move forward. When he was slowly moving, he then kicked his left foot backwards, continuing to move forward again. Alberto then repeated the same technique as he skated around his three friends.

"Wow, I'm doing it, I'm skating!" The taller kid chuckled.

While watching Alberto skating, Luca then changed his mind about not wanting to try skating. He wanted to learn skating like his best friend

"So, can I try to skate?" He asked Mariposa.

"Teka lang," Mariposa told Luca as she appeared in front of Alberto, which nearly startled him, "Can you dodge obstacles?!" She then carried a rock wrapped with a small blanket like she was holding a baby, "What if a woman with a baby crosses your path?" Alberto panicked there as he overpassed Mariposa. She then appeared again while saying, "Can you withstand criticism and insults?" She then imitated Paolo's words, "'Nice skates! I was kidding. Your skates are horrible, and you'll never be a skater!'"

Then, Mariposa placed planks of wood across a small fountain with koi fishes swimming in the water. Luca and Giulia showed their concerned faces at Alberto. If he falls into the fountain and gets wet, they're gonna be in grave danger.

"Now, can you handle the course's difficult obstacle?" Mariposa spoke.

Alberto was a little afraid, but he took a deep breath, and ignored a Bruno in his head. He skated with one foot on the wood while the other was kicking backwards. Alberto tried to keep both of his feet on the wood with one on front, and the one at the back, but he felt he lost his balance, and intentionally fell down on the ground without touching the water of the fountain.