Fang organized a 1-day trip for us (Eileen, Alvin, Deardear and me) together with her cousins and friends to Batam for cable skiing on last Saturday. I was actually quite scared of the idea of going there initially bcoz I have no idea of how cable skiing is like... I can only think of those type of water skiing being pulled by a speed boat and I am scared that I will fall into the sea.
Furthermore, my parents who have been to Batam for a 1-day seafood eating trip previously told me that the water there is very dirty, they said that people threw in all sorts of rubbish into the sea. Fortunately, this is not the case there. The cable ski park where we went to was not using the sea as the skiing area. Instead, they have their own fresh water lagoon and even had motorbikes to pick us up from the nearest shore where we fell into the water back to the starting point.
But we had a hard time queueing to check-in at the Harbourfront ferry terminal and also boarding the ferry. The place was so crowded that passengers had to squeeze and push in order to go pass the gantry area so as to board the ferry. And there are some idiots who stood at the gantry area blocking the way when it was still not their turn to board their ferry!! Damn irritating!
The ferry ride was approximately 45 mins. When we arrived, the place felt so foreign to me as it was my first time at Batam. A coach then fetched us from their Waterfront ferry terminal to the ski park. We then settled down and got ready for our skiing session. As first-timers, we have to learn how to kneeboard before cable skiing. Thus, everyone gathered to watch while the staff demonstrated on the kneeboarding technique.
In fact, for the first few times when I tried kneeboarding, I was so scared that I felt my heart pumping really fast whenever I was waiting at the starting point, being the next one to be pulled by the cable. Luckily, I managed to complete the round on my second and third go. As for cable skiing, initially I was pretty scared but I hope that I can do it whenever I sat at the deck. However, I failed so many times until I started discouraging myself. I told myself that I think I am going to fall again whenever I went back to requeue for my turn. Hahaa... =P
There was 1 thing which I dislike and find it disgusting - that was having to step on slippery hard rocks and slime-y algae grounds at some parts of the shore where we get out of the water. Oh yah, and I also hate my incapability to stand up on the ski board... I was so disappointed and angry with myself that I did not manage to stand up and ski despite so many tries! In the end, I gave up at around 5pm and decided to sit there to rest. By then, my arms were aching slightly. But still I felt buay kum guan (unsatisfied) coz others could do it but I can't. So I decided to go for my last try before we proceed to the shower at 6.15pm.
This time I managed to stand up but fell again within 2 metres from the starting point. Although I did not go far but at least I managed to stand up. That's an achievement to me!! At least that last try gave me back my morale to want to go back there again on another day to try harder!! Hehehee... If not, I guess I would have left that place with disappointment...
Anyway, I suffered from the after-effect of cable skiing coz I am someone who does not exercise regularly. Hehee... The after-effect includes having muscle aches from the upper arms up all the way to the back of the shoulder areas - lasting for about 3 to 4 days and having neck aches and difficulties in raising my arms or stretching my arms to the back... I was sooooo tired at the end of the day that I fell asleep in the cab on our way home and dozed off in like 1 second after I lied on my bed.
