Swim, Skate and Ski

One might think, that if you can't swim and are thrown into a pool, you will drown. At least while skating you can still breathe when you tumble. But with skiing, if the ski doesn't get you, the ice will surely. So let us see how I performed the following activities with such vim and vigor :-

1. Ice skating
 The first time we went ice skating was with my Masters buddies in Syracuse. I managed to stay on my feet but I fell hard at one point. That didn't deter me from trying again. My second time was at Bryant park with my family. She told me she hadn't skated since she was 8. When asked, I boasted "yeah, I've done it a couple of times". As soon as we entered the rink, she went flying like a bird on ice, only short of a camel spin. I barely left the rim. Well, she forgot to mention that she learnt figure skating. The third time was with K-man. For a person who claims hasn't taken a class, he did awfully well. K-man, you are not fooling anyone. He tried so hard to teach me, risking his own butt to keep me afloat. I think I did better than okay for a person who didn't leave the rim last time.

2. Swimming 
 In case of ice skating, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. So it was all a gamble. It was a fun activity and no one cared if you didn't know it. But swimming, now that's a life skill you should have learnt when you were a kid. I remember my friends enrolling for swim class when I was 12 but I was too shy to wear swim wear. That was my major hurdle. Not water, not being scared if I drowned. But as I grew up, my inability to swim introduced the fear of water. My first swim class was nerve-wracking. But to my surprise, there were many others like me. The instructor had me do everything in the first class like doggy paddle, front float, back float, backstroke. I kept watching the time and hoping it would end. That was three months ago. Now, you are looking at a girl who completed courses from beginners to advanced in three months. Next stop English Channel.

3. Skiing

 While I was learning to swim, I got this newly found confidence in me. I could do anything, learn anything and excel at it. I was so wrong. I enrolled to learn how to ski. The instructor asked me do you play any sport? Hmm does galli cricket, midnight carrom, hand table tennis count? Instead I said I don't. It looked simple when he showed it but it's definitely not as simple as it looks. It's like you have extra long feet which make it difficult for you to walk and sloping ice does not make it easy either. I did not do well at all! While my fellow learners were ready to go down the mountain, I was still trying to get on the lift. And yes I fell down a lot. After coming down the mountain with great difficulty. "Can we go again.. please?" he asked. I said with almost tears in my eyes, If we don't leave right now I am going to sit down and cry. I guess that was good enough to convince him to leave. Will I be doing it again? Knowing K-man, the better question is When?

Honorary mention : K-man, Thank you for being present during all my classes, encouraging me and associating with me when I could barely swim, skate or ski. You know who you are. You are the best. 


                                  ***  Do one thing everyday that scares you - Eleanor Roosevelt  ***