J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

I went through my local church, presbyterian, now part of the U.R.C, with a group of young Christians led by a Minister who used to be a missionary out there. We spent a month sleeping on the floor in church halls etc. and travelling around the outback, meeting the local young Christians, and visited his old mission station, right up in the North.

And, fortunately, we were with one of these local men when it happened. The soldier came and took me away, and then of course the others noticed that I'd disappeared, and eventually realised what had happened to me.

They sent the local man in after me, to try to convince the army officer that I wasn't a spy. And in the meantime I tried to calm things down a bit by giving the officer the film out of my camera. It was my Dad's camera, a very expensive Minolta, that my brother had bought in a pawn shop, and I didn't want to lose it (even thought at that moment I really did think they were going to shoot me).

And, of course, they weren't speaking English (there are loads of languages in Zambia so I couldn't even tell you which language it was), but the upshot of it was that they let me go. And they gave me my passport back. But I haven't been back to Zambia again - just in case!

Ally

Well,
I'm a bit sensitive about the whole issue of photographing/videoing foreigners in their native country.

When I was only 18 (1979) I got arrested as a spy in Zambia for photographing a Zambian woman carrying a suitcase on her head (interesting modern adaptation of traditional customs I thought to myself). The real issue was that she was standing outside a railway station, and at the time there was a very high risk of guerilla bombings with favourite targets being railway stations and post offices.

Anyway, I thought I was going to be shot, because they were all armed, and yelling at me about how I was a spy, and I couldn't possibly prove I wasn't. And they took me away and hustled me off to see their commanding officer.

So, if I ever photograph or video any of our holiday I will stick to photos of the snow etc.

Not that I think there was any real danger of Ian being shot for his video, but as I said I am pretty sensitive about this matter. And I thought it was a great video.

Ally

Oh,
Well, when I was watching that bit I wasn't concentrating properly because I was rather worried that one of the guys in the background might understand English and punch him for criticizing their lift system,

Ally

I must have missed that bit - was it when he was ski-ing and it was a bit wobbly?

Ally

Ian,
Lots of people don't bother to get married at all these days, so you did pretty well to get around to it at all. My mother made us get married in church, with me wearing her old white wedding dress, and my poor husband had to hire a penguin suit. I was going to get married in my welly boots in a registry office.

I've finally got to the end of your video (our broadband is very slow) and I must say it was excellent - most professional. I liked the trees, snow and the mountains, and strangely enough, the music as well. And Mrs W is exceptionally good looking, I like your taste in women, even though I prefer men myself.

Pablo - I've finally managed to watch yours, thanks, and all that technospeak between you and Ian was because your video was all white was it?
I would like to ski in Scotland, but it would cost us about as much to go there as it would to go to France, on the train, and I'm not driving all that way. We went up to a wedding in Braemar once, in the summer, and the reception was right next to one of the ski slopes - it looked great to me.

Ally

Ian - it's nice to know I can beat you at something then - my husband and I have nearly been married for 25 years, together for about 29 years, since I was 19. Possibly because he doesn't usually come on holiday with me at all - taking photos or videos! The kids and I go without him.

Ally

It's a very good movie, but I had probems with it as well.

I got all those odd messages about did I want to watch it with a mobile phone etc. and did I have a Mac, but I managed somehow to get through all those.

Then it stuck, about 1/3 of the way through, and when I clicked play I had to watch it all over again, but it got about half the way through (gondola lifts in trees) before it stuck again. I think it's just because we live in the sticks, miles from the exchange, and although it's meant to be a broadband connection it's pretty slow.

Would't it be marvellous if we could all do this, and then watch each other's videos to pick where to go next holidays?

Ally

Thanks for the picture, Pablo.

I wouldn't like to be the guy underneath (he was really there was he?). I assume all those other people are just one person, with the photos taken with a very small time lag in between them all.

So, in other words, you jumped too far and landed in the wrong place, sort of like missing the air bag?

Ally