|
|
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Oh my GAD yesterday was SO fun! Megan, Aunty Deb and I went SAILING! It was my first time and Aunty Deb wasn't too sure about taking me 'cause I can't swim (yes, I KNOW Bangladesh floods all the time, but I can't swim, okay?!). Anyway we convinced her to let me, seeing as Megan and I led the whole cohort in kayaking around Pulau Ubin 2 years ago, at OBS. So we got to Changi Sailing Club and ate and listened to Aunty Deb's crude jokes (oh, my good Muslim virgin ears!) and then we rigged the boat. Uh, Aunty Deb wasn't really sure of how to rig the taipan, 'cause she usually takes the nacra, so we struggled and pushed and pulled and blah blah and alas, we got it! But it started raining while we were rigging the boat, so we got all wet and our sunblock washed off and.. ayo. Anyway, then the rain stopped (Megan explained something about coastal rains being heavy, but very short) and we took the boat out. I just sat there while Aunty Deb and Megan did all the rudder-moving and rope-tugging and whatnot. It was SO COOL 'cause the wind had picked up and we were going really fast! We went to a spot between Ubin and Tekong, and then we turned back and headed towards Changi Beach. Then, suddenly, there was no wind. We were just sorta sitting there wondering what to do, and this old Dutch guy came by on his taipan and asked us if we were okay, and he said he didn't know what to do, either. And then this other boat, a bigger sailboat with a motor, came by and asked if we needed help or towing or anything, and when they got close enough to help us, the wind picked up again. Haha.. Off in the distance, we could see that there was a storm in Malaysia 'cause the sky was grey-blue and the waters were green and blue and grey and silver. It was so gorgeous, I was just taking in the sight with my mouth wide open, sea spray hitting my face, sun on my back.. It was beautiful! So anyway, the wind finally picked up and this time we were going way faster than before. Aunty Deb explained that when there was no wind, that was the calm before the storm. So I guess the strong winds right after that were the storm winds. We zoomed off, and suddenly the jib came untied at one side. I tried tying it back, then Aunty Deb told me to let go and go to her side of the boat, 'cause it was tilting. The waves were pretty high and the wind was strong and we were going way fast and it was really dangerous. At one point, the sail swung without warning (usually the person controlling it will give a warning then swing it to change direction, so that everyone can duck and avoid being hit by the metal rod at the base of the sail) and it hit my head. Yes, I got hit in the head with a metal bar in the middle of the sea. It was fucking painful and I'm only lucky not to have my skull split open. But the whole thing was exciting so I forgot the pain. Then, the boat almost capsized 'cause we were going really fast and all, and Aunty Deb said we should head back to the Club, and SUDDENLY...
Here I was, bobbing up and down in the water, Megan about 15m away from me, Aunty Deb and the capsized boat about 30m away. Megan shouts, "Aliya! Don't worry! Don't panic! Just paddle! Move your arms! Paddle towards me!" And I'm trying to paddle and at the same time trying to hold on to my favourite sunglasses which are tied around my neck. Megan swam to me, held my hand and tried to swim back to Aunty Deb but she couldn't carry my weight and swim in those choppy waters, so she went back to the boat and shouted at me from there to not panic, etc. After I tried to paddle for a while, I got tired and decided there was no way I could fight the waves and go to them, so I lay there on my back. And then, I experienced mini-nirvana. I was at absoluted peace. Floating on my back, I thought to myself, "What am I doing here, in the middle of the sea, not knowing how to swim, not knowing what lies below me..? Well, I guess I better concentrate on not drowning, while I'm still here.." I turned to see Megan and Aunty Deb, both telling me not to panic. I gave them the thumbs-up sign and continued on my back, riding the waves. It was so cool. One moment I could see everything around me, as I rode the crest of the wave, the next moment I was surrounded by water as I slid along the trough. I was just bobbing. It was so serene! Then Megan called out to me and pointed to... the old Dutch guy! He had come around to save us, and Megan said he was going to pick me up first. So he comes to me and when he's about 10m away, I shout, "Hi there!" and I wave at him. He laughs and waves back and says, "Okay, I'm just going to come over you, and you come through the middle and hold on to the edge, okay?" and he heads towards me, then 'cause of the wind, his boat turns left a bit and the right hull (sharp, streamlined, painful) hits me in the head. Not once, but a few times! And I'm floating there, going, "Ow, ow!" and the old Dutch guy goes, "Oh, sorry! Are you okay?" and I grab hold of this thin, sharp, cable and haul myself to the middle where he tells me to pull up, but I have no strength, so he has to pull all my weight up all by himself! What a strong man.. I was laughing and laughing and apologizing for being weak and he said it was okay, then finally I scrambled onto his boat and said, "Thanks for saving my life!" and he laughed and said it was no problem. Haha!! Then we sailed round to Aunty Deb, Megan, and Boat, and they said to send a life-boat. On our way back to shore, we saw a life-boat making its way there already. I helped the old Dutch guy pull the boat in to shore, then thanked him again and he went off with his friends. I stood there on the beach and watched as Megan and Aunty Deb uprighted the boat and got towed back to shore. Then I thanked Megan and Aunty Deb for one of the funnest experiences ever. Bla bla, then we sat in the swimming pool and recounted our capsizing story, and then had satay, chicken wings and tea and then unrigged the boat and we were done. Phew! Then Aunty Deb went for a shower and seeing as Megan and I were too lazy, we walked out onto the jetty, climbed down onto the pontoon and lay there and started singing. It was so fun! It was the nicest thing ever, 'cause we could see clouds on one side of the sky and stars on the other, and there was a nice cool breeze, and the pontoon was rocking with the waves. It was sooo nice.
Anyway then we went back to Megan's house and had roast beef for dinner (yummy!) and made pancakes for dessert according to our own made-up random recipe, and played this board game and shared a glass of beer. Then silly Lola (the dog) came and kept sitting in the middle of our game and moving the pieces around and suddenly started lapping up MY BEER!! Bloody alcoholic dog. Then it was getting late so I took a cab home.
Oh, I still haven't taken a shower! Heehee. I better go, then.
WEE!!!
|
