Figjam's Epic Adventure 'The Second Coming': January 2011

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Started this on 18^th of December Finished it on the 3^rd of January 2011

Phew, I am absolutely buggered! The last time I felt like this was after a 4 hour windsurf session! But this is a little bit different! Instead we did a 4 and a half hour ski session! After doing my very first red run, first time skiing in Flims and even first time sending myself off a jump! I am absolutely buggered!

So I went for my first ski when I was in Zurs, Austria on the 16^th and had an absolute nightmare! Couldn’t turn right, couldn’t stop and totally out of control. But, by the next day I was ripping it up on blues with no dramas. I had an absolute ball!

Lets fast forward too my time in Klosters, Switzerland and more importantly Christmas and New Years. So the reason I found myself in Klosters is because of Powder Byrne, we arrived a few days before Christmas to set up, but when the 25^th ticked around I got onto the skype/phone to my parents who were to be honest had a few beers/wines and I’m sure that Uncle Steve (uncle) wouldn’t deny it. I opened my prezzies to find some fantastic Marino Wool socks but more importantly received a Forerunner Watch... which is almost perfect for Skiing and Windsurfing, pretty much just a GPS on your wrist! Its fantastic, so on Christmas day I took it for a ski, Marty (my Assistant) had a few bits a bobs to do regarding the work that was starting the next day, but we smashed it out! And straight away hit the slopes!

So myself, Sam Village and Marty Crowe headed up the Gotschna and pretty much stayed up there all day! According to the watch (sponsored by Garmin) we skied 42 Kilometres (including lifts, Not Major Ones Though) so a fair amount of skiing was had! When we got home we enjoyed a quiet few beers and then hit the hay getting ready for our first proper day at work.

On hind sight, even though I wasn’t with family eating sea food on shorts and a t-shirt instead I was having potentially my best day of skiing with guys that ill hopefully be seeing again in my travels, it was defiantly one of my favourite Christmases I’ve had.

Boxing Day was a different story though, it was pretty full power work, which was a bit rubbish, as honestly I would have much preferred to have been getting into trouble with the Levy’s in Bendigo! But not too worry you can’t have everything! The week in Klosters was fantastic, good company, good families and good kids! Was good fun!

Eventually New Years ticked along and we were absolutely buggered, but we pulled ourselves together and made it out to the local pub for a quiet one! When the clocks ticked 12! We ran outside and I saw some of the most amazing fireworks ever! I understand the Sydney tried pretty hard for 2000, but the Swiss defiantly know how to ‘pack’ some fireworks. It was a great show! We had a pretty early night, I was back in bed by 2am!

Now I’m in Grindelwald working out here as a Yeti Assistant! First day was today, and honestly don’t like it! Grindelwald is positioned in a Valley with five dominating mountains surrounding the place, the mountains are: Wetterhorn, Schrekhorn, Eiger, Monk, Jungfrau. So because the younger kids don’t go up the mountains we only get 1 hour of sun, which isn’t ideal, but tomorrow ill be going up with the kids that can ski, so we will fortunately be higher up which means warmer.

Anywho, I have heaps of photos and even a MOVIE to show you! So please check it out and let me know what ya think! (PHOTOS TO COME, THE LACK OF INTERNET IN ZURS MAKES IT HARD)

Stay Classy guys!

Lots of Love Steve! Xx

And MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Monday, January 03, 2011

Pro's and Con's of the Snow!

12/12/10

1800 (local time)

Welcome to the 12/12! And there is something particularly special about this date... As of this day I have finished my ‘official’ training and I am now in Zurs Austria, sorting out my room. We have moved into a lovely little apartment/flat thing that is located in Lech, which is about 15 minutes from Zurs. I’m fully set up, I’ve been allocated some sick speakers so I’ve been rocking out to some Fugees whilst watching Nitro Circus on 1 of our 3 TV’s Happy Days!

So for the past week, I have been doing my Yeti Manager training for my job at Powder Byrne. We have been situated out in Flims, Switzerland, for 7 days training everyday (almost). We did a team bonding exercise on a high ropes course.

But before we get all caught up with that, I better have a chat about Belfast! Wow, I’ve had great memories from Belfast, and this was just another one for the list. I hung out mostly with Becky, who was a girl I met last year whilst I was travelling around the U.K. We did a whole bunch of stuff, I wandered around the Christmas market in Belfast with her friends, it was fantastic. I experienced my first bit of (proper) snow, it was amazing! But bloody cold and slippery! Anyway, shall we move on!

The ropes course... right, so we partnered up and set off into our teams for the course and headed off!

My partner was my Resort Manager named Gemma or G as I call her, she’s a very bubbly person from South West London (near me) and Frankie who used to play for England when she was younger! I was looking for something a bit more adrenaline packed, but it was still good fun, and I got to know my Resort Manager a lot better!

So I’ll tell you a bit about the company. Powder Byrne is a VERY VERY VERY luxurious family holiday provider that only use 4 or 5 star hotels. Anyway, so my role is a Yeti Manager and a Driver. So a Yeti Manager means that ill be in charge of running 2-3 programs this winter. Yeti’s are kids aged 4 – 9 and ill be dealing mostly with them. The other program I am in charge of is, ‘snoZone’, which is for kids from 10 – 14, so even though im not dealing directly with them, ill still be in charge about what they do and how they get from A to B.

The funniest thing about this job is that I had never seen the snow until last week in Belfast, and now I’m bloody running the whole operation! Potentially a massive clanger on their part! But I reckon ill kill it!

Alright, Pro’s and Con’s about the snow!

Pro - Looks absolutely amazing!

Pro – Any bit of snow can be used as a projectile!

Pro – Unlike Dahab, beers are actually ice cold! And actually nice to drink... bloody Sakara’s.

NEG – It’s farking freezing!

NEG – Its so farking freezing, that my testacies went up inside my body... I think they touched my ribs.

NEG – My ‘outie’ turned into an ‘inie’

So clearly its 3 v 3. But honestly ill think ill stick it out! Looking out my bedroom window during the day looks exactly like a snow ball thing you get as a kid! Its definitely one of the better looking things in life! Probably better than looking out your window in an office job!

Anyway, probably should end it here, as I’ve been getting in trouble for writing too much (sorry for expressing my life Lizzie, GEEZE!)

So ill end it here!

Take care and stay classy guys!

Lots of love!

Steve ‘Yeti Manager.com’