Monday, March 02, 2009

Skiing photos


Ok, finally get to upload my skiing photos! Pardon the long wait.... we took over a 100 pix so it took a while to get them sorted out. Till-date, skiing has been the most challenging sport that I´ve ever tried out. Its also the most exhilarating! Can´t believe it took me 26 years before trying out this sport. But as they say, better late than never! We went skiing with a grp of abt 40 people and I was one of 3 who didn´t have any prior skiing experience.... ok, save for the Canada half-day ski course 6 yrs ago....

This time, we got a private instructor for myself and I had an average of about 2-3 hrs of private skiing classes for 4 days. It was so fruitful that my ski instructor brought me to the red and blue slopes on the 3rd day. My first day up there was really scary! I felt my knees trembling and I could barely stand up properly upon seeing the steep slopes.

I really had this sinking feeling that I would make a wrong move and end up skiing off the mountain! It took all the courage I had to remain standing and keep moving.... The weather didn´t help much either, since it was snowing and the wind was blowing very badly. However, I kept praying and claiming God´s promises on my life, repeating to myself that I can´t die on the slopes, since God is still not done with my life yet..... Yup, so scared I was..... My ski instructor was the best....He really pushed me and when he knew that I was too frightened to ski down the last steep slope, he held out his ski poles and skiied backwards while I skiied in front of him.....

Yup, this is an experience that I really felt God´s presence...well, I guess more like when I look back on it and feel like "boy! How on earth did I manage to go down the slopes?!?". It was also a time when I had to learn to stop comparing myself to others and keep feeling inferior that everybody else could ski except me! Like, there´s not even any basis of comparison since Singapore simply doesn´t have any winter and one has to be rich enough to afford a skiing holiday in Australia, Japan or South Korea....

But yah, it didn´t stop me from being depressed and discouraged during the first 2 days of my ski trip when everybody else went up to the big slopes and I had to stay on the baby slope to learn my skills properly..... I likened it to the rest being Moses called to be on the holy hill of God and I was like the rest of the Israelites who were waiting on the bottom of the hill....

On the 3rd day when I finally went to the top of the big slope, I was SOOO happy! It was like I could go up the mountain of God to meet God! However, I felt so intimidated by the slopes and weather etc....Stephan likened it to "seeing the promised land" and being terrified of the giants.... It helped that I managed to up the slopes with a bunch of 4-6 year olds.....

This was the view from our room - the Italian Alps! We stayed in this amazing ski hut that was SOO like a hotel! The toilet, kitchen, room facilities were all new and functioning so well! The 380€ we paid for 5 days-accomodation, breakfast and dinner was SO worth it!

Those were my first 2 days, when I was learning how to ski on the Barney hill...My ski instructor was an ex-Italian-National-Skiing-Team member and has been teaching skiing for the past 40 yrs! So when he said that I was one of the best students that he has ever taught, I was really beaming with happiness!!! Ok....I doubted him (thinking that as a teacher, it´s his job to compliment his students), but realized that he meant it when he brought me up to the big slopes on the 3rd day.

Our skiing coupley photos.....Love how my beanie looks in his hat and glasses.....!

Those were the children I went skiing with on the last day....aren´t they so cute? Children are seriously fearless! It was their first time on the big slopes and they had no problem with the height of the mountains! It was good motivation for myself too, since I would have felt embarrassed, if they were able to ski downhill and I wouldn´t have been able to....so yah! My last day was the best ever!

The beautiful Alps

Love the angle of this photo and the model too!

Friends we went skiing with....

The breathtaking Alps!!!!! Until next year again
All the Germans who were part of the trip...notice I was the only non-German. We´re not there, because we left 2 days earlier and this pix was only taken on the last day of the trip.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey babylove,
I KNEW you would be able to do so well. Muaks muaks. So proud of you! I think the instructor was really serious when he told you that you are a great student. I can't believe you can ski better after 4 days than I could after 4 days... sob sob. Well, I am still ahead of you, hee hee. So try to keep up with me. Love you.

Anonymous said...

Aaaaahhh... Those pics are beautiful, you look so cute when you are skiing. Very happy for you that you had such an amazing time and experience. Guess you have now officially turned into a ski bunny that wants to go several time each year now. ;)

Lots of love,

jie jie

Pris said...

Dear hubby,
Thank you sweetie!:) I´m so happy that you invested the money in me to learn how to ski! For that I´m so grateful!!! Can´t wait to go skiing with you again! Of cos you can ski better than me lah!!! U and Sabrina have so much more ski experience than I do.

Pris said...

Dear Jie Jie! Thks for commenting! Yup! I´m a converted ski bunnie! I would love to go several times a year, however I think its a sport that´s not very affordable...actually it is when one owns his personal ski equipment. :) Wld be a while before we consider getting our own ski equipment....more things to spend our money on....

Anonymous said...

Just saw that you are planning on going to Bali?! I'm so jealous... :( Holger and I wanted to do that last year and then we couldn't go. And now I can only take two weeks hols in one go and that's just not enough time for Bali. One day though... :)

Cory said...

I regret not taking proper lessons for myself. My first days on the snowboard was horrible. I still remember the pain and bruises!
I was in the winter that has almost no snow in 2006-2007. Tough luck!
I am free to meet up except 9-13 Apr, will be in Malaysia for a diving trip.

Pris said...

Hi sister! We might not be going to Bali after all. Its pretty expensive and if I want to do my lasik surgery, it might not be the best thing to go Bali. So we´re considering Bintan instead, which is in Indonesia too, but way closer to Singapore, just a ferry ride away....so we can splurge on a 5-star hotel! :) heehee.

Pris said...

Hey Cory, oh yah! I rem. that winter....the first winter I was in Germany...ok lah, at least I didn´t have to adapt to the super cold winter all at one shot.... You can still go for lessons the next time! You´re still young haha

Kiss a Cup of Latte said...

so fun pris! lovely pictures, and i'm sure you can ski great! :) i'm glad you had such a good break!

Anonymous said...

What's 'lasik surgery'?

Pris said...

Thanks dear Andrea! :) It was great fun too! Hmm, I won´t say that I can ski "great" but I think I can ski "ok lah", with much fear and trembling hahaha....

Pris said...

Dear Jiejie. Lasik surgery is surgery on the eyes to correct shortsightedness, astigmism, etc. So that one doesn´t have to have glasses anymore....its quite popular in Singapore and my sister did hers a few yrs ago....Its like they use laser to cut of part of the cornea such that the eyes focusses better again.

Cory said...

Hey Pris, did you have a contact for lasik already?
I strongly recommend my doctor, he used to work at National Eye Centre but now he has his own clinic at Paragon. Just google Dr Wee Tze Lin. He is really nice and reliable!

Pris said...

Dear Cory! I didn´t know that you did Lasik before too! I just googled him and emailed him...waiting for his reply. Will let u know ok? :)Thanks for your recommendation! How much did you pay? Care to share your lasik experience with me?

Cory said...

Hi Pris,
I did it at Singapore National Eye Centre in 2005, so that cost is very different now. It is much cheaper. But I never had any regrets because it is the most well spent experience that I had. No contact lens and specky... Super convenient for sports and travelling. I am sure you will like it as well.
The procedure is not painful, just uncomfortable. Which I think Dr Wee did a great job by reassuring you by holding your head during the ops. I have recommended him to a few of my friends and they all love him!
His clinic is at Paragon now. I happen to see that his clinic is just next to a doctor which I was seeing on Friday. What a great coincidence, right?

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