Following our recent Night at the Museum (see separate blog entry below) and thanks to a bad flu in the family Mariana and I found ourselves on a long holiday ski weekend that turned into another father-daughter outing. Clearly part of Mariana’s pleasure at this turn of events was the delicious ten-year old thought that she would be getting better on skis while her athletic younger brother Walter perfected his nose-blowing technique at home. As for me I imagined stylish descents of steep slopes in synchronized slalom punctuated by meaningful father-daughter conversations while re-ascending grand peaks in luxury chairlifts.
Now for the reality. Do you moms realize how terrifying it is for the average dad (CEOs included) to contemplate that he now must feed clothe and bathe his adolescent daughter for an entire ski trip? Helpless calls home to ask mom how many layers should daughter wear under her ski pants or whether long hair should be braided or parted under a ski helmet just won’t do.
In the end the snow was great the daughter forgiving and the skiing superb. While the image of chairlift discussions gave way to the reality of chilly joke telling nonetheless the weekend was a great success. Mariana came home an accomplished skier I went back to work with both ACLs intact and we both appreciated the other more than before.
One other revelation of the weekend for me was to be reminded of the difference between skiing in the US and in Europe where my family and I lived for the last seven years. At European ski resorts the slopes are very poorly marked; however the roads leading to the resort (or anywhere else for that matter) are very clearly signposted. In the US it is exactly the reverse: ski trails so well marked that you and your lawyer could not possibly end up on a “Double Black” run or “off piste” by accident but roads so poorly marked that you could easily get lost on the Interstate and never find the ski resort in the first place.
I can hardly wait for our next father-daughter outing.
Tom You are very lucky that your daughter is forgiving. Why it took you ten years to learn the bare minimum!
Hi Tom I’m not sure you will remember me but I knew you during your time when you would have been skiing on unmarked European pistes. Skiing is pefect for Father – Daughter bonding I am a passionate skier and a few years ago now I took my 6 year old for a weekend her first attempt at skiing. Being so keen for her to enjoy it I had to curb myself not to seem over eager to understand that she was having a good time. At the end of three good days where she progressesd to skiing intermediate runs competently and on the last run of our trip she truned to me and said “daddy I don’t like skiing” my heart sank….”no” she said “I don’t like it……..I love it”. We have shared the passion from that moment to today. P.S. European Alpine snow this year is terrific.
Hi Tom We Indians are risk averse and absolutely do not want to break our legs trying sking in Alpine regions for sure !! I remember my visit to Mt Titlis in Swiss and Jungfrau in 2003 March before relocating back from UK to India before landing in US in 2003 end. My family might have been the only one I guess that was in both the snow clad mountains with out Ski gears. Seeing some ski through slopes gives me enough motivation to do it but I guess age is showing up on me not to venture on my own !! Not in this birth of mine I guess. Let me worry about teaching my son Golf instead of sking (to make him ready for the future corporate world) !! Kind Regards Sai CSS Corp NY USA
Tom I too have a 10-year-old. He and his 12-year-old brother are skiers and already are way better than their mom. I ski the blues (with an occasional black just so they don’t think I’m completely inept) while they do the bumps. We meet at the bottom. That’s ok. When we sit on the hi-speed quad they are all mine. No electronic distractions. No earbuds. Just us. Talking. Or not. So did you go with the braids? And did YOU do the braid?
Hhhmmm…does that mean that next time you’ll lead the way? Even in the trees? It was a pleasure meeting both of you and I’m glad that the chilly jokes on the chairlift were worth it I certainly think so! Kirsten