TRIP TO WHISTLER (27 JAN TO 9 FEB 2009)

This year, the excitement of Chinese New Year was overshadowed by the preparations for my trip to the winter wonderland of Whistler (http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/). Whistler is North America's largest ski resort, and it was where Daddy and Mommy got married in December 2001.

Mouth-watering smells of freshly baked pineapple tarts, chocolate chip cookies and pandan cake wafted through the kitchen, but my mind was on the suitcases we had to pack. I had bought my ski apparel in Hong Kong when we were there in July 2008, and Chia Yee had picked up more gear for me from London. Sweaters, hat, mittens and snow boots. Ah Gong had been showing me "How to Ski" videos for a few weeks now. I couldn't wait to get to Whistler, snap on a pair of skis and zip down a slope!

Celebrations to usher in the Year of the Ox came and went quickly. Our family had our Reunion Dinner on 23 January 2009 at Grandpa Eddy's house. We tend to have our Reunion Dinners before Chinese New Year's Eve because Daddy and Mommy have to work through the public holidays. Dinner at Grandpa Eddy's was a potluck affair. Grandma Nancy prepared most of the dishes, with the big, steaming pot of "buah keluak" as the usual piece de resistance. Ah Ma brought the "yu sheng", so we could have our first "lohei" of the year. Mommy's contribution was a chicken from Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant. Lao Ma (Ah Gong's mother) and Lao Yi (Ah Ma's older sister) joined us for dinner as well. Lao Yi made cocktail jelly for dessert. The jelly was smooth and refreshing, and Su Ann kept asking for more.

Su Ann is now 13 months old. She can manage a few steps on her own, and has begun to talk. A real foodie, she can say "milk" (but she'll usually say 'neh', which is the international language for milk according to Priscilla Dunstan of Baby Language), "bot" (for bottle), "cup", and "more... more" (whenever she wants more food like Ah Ma's chocolate chip cookies). She can say "nose" (pronounced as 'no'), "clock" (pronounced as 'colk"), "star" (pronounced as 'dar'), "bag", "book", "dog", "cat", "walk", "drop" (pronounced as 'dop'), "up", "no no" (when she doesn't want something), and "no more". She can say "care" (when she wants someone to carry her) and "Ah Ma bao" (which is 'Ah Ma carry me' in Mandarin). She calls me "Dair Dair" (her way of pronouncing 'Che Che' which means big sister in the Teochew dialect). Her favourite word though is "there". She knows exactly where she wants to go and what she wants to hold, and she'll point and yell "There! There!".

I was travelling to Whistler with Ah Gong and Ah Ma. Daddy, Mommy and Su Ann were staying home because Mommy didn't think Su Ann would be able to take the loooong flight to Vancouver. Mommy was worried that Su Ann's cries on such a loooong flight would spark off another air rage incident by a fellow passenger. Su Ann will still be doing some travelling though. She'll be spending a few days in Shanghai with the rest of the family, and Ah Gong, Ah Ma and I will be meeting up with everyone in Shanghai, on our way back to Singapore from Vancouver.

Late at night on 27 January 2009, after 2 days of visiting relatives for Chinese New Year, we made our way to the airport for our flight to Vancouver. We were flying China Eastern Airlines and the flight was departing at 0055 hrs on 28 January 2009 from Terminal 3. Su Ann took time off from her bedtime schedule to send me off, so we played together in the playground at Basement 2.

It was way past my bedtime by the time we boarded the plane. After take-off, I stretched myself across a row of seats on the relatively empty plane, and quickly fell asleep. Five hours later, we were in Shanghai for a five-hour stopover. I rested some more. The China Eastern Airlines flight to Vancouver took off again at 1110 hrs on 28 January 2009.

We crossed the international dateline and gained a day. We arrived in Vancouver close to 0600 hrs on 28 January 2009. After clearing customs and collecting our suitcases, we took a taxi to the Metropolitan Hotel (http://www.metropolitan.com/vanc/) in downtown Vancouver. There were heaps of snow by the side of the road. For the first time in my life, I saw snow. Not the man-made, artificial fluff they have at theme parks, but the real thing. I couldn't contain my excitement, and kept pointing and shouting "SNOW! SNOW!" during the taxi ride.

