Saturday, April 02, 2016

B for Boating

Boating – I had this obsession as a kid to do pedal boating. I always wanted to do it. As part of holidays, we went to Ooty and in the lake, we decided to do boating. It was the first time I realized, how difficult it was to pedal the boat. To add to it, I was scared of water, so on one side I was thinking what if I fall in water, on the other it was so tiring to pedal, how was I supposed to enjoy the cool weather and look at the mist forming in the nearby mountain and all that. All that was running in my mind was, when will this get over?

I blame it on the hindi movies. They show boating as such a romantic thing to do, and we young teenage kids just fell for it.

Years later, when me and G had not yet started dating, had gone to a theme park, along with other friends, and we were in a pedal boat again. We were too near the edge of the lake and the boat got stuck with the roots, and we used all our energy in getting the boat to the centre and then back to the starting point. If at all G had any plans of proposing to me on the boat, it surely dint happen.

After that, everytime we went to a place which had this small pond, and was called a lake, and had boating, I would avoid it all together. I never understood, why people would stand in the long queues just to go thru that ordeal.

Last Christmas, we were in Kodaikanal, with friends and our friend’s kid wanted to do boating. Usually when we go with friends with kids, and they want to do boating, they go for that activity and we go do something else in the meanwhile. But this time, for some reason, we ended up going with them. And howmuch ever I tried to avoid, there was no option but to go. I put in one condition. I will not pedal. Everyone agreed, since they knew I hated pedaling. With that life jacket the 4 of us sat in the boat. After that all I remember was hoping that we don’t fall in water, and that we get out safe. After about 20 mins, G and friend were tired of pedaling, and the only person who seemed to be enjoying was the kid. But all the elders had it enough, me with the boat itself and G and friend with the pedaling. So we got off from the boat, and I was one happy person.

I enjoy going boating though, row boat, speed boat, motar boat, cruise ship, ferry. Its just that pedaling part which I don’t like, and I feel its very cramped, and I feel stuffed, even if I am not the person pedaling. I don’t hate pedaling even, since I love cycling. So I don’t know what is it that is the problem. I think it’s the combination which I hate.. Boat +Pedal - Boadel 

1 comment:

Hema Iyer said...

Haha....I also had one bad experience with pedal boats. K and I went boating in Ooty. It was fun and romantic at first, but quickly turned into a tiring, frustrating, guickly-get-back-to-shore event. I promised I will never go pedal boating again.