My Lenovo and Whistler
I have lived with this laptop for over ten years by now – Lenovo S10e was a gadget to be reckoned with in 2009 when Su’s sister acquired for me before we took off for our first of a series of honeymoon trips. Well, ten years was not exactly a short period, and as a start, it is still functioning, even though I didn’t know exactly how it has been and which part it is functioning. I had been using it as a data storage device, first for photos taken on trips and later for writing blogs while I was idling in hotels waiting for my meals, and for some time, as a device for uploading articles I wrote on trips, which went rather well, until technology took over, or so I thought. Now, I had left the device in Whistler which we visited every year religiously since 2012, but around the end of 2018, I couldn’t do what I expected it would, so I took it back to Hog Kong expecting it to retire gracefully after my IT friend extracted all the data worth retaining. Well, my IT friend had a look at it and I didn’t know what she did to it. She told me that it was still serviceable, which was why I carried it back to Whistler, expecting to use it as nothing but a writing device. So much for a rather boring and personal introduction of a blog the subject of which has yet to unfold itself if at all.
Su had planned for this trip some time ago. Her objective has been to get us both skiing in Whistler at least until I turn 75 officially when I would qualify for a senior ski card. So she had booked the trips early and here we are after one year. The highlight of the season is to celebrate the 80th birthday of her ski instructor whom we met when we started skiing here seriously in 2012. Shortly after we arrived, and rather accidentally, we found that Jim had not been well. Not only that, we learnt that the old gang – physically and metaphorically – has not been doing well. One had to go through a second hip replacement; the other had a knee problem the third had to have her shoulder fixed again – but Jim’s seems to be worst: he has stomach cancer. Su managed to make contact with Jim and we are meeting him tomorrow to catch up and to find out first hand his state of health. Over the phone he sounded cheerful and upbeat, chatting about his three grannies and so on.
Back to ourselves, we were somewhat disenchanted but not surprised at the reception we had from our friends in Vancouver. We had allowed one full day to catch up with friends we have known for decades who are now living in Vancouver. Without exception, all of them suggested that it was inconvenient to meet under the current situation. We are baffled and dumbfounded. There was one exception though. Our next door neighbor in Mei Foo who had married off their daughter in August last year and who went off to Vancouver ten days or so before we set off knew of our arrival and went out of her way to meet and greet us and had a dim sum meal with us in Richmond. That was rather heartwarming and human.
Whistler and Blackcomb haven’t changed much, except for the people we have got accustomed to; and that would be something I may talk more about later after we have met Jim tomorrow. Since last year, we haven’t joined classes; so that we are on our own all the time. It means that we don’t need to get up early, suited up and be ready for action by 9:30 or 9:45am the latest. Inertia is a rather powerful thing indeed. We had no problem staying in bed for as long as we can after breakfast, particularly when the weather didn’t appear to be conducive for skiing. It meant that we had started our skiing sessions late, after mid day, and as late as 2:15pm, but we had our runs and certainly Su enjoyed it to the full. I did my part as her follower and stuck to her like glue, else I would end up in places I wouldn’t know where waiting to be picked up by sweepers.
By the way, since in Whistler, Su had hatched a plan for a side trip to Yellow Knife, so that we would be there next week for a few days to catch the aurora that we couldn’t last December in Tromsø. It means our itinerary would need to be adjusted, but life is not always mapped out or planned as such, or there won’t be that many stories to tell.
Before I sign off, and to dovetail the opening paragraph, I have found the means to upload this blog on my website using my more than ten year old device, thanks to my IT friend who had done something to it that I didn’t know. Such is life. I hope to talk to you soon.