After checking into the Metropolitan Hotel, I plonked myself onto the bed and tried to sleep my way out of jet lag. In fact, I spent much of the next few days doing little other than nursing my jet lag. I found it very difficult to adjust to the massive time difference.

When Chia Yee and Uncle Craig arrived in Vancouver on 29 January, I pulled myself out of bed to see them and we all went out for a seafood dinner at Kirin Mandarin Restaurant (http://www.kirinrestaurants.com/) to celebrate Ah Gong's birthday. The food was delicious! The geoduck and crab were excellent.

The food at Kirin Mandarin Restaurant was so good that we returned for dim sum lunch the next day. After lunch, I garnered enough energy to walk around the shopping malls in downtown Vancouver. It helped that Chia Yee enticed me with ice-cream.

We checked out of the Metropolitan Hotel very early in the morning on 31 January 2009, and caught the 0730 hrs Snowbus (http://www.snowbus.ca/) to Whistler. As we approached Whistler, we could see more and more snow, and I got increasingly excited. I couldn't wait to get off the bus and touch the soft, fluffy snow.

We arrived in Whistler at about 0900 hrs that Saturday morning. It was too early in the day for us to check into our accommodation at Club Intrawest, so we dropped our bags off and headed to a cafe at Le Chamois for breakfast.


Ah Gong and Ah Ma were anxious for me to start my ski lessons, so the first thing they did after breakfast was to sign me up for a full-day ski lesson for the following day. They couldn't wait to get rid of me so they could hit the slopes themselves! It was snowing that day in Whistler, and the forecast was 20cm of new snow for the weekend. I don't blame them for lusting after fresh powder...

That afternoon, we checked into our 2-bedroom apartment at Club Intrawest (http://www.clubintrawest.com/). Ah Gong, Ah Ma, Chia Yee and Uncle Craig are all members of the Club, and they spend at least a week here once a year. It was my first time in Whistler, and I could already understand why skiiers from all over the world would make their pilgrimmage to Whistler year after year. Come 2010, this resplendent beauty will play host to the Winter Olympics. The mammoth resort is made up of 2 mountains - Whistler Moutain and Blackcomb Mountain, and together, the mountains offer more than enough runs to please skiiers of every level.

After my nap, Ah Gong and Ah Ma took me to a ski rental shop at Day Lodge to get my ski equipment sorted. We passed the snow-covered boulders of Fitzsimmons Creek on the way, and the view was breath-taking.

After sorting out my ski equipment, we took a walk around the village. The village had a myriad of lovely shops, and plenty of restaurants. However, a lack of Chinese food options meant that Ah Ma preferred to do the cooking in our apartment, rather than eating out. We went to the supermarket to stock up on groceries, then returned to the apartment for a home-cooked meal. I went to bed early that night, as I had an early start the next day.


My first ski lesson started at 0830 hrs on 1 February 2009. Ah Gong and Ah Ma dropped me off at ski school, then joined Chia Yee and Uncle Craig on the newly opened Peak to Peak Gondola which connects Blackcomb Mountain to Whistler Mountain.


I met Instructor Joe at ski school. The class was meant for 3 to 4 year olds, and there were only 2 other kids in my class. We began our day, not on our skis, but with a box of crayons. After we finished colouring, Instructor Joe took us outdoors to build a snowman and make snow angels. We played a while in the snow before starting our lesson proper on the bunny slope by the Magic Carpet travelator. By the end of my lesson, I was able to ski down the bunny slope and stop by making a snowplough. I was exhausted by the end of my lesson. When Ah Gong and Ah Ma came to pick me up at 1515 hrs, they found me sound asleep on Instructor Joe's lap! There was no where to lie down in the ski school, so Instructor Joe held me whilst I slept for a whole hour!

