The Many Times When...
Have you ever had a moment like that? When you know something big is about to happen the very next second, before your next heartbeat, before you could next blink? When you are so sure of the eventuality of the situation that it is all that fills your mind? When you suddenly realise that somehow, everything is happening in slow-motion, as if holding you back from that very moment that you know will come, but you don't know whether to face it bravely or with dread?
Well, after such a harrowing introduction, let me first give the background to my next post. I enjoyed a short family trip to Batam over the past weekend. It's always lovely to leave the bustle of the city and enjoy long walks on the beaches, closer to nature, away from the man-made cacophony only found in the cities. So, anyway, we had fun with the jet skis while at the resort.
My sister and I had 30 minutes with the "Water Scooters", as my father fondly calls them, so we decided to split our time at the controls to 15 minutes each. I had handled jet skis back in Sri Lanka, so I agreed to control first. In a way, our play area was pretty much limited. Seaweeds which clogged the jet's intakes near the beach, sailors on the left, a jetty and rocks on the right, and scary waves out towards the sea. Still, it was pretty fun attacking the waves, sending us flying off the seats, hanging on for dear life. But cautious me kept everything in moderation. I kept the engine revs low, I made wide turns, and I only attacked the waves half-heartedly, idling the engine the moment I felt the next jump could send us flying off the jet ski.
My sis, whoa. She did plow turns, skipped over the waves with a gungho spirit and made so many sudden adjustments to the steering just to avoid seaweed. And when she got tired of me complaining that she was a dangerous rider, she even managed to throw me off the jet ski. I have no idea what happened, but I suppose it was a combination of centrifugal force, big waves and an improperly seated bum. As I felt my grip on my sister's lifejacket come off, I remember seeing the waves from the wake of the jet ski approach my face in slow motion. In that instant that lasted no more than a second, the brain seemed to have registered it for at least 30 seconds. The next moment, my face hit the water and everything was back to normal. (Except the fact that I had been thrown off the jet ski.)
It's pretty amazing how in times like that, you remember the weirdest of details. I remember the waves: clear at their peaks, dark green below, like some ice-capped peaks of the Himalayas. I also remembered a mother an son pair who stared on in disbelief and suspense when I tripped over a tile in Suntec city many, many years ago. In that moment I was flung in the air, I remember seeing their faces, as if they could anticipate the pain I was going to experience the very next moment. Then the pain came as my ribcage hit the floor.
Why do I say these things? I have absolutely no idea. I guess accident-prone me would just like medals of honour for having fallen down in a public place, crashed into glass doors and thrown off jet skis. They sure make good conversation material. -Jimmy
Well, after such a harrowing introduction, let me first give the background to my next post. I enjoyed a short family trip to Batam over the past weekend. It's always lovely to leave the bustle of the city and enjoy long walks on the beaches, closer to nature, away from the man-made cacophony only found in the cities. So, anyway, we had fun with the jet skis while at the resort.
My sister and I had 30 minutes with the "Water Scooters", as my father fondly calls them, so we decided to split our time at the controls to 15 minutes each. I had handled jet skis back in Sri Lanka, so I agreed to control first. In a way, our play area was pretty much limited. Seaweeds which clogged the jet's intakes near the beach, sailors on the left, a jetty and rocks on the right, and scary waves out towards the sea. Still, it was pretty fun attacking the waves, sending us flying off the seats, hanging on for dear life. But cautious me kept everything in moderation. I kept the engine revs low, I made wide turns, and I only attacked the waves half-heartedly, idling the engine the moment I felt the next jump could send us flying off the jet ski.
My sis, whoa. She did plow turns, skipped over the waves with a gungho spirit and made so many sudden adjustments to the steering just to avoid seaweed. And when she got tired of me complaining that she was a dangerous rider, she even managed to throw me off the jet ski. I have no idea what happened, but I suppose it was a combination of centrifugal force, big waves and an improperly seated bum. As I felt my grip on my sister's lifejacket come off, I remember seeing the waves from the wake of the jet ski approach my face in slow motion. In that instant that lasted no more than a second, the brain seemed to have registered it for at least 30 seconds. The next moment, my face hit the water and everything was back to normal. (Except the fact that I had been thrown off the jet ski.)
It's pretty amazing how in times like that, you remember the weirdest of details. I remember the waves: clear at their peaks, dark green below, like some ice-capped peaks of the Himalayas. I also remembered a mother an son pair who stared on in disbelief and suspense when I tripped over a tile in Suntec city many, many years ago. In that moment I was flung in the air, I remember seeing their faces, as if they could anticipate the pain I was going to experience the very next moment. Then the pain came as my ribcage hit the floor.
Why do I say these things? I have absolutely no idea. I guess accident-prone me would just like medals of honour for having fallen down in a public place, crashed into glass doors and thrown off jet skis. They sure make good conversation material. -Jimmy
posted by Jimmy at 9:38 PM
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