While some people have natural coordination skills for sports and other activities, I unfortunately need to think it through and practise lots to learn. I especially suck at activities which need interaction with other people. So after taking up (and dropping) salsa class with the girls, I've found myself embarking on indoor rock climbing.

To be frank, I've never climbed anything when I was young and I don't really know how my body will react. So it was with amazement that I found out, while clinging a few metres up a wall, that I was afraid of heights. My left leg began trembling violently, visible even to my rock climbing partner and instructor on the floor. Everyone started yelling at me to climb up but I simply froze. The body refused to obey, so they had to let me come down.

The thing is I've never had any problem with heights before. I've leaned over balconies on top of skyscrapers and towers to marvel at the view below without much anxiety. But being who I am, I went to buy a pair of $140 rock climbing shoes a few days later, just to make sure I will go back and assess my true feelings about heights.

My uk travelmate told me I would need to climb at least 28 times to fully depreciate the shoes (cos it's $5 for rental). So maybe that's how I'll be starting my new year.. with 28 attempts to overcome my fear of height.