skiing - physical and mental acrobatics

Skiing is really fun once you get the hang of it (but then again, doesn't that apply to most of everything?) especially when you are skiing down the slopes, making turns, exploring new routes, taking in the surroundings; there is a mix of a sense of wonder, exhiliration and urgency to it which makes it so refreshing.

When I first arrived at the ski resort, I must admit that I doubted whether I will be able to ski competently at the end of the ski trip. But now that it's over, I can safely say that it is one of the new things I enjoyed in a very long time.

At a certain level, this ski trip augments the notion that one can achieve whatever one wishes as long as one sets one's mind to it and realistically follow it through; it shows the importance of willpower as much as physical prowess.

I believe that the key lies in putting a reasonable expectation of oneself and to know one's limits and capabilities because throughout the ski trip, the singular thought which striked me again and again is the realization that being wise means being able to cope and wisest are those who knows not.

When the aim for the day is to better and improve oneself, it certainly cannot be helped that one's ego will play a huge role in the process - our ego will fuel the need to do better, our ego reminds us the pain of losing one's face, our ego drives us to be ahead of others whatever the cost.

But at the end of the day, you need to re-examine what exactly are we trying to gain, for what purpose and for whom - for our own gratification or the admiration of others.

The company I had for the past few days during the ski trip have been very gracious and kind. We manage to discuss a lot of things - delicate ones to downright crappy ones - openly and honestly.

As a result, my perception towards them has been changed forever; never again will I see them in the same light again. Now, I have a greater sense of respect and tolerance for them and valuable insights into their psyche and personality.

I can only hope that they manage to gain similar insights into my own.

The ski trip also reinforces the notion that one should never take anything for granted; something which might be a nuisance in one situation might turn out to be something one desperately longs for in another.

It is easy to dismiss how difficult it is to to bring your closest friends together in the same room every night to play cards or discuss things.

It is also equally easy to dismiss how mush effort needs to be invested to be good at something, because I felt that as we get older, our determination to learn something new and to patiently acquire a new skill will slowly diminish.

And when you put it in that respect, being young doesn't always mean that your age consists only of single digit. Instead, I believe that being young implies the ability to keep an open mind, to nurture trust and to humbly learn anything worth learning.

In short, I believe that keeping one's mind open is the ultimate fountain of youth.

This is important because as we get older, we become hardened with experience - we will be tricked, cheated, backstabbed; we will have to deal with incompetencies, inefficiencies; we starts compartmentalizing our lives into neat and clearly defined activities and time slots; we chase our routine from one appoinments to another.

Some people will consider all of this to be the sign of maturity or of wisdom. We feel that we could easily navigate the turbulent and unpredictable eddies and currents of our lives now that we have acquired these 'notions' and 'presumptions' under our belt.

But I beg to differ - giving in to cynicism and pesimism doesn't say much about the strength of a person's thoughts but only the sheer weakness of the their mind.

Overall, the ski trip turns out to be more than just an exercise in physical agility but also a test of strength of character and courage to hope. I doubt many people could claim they manage to do all that during their holidays.

Happy holidays everyone!