Zeeshan Suhail

It was humanising to be able to fall and then pick oneself up as quickly as possible. I recognised my failings and expeditiously tried to improve myself, but quickly realised this would take hours. I fondly recalled the day my father taught me how to ride a bicycle. The accidents, the bruises, the memories

Living in the US affords one the opportunity to participate in countless hobbies and activities that can either keep you occupied indoors, or make a mess out of you in the great outdoors. Having said that, I have a confession to make: prior to this past weekend, I had never skied in my life. It is a sport that thousands participate in all over the world, yet even after spending nearly half my life in the US, I had never ventured too far from urban spaces. Imagine the liberation I felt when I went dog-sledding last weekend in Aspen, Colorado. Well, multiply that by one hundred and that is the feeling I had skiing.

A bunch of my friends from the Midwest and New York City had rented a house in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, an area famously referred to as “The Poconos”. We were going to spend the weekend together — skiing and playing board games. Yes, we occasionally relive our childhood days. The weather was supposed to be nearly immaculate and with good company, life was even better. I arrived there Friday night and was ready to rock and roll!

By Saturday afternoon, we had begun the journey to the ski resort. We were all bundled up in layers (I had three pants on!) and had the ski gear strapped on to our feet and arms and were headed for the snow-drenched hills. A ski resort is quite a sight to behold. What look like ants and insects making their way down the side of steep hills and mountains are in fact human beings swooping down at alarming speeds. I can only imagine their exhilaration. Some of the hills I was looking at were only made for experts and I was clearly not one of them.

Indeed, I made my way over to the “bunny slope” — a smaller, less steep hill where many of the beginners and novice skiers were to be found. Ah, misery loves company! After some pointers from my friends, I began practicing what I had been taught and promptly fell, thankfully not near anyone I could do major harm to. A group of beginners looked at me and cringed, thinking I was in deep pain. Au contraire! It was humanising to be able to fall and then pick oneself up as quickly as possible. I recognised my failings and expeditiously tried to improve myself, but quickly realised this would take hours. I fondly recalled the day my father taught me how to ride a bicycle. The accidents, the bruises, the memories. Onward I went!

Some of my friends were pretty good skiers and it was no surprise that they chose the steeper and longer paths. Another friend suggested I take lessons, and it was perhaps the best thing I did that day! An hour later, I was more confident and excited than a baby who had just started to walk. I sat on the lift, arrived at the top of the hill and took one look down. Evening had started to fall and I was a bit apprehensive — and remembered my lack of health insurance. It did not help that my instructor told me about the myriad accidents that take place at the resort day in, day out. In fact, there is a helipad right at the base of the bunny slope (why there of all places?). A ride to the nearest hospital costs $ 15,000!

Aside from the basic anxieties, I was looking forward to my first ride down. And it was a quick seven minute one. I stumbled twice, because I was going too fast and could not brake properly so I had to just fall over. This was a classic method my friends recommended I use to avoid injury. I basically would just tip over so that I not crash into someone or worse, whiz down the slope and crash at the base. By the time I got to the bottom, I could not wait to make my way back up! It was that exhilarating.

There is something about the pull of gravity and the push of a light breeze behind you that makes skiing so much fun. I only did this a few more times since it was getting dark and we still had snow tubing to participate in. I did not realise how sweaty and damp my clothes had become — alas, the snow had also seeped through! My thick, tall boots that were thoroughly scandalised during the trip had actually come in quite useful. I stayed warm and dry and was quite satisfied with my frugal choice. A little bit of money goes a long way!

Back in office the next day, I had a workshop to attend for most of the morning, but my readers can imagine the respite I got when I walked in to the World Bank Atrium and saw hundreds of people gathered to see Shakira! The Latin/Arabic pop star was going to speak about the Early Childhood Development Initiative, which her foundation and the Bank are collaborating on. She was in the highest heels I had seen in a while and a dress that only she could do justice to. What a great way to start the week: thank God for the safe and fun trip from the weekend prior and the opportunity to see Shakira at such close proximity. Life was good!

Zeeshan Suhail is a consultant with the World Bank in Washington, DC and Chairperson of the Board of the New York City-based Muslim Consultative Network and a Board Member of the Washington, DC-based Americans for Informed Democracy. He can be reached at zeeshan@aidemocracy.org