Winter 2008 part 3: Ski

>ns29
Nah...they don't have any prejudice against foreigners...it's our way of doing things that's wrong. Personally saw a Japanese group that booked the place 2 hours before the actual event to properly do the preparations. And Japs always end parties/functions in time....and Japanese don't linger around after parties to take photos. Unlike Malaysians who always like to linger to chat, take photos...not lifting a finger to help those were clearing the place....

>stevelee
Here you go...



>Kelly
You've been to UK with Clement....you tell me....
When you see or experience something beautiful, don't you wanna share it with someone special?....I guess it was my fault for walking into a romantic place with 4 guys...

>chong shen
Yeah....I do what I can here to stay happy. If only girls in Aussie wore mini skirt all year round...haha. Planning to be back in August...you back then?

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Just like all winter holidays, I joined a ski trip to Nagano(somewhere in Japan). This trip, joined by 40+ people, was organized by Ki Lian Chuan(gave her a nickname, "Mom")...a rather fierce girl with a matching face to go along. Tried to take her picture once, but she was so fierce that my hands shook so bad I couldn't press the shutter. She more or less assumed the role of a strict mother throughout the trip. By strict mother I mean...
Laying down rules when we got into the bus. Rules are as follows...
1. No making noise in the bus
2. To go to toilet when the bus makes a stop.
3. No leaving rubbish in the bus
4. To give her our phone numbers so that she can get us when it's nap time.

Laying down rules when we got to the ski resort...
1. To only get the ski equipment when told to and NOT to move on our own accord.... I actually got a frown and nagging for going on my own to get my ski set.
2. To group together and ALL (40+ people) head to the slopes together like one big happy family(with a strict mom tagging along)
3. Instructed us on where to place our ski sets while waiting for the rest to arrive...

Laying down more rules at the party later that night....
*I was absent as I was sick that day. Too bad.....but I was pretty sure she laid down some rules.


Mom's the third girl from left...

Sincerely, I was grateful towards her for organising this trip but does she have to be that strict on us? Come on....relax!! This is a trip where we ARE SUPPOSE TO have fun. I know that you are the organizer and it's hard controlling a group this large...but then again, the youngest in the group is 20 years old. We don't exactly run around wildly and scream when we don't get our cup of orange juice.

Anyways, ski was.....crap. The worst ski trip ever. It's not Mom's fault though....just look at the pic.


God damn global warming.....gonna start recycling tomorrow.

The pic above should explain everything. What the hell are those patches of grass doing? They are not due till 3 months later! There's too little snow to have fun skiing!!!
Even at the top, the snow is just...terrible. Instead of powder snow, we had hard ice and wet snow. Although the wet snow is perfect for making snow balls that can crack skulls(powder snow makes softer snowball that dissipates on contact, wet snow makes good weapon), but there wasn't anyone that I particularly hate so....waste of wet snow.

But I did have fun skiing at fast speed. There was a course at the top where the slopes are steep and the surface is hard ice. As the following formula explains...

Steep slopes + Hard ice surface = Grinning Randy going down the slope REAL fast...

Don't really have anything else to write here so let's look at some pics...


Snow covered picturesque.....gets me every time.


See the top of the mountain that's partially covered by clouds? That's where the "Grinning Randy" formula worked....


Line of newbies getting ready to try out the snowboards....can't help but laugh at them newbies when they fall.



View from atop a chair lift....


These two guys stole oranges from a girl later that night...poor girl almost cried


View down a not so steep slope...

Actually, we spent a total 3 days (28~30th Dec) there. Those pictures that you saw was taken on the first day. Didn't really take that many pics as I had an unexpected visitor the afternoon of the first day.
Guess who came to visit me? My old buddy Influenza!! He brought along his friends Flu, Fever and Cough as well. We had lunch together, then we spent the entire evening together. Had so much fun that I went to sleep early that day....missing the party later that night. Damn friends.

Anyways, fell sick on the first day....but I've been wanting to ski for so long that I kept it secret from Mom and played anyway. My body lasted till afternoon that day.... Being a crazy person I am, I went to the top of the mountain the very next day despite feeling a little weak and coughing occasionally. What a Bad mistake that was...I suffered from 3rd day onwards all the way through 2008.

Things I would do to ski down a mountain....