Seolnal Vacation: Day 1: Learning to Skiing!

Date: 2/3/2011

We wake up bright and early (actually, it wasn't too bright yet!) and head to the meeting point at Hongdae Station.  When we get on the bus, Sarah and I realize that we had told the Adventure Korea people that we were planning on being picked up at the Express Bus terminal.  We quickly shoot our friend and Adventure Korea worker Katrina a message, apologizing and explaining--even though we had just bide farewell to her that morning for her hike to the Express Bus Terminal pick up spot--that we were at Hongdae.  She sends back a reply "sweet as!  C u soon"  which I interpret as "sweet ass!" which I thought meant she was mad at me.  When we meet up with the other bus at the Express Bus Terminal, I hop out, (go to the bathroom) and then find Katrina to explain that we really are sorry.

Lost in English Translation.  For Kiwis (New Zealanders) "sweet as" = "no problem"  The American didn't know this, got all in a fluster because of it, and then gets ribbed for not knowing Kiwi speak.  I proudly tell them that I don't speak English--I speak American.  So they can't fault me.  This garners some laughs, as it is a running joke among basically all foreigners that I've meet in Korea that Americans really don't speak English.

We make it to Phoenix Park around noon and stop to get our snow gear.

Snow boots

Skis

Trying on the snow boots.  It was difficult because we really had no idea how they were suppose to fit, so we just said, "well, this works!"

A three day rental of skis, boots, snow pants and jacket, plus goggles was 35,000.  I call that a bargain.

On the way from the ski rental to the ski resort (about 2 minutes) we get a text from Katrina asking if we would be OK rooming with the Korean staff.  Sarah and I both look at each other and go, "Assa!" (Yes! in Korean).  We have a little experience with Adventure Korea Westerns and they are not pretty impressions--lots of drinking and lots of partying.  So to hang out with the Korean staff members--who we have generally really liked--is a huge plus.  And it means we're being viewed in a more positive light.  We are friends with Scott--who is good friends with Saekjin (the owner of Adventure Korea).  We already have the stamp of approval from the sheer fact that we are friend with Scott, but we want to be accepted beyond just "they're friends with my friends."  This is a good sign!

We basically toss our stuffs on our beds and throw on our ski outfits, ready to hit the slopes.  But first we had to actually carry all our stuff from bus to room--not an easy task!

Couples dressing--A Korean Phenomenon--Ski Style! 

Scott --making a face--like usual.

Lobby Room antics

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 The VIEW from our room.  Yes, there are only around 30 people skiing in this picture--and this is one of two big entrances into the slopes.

But we don't know how to ski--luckily Katrina is going to give everyone a beginner's lesson.  This was very much necessary!

Are you ready???!!!!!

Scott's Hat says "Namu Chou" Meaning "Too Cold."  Koreans would read this and burst out laughing.  It was lots of fun just to watch! 

Super Skier!

Lesson Number 1:  getting the skis on.

This is just a little awkward!  How am I suppose to move in these things?

Weeeh!!!!

You made it!  

Scott did snow boarding--he's gone a couple times before and was a big goof.

Oh!  That's me! 

So, after I went down the "Super Baby Slope" (that's literally what it was called on the hotel hand-out about the difficulty level of the slopes) without falling, I was feeling just a tad confident.  And when looking at the line of people who were still waiting to go down the easy slope, I was chaffing at the restraint.  I wanted to GO!  So, I grab Scott and we head to the closest slope.

The closest slope?  Yeah, that was an intermediant.  I totally didn't respect the slope.  I thought, I'll just fly down and it will all good a well.  I didn't fall down last time, and even if I do fall down, it will just be a matter of getting back up, right?  God, was I stupid.

I think probably looked like one of those bloopers you see on the tvs about stupid skiiers.  You know, tumbling head of heels, face planting, making huge puffs of snow as they careen to their doom.  I didn't know how to steer, how to slow down, how to do basically anything!  It was horrible.  I feel every ten feet.  And not just, oh, owh!  I feel down.  Hop back up.  No. I face planted.  I could actually hear Koreans on the ski lift laughing! And while falling down didn't exactly hurt, it was a jarring and humiliating.

By the time I had made it down to the end of the slope I was throughly embarrassed.  That had not gone as I had expected.  I slowly slink over to the super baby slope where Sarah is still practicing and I think "Well, she had the right idea."  After I do another run on the baby slope--where I fall, yet again--Sarah is ready to try the Beginner Slope.

So I put on my brave face and we trek over to the Beginner Slope.  The lines are basically non-existant.  It is Seolnal so everyone is at home, or driving home, and the Adventure Korea people easily doubled the number of people on the slopes.

The Beginner Slope was much better.  It was still a rush the first couple times, I was falling down all over the place, but I was learning how to move my skis, how to trust them not to fall off my feet (they were clipped in, seriously, they seemed like they could fall off at any moment), and how move left and right.  For the fist hour I basically went down with my skis in a pizza slice position--which is all good and dandy, but it BURNS!  After my legs went out, I started trying different ski positions and then by the end of the session I was roughly figuring out how to skid side to side.

It was a great first run!  At the end, I felt such a rush of adrenaline.  Not everyone fared as well as I did, Sarah had a particuarly hard time with it.

After a quick shower, we all headed to dinner--and man were we hungry!  We had PopEyes and I didn't even feel the slightest bit guilty about ordering a meal that had WAY TOO MANY calories.  I burned it off, dammit!  I earned that fried chicken, thank you very much!

Scott, Katrina, Sarah and I walk around the resort, killing time, and after finding out there was an hour wait for bowling, we decide to hit the Noraebang.  Sarah had never been, and frankly, it is just fun to sing at the top of your lung with friends (not that I would have admitted that before coming to Korea--but Korea does something to your sense of your vocal abilities).

Setting up and seeing that all the controls are in...Korean, duh.  So we sing a couple songs while figuring out how to work the controls.  Katrina is awesome that way.

We end the night with a song I haven't heard before, but that was throughly strange: "Creep."  It was very strange to end with, "I'm a creep.  I don't belong here!"  it was a good laugh leaving the room humming Creep.