The full day lesson, inclusive of rental of skis, ski boots and helmet cost CAD158.96. Instructor Joe was full of praises for me, which gave Ah Gong the confidence to invest another CAD479.28 (after 40% discount) in my ski education. He signed me up for a 5-day ski camp, beginning the very next day. The package was very good value, considering that it was a full-day child care with ski lesson, equipment rental and lunch thrown in. With the economic crisis and poor snow year, it had been a quiet season at Whistler, so discounts were used to lure more skiiers.

The next morning (2 February 2009), Ah Gong and Ah Ma dropped me off at ski school at 0845 hrs for my first day at ski camp, then went off to join Chia Yee and Uncle Craig on the slopes.


I introduced myself to Instructor Georgie. She was originally from Brisbane, Australia. There were 4 kids in my class, 2 boys and 2 girls. Jack, Gabriel, Vivian and me. Once again, we began our day with art and craft time, before heading to the bunny slope by the Magic Carpet. We were taught basic moves on skis, with an emphasis on turning. By the end of the lesson at 1500 hrs, I was confident of coming down the bunny slope and was ready for new challenges.


That evening, our family went tobogganing at the Yellow Brick Road ski slope. My toboggan was like a big, red plastic spade. Just right for my butt. I really enjoyed the adrenaline rush as I slid down the slope. It was a really enjoyable evening filled with plenty of laughter.


My second day at ski camp (3 February 2009) was more challenging than my first. Instructor Georgie took us up the chairlift at the Yellow Brick Road. When I first got off the chairlift and looked down the slope, I actually burst into tears. I panicked when I saw how steep and long the run was. There was no way I could ski down that slope and I kept telling Instructor Georgie that it was dangerous! Instructor Georgie was very encouraging. By the end of my lesson, I had gone up the Yellow Brick Road chairlift twice and had skiied down that slope twice. My very first green run! Here're some pictures of me on the Yellow Brick Road run. I'm the one in the bright orange jacket, dark grey ski pants and pink ski goggles.


Instructor Georgie proudly reported my progress to Ah Gong and Ah Ma, who were anxious to know whether I'd be able to go off-piste by the end of my fifth day at camp. Hehe!

The first part of day three at the ski camp (4 February 2009) was spent honing our skills on the Yellow Brick Road run. Instructor Georgie was very pleased with the progress of my class and said that we were ripe to try new runs. We took a ride up the Wizard Express chairlift, then switched to the Solar Coaster chairlift. I'd never been this high up a mountain before (top of Solar Coaster Express chairlift was 1860 m high). We stopped for lunch at RendezVous Lodge, before skiing down a green run to the Children's Adventure Park. There was a make-belief castle at the Adventure Park.

After our playtime at the Adventure Park, Instructor Georgie led us all the way down to the base of Blackcomb Mountain via a green run. From the Solar Coast Express chairlift to the base of Blackcomb Mountain was a vertical drop of 1200 m. We skiied in a line, with Instructor Georgie right in front. We covered a really long distance on skis today and I was exhausted by the end of the lesson. Once back at our apartment, I fell asleep instantly.

We spent Day Four of my ski camp (5 February 2009) on the Yellow Brick Road run. Instructor Georgie wanted us to improve our turning skills and control over our skis. We took the chairlift a total of 8 times, and skiied the run 8 times. Tedious, but practice makes perfect.


When Ah Gong and Ah Ma came to pick me up from class, Instructor Georgie informed them that I had shown marked improvement! Ah Gong and Ah Ma beamed when they heard the good news. It was a tiring day, and I actually fell asleep on the chairlift when we were going up the eighth time.
Time passes really quickly when you're having fun. Before I knew it, it was already the last day of my ski camp (6 February 2009). Instructor Georgie led us on the Village Run from Blackcomb Mountain to the base of Whistler Mountain. We skiied across a bridge. After that, we returned to Blackcomb Mountain via the Excalibur Gondola. Just before our trip to Whistler, there was an accident on the Excalibur Gondola when a gondola tower collapsed and sent some of the gondolas onto the ground and one nearly into the river. Fortunately, no one died.

