skiing!!!!!!

      Experiencing the worst service in Dick's restaurant, tasting the spiciest pepper in Pepper Palace, and relaxing my whole body in the hot and smooth jacuzzi, compose a part of the Gatlinburg trip. Speaking up the feeling of the another half part of the trip is mixed with a little bit thrilling, some of chilly and a lot of fun.

     Gatlinburg is famous as skiing and snowboarding, every year many people come with their family to have fun in Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area during the winter time. The activities include ski, snowboarding and snow tubing from 9 am to 10pm, and because of the price, we decided to go there at night. After we putted on the long socks and several warm clothes, all of us expect for Faisal were ready to meet the challenge of ski. For most of us, this was our first time to ski; Jae was the only experienced skier.

     Actually, there were a lot of people went to ski at night. Some children carried the heavy ski equipment with their hands red with the cold. Some professional young people came as a group with the colorful ski board and bright jacket, the heavy ski boot on their feet seems like fashionable boots with the unique decorations. Not like us, we took us almost one hour for changing ski suit, finding locker and figuring out how to put the annoying and ugly ski boots.

     I know how to ice skating, and I thought maybe that’s the reason that I’m not afraid of snow. Although this is my first time to use snow board, I feel more excited than nervous. However, the reality wasn’t as simple as I though. After I struggled with the balance a little bit I can barely stand on the snow. Because of Jae are better than us, I asked he to lead the way and teach me how to ski. He told me that knowing how to stop is important for beginner. I listened very carful and tried so hard to do what he said, but my ski board and my legs just out of control. I only can use the ski pole to make myself move. Jae though abadi not first time to ski, so he decided to take me and balbo to experience the “real” ski. I stumbled to the access where people can take a cable seat to go up the mountain. It was a long cable railroad. The temperature started to get cold. I can clearly see clearly our breath steamed in the air, and our view were fog. Gradually, I cannot clearly see the front red cable seat. When we realized some thing was wrong, we already far away from the noise and crowd. Sliding on the top of the tranquil woods; surrounding by thick fog; those scenes that we only can find in the scared movies emerge vividly in front of us. The railroad we picked was not for beginner. We are going to the top of mountain, the professional area. For Jae, he had confidence to ski from that area, but for me, ski from the hillside with the steepness of almost 90 degrees, it is play a joke with my life. The only way to get down the mountain is to take off my ski board and walk down.  

     Snow is the most mystical creature in the world. When I was young, my favorite thing was trampling snow. The squelch sound when I stepped on snow was the euphonic. However, my perspective of snow was totally changed after I left my footprint in the snow. Because my two legs were too weak to keep balance, I have to sidle up to walk down. The squelch sound was not pleasing anymore. Visibility was really poor that I can only reach less than10 meter. The snow board started to get heavier, and my speed start to slow down. Looking at the professional skier roared past beside me, I started to get excited. I asked myself, are you really want to walk on the side of the ski slope? The answer of course is negative. I asked joe to teach me how to control my speed and try my best to make my ski board listen to me. Although I was fall down many times, I was very calm. Maybe it’s because I was born in North China, I felt I belong to the snow and more relax when I was skiing with high speed. I will never forget the experience of learning how to ski and enjoying the happiness of skiing.