Fort Langley

The experience started as soon as we walked through the door. Wonders of my past and technology of the present collided in a funducational storm of epic proportions, the tornadoes of which picked us up, and threw us into the hopes and dreams of those come and gone. Led by bowler hats, time travelling tour guides, the power of friendship, and information placards, we sought the site for all it had to offer. I thought that it was quite neat being able to take the classroom learning a step further, into reality. The uniforms/costumes of those recreating events were fun, and further manipulated the experience - in an enjoyable way! In all seriousness, Fort Langley was an interesting experience, not only due to the fanciful restoration of the site, but due to the parallels between this voyage east and our social studies curriculum, focused on the individuals and lifestyles of the voyageurs and explorers of the time that the Fort Langley simulation was set in. Although more educational merit could have been attained (with more signs, or a guide to point out more about the history and significance behind each structure), it was a great parallel to the educational unit, and an interesting in-limbo OEE session.

Curling

Curling was interesting, as it was an in-between OEE session, though I felt that I managed to improve my skills from nonexistent to somewhat adequate. That being said, I still do not have a firm grasp on the knowledge or the rock (as it's called), though I was apt in having the ability to occasionally send the projectile in a straight trajectory, and send it with enough power to end past the end line, without hitting the barrier at the very end. It was useful having two sessions to improve my knowledge, though the instructors were occasionally slightly overbearing. Having no prior experience, however, I felt that I managed to become relatively competent, and launch the projectile rock in a straight line ahead, shooting along with my dreams.

Cross-Country Finality

We recently completed our final cross-country skiing session, which went slightly better than the previous session, though not as good as my first (judging by amount of fun and skills learned). We worked on hockey-stops, which involved the bending of the knees, though other than that today was mainly just a day to demonstrate the skills we learned. Throughout the unit I re-learned most to all of the skills I had forgotten, and even some more. I managed to fall very few times, and I came quite prepared to all sessions. I did not move forward to the advanced group under my own duress, due especially to the fact that I was content in the progression of my skills in the intermediate group. Overall, I felt it a highly fun and beneficial unit, and I would be happy to practice the skills more over the course of future OEE camps and courses, especially as I learned the skills needed to move forward, stop, and turn faster than most to all other OEE activities.

Skating

Although we didn't have any formal instructional periods, I enjoyed the periods that wee spent skating. I had skated previously, and it was fun to be able to re-learn what I had once done, and to watch my improvement from someone trembling on the ice while holding a plastic aid, to an independent skater who was having fun in the process. I am now far more confident in my abilities, and I would enjoy doing the unit again.

The Ski of X-C

Last week I completed my first session of cross country skiing, which went semi-successfully. Save for an unjustified irate teacher to begin with (I never ran into her again, luckily), the instructors were adequate to good for the job at hand (teaching). I managed to quickly re-enter my position of knowing what to do, as I have completed it beforehand, and it was akin to riding a cycling |construction. I was placed in the intermediate group even though I had not taken the annual precedent that the class had already undertaken. It ended up proving successful, though. It was actually far more fun this time than it had been before. I managed, though, to improve my skills in turning and moving downhill. I feel at place in the intermediate group, as although it does not provide a great challenge for me, it was fun and I was improving my skills. I also enjoyed getting social time outside with friends. I found, though, the long downhill sessions difficult, though over time I should be able to control myself more and as such avoid falling further. I also improved general movement skills, by improving my technique in general. I hope to, over the future sessions, to be able to go faster and try more difficult runs. I hope to have the same level of fun, though, and as such I can't wait for the future cross country skiing sessions.

The Fine Line of Film Creation

While watching the movie "The Fine Line", several thoughts came to mind, unfortunately few of them positive. Although the movie did distribute the message of avalanche awareness, in regards to backcountry skiing, as a whole, it failed to place enough emphasis on the ideals of safety, and on personal opinions. The cinematography was relatively well done, though too much of it detracted from the main point. Too much of the movie was dedicated to the idea of backcountry skiing as a whole - a concept which we recognize is dangerous in its being. In that, it made the idea of backcountry skiing seem like a fantastical exercise, and as such it glorified it as a worthwhile activity while being safe. It failed to recognize the complete lack of safety involved in backcountry skiing, including many other risks aside from avalanches, of which too much focus was placed on when considering the attempts at good editing. The movie also had a lack of direction in regards to purpose throughout. Several key points, including specific forms of safety and personal experiences, were wither completely missed or breezed over - thus not providing a strong basis for our knowledge. Backcountry skiing has increased over the years, potentially due to a lack of awareness and lessening for consideration for safety over time. It is also due to the ignorance caused by the willing to set a social image for oneself, and to achieve a superior status to others in any given element. People fail to consider the ramifications beforehand. The film also has failed to recognize other elements of risk to backcountry skiing, including rocks and cliffs. Another unspoken element is the fact that much of the backcountry skiing conducted is conducted illegally, in unsupervised regions - both against the law and against any notion of personal safety and awareness. From my perspective in regards to my age, I would not attempt backcountry skiing, almost entirely because I feel as though I am and will be fully challenged by in-bounds skiing at major resorts and seasonal recreational institution, and this is beneficial for my own personal safety and my well-being. Should my skiing progress to a more extreme level, though, I would want to take a basic avalanche course, as to be able to avoid death should a situation arise in a legal area of an institution, as chance is always prevalent.

Belaying Good Foundations

The past three weeks, I have earned my certification as a person who can belay at the Cliffhanger socioactive physical institutional college. It was, I have to say, a lot of fun. Going into the exercises with the fear of heights that has plagued me from a young age, even upon reaching the top, I was too frightened almost to return. As time progressed (as it always does during rock climbing sessions), though, I could feel my fear and the boundaries I had imagined for myself begin to fade away. By the end, I was confident enough to make it nearly completely to the top of a rock wall with a sufficient enough ledge to have utterly daunted me had I stared at it when I began, and I never would have ever imagined myself climbing. As well, aside from a couple of minor hiccups, I managed to progress through the belaying educational side of the session with sufficient enough ease to earn me certification which I will certainly apply to future rock climbing adventures, such as the one in grade 10. It was actually quite amusing, in fact, to flow through the movement and hold that responsibility. It really garnered my sense of independence.

See you on the climbing wall!


-Derek