XCE Beijing 2012 Day 14: November 11, 2012 - Sunday

Day 14: November 11, 2012 - Sunday

Theme parks have never been my cup of tea. I’ve always been afraid of those loops, those fast rides and just the thought of it makes me nauseous. What I didn’t expect was that there were several people who were just like me. People who I thought were ‘man’ enough, turned out to be the same scaredy cat as I was. I was not alone. 

As a reward for our good performance throughout the first two weeks of this trip, we trooped to Beijing’s Happy Valley. The name of the place in itself suggests a sense of thrill, eagerness and fun. This is the place that a lot of my friends would look forward to. On the contrary, I had mixed feelings. I conditioned myself that I wasn’t going to ride those frightening rides. I would just enjoy the scenery and take a lot of pictures for Instagram. But when I knew that there were people who were as scared as I, or even more afraid than I was, it gave me a sense of belonging. I became a part of this group where we had something in common---fear. No one had the right to make fun of the other because we were all scared. 

We formed a group called Teacups, from the famous Disney ride where you just had to sit on spinning cups and saucers (How exciting can that get!) The name suggests our "weak"  hearts but it never undermines our spirit and enthusiasm. It was a group filled with a bunch of scared teenagers. Some were more eager  while the others continued to hold back. We had the day to ourselves to ‘conquer’ our own fears. I tried a variety of rides that I knew I wouldn't have tried alone. We encouraged each other to do it together. We had each other.

The highlight of the day would have to be the 90-degree spinning wheel ride, very similar to Anchor’s Away. I’ve rode on a bunch of tough rides but nothing compared to this. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself lining up for my death sentence. It is a ride which silences its patrons. I wanted to leave the line. I wanted to turn my back on the waiting obstacle. I just wanted to watch on the sidelines. 

No! 

I couldn’t allow myself to be a coward again. I didn’t want to turn my back on a challenge. It was time to change things! I forced myself to ride it. I had to toughen myself because this is simply just a test of how far I can push myself. How can I challenge my body and do things I only dreamt of doing? As I sat with all the buckles on, I probably did the sign of the cross multiple times. And as the ride started, everything slowed down. The ordeal was beginning---my life was hanging on the balance. 

On top of countless gagos and expletives, the ride was actually fun. It was surreal to be able to soar to those heights and fall down gracefully. It is something I will never forget but at the same time think twice on doing it again! I may still be afraid of theme parks and roller coasters but this is a monumental step. The anticipation is always the worse feeling. Fear of the unknown paralyses the body and uncertainty makes the heart beat doubly hard. But if you try to set your mind to something, your body will submissively follow. 

I am very fortunate to be able to face one of the things I’m most afraid of but what’s better is that I was able to do it with friends that had the same phobias as I did. We did it TOGETHER.

Notes: All the roller coasters and water rides in Happy Valley were closed today probably due to the strong winds. As John So would say: “The scammiest theme park in the world.”