Week in unfamiliar: my experience of stay in Tsum valley
This the small village in the northern part of Nepal where i was born. It is located above the altitude of 3500 ft high. This is a very remote place and a very culturally rich place. There are many monuments, stupas and monasteries and shrines located in this region built from since ancient times.
During my summer break i was able to go to my village for almost a month was the best unforgettable moment that i ever had. It took five days for me and my big brother who was accompanying me to reach our home. In total it took us five days to reach our home town. One day by local bus from the city and Four days took on the trails where we had to walk early in the morning till evening time as there is no transportation facility available there. It was a monsoon season and there was irregular rainfall. Because the roads/ trails were not graveled, many trails were swept away by the rain. There were also many landslide cases and minor floods. Some of the bridges were unstable and dangerous to cross especially in this season.
When i reached the valley, i was able to experience the richness in the natural beauty and the culture that had nearly forgotten about my birth place. As it was monsoon season, the valley was still cold but green and beautiful. During my stay there i experience many changes that my village has gone through since the last time i was there. There were new houses, new bridges and many new people. i was involved in the religious activity there. There was a big prayer ceremony organised for the new temple that was being built. Many people from the villages gathered there and the monks and nuns held the prayer ceremony. It is a big day for the local people to see the consecration of the new temple. People in this region is very religious and has a great devotion towards their religion. There were sponsors(people from the village who contribute for the ceremony such as giving drinks to people or offerings), the organizers and volunteers helping in the ceremony. It is applicable to say that there is very deep relation and respect between people of this region and their deep contribution. I was one of the minor volunteer helping in setting up for the religious activities. My brother was part of the organizer and so i was following my brother with the process. Learning the history behind the ceremony and the deeper understanding g of the religion and tradition was very tough and new experience. I also went on excursion to small deserted monasteries and temples with my brother. My brother has been doing his studying on the history and pilgrimage in the valley. So, i was always with him. Travelling with him and going on a pilgrimage gives you far deeper meaning and understanding of the importance of the pilgrimage and understanding of the history. We saw that many of the monasteries an, temples that we visited were deserted and was in need of great care and renovation because they has great historical importance and religious importance. So, you learn the global importance of these historic monuments and temples.
During my return to the city, i had to go through the same journey, trekking for four days and then one day by bus.
Reflection on Skiing experience
Skiing is a new sport for me and it is the first time that i got an opportunity to ride on skis. Skiing is unheard of in a place where i came from. It is a great sport which i personally think requires a good balancing capability and should be able to take concentration as a regular car drivers always does. I first learned to ski when i was in Austria for the winter break. I was taught about how to ski by a Austrian instructor. I took the lesson for five days and was able to learned basic steps to skiing which i am very proud of. Since then i have gone skiing many times and have gained a great deal of experience over the year. This involves the following criteria:It was a new sport for me and a challenge that i needed to undertake. Every sports has some difficulties which it is complex to overcome within a day. Every sports needs a proper concentration and have to face the challenges. I had to go through this same situation and am able to ski like normal people. I was able to understand about my strength and weakness regarding this sport. I was able to learned skiing properly in a very short time and was able to do the black runs which is a very difficult one to ski. But the loss of control ability and my speed is a small weakness that i have realize. But i have also overcome my this weakness by reducing my speed and concentrating more on controlling the ski and turnings. By being aware of my weakness and strength i was able to be aware about my level of skiing and measures to take to develop skill. To begin with, ski itself was a skill to me but i came to realize that it requires more than just a basic training to be able to ski.I needed more experience and a contribution to the sport frequently. This sport also involves skills to polish your critical thinking and capabilities. i was also able to learn about planning even in a sport such as ski. Planning and creativity about where to go, which route to take and where are the lifts and stop points etc everything can be planned before and follow the plan. i was able to do this as well follow my partners plans as well. Finally once you get hang of the sport you will get the excitement and develop a thrill to ski more. So, in order to do this i was able to work quite hard on my own pace and come to get the same level as other friends. you will also get to develop your perseverance power an will make you want to ski more often.
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| Me in full ski gear |
