Our wonderful holiday was ending soon and I was totally totally dreading going back to Singapore and to work. At that time, I actually felt like lying down, kicking and screaming. Imagine having to smile and greet snooty people while my poor soul is in New Zealand. (Note: I'm still suffering from withdrawal symdroms now.) Eddy's been here to snowboard last August, though he didn't have a really good experience cos of the hard snow. He told me an ass splitting, back breaking exprience. We're in Methven now by the way, going snowboarding in one of New Zealand's premier ski fields, Mount Hutt. Hurrah! Here's some pictures of the campervan site over in Methven. There's a field behind for horses to do show jumps but it's empty now.
Eddy can't resist a show of ass
While I gained weight, Eddy shows that he hasn't
I hate water retention! Makes me look so fat! Or could it be all those evil beef pies..
We took the shuttle bus up again as I was still suffering from post trauma from the Hanmer Springs incident. Now this was really a big bus. It picked loads of people up from different locations. It must be really a haven for snow lovers. Tons of young people and families as compared to Hanmer Spings Ski Field. A quarter of the passengers were Japanese and I could tell they weren't going there for a learning experience.
The view around here was absolutely *phew*. The road leading up was wide enough for 2 cars comfortably, good ol proper road. It was perfect for a snooze (but why waste time snoozing when you can look at pastures and mountains galore? Not to mention a bloody waste of money.) Halfway up, the bus stopped at this huge open space to put on compulsary snow chains. Ha ha I caught glimpses of people looking confused with chains dangling limply from cold hands, wondering what the first step of putting those chains on was! Frankly, I empathised with them, but I also felt like cupping my hands to my mouth and shouting, "Loo-hooo-seer-her!" We were told by the bus conductor to get down and take a breather and lots of photos. This means a chance for nicotine inhalation! Check out the awesome view!
I love Mt. Hutt!! I can swear I've never seen such a perfect place! Loads and tons of people of all races! Eddy's face was practically glowing! Wowza! Cue for cigarette.
Ok I really wanted to learn snowboarding but I refuse to take the group session. You know the feeling when you know you're probably going be the deuce of the lot and it really sucks big time cos everyone else will doing so well, having lots of fun, and you're the only one still struggling to stand up, and the instructor looks at you thinking that you're the biggest asshole in the world? Maybe not, but no thanks. If I want to make a fool of myself, I don't want to contest to see who's the bigger one. I'll hire a private instructor.
$178 later I was beginning my elementary steps in snowboarding, while my boyfriend took the novice course. I should have gone for the novice course too but I guess I wasn't too confident then. (But it was cheaper to take both, bear that in mind if you're going to learn). Now I want to kick myself for being so stupid as usual.
The baby slope wasn't too mind boggling. Perfect for learners young and old. I got this young handsome instructor called Jay, he taught me how to slide around with one foot on the board and one foot out which I did so embarassingly unglam. Think of pin-wheeling arms and shouts of alarm. Then, he taught me how to slide with one feet in the binders and one feet on the board, kinda like skateboarding, but I don't skateboard, I'm a complete newbie! After that I was told to slide onto the 'magic carpet' to go up the gentle slope, which resembled a giant conveyor belt that you see in sushi bars. All the fresh, cold meat meeting their doom at the top of the beginner's slope. It's not easy man! Everytime I went up, I always nearly toppled into the operator. Lucky for me, I'm thick skinned. I also noticed that there were people falling from the belt even though they're halfway to the top already. I proceeded to slide off the sushi belt neatly down the tiny slope, amazingly steady. God I've never felt so proud of myself then, in fact, I managed this amazing feat all 3 times I went up.
1 hour later, after falling only 3 times, crashing into 3 small kids, getting knocked down by 3 kids, I finally leant the basics to snowboarding!! Turn left , turn right!! Yes yes yes!!! 15 cheers for me! It was a hard thing to learn being based mostly on balance and guts, which I conveniently don't have. Here's what I discovered on the beginner's path of my enlightenment on the coolest sport in the world:
After first run, going up again
Made it...
Or not.
Dig the guy holding onto the the orange 'SLOW' sign
He finally learnt the proper way of carving on snowboard..
That was the best part of the trip! I'll be going back next year to try the big slope! I really can't wait. The withdrawal symdromes are hitting me harder now :( ... In fact, we love it so much there, that I hope to buy a nice little house there in the future, with 6 rooms and acres of land, all for the price of a 4-room HDB flat in Singapore! Hell it's cheap!
Ok now I have to soothe my aching feet and muscles. Don't trust what you see on tv.
