I'm back! Sorry for the long hiatus... too many things going on at once, so I didn't really have time. Then again, it's always the same excuse, isn't it? :P Anyway...
That means I've got more things to share now! Complete with photos too, since some of you have been asking for more visual content. Before I do that, I'd like to wish my dear Mummy a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you had a fantastic time and may this new year be a good one :) You're the best!
Okay, now let's talk about the ski trip to the French Alps I went on, from 3 to 10 Jan. Though it probably sounds expensive, it was relatively cheap because there are many agencies all around who organise budget ski trips during this time of year. There were 3 of us in total and mind you, two of us haven't properly skiied before. This was gonna be exciting... Haha. Anyway, we took a 2 hour plane ride to Chambery, the busiest airport in France during the ski season and incidentally, also the smallest. Imagine what a nightmare it was! The customs counter was just at the entrance to the building, so people who got off the plane immediately had to queue outside. In the cold. Not very pleasant, but luckily the queue moved quite quickly. Then we realised that the nightmare has only just started!
The wee building was PACKED. By that, I mean Oxford St on Boxing Day kind of packed, something you probably would not even experience on Orchard Road. Everyone was pushing in all directions, we couldn't see where we were supposed to go and definitely not pull our humungous luggage behind us. Service was inefficient too. Suffice to say that we were glad to finally squeeze out of the airport. Then it was another 2 hour bus ride to Alpe D'Huez, one of the many ski resorts. We purposely picked that for its many green beginner slopes! :P
When we got there, it was already late afternoon, so the rest of the day was spent doing grocery shopping (we rented an apartment with a kitchen), renting ski equipment and getting an idea of the surroundings. Next day was our 3-hour ski lesson! We put on layers of clothes, goggles etc. to protect from the cold, strapped on our ski boots, hoisted the skis and poles on our shoulders and proceeded to trek our way to the lift that would take us to the ski school. What would have normally taken us 5 minutes to walk took us 20 minutes instead! It was so difficult to walk in those boots because they were so tight and also because they hurt. They dug into your shins and were heavy. Add to that the fact that we had to walk carefully for fear of slipping on the ice on the pathways. Ouch.
Walking in those boots and carrying equipment is already a good workout - we were perspiring despite the temperature being negative. It was so cold that your fingers and toes get numb if they remain inactive for too long, even in gloves and shoes. BUT that doesn't mean that you should wrap up in layers upon layers of clothes for skiing because once you start skiing, you'll start warming up and it'll be fine. Trust me :)
The view from our balcony. I think it was dusk then. The sky changes to amazing colours!
I totally sucked during the lesson. I couldn't control the direction in which I was going and my other two friends have already progressed further! Even the instructor seemed exasperated with me. Oh well... I must admit I was in quite a low mood after that and filled with dread about the next 5 days of skiing. It was with much practice and tips from my friends that I gradually improved over the next few days. And we went from baby slopes to higher, steeper slopes. We never moved beyond green slopes though :D One important thing is to not be afraid of falling!
On the gondola, on the way to the slopes.
On the slopes.
We had fun in the patissiere in town too, choosing a different dessert or pastry each time. Yum! :P And we had cheese fondue one evening; it's a must-try Alpine cuisine. It was delicious! After a while, the cheese was too much though, even for a cheese-monster that I am.
See the big pot! Mmmm....
We also took a cable car to the peak of the highest mountain there at 3330m. It was snowing on the top and absolutely freezing! I got laughed at by a local ski instructor for looking so totally unprepared clothes-wise because I didn't bring a cap along. Thank God for my hood then! Haha. Sadly, it was snowing too much up there, so visibility was really poor and we didn't get a good view. Some crazy skiiers skiied down from that height! Scary...
I must say, 6 days of skiing, from 9am to 3pm everyday, is a bit too much for me though. Haha. From Day 2, we were all already suffering from aching muscles and bruised shins. I guess that's sacrifice for fun huh? And fun it was! Glad we had this ski trip; at least I learnt how to ski and had a French brioche!
After we got back, school started and it took a while to get back into the rhythm of work. Then it was Chinese New Year and the Singaporean society had our annual dinner at a Chinese restaurant. It was good :)
The weather here's turning colder now but less wet. The sun's also rising earlier and setting later everyday! YIPPEE!!! That makes me super glad :D And guess what? It snowed today! For the entire day! It doesn't snow very often in Glasgow, maybe not even once a year but it did today, albeit on and off. People were building snowmen, having snowball fights (we had our share! ) and there's a kinda festive Christmas feeling in the air. It was indeed a pretty day! Let's just hope the snow doesn't turn to frost on the streets tomorrow, if not it'll be dangerously slippery...
What it looks like outside my window.
Well, hope everyone's doing fine in sunny singapore! Take care! :)
xoxo
