There is always a first time for everything

There is always a first time for everything. Last evening was my first tango session. It had been on my bucket list for a while, so finally I pulled myself together, got some friends interested and off we went to the milonga at Balthazar.

The “first time” is always made up of a bit of nervousness, tension, excitement, anticipation and expectation. So with a bundle of nerves and butterflies in my stomach, I drove to Balthazar.

As I was driving, I thought of some other memorable “first times”. The first time I watched a cricket match, I was mesmerized by the electric atmosphere of the stadium with the thousands of screaming fans. Though not a lover of cricket, I will forever after jump at the chance of going for another cricket match.

The first time I flew in a helicopter was equally memorable. Bombay looked so beautiful from the air that one quite forgot the squalor, filth and chaos on ground. The pink flamingoes on the mudflats at Sewri and the fishing boats at Colaba made for a pretty picture. Despite the electronic chatter from the radio conversation between pilot and air traffic control and the general noise from the rotor, I felt calm looking at my beautiful city from above.

I have been on many airplanes but to jump out of one at 12000 ft was madness. The first time I skydived, I was numb. It took a lot of courage to go through with it considering that I had a fear of heights. The long wait for my turn was unbearable and nerve racking but once we were kitted up, briefed, photographed, interviewed and boarded on the tiny plane, there was no time to think or agonize. Before I knew it, I was jumping out of the plane strapped to my instructor who kept whispering into my ear to breathe and stay calm. His reassuring words were what kept me sane. My first reaction on jumping from the plane was “gosh, I am going to hit the wing” and later “wow, I am actually floating through the air” and finally “this is so awesome”. Once the parachute was inflated, it was heaven. I felt like a bird, someone disconnected from earth, observing the beauty of the lakes around Roturua – a truly spectacular location to choose to skydive. I was intoxicated from the experience for the next 3 months.

My first hot air balloon ride, recently concluded in Cappadocia, is still fresh in my mind. The peace one experiences floating above the earth in the stillness of the dawn is a personal memory that is special. Once again the unique landscape with its volcanic rock formations and pinnacles added to the surrealism of the experience. You are forgiven if you believe that you have landed on the moon. At some point I was a bit nervous thinking about crashing into one of those pinnacles which looked sharp as needles. Thankfully we floated away for an hour before we safely landed in on a grassy field and popped the bubbly to celebrate.

I still remember the first time I had sashimi. I could not bring myself to eat the raw fish. My mind was blocking my senses. And adding fuel to the fire was the dollop of wasabi that I swallowed! Now, sashimi and sushi are my preferred cuisine. What a long way I have journeyed, from looking at sashimi as a slimy sliver of fish and being repulsed to the present where I savour the freshness of the flesh and enjoy the texture of unadulterated taste enhanced by the wasabi and soy.

I also remember very vividly my first time at the Formula One Race. I had won a prize for two to view the Sepang race in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My brother was the lucky one who got to accompany me. However my boss heard I was there and invited us to the Paddock Club to cheer his team. The Paddock club in itself was an experience with abundant exotic food and drink continuously flowing as well as entertainment like spas, caricature artists and visits to the pit lane, garages and meetings with the drivers. Observing the pit stop and the precision team work was a lesson in management. From having no interest in Formula One, I was hooked with the entire experience. Since, then I am a keen follower of the races and in particular our team.

So as I drove to Balthazar, I felt a bit reassured with my memories of the various “first times” in my life and my butterflies calmed down a bit allowing me to get there with a positive frame of mind.