Skiing......
Instead of getting to try it at the Swiss Alps or somewhere with real snow, my first skiing experience took place in China, with man-made snow, hahahaha also can laaaa....
Back then in January, it was in winter in Beijing all right, but it wasn't snowing, unfortunately. The temperature did drop until negative 8 degrees Celsius, thus the weather was freaking cold but not cold enough for the snow to fall onto the Land of the Dragons.
My comrades and I were brought to the Snow World located in the suburbs of Beijing, to experience being in a 'snowy-environment' for the first time (for most of us, yours truly included) and also to play with the snow!!
The Snow World offered several activities which include Snow Sliding, where you just slide down the snow using the buoyant-tyre thingy, and snow...something....To tell the truth I forgot other activities they offered there because those are so childish-like and insignificant. :P
I wanted to try something exhilarating!
Which comes in one word....
SKIING!!!
My comrades and I were brought to the Snow World located in the suburbs of Beijing, to experience being in a 'snowy-environment' for the first time (for most of us, yours truly included) and also to play with the snow!!
The Snow World offered several activities which include Snow Sliding, where you just slide down the snow using the buoyant-tyre thingy, and snow...something....To tell the truth I forgot other activities they offered there because those are so childish-like and insignificant. :P
I wanted to try something exhilarating!
Which comes in one word....
SKIING!!!
Whenever I heard the word 'skiing', my mind would instantly relate it with Prince William and the Royal Family, who spent their holidays skiing in Klosters, Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) who attempted skiing for the first time, and Michael Schumacher who had been in coma for several months after a skiing accident.
AWESOME!!!
Once we reached there, we were advised to leave our belongings in the bus as we had to pay for the lockers if we want to bring them with us. I don't trust the lockers there anyway.
AWESOME!!!
Once we reached there, we were advised to leave our belongings in the bus as we had to pay for the lockers if we want to bring them with us. I don't trust the lockers there anyway.
Sehelai sepinggang
There were a lot of Chinese guys sitting on the benches on our right side when we came in and, upon seeing us, they began to stand up, following and cornering us. We were feeling rather nervous and bewildered.
We paid for the skiing fees which is 200 yuan per hour. 200 yuan = RM100. As soon as we collected our skiing boots, each of the Chinese men began to follow each one of us. Just like the yellow DIGI Mascots, those guys would follow you wherever you may go!
Allow me to recall my experience with one of them.
He was young, quite tall, rather cute and he spoke in broken but understandable English. From the moment I left the counter with my skiing boots, he had 'marked' me and began to follow me everywhere I go. He even acted like a concerned, true gentleman, taking the liberty to choose for me my ski and poles that are suitable for me, even helping me to fix my boots to the ski.
"Okay?" he asked as he adjusted the bindings.
"Okay!" I replied, hoping that he will leave me alone.
Skiing equipment 101
"Okay?" he asked as he adjusted the bindings.
"Okay!" I replied, hoping that he will leave me alone.
To no avail, with me struggling to walk each step with my ski and poles, he kept on following me.
I silently said "Go away! I'm not interested in you!" How perasan.
He then faced me and he was grinning as he said this,
I silently said "Go away! I'm not interested in you!" How perasan.
He then faced me and he was grinning as he said this,
"100 yuan! 100 yuan!"
I was baffled. Far from being interested in me, he was very much interested in my money. *facepalm*. (of course I'm joking about him interested in me, duh! I knew all along he just wanted my money).
Apparently, this guy is one of the skiing coaches there and he kept on pestering me to 'appoint' him as my skiing coach. And that I have to pay him. -_____-
I was baffled. Far from being interested in me, he was very much interested in my money. *facepalm*. (of course I'm joking about him interested in me, duh! I knew all along he just wanted my money).
Apparently, this guy is one of the skiing coaches there and he kept on pestering me to 'appoint' him as my skiing coach. And that I have to pay him. -_____-
I kept on replying 'Bu, xie xie ni," "No, thank you!" "No, it's okay!!" "I don't want!" but he just wouldn't give up!
I went ahead, ignoring him. As I entered the skiing park, I soon found myself being mesmerized with and enamoured by this magnificent place! Snow world! Snow heaven! So beautiful!!! It was my first time being in a snowy-environment okay. A little bit of jakun-ness is acceptable hohoho..
I went ahead, ignoring him. As I entered the skiing park, I soon found myself being mesmerized with and enamoured by this magnificent place! Snow world! Snow heaven! So beautiful!!! It was my first time being in a snowy-environment okay. A little bit of jakun-ness is acceptable hohoho..
The breathtaking view of man-made skiing slopes
I took the 'skiing escalator' up to the skiing slope (It's not that high as it was just a beginner's skiing place) and Mr-Cute-Skiing-Coach followed me, incessantly bothering me that I could not concentrate on looking at the beautiful views around me. It wasn't just me, all of my friends were experiencing the same 'predicament', though the so-called skiing coaches mostly targeted women/girls rather than the guys.
My skiing comrades all smiling, clearly unaware of the fate that lies upon them.