Eddy can't resist a show of ass
While I gained weight, Eddy shows that he hasn't
I hate water retention! Makes me look so fat! Or could it be all those evil beef pies..We took the shuttle bus up again as I was still suffering from post trauma from the Hanmer Springs incident. Now this was really a big bus. It picked loads of people up from different locations. It must be really a haven for snow lovers. Tons of young people and families as compared to Hanmer Spings Ski Field. A quarter of the passengers were Japanese and I could tell they weren't going there for a learning experience.
The view around here was absolutely *phew*. The road leading up was wide enough for 2 cars comfortably, good ol proper road. It was perfect for a snooze (but why waste time snoozing when you can look at pastures and mountains galore? Not to mention a bloody waste of money.) Halfway up, the bus stopped at this huge open space to put on compulsary snow chains. Ha ha I caught glimpses of people looking confused with chains dangling limply from cold hands, wondering what the first step of putting those chains on was! Frankly, I empathised with them, but I also felt like cupping my hands to my mouth and shouting, "Loo-hooo-seer-her!" We were told by the bus conductor to get down and take a breather and lots of photos. This means a chance for nicotine inhalation! Check out the awesome view!
I love Mt. Hutt!! I can swear I've never seen such a perfect place! Loads and tons of people of all races! Eddy's face was practically glowing! Wowza! Cue for cigarette.
Ok I really wanted to learn snowboarding but I refuse to take the group session. You know the feeling when you know you're probably going be the deuce of the lot and it really sucks big time cos everyone else will doing so well, having lots of fun, and you're the only one still struggling to stand up, and the instructor looks at you thinking that you're the biggest asshole in the world? Maybe not, but no thanks. If I want to make a fool of myself, I don't want to contest to see who's the bigger one. I'll hire a private instructor.
$178 later I was beginning my elementary steps in snowboarding, while my boyfriend took the novice course. I should have gone for the novice course too but I guess I wasn't too confident then. (But it was cheaper to take both, bear that in mind if you're going to learn). Now I want to kick myself for being so stupid as usual.
The baby slope wasn't too mind boggling. Perfect for learners young and old. I got this young handsome instructor called Jay, he taught me how to slide around with one foot on the board and one foot out which I did so embarassingly unglam. Think of pin-wheeling arms and shouts of alarm. Then, he taught me how to slide with one feet in the binders and one feet on the board, kinda like skateboarding, but I don't skateboard, I'm a complete newbie! After that I was told to slide onto the 'magic carpet' to go up the gentle slope, which resembled a giant conveyor belt that you see in sushi bars. All the fresh, cold meat meeting their doom at the top of the beginner's slope. It's not easy man! Everytime I went up, I always nearly toppled into the operator. Lucky for me, I'm thick skinned. I also noticed that there were people falling from the belt even though they're halfway to the top already. I proceeded to slide off the sushi belt neatly down the tiny slope, amazingly steady. God I've never felt so proud of myself then, in fact, I managed this amazing feat all 3 times I went up.
1 hour later, after falling only 3 times, crashing into 3 small kids, getting knocked down by 3 kids, I finally leant the basics to snowboarding!! Turn left , turn right!! Yes yes yes!!! 15 cheers for me! It was a hard thing to learn being based mostly on balance and guts, which I conveniently don't have. Here's what I discovered on the beginner's path of my enlightenment on the coolest sport in the world:
- Do not underestimate the speed of snowboarding down a gentle slope! Wheew!
- Be thick skinned, you won't be the only one falling down. Afterall, it is a learner's slope.
- Try not to crash into kids. They don't make good landing pads. Choose adults.
- Look at the crashed people for encouragement. At least you haven't fallen yet.
- When the instructor tells you to "look towards the direction of the kid in the yellow pants", double check with him which kid it is if there's 2 of them wearing yellow pants
- You'll perspire like crazy when learning.
- Avoid kids who seem to be screaming in terror. They're not. It's actually a triumphant shout that you'll hear in your ear when they bowl you down.
- Don't be afraid to grab your instructors hands in a deathgrip. If you're going down, he may as well follow.
- After crashing, don't just lie there, someone's gonna run over you soon.
- If a five-year-old little girl can learn to snowboard, you shouldn't be afraid to..
- If a sixty-year-old Japanese man can learn to snowboard, you shouldn't be afraid to..
- Take the novice lesson after that. I didn't... boo hoo
After first run, going up again
Made it...
Or not.
Dig the guy holding onto the the orange 'SLOW' sign
He finally learnt the proper way of carving on snowboard..
That was the best part of the trip! I'll be going back next year to try the big slope! I really can't wait. The withdrawal symdromes are hitting me harder now :( ... In fact, we love it so much there, that I hope to buy a nice little house there in the future, with 6 rooms and acres of land, all for the price of a 4-room HDB flat in Singapore! Hell it's cheap!
Ok now I have to soothe my aching feet and muscles. Don't trust what you see on tv.
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