Queenstown trip this year was action-filled from beginning to end.
It was a bummer that Becky and Mel was sick throughout the 4 days, but thumbs up to them for still not giving up on learning to ski :)
3rd time to Queenstown (third time's a charm?)- I wanted to accomplish 2 things: first is learn how to ski, and then sky dive. Those two costed a LOT, especially when I decided on impulse to get the dvd/photos/postcards combo pack for skydive (almost as much as the jump itself eeks)
So we left on Thursday morning by bus. Arrived at the Alfresco holiday house at noon-ish, had lunch at a Chinese restaurant, then just walked around town window-shopping and getting ski trip planning sorted. Rented goggles and gloves too, which was surprisingly cheap as opposed to getting brand new ones. Thanks Amy for lending me your glove!
the luxurious Alfresco House- where we stayed
view from the house- facing the Remarkables
mannequins have to stay warm too!
Best friends Becky & Mel with their matching ugg boots :P
snow- everywhere!
the chair lifts leading up to the more advanced slopes- which sadly, we didn't manage to go up to as it would be an extra lesson outside the 2-day starter pack we booked
the travellator- aka the "magic carpet" (3 altogether) leading from the entrance to the main building
oh yeah.
Taken just before heading back to town at around 4.30pm. Cute little girl in blue hehe. Btw many kids were skiing too, some taught by intructors, mostly taught by their parents. How cute! and well, they are faster learners than us
the long queue for the bus heading back
2nd day- more photos.
the plane! to fit 10 (1 pilot, 3 instructors, 3 cameramen, 3 crazy people jumping off a plane)
after reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet, we jumped!
Oh, and that's us doing the superman pose :P
P.S. the "banana" formation to adopt during skydive: head and shoulder up, hip backwards, knees bent.
after the initial 2-3 seconds of "landing on the sky", it was followed by ~45 seconds of freefalling, then 3 to 5 minutes of gliding in the sky after the parachute opens.
felt a little dizzy after the spins, but all good!
Now I can proudly say that I have skydived!!! :D
Alright, back to the lab running experiments and studying (in a week when semester 2 begins). More photos to be uploaded to facebook soon :)
It was a bummer that Becky and Mel was sick throughout the 4 days, but thumbs up to them for still not giving up on learning to ski :)
3rd time to Queenstown (third time's a charm?)- I wanted to accomplish 2 things: first is learn how to ski, and then sky dive. Those two costed a LOT, especially when I decided on impulse to get the dvd/photos/postcards combo pack for skydive (almost as much as the jump itself eeks)
So we left on Thursday morning by bus. Arrived at the Alfresco holiday house at noon-ish, had lunch at a Chinese restaurant, then just walked around town window-shopping and getting ski trip planning sorted. Rented goggles and gloves too, which was surprisingly cheap as opposed to getting brand new ones. Thanks Amy for lending me your glove!
the luxurious Alfresco House- where we stayed
view from the house- facing the Remarkables
mannequins have to stay warm too!
Best friends Becky & Mel with their matching ugg boots :PFriday- woke up early to catch the 8.30am bus to The Remarkables ski field. It's about 10 minutes' drive from town, then another 30 minutes or so up the mountain.
snow- everywhere!
the chair lifts leading up to the more advanced slopes- which sadly, we didn't manage to go up to as it would be an extra lesson outside the 2-day starter pack we booked
the travellator- aka the "magic carpet" (3 altogether) leading from the entrance to the main building
oh yeah.
Taken just before heading back to town at around 4.30pm. Cute little girl in blue hehe. Btw many kids were skiing too, some taught by intructors, mostly taught by their parents. How cute! and well, they are faster learners than us
the long queue for the bus heading back
2nd day- more photos.Didn't manage to take photos of us with our ski gear as I didn't want to risk dropping my camera in the snow :P The first day was sooooooo WARM that I was only wearing a singlet with a ski jacket and no scarf. Even my palms were sweating as the gloves were so thick and the sun was glaring. The 2nd day, however, was like a typical snowy day- snow and wind and incredibly freezing temperatures.
Overall, I would say that learning how to ski is like a bacterial growth curve :P The first hours can be frustrating, slow, and painful (falls!); but once you get the hang of it (maintain that "wedge"!!! haha), it's just a matter of practise and listening to advice from ski instructors. Walking with the skis and ski boots on snow is CRAZY I tell you: imagine your feet had suddenly grown 5 times its size, and the only way to walk up a slope is to walk like a crab- horizontally and on an angle that's crisscrossing the slope's angle. Takes a bit of getting used to. The boots were probably the most uncomfortable part of all- it was so tight (don't want it to fall off) my muscles are still a little sore from the tight grip.
P.S. a "wedge" is basically the formation our legs should shape into- sort of like a pizza with the tip having a small gap, and bigger gap towards the back. To stop, widen the wedge and avoid falling/bumping into someone else HAHA
I'm still bummed we didn't get to go up to steeper slopes using the chair lift. That would cost us extra for lessons and lift passes- and we were all tired and it was freezing cold the 2nd day. Next time- steeper slopes here I come!