That morning, we also rode the Wizard Express Chairlift up Blackcomb Mountain and skiied down. Here's a picture showing the last bit of the run:-


At 1445 hrs, just before my last lesson ended, there was a ceremonial ski parade for all the students who were graduating from their 5-day ski camp. We had our faces painted. The boys had rocket hats stuck onto their helmets, and the girls had princess tiaras stuck onto our helmets. We had to ski down an obstable course. I had no problems completing the obstable course.

Instructor Georgie presented each of us with a report card and a Whistler Ski School water bottle as a parting gift. On my card, Instructor Georgie wrote: "Great work Su Jin! You have tried very hard all week. You are making strong snowplough turns down the mountain and are skiing faster. You were a pleasure to have in my class! Have a safe flight home. Georgie:) " Instructor Georgie told Ah Ma that I was ready for Level Two, when I return to Whistler.


Ski camp has certainly done me and my parents lots of good. I lead a very sheltered life in Singapore, and in many ways, this experience has been life-changing. Aside from learning to ski, the experience has been a tremendous confidence booster for me. For 6 straight days, I looked after myself. I had no problems feeding myself and finishing my lunch on time to join the rest of the class. I had no problems going to the loo on my own. A slope may look steep and daunting at first, but I've learned to overcome my fear by maintaining control over my skis. I leave the camp with the "I Can Do It" spirit, and my parents have no qualms about sending me to ski camp again.

I also made a new friend in Whistler. Vivian is 3 months older than me, and it was her second time at ski school. Her parents were originally from Shanghai, but Vivian was brought up in Vancouver. She first attended ski school when she was 3 years old, but her mother told Ah Ma that Vivian had refused to learn to ski at that time. She insisted on lying down and eating snow!


On our last night in Whistler, we gave Ah Ma a break from cooking and we had dinner at Teppan Village in Whistler Village. The Japanese chefs there juggle when cooking. It was fun watching them. After dinner, Chia Yee treated me to a marshmallow stick from the Chocolate Factory. Lucky me!
We checked out of Club Intrawest on 7 February, and caught the 0930 hrs Snowbus back to Vancouver. We arrived in Vancouver just before lunchtime. We checked into the Metropolitan Hotel, then walked over to the food court in Pacific Mall for lunch. A television crew was in the mall conducting interviews for a tv programme and they spoke to Uncle Craig!


After lunch, we took a taxi to Stanley Park for some sightseeing. It was a lovely park by the water with lots of cute ducks and totem poles. There was a playground there as well where we spent some time. It was a nice change from being on skis everyday.


The next day (8 February 2009), we walked through Vancouver's Chinatown, had dim sum lunch at Fu Ta Hai Restaurant, and visited Sun Yat-Sen Park. For dinner, I requested for crab, so we found ourselves back in Kirin Mandarin Restaurant once more.


On 9 February 2009, we checked out of the Metropolitan Hotel after breakfast, and took a taxi to the airport. Our China Eastern Airlines flight to Shanghai was supposed to depart Vancouver at 1130 hrs, but when we arrived at the airport, we suddenly realised that the flight would only be taking off at 1900 hrs. The airline explained that the 7 1/2 hr delay was due to poor weather enroute from Shanghai to Vancouver. Disappointing news indeed, as I was really looking forward to seeing Su Ann and the rest of my family in Shanghai. They had been waiting for me in Shanghai since 7 February 2009.

To compensate us for the delay, the airline gave us each a CAD10 food voucher for our use at the airport. I suppose it could have been worse... We made our way to the food court, and parked ourselves there. When I was tired, Ah Ma joined 3 chairs together and made me a bed. Ah Gong found a socket where he could plug in his laptop, and I watched movies on his laptop to pass time. Man's best friend is indeed a laptop, and not a dog.


Our flight to Shanghai finally took off at 1900 hrs. We crossed the international dateline once more, and this time, we lost a day. We arrived in Shanghai at 2350 hrs on 10 February. I was exhausted after the long flight, but I perked up when I realised that I would be seeing the rest of my family.

I'll leave Su Ann to write about the trip to Shanghai, as she arrived in Shanghai before I did.