And the weekend travails continue...
Skiing has never been on my to-do list and hence came across as a really pleasant experience.
Saturday, 12th Dec 09
We tried to reserve our place on friday, but unfortunately there was only french lessons available for saturday. But we decided to give it a try - just in
case we might find somebody who is able to coach us in english.
We start off.. Two changes of metro line, then a bus for forty mins and followed by taxi for about ten mins - We reach Mount St Bruno. The temperature is sub zero. We are informed what we had heard the other day - no coach available in english. So we decided to go around the place and click some snaps. All the while, i have been mentioning "We" - it stands for me and a colleague Prasad.
Now came the decision that taught us something really important.
<-- We decided to walk our back to the bus stop. -->
There are always assumptions behind every decision that you take in life and this one too had some - "We could walk this distance in 15-20 mins if it took
ten mins for the taxi", "It is not as chilly as the thermometer may show", "The frequency of buses would be just like what we have in Montreal" etc.
Unfortunately for us, none of them held true. The weather was more chilly than what was shown, walking in such a weather for an hour (YES, that is not a
typo) is certainly NOT easy, bus frequency may not be as good in remote areas (what a silly assumption we had earlier...).
So, we walked for an hour and waited for 45mins for the bus that would take us back to where we came from - all this in temperatures below freezing
temperature of water.
Finally, the bus arrives - after the long arduous wait - and brings with it enormous amount of relief to our chilled-out souls(YES, the chill had penetrated IN). We could not believe how a bus, that would have been negelected under normal circumstances can bring this much relief.
At that very moment, i remembered something that is taught in all B-Schools - "IT DEPENDS" - Every experience depends on the circumstances and a whole bunch of variables that define the time that we call "present".
Finally, we reach home - tired and exhausted but looking forward to the next day which would give be one of those "firsts" - We always remember the first
experience of all kinds for a long time in our lives and this excitement was in anticipation of the experience that we were to have the next day...
Sunday 13th Dec 09
The D-day arrives and we plan it better this time. Right from clothing to bus timings to taxi timings to lunch. Everything was meticulously listed down and
we left with a feeling that nothing could go wrong.
Things were going exactly as per plan. We took the metro and then the bus and then the taxi and reached just on time at the resort. We were welcomed a 17yr
old Birtish accented kid who was our coach. It was a pleasant surprise as it is first of all difficult find somebody who is fluently speaking in english,
getting a British accented guy was a bonus..
We start our lessons and realy enjoy being on snow. This is something we had only seen in Bollywood movies earlier.
We enjoyed each of those moments we spent skiing (and also those when we fell). Suddenly, we see snow fall and we got to ski in snow fall too.. We could not have asked for more. And just as Paulo Coelho says in 'The Alchemist' - "When you want something, the whole universe conspires to make it happen".
It was a lovey trip and one of those 'firsts' which you would like to keep in your memories for a long long time...
Skiing has never been on my to-do list and hence came across as a really pleasant experience.
Saturday, 12th Dec 09
We tried to reserve our place on friday, but unfortunately there was only french lessons available for saturday. But we decided to give it a try - just in
case we might find somebody who is able to coach us in english.
We start off.. Two changes of metro line, then a bus for forty mins and followed by taxi for about ten mins - We reach Mount St Bruno. The temperature is sub zero. We are informed what we had heard the other day - no coach available in english. So we decided to go around the place and click some snaps. All the while, i have been mentioning "We" - it stands for me and a colleague Prasad.
Now came the decision that taught us something really important.
<-- We decided to walk our back to the bus stop. -->
There are always assumptions behind every decision that you take in life and this one too had some - "We could walk this distance in 15-20 mins if it took
ten mins for the taxi", "It is not as chilly as the thermometer may show", "The frequency of buses would be just like what we have in Montreal" etc.
Unfortunately for us, none of them held true. The weather was more chilly than what was shown, walking in such a weather for an hour (YES, that is not a
typo) is certainly NOT easy, bus frequency may not be as good in remote areas (what a silly assumption we had earlier...).
So, we walked for an hour and waited for 45mins for the bus that would take us back to where we came from - all this in temperatures below freezing
temperature of water.
Finally, the bus arrives - after the long arduous wait - and brings with it enormous amount of relief to our chilled-out souls(YES, the chill had penetrated IN). We could not believe how a bus, that would have been negelected under normal circumstances can bring this much relief.
At that very moment, i remembered something that is taught in all B-Schools - "IT DEPENDS" - Every experience depends on the circumstances and a whole bunch of variables that define the time that we call "present".
Finally, we reach home - tired and exhausted but looking forward to the next day which would give be one of those "firsts" - We always remember the first
experience of all kinds for a long time in our lives and this excitement was in anticipation of the experience that we were to have the next day...
Sunday 13th Dec 09
The D-day arrives and we plan it better this time. Right from clothing to bus timings to taxi timings to lunch. Everything was meticulously listed down and
we left with a feeling that nothing could go wrong.
Things were going exactly as per plan. We took the metro and then the bus and then the taxi and reached just on time at the resort. We were welcomed a 17yr
old Birtish accented kid who was our coach. It was a pleasant surprise as it is first of all difficult find somebody who is fluently speaking in english,
getting a British accented guy was a bonus..
We start our lessons and realy enjoy being on snow. This is something we had only seen in Bollywood movies earlier.
We enjoyed each of those moments we spent skiing (and also those when we fell). Suddenly, we see snow fall and we got to ski in snow fall too.. We could not have asked for more. And just as Paulo Coelho says in 'The Alchemist' - "When you want something, the whole universe conspires to make it happen".
It was a lovey trip and one of those 'firsts' which you would like to keep in your memories for a long long time...
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3 comments:
seems you are really getting used to sub zero living. good going.search Discoveries database for some survival against nature type of hiking expedition. that would be interesting. worth a thought ???
Certainly getting used to it, but will take some more time look at expeditions like those.
Ill certainly give one of those a shot before I am back !!
Good job baccha. You're all ready for some Cal skiing now...
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