Gravity defying acts

Ok, I don't 'suffer' from vertigo, at least, I think...! But I am really not comfortable with heights, even if it is inches from the ground. And yeah, I suddenly remembered this while I had given up attempting to look either occupied or pre-occupied - the art of both of which I insist, have mastered very well and was incidentally trying to look out of the second floor terrace.

This busy-doing-nothing state compelled into a fear-of height series of memories... Not-so-long-ago, on my visit to Denmark, and admittedly my first flight, a not-so-common factor among people my age these days, but nonetheless... Yes, yes I was warned by friends (not to stick hands and legs out of the window, 'for all practical reasons', ahem!) and all of that... The flight was fortunately, or otherwise too crowded for me to feel all the excitement (and maybe fear). Going by this, not-so-bad-after all experience, I was more confident on my next connecting and almost consecutive flight from Frankfurt to Copenhagen. On announcement, I jerked my hand luggage off the seat and strutted to the gate with surprising alacrity. It was a much smaller aircraft with just about a handful of adults, and a whole load of children... I got a window :)) seat and promptly started taking in all the ariel view beauties when the aircraft decides to do a roller coaster stunt mid-air. Shit, this wasn't happening. Were we going to nose dive into the Pacific or wherever we were! I was frozen in my seat - face, fingers et al muttering incomprehensible incantations and whatever else when all of a sudden I was 'thawed' by the squealing bunch of kids - obviously they had taken it to be a jolly good ride! These bachadoos were simply contagious, and before I could believe it, I was rolling over, more at my own self.

I survived to see another day, and experience another such event when a friend-pilot (para glider) took a bunch of us to this place (in the picture) just a few hours from Bombay. As expected, I did not readily sign-up for this Gang of Girls and decided to be a spectator (or have fun at their cost :P). Whether I fell for their cajoling, or whether they got me drunk I am still not sure of, but three mins before I decided I should have been there and done that (whatever :D). I went momentarily deaf, dumb, and blind as I was strapped into this seat with the guide (and ballast) behind. For some strange reason, I don't know why (unlike the others) I didn't run off the ground while taking off. It was more like a pop, like a helium balloon left into the atmosphere... Phooey, I was up there... it was beyond breathtaking (partly because it wasn't me doing the hard work and ensuring all went well :D). Straight ahead of me (yeah yeah, by now you'd have figured I wasn't about to look straight down) the lake was dipped in gold, the sky draped in golden silk, and little black hills jagged against the sky... silhouetted; almost a poetic injustice for our presence, for anyone's presence...

If it were not the contagious enthusiasm from the bunch, I am certain, I would not have signed up for gravity defying acts!!!