Ski Pro

I finally learned how to ski!

We went yesterday to a place called Vivaldi Ski resort. Or as the Koreans would say it...Bibadi. (I'd really like to know why they would choose a name that requires so many letters that do not exist in the Korean alphabet.) The free shuttle bus picked us up near us at 6:20am, and we were there by 8, where we sipped a latte in the underground shopping mall while waiting for our friends John and Amanda. If I could have injected caffeine directly into my blood stream, I would have, but the latte did what it could to get me out of me 'woke-up-at-5:45am' stuper.

After a good hour or more of battling the Korean panic that always sets in when any crowds or lines materialize (which is ALL the time), we got our gear, our skis, our determination, and we were ready to roll. That is, we were ready to stand in line for 20 minutes for the lift to the bunny slope.

But the lines did not stop our fun. After about two hours of struggling and wedging and reaching my limit of frustration, I finally got it! I was carving like a pro by the end of the day. Unfortunately, my poor legs were a pile of jelly by the afternoon and my good form disappeared the last few runs, but I managed to get a few blues in before the day was out, and more than anything, I had fun! Skiing is way better when you don't totally suck.


Vivaldi was pretty cool. Other than the fact that it blasted K-pop (Korean pop music) from the loud speakers just like the resort we went to at Christmas. I seriously wonder why they think that's a good idea--they completely ruin the serene environment of being out of the city doing 'outdoorsy' stuff with loud, off-tune, aesthetically un-pleasing Korean ballades and poppy dance tunes that sound like a terrible Asian impression of Lady Gaga. Nobody wants to hear that stuff on their way up the ski lift.


But regardless, I would totally go back.