I just got back from a ski resort about 45 minutes away from SongTan. Our church group went out there for three days. I had never been on snow like this before. I have been water skiing, but this was WAY different. I first started out on a little hill that actually looked as though it was angled off a cliff. This was the canyon that they were planning on teaching us on. What were they thinking? I couldn't even get up on the snowboard. I should stop and tell you that I chose to snowboard rather than ski because I thought that I would look cooler. It didn't work. I was taught a few things and then headed for what we liked to call the "baby bunny" hill. It was actually on top of the ski rental house. The slop was a little less than that of a sidewalk across the middle of Kansas after a professional builder made sure that it was level. I actually had to wiggle the hips back and forth just to get the board moving. I went all the way "down" the hill and took the lift back to the "top". I did this several times getting better and better. I thought I was ready for the big time. The students that we took with us were nice enough to help teach some of us newbies. This was so that we didn't have to go through the four hour course that they offer there. The only thing that we would have gotten out of that was being able to fall down better in Korean. Anyway I felt better about my skiing ability but the day was over since we got there at 2:00 and after the learning and the waiting in line to go back to the top of the "plains" the slopes closed at 5:00 to get ready for night skiing. I went to dinner with dreams of racing and tricks and someday entering the X-Games. That night I laid on the floor, which is how they sleep over here in Korea. They call them Yo's. The other, sometime very cool thing, is that the heating system here is sent through the floor. It is actual little tiny pipes that run through the floor. When it is cold out it is fun to lay on the floor and get the heat. It makes sense because if heat rises where is the best place to start the heat? At the bottom, right? Anyway our rooms heat was broken and was stuck on 30 degrees Celsius. Which translated into terms that we all can understand was three degrees hotter than the surface of the sun, during the summer, of a heat stroke. And this was what we had to sleep on. It was VERY hot. I really didn't get any sleep. The heat and the fact that I was dreaming about great things in my snowboarding skills. I woke up, got some breakfast and then headed for my board. I had a plan. I would go on the baby bunny hill to make sure that I still "had it" and then go for the gusto. I was barely able to get my big feet into boots that were only meant for Korean feet. The Korean size was 300, but let's not talk about that. Anyway I sat down on the snow, in my shorts, and strapped on. I pushed myself up only to topple over face forward. Okay, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind. But never-the-less, I was going to be a star. I flipped back over and got up. I think I fell down seven times in the next 100 feet. I went to the lift with my head down trying to figure out what just happened. I figured that this was a fluke. I went with four other students and they were trying to talk me into going over to the REAL "bunny slope". I was feeling the need to impress my students with my athletic ability so I was talked up to the top of the bunny hill. Were they serious? I stood at the top of the "bunny hill" or should I say "THE WORLD". Looking down from the top the thought of greatness left faster than it came. Now my only thought was that of survival. I thought about taking the snowboard off and just walking down the hill. There was no shame in that was there. Walking down the middle of the slope while skiers and boarders went flying by? I mean what were the patrol people going to do, I was four feet taller than any of them and I don't speak but a few words of Korean. But I also knew that I had to look good in front of my students. SO I sucked up my pride and let it all hang out there. I started out by strapping on again and then standing up. I looked down the slope and couldn't believe that I was about to do this. However the fear left as I started down, only to be replaced by terror. The students were laughing at this sight, but then again I couldn't blame them. 
I mean if I saw this sight I probably would be dying too. From this picture you can see the resort that we stayed at in the background. I had one more slope that I had seen that I was anxious to ride out as my goal before I left. After I got to the bottom of this "hill" (enter rolled eyes here) I was going to take a break...(not literally speaking thank goodness). I went and sat at the heaters with our Bible teacher who sort of organized this trip. We talked for a bit while I was resting my muscles and bones. I think I found a few muscles that I never knew that I had. Anyone who has ever tried a new sport knows that muscles just appear and than say to you "hey I've been here the whole time and because you have never felt me before I'm going to make sure that you know me now... he he he he" And boy did these muscles. Anyway Right before lunch the second day I was coned into taking my chances with the Peak that I had been eyeing since I got there. We got the the lift and then again the male ego kicked in again. I was very nervous but thought that because I hadn't fallen the last time down the "bunny hill", that I was ready for the next step. Silly me.
In this picture the peak that I am talking about is right in the middle straight up. The bunny hill is far on the right.
Once at the top of my new found "hill" I had to snowboard down an extremely steep slope just to get to the point where I got to go down the face of this one. I am more than happy to tell everybody in the world that not once did I fall down this hill. However, my muscles wouldn't allow me to finish in one attempt. They gave out and I had to sit and rest twice. Not too bad. I think that in the long run I would go back but I would do one of two things. I would do skiing next time or I would see how much it would cost to make my own board. These boards were built for Koreans. The center of gravity for these boards is like my ankle. My feet were practically together. With my height I needed to spread my legs apart further. I really had trouble with balance and that isn't common for me since I love to rollerblade and ice skate. I usually have pretty good balance. I'll put a couple more pictures on of our trip. Enjoy.
Later on...peace out.
This is from the 11th floor of the resort of the two hills that I got to go down. It also has the top of the rental house where the "baby bunny" hill starts.
This is looking down the other way from the "baby bunny" hill. I can't believe they even have a lift for this. All you really need is a good push.
