I have not been writing for 2 months and it's a pretty long time by my standards.
Supposedly, this July I will start my communications degree and I hope this can be a platform to help me with my studies.
Anyway, that's beside the point. Many things took place during these 2 months and it is a good time to document it.
Firstly, I was in Christchurch, New Zealand just after the Chinese New Year. The first thing that came to my mind when I got my schedule was SKYDIVING! Whoo! Finally I got the chance to do it.
Anyway, just sidetrack a bit, if you happened to plan to go New Zealand for your holidays, I recommend it with 2 thumbs-up! Beside sky-diving, you can do bungee, river-rafting, hot-air balloon for outdoor. If you just want to drive round the peaceful countryside, you can pay a visit to its many vineyards and enjoy a glass of wine. Also for fans of Lord of the Rings, they have a tour where you can visit the various sets that was used for the movie.
Back to skydiving. I checked out the site on the web and it looks pretty interesting. Furthermore, I have got a friend who is doing it with me. Nothing was going to stop us now...nothing except bad weather...
Yup, of all days, it had to be on the day when I decided to take the plunge. It was very, very cloudy. The sky was shrouded with dark clouds. We decided to call the company and ask them to check on the weather conditions. Bad. We were told to hold on for at least an hour before they check on the conditions again. All of us were very excited, but the excitement gave way to disappointment after we heard the news.
An hour past and we got a phone to say that we will proceed with the jump as the clouds were clearing. Yay! The company sent a van to pick us up from the hotel, as it was a distance away.
When we got to the airfield, we met the jump master and he gave us a crash course on the positions we had to adapt during the jump. We had to keep out heads tilted backwards and our legs and bodies to remain arched to facilitate the fall. 'Just like a banana' he said.
Then we were supposed to watch a video of another sky diver, so that we can have an idea on how it worked. After the video, everyone was psyched, ready to go, but not before signing the indemnity form. Yes, you can't blame anyone if u don't return in one piece! I never really thought much of it. :-)
We put on our jumpsuits, gears and stuff. Our individual jump masters came to inspect and help us with the harnesses. Although we were doing tandem jumps but u still got to be sure of safety.
We went ahead, 2 of us, in tow with our own cameraman and jump master. 6 of us got into a small propeller plane. We felt like sardines in a can.
To reach 12000ft, the small plane took at least 15mins to reach that altitude. Meanwhile, I wasn't really enjoying the feeling of being in a can. I was really uncomfortable and hoping that I could jump out of the plane as soon as possible.
Finally, we reached the desired altitude and the doors were opened. the strong winds greeted us and suddenly I was gripped by the idea that it was time to jump. I had mixed feelings and random thoughts just came into my head. As I was second to jump, I saw how my friend fall out of the plane. It just happened in a split second, no time to think or react. Poof! She was gone.
My turn and my mind was in a blank. However, I was game and ready to jump. Then suddenly, I dived into the blueness of the sky!
I cannot describe the feeling and the rush when I jumped out. It was just exhilarating. Watch my video on Youtube and you will understand.
After just 45 seconds, our parachutes opened and we landed in the field. Short but the memories will be long-lasting.
I was fortunate enough to be the 1st batch in my group to jump, as the weather worsen towards the end. The last batch didn't managed to jump at all, as conditions were deemed unsafe.
We got our videos and photos and return to our hotel, happy and contented.
Writing about this makes me want to go for it again. Too bad we don't have the space to do it in Singapore, if not I am sure to sign up to get the license to do it on my own.
Anyway, I would suggest to everyone, to do it when you are young. It is an experience you won't forget.
Youtube video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG8mr_T4HG0
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