25 ways to fall

last weekend amanda, me, and our friend rumi went snowboarding for the first time in our lives. on tv it looks pretty easy, just go in an s motion down the slope and keep your balance and youll be ok.

coming away from the experience, all i can remember is physical and mental pain and anguish. i think i fell about 3 times every time going down the mountain, and i went down the mountain about 6 times, so thats about 20 falls in total. they included faceplants, somersaults, backflips, cartwheels, and unintended jumps that had me landing on body parts where i wasnt sure i had body parts. coming away from the thing i had bruises on my knees, wrists, back, and hands.

despite the physical toll it took on my body that is now healed, it was fun. the ski resort itself was in gifu prefecture, at a resort called whiteopia. the way it works here is that you go to a travel agency, buy a package deal for about 8000 yen (about 80 bucks), which gives you a chartered bus ride in the morning, a lift pass, and a bus ride back at night. the bus is loaded with other boarders who bought the same deal. when you get to the resort you pay another 4000 yen to rent a snowboard, boots, a jacket, and pants. in japanese style everything is perfectly layed out for you and organized to the minute. everything except the actual boarding of course.

when you get there you basically take the lift to the easiest hill and start going down. at the start you dont go anywhere but on your face or your derrierre, but after 1 or 2 times down the mountain you start to find your balance and can stand up on your board without falling down. then, if youre like me, you start getting ambitious and try stuff you maybe shouldnt try your first time and pay the physical price afterwards. i think if i went again id be good fun and id be much better but im not exactly the quickest study the worlds ever seen.

so i recommend snowboarding to anybody...just remember to bring some heating pads/ice packs for the bus ride home.