Sunday morning- I finally ticked off another point on my to-do-before-I-die list and went skydiving. Most people are afraid of the idea of jumping off a plane, let alone from a height of 12000 feet (twice the height of the peak of the Remarkables mountain, I was told) and withstanding temperature as cold as minus 20 degrees celsius.
I'm not afraid of heights- so it wasn't really about conquering my fear. Though I love the marketing concept of "embrace the fear" by the skydive company, Nzone. Thehighlight bonus was getting strapped to a cute skydive instructor, Ricky :) :) :)
Overall, I would say that learning how to ski is like a bacterial growth curve :P The first hours can be frustrating, slow, and painful (falls!); but once you get the hang of it (maintain that "wedge"!!! haha), it's just a matter of practise and listening to advice from ski instructors. Walking with the skis and ski boots on snow is CRAZY I tell you: imagine your feet had suddenly grown 5 times its size, and the only way to walk up a slope is to walk like a crab- horizontally and on an angle that's crisscrossing the slope's angle. Takes a bit of getting used to. The boots were probably the most uncomfortable part of all- it was so tight (don't want it to fall off) my muscles are still a little sore from the tight grip.
P.S. a "wedge" is basically the formation our legs should shape into- sort of like a pizza with the tip having a small gap, and bigger gap towards the back. To stop, widen the wedge and avoid falling/bumping into someone else HAHA
I'm still bummed we didn't get to go up to steeper slopes using the chair lift. That would cost us extra for lessons and lift passes- and we were all tired and it was freezing cold the 2nd day. Next time- steeper slopes here I come!
Sunday morning- I finally ticked off another point on my to-do-before-I-die list and went skydiving. Most people are afraid of the idea of jumping off a plane, let alone from a height of 12000 feet (twice the height of the peak of the Remarkables mountain, I was told) and withstanding temperature as cold as minus 20 degrees celsius.
I'm not afraid of heights- so it wasn't really about conquering my fear. Though I love the marketing concept of "embrace the fear" by the skydive company, Nzone. The
the plane! to fit 10 (1 pilot, 3 instructors, 3 cameramen, 3 crazy people jumping off a plane)
after reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet, we jumped!Oh, and that's us doing the superman pose :P
P.S. the "banana" formation to adopt during skydive: head and shoulder up, hip backwards, knees bent.
after the initial 2-3 seconds of "landing on the sky", it was followed by ~45 seconds of freefalling, then 3 to 5 minutes of gliding in the sky after the parachute opens.
felt a little dizzy after the spins, but all good!Now I can proudly say that I have skydived!!! :D
The dvd of my actual jump featured the song "Gone" by Switchfoot, which I find so appropriate. Some may call me impulsive and a big-spender, but hey, every day is another opportunity to reach greater heights (literally, too!). My biceps/triceps hurt from the pressure of my arm being flung upwards, and my bank balance is looking so miserable now, but it was all worth it.
She told him she'd rather fix her makeup
than try and fix what's going on
But the problem keeps on calling
even with the cell phone gone.
She told him that she believes in living
bigger than she's living now
But her world keeps spinning backwards
And upside down.
Don't say so long, and throw your self on.
Don't spend today away, 'cause today will soon be
Gone, like yesterday is gone
Like history is gone
Just try and prove me wrong and
pretend like you're immortal.
She said, he said, live like no tomorrow
Everyday we borrow brings us
one step closer to the edge. Infinity.
Where's your treasure, where's your hope
if you get the world and lose your soul?
She pretends like she pretends like she's immortal.
Don't say so long, you're not that far gone.
This could be your big chance to make-up
Today will soon be
Gone, like yesterday is gone
Like history is gone
The world keeps spinning on
You're going, going
Gone, like summer break is gone,
Like Saturday is gone
Just try and prove me wrong
You pretend like you're immortal (you're immortal)
You're immortal (you're immortal)
We are not infinite
We are not permanent
Nothing is immediate
We're so confident in our accomplishments.
Look at our decadence.
Gone, like Frank Sinatra, like Elvis and his mom,
Like Al Pacino's cash, nothing lasts in this life.
My High School dreams are gone,
my childhood streets are gone
Life is a day that doesn't last for long.
Life is more than money, time was never runny.
Time was never cash, life is still more than girls.
Life is more than hundred dollar bills and roto-tom fills.
Life is more than fame and rock and roll and thrills,
All the riches of the kings end up in wills
We've got information in the information age
but do we know what life is outside of our convenient Lexus cages?
She said, he said live like no tomorrow
Every moment that we borrow brings us closer
to the God who's not short of cash
Hey Bono, I'm glad you asked.
Life is still worth living, Life is still worth living.
Life is more that you are
Alright, back to the lab running experiments and studying (in a week when semester 2 begins). More photos to be uploaded to facebook soon :)