Alas, I had arrived at the top of the skiing slope. As the winter wind blew hard against me, I gripped both poles,all ready to accelerate down the slope.
I pushed myself and what happened next was beyond my expectations. No wonder Natasha Richardson died after suffering a head injury following a skiing accident. No wonder Michael Schumacher fell into a coma.
Skiing is not at all easy. The snow is slippery and once you started skiing, it is not easy to stop yourself midway.
I pushed myself and what happened next was beyond my expectations. No wonder Natasha Richardson died after suffering a head injury following a skiing accident. No wonder Michael Schumacher fell into a coma.
Skiing is not at all easy. The snow is slippery and once you started skiing, it is not easy to stop yourself midway.
I was skiing down so fast and it was hard to control my speed by using the poles. I kept on poking the snow with them, trying to create some frictional forces to slow me down.
And....plunkkkk!Dush! Kaboom! I fell down on my back. It was rather embarrassing.
Right after I fell down, many others followed suit, each with their own distinctive and rather comical styles.
It was pretty much like this
The skiing coach guy went down the slope to help me. It was hard to get up by yourself because the skis are long and you were in the middle of a reclining land thus you could slip and slide down the moment you begin to stand up.
He kept on saying "You pay me... no fall," Yeahh right! As if I'm gonna fall for that!
I saw some of my friends successfully skied down the slope without the help of any so-called skiing coach. It takes patience and perseverance! Plus, I know that I'm not that someone who is blessed with the luck of getting everything right the first time I attempted something.
I saw some of my friends successfully skied down the slope without the help of any so-called skiing coach. It takes patience and perseverance! Plus, I know that I'm not that someone who is blessed with the luck of getting everything right the first time I attempted something.
I muttered the same words "No thank you, no thank you" "Help me please!". I got up with his help and we walked to the starting point again. And the second time I did, I fell down again. Arghhh it was SO FRUSTRATING!!!
He helped me up and again, he tried his luck to offer himself as my skiing coach. Again I declined and he went off trying to find other potential clients. Bye-bye Mr Cute-Skiing-Coach! :((
The third time I tried, I fell down again. This time there was no one to help me. Feeling helpless, I looked around me and saw a professional-looking Chinese guy effortlessly skiing down. To him, I pleaded 'Can you help me?". He stopped midway ( I tell you, only professional skiiers could stop in the middle of the slope) and he gave me his hand. I pulled myself up and as expected, I began to slide down the slope. The guy almost slipped and I cried out 'Thank you!!!' as I skiied down, finally knowing how to control my speed.
I'm positive that I looked like this when I was skiing
The fourth time I did it, it was a success! The key is to bend your knees, bringing your body forward instead of backward (to prevent yourself from falling at your back) and to keep on poking the snow, as frequently as you could to reduce your skiing speed and before you know it, you managed to steer yourself to any direction you choose when you are skiing, like a PRO!
Like this guy here.
Like this guy here.
Oh well...Maybe I was exaggerating
I did it the fifth time, and the sixth! Achievement unlocked! YES!!! Take that, Mr Cute-Skiing-Coach!!! *smug*
The whole falling while skiing thing? It wasn't just me. So many people there had fallen down the slope when they were skiing. A friend of mine got stuck in the middle of the slope for about 15 minutes because there was no one to help her!
As I mentioned earlier, it was difficult to stand up with your skis on, nor is it easy to remove your skiing boots from the skis. Thus, another friend of mine who fell down while skiing just removed her feet from the skiing boots, carried the skis (with the boots attached) and the poles and she just walked to the top of the slope on the ice-cold snow only with her socks on.
We had a very great time there. One hour definitely was not enough. I regretted that I did not try the intermediate skiing slope. Dx. Next time I must try it! With real snow! In Switzerland! LOL. 7 months later oh man I missed skiing so much *sobs*
The whole falling while skiing thing? It wasn't just me. So many people there had fallen down the slope when they were skiing. A friend of mine got stuck in the middle of the slope for about 15 minutes because there was no one to help her!
As I mentioned earlier, it was difficult to stand up with your skis on, nor is it easy to remove your skiing boots from the skis. Thus, another friend of mine who fell down while skiing just removed her feet from the skiing boots, carried the skis (with the boots attached) and the poles and she just walked to the top of the slope on the ice-cold snow only with her socks on.
We had a very great time there. One hour definitely was not enough. I regretted that I did not try the intermediate skiing slope. Dx. Next time I must try it! With real snow! In Switzerland! LOL. 7 months later oh man I missed skiing so much *sobs*
All in all, skiing is such a wonderful experience. I can now get to tell others that I had tried skiing and I know how to ski! *feeling proud *
If you haven't tried skiing, then you should do it!! GO GO GO!!! :D
Pictures taken from my Class Trip Facebook Group and Mr Googly Google Goo...
If you haven't tried skiing, then you should do it!! GO GO GO!!! :D
Pictures taken from my Class Trip Facebook Group and Mr Googly Google Goo...
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