mei chua

1st investigation:

'the roller coaster experiece..never again"

It was the first time I had ever been on a roller coaster. I didn't have a fear of heights, in factI loved being high up in the air because views were always so breathtaking. However I hated the feeling of falling. If I had a list entitled 'the things I hate the most', falling would definitely be on that list.

I can't quite remember how old I was or what year I was in but I think it would have probable been in about year 5 or 6 (according to my dad). We went to movie world for the first time and I was really loving it, until my dad decided he wanted to ride on the roller coaster. Now I've alwyas known that I hated roller coasters, falling, any type of free fall at all. My dad on the other hand didn't really know this, so he asked me if I wanted to ride it with him because my brother was too short for the ride but I just made the requirement. My answer to him was no, but after a lot of persuading from him and my brother I ended up in the line for the roller coaster. He was excited, I was just nervous, you know the sick feeling you get in the bottom of your stomach when you're nervous and the feeling of having to go to the toilet. Now that day was a hot day and the queue was long and being so short I reached that perfect height of being just under the armpits of tall guys. (*great!*) So lucky me got to smell all the 'oh so beautiful' odours that were blowing my way with the gentle breeze. Thank goodness though, the line moved quite fast so the bad odours left quite quickly, but the problem now was that I was at the front of the line with my dad and oh my gosh was my heart beating fast! I didn'twant to go on this roller coaster! I wanted to turn back and weave myself through the crowds back to my mum! But, I didn't. So I joined my dad in one of the seats, it was already warm from the person before us. I was so scared, but yet excited at the same time, I didn't quite know what to think or do, then the big black cushion thing came over my head and held me in place so that I wouldn't fall out during the ride. (oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, this roller coaster, the frist one in my life, was a three loop ride, but because you went forwards then backwards on the ride you ended up doing the 6 loops!) Now a ride instructor came by to make sure we were all in safely and when he passed me and my dad he told us to take off our glasses so that it wouldn't fall off us while we were upside down. So during the ride I was pretty much blind, plus the cushion protection straps feaked me out! I felt like I was going to slip out from underneath it cuase I was so short! Then came the feeling of suffocation cause I felt like it was smothering me, even though the protection was sitting properly on me.

I don't know how long I was sitting there next to my dad in fear and with his hand holding mine, but I do remember my heart skipping a beat as the roller coaster made a jerky move to start the ride. We slowly moved forward and I thought it was ok. I'll make it through fine! This isn't scary at all.. but that was all wishful thinking because as soon as we started picking up speed to full maximum speed the wind was blowing into me! Oh my gosh! I can still feel that wind in my hair, on my face in my eyes and in my mouth! I felt like my skin was being stretched backwards and that I'd have hanging loose skin off my face! When I tried screaming to let out some fear nothing and I mean absolutely nothing came out because of the amount of air that was passing through me into my mouth and lungs! I decided it was safer to just close my mouth because that way I wouldn't feel like I was choking on air...if thats even possible, plus my mouth and throat were really dry. When I tried breathing through my nose I felt like i was being force fed air and I was just gulping it down painfully. My eyes were so dry from all the air going into them so I decided to close them too. Now all of this I was feeling as I went through the forward part of the ride. There was a part where we finally stopped but it was like a vertical direction kind of stop. It seemed so peaceful and I felt a lot better, but then the ride just started all over again except this time it was backwards! (*dear God!*) All I can remember was my hair blowing into my face and I could finally breath properly. After that I think i just prayed for the ride to end.

It all finally did end. The roller coaster started slowing down until we finally stopped. I was shaking when I brought up my hands to lift up the cushion around me. My legs were shaking as I went to stand up and walk off the ride. My dad loved it! All I can say now is that it was an experience and I got one thing from it, I was no longer hot from the sun but cooled from all the fear flashes and wind. On that day I swore to God that I'd never, ever ride another roller coaster in my life and to this very day I still haven't been on one...yet.


2nd investigation:


Artist: Misha Gordin from her 'shout' series.

This photo just shows the frustration of my experience - not being able to shout or open my eyes, being uncomfortable.


3rd investigation

Chose a zippo just cause i really love the sound of how it's handled, the sounds of when it being lit and how the flame burns. Overall I really enjoy the way a fire burns, its smell and the heat that is emitted from